JP7398238B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector.

Connectors are known that include a fitting detection member (CPA: Connector Position Assurance) that detects and guarantees proper fitting with a mating connector (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).
FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of a conventional electrical connector 501 disclosed in Patent Document 1. In addition to a fitting detection member (also referred to as a CPA device) 503, the electrical connector 501 includes a terminal position assurance (TPA) device.

A terminal position assurance device (also referred to as a TPA device) 505 is movable within a cavity 509 of the connector housing 507 from a terminal insertion position to a terminal locking position. When in the terminal locking position, TPA device 505 engages a locking surface of electrical terminal 511 to secure electrical terminal 511 within cavity 509 . On the other hand, the CPA device 503 can be moved from the temporary locking position to the final locking position (fitting guarantee position) when the connector and the mating connector (not shown) are completely coupled.

In the CPA device 503, the locking portion 513 is locked to the locking protrusion 515 of the connector housing 507 in the temporary locking position. Moreover, the engagement protrusion 519 of the arm portion 517 is engaged with the connector housing 507, thereby restricting movement to the main locking position. On the other hand, in the CPA device 503, when the mating housing is fitted to the connector housing 507, the locking claw or the like of the mating housing pushes down the engagement protrusion 519 of the arm part 517, and the engagement with the connector housing 507 is released. can be moved to the final locking position. Thereby, the CPA device 503 is configured to be able to detect that the mating housing is properly fitted to the connector housing 507 when the CPA device 503 reaches the final locking position.

JP2017-98222A

However, in the case where the CPA device 503 does not have a sufficient movable space for the arm portion 517, the engagement with the connector housing 507 cannot be smoothly released when the lock claw or the like presses down the engagement protrusion 519. There was a possibility that it would be difficult or impossible to shift to the final locked state.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector that can smoothly move to a mating guaranteed position.

The above object according to the present invention is achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A connector housing provided with a lock portion for locking the mating housing on the side on which the mating detection member is mounted on the CPA stopper wall side wall surface of the mating surface where the mating housing is externally fitted, and the CPA stopper wall. a detection member mounting surface formed on the connector housing at a position closer to the lock portion than the side wall surface and on which the fitting detection member slides from the temporary locking position to the final locking position; and the fitting detection member An engaging protrusion provided at an extending free end of the CPA stopper wall side wall surface that extends toward the locking portion engages an arm portion that abuts the locking portion in the temporary locking position. The CPA stopper wall side wall surface is formed on the detection member mounting surface as a bottom surface of a concave groove that extends in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing and opens on the longitudinal side of the connector housing that is fitted with the mating housing. A connector characterized in that:

According to the connector having the configuration (1) above, the locking portion for locking the mating housing is provided above the upper surface on the fitting surface side of the connector housing into which the mating housing is externally fitted. That is, in the connector housing, the lock portion is arranged at a position spaced upward from the upper surface on the fitting surface side.
The fitting detection member attached to the connector housing is a member that detects and guarantees proper fitting with a mating connector. The fitting detection member attached to the connector housing detects that the mating housing is properly fitted to the connector housing when the fitting detection member reaches the final locking position from the temporary locking position.
The connector housing has a detection member mounting surface on which the fitting detection member is slidably guided from the temporary locking position to the final locking position. This detection member mounting surface is formed on the connector housing at a higher position in the direction approaching the lock portion than the upper surface on the fitting surface side.
The fitting detection member mounted on the detection member mounting surface has an arm portion extending above the upper surface on the fitting surface side. The arm portion is provided with an engaging protrusion at its free extending end. The fitting detection member is held at the temporary locking position on the detection member mounting surface, with the engagement protrusion of the arm portion coming into contact with the locking portion, thereby restricting sliding to the final locking position.
In the fitting detection member, when the mating housing is fitted to the connector housing, the engaging protrusion that is in contact with the lock portion is pressed down by the lock claw of the mating housing. The engagement protrusion pressed down by the lock claw is no longer restricted from sliding to the final locking position, and can move to the final locking position. Thereby, it is detected that the lock claw of the mating housing has reliably locked the lock portion of the connector housing.
As the engagement detection member moves to the final locking position, the engagement protrusion that is released from the lock part slides into contact with the lower surface of the lock part, and moves the arm part downward by the reaction force from the lock part. It is elastically deformed to That is, the extending free end of the arm portion is displaced in a direction approaching the upper surface on the fitting surface side. At this time, since the fitting detection member is mounted on the detection member mounting surface at a higher position than the upper surface on the fitting surface side, compared to the case where the upper surface on the fitting surface side and the detection member mounting surface are on the same plane, The elastic displacement space secured below the arm section becomes larger.
As a result, a sufficient movable space for the arm portion can be secured, and it is possible to prevent the extending free end from coming into contact with the upper surface on the fitting surface side and making it difficult or impossible to shift to the fully locked state.
Further, in the connector of this configuration, the uneven surfaces consisting of the upper surface on the fitting surface side and the detection member mounting surface are set only on the inside of the connector housing, so there is no need to change the external shape of the connector housing. As a result, the connector can improve the operability and reliability of the mating detection function while maintaining the same installation space and connection with other components (i.e., without the need for design changes). can.

(2) The engaging protrusion of the arm portion is located at the opposite end of the concave groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing from the mating housing side, and the detecting member and the CPA stopper wall surface. The connector according to (1) above, wherein the connector is disposed on the mating housing side in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing with respect to the stepped portion formed at the boundary of the mounting surface.

According to the connector configured in (2) above, the engagement protrusion of the arm portion allows the mating detection member to slide to the final locking position more than the stepped portion between the upper surface on the mating surface side and the detection member mounting surface. It is placed on the front side in the direction of movement. For example, the arm portion can be formed into a cantilever shape that extends further forward than the fitting detection member mounted on the detection member mounting surface, and can have a structure that easily imparts elasticity. Since the extending free end of the arm extending from the mating detection member is arranged above the upper surface on the mating surface side, the height difference due to the stepped portion is reliably added to the movable space of the arm. Can be done.

According to the connector according to the present invention, it is possible to smoothly perform the operation of shifting to the fit guarantee position.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading the mode for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view of the connector housing shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector housing shown in FIG. 1 seen from the rear. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector during terminal insertion. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector after terminal insertion has been completed. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector for explaining the operation of the arm portion of the fitting detection member. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector in which the fitting detection member has moved to the final locking position. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional electrical connector including a CPA device; FIG.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector 11 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector 11 shown in FIG.
The connector 11 according to this embodiment has a connector housing 13, a detection member mounting surface 15, and an arm portion 17 as main components.

The connector housing 13 is integrally molded from a synthetic resin material having electrical insulation properties and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. One longitudinal surface of the connector housing 13 is the front surface that is fitted with a mating housing (not shown), and the other surface on the opposite side is the rear surface into which the terminal 19 (see FIG. 5) is inserted. becomes. The connector housing 13 has an upper surface on one side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, which is provided with a lock arm 21 for fixing fitting with a mating housing, and a lower surface on the other side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Further, the connector housing 13 is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction, and the left and right sides when facing forward from the connector housing 13 are side surfaces.

A plurality of terminal receiving openings 23 are opened vertically and horizontally on the front surface of the connector housing 13 to receive, for example, male terminals (not shown) accommodated in a mating housing.

Note that here, the mating connector that accommodates the male terminal is a male connector. In this case, the terminal 19 attached to the connector housing 13 becomes a female terminal that makes electrical contact with the male terminal. The connector 11 that accommodates the female terminal is a female connector. Note that the connector 11 may be a male connector that accommodates a male terminal, and in this case, the mating connector is a female connector.

A total of ten terminal receiving ports 23 are provided, for example, five in the left-right direction and two in the vertical direction. Each of the terminal receiving openings 23 communicates with a terminal accommodating chamber 25 defined inside the connector housing 13, and each terminal accommodating chamber 25 is opened as a terminal insertion opening 27 (see FIG. 4) at the rear surface. do. That is, ten terminal accommodating chambers 25 are formed in the connector housing 13. Note that the number and arrangement of the terminal accommodating chambers 25 are not limited to this.

A front holder 29 serving as a terminal position assurance (TPA) device is attached to the front surface of the connector housing 13 . The front holder 29 has a communication port 31 that communicates with each terminal receiving port 23 . The male terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the terminal receiving port 23 through the communication port 31. A plurality of lance contact plates 33 protrude from the front holder 29 to be inserted into the respective terminal accommodating chambers 25 . When the front holder 29 is attached to the front surface, the lance contact plate 33 comes into contact with an elastic and flexible locking piece (also referred to as a lance) 35 provided in each terminal accommodating chamber 25.

When the front holder 29 is inserted into the front surface of the connector housing 13, the lance contact plate 33 is inserted into the retraction space 37 formed by the elastic and flexible locking pieces 35 disposed to properly lock the terminals 19. do. When the elastic flexible locking piece 35 is incompletely locked to the terminal 19 inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 25, a portion thereof protrudes into the retreat space 37. Then, the front holder 29 inserted into the front surface cannot be attached because the lance contact plate 33 interferes with the elastic flexible locking piece 35. As a result, the front holder 29 becomes unable to be attached, making it possible to detect that the terminal 19 is incompletely locked. Further, when all the elastic and flexible locking pieces 35 completely lock the terminals 19, the front holder 29 is completely attached to the front surface. The front holder 29 mounted on the front restricts the movement of the elastic flexible locking piece 35 in the unlocking direction by fitting the lance contact plate 33 into the retraction space 37, thereby preventing the terminal 19 from being pulled out twice. It also acts to stop it.

The connector housing 13 includes a lock portion 41 on which the mating housing is locked, above the fitting surface side upper surface 39 into which the mating housing is externally fitted. The lock portion 41 is provided on the lock arm 21. The lock arm 21 has a base end connected to the front part of the connector housing 13 and is formed in a cantilever shape extending upward and rearward. Therefore, the extending end of the lock arm 21 becomes a free end and can be elastically displaced up and down. The lock arm 21 is formed by connecting a pair of parallel side plate parts 43 (see FIG. 1) to a bridge part 45 and an operating part 47 on the free end side. The lock portion 41 is formed between the bridge portion 45 and the operating portion 47 and across the pair of side plate portions 43 .

The connector 11 has a detection member mounting portion 49 opened on the rear surface of the connector housing 13 . The connector housing 13 is formed with a CPA stopper wall 51 standing upright in front of the detection member mounting portion 49 . A fitting detection member (CPA: Connector Position Assurance) that detects and guarantees proper fitting with a mating connector is attached to the detection member attachment portion 49. This fitting detection member (also referred to as a CPA device) 53 is moved from the temporary locking position (the position shown in FIG. 5) to the final locking position (the position shown in FIG. 8) in the sensing member mounting section 49.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view of the connector housing 13 shown in FIG.
The CPA device 53 is slid and guided by the detection member mounting surface 15 of the detection member mounting portion 49, thereby being moved from the temporary locking position to the final locking position. The detection member mounting surface 15 is the upper surface of the protruding plate portion 55 extending further rearward from the rear surface of the connector housing 13 . The detection member mounting surface 15 is formed on the connector housing 13 at a higher position in the direction approaching the lock portion 41 than the fitting surface side upper surface 39 . A step portion 57 is formed between the fitting surface side upper surface 39 and the detection member mounting surface 15. That is, the connector housing 13 has the fitting surface side upper surface 39 disposed at a position lower than the detection member mounting surface 15 with the stepped portion 57 interposed therebetween. In this case, the fitting surface side upper surface 39 may be formed as a groove that opens at the front surface of the connector housing 13.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the connector housing 13 shown in FIG. 1 seen from the rear.
A locking protrusion 59 is provided in a protruding manner at the central rear portion of the detection member mounting surface 15 . This locking protrusion 59 locks a locking portion 61 formed on the rear lower surface of the CPA device 53. The CPA device 53 with the locking portion 61 locked on the locking protrusion 59 is prevented from coming off backward from the detection member mounting portion 49 .

As shown in FIG. 1, in the CPA device 53, a pair of parallel upright wall portions 65 are formed on both sides of a rectangular bottom plate portion 63 that is long in the left and right directions. The lower surface of the rear edge of the bottom plate portion 63 is cut out to form the above-mentioned locking portion 61 . An advancing/retracting operation section 67 is bridged at the upper end of the standing wall section 65. The bottom plate portion 63 has convex plate portions 69 that protrude outward from the upright wall portion 65 on both sides. The advancing/retracting operation section 67 has a hanging section 71 that projects outward from the upright wall section 65 on both sides and hangs down. An engagement groove 73 that opens downward is formed between the hanging portion 71 and the standing wall portion 65.

In the CPA device 53, the forward/backward operation section 67 is grasped with fingers, and the bottom plate section 63 is slid onto the detection member mounting surface 15. In the CPA device 53, a pair of convex plate portions 69 are respectively inserted into a pair of guide grooves 75 (see FIG. 4) formed on the inner surface of the detection member mounting portion 49. Further, in the CPA device 53, the pair of engagement grooves 73 engage with a pair of guide walls 77 (see FIG. 4) that stand up on the connector housing 13 on both sides of the detection member mounting portion 49.

The CPA device 53 has an arm portion 17 formed with an extending free end 81 extending above the fitting surface side upper surface 39 from the bottom plate portion 63 of the CPA main body portion 79 (see FIG. 4). The arm portion 17 has an engaging protrusion 83 formed on the upper side surface of the extending free end 81 . This engagement protrusion 83 abuts on the lock portion 41 at the temporary locking position of the CPA device 53 .

The engagement protrusion 83 of the arm portion 17 is arranged in a direction in which the CPA device 53 is slid to the main locking position with respect to a stepped portion 57 formed at the boundary between the fitting surface side upper surface 39 and the detection member mounting surface 15. placed in front of. Therefore, the lock portion 41 that the engaging protrusion 83 comes into contact with is also arranged on the front side of the stepped portion 57 .

Next, a procedure for assembling the connector 11 will be explained.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector 11 in the middle of terminal insertion.
In the connector housing 13 in which the front holder 29 is not inserted, the terminal 19 attached to the end of the electric wire 85 is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber 25 through the terminal insertion opening 27 of the connector 11 . When the terminal 19 is inserted into a predetermined position, the elastic flexible locking piece 35, which has returned to its original state, comes into elastic contact with the terminal 19 to prevent it from coming back. At this time, the CPA device 53 is at a temporary locking position where the locking part 61 is locked with the locking protrusion 59 and the engaging protrusion 83 is in contact with the locking part 41 (or is close to the locking part 41 with a clearance). It becomes.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the connector 11 in which the terminals 19 have been inserted.
When all the terminals 19 are completely installed in each terminal accommodating chamber 25, the front holder 29 is installed on the front surface of the connector housing 13. The front holder 29 restricts the movement of the elastic flexible locking piece 35 in the unlocking direction by fitting the lance contact plate 33 into the retraction space 37, thereby doubly preventing the terminal 19 from coming off.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the arm portion 17 of the CPA device 53 (fitting detection member).
When the connector 11 is fitted with a mating connector, a lock claw (not shown) of the mating connector presses down the lock portion 41 and pushes down the lock arm 21. When the mating is completed, the lock claws of the mating connector pass through the lock portion 41 toward the rear surface of the connector housing 13. Then, the lock arm 21 is elastically restored, the lock portion 41 locks the lock claw, and the mating connector and the connector 11 are fixed (locked) in a fitted state.

At this time, the lock pawl that has passed through the lock portion 41 presses the engagement protrusion 83 downward (in the direction of arrow U). When the engagement protrusion 83 is pressed down, the extending free end 81 of the arm portion 17 swings in the R direction while drawing an arcuate trajectory. As a result, the arm portion 17 of the CPA device 53 is disengaged from the lock portion 41, and can be moved to the main locking position.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector 11 in which the CPA device 53 (fitting detection member) has moved to the final locking position.
When the CPA device 53 is slid forward on the detection member mounting surface 15 , the engagement protrusion 83 of the arm portion 17 comes into sliding contact with the lower surface of the lock portion 41 . When the engagement protrusion 83 passes through the lock portion 41 , the arm portion 17 swings upward due to the elastic restoring force, and its upper surface abuts against the lock portion 41 . The movement of the CPA device 53 to the main locking position is completed when the CPA main body portion 79 comes into contact with the CPA stopper wall 51.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained.
In the connector 11 according to this embodiment, the lock portion 41 that locks the mating housing is provided above the fitting surface side upper surface 39 of the connector housing 13 into which the mating housing is externally fitted. That is, in the connector housing 13, the lock portion 41 is arranged at a position spaced upward from the upper surface 39 on the fitting surface side.

The CPA device 53 attached to the connector housing 13 is a member that detects and guarantees proper fitting with a mating connector. The CPA device 53 attached to the connector housing 13 detects that the mating housing is properly fitted to the connector housing 13 when the CPA device 53 reaches the final locking position from the temporary locking position.

The connector housing 13 has a detection member mounting surface 15 on which the CPA device 53 is slidably guided from the temporary locking position to the final locking position. The detection member mounting surface 15 is formed on the connector housing 13 at a higher position in the direction approaching the lock portion 41 than the fitting surface side upper surface 39.

The CPA device 53 mounted on the detection member mounting surface 15 has an arm portion 17 extending above the fitting surface side upper surface 39. The arm portion 17 is provided with an engaging protrusion 83 at an extending free end 81. The CPA device 53 is held at the temporary locking position of the detection member mounting surface 15 by being prevented from sliding to the final locking position by the engagement protrusion 83 of the arm portion 17 coming into contact with the locking portion 41. Ru.

In the CPA device 53, when the mating housing is fitted into the connector housing 13, the engaging protrusion 83 in contact with the lock portion 41 is pressed down by the lock claw of the mating housing. The engagement protrusion 83 pressed down by the lock claw is no longer restricted from sliding to the final locking position, and can move to the final locking position. Thereby, it is detected that the lock pawl of the mating housing is securely engaged with the lock portion 41 of the connector housing 13.

As the CPA device 53 moves to the main locking position, the engagement protrusion 83 that is unlocked from the lock portion 41 slides into contact with the lower surface of the lock portion 41 and moves the arm portion 17 away from the lock portion 41. It is elastically deformed downward by force. That is, the extending free end 81 of the arm portion 17 is displaced in a direction approaching the fitting surface side upper surface 39.

At this time, since the CPA device 53 is mounted on the detection member mounting surface 15 at a higher position than the upper surface 39 on the mating surface side, if the upper surface 39 on the mating surface side and the detection member mounting surface 15 are on the same plane. Compared to this, the elastic displacement space secured below the arm portion 17 is larger.

As a result, a sufficient movable space for the arm portion 17 can be secured, and it is possible to prevent the extending free end 81 from coming into contact with the mating surface side upper surface 39 and making it difficult or impossible to shift to the fully locked state. be done.

In addition, in the connector 11 of this embodiment, the uneven surfaces consisting of the upper surface 39 on the fitting surface side and the detection member mounting surface 15 are set only on the inside of the connector housing 13, so that the outer shape of the connector housing 13 can be adjusted. No need to change. As a result, the connector 11 can improve the operability and reliability of the mating detection function while maintaining the same installation space and connection with other components as in the past (i.e., without the need for design changes, etc.). Can be done.

Furthermore, in the connector 11 of the present embodiment, the engagement protrusion 83 of the arm portion 17 allows the CPA device 53 to slide to the final locking position more than the step portion 57 between the fitting surface side upper surface 39 and the detection member mounting surface 15. Placed at the front in the direction of movement. The arm portion 17 can be formed into a cantilever shape extending further forward than the CPA device 53 mounted on the detection member mounting surface 15, and can have a structure that is easily imparted with elasticity. Since the extending free end 81 of the arm section 17 extending from the CPA device 53 is arranged above the fitting surface side upper surface 39, the height difference due to the step section 57 is created in the movable space of the arm section 17. You can definitely add it.

Therefore, according to the connector 11 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to smoothly perform the transition operation to the fit guarantee position.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

Here, the features of the embodiments of the connector according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [2].
[1] A connector housing (13) provided with a locking portion (41) on which the mating housing is locked above the upper surface (39) on the fitting surface side into which the mating housing is externally fitted;
It is formed in the connector housing (13) at a higher position in the direction approaching the locking part (41) than the upper surface (39) on the fitting surface side, and the fitting detection member (CPA device 53) is formed from the temporary locking position. a detection member mounting surface (15) that is slid to the final locking position;
An engagement protrusion (83) provided on an extending free end (81) extending above the fitting surface side upper surface (39) from the fitting detection member (CPA device 53) an arm portion (17) that abuts the lock portion (41) in the position;
A connector (11) characterized by comprising:
[2] The engagement protrusion (83) of the arm portion (17) is attached to a stepped portion (57) formed at the boundary between the fitting surface side upper surface (39) and the detection member mounting surface (15). On the other hand, the connector (11) according to the above item [1], wherein the fitting detection member (CPA device 53) is arranged on the front side in the direction in which it is slid to the main locking position.

11...Connector 13...Connector housing 15...Detection member mounting surface 17...Arm part 39...Mating surface side upper surface 41...Lock part 53...CPA device (fitting detection member)
57...Step part 81...Extending free end 83...Engaging protrusion

Claims (2)

a connector housing including a locking portion for locking the mating housing on the side on which the mating detection member is mounted on the CPA stopper wall side wall surface of the mating surface where the mating housing is externally fitted;
a detection member mounting surface formed on the connector housing at a position closer to the lock portion than the CPA stopper wall side wall surface, and on which the fitting detection member is slid from a temporary locking position to a final locking position;
An engaging protrusion provided at an extending free end extending from the fitting detection member toward a side approaching the locking portion of the side wall surface of the CPA stopper wall contacts the locking portion at the temporary locking position. The arm part and
Equipped with
The CPA stopper wall side wall surface is formed on the detection member mounting surface as a bottom surface of a groove that extends in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing and opens on a side of the connector housing that is fitted with the mating housing in the longitudinal direction. A connector characterized by: The engaging protrusion of the arm portion is located between the CPA stopper wall side wall surface and the sensing member mounting surface located at the end opposite to the mating housing side of the concave groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is disposed on the mating housing side in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing with respect to the stepped portion formed at the boundary.

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