JP7391380B2 - Connector structure, connector, and connector engagement piece - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector structure for connecting connectors to each other. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a connector that can be connected to and separated from another member as a pair, and a connector engagement piece that can be attached to an external connector. Further, the invention related to the present invention relates to a two-member connection structure that can be particularly suitably employed when connecting connectors to each other.

Conventionally, two cable members can be electrically connected by connecting or separating one connector located at the end of one cable member and another connector located at the end of another cable member. , a structure that divides is widely known.

For example, such a connector is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
The connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a first connector and a second connector both formed in a cylindrical shape, and a part of the second connector is inserted into the inner hole of the first connector. This brings the two connectors into a connected state. When the two connectors are connected, the pin-shaped terminal formed inside the second connector is inserted into the groove-shaped terminal formed inside the first connector.

Here, a protruding portion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first connector, and a recessed portion that engages with the protruding portion of the first connector is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second connector.
Further, a portion of the recess located on the end side in the circumferential direction of the second connector is provided with an inclined surface that slopes radially outward toward the circumferential end.
The structure is such that when the first connector and the second connector are connected and the protrusion and the recess are engaged, the engagement between the protrusion and the recess is released by rotating the first connector in the circumferential direction. It has become.

Further, as another connector, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 2.
The mating lock structure of the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a first connector having two mating recesses and a second connector having two mating convex parts. The structure is such that the two connectors are connected by separately inserting a mating protrusion into each.
Here, the second connector is formed with a hook portion that protrudes toward the first connector when connected, and the first connector is formed with a hooked hole portion that can be engaged with the hook portion. The hook portion has a structure including a release operation convex portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting the direction in which the hook portion protrudes.

In this mating lock structure, when the two connectors are connected and the hook part is engaged with the latching hole part, by pressing the release operation convex part and changing the attitude of the hook part, the hook part and the hook part are engaged with each other. It is possible to release the engagement of the hooked hole portion.
That is, by changing the attitude of the hook portion, one connector can be pulled out from the other.

Furthermore, as another connector, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 3.
The connector locking structure disclosed in Patent Document 3 includes a connector having a locking protrusion and a mating connector having a recess formed therein to engage with the locking protrusion. Then, with the connector and the mating connector connected and the lock protrusion and recess engaged, by prying (twisting) the connector, the lock protrusion moves from the engaged position and the connector This makes it possible to separate the mating connector.

Patent No. 6074753 JP 2017-41377 Publication Patent No. 3269029

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connectors, there is room for improvement in the engagement structure for making it difficult to separate the two connectors (making them impossible to separate) when they are connected.

For example, in the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1, as described above, one of the first connector and the second connector is rotated in the circumferential direction relative to the other to engage the protrusion and the recess. It is structured to release the . Therefore, the first connector and the second connector must be formed such that the number, shape, arrangement position, etc. of the terminals (pin-shaped terminals and groove-shaped terminals) are mutually rotatable in the circumferential direction in a connected state. There is a problem in that there are design restrictions on the structure.

Specifically, for example, as in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, by inserting two mating convex parts into two mating concave parts, the plug terminal of the mating concave part and the mating convex part are connected. The structure is such that the socket terminals are connected. In this case, in a state where the first connector and the second connector are connected, one cannot be rotated in the circumferential direction relative to the other, so the engagement structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot be adopted.
In other words, the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 has design limitations on the number, shape, arrangement position, etc. of the terminals, so there is room for improvement in creating a structure that can employ various terminals in the connector. Ta.

Furthermore, in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, a protruding hook portion is formed and the engagement is released by changing the posture of the hook portion, so the structure (shape) around the hook portion is changed. There is a problem in that it becomes complicated and difficult to manufacture.
Another problem is that it becomes difficult to provide strength around the hook portion. That is, the problem is that the periphery of the hook part tends to break and is easily damaged during use.

Furthermore, in the structure disclosed in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to pry the connector to release the engagement. In other words, it is necessary to rotate the other end (the mating connector side) in the circumferential direction relative to the fixed end side (the end side connected to the cable) of the connector, which causes the entire connector to be twisted. It is necessary to state. For this reason, while it is possible to make the connection difficult to release, there is also the problem that the connector needs to have a certain level of torsional strength or more, and the removal work becomes complicated.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a technology related to an engagement structure that can be more easily engaged and disengaged, has a simple structure, and can be suitably adopted for connectors having various terminals. Take it as a challenge.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a connector structure that has a first connector and a second connector and is capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector. The connector has a first engaging part, the second connector has a second engaging part, and the first engaging part and the second engaging part form a pair of engaging parts, In a connected state in which the first connector and the second connector are connected, the pair of engaging portions are in an engaged state, and the first connector includes an elastically deformable portion that is elastically deformable at least in part. The elastically deformable portion includes an engaging portion forming portion in which the first engaging portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force, and the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state. In addition, when the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part deforms the pressing part, and the pressing part deforms in shape. Accordingly, the shape of the engaging portion forming portion is deformed, and as the shape of the engaging portion forming portion is deformed, the first engaging portion moves in a direction away from the second engaging portion, and the first engaging portion moves in a direction away from the second engaging portion. The engaged state of the first engaging part and the second engaging part is released, the first connector has one or more pin-shaped terminals, and a waterproof member, and the second connector has one or more pin-shaped terminals and a waterproof member. , an insertion portion disposed inside the first connector in the connected state, the insertion portion having a hole portion into which a part of the pin-shaped terminal is inserted in the connected state; The first engaging portion is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the first connector, and the waterproof member is a position where the distal end side portion of the insertion portion in the insertion direction contacts in the connected state, and one or more The connector structure is characterized in that the pin-shaped terminal is disposed at a position outside a portion of the pin-shaped terminal that is not inserted into the hole portion.
Another aspect of the present invention is a connector structure that includes a first connector and a second connector and is capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector, in which the first connector is connected to the first connector. The second connector has an engaging part, and the first engaging part and the second engaging part form a pair of engaging parts, and the second connector has a second engaging part, and the first engaging part and the second engaging part form a pair of engaging parts. In a connected state in which the second connector is connected, the pair of engaging portions are in an engaged state, and the first connector has an elastically deformable portion that is elastically deformable at least in part, and The deformable portion includes an engaging portion forming portion in which the first engaging portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force, and the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state and the first connector is in the connected state. When the engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part deforms the pressing part, and as the pressing part deforms, the engaging part The first engaging portion moves in a direction away from the second engaging portion as the engaging portion forming portion deforms in shape, and the first engaging portion moves in a direction away from the second engaging portion. The engaged state of the second engaging part is released, the first connector is formed at an end of the wiring member, and has a housing part and a sheath part, and the housing part is The connector structure is characterized in that it is a part formed including the elastic deformation part, and is detachably attached to the sheath part.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a connector structure that includes a first connector and a second connector and is capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector, wherein the first connector is connected to the second connector. the second connector has a second engaging part, the first engaging part and the second engaging part form a pair of engaging parts, and the first connector In a connected state in which the first connector and the second connector are connected, the pair of engaging parts are in an engaged state, and the first connector has an elastically deformable part that can be elastically deformed at least in part, The elastic deformation portion includes an engaging portion forming portion in which the first engaging portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force, and the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state and the first connector is in the connected state and When the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part deforms the pressing part, and as the pressing part deforms, the engaging part The joint forming part is deformed in shape, and as the engaging part forming part deforms in shape, the first engaging part moves in a direction away from the second engaging part, and the first engaging part and the second engaging part is released from the engaged state, the first engaging part is a hole, the second engaging part is a projection, and the first connector is a hole. , has a housing portion, and when the second connector side in the connected state is the distal end side, has a guide groove between the distal end and the first engaging portion, and a bottom portion of the guide groove. is a connector structure characterized in that the connector structure has an inclined surface that is inclined toward the inner side of the housing portion as it goes toward the first engaging portion .

In this aspect, it is possible to shift from the engaged state to the disengaged state by a simple operation of pressing the pressing portion. Furthermore, since the first engaging portion is moved by temporarily deforming at least a portion of the first connector, there is no need to form a protruding engaging portion or the like. That is, there is no need to complicate the shape of the engaging portion and its surroundings, and a simple structure can be achieved. Further, since the engagement can be released without rotating the first connector relative to the second connector or gouging the entire connector while the connector is in the connected state, it can be employed in connectors having various terminals.

In the aspect described above, the engaging portion forming portion and the pressing portion are located at different positions, and by pressing the pressing portion, the pressing portion is deformed in a concave direction, and as the pressing portion is deformed, the pressing portion is deformed in shape. It is preferable that the engaging portion forming portion deforms in shape in the protruding direction.

In the aspect described above, the second connector has an insertion portion disposed inside the first connector in the connected state, the insertion portion extends in a predetermined direction, and the elastic deformation portion includes: It has a region that covers at least a part of the periphery of the insertion part, and in the connected state, part or all of the elastic deformation part covers part or all of the insertion part in the circumferential direction of the insertion part. The engaging part forming part and the pressing part are separated in the circumferential direction, and by pressing the pressing part inward, the engaging part forming part is pushed outward. It is preferable to move to

In this preferred aspect, the insertion part of the second connector is inserted inside the first connector to connect the two connectors, and a part of the first connector into which the insertion part is inserted is made into an elastically deformable part. There is. With such a structure, the shape of the first connector can be further simplified (the structure of the first connector can be simplified).

In this preferable aspect, it is preferable that a gap is formed between the insertion part and the pressing part in the connected state and the engaged state.

In this aspect, the elastically deformable portion can be deformed more greatly, and the moving distance of the first engaging portion due to the deformation of the elastically deformable portion can be increased.

In the aspect described above, the first connector has a cavity, the second connector has an insertion part arranged in the cavity of the first connector in the connected state, and the insertion part is arranged in a predetermined direction. The elastically deformable portion is an annular continuous portion and has a space surrounded by the elastically deformable portion, and in the connected state, the insertion portion is provided in the space portion of the elastically deformable portion. The entire shape of the elastically deformable portion is deformed by pressing the pressing portion, and when the entire shape of the elastically deformable portion is deformed, the insertion portion and the elastic It is preferable that the insertion portion can be inserted into and removed from the cavity portion by sliding one of the deformable portions relative to the other in the extending direction of the insertion portion.

In this aspect, the connected state can be released by a simple operation of sliding one of the first connector and the second connector relative to the other while pressing the pressing portion of the first connector. In other words, the process from disengagement to disconnection can be performed with a series of simple operations.

In the aspect described above, the first connector has a cavity, the second connector has an insertion part arranged in the cavity of the first connector in the connected state, and the elastic deformation part is There is a space that is an annular continuous part and is surrounded by the elastic deformation part, and in the connected state, the insertion part is disposed in the space part of the elastic deformation part, and the insertion part is arranged in the space part of the elastic deformation part. The pressing portions are located at two locations separated in the circumferential direction, and the engaging portion forming portion is located between the two pressing portions in the same circumferential direction, and presses the two pressing portions inward. Accordingly, it is preferable that the engaging portion forming portion moves outward.

According to this aspect, it becomes possible to greatly deform the elastic deformation portion with a simple operation.

In the aspect described above, it is preferable that a portion of the first connector and a portion of the second connector are each formed with a tactile identification portion that can be distinguished from other portions by a user's tactile sense.

According to this aspect, when performing the work of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector in a place where the first connector and the second connector are not visible (or difficult to see), such as in a remote location or in the dark, these operations can be easily performed. I can do it.
That is, in this aspect, by touching each part of the first connector and the second connector, the operator can recognize the position of the tactile identification section without visually checking. Since the postures of the first connector and the second connector can be grasped based on the recognized position of the tactile recognition part, the positions of important parts (for example, the first engaging part, the second The position of the engaging part and the position of the pressing part) can be recognized without visual inspection. From this, it is possible to improve workability in a place where the first connector and the second connector are not visible (or difficult to see).

In this preferable aspect, it is further preferable that the engaging part forming part also serves as the tactile identification part, and that the first engaging part is formed in the tactile identifying part.

In the aspect described above, the first connector has one or more pin-shaped terminals and a waterproof member, and the second connector has an insertion portion arranged inside the first connector in the connected state. The insertion portion is formed with a hole portion into which a portion of the pin-shaped terminal is inserted in the connected state, and the first engaging portion is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the first connector. The waterproof member is located at a position where the distal end side portion of the insertion portion in the insertion direction contacts in the connected state, and is located at a position outside a portion of the one or more pin-shaped terminals that is not inserted into the hole portion. It is arranged.

According to this aspect, even if water or the like intrudes into the inside of the first connector from the first engagement part, it is possible to prevent the water or the like from coming into contact with the pin-shaped terminal, and damage etc. caused by this can be prevented. Problems can be prevented (suppressed).

In the aspect described above, the first connector has a cavity, the second connector has an insertion part disposed in the cavity of the first connector in the connected state, and a flange part, and the second connector has a flange part. The flange portion extends in a predetermined direction, the flange portion is formed on the proximal end side in the extending direction of the insertion portion, and in the connected state, the insertion portion is disposed in the hollow portion, and A gap is formed between the insertion portion and the pressing portion, and furthermore, in the connected state, the opening of the cavity may be closed due to contact between the end face of the cavity and the flange. preferable.

According to this aspect, it is possible to more reliably prevent water and the like from entering the inside of the first connector in the connected state.

In the aspect described above, the first connector is formed at the end of the wiring member and has a housing part and a sheath part, and the housing part is a part formed including the elastic deformation part, It is detachably attached to the sheath portion .

According to this aspect, even if the housing part is damaged, it is only necessary to replace the housing part, and the cost during operation can be reduced.

In the aspect described above, the first connector has a concave cavity, the second connector has a convex insertion part, and the insertion part is inserted into the cavity to connect the first connector and the second connector. The connectors are connected to each other, and the inner surface shape of the hollow portion and the outer surface shape of the insertion portion are different, and when the insertion portion is inserted into the hollow portion, the inner surface of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the insertion portion are different. It is preferable that a gap be formed between the two.

In the aspect described above, it is preferable that, in the connected state, the inner surface of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the insertion portion are in contact at at least two places, so that the relative postures of the first connector and the second connector are fixed.

Another aspect of the present invention is a connector that can be connected to and separated from another member, wherein the other member is provided with a second engaging portion, and the connector is provided with an elastic deformation portion, and the connector is provided with an elastic deformation portion. The part includes a first engaging part and a pressing part, and the first engaging part is capable of engaging with the second engaging part of the other member, and the connector is in a connected state connected to the other member. In this case, it is possible to bring the first engaging part into an engaged state where the second engaging part is engaged with the second engaging part, and in the engaged state, by pressing the pressing part, the elastic deformation part is The external shape is deformed, and as a result of the deformation, the first engaging part separates from the second engaging part and the engagement is released, and the connector is formed at an end of the wiring member. , and a connector comprising a housing part and a sheath part, the housing part being a part formed including the elastic deformation part, and being detachably attached to the sheath part. It is.

Even in this aspect, it is possible to shift from the engaged state to the disengaged state with a simple operation, and it is possible to make the engaging portion a simple structure. Moreover, the connector can have a high degree of freedom in designing the terminal portion.

Another aspect of the present invention is a connector engaging piece that can be connected to and separated from an external connector, the external connector having a second engaging part, and the connector engaging piece having an elastically deformable part. The elastically deformable portion includes a first engaging portion and a pressing portion, the first engaging portion is engageable with the second engaging portion of the connector, and the first engaging portion is capable of engaging with the second engaging portion of the connector. In the engaged state, the first engaging part is engaged with the second engaging part, and in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part causes the elastic deformation part to The external shape of the connector is deformed, and the first engaging part separates from the second engaging part due to the deformation, and the engaged state is released, and the connector is attached to the tip of the wiring member. The connector engaging piece has a wiring holding part, and the wiring member can be held by fitting a part of the wiring member of the connector into the wiring holding part. This is a connector engaging piece characterized by the following.

In this aspect as well, the transition between the engaged state of the connector and the connector engaging piece to the disengaged state can be made with a simple operation, and the engaging portion can have a simple structure.

Further, in the aspect described above, the connector is attached to the tip of a wiring member, the connector engaging piece has a wiring holding part, and a part of the wiring member of the connector is fitted into the wiring holding part. By doing so, the wiring member is held .

According to this aspect, the wiring members do not become tangled and are easy to use.

A further preferable aspect is that the main body includes the elastically deformable part and the wire holding part, the main body has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the wire holding part has a part of the side surface missing. The wiring holding portion is a connector engaging piece that is integrally formed with the outer peripheral surface of the main body and extends in the same direction as the main body.

One aspect of a related invention related to the present invention is a two-member coupling structure that includes a first member and a second member and is capable of connecting and separating the first member and the second member. The member has a first engaging part, the second member has a second engaging part, and the first engaging part and the second engaging part form a pair of engaging parts, In a connected state in which the first member and the second member are connected, the pair of engaging parts are in an engaged state, and the first member has an elastic deformable part that can be elastically deformed at least in part. A part of the elastic deformation part serves as an engagement part forming part where the first engagement part is formed, and the other part serves as a pressing part that can be pressed by an external force. When the first member and the second member are in the connected state and the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part causes the pressing part to The engaging part forming part deforms in shape as the pressing part deforms in shape, and as the engaging part forming part deforms in shape, the first engaging part becomes the second engaging part. The two-member coupling structure is characterized in that the engaging state of the first engaging part and the second engaging part is released by moving in a direction away from the joining part.

Even in this aspect, it is possible to shift from the engaged state to the disengaged state with a simple operation, and it is possible to make the engaging portion a simple structure. Further, there is a high degree of freedom in designing the shapes of the first member and the second member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique relating to an engagement structure that allows easier engagement and disengagement, has a simple structure, and can be suitably adopted for connectors having various terminals.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first connector and a second connector that constitute a connector structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the first connector of FIG. 1, in which (a) is a partially cutaway perspective view, and (b) is a plan view seen from the tip side. It is a figure which shows the housing part of the first connector member of FIG. 1, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view seen from the proximal end side. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the second connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how the first connector and second connector in FIG. 1 are transferred from a separated state to a connected state, and the state is transferred in the order of (a) and (b). It is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the first connector and the second connector in a connected state. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector in the connected state are cut along the plane AA in FIG. It is a figure, Comprising: Transformation is carried out in order of (a) and (b). (a) is a perspective view showing a first connector and a second connector according to an embodiment different from that in FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the appearance seen from the insertion port side, and (b) shows the appearance seen from the opposite side to (a). 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the connector is inserted into the connector cap shown in FIG. 9, and the connectors are inserted in the order of (a) and (b). FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a large-diameter cylindrical portion different from the above-described embodiment, and (a) to (g) each show a different housing portion.

Examples of connector structures according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following description, the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction will be explained based on the state shown in FIG. 1 unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of a first connector 1 (connector, first member) and a second connector 2 (other member, second member). It has a structure that connects and separates (Figure 1 shows the separated state).
The first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are integrally formed at the ends of separate cable members 3, respectively. The cable member 3 is a member in which a conductor (not shown) extending inside the cable member 3 is covered with a protective coating made of an insulator.
In addition, in the following description, in each of the first connector 1 and the second connector 2, the mating connector side at the time of connection (described in detail later) is also referred to as the distal end side, and the opposing side thereof is also referred to as the proximal end side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first connector 1 is a member that is divided into a housing part 15 and a first wiring protection part 16 from the tip side, and has a packing 17 (waterproof member) and a first terminal member 18 ( (pin-shaped terminal).
Note that, for convenience of drawing, only a part of the first terminal member 18 is labeled with reference numerals, and the other parts are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing portion 15 is integrally formed with a large diameter cylindrical portion 15a (elastic deformation portion) located on the distal end side and a connecting protrusion 15b located on the proximal end side. It is a part.

The large diameter cylindrical portion 15a is made of an elastic material such as rubber, has a cylindrical shape (a cylindrical portion with a bottom), and is elastic. That is, this housing part 15 has a terminal arrangement space (cavity part) 20 formed therein, and is a part whose overall shape is deformed by applying an external force.

Specifically, the shape of the cross section of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a (the shape seen from the end on the distal end side) is arcuate. In other words, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a is formed by continuously forming a small curved portion 22 (tactile identification portion) that has a relatively small curvature and is gently curved, and a large curved portion 23 that has a relatively large curvature and continues in an arc shape. has been done.

Here, an engagement hole 25 (first engagement portion), which is a through hole passing through the small curved portion 22 in the thickness direction, is formed on the outer surface of the small curved portion 22 . That is, the portion of the small curved portion 22 located around the engagement hole 25 serves as an engagement portion forming portion where the first engagement portion is formed.
The engagement hole 25 has a rectangular opening shape, and is formed near the center in the width direction of the small curved portion 22 (near the apex of the swell), and at a position away from the distal end side to the proximal end side.

Further, a guide groove 26 is formed on the inner surface of the small curved portion 22.
This guide groove 26 is a portion formed by cutting out the tip side end surface of the small curved portion 22 (housing portion 15) and the inner surface of the small curved portion 22, as shown in FIG. 2(a) etc. . That is, it extends along the extending direction of the housing part 15 from the tip of the small curved part 22 to a position slightly away from the proximal end side, and is convex outward on the inner surface of the small curved part 22. It is a recessed part.
Note that the extending direction of the housing portion 15 referred to herein also refers to the longitudinal direction of the housing portion 15, and refers to a straight line extending from the distal end to the proximal end (or from the proximal end to the distal end). It is also a direction.

In this embodiment, the guide groove 26 is formed in a straight line (along the extending direction of the housing part 15) from the tip end to the engagement hole 25 on the inner peripheral surface of the housing part 15. It is extending. Further, the bottom portion (the outer end of the inner surface) of the guide groove 26 is an inclined surface, which is inclined toward the inner side of the housing portion 15 as it goes toward the engagement hole 25 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the outer surface of the large curved portion 23 serves as a pressing target portion 28 (pressing portion). The pressing target portion 28 is a portion that is pressed when releasing the connection between the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 (details will be described later), and in this embodiment, two different parts of the large curved portion 23 are pressed. 28 (one is not shown in FIG. 3).
Specifically, the two pressing target parts 28 are located at opposing positions in the width direction (the extending direction and the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction) of the large diameter cylindrical part 15a (housing part 15). In other words, the respective pressing target parts 28 are located at positions shifted by about 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the large diameter cylindrical part 15a when viewed from the top end.

Note that the pressing target portion 28 is formed with a concave portion 28a that is slightly recessed from the surrounding area, and a plurality of (three in this embodiment) protrusions 28b are formed on this concave portion 28a. There is.
Each protruding portion 28b is a portion that swells outward from the adjacent portion (the outer surface of the concave surface portion 28a). Each of the protrusions 28b extends in a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a (housing portion 15), and extends in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a. The plurality of protrusions 28b are arranged in parallel at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a.
That is, in each of the pressed portions 28, a non-slip means is formed by the plurality of protrusions 28b.

The connecting protrusion 15b is a portion having a substantially cylindrical shape, and more specifically, the connecting protrusion 15b is a portion having a substantially cylindrical shape with a part of the outer circumferential surface missing so that the shape of the cross section is arched. It is a columnar part.

The connecting protrusion 15b is a portion that protrudes further toward the proximal end from the proximal end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a.
That is, the distal end portion of the connecting protrusion 15b is formed to close the terminal arrangement space (cavity) 20 at the proximal end portion of the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a, and It extends from the side portion along the direction in which the housing portion 15 extends.

The connecting protrusion 15b is thinner than the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a. That is, the length of the connecting protrusion 15b in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing part 15 is shorter than the length of the large diameter cylindrical part 15a in the same direction. The outer circumferential surface of the connecting protrusion 15b is continuous with the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a via a step.

This connecting protrusion 15b is a part that is inserted into a mounting hole part (details not shown) of the first wiring protection part 16 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and by inserting it into the mounting hole part, The portion 15 and the first wiring protection portion 16 are integrally connected. In other words, the housing part 15 is a member formed separately from the first wiring protection part 16, and is a member that can be attached to and detached from the first wiring protection part 16.
In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion part 30 is formed in the outer surface of the connection protrusion 15b. The protruding portion 30 is a portion that is raised higher than the surrounding area, and extends in an annular shape continuously in the circumferential direction of the connecting protrusion 15b (housing portion 15). The protruding portion 30 is a portion that functions as a stopper when the connecting protrusion 15b is inserted into the attachment hole portion of the first wiring protection portion 16.

Further, a plurality of terminal holding holes 33 (six in this embodiment) are formed in the connecting protrusion 15b, which extend through the connecting protrusion 15b in the longitudinal direction. That is, the same number of terminal holding holes 33 as the number of first terminal members 18 are formed, and each serves as a portion for holding the proximal end portion of one first terminal member 18 .
Each terminal holding hole 33 is an extending hole with a circular opening shape, and has a function as an insert for holding a terminal.

Note that the connecting protrusion 15b is formed integrally with the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a, and is made of the same material as the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a. However, the connecting protrusion 15b does not have a large hollow portion formed inside, and is a portion that does not deform significantly (substantially does not deform) even if an external force is applied by pinching two locations on the outer surface.

The first wiring protection portion 16 has a generally tapered shape and becomes thinner toward the base end.
This first wiring protection portion 16 is formed with a mounting hole portion into which the above-mentioned connecting protrusion 15b is inserted, and this mounting hole portion extends from the opening portion formed on the distal end side to the proximal end side. It is the part that extends to.
Further, inside the first wiring protection section 16, a part of the conductor extending from the inside of the cable member 3 and a conductor connecting member (not shown) for connecting this conductor and the first terminal member 18 are stored. has been done. The conductor, the conductor connection member, and the first terminal member 18 are electrically connected inside the first wiring protection section 16. Specifically, the first terminal member 18 and the conductor connecting member are electrically connected in any part from the inside of the first wiring protection part 16 to the inside of the terminal holding hole 33 described above. That is, the first wiring protection section 16 is also a sheath section that protects the wiring and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the packing 17 is an annular packing and has a continuous arcuate shape. In other words, it has a continuous annular shape along the inner circumferential surface of the housing section 15, and when stored inside the housing section 15, the inner circumferential surface of the housing section 15 and the proximal surface of the terminal arrangement space 20. They are in contact with each other.

The first terminal member 18 is a pin contact and has a rod-shaped portion with a rounded tip end. Further, as described above, six first terminal members 18 are formed. In other words, the first connector 1 is a six-pole male connector.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the second connector 2 is a member that is divided into a protruding portion 40 and a second wiring protection portion 41 from the distal end side, and has a second terminal member 42 (see FIG. 4) inside. ).

As shown in FIG. 1, the protruding portion 40 is a portion formed by integrating an insertion body portion 40a (insertion portion) located on the distal end side and a connecting body portion 40b located on the proximal end side. be.

The insert body portion 40a is a rod-shaped portion that protrudes further toward the distal end from the distal end portion (the distal end surface of the first flange portion 51, which will be described later) of the coupling body portion 40b.
Specifically, the insert portion 40a has a cross-sectional shape (planar view shape seen from the distal end side) that is a combination of a rectangular portion and a semi-cylindrical portion. In other words, one side of the quadrangular prism-shaped portion has a shape that protrudes outward in a rounded and convex manner. That is, the circumferentially continuous side surface portion of the insert body portion 40a has three planar portions and one curved surface portion 45 (tactile identification portion).

A protrusion 50 (second engaging portion) is formed in a planar portion of the side surface portion of the insert body portion 40a at a position facing the curved surface portion 45 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction. There is.
Note that the extending direction of the insert body part 40a here also refers to the longitudinal direction of the insert body part 40a, and is a straight line extending in the direction from the distal end to the proximal end (or from the proximal end to the distal end). It is also the direction of extension.

The protruding portion 50 is a portion having a substantially trapezoidal columnar outer shape, and protrudes outward from the side surface of the insert body portion 40a. Specifically, the protrusion 50 is formed at a position apart from the distal end to the proximal end of the insert body 40a, and its protrusion direction intersects with the longitudinal direction of the insert body 40a ( (orthogonal) direction.

A slope portion 50a that slopes upward toward the proximal end is formed on the distal end portion of the protrusion 50. That is, the inclined surface portion 50a is formed between the distal end of the protrusion 50 and a midway portion located between the distal end and the proximal end of the protrusion 50, and extends toward the proximal end. As it goes, it becomes a part that goes outward (the protrusion length becomes longer).
In other words, the protrusion 50 has a shape in which corner portions on the tip side and the protruding end side of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped protrusion are cut off.

The connecting body portion 40b has a columnar portion in which a portion located between the distal end and the proximal end is thinner than both end portions, and a first flange portion 51 located at the distal end and a portion located on the proximal end. It has a second flange portion 52 located at the end and a columnar body portion 53 extending therebetween.
A plurality of protrusions 57 are formed on the side surface portion of this columnar body portion 53 .

The protruding portion 57 is a portion that swells outward from the outer surface of the columnar body portion 53, and is a portion that extends in the circumferential direction of the columnar body portion 53 (projection portion 40). A plurality of (three in this embodiment) protrusions 57 form a set and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the columnar body part 53, thereby forming a non-slip means.

In this embodiment, two anti-slip means are formed on the side surface of the columnar body part 53 (one is not shown), and these are provided in the width direction (longitudinal direction and the longitudinal direction) of the columnar body part 53 (projection part 40). They are formed at opposite positions in the intersecting direction). That is, in the columnar body portion 53, two anti-slip means are respectively formed at positions shifted by about 180 degrees in the circumferential direction.

Here, the protrusion 40 is provided with a plurality of terminal storage holes 60 (hole portions) that penetrate the protrusion 40 in the longitudinal direction.
The terminal storage hole 60 extends from the proximal end of the protrusion 40 (the proximal side of the second flange 52) to the distal end of the protrusion 40 (the distal side of the insert portion 40a). This is a through hole that extends through the protrusion 40 (see FIG. 4).
A plurality of terminal storage holes 60 (six in this embodiment) are provided, and in detail, the same number as the second terminal member 42 is formed. That is, each of the terminal storage holes 60 is a hole with a circular opening shape and extends, and is a hole that stores at least a portion of the second terminal member 42, and has a function as an insert that holds the terminal (see FIG. 4). ).

As shown in FIG. 1, the second wiring protection part 41 has a generally tapered shape similar to the above-described first wiring protection part 16, and has a shape that becomes thinner toward the base end side. . The distal end portion of the second wiring protection portion 41 is continuous with the proximal end portion of the protrusion 40 .
A part of the conductor extending from the inside of the cable member 3 and a conductor connecting member (not shown) for connecting this conductor and the second terminal member 42 are housed inside the second wiring protection part 41. There is. Then, the conductor, the conductor connecting member, and the second terminal member 42 are electrically connected inside the second wiring protection section 41. Specifically, the second terminal member 42 and the conductor connecting member are electrically connected in any part from the inside of the second wiring protection part 41 to the inside of the terminal storage hole 60 described above. That is, the second wiring protection section 41 also serves as a sheath section that protects the wiring and the like.

The second terminal member 42 is a socket contact and has a cylindrical portion into which the rod-shaped portion of the first terminal member 18 described above can be inserted. Further, the second terminal members 42 are formed in the same number as the first terminal members 18 described above. In other words, the second connector 2 is a six-pole female connector.

Next, a procedure for transitioning the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 from the separated state to the connected state will be described.

The terminal arrangement space (cavity part) 20 of the first connector 1 and the insert body part 40a of the second connector 2 have an uneven relationship and engage in a male-female manner. That is, the terminal arrangement space (cavity part) 20 is concave, and the insert body part 40a is convex.
When connecting the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 of the second connector 2, as shown in FIG. Insert into the space (cavity) 20.
At this time, the distal end surface of the insert body section 40a and the opening surface of the housing section 15 are arranged to face each other, and these are brought close to each other.
That is, one of the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 is slid relative to the other along the center line L1 (center axis line) extending in the extending direction of the insert body part 40a, and the terminal arrangement space (cavity) is moved. part) 20, insert the insert body part 40a.

Here, as described above, the first connector 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the small curved part 22 and the large curved part 23 are formed, and the engagement hole 25 is formed in the small curved part 22. ing. Since the small curved part 22 and the large curved part 23 are discontinuous surfaces with different curvatures, the operator who connects the connectors can touch each part of the first connector 1 (housing part 15) with his or her fingertips. By touching the small curved portion 22, the position of the small curved portion 22 can be identified without visual inspection.
Note that a discontinuous surface here is a surface where any variable or condition changes discontinuously between two consecutive surfaces, and in addition to the above-mentioned surface where the curvature changes extremely, for example, a flat surface and a curved surface. , and curvature changes that do not follow a fixed function.

That is, the housing part 15 has a distorted shape as a whole, and if the overall shape is known in advance, the position of a specific part (small curved part 22) can be identified by touching each part with a fingertip without looking. It is possible.
That is, the small curved portion 22 is a tactile identification portion whose formation position can be perceived by the operator's tactile sense, and a portion of the small curved portion 22 in this embodiment serves both as a tactile identification portion and an engagement portion forming portion.

Further, in the second connector 2 of this embodiment, as described above, the insert body portion 40a has the curved surface portion 45, and the curved surface portion 45 serves as a tactile identification portion.
The surface facing the curved surface portion 45 is the surface on which the protrusion 50 is formed. That is, by identifying the curved surface portion 45 using the operator's sense of touch, it is possible to identify the surface on which the protrusion 50 is formed.

From the above, when inserting the insert body part 40a into the terminal arrangement space 20, the operator can hold the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 in their hands and touch the distal end portions with their fingertips to ensure engagement. The portion where the hole 25 is formed and the portion where the protrusion portion 50 is formed can be specified.
Therefore, when connecting the first connector 1 and the second connector 2, the positioning of the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 can be easily performed even in the dark.

As the insert body portion 40a is inserted, the projection portion 50 reaches the distal end portion of the housing portion 15 (the portion adjacent to the opening surface of the terminal placement space 20).
Specifically, at least a portion of the protrusion 50 enters the guide groove 26 . If the insertion is continued further, the protruding end of the protrusion 50 comes into contact with the bottom part (outer end) of the guide groove 26, and a part of the small curved part 22 rides on the protrusion 50. . Further, by moving the small curved portion 22 as it is, the contact position with the protrusion 50 on the inner circumferential surface of the small curved portion 22 shifts to a more proximal portion, and the protrusion 50 enters the engagement hole 25 . That is, the engagement hole 25 and the protrusion 50 are in an engaged state.

That is, by inserting the insert body part 40a into the terminal arrangement space 20 and inserting the insert body part 40a into the housing part 15, the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are brought into a connected state. Then, with the transition to this connected state, the engagement hole 25 and the protrusion 50 become engaged.

At this time, the distal end portion of the housing portion 15 comes into contact with the distal end side surface of the first flange portion 51, and the distal end portion of the insert body portion 40a comes into contact with the packing 17 (see FIG. 6).
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, by inserting the insert body portion 40a into the terminal arrangement space 20, the distal end portions of the plurality of first terminal members 18 of the first connector 1, They each enter separate terminal storage holes 60. Then, a portion of the plurality of first terminal members 18 that is not inserted into the terminal storage hole 60 is surrounded by the packing 17.

That is, the packing 17 continues in an annular shape at a position outside the plurality of first terminal members 18 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the first terminal members 18 (the extending direction of the housing portion 15). Then, the distal end side surface of the insert body portion 40a (the surface on the packing 17 side) and the distal side surface of the packing 17 (the surface on the insert body portion 40a side) are in surface contact.
Furthermore, of the surface on which the protrusion 50 of the insert body portion 40a is formed, a portion on the distal side of the protrusion 50 is located on the proximal side of the inner surface of the small curved portion 22 relative to the engagement hole 25. It comes into contact with the part where it is located. Thereby, even if water or the like enters through the gap between the protrusion 50 and the engagement hole 25, it can be prevented from contacting the first terminal member 18.

Here, the shape of the inner surface of the terminal arrangement space 20 of the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a is different from the shape of the outer surface of the insert body portion 40a.
Therefore, a gap 62 (see FIG. 7, which will be described in detail later) is formed between the insert portion 40a inserted into the terminal arrangement space 20 and the inner surface of the housing portion 15.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 are in contact with each other at three places: a curved surface part 45 of the insert body part 40a, and right and left corners opposite to the curved surface part 45. Therefore, the relative postures of the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are fixed. Note that in order to keep the relative posture of the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 in a fixed state, it is sufficient that the inner surface of the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a and the outer surface of the insert body portion 40a are in contact at at least two places in the circumferential direction. .

As described above, there is a gap 62 between the insert portion 40a inserted into the terminal arrangement space 20 and the inner surface of the housing portion 15.
In this embodiment, this gap 62 has its opening on the distal end side closed by closing the opening of the terminal placement space 20 with the first flange portion 51 (see FIG. 5).
Specifically, the opening on the tip side of this gap 62 is formed in a part of the opening portion of the terminal arrangement space 20. Then, as the end face of the housing part 15 (large diameter cylindrical part 15a) on the distal side comes into contact with the first flange part 51, the opening of the terminal arrangement space 20 is closed, and the opening of the gap 62 on the distal side is also closed. It is blocked again.
This makes it possible to more reliably prevent water and the like from entering the inside of the housing portion 15.

Further, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the first flange portion 51 and the cross-sectional shape of the tip of the housing portion 15 are approximately the same, and when the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are connected, the first There is no noticeable step difference between the flange portion 51 and the housing portion 15.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the distal end portions of the plurality of first terminal members 18 are inserted into the cylindrical portion of the second terminal member 42 inside the terminal storage hole 60. As a result, the first terminal member 18 and the second terminal member 42 are brought into an electrically connected state.

That is, the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 function as an engaging part (hereinafter also referred to as a connecting engaging part) that engages the first terminal member 18 and the second terminal member 42 when electrically connecting them. do. The insert portion 40a and the housing portion 15, which constitute the connection engagement portion, are each formed with a protrusion 50 and an engagement hole 25 that restrict their movement in the connected state. That is, the protrusion 50 and the engagement hole 25 are an engagement part (hereinafter referred to as a regulating engagement) that restricts the movement of the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 in the insertion/removal direction (insertion direction and withdrawal direction of the insert body part 40a). It also functions as a joint (also called a joint).
That is, in this embodiment, each of the paired parts that make up the connection engagement part is formed with each of the paired parts that make up the regulation engagement part.

Next, a procedure for transitioning the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 from the connected state to the separated state will be described.

When the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are brought into a separated state, as shown in FIG. (See Figure 5, etc.). Specifically, by pinching the housing portion 15 or the like, force is applied inward from respective positions separated by about 180 degrees in the circumferential direction.
As a result, the entire shape of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a, specifically, the entire shape of the portion from one pressed portion 28 to the other pressed portion 28 via the small curved portion 22 is temporarily deformed. (See FIG. 7(b)). That is, by moving the peripheral parts of the two pressing target parts 28 inward, a part of the large curved part 23 is shaped to extend closer to the insert body part 40a, and the small curved part 22 is shaped to extend closer to the insert body part 40a. Transforms into a larger, bulging shape. In other words, the small curved portion 22 is deformed into a shape in which the center portion in the circumferential direction largely protrudes outward.

In the first connector 1, the small curved portion 22 that functions as an engagement portion forming portion is located on the top surface based on the drawing, and the portion that functions as a pressing portion is located on two sides of the large curved portion 23 at different positions.
When the large curved part 23 is pressed, the part that functions as a pressing part deforms in shape in the concave direction as shown in FIG. The shape deforms in the protrusion direction.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the natural state (state where no external force is applied), in the part located inside the pressing target part 28, a part of the inner surface of the large diameter cylindrical part 15a, A gap 62 is formed between the insert portions 40a. For this reason, when the pressing target portion 28 is pressed inward, the peripheral portion of the pressing target portion 28 can be deformed more greatly.

In this way, by deforming the small curved portion 22, the engagement hole 25 moves outward, and the engagement hole 25 and the protrusion 50 shift from the engaged state to the disengaged state (FIG. 7(b) )reference).
In this disengaged state, one of the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 is moved relative to the other along the center line L1 (see FIG. 5(a)) extending in the extending direction of the insert body part 40a. It is possible to move the slide. That is, the insert body part 40a and the housing part 15 are in a state where they can be moved in the insertion/removal direction of the insert body part 40a, and by moving in this way, the first connector 1 and the second connector 2 are transferred to a separated state. .

In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the entire annularly continuous large diameter cylindrical portion 15a can be temporarily elastically deformed, but the present invention is not limited to this.
At least a portion of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a may be an elastically deformable portion that can be elastically deformed, and may have a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional shape. That is, the shape may be partially interrupted in the circumferential direction of the center line L1.
The elastic deformation part has a region that covers at least a part of the periphery of the insertion part, and in the connected state, part or all of the elastic deformation part covers part or all of the insertion part in the circumferential direction. It is sufficient if they are in an overlapping state.
That is, the shape of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a may be changed as appropriate, and is not limited to the above-described continuous annular substantially cylindrical shape, but may be, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape.

Moreover, the structure is not limited to the structure in which the entire large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a can be temporarily deformed, but only a portion may be in a structure in which the shape can be temporarily deformed. For example, in the annularly continuous cylindrical body as described above, only the part from the pressing part to the engaging part forming part is an elastic deformable part that can be elastically deformed, and the other part is a part that does not substantially deform. There may be.

In the first embodiment described above, the male connector having the housing portion 15 which is an elastic deformation portion is referred to as the first connector 1, and the female connector having the insert body portion 40a inserted into the housing portion 15 is referred to as the second connector 2 serving as a pair. An example was explained. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, a female connector including an insert body part 140a and an elastic deformation part is used as a first connector 101 (connector, first member), and a male connector having a housing part 115 as a pair is used as a first connector 101 (connector, first member). The connector may be the second connector 102 (other member, second member).
Hereinafter, a connector structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail, and parts similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

The first connector 101 of this embodiment is a member that is divided into a protrusion 140 and a second wiring protection part 41 from the distal end side, and has a second terminal member 42 ( (see Fig. 4).

The protruding portion 140 of this embodiment is a portion formed by integrating an insert body portion 140a located on the distal end side and a connecting body portion 40b located on the proximal end side.

The insert body portion 140a has a structure in which an insert body portion main body 146 and a protrusion forming portion 147 (elastic deformation portion) are integrally formed. This insert body part 140a has a longer length in the extending direction (longitudinal direction) than the above-mentioned insert body part 40a, and is formed so that the proximal end portion is exposed to the outside when inserted into the housing part 115. has been done.

The insert body part main body 146 is approximately the same part as the above-mentioned insert body part 40a, and has a different structure from the above-described insert body part 40a in terms of length in the longitudinal direction and in that the protrusion 50 is not formed. ing.

The protrusion forming portion 147 is a portion that is integrally attached to a planar portion of the insert body 146 at a position facing the curved surface portion 45, and extends while being curved so that a part of the cross section has an arc shape. It is a part. In other words, the central portion of the protrusion forming portion 147 in the width direction is swollen outwardly than the respective end portions in the width direction.

The protrusion forming portion 147 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and serves as an elastic portion. That is, it is a part whose overall shape is deformed by applying an external force, and more specifically, it is a part of the protrusion forming part 147, and by pressing the center part in the width direction (width direction of the insert body part 140a), The concentric parts are deformed as if they are being pulled apart.

Furthermore, a protrusion 150 (first engaging portion) is formed on the outer surface of the protrusion forming portion 147 at a portion closer to the tip side and located toward the center in the width direction.
The protrusion 150 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped portion that protrudes further outward from the outer surface of the protrusion forming portion 147, and is engageable with an engagement hole 125 (second engagement portion) formed in the housing portion 115. It is a part.

The second connector 102 is substantially the same member as the first connector 1 described above, and is divided into a housing part 115 and a first wiring protection part 16, and has a packing 17 and a first terminal member 18 inside. (See Figure 2, etc.)
This second connector 102 differs from the first connector described above in that the large diameter cylindrical part 115a does not deform significantly (does not substantially deform) even if an external force is applied to the large diameter cylindrical part 115a of the housing part 115. It has a different structure.

In the connector structure according to the second embodiment, the overall shape of the protrusion forming part 147 is temporarily deformed, and the central part in the width direction is depressed (see FIG. 8(b)), and the insert body part 140a is Insert into housing part 115. This brings the first connector 101 and the second connector 102 into a connected state.
Then, in the connected state, by returning the shape of the protrusion forming portion 147 to its natural state, the protrusion 150 and the engagement hole 125 are brought into an engaged state. The first connector 101 and the second connector 102 are then in a state where relative movement of one with respect to the other is prevented.

On the other hand, when transitioning from the connected state to the separated state, similarly to the above, the center portion of the protrusion forming portion 147 in the width direction is depressed, and the engagement between the protrusion 150 and the engagement hole 125 is released. do. As a result, the first connector 101 and the second connector 102 can be moved relative to each other, so the entire insert body section 140a is moved to the outside of the housing section 115 in this state. .
In other words, in this embodiment, among the portions of the protrusion forming portion 147 located on the center side in the width direction, the peripheral portion of the protrusion 150 becomes the engaging portion forming portion, and the portion away from the protrusion 150 toward the proximal end is pressed. This becomes the target portion 128 (pressing portion).

As described above, in the connector structure of the present invention, at least one of the two connectors forming a pair is a connector (first connector 1, 101) equipped with an elastic deformation part, and the shape of the elastic deformation part is deformed. , any structure may be used as long as the engagement of the engagement portion (restriction engagement portion) is released. That is, as the shape of the elastically deformable part formed on one of the two connectors forming a pair changes, the first engaging part formed on the elastically deformable part and the second engaging part formed on the other connector It suffices if the engagement is released.
At this time, the connector provided with the elastic deformation portion may be a male connector or a female connector.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, an example was described in which the elastic deformation portion was provided only in one of the first connector and the second connector, but the present invention is not limited to this. Both the connector and the second connector may have an elastically deformable portion.
That is, when the first connector and the second connector are moved from the separated state to the connected state, a part of the first connector and a part of the second connector are both deformed, and one insert body part is inserted into the other housing part. The state may be changed from a state in which insertion is not possible to a state in which insertion is possible. Then, when transitioning from the connected state to the separated state, a structure in which the engagement of the engagement portion (regulating engagement portion) is released by deforming a portion of the first connector and a portion of the second connector together. You can also use it as

In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the pressing part (pressing target part 28) is formed at a position shifted from the small curved part 22 in the circumferential direction of the center line in the extension direction. It is not limited. As in the second embodiment, the pressing portion may be formed at a position shifted in the extending direction of the center line in the extending direction from the position where the first engaging portion is formed. Further, the pressing portion may be formed at a position that is offset in the circumferential direction of the center line in the extending direction from the position where the first engaging portion is formed, and also in a position that is shifted in the extending direction of the center line in the extending direction. In other words, it may be formed at a position offset from the circumferential component of the center line in the extension direction and in the direction including the extension direction component, and by pressing, the periphery of the first engagement part (the engagement part forming part) is Any part that deforms may be used.

Further, the pressing portion may be formed at two locations (multiple locations) as in the first embodiment described above, or may be formed at one location as in the second embodiment. That is, the entire shape of the elastically deformable portion including the pressing portion and the engagement portion forming portion may be deformed by pressing one or more pressing portions.

In the first embodiment described above, when the two connectors are separated, the elastic deformation section provided on one connector is temporarily deformed, and the engagement section (restriction engagement section) is shifted to the disengaged state. An example of a connector structure that can be used has been described. However, the two-member connection structure of the present invention is not limited to this.
The connection structure of the present invention is not limited to a structure that connects and separates two connectors, but is also applicable, for example, when connecting one connector (for example, the first connector 101) to a wiring connection port provided on a predetermined device. , the above connection structure may be adopted. In addition to such a connection port, the mating member to which one connector is connected may be a connecting member interposed between the connectors when connecting two connectors.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned structure is not limited to the case where one connector is connected to another member of the other party, and is not limited to the case where one connector is used as a structure for connecting to another member. It may be adopted as a connection structure for connecting members to form a long member. That is, when the two members are transferred from the connected state to the separated state, by pressing the pressing part that is part of the elastic deformation part, the pressing part and the engaging part forming part which is part of the elastic deformation part are deformed. However, a structure may be adopted in which the engaged state of the engaging portion that restricts these separations is released.

Next, a connector cap 201 (connector engaging piece) according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail, but the same parts as in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted. do.

As shown in FIG. 9, the connector cap 201 is a member in which a main body portion 202 and a wire holding portion 203 are integrally formed, and is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has elasticity as a whole. That is, both the main body part 202 and the wiring holding part 203 are elastic parts.

The main body portion 202 is a cylindrical portion with a bottom laid down sideways, and has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a described above. Like the large-diameter cylindrical portion 15a described above, the main body portion 202 is a portion whose overall shape is deformed by applying an external force (has an elastic deformation portion).
That is, the main body portion 202 has a small curved portion 22 and a large curved portion 23, which are continuous in an annular shape. An engagement hole 25 is formed in the small curved portion 22, and a pressing target portion 28 is formed in the side surface portion.

The storage space 220, which is the internal space of the main body 202, is a space having an opening at one end in the longitudinal direction of the main body 202, which communicates inside and outside. Therefore, a closing wall 221 is formed at the other end of the main body 202 in the longitudinal direction to partition the storage space 220 from the outside. In other words, the closing wall portion 221 is a wall portion that separates the inside and outside of the main body portion 202 .

The wire holding part 203 is a part formed integrally with a part of the side surface of the main body part 202, and more specifically, it is a part of the large curved part 23 and is arranged at a position facing the small curved part 22. It is formed integrally with the outer surface of the part.
This wiring holding portion 203 is a cylindrical portion with a part of the side surface missing, in other words, it is a portion extending with a substantially C-shaped cross section. The longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the wire holding section 203 is the same as the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the main body section 202. are the same.

As shown in FIG. 10, this connector cap 201 is a member that can be attached to and detached from an external connector (in this embodiment, the above-mentioned second connector 2). More specifically, it is a covering member that covers the distal end portion (insertion body portion 40a) of the connector.
That is, by inserting the insert body portion 40a into the storage space 220 and bringing it into the inserted state, the connector (second connector 2) and the connector cap 201 transition to the connected state. Then, with the transition to this connected state, the engagement hole 25 and the protrusion 50 (see FIG. 1, etc.) become engaged.

At this time, a part of the cable member 3 can be held by the wiring holding part 203. That is, a part of the cable member 3 is inserted from the gap on the side surface of the wire holding part 203 (from above in FIG. 10), so that a part of the cable member 3 is held by the wire holding part 203.
That is, the maximum length of the wire holding portion 203 in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) is slightly shorter than the length of the cable member 3 in the radial direction. Then, by pushing in the cable member 3, the wire holding portion 203 is temporarily deformed, and the cable member 3 is held between the wire holding portion 203 and the wire holding portion 203.

Then, when transitioning from the connected state to the separated state, as in the first embodiment described above, the two pressing target parts 28 formed on the main body part 202 are pressed, and the overall shape of the main body part 202 is temporarily changed. Transform. As a result, the engagement hole 25 moves outward, and the engagement hole 25 and the protrusion 50 (see FIG. 1, etc.) shift from the engaged state to the disengaged state. In this state, the insertion body portion 40a is pulled out to transition to the separated state.

This connector cap 201 is not particularly limited, but may be used, for example, when only one cable is used in a driver having two cables that can be connected to different motors. That is, in a member having a plurality of cables, if there is an unused cable, it may be used to protect the connector of this cable.
Further, the connector cap 201 may be used in a state where it is integrally fixed (attached) to a part of the main body portion of the driver.

In the third embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the wiring holding part 203 was formed in the connector cap 201, but the wiring holding part 203 was formed in a part of the connector as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above. may be done. For example, it may be formed in a part of the large diameter cylindrical portion 15a.
Moreover, the structure in which only one wiring holding part 203 is provided as described above is not limited, but a structure in which a plurality of short wiring holding parts 203 are provided and arranged in parallel at intervals may be used. Further, the outer shape of the wiring holding portion 203 may be changed as appropriate, and for example, it may be a portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section. That is, any shape that can hold (hold) a part of the wiring holding section 203 by temporarily deforming may be used.

In the first embodiment described above, an example is shown in which the small curved section 22 is used as a tactile identification section by forming the small curved section 22 and the large curved section 23 having discontinuous surfaces with different curvatures. Furthermore, an example has been shown in which the curved surface portion 45 is used as a tactile identification section by forming the flat plate portion and the curved surface portion 45.
However, the tactile recognition section of the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the small curved portion 22 in the above embodiment is not limited to a shape that is slightly curved in a natural state, but may be a shape that is flat in a natural state. In other words, the tactile identification portion may be any portion whose formation position can be perceived by the operator's tactile sense, and the shape and structure may be changed as appropriate.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), one or more (plural in FIG. 11(a)) A protruding portion 310 may be provided, and this area may be used as a tactile identification portion.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 11(b), one or more (plural in FIG. 11(b)) one or more A recessed portion 311 (a recessed portion or a hole) may be provided, and this area may be used as a tactile identification portion.

In addition, the projecting portion 310 is not limited to a granular shape as shown in FIG. The protruding portion 312 may have a shape extending in the direction (the longitudinal direction of the large diameter cylindrical portion 303 in FIG. 11(c)). Further, the number of the protruding portions 312 is not limited to one, and a plurality of protruding portions 312 may be formed and arranged in parallel (parallel arranged with an interval).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11(d), a groove-like portion 313 recessed from the surroundings may be formed in a part of the side surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 304. The number of groove-shaped portions 313 is also not limited to one, and a plurality of short groove portions may be formed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(e), the overall shape may be made into a cylindrical shape having a curved surface 314 on only a portion thereof, and this curved surface 314 may be used as the tactile identification section.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 11(f), two flat parts 315 are provided on the cylindrical side surface, and the part located between them is a discontinuous surface with the two flat parts 315, and this discontinuous surface is formed. The portion may be used as a tactile identification section.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11(g), a large-diameter cylindrical portion 307 whose overall shape is a trapezoidal cylindrical body is formed, and the size of one of the two planar plate portions 316a and 316b that are spaced apart from each other is set to be smaller than that of the other. The size may be significantly larger than that. Then, these two flat plate portions 316a and 316b may be used as a tactile identification section. Note that "conspicuously large" here refers to a size that is 1.2 times or more.

As described above, the tactile identification section may be a portion whose position can be specified by the following (1) to (4).
(1) One or more protrusions or ridges provided in a part (2) One or more recesses, holes, or grooves provided in a part (3) Discontinuous with respect to adjacent surfaces Discontinuous surface (4) A surface whose size is noticeably different from other parts

1,101 First connector (connector, first member)
2,102 Second connector (other parts, second parts)
15a, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 Large diameter cylindrical part (elastic deformation part)
17 Packing (waterproof material)
18 First terminal member (pin-shaped terminal)
22 Small curved part (tactile identification part)
25 Engagement hole (first engagement part)
28 Pressure target part (pressure part)
40a Insertion body part 45 Curved surface part (tactile identification part)
50 Projection (second engagement part)
60 Terminal storage hole (hole part)
62 Gap 125 Engagement hole (second engagement part)
128 Press target part (pressing part)
147 Protrusion forming part (elastic deformation part)
140a Insertion body part 150 Projection part (first engagement part)
201 Connector cap (connector engagement piece)
L1 center line

Claims (16)

A connector structure having a first connector and a second connector and capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector,
The first connector has a first engagement part,
The second connector has a second engagement part,
A pair of engaging parts is formed by the first engaging part and the second engaging part, and in a connected state where the first connector and the second connector are connected, the pair of engaging parts are in an engaged state. It is,
The first connector has an elastically deformable portion that can be elastically deformed at least in part,
The elastic deformation portion includes an engagement portion forming portion in which the first engagement portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force,
When the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state and the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part causes the pressing the engaging portion forming portion deforms in shape as the pressing portion deforms in shape;
With the shape deformation of the engaging part forming part, the first engaging part moves in a direction away from the second engaging part, and the engaged state of the first engaging part and the second engaging part is changed. will be canceled,
The first connector has one or more pin-shaped terminals and a waterproof member,
The second connector has an insertion portion arranged inside the first connector in the connected state, and the insertion portion has a hole portion into which a part of the pin-shaped terminal is inserted in the connected state. is formed,
The first engaging portion is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the first connector,
The waterproof member is disposed at a position where the distal end side portion of the insertion portion in the insertion direction contacts in the connected state, and at a position outside a portion of the one or more pin-shaped terminals that is not inserted into the hole portion. A connector structure characterized by: A connector structure having a first connector and a second connector and capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector,
The first connector has a first engagement part,
The second connector has a second engagement part,
A pair of engaging parts is formed by the first engaging part and the second engaging part, and in a connected state where the first connector and the second connector are connected, the pair of engaging parts are in an engaged state. It is,
The first connector has an elastically deformable portion that can be elastically deformed at least in part,
The elastic deformation portion includes an engagement portion forming portion in which the first engagement portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force,
When the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state and the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part causes the pressing the engaging portion forming portion deforms in shape as the pressing portion deforms in shape;
With the shape deformation of the engaging part forming part, the first engaging part moves in a direction away from the second engaging part, and the engaged state of the first engaging part and the second engaging part is changed. will be canceled,
The first connector is formed at the end of the wiring member, and has a housing part and a sheath part, and the housing part is a part formed including the elastic deformation part, and the housing part is a part formed including the elastic deformation part, and is A connector structure characterized in that it is detachably attached. A connector structure having a first connector and a second connector and capable of connecting and separating the first connector and the second connector,
The first connector has a first engagement part,
The second connector has a second engagement part,
A pair of engaging parts is formed by the first engaging part and the second engaging part, and in a connected state where the first connector and the second connector are connected, the pair of engaging parts are in an engaged state. It is,
The first connector has an elastically deformable portion that can be elastically deformed at least in part,
The elastic deformation portion includes an engagement portion forming portion in which the first engagement portion is formed and a pressing portion that can be pressed by an external force,
When the first connector and the second connector are in the connected state and the first engaging part and the second engaging part are in the engaged state, pressing the pressing part causes the pressing the engaging portion forming portion deforms in shape as the pressing portion deforms in shape;
With the shape deformation of the engaging part forming part, the first engaging part moves in a direction away from the second engaging part, and the engaged state of the first engaging part and the second engaging part is changed. will be canceled,
The first engaging portion is a hole,
The second engaging portion is a protrusion,
The first connector has a housing portion, and when the second connector side in the connected state is the distal end side, the first connector has a guide groove between the distal end and the first engaging portion, and the first connector has a guide groove between the distal end and the first engaging portion. A connector structure characterized in that a bottom portion of the guide groove is an inclined surface that slopes toward the inside of the housing portion as it goes toward the first engaging portion . The engaging portion forming portion and the pressing portion are located at different positions, and by pressing the pressing portion, the pressing portion is deformed in a concave direction, and as the pressing portion is deformed, the engaging portion is formed. 4. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the portion is deformed in shape in a protruding direction. The second connector has an insertion portion disposed inside the first connector in the connected state, the insertion portion extending in a predetermined direction,
The elastic deformation part has a region that covers at least a part of the periphery of the insertion part, and in the connected state, a part or all of the elastic deformation part deforms a part or all of the insertion part. It is in a state where it overlaps so as to cover it in the circumferential direction,
The engaging portion forming portion and the pressing portion are separated from each other in the circumferential direction, and by pressing the pressing portion inward, the engaging portion forming portion moves outward. 5. The connector structure according to any one of 1 to 4. 6. The connector structure according to claim 5, wherein a gap is formed between the insertion part and the pressing part in the connected state and the engaged state. the first connector has a cavity,
The second connector has an insertion portion disposed in the cavity of the first connector in the connected state, the insertion portion extending in a predetermined direction,
The elastic deformation portion is a continuous annular portion,
There is a space surrounded by the elastic deformation part,
In the connected state, the insertion portion is arranged in the space of the elastic deformation portion, and the overall shape of the elastic deformation portion is deformed by pressing the pressing portion,
In the state where the overall shape of the elastically deformable portion is deformed, one of the insertion portion and the elastically deformable portion is slid relative to the other in the extending direction of the insertion portion to enter the hollow portion of the insertion portion. 7. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the connector structure can be inserted and removed. the first connector has a cavity,
The second connector has an insertion portion disposed within the cavity of the first connector in the connected state,
The elastically deformable portion is an annular continuous portion and has a space surrounded by the elastically deformable portion, and in the connected state, the insertion portion is disposed in the space of the elastically deformable portion. ,
The pressing portions are located at two locations separated in the circumferential direction of the elastic deformation portion, and the engaging portion forming portion is located between the two pressing portions in the same circumferential direction,
8. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion forming portion moves outward by pressing the two pressing portions inward. 9. A portion of the first connector and a portion of the second connector are each formed with a tactile identification portion that can be distinguished from other portions by a user's tactile sense. Connector structure described in either. 10. The connector structure according to claim 9, wherein the engaging part forming part also serves as the tactile identifying part, and the first engaging part is formed in the tactile identifying part. the first connector has a cavity,
The second connector has an insertion portion disposed in the cavity of the first connector in the connected state, and a flange portion,
The insertion portion extends in a predetermined direction, the flange portion is formed on a proximal end side in the extension direction of the insertion portion, and in the connected state, the insertion portion is disposed in the hollow portion, A gap is formed between the insertion part and the pressing part, and further, in the connected state, the end face of the cavity comes into contact with the flange part, so that the opening of the cavity is closed. The connector structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The first connector has a concave cavity, the second connector has a convex insertion part, and the insertion part is inserted into the cavity to connect the first connector and the second connector. It is a thing,
The inner surface shape of the hollow section and the outer surface shape of the insertion section are different, and a gap is formed between the inner surface of the hollow section and the outer surface of the insertion section when the insertion section is inserted into the hollow section. The connector structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11. 13. In the connected state, the inner surface of the hollow portion and the outer surface of the insertion portion are in contact at at least two places, so that the relative postures of the first connector and the second connector are fixed. Connector structure as described. A connector that can be connected to and separated from another member, the other member including a second engagement part,
The connector includes an elastically deformable portion, the elastically deformable portion includes a first engaging portion and a pressing portion,
The first engaging portion is engageable with the second engaging portion of the other member,
In a connected state in which the connector is connected to the other member, the first engaging portion may be in an engaged state in which the second engaging portion is engaged,
In the engaged state, the external shape of the elastically deformable part is deformed by pressing the pressing part, and as a result of the deformation, the first engaging part separates from the second engaging part, and the engagement is interrupted. will be canceled,
The connector is formed at the end of the wiring member, and has a housing part and a sheath part, and the housing part is a part formed including the elastic deformation part, and is attachable to and detachable from the sheath part. A connector characterized in that it can be attached. A connector engagement piece that can be connected to and separated from an external connector, the external connector including a second engagement part,
The connector engaging piece includes an elastically deformable portion, and the elastically deformable portion includes a first engaging portion and a pressing portion;
The first engaging part is engageable with the second engaging part of the connector, and in a connected state connected to the connector, the first engaging part is engaged with the second engaging part. In the engaged state, the external shape of the elastically deformable portion is deformed by pressing the pressing portion, and as a result of the deformation, the first engaging portion is separated from the second engaging portion and the engaged state is released;
The connector is attached to the tip of the wiring member,
The connector engaging piece has a wiring holding part, and the wiring member can be held by fitting a part of the wiring member of the connector into the wiring holding part. piece. The main body includes the elastic deformation portion and the wire holding portion, the main body having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the wire holding portion having a cylindrical shape with a part of the side surface missing. 16. The connector engaging piece according to claim 15, wherein the wire holding portion is formed integrally with the outer peripheral surface of the main body and extends in the same direction as the main body.

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