JPS6233253Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fitting and locking mechanism for an electrical connector.

In electrical connectors whose outer shells are mainly made of synthetic resin, as a connector locking mechanism when the socket terminal side connector (hereinafter referred to as the socket connector) and the pin terminal side connector (hereinafter referred to as the pin connector) are mated. For example, there is a structure as shown in cross section in FIG. In FIG. 1, the socket connector 10 and the pin connector 20 are in a fitted state, and each pin implanted in the housing 21 of the pin connector 20 is connected to the socket connector 12 installed in the housing 11 of the socket connector 10. The contacts 22 are respectively inserted and fitted. At the same time, a protrusion 14 protruding from a lever 13 provided on one side of the housing 11 engages with a peripheral wall 24 of a locking hole 23 formed on one side of the housing 21, thereby locking the socket connector 10. This prevents the pin from coming off from the pin connector 20. When removing the socket connector 10, by pressing the head 15 of the lever 13 with your finger, the lever 13 is elastically deformed as shown by the broken line, and the protrusion 14 is disengaged from the peripheral wall 24 of the locking hole 23. , the socket connector 10 can be easily removed. Also, when mating both connectors, connect socket connector 10 and pin connector 2.
0 facing each other and inserting the socket connector into the cavity 25 of the pin connector, the slope 16 of the protrusion 14
is pushed down by the end surface 26 of the cavity 25 of the pin connector, and the lever 13 is elastically deformed. When the socket connector 10 continues to move forward and the protrusion 14 passes the peripheral wall 24 of the locking hole 23, the lever 13 is restored. The locked state shown in FIG. 1 is achieved. Although the conventional locking mechanism described above has a simple structure, for example, when a strong force is applied in the direction of removing the connector, the protrusion 14
There is also a risk that the portion of the side surface of the housing between the opening of the housing 21 and the locking hole 23 will be damaged, and the structure of the locking portion may not necessarily be perfect.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and provide a connector fitting and locking mechanism that has a simple structure, high strength, and can perform reliable engagement. The connector fitting and locking mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the present mechanism) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a socket connector showing an embodiment of this mechanism, in which a is a plan view and b is an A of a.
- A sectional view, and figure c is a partially omitted front view. The socket connector 100 includes a housing 101 made of synthetic resin, a plurality of contact holes 102 provided through the housing in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing 101, and a socket disposed in the contact holes. It consists of a contact 103. A locking lever 110 and a rotating piece 111 are integrally formed on a side surface 104 of the housing 101 . The locking lever 110 includes a main body 112 having a mainly rectangular shape, a pressing portion 113 having one end of the main body curved in a direction away from the housing and attached to the end substantially parallel to the side surface 104, and the main body 1
From both longitudinal sides of 12 to side 1 of the housing
The main body 11 extends toward the side of 04 and includes the pressing part 113.
2 provided parallel to each other over the entire length of 2.
It is composed of protrusions 114 and the like. Also, main body 1
The end of the connector 100 on the side opposite to the pressing part 113 and close to the fitting surface 105 of the connector 100 is connected to the main body 1
The upper surface of the end portion is parallel to the side surface 104 of the housing and forms a drive surface 116. Further, the rotary piece 111 has a thin plate shape that is easily bent and deformed, and is integrally molded substantially perpendicularly to the side surface 104 of the housing, and is further connected to the lower surface of the main body 112 of the locking lever 110 at approximately the center thereof. Further, the shape of the protrusion 114 is such that the end face 117 close to the side face 104 of the connector is parallel to the side face 104 at a small distance, but the end face 117 is parallel to the side face 104 at an angle θ from a position adjacent to the rotary piece 111. The inclined surface 118 is inclined away from the
form. And as mentioned above, the locking lever 11
0 has the rotating piece 11 on the lower surface of its main body 112.
Since it is connected to the side surface 104 of the connector only at 1, it is possible to rotate using the rotating piece 111 as a fulcrum. For example, in the pressing part 113, as shown in FIG.
When a force C as shown in . 114 slope 1
18 stops because it comes into contact with the side surface 104, and the rotating piece 111 is prevented from being damaged due to excessive bending deformation. Next, the housing has protective walls 130a and 130 on both longitudinal sides of the locking lever 110, which are closely parallel to the locking lever.
b is provided to prevent deformation or damage even if unnecessary external force is applied to the locking lever 110. The protective walls 130a and 130b have a stepped portion 131a having a height approximately equal to the height from the side surface 104 of the drive surface 116 of the locking lever 110.
and 131b, and the locking lever 10 extends above the side surface of the stepped portion on the side farther from the locking lever.
It consists of protruding walls 132a and 132b having almost the same height as the upper surface of the main body 112, and the step part 131a
The distance between the opposing sides of the protruding walls 132a and 132b is such that the main body 112 of the locking lever 110 can pass therethrough, and the distance between the opposing sides of the projecting walls 132a and 132b is such that the pressing portion 113 of the locking lever 110 can pass through. The dimensions shall be such that it can be passed through. protection wall 1
The ends of 30a and 130b on the fitting surface 105 side each form a locking protrusion 133, and the length of the locking protrusion 133 in the longitudinal direction of the connector 100 is equal to the width of the stepped portion 131a or 131b of the protective wall. Also, the height from the side surface 104 is the same as the projecting wall 132.
It is equal to the height of a and 132b. Similarly, in the locking protrusion 133, an inclined surface 136 is formed between an end surface 134 on the fitting surface 105 side and an upper surface 135 parallel to the side surface 104, and an end surface on the opposite side to the end surface 134 is perpendicular to the side surface 104 and is engaged. Amen 13
form 7. Other side surface 1 of housing 101
04, the housing 1 is installed parallel to the protective walls 130a and 130b, that is, parallel to the connector insertion/extraction direction.
A plurality of guide protrusions 106 are provided to reinforce the connector 01 and to guide the direction when inserting and removing the mating connector.

Next, a plan view, a sectional view, and a partially omitted front view of a mating pin connector 200 that fits with the socket connector 100 described above are shown in FIG. The pin connector 200 includes a synthetic resin housing 201 having an opening into which a socket connector is inserted, and a cavity 202 following the opening, and the cavity 20.
The pin contacts 203 are embedded in the bottom surface of the socket connector 2 and arranged so as to fit with each socket contact 103 of the socket connector 100 when the socket connector 100 is fitted. The housing 2 is on the same side as the locking lever 110 of the socket connector when mated with the socket connector 100.
The side wall 204 of 01 has a cavity 205 at a position facing the locking lever and an engagement hole 2 opened in the cavity.
06 is provided. Inside the engagement hole 206, a rectangular engagement plate 210 is connected to the housing 201 on one side and is provided integrally with the housing. The engagement plate 210 has a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG.
The flat plate part 211 (the same applies hereinafter) is substantially flush with the inner surface of the cavity 205, and a protrusion 212 formed at the tip of the flat plate part 211 and protruding toward the lower surface of the flat plate part. A contact surface 21 is formed from the tip of the flat plate portion 211 to the protrusion 212.
3 is substantially perpendicular to the side wall 204, and the lower surface of the projection 212 following the corresponding contact surface 213 forms a sliding surface 214 that is parallel to the lower surface of the flat plate portion 211, and furthermore, the sliding surface 214 and the flat plate portion 211 A sliding slope 215 is formed between the lower surface and the lower surface. Since the engagement plate 210 has the shape described above, in a stationary state, only the above-mentioned protrusion 212 fills the empty space 2 of the connector 200.
05, and the protrusion 21
When a force is applied to the portion 2 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the engagement plate 210, the elasticity of the synthetic resin causes the flat plate portion 21 to
1 undergoes a curved deformation approximately around the fulcrum G, and moves to recover when the force is removed. The operation of the fitting and locking mechanism of the socket connector 100 and pin connector 200 having the above structure will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. First, place the socket connector 100 and the pin connector 200 facing each other as shown in FIG. 4, and while bringing them close together, insert the socket connector 100 into the cavity 202 of the housing 201 with the fitting surface 105 of the socket connector 100 first. As a result, each pin contact 203 becomes a socket connector 100.
It fits into the contact holes 102 arranged in the fitting surface 105 of the housing 101 and starts fitting with the socket contacts 103 in the holes. At the same time, the end surface 134 of the locking projection 133 of the socket connector 100 comes into contact with the sliding slope 215 of the engagement plate 210 of the pin connector 200. This state is shown in Figure 5a.
It is. As the socket connector 100 is further moved forward from the state shown in FIG.
5 to push up the protrusion 212 in the D direction while bending and deforming the flat plate part 211. As the socket connector 100 moves forward, the slope 136 still pushes up the protrusion 212, but when the upper surface 135 of the locking protrusion reaches the sliding surface 214 of the protrusion 212, the protrusion 212 no longer moves in the D direction. As the socket connector 100 is further advanced, the sliding surface 214 of the protrusion 212 contacts the upper surface 1 of the locking protrusion 133.
35, and when the fitting surface 105 of the socket connector 100 reaches a position sufficiently close to the bottom surface of the cavity 202 of the pin connector 200, the sliding surface 214
After passing over the upper surface 135, the engagement plate 210 returns to its original position due to its elasticity. This state is shown in Figure 5c.
It is. In Figure 5c, socket connector 1
00 is fully inserted into the cavity 202 of the pin connector 200, and each socket contact 103 and pin contact 203 are also completely fitted. At the same time, the engagement surface 137 of the locking protrusion 133 of the socket connector 100 comes into surface contact with the contact surface 213 of the engagement plate 210 of the pin connector 200, and both connectors become engaged. In this engaged state, if a force F is applied in a direction to remove the socket connector 100 as shown in FIG.
Since the direction of the vector f of the force applied to the contact surface 213 of the engagement plate 210 passes through a point closer to the center of the connector than the fulcrum G of the curved deformation of the engagement plate 210, the moment M toward the center of the connector is applied to the engagement plate 210.
occurs. This is the direction in which the protrusion 212 of the engagement plate approaches the socket connector, so the application of the removal force F causes the engagement plate 210 to deform outward, for example, causing the engagement to be disengaged and the socket connector to be pulled out. There is no need to worry. Note that in FIG. 6, the locking lever is omitted. Next, the procedure for releasing the engaged state and removing the socket connector 100 from the pin connector 200 is as follows. That is, in the engaged state shown in FIG. 5c,
When a force E is applied to the pressing part 113 of the locking lever 110, the locking lever 110 uses the rotating piece 111 as a fulcrum, and the rotating piece bends and deforms to rotate, and at the same time as the pressing part 113 lowers, the pressing part As mentioned above, the opposite end rises, but the angle is limited to θ. Thereby the drive surface 116 of the locking lever
is the sliding surface 21 of the engagement plate 210 that is in contact with this surface.
4 while bending and deforming the engagement plate. The upper surface 13 of the locking protrusion 133 has been raised sufficiently so that the sliding surface 214
The engagement between the abutment surface 213 and the engagement surface 137 is released at the point where the height is equal to 5. This state is shown in FIG. 5d. If the socket connector 100 is pulled out slightly in the removal direction in this state, the sliding surface 214 will align with the upper surface 1 of the locking protrusion 133.
35, there is no more locking action, and even after the force E is removed and the locking lever 110 is restored, the socket connector 100 can continue to be easily pulled in the removal direction. When the locking protrusion 133 has passed through the protrusion 212 of the engagement plate 210, the engagement plate 210 recovers due to its elasticity and returns to the state shown in FIG. 5a, and the socket connector 100 is completely removed from the pin connector 200. be done.

As is clear from the above description, in the connector fitting and locking mechanism according to the present invention, in the engaged state, the contact surface 213 of the projection 212 of the engagement plate is connected to the locking projection 1.
Since it is in surface contact with the engaging surface 137 of 33, even if a strong force is applied in the direction of removing the connector, the engaging part will not be easily damaged, and in particular, the connector will not be easily damaged. When applied, the removal force generates a moment in the direction toward the center of the connector on the engagement plate 210, and this moment causes the engagement between the contact surface 213 of the engagement plate and the engagement surface 137 of the locking protrusion to become stronger. Not only that, but also the locking protrusion 133
has great strength because it has an integral structure with the protective wall 130,
Since the engagement plate 210 is also plate-shaped, it has excellent effects such as being strong against removal force acting as a compressive force and achieving a strong locking state when the connector is fitted. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, it is possible to omit the guide protrusion 106 or the protective wall 130 including the protrusion wall 132, and various forms may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of a conventional connector fitting and locking mechanism, and FIG. 2 is a plan view, a sectional view, and a part of a socket connector equipped with a connector fitting and locking mechanism according to the present invention. 3 is a plan view, a sectional view, and a partially omitted front view of a pin connector according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a socket connector and a pin connector facing each other; Fig. 5 is a partially omitted sectional view showing the operation of the connector fitting and locking mechanism when the socket connector and pin connector are mated, and Fig. 6 shows the state of the locking mechanism when a removal force is applied. It is a diagram. 10,100...socket connector, 20,2
00... Pin connector, 104... Side, 110
... Locking lever, 111 ... Rotating piece, 113 ...
Pressing portion, 116... Drive surface, 133... Locking protrusion, 135... Top surface, 136... Slope, 137...
...Engagement surface, 204...Side wall, 210...Engagement plate,
213... Contact surface, f... Removal force vector, G...
...Curved fulcrum.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model claims] In the locking mechanism between the connectors, one end of one connector is connected to the side wall as a curved fulcrum, and extends toward the bottom side where the contacts of the connector are fixed, and near the free end there is a portion inward of the space from the curved fulcrum. The other connector is provided with an engaging plate provided with a protrusion projecting to the opposite side, and the other connector is provided with a pressing part on one end side and a driving surface for driving the engaging plate outwardly on the other end side. A locking lever that is connected to the side surface and is elastically rotatable by a rotating piece provided between the drive surface and the locking protrusion that abuts and engages with the tip of the protrusion of the engagement plate is attached to the side surface. A connector fitting and locking mechanism comprising: