JPH02123681A - Latch mechanism of electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate the engagement, and to improve the reliability of engagement by firstly engaging a projection of a cover member with an arm member, which has an angle during the fitting of both the members, before engaging the projection of the cover member with a latch slot in the condition that a lever arm is turned for engagement. CONSTITUTION: In the case where all parts are accurately positioned so as to be engaged with auxiliary parts, a lever arm 70 is turned so that a latch projection 60 contacts with an angled arm 88, and the latch projection 60 rides over the surface till it reaches an end 92, and it is fitted in the predetermined position along a horizontal catch surface 90 near a free leg 84. At the time of releasing the fitting of a component, a cover member 50 is lifted, and while corresponding legs 82, 84 are pushed to each other. The free end 84 is moved in the lateral direction by a necessary quantity so as to release the latch projection 60.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to latching mechanisms for plug and socket connectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electrical connector assemblies of this type are generally elongated and include a large number of electrical terminals. U.S. Patent 4.5
Typical configurations of electrical connectors of this type, detailed in 86.766 and 4.535.033, have two or three rows of terminals, each row containing a number of terminals. The housing of such an assembly is provided with female terminals (bins), plugs, blades or tabs arranged as described above, the terminals being arranged parallel to the axis (longitudinal) of the elongate housing. The mating cover member is provided with a series of complementary female terminals, such as blade-type terminals, with opposing resiliently pressed contacts; Accepts female terminal.

The ideal application for this type of electrical connector assembly is in automobiles. For example, these electrical connector assemblies connect various electrical devices, such as sensors and output devices, to microprocessors, which form components of the vehicle's electrical system.

Essential requirements for such electrical connector assemblies are ease of mating engagement and maintenance of its reliability. Electrical connector assemblies such as those described above are sometimes located quite deep within the vehicle and are not easily accessible to the operator, thus requiring a one-handed mating operation for the connector assemblies. In general, the assembly must provide vibration and shock resistance as is common in automobiles, as well as withstand other adverse conditions. As a result of the need for ease and reliability of terminal engagement, the present invention answers the requirements of the automotive industry.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention includes mating housing and cover members each having a plurality of female tabs or plugs and an equal number of female contacts or sockets. The housing member comprises a fixed member and a movable member slidingly engaged with the fixed member, the movable member being provided with at least an IM cam recess that partially extends in the sliding direction.

The cover member that engages with the four cam parts of the movable member (one cam protrusion) can be placed on the housing member 1 according to the operator's intuition. Once aligned, the operator can actuate a latching mechanism consisting of a lever arm. One end of this arm has a double pivot point, which is fixed: Rotated relative to both.

The other end of the lever arm has a latch slot that engages a projection on the cover member. This latch slot is formed by an angled arm member, and when the operator rotates the 1/bar 11 to bring both members into a completely fitted state,
Does the protrusion of this cover member form an angle during mating of the two members prior to engagement with the latch slot? f engages with the arm member. This position represents full mating engagement.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 illustrate an example of an electrical connector assembly 10 suitable for practicing the present invention.3. Electrical connector assembly 10 includes a securing member 14 having an inwardly facing longitudinal flange 16.
and a movable member 18 that is slidably engaged therewith. In particular, the movable member 18 is adjacent and slidingly engaged with the sidewalls 20.22 and the base 24 and below the flange 16. The bottom of movable member 18 and base 24 are open to accommodate and receive electrical terminal components as shown in FIG. 5, as will be described in detail below.

The movable member 18 is further characterized by having one or more pairs of opposing cam recesses 30. The nom recess 30 has an inlet leg 32, an inclined leg 34 and a horizontal leg 36 parallel to the sliding direction of the housing member 14I8. At one end 38 of the movable member 18 is a vertical slot 40, the function of which will be described below.

The fixation member 14 is provided with one or more pairs of notches 42 along the flange 16 that are aligned with the prosthetic legs 32 of the cam recess 30 in the unmated state.

At the end of the fixing member 14, corresponding to the end 38, a projection-receiving opening 44 is provided for purposes that will become clear from the description below.

A cover member 50 fits into this housing member 12.
It is. The cover member 50 has an elongated wire-receiving housing 52 (7) where a wire in the form of a multi-conductor cable enters the cover member 50 from the open end 54 and connects to a complementary terminal within the housing member 12. A mating portion 56, which engages and is provided with an electrical terminal, is below the hounging portion 52. Along the mating portion 56 are one or more pairs of cam projections 58.
There is. The protrusion is sized to be received within the cam quadrant 30. A final feature of cover member 50 is the presence of a pair of latch projections 60 along sidewall 62.

When cover member 50 is fully engaged with housing member 12, electrical connections of complementary terminals therein are made via lever arm 70.
This is done by pivoting and latching at the end of the rotation cycle. Flexible plastic lever arm 70
What does the body portion 72 do that separates the pivot end 74 from the latch end 76? Pivot end 74 features dual pivot points 78,80 each having a pivot projection.

A pivot point 80 having an elongated projection rotatably engages aperture 44 . Adjacent pivot protrusion 78 has slot 40
It is accepted in the sliding relationship.

Latch end 76 is provided with a first leg 82 that is secured to lever body 72 and adjacent leg 84 . This leg 8
4 is freely movable with respect to the first leg 82.

The free leg 84 has an angle arm 88 and a horizontal catch.
A latch catch 86 formed by 90 is provided.

Explain the operation. Assuming all components are properly aligned to engage complementary components, rotating lever arm 70 causes latch projection 60 to first contact angle arm 88;
rides the surface until it reaches the end 92 and the free leg 84
into position along the horizontal catch surface 90 near the (
snap-in).

To unmate the components, cover member 50
While lifting the corresponding legs 82, 84 are pressed together. Free leg 84 moves laterally a sufficient amount to release latch projection 60.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a latch arm 93, where the arm 93 is characterized by a body portion 94, a dual action pivot end 96 and a latch end 98. Pivot end 96, like lever arm 70, features two pairs of pivot projections 100, 102 that engage fixed member 14 and movable member 18, respectively.

At the other end, that is, the latch end 98, there are a fixed leg 104 and a main body part 9.
4 and a free leg 106 which is free with respect to 4.

The lower end of the free leg 106 features an angular arm 108 connected to the base of the fixed leg 104 and a latch slot IO formed by this arm 108 and the vertically oriented free leg 106. The distal ends 112 of the free legs 106 are connected by a transverse par 114, which provides visual confirmation of complete engagement and latching and assists in the uncoupling of each component.

In the latching mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the housing components are uncoupled by pressing the free leg lO6 and the fixed leg 104 together.

Since the fixed leg 104 is fixed to the body portion 94, this pushing causes the free end 106 to move toward the fixed leg 104, releasing the latch projection 60 from the latch slot 110.

Next, the electrical connection of the connector assembly of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. The female tab housing 120 includes an elongated intermediate plate 122, which has alignment holes 124.12.
Fixing member 14 with a fastener (fixing tool) etc. that passes through 6
It is configured to be attached to the base of A surrounding wall 128 rises from this intermediate plate 122 in which female tabs 130 or blades (moon-shaped) are arranged parallel to the main axis of the intermediate plate 122. As previously discussed, the base 24 and bottom 26 of the fixed and movable members, respectively, are open to receive the female tab housing 120. The dimensions of surrounding wall 128 are limited so that movable member 18 freely slides between that wall and sides 920.22.

mating the cover member 50 with the elongated housing member 12;
The manner in which the electrical connection is made between the female tab 130 and the female contact (see FIG. 6) will be described in detail below.

The cover member 50 is placed on the housing member 12 and the cam projection 58 is inserted into the notch 42 and the cam recess 30. The cover member 50 is pushed down along the inlet leg 32 into a pre-fitted state, and the corresponding male and female contacts are brought into a state immediately before being fitted.

3. Electrical Qr. mating includes direct or alignment engagement.
That is, the integral blade terminal 14 is preferably formed by stamping.
The female terminals 0 (see FIG. 6) are of a type capable of directly receiving complementary terminals, i.e., female tabs 130, by mutually elastically suppressing contact arms 142. Briefly, the corresponding female terminals 140 and female tabs 130 are vertically aligned (7, each female tab 130 is inserted between the facing contact arms 142 of the corresponding female terminal 140).

To engage these contacts, the cover member 50 moves toward the fixing member 14 as the cam projection 58 moves along the cam recess. A pivoting or downward movement of the lever art 70 causes the movable member 18 to move horizontally and at the same time moves the cover member 50 vertically downwardly towards the fixed member 14, completely removing the terminal disposed therein. to fit.

At the end of the pivoting movement of the lever arm 70, in the lever arm example of FIG. 4, the latch projection 60 snaps into position along the horizontal catch surface 60.110 of the leg 84.108.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, the latching mechanism of the electrical connector according to the present invention engages the cam protrusion of the cover member with the cam surface formed on the movable member of the housing member consisting of a fixed and movable member, and the latching mechanism of the electrical connector according to the present invention The cover member is moved in the vertical direction to electrically connect the male and female contacts in both members and to fix the cover member in one direction of the housing member. Furthermore, the cover member is fixed to the housing member in the other direction (perpendicular to the one direction) by a lever arm that is pivotally connected to the housing member. Such a latch mechanism allows the two contacts to be easily and reliably engaged or uncoupled, for example, with just one hand, and has vibration and shock resistance, making it particularly suitable for use in connectors for automobiles and the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the latch mechanism for electrical connectors according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows the latched state of the latch mechanism for electrical connectors of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a second embodiment of the latch mechanism of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of an electrical connector used in the present invention, and FIG. rJ46 is a female type connector used in the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an example of a connector. 12. Housing member 14 Fixed member 1.8. ,,,Movable member 70. , , Lever arm 30 , , Cam surface 58 ,
,,, Cam protrusion 130, ,Female contact 140,,Female contact

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A housing member and a cover member that hold male and female contacts of a connector that fit together, and a lever arm that latches between the housing member and the cover member, the housing member being a fixed member and a movable member. cam projections of the cover member are engaged with a plurality of cam surfaces formed on the wall surface of the movable member to convert horizontal movement of the movable member into vertical movement of the cover member, and the lever arm is A latch mechanism for an electrical connector, the latch mechanism being pivotally attached to the housing member to secure the cover member to the housing member.