JPH0770339B2 - Connector coupling detector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a pair of connectors used for connection of a wire harness for an automobile, etc., and has a connector connection detection means for detecting whether or not they are normally connected. It relates to the device.

[Conventional technology]

In FIGS. 9 and 10, one connector housing a is provided with a contactor accommodating chamber d for accommodating a pair of electric contacts b and c in a non-contact attitude, and the other connector housing e.
The free end f ₁ is provided with an elastic cantilever beam-like actuating piece f for forcibly contacting the pair of electric contacts b and c, and a pair of connector housings are connected in front of the electric contact c. At this time, there is provided an interference convex portion g which abuts on the free end f ₁ of the actuating piece f and displaces it flexibly so as to prevent the forced contact of the electric contacts b and c. By accommodating the portion g in the cutout portion f ₂ , the operating piece f moves from the dotted line position in FIG. 10 (b) to the solid line position to bring the contact c into contact with the contact b to form an electric circuit for detection. close.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional technique, since the accommodating chamber d dedicated to the detection electric contacts b and c is required, the connector housing has a complicated shape, and the resin molding becomes so troublesome.
Due to the high heat of the operating environment, the operating piece f made of a resin material is thermally deformed, and the forcing force on the electric contact c is reduced, and the electrical contact between the electric contacts b and c becomes unreliable.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and the shape of the connector housing can be simplified without providing a dedicated accommodation chamber for the electric contact for detection, and the electric contact for detection. The reliability of continuity of is maintained.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

To achieve the above object, the present invention comprises one connector housing having a flexible lock arm and the other connector housing having an engaging portion for the flexible lock arm, and a pair of couplings in the one connector housing. A contact for detection is provided in the displacement permitting space of the flexible lock arm, and its contact portion is displaced in accordance with the displacement operation of the flexible lock arm, and is attached to the engaging portion of the other connector housing. The short-circuit contactor is provided, and the flexible lock arm is displaced when the pair of connector housings are incompletely coupled, whereby the contact portion is displaced and the contact with the short-circuiting contactor is interrupted, thereby the elastic contact. A configuration is adopted in which the portion is forcibly displaced to interrupt the contact with the short-circuiting contact.

〔Example〕

1 to 3, A is a male connector housing and B is a female connector housing, which are molded of synthetic resin material.

As is well known, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 1 are formed in the male connector housing A, and female terminal fittings C are inserted and locked therein. Similarly, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers are formed in the female connector housing B (not shown), and the male terminal fitting D is inserted and locked.

A cantilevered flexible lock arm 3 having a rising base portion 3a at the front end is provided to extend rearward in the recess 2 on the upper surface of the male connector housing A, and a lock is provided on the upper surface of the middle portion of the flexible lock arm 3. Projection 3b, unlocking pressure operation part 3c at the free end
Is provided. At the center of the front end of the upper wall 4 of the female connector housing B, an engaging frame portion 5 for the flexible lock arm 3 is provided and a locking hole 5a for the locking projection 3b is formed.

The above structure is generally known. When the female and male connector housings A and B are fitted together, the female and male terminal fittings C and D come into contact with each other, and at this time, the flexible lock arm 3 has its locking projections. When the 3b collides with the engaging frame portion 5 and is flexibly displaced downward through the lower displacement allowance space R, the locking projection 3b reaches the locking hole 5a and is restored, so that the female and male connector housings Lock the fully connected state.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a coupling detecting contact, which has an elastic contact portion 6b standing upright at one end of the main plate portion 6a through a folded portion 6 ',
Further, at the other end of the main plate portion 6a, a tab-shaped male terminal portion 6c extending rearward via a folded-back portion 6 "in a direction opposite to the elastic contact portion 6b.
Have.

The pair of coupling detecting contacts 6,6 are fixed by fitting a folded-back portion 6'on the end of the partition wall 8 between the recess 2 and the terminal accommodating chambers 1 ', 1' adjacent to the recess 2, As a result, the pair of elastic contact portions 6b, 6b stand up against the free end portion of the flexible lock arm 3 in the displacement allowance space R, and the tab-shaped male terminal portion 6
The c and 6c are fixed rearward in the terminal accommodating chambers 1'and 1 '. The tab-shaped male terminal portions 6c, 6c are connected to the normal female terminal fitting C to form a detection circuit.

Reference numeral 7 is a short-circuit contactor made of a gate-shaped elastic metal plate, and has outwardly folded back contact portions 7b, 7b at both leg portions 7a, 7a. The short-circuit contactor 7 is fixed with an adhesive or the like in a state where the folded back contact portions 7b, 7b are fitted to the facing plates 5b, 5b of the engagement frame portion 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the short-circuit contactor 7'is formed in the shape of a thick metal frame and is integrated by insert molding with the contact portions 7b and 7b 'of the engagement frame portion 5 exposed. 7a 'is a resin filling hole in this case.

In the above structure, when the connection between the female and male connector housings A and B is incomplete, the free end portion of the flexible lock arm 3 is moved as shown in FIGS. 2 (b) and 3 (b). Since the elastic contact portions 6b, 6b of the coupling detection contacts 6, 6 are displaced downwards, the contact between the short-circuit contact 7 and the elastic contact portions 6b, 6b is cut off. , The electric circuit for detection does not work.

When the female and male connector housings A and B are completely coupled, as shown in FIGS. 2 (c) and 3 (c), the flexible lock arm 3 is restored and the coupling detecting contacts 6, 6 are joined. Elastic contact part 6
b and 6b are also restored and come into contact with the short-circuiting contact 7 to activate the detection electric circuit.

FIG. 5 shows a pair of contactors 9 for detecting connection as another embodiment.
9 ', which has a U-shaped frame-shaped contact portion 9b, 9b' standing upright at one end of the main plate portions 9a, 9a '.
At the other end of 9a ', there is a connecting portion 9d, 9d' extending rearward through an elastically folded portion 9c, 9c ', and below the connecting portion 9d, 9d', that is, facing the main plate portions 9a, 9a '. It has projecting terminal portions 9e, 9e 'projecting by bending on the side opposite to the side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of coupling detecting contacts 9 and 9 ′ are fitted with the U-shaped frame-shaped contact portions 9b and 9b ′ on the side of the free end of the lock arm 3 so as to be bonded or the like. It is fixed by means of the main plate portions 9a, 9
The elastically folded portions 9c and 9c 'are arranged from a'along the lock arm 3 along the inner surface of the rising base portion 3a, and the folded back joint portions 9d and 9d' are arranged on the upper surface 2'of the recessed portion 2. The protruding terminal portions 9e, 9e 'are projected from the through hole 2a' into the terminal accommodating chamber 1'and pressed against the female terminal fitting C to obtain an electrical connection.

In this configuration, when the female and male connector housings A ′ and B are not completely connected, FIG. 7 (b) and FIG. 8 (b)
As shown in FIG. 3, the free end of the flexible lock arm 3 is displaced downward, so that the contact between the short-circuiting contact 7 and the contact parts 9b, 9b is cut off, and the detection electric circuit does not operate.

When the female and male connector housings A'and B are completely connected,
As shown in FIGS. 7 (c) and 8 (c), the flexible lock arm 3 is restored and the contact portions 9b and 9b ′ are short-circuited contacts 7.
And contact with to activate the electric circuit for detection.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention comprises one connector housing having a flexible lock arm and the other connector housing having an engaging portion for the flexible lock arm, and a pair of coupling detection contacts in the one connector housing. Is located in the displacement permitting space of the flexible lock arm, and its contact portion is displaced in accordance with the displacement operation of the flexible lock arm, and the short-circuit contactor is attached to the engaging portion of the other connector housing. And the flexible lock arm is displaced when the pair of connector housings are incompletely coupled to displace the contact portion to interrupt the contact with the short-circuiting contact. The coupling detection contact and the short-circuit contact can be incorporated without making the structure of the connector housing particularly complicated, and the stable contact force of both contacts can be maintained. It is possible to hold reliability of conduction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same, in which (a) is a state where a pair of connectors are separated, (b) is an incompletely coupled state, ( c) shows a completely connected state, FIG. 3 is a rear view of one connector housing,
(A) shows a single body, (b) shows an incompletely connected state with the other connector housing, (c) shows a completely connected state with the other connector housing. FIG. 4 shows a contact for short circuit. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the connection detecting contact, and FIG. 6 is a second view of one connector housing using the same connection detecting contact. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a usage state of the second embodiment. (A) is a state where a pair of connectors are separated, (b) is an incompletely joined state, (c) ) Shows a completely connected state, FIG. 8 is a rear view of one connector housing in the second embodiment, (a) shows a single body, and (b) shows an incompletely connected state with the other connector housing. Indicates
FIG. 9 (c) shows a completely connected state with the other connector housing. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a conventional example partially broken away, FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the main part of the same, and FIG. The separated state, (b) shows the combined state. A, A ', B' ... Connector housing, C, D ... Terminal fittings,
3 ... Flexible lock arm, 3b ... Locking protrusion, 5 ... Engaging frame part, R ... Displacement allowance space, 6,9 ... Coupling detection contact, 6b, 9b, 9b '... Contact Part, 6c, 9e, 9e '... Terminal part, 7
...... Short-circuit contacts.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A connector housing having one flexible lock arm and another connector housing having an engagement portion for the flexible lock arm, wherein a pair of coupling detection contacts are provided in the one connector housing. The flexible lock arm is provided so as to be located in the displacement allowance space, the contact portion is displaced in accordance with the displacement operation of the flexible lock arm, and the short-circuit contactor is provided at the engaging portion of the other connector housing.
A connector coupling detection device, characterized in that when the pair of connector housings are incompletely coupled, the flexible lock arm is displaced to displace the contact portion to interrupt contact with the short-circuiting contact. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic contact portion of the coupling detection contact is raised in the displacement permitting space of the flexible lock arm so as to face the flexible lock arm. Binding detector. 3. A connector coupling according to claim 2, wherein the coupling detecting contact is provided with a terminal portion in series, and the terminal portion is located in a terminal accommodating chamber of the one connector housing. Detection device. 4. A coupling detecting contact having an elastic folded portion is disposed along the surface of the connector housing from the inside of the flexible lock arm, and the contact portion of the coupling detecting contact is the flexible lock arm. The connector connection detection device according to claim 1, wherein the connection detection device is fixed to the free end of the connector. 5. The connector coupling detecting device according to claim 4, wherein the coupling detecting contact is provided with a protruding terminal portion, and the protruding terminal portion is projected into the terminal accommodating chamber through the through hole of the connector housing. 6. A detection circuit is formed by connecting a terminal fitting to the terminal portion, which is the same as a terminal fitting that is inserted and locked in a normal terminal accommodating chamber of the one connector housing. A connector coupling detection device according to item (3) or (5).