JPH0227507Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a locking structure for a connector consisting of a female housing and a male housing for accommodating electrical connection terminals.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, as a lock structure of a connector that accommodates electrical connection terminals, the one shown in FIG. 2 or 3, for example, is known. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 2, a flexible lock piece a is formed on the outer wall of the front end portion of the female housing F into which the male housing M is fitted, and a locking hole provided in this lock piece a is formed. The fitting of the female housing F and the male housing M is locked by locking the locking protrusion b protruding from the outer wall of the male housing M at a'. Furthermore, in the case shown in FIG. 3, a lock protrusion c is formed on the outer wall of the front end portion of the female housing F into which the male housing M is fitted, and this lock protrusion c is provided to protrude from the outer wall of the male housing M. By locking the locking portion d' of the flexible locking protrusion d, the female housing F and the male housing M are locked together.

However, in such a conventional lock structure,
The lock parts such as lock pieces and locking protrusions formed on the female housing F and the male housing M are formed in corresponding positions, so that the fitting lock between the female housing F and the male housing M can be easily achieved. In this case, the directionality of each housing was limited to only one direction in which the lock portions faced each other.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

Therefore, when locking the female housing F and the male housing M together, it is necessary to confirm the position of the lock portions of each housing and then move the lock portions toward each other, which is inconvenient and especially dark. When locking the female and male housings together in a place or in a blind operation, it is difficult to confirm each locking portion, which makes it difficult to perform the fitting operation quickly.

The present invention was developed by focusing on the problem of the locking structure of conventional connectors. The purpose is to provide a lock structure without

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples.

Fig. 1a is a schematic perspective view of a male housing M provided with a locking structure of the connector of the present invention, Fig. 1b is a bottom view of Fig. 1a, and Fig. 1c is a schematic perspective view of the male housing M of Fig. 1a. FIG. 1d is a plan view of a female housing F equipped with the locking structure of the present invention as well as a sectional view taken along line A--A in FIG. 1c.

As shown in FIG. 1a, the locking structure of the connector of the present invention is such that a plurality of continuous chevron-shaped grooves 2 are formed on the periphery of the front end portion 1a of the housing wall 1 of the cylindrical male housing M, and the chevron-shaped grooves 2 and Same number of locking holes 3
are formed by equally spaced holes in the circumferential wall of the housing 1, and chevron-shaped portions are formed on the rear end 4' of the inner wall surface of the housing wall 4 of the cylindrical female housing F, as shown in FIG. 1d. It consists of a protrusion 5 and a lock protrusion formed by protruding a protrusion 6 on the inner wall surface of the housing wall 4, and when the male housing M and the female housing F are fitted together, the female housing At the same time when the chevron-shaped projection 5 of F engages with any of the continuous chevron-shaped grooves 2 of the male housing M, the protrusion 6 of the female housing F engages with the plurality of locking holes 3 of the male housing M.
The structure is such that locking is achieved by being engaged with either of the two.

In the above structure, four chevron-shaped grooves 2 are formed in the male housing M at the periphery of the front end portion 1a of the housing wall 1 in the illustration, but the number may be two or more. However, the chevron-shaped grooves 2 must be formed continuously at equal intervals, and in the illustrated case, they are formed at equal intervals at a horizontal angle of 90 degrees.

By forming this chevron groove 2, adjacent chevron grooves 2,
A chevron-shaped protrusion 2a is formed on the periphery of the front end 1a of the housing wall between the two. This protrusion 2a has a tip end so that when the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 of the female housing F collides, the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 is guided into either the left or right chevron groove 2 of the protrusion 2a so that it can easily slide. It is formed in a chevron or arc shape. Further, the shape and size of the chevron-shaped groove 2 are substantially the same so that the chevron-shaped protruding portion 5 of the female housing F can be closely engaged with the chevron-shaped groove 2.

Next, the locking hole 3 bored in the housing wall 1 of the male housing M is connected to the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 of the female housing F.
The protrusion 6 of the female housing F is provided with the same number of circumferences as the chevron grooves 2 so that the protrusion 6 of the female housing F can be engaged with any chevron groove 2 of the male housing M. The formation position of the locking hole 3 may be any position where the protrusion 6 can be locked when the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 is engaged with the chevron-shaped groove 2. It is determined corresponding to the relative position of the protrusion 6. In the case shown, four locking holes 3 are drilled at equal intervals corresponding to the four chevron-shaped grooves 2, and the horizontal mounting angle between the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 and the protrusion 6 of the female housing F is 90°. (See Fig. 1c) Correspondingly, four holes are drilled in the housing wall 1 at positions that form a horizontal angle of 90° with the chevron groove 2, and are ultimately coaxial with the chevron groove 2. .

Next, the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 formed on the female housing F
As described above, is formed to have almost the same shape and size as the chevron groove 2 of the male housing M, and the shape of its tip 5a is also chevron-shaped or arcuate like the projection 2a between the chevron grooves 2 and 2 described above. It is formed. Further, the protrusion heights of the chevron-shaped protruding portion 5 and the protrusion 6 from the inner wall surface of the housing are set to a height sufficient to engage the chevron-shaped groove 2 and the locking hole 3 of the male housing M, respectively.
The width W of is formed to a width that can be locked in the locking hole 3.
Although it is sufficient to form one chevron-shaped protrusion 5 and one protrusion 6 as shown in the figure, a plurality of chevron-shaped protrusions 5 and protrusions 6 may be formed corresponding to the chevron-shaped grooves 2 and locking holes 3 if necessary.

[Effect]

Next, the operation of the lock structure of the present invention will be explained.

A male housing M, which similarly accommodates a terminal with a wire, is arbitrarily inserted into the front end opening 4a of the female housing F, which accommodates a terminal with a wire in an internal terminal storage chamber (not shown), regardless of direction, from its tip 1a. . If the chevron-shaped groove 2 of the male housing M and the chevron-shaped protrusion 5 of the female housing F coincide on the axis of the housing upon insertion, the fitting and locking will be performed smoothly. Even if they do not match on the axis and the protrusion 2a between the chevron grooves 2 and 2 collides with the tip 5a of the chevron protrusion 5, the tip 5a of the chevron protrusion 5 will not align with the chevron groove 2. The chevron-shaped protruding portion 5 slides on the inclined surface 2b and fits into the chevron-shaped groove 2 on either the left or right side of the protruding portion 2a.
are engaged, and at the same time, the protrusion 6 is also locked in one of the locking holes 3. Therefore, no matter which direction the male housing M is inserted into the female housing F, the fitting lock can be easily achieved.

[Effects of the invention] As explained in detail above, according to the locking structure of the connector of the present invention, there is no directionality of the housings when mating the female and male housings, and mating is possible in all directions. This eliminates the inconvenience of checking and fitting the locking portions of the housing and the male housing, respectively, and provides the advantage that the fitting and locking of the female and male housings can be easily done in a dark place or when working blindly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1a is a schematic perspective view of a male housing M provided with a locking structure of the connector of the present invention, Fig. 1b is a bottom view of Fig. 1a, and Fig. 1c is a schematic perspective view of the male housing M of Fig. 1a. FIG. 1d is a plan view of a female housing F equipped with the locking structure of the present invention as well as a sectional view taken along line A--A in FIG. 1c. Figures 2 and 3
The figure shows a perspective view of the locking structure of a conventional connector. 1... Housing wall, 2... Chevron groove, 3... Locking hole, 4... Housing wall, 5... Chevron protrusion,
6... Protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a locking portion having a plurality of continuous chevron-shaped grooves formed on the periphery of the front end of the housing wall of the cylindrical male housing, and the same number of locking holes as the chevron-shaped grooves being equally spaced in the peripheral wall of the male housing; A locking protrusion having a chevron-shaped protrusion that engages with the chevron-shaped groove formed on the rear end of the inner wall of the housing of the cylindrical female housing, and a protrusion protruding from the inner wall of the female housing that engages with the locking hole; A locking structure for a connector, comprising: a locking protrusion that engages the locking portion;