JPH1126086A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a lock from being unexpectedly unlocked. SOLUTION: When both connector housings 1, 2 are fitted, a lock arm 3 is bent upward and when both connector housings 1, 2 are parted, the lock arm 3 is bent downward so as to unlock a lock. In a lock constituted in such a manner, the lock arm 3 is made to be received by an arm-holding member 15 from a lower side. Consequently, unexpected displacement of the lock arm 3 in the lock releasing direction is restricted. Moreover, the arm-holding member 15 is disassembled out of the lock arm 3 prior to the lock release, so that under such a condition, by pushing down the lock arm 3, lock of a housing in a counterpart housing can be released.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector using a lock arm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As means for holding male and female connector housings in a locked state, there is a type using a lock arm which can be flexibly deformed. Some of them have a function for preventing the fitting in an incomplete state. 6 to 8 show an example of such a technique.

That is, one connector housing 30
Is formed with a cantilevered lock arm 31 capable of bending in the vertical direction, and a projecting piece 32 protrudes in the middle thereof. On the other hand, a pair of projections 34 are provided on the inner wall of the mating connector housing 33 so as to correspond to the projecting pieces 32. In the process of fitting the two connector housings 30 and 33, the projecting pieces 32 correspond to the corresponding projections 34. By riding on the lock arm 31, the lock arm 31 is bent upward and deformed (see FIG. 7). By doing so, the lock arm 31 can push the return spring 35 assembled to the other connector housing 33 at the stepped portion, and the two connector housings 30, 33 can be pushed in.
If the fitting of the connector housing 30 is incomplete, the one connector housing 30 is pushed back by the urging force of the return spring 35, whereby half-fitting can be detected. When the overhanging piece 32 gets over the projection 34, the lock arm 31
Is restored, and the locked state of both connector housings 30 and 33 is maintained by the engagement between the projecting piece 32 and the projection 34. Further, the return spring returns at the same time when the lock arm 31 returns.

To release the lock between the connector housings 30 and 33, if the end of the lock arm 31 is pressed, the lock arm 31 bends downward and the engagement between the projecting piece 32 and the projection 34 is released. Therefore, the connector housing can be removed from the mating connector housing in that state.

[0005]

However, there is still room for improvement in the above-mentioned ones in the following points. That is, the distal end portion of the lock arm 31 is covered with the arch-shaped protection piece 36 in order to make it difficult for the lock arm 31 to receive an external force in the detaching direction when the connector housings 30 and 33 are locked. belongs to. In many cases, the protection piece 36 can prevent the detachment, but since the lock arm 31 cannot be entirely covered, it is difficult to completely prevent the detachment with this structure. In addition, since the operation side of the lock arm 31 is covered with the protection piece 36, when the lock release operation is performed normally, the protection piece 36 is in the way and impairs the operability.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of avoiding careless unlocking.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cantilevered lock arm is vertically bent on one side of a connector housing which can be fitted with each other. This lock arm is capable of holding both connector housings in a locked state by engaging with the mating housing when the two connector housings are mated properly, and in the process of mating with the mating connector housing. And a bending direction in the process of releasing the lock state is different from the bending direction of the lock arm. It is characterized by doing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the arm holding member is provided with the lock arm at a position where the displacement of the lock arm in the release direction can always be restricted. The connector housing is detachably engaged with the connector housing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the arm holding member is provided integrally with a connector housing on the side where the lock arm is provided via a hinge. It is characterized by the following.

[0010] Further, the invention of claim 4 is the invention of claim 1.
3. The device according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein an upper part of the operation end of the lock arm is an open space.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the lock arm performs a bending operation in the opposite direction to when the two connector housings are fitted and unlocked. Therefore, when both connector housings are properly fitted, even if an external force acts on the lock arm and attempts to displace in the unlocking direction, the arm holding member is positioned in this direction to restrict the displacement, Inadvertent unlocking is avoided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the arm holding member is normally held at the release restricting position of the lock arm, it is not troublesome to mount the two connector housings after locking is completed. Even if it does in this way, since there is no trouble in the fitting operation of both connector housings, it is convenient to use.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the arm holding member is integrated with the connector housing,
It is superior in terms of handling at the time of mounting and parts management as compared with the case where they are separated.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the space above the operation end of the lock arm is an open space, and there is no protection piece or the like for protecting the lock arm from careless operation. . Originally, in connectors where it is strongly required to maintain the mating state before the mating detection function is added, the lock arm should not be inadvertently operated.
In some cases, a protection piece or the like is provided, but such a piece hinders the operation when the lock is released. However, according to the third aspect of the invention, even if the upper side of the operation end of the lock arm is opened, the careless release of the lock is restricted by the lock member, so that such an open space can be realized. . Therefore, the operation of releasing the lock properly becomes easy.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a female connector housing, and 2 denotes a male connector housing, which is formed so as to be fitted with the female connector housing 1. Both the connector housings 1 and 2 are formed of a synthetic resin material, and male and female terminal fittings (not shown) are accommodated therein. When the connector housings 1 and 2 are properly fitted, the male and female terminal fittings are connected to each other. It is in a state of being electrically connected.

The male connector housing 2 is formed in the shape of a rectangular tube opening to the front side, and a relief groove 4 is formed on the upper surface thereof to prevent interference with a lock arm 3 to be described later. Notches are formed along the direction. A shelf plate 5 is formed inside the male connector housing 2, and an arm insertion groove 6 into which a lock arm 3 to be described later can enter is formed at the center thereof. A pair of projections 7 protrude from opposing wall surfaces of the arm insertion groove 6, and a guide surface 8 for guiding the climbing operation of the lock arm 3 is formed on the front surface thereof at an angle. The projections 7 are connected to both the male and female connector housings 1, 2.
Are engaged with the protruding piece 9 on the lock arm 3 side at the back side when it is properly fitted, thereby playing a role of locking both connector housings 1 and 2 in the fitted state.

In the male connector housing 2, a return spring 10 is installed horizontally and not shown in detail in the upper central portion of the shelf plate 5 but in a locked state. The return spring 10 can be extended and contracted in the male connector housing 2 in a state of being restrained along the length direction of the housing, and its distal end is exposed forward, so that the lock arm 3 moves upward. The connector can be pushed by the lock arm 3 in the bent state, but the connector arms 1 and 2 are properly fitted and the lock arm 3 is
When is returned, it is disengaged from the lock arm 3 and passes above it (see FIG. 3).

On the other hand, a cantilever-shaped lock arm 3 is arranged along the length direction at the center of the upper surface of the female connector housing 1, and can be bent and deformed in any of the upper and lower directions. In addition, the lock arm 3 has a thick operation portion 11 from the center to the free end thereof.
1 is a locking surface 1 for pushing the return spring 10 described above.
It is 2. Further, a pair of projecting pieces 9 are formed on the front part of the operation unit 11 so as to project right and left, and as described above, after riding on the projection 7, it can be locked at the back. A pair of protective walls 13 for the lock arm 3 are provided upright on the upper surface of the female connector housing 1 and on the left and right sides of the lock arm 3. However, when the two protective walls 13 are fitted together,
The arm insertion groove 6 is located outside the wall surface 6A, and does not interfere with this.

An arm holding member 15 is provided at the rear end edge of one of the protective walls 13 via a hinge edge 14 so that the arm 13 moves around the hinge edge 14 below the operating portion 11 of the lock arm 3. Is available.
In this state, the receiving portion 16 protruding from the inner surface side of the arm holding member 15 receives the lower surface of the operating portion 11 of the lock arm 3, whereby the lock arm 3 is bent downward, that is, locked. The displacement in the release direction can be regulated. An operation piece 17 stands up from the receiving portion 16, and when the receiving portion 16 is receiving the lock arm 3, the operation piece 17 is formed to have a height such that it protrudes upward from the lock arm 3. A locking hole 18 is opened at a free end of the arm holding member 15, and can be disengaged from a locking projection 19 formed on the rear end surface of the protection wall 13 on the other side where the arm holding member 15 is not provided. The arm holding member 15 is held at a position for receiving the lock arm 3.

Thus, since the lock arm 3 is normally unlocked by the arm holding member 15 disposed below the lock arm 3, it is not necessary to cover the upper part as in the conventional case, and an open space is formed. become.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment configured as described above will be specifically described. When the female connector housing 1 is fitted into the male connector housing 2, the overhanging piece 9 rides on the guide surface 8 of the corresponding projection 7, so that the lock arm 3 floats up from the receiving portion 16 of the arm holding member 15 and rises upward. It bends and deforms (see FIG. 2). At this time, the locking surface 12 of the lock arm 3 is locked to the tip of the return spring 10, the fitting of the two connector housings 1 and 2 proceeds, and the protrusion 9 returns in the process of passing over the projection 7. The spring 10 is gradually compressed. Therefore, if the fitting of both connector housings 1 and 2 is interrupted before reaching the regular fitting, this return spring 10
The female connector housing 1 is pushed back by the urging force, and the operator can see that the fitting is half-fitted.

When the connector housings 1 and 2 are fitted to the normal depth, the projecting piece 9 passes through the projection 7 and the lock arm 3 returns to the original position. And returns to the original state. As a result, the lock arm 3 is released from the urging force from the return spring 10, and the connector housings 1 and 2 are held in a locked state by the engagement between the projecting piece 9 and the projection 7 (state in FIG. 3).

At this time, the lock arm 3 is
Since the lock arm 3 is received from below by the receiving portion 16 of the arm holding member 15, the lock arm 3 is bent downward, that is, bent in the direction of releasing the engagement between the projecting piece 9 and the projection 7. Because of the restriction, the locked state is maintained even by an external force. Therefore, unlike the related art, a situation in which the lock is accidentally released due to the influence of the external force can be reliably avoided.

On the other hand, when the connector housings are to be separated from each other, the operation piece 17 of the arm holding member 15 is hooked with a finger and pulled rearward to disengage the locking projection 19 from the locking hole 18. Then, the arm holding member 15 is connected to the hinge edge 1.
When it is rotated rearward around the center 4, the receiving portion 16 and the operating portion 11 are dissociated. Therefore, when the operating portion 11 is pressed in this state, the lock arm 3 can be bent downward, and the engagement between the projecting piece 9 and the projection 7 is released. Then, if the female connector housing 1 is pulled out from the male connector housing 2 as it is, the male and female connector housings 1 and 2 can be separated (see FIG. 4).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the state where both connector housings 1 and 2 are properly fitted is
Since it is ensured by the engagement between the lock arm 3 and the arm holding member 15, inadvertent detachment due to external force is avoided. Further, the arm holding member 15 is not attached after the regular fitting of the two connector housings 1 and 2, but is arranged below the lock arm 3 from a normal time. No special operation for locking is required. Moreover, even in this case, the operation of the lock arm 3 when the two connector housings 1 and 2 are fitted does not cause any trouble.

Also, when unlocking is performed, in this embodiment, since the upper part of the operation portion 11 of the lock arm 3 is an open space, a pressing operation on the operation portion 11 can be easily performed. Further, since the arm holding member 15 is connected to one of the protection walls 13 via the hinge edge 14, the handling and parts management are also excellent.

The present invention can be modified in various ways.
The following modifications are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the arm holding member 15 is connected to the protection wall 13 so as to rotate in the horizontal direction. However, for example, the arm holding member 15 is connected to the rear edge of the connector housing so as to rotate in the vertical direction. You may.

The arm holding member 15 may be formed separately from the connector housing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which a connector housing is separated.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view schematically showing a state in which a connector housing is being fitted.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view schematically showing a normal fitting state of the connector housing.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view schematically showing an unlocked state.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a lock arm and a projection.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a separated state of a conventional connector.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing the same fitting process.

FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the unlocked state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, connector housing 3, lock arm 7, projection 9, projecting piece 10, return spring 14, hinge edge 15, arm holding member 16, receiving part 17, operation piece

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cantilever-shaped lock arm is provided on one side of a mutually matable connector housing so as to bend and deform in a vertical direction, and this lock arm is provided when both connector housings are properly fitted. By engaging with the mating housing, both connector housings can be held in a locked state, and the bending direction in the process of fitting with the mating connector housing and the bending direction in the process of releasing the locked state are different. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an arm holding member that restricts displacement of the lock arm in the unlocking direction so as to be released is engaged with the lock arm. 2. The arm holding member is detachably locked to a connector housing on a side where a lock arm is provided at a position where displacement of the lock arm in a release direction can always be restricted. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
The connector described. 3. The arm holding member is provided integrally with a connector housing on a side on which the lock arm is provided via a hinge.
Or the connector of 2. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an open space is provided above the operation end of the lock arm.