WO2013132808A1

WO2013132808A1 - Lever-type connector

Info

Publication number: WO2013132808A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/001273
Authority: WO
Inventors: 克己志賀
Original assignee: タイコエレクトロニクスジャパン合同会社
Priority date: 2012-03-05
Filing date: 2013-03-01
Publication date: 2013-09-12
Also published as: CN104145382B; CN104145382A; JP5784529B2; IN2014DN06864A; JP2013182858A

Abstract

A lever-type connector (1) is provided with a housing (20), a lever (30), and a locking mechanism (LK) that is provided on the housing (20) and the lever (30) and locks a connecting beam (32) of the lever (30) in a final position. The locking mechanism (LK) is provided with the following: a housing-side locking arm (40) provided on the housing (20); a lever-side lock-release arm (50) provided on the lever (30); and a locking block (56) provided on the lever (30). The lever-side lock-release arm (50) is located in a release-arm chamber (100) that passes completely through the thickness of the abovementioned connecting beam (32).

Description

Lever type connector

The present invention relates to a lever-type connector.

∙ A multi-pole connector requires a large force to mate with the mating connector. For this reason, a lever-type connector that can be fitted with a connector by lever operation is used (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The lever-type connector includes a housing and a portal-shaped lever provided on the housing. The lever is locked by the lock mechanism at the end point position.

The lock mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a housing-side lock arm provided so as to extend a lower side of the rotation locus substantially along the rotation locus of the lever from the start position side of the lever to the end position side of the housing. And a lever side locking mechanism having a lever side arm provided on the connecting beam of the lever so as to extend in the direction opposite to the extending direction.

The lever type connectors shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B are also configured in substantially the same manner as Patent Document 1. The housing side lock arm 71 has locking portions 72 at both ends in the width direction, and a surface 73 to be pushed by the lever side lock arm 81 is formed between the locking portions 72.
The lever-side lock arm 81 extending in the direction opposite to the housing-side lock arm 71 is bent downward from the lower part of the front end of the connecting beam 80 (lever starting point position side) and upward on the rear end side. It is bent. On the upper side of the free end of the lever side lock arm 81, a lock release operation part 82 is provided. The lock release operation part 82 protrudes from the free end of the lever side lock arm 81 to both sides in the width direction. When the lock release operation part 82 is pushed down, the surface 73 of the housing side lock arm 71 is pushed in.
In the lever connecting beam 80, a locking portion 83 that is locked to the housing side lock arm 71 is provided below the lock release operation portion 82 and on both sides of the lever side lock arm 81.
When the surface 73 of the housing-side lock arm 71 is pushed by pushing down the unlocking operation portion 82, the lock is released so that the lever locking portion 83 rides on the housing locking portion 72.

On the other hand, the lock mechanism in Patent Document 2 includes a housing side lock arm that extends from the end point position side of the lever toward the start point position side, and a lever side lock arm that extends in the direction opposite to the extending direction. Yes. These are the same as the housing side lock arm and the lever side lock arm of Patent Document 1, but the extending direction with respect to the turning direction of the lever is reversed. Moreover, it differs from the structure of patent document 1 by the point by which the housing side lock arm is extended below the lever side lock arm.
In Patent Document 2, the lock release operation portion provided on the lever side lock arm is pushed down, and the lock is released when the lever locking portion is released downward from the locking portion of the housing side lock arm.

JP 2005-317384 A JP 2009-026580 A

In Patent Document 2, the direction in which the lock release operation unit is pushed down is different from the direction in which the fitting release lever rotates. Therefore, the lock release operation unit is first pressed to release the lock of the lever, and then the lever is moved or rotated using both hands.
On the other hand, in the configuration of Patent Document 1 (the same applies to FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B), the direction in which the unlocking operation portion 82 is pushed down, and the fitting Since the turning direction of the release lever is similar, the unlocking operation of the lever and the turning operation of the lever can be performed continuously without changing the lever.
Therefore, the lever-type connector of Patent Document 1 is superior to the lever-type connector of Patent Document 2 in the operability of releasing the fitting.

Further, in Patent Document 2, since the latching portion of the lever is released to the lower side of the housing side lock arm when the lock is released, a space corresponding to the thickness of the lever side lock arm is required on the lower side of the arm. On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, since the locking portion 83 of the lever rides on the locking portion 72 of the housing to release the lock, the lever-side lock arm 81 has a thickness below the lever-side lock arm 81. Since there is no need to provide a space corresponding to, the thickness of the lever can be reduced. Thereby, it can contribute to size reduction of a connector.

However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the lever connecting beam 80 provided with the lever side lock arm 81 is thick and the lever is tall, there is room for improvement for further miniaturization. The lever side lock arm 81 is bent from below the front end of the connecting beam 80 of the lever and has a portion provided so as to face the lower surface of the connecting beam 80 at an interval necessary for locking. 81 takes a space in the thickness direction. Moreover, in order to secure the support strength of the fixed end of the lever side lock arm connected to the connecting beam 80, the connecting beam 80 of the lever must be made thick.

Based on the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a lever-type connector that is excellent in operability for releasing the fitting and can be further reduced in size.

The lever-type connector of the present invention includes a housing having a housing-side locking portion, and is supported by the housing so as to be rotatable between an end point position and a start point position, and the housing is fitted with a mating partner at the end point position, A lever that releases the mating between the housing and the mating partner, a lever provided on the lever, and a lever side latching portion that is latched with the housing side latching portion at the time of mating. A locking release arm that releases the locking between the housing side locking portion and the lever side locking portion when a force applied to the force point acts on the housing side locking portion when the engagement is released; It is characterized by. The lever includes a pair of lever bodies that rotate in synchronism with each other around a fulcrum shaft, and a connecting beam that connects the pair of lever bodies and forms a release arm arrangement chamber that penetrates the front and back. The locking release arm has a fixed end integrally connected to the connecting beam and a free end that functions as a force point, and is arranged in the release arm arrangement chamber.

According to this invention, the locking release arm is arranged in the release arm arrangement chamber that penetrates the front and back of the connecting beam of the lever. That is, since the lock release arm is disposed within the thickness of the lever, it is not necessary to bend the lock release arm so as to be folded back from the front end to the rear end of the lever, and the thickness of the connecting beam can be reduced. . In addition, since the locking release arm can be integrally connected to the connecting beam at its fixed end, it is possible to secure a supporting strength that can withstand pressing when releasing the connection without making the connecting beam thick. . Furthermore, since the connecting beam is thin, the clearance release arm and the housing side locking part are placed close to each other, leaving a gap necessary for locking the lever side locking part and the housing side locking part. it can.
As a result, the height of the lever can be reduced, so that further miniaturization of the lever-type connector can be realized.

In the lever-type connector according to the present invention, it is preferable that the lever side locking portion is provided on the connecting beam, and the locking release arm is disposed so that the free end faces the lever side locking portion.

According to the present invention, the width of the locking release arm can be ensured large without being limited by the lever side locking portion from the positional relationship between the fixed end of the locking releasing arm, the free end, and the lever side locking portion.
That is, since the width of the fixed end of the locking release arm can be increased, the connection portion with the connecting beam can be secured over a wider range. Therefore, it is possible to more surely secure the supporting strength that can withstand the pressing at the time of releasing the fitting while keeping the thickness of the connecting beam thin.
Therefore, since the thickness of the connecting beam can be suppressed, it can contribute to the downsizing of the lever-type connector.

According to the lever type connector of the present invention, it is excellent in the operability of releasing the mating and can promote downsizing.

It is a perspective view of a lever type connector and an other party connector concerning an embodiment of the present invention. The lever is in the end position. It is a top view of a lever type connector and a mating connector. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3A-3A in FIG. 2, and shows a locking portion. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3B-3B in FIG. 2, and shows the unlocking operation unit. It is a perspective view of a lever type connector from which a lever was removed. It is a perspective view of a lever simple substance. It is sectional drawing which shows a state when the lock release operation part is pushed down. It is sectional drawing which shows a state when the lock release operation part is further pushed down. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which rotated the lever from which the lock | rock was cancelled | released. FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a conventional lever type connector, FIG. 9A shows a lever type connector with the lever removed, and FIG. 9B shows a single lever. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 10A-10A in FIG. 9A, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 10B-10B in FIG. 9A. FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 (A), and 3 (B), the lever-type connector 1 of the present embodiment includes a first housing 10 that holds a plurality of contacts (not shown), and a first housing 10. A second housing (housing) 20 provided on the outer side of the first housing 20 and a lever 30 supported by the second housing 20 so as to be rotatable between a start position and an end position.
In the following description, the side on which the lever-type connector 1 is fitted to the mating connector 9 is defined as the front, and the opposite side is defined as the rear.

The first housing 10 has a plurality of cavities 11 that respectively accommodate contacts. The first housing 10 includes two bodies, a first housing body 10A and a front end piece 10B provided on the front end side of the first housing body 10A. When these are assembled, the annular seal member 12 is held between the step on the outer peripheral portion of the first housing body 10A and the peripheral portion of the front end piece 10B.
Further, an electric wire seal member 13 for stopping the outer periphery of an electric wire (not shown) connected to the contact is provided on the rear end side of the first housing main body 10A.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second housing 20 accommodates the first housing 10 inside the peripheral wall 20A. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the electric wire seal member 13 held by the first housing 10 is pressed against the second housing 20. Rotating shafts 22 project from both sides of the circumferential wall 20A in the width direction.
As shown in FIG. 4, the second housing 20 includes a guide groove 23, a locking projection 24 that locks the lever 30 at the start position, and a lever 30 locked at the start position that exceeds the start position. And a stopper 25 that prevents the lever 30 from being applied with excessive stress. The guide groove 23 guides the cam follower 92 (FIG. 1) provided in the mating connector 9 to the cam groove 34 of the lever 30.
The locking projection 41 and the stopper 45 on the end point position (FIG. 1) side will be described later.

The lever 30 has a pair of lever main bodies 31 facing each other and a connecting beam 32 connecting the lever main bodies 31 and is formed in a gate shape. The connecting beam 32 is formed with a release arm arrangement chamber 100 penetrating the front and back surfaces thereof.
The lever body 31 is formed with a shaft hole 33 into which the rotation shaft 22 of the second housing 20 is inserted, and a cam groove 34 into which the cam follower 92 is inserted. The pair of lever bodies 31 rotate in synchronization with each other around the shaft hole 33. Further, a locking hole 35 into which the locking projection 24 of the second housing 20 is inserted is formed on the back surface side of the lever main body 31.

The lever 30 and the second housing 20 are provided with a lock mechanism LK that locks the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30 at the end point position.
Hereinafter, the lock mechanism LK will be described in detail with reference mainly to FIGS. 3 (A) to 5 (B).
The lock mechanism LK includes a housing side lock arm (housing side locking portion) 40 shown in FIG. 4, a lever side lock releasing arm (locking releasing arm) 50 shown in FIGS. 5 (A) and 5 (B), The lock block (lever side locking portion) 56 is mainly configured. Both the lever-side unlock arm 50 and the lock block 56 are formed on the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30.

The housing side lock arm 40 is provided so as to extend from the rear end side to the front end side of the upper wall of the second housing 20, that is, from the start point position side of the lever 30 to the end point position side.
The housing side lock arm 40 has a fixed end 40a connected to the second housing 20 at one end and a free end 40b at the other end. On the upper surface on the free end 40 b side of the housing side lock arm 40, a locking projection 41 that is locked to the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30 is provided. The locking projection 41 is located at the center of the housing side lock arm 40 in the width direction. The front end side of the locking projection 41 stands upright from the upper wall of the second housing 20 to form a top portion 41A, and the height gradually decreases toward the rear end side.
It should be noted that the front end side of the locking protrusion 41 of the housing side lock arm 40, that is, the portion between the free end 40b (the F portion in FIG. 3A) hits the locking member of the lever 30 during fitting and is clear. Generate a mating sound. The operator can confirm that the lever-type connector 1 and the mating connector 9 are fitted by this fitting sound.
Both sides of the locking projection 41 in the width direction are pushing surfaces 42 that are pushed in when the lock is released.
Further, a guide portion 43 that guides the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30 at the time of fitting is formed adjacent to the rear end side of the pushing surface 42. The guide portion 43 has an upward slope from the rear end side toward the front end side.

On the upper wall of the second housing 20, a pair of protective walls 44 that protect the housing side lock arm 40 are provided on both sides in the width direction of the housing side lock arm 40. The protective wall 44 can prevent, for example, the housing side lock arm 40 from being deformed and damaged due to an electric wire being tangled.
Further, a stopper 45 that restricts rotation of the lever 30 at the end point position beyond the end point position is bridged on the front end side of both the protective walls 44.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the lever side lock release arm 50 is arranged in a release arm arrangement chamber 100 formed in the lever 30. The lever side unlock arm 50 has a fixed end 50A integrally connected to the connecting beam 32 on one end side, and a free end 50B that functions as a power point on the other end side.
As shown in FIGS. 3 (A), 3 (B), 5 (A), and 5 (B), the lever side unlock arm 50 is moved from the start point position side of the lever 30 to the end position side. The lever 30 extends in parallel to the upper surface of the connecting beam 32. The lever side unlocking arm 50 has a shape in which both ends in the width direction and a free end 50B are cut out from the connecting beam 32.
On the fixed end 50 </ b> A side of the lever side lock release arm 50, a plate-like portion 51 having a thickness substantially the same as that of the connecting beam 32 is formed. The plate-like portion 51 can be formed to a thickness that can be accommodated within the thickness of the connecting beam 32. Further, the plate-like portion 51 is continuous with the connecting beam 32 over the entire width direction on the fixed end 50A side. A plurality of ribs 51 </ b> A extending along the width direction are formed on the upper surface of the plate-like portion 51.

A rectangular notch 52 (FIG. 2) is formed at the center in the width direction on the free end 50B side of the lever side unlock arm 50. The notch 52 is formed at a position corresponding to the locking projection 41 of the second housing 20. The lever side lock release arm 50 is provided with lock release operation portions 53 on both sides of the notch 52 on the free end 50B side.

The unlocking operation portion 53 includes a prismatic push button portion 53A projecting from the upper surface of the free end 50B and a prismatic action portion 53B projecting from the lower surface of the free end 50B.
The action portion 53B transmits the force applied when the push button portion 53A is pushed down to the housing side lock arm 40, and pushes the pushing surface 42 at the tip during the unlocking operation.

As shown in FIG. 5B, a flat C-shaped lock block 56 is provided on the lower surface of the connecting beam 32 on the end position side of the action portion 53B. The lock block 56 and the lever side lock release arm 50 are separate members. The lock block 56 extends along the end edge of the lever side unlock arm 50, and both ends thereof are bent toward the action portion 53B. The lock block 56 has the same height as the action portion 53B.
The lock block 56 is formed with a locking recess 57 that is locked to the locking protrusion 41 of the second housing 20 at a position corresponding to the notch 52. Further, the lock block 56 is partially chamfered on the end point position side.

The present embodiment having the above configuration is characterized in that the lever side unlock arm 50 is arranged in the release arm arrangement chamber 100 formed in the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30. In a state where the lever 30 is locked at the end point position, the lever side lock arm 50 is not bent or only slightly bent. Extend in parallel.
When the lever side unlock arm 50 is formed so as to be bent from the upper surface or the lower surface of the connecting beam 32 or is inclined with respect to the upper surface of the connecting beam 32, the lever side unlock arm 50 is provided below the connecting beam 32. Overhangs. As a result, the thickness of the lever-side unlock arm 50 and the space required for locking increase the thickness of the lever 30, thereby increasing the height of the connector.
On the other hand, according to this embodiment, since the lever side unlocking arm 50 is arranged in the releasing arm arrangement chamber 100, the thickness of the lever 30 can be reduced. Further, since the lever side unlocking arm 50 is supported by the connecting beam 32 by being integrally connected to the connecting beam 32 over the entire width at the fixed end 50A, the connecting beam 32 need not be thick. Further, it is possible to secure a supporting strength that can withstand the pressing of the unlocking operation portion 53.
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the lever-side lock release arm 50 is arranged in the release arm arrangement chamber 100, the clearance S necessary for the engagement between the engagement recess 57 and the engagement protrusion 41 (FIG. 3A) ) (B)), the lever-side unlock arm 50 and the housing-side lock arm 40 can be arranged close to each other, so that the lever 30 can be lowered in height. Thereby, the whole connector including the lever 30 can be reduced in size. The gap S is minimized when the lever side unlocking arm 50 extends in parallel with the upper surface of the lever 30, that is, when the lever 30 is at the end point position. At this time, the back of the lever 30 also has a minimum dimension H. (FIGS. 3A and 3B).
The present invention allows a dimensional error of the lever 30. Even if the lever-side unlock arm 50 is not completely parallel to the upper surface of the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30 and is slightly displaced, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, the lock block 56 is provided on the connecting beam 32 of the lever 30, and the free end 50 </ b> B of the lever side unlocking arm 50 is disposed so as to face the lock block 56. Thereby, the width and length of the lever side unlocking arm 50 can be secured large without being restricted by the lock block 56.
That is, according to the positional relationship between the fixed end 50A, the free end 50B, and the lock block 56 of the lever side unlocking arm 50, the fixed end 50A (plate-like portion 51) of the lever side unlocking arm 50 connected to the connecting beam 32. Therefore, the connecting portion with the connecting beam 32 can be secured over a wider area. Thereby, it is possible to more surely secure the supporting strength that can withstand the pressing of the unlocking operation portion 53 while suppressing the thickness of the connecting beam 32 to be thin.
Thus, since the thickness of the connecting beam 32 can be kept thin, it can contribute to the miniaturization of the lever-type connector 1.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, as described below, the operability for releasing the fitting is excellent.
First, the fitting operation will be described.
When the lever-type connector 1 is fitted to the mating connector 9, the lever 30 is turned to the starting position, and the peripheral portions of both the first housing 10 and the housing 90 of the mating connector 9 are aligned. Then, the cam follower 92 of the mating connector 9 enters the cam groove 34 of the lever 30, and a cam portion (not shown) in the vicinity of the cam follower 92 is engaged with the lever 30.
In this state, when the lever 30 is raised from the starting position in the direction of arrow A, the locking projection 24 of the second housing 20 is released from the locking hole 35, so that the lever 30 is moved in the direction of arrow A to the end position shown in FIG. Rotate. At that time, when the lock block 56 of the connecting beam 32 rides on the guide portion 43 of the second housing 20 and then gets over the guide portion 43, the locking projection 41 is inserted into the notch 52 and locked to the locking recess 57. The Then, the housing-side lock arm 40 and the connecting beam 32 are disposed with a minimum gap S therebetween.
As the lever 30 rotates in the direction of arrow A, the cam follower 92 is guided along the cam groove 34, so that the mating connector 9 is received to the back of the second housing 20 and the contact of the lever-type connector 1. Is electrically connected to the contact 91 of the mating connector 9. Thus, the fitting is completed.

Next, when releasing the fitting between the lever-type connector 1 and the mating connector 9, the push button portion 53A of the lock release operation portion 53 is pushed down. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 (B), the pushing surface 42 is pushed by the action portion 53B, so that the housing side lock arm 40 is bent, whereby the locking projection 41 is disengaged from the locking recess 57 (FIG. 6 (A)). ). Note that the cross-sectional lines in FIGS. 6A to 8B are based on FIGS. 3A and 3B.
Subsequently, the lever 30 is rotated in the direction of the arrow B toward the starting position while pushing in the unlocking operation portion 53. FIG. 7A shows a state in which the lock block 56 is getting over the locking projection 41 at this time. When the lever 30 is rotated with the hand held on the push button portion 53A, the lock block 56 gets over the locking protrusion 41 as shown in FIG. The lever 30 is rotated to the start position without pushing in. As a result, the cam follower 92 is guided so as to be detached from the cam groove 34, so that the fitting is released.

The unlocking operation and the releasing lever operation described above are similar to the direction in which the unlocking operation portion 53 is pushed down and the operating direction of the releasing lever 30 (the direction of arrow B). There is no factor that impairs the continuity of operation, such as the operation portion 53 hitting the second housing 20. Therefore, while holding the lever 30 with one hand and pushing the unlocking operation portion 53 with the fingertip, the unlocking operation and the mating releasing lever operation can be performed smoothly and smoothly without changing the hand on the lever 30. Can do.

In addition to the above description, the configurations described in the above embodiments can be selected or modified as appropriate to other configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, when the wire seal member 13 is not used, it is not necessary to provide the second housing 20. In this case, the lever 30 can be rotatably supported with respect to the first housing 10, and the first housing 10 and the lever 30 can be provided with a lock mechanism LK.
In the above embodiment, the lock block 56 that is separate from the lever-side unlock arm 50 is used. However, it is allowed to integrally provide a locking body corresponding to the lock block 56 on the lever-side unlock arm. .
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the unlocking

operation parts

53 and 53 are provided at both ends in the width direction of the lever side unlocking arm 50, and the housing 20 and the lever 30 are locked between these unlocking

operation parts

53 and 53. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a lock release operation portion 53 is provided at the center in the width direction of the lever side unlock arm 50, and the housing 20 and the lever 30 are locked on both sides thereof. it can.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lever type connector 9 Mating connector 10 1st housing 20 2nd housing (housing)
22 Rotating shaft 30 Lever 31 Lever body 32 Connecting beam 33 Shaft hole 34 Cam groove 40 Housing side lock arm (housing side locking portion)
41 Locking protrusion 42 Push-in surface 43 Guide portion 44 Protective wall 45 Stopper 50 Lever side lock release arm (lock release arm)
50A Fixed end 50B Free end 51 Plate-like part 52 Notch 53 Unlocking operation part 53A Push button part 53B Action part 56 Lock block (lever side latching part)
57 Locking recess 90 Housing 92 Cam follower 100 Release arm placement chamber LK Lock mechanism S Clearance

Claims

A housing having a housing side locking portion;
A lever that is pivotally supported by the housing between an end point position and a start point position, and that engages the housing with a mating partner at the end point position, and releases the mating between the housing and the mating partner. When,
A lever side locking portion that is provided on the lever and locked to the housing side locking portion when the fitting is performed;
The lever is provided on the lever, and the force applied to the force point when the fitting is released acts on the housing side locking portion, thereby locking the housing side locking portion and the lever side locking portion. An unlocking arm to be released;
With
The lever is
A pair of lever bodies that rotate in synchronization with each other around a fulcrum shaft;
A connecting beam that connects the pair of lever main bodies and that forms a release arm placement chamber that penetrates the front and back surfaces; and
The unlocking arm is
A lever-type connector comprising: a fixed end that is integrally connected to the connecting beam; and a free end that functions as the force point, and is disposed in the release arm arrangement chamber.
The lever side locking portion is provided on the connecting beam,
The locking release arm is arranged such that the free end faces the lever side locking portion,
The lever type connector according to claim 1.