JP2003022872A - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a function of temporarily locking and automatically releasing a lever with a simple structure. SOLUTION: The lever 30 has a temporary locking piece 38 at a position opposite to a cam groove 36 with respect to an inlet 37, and the locking of a hook portion 39 on a temporary locking projection 15 of a female housing 10 (chain line) temporarily holds the lever 30 in a fitting start position. The point of the temporary locking tongue 38 is projected as a pressed portion 40, and the inner side of a hood part 21 is projected as a releasing projection 24 directly adjacent to a follower pin 23. When two housings 10 and 20 are fitted in an initial stage, the follower pin 23 is guided to the cam groove 36 from the inlet 37, and the releasing projection 24 presses up the pressed portion 40, to deform the temporary locking tongue 38 flexibly and release temporary locking. When the lever 30 is turned to a fitting end position, the releasing projection 24, following the follower pin 23, enters or escapes into the cam groove 36.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lever-type connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a lever type connector has a lever provided with a cam groove in one of a pair of male and female housings so as to be pivotally supported, and can be fitted into the cam groove in the other housing. A follower pin is provided, and the follower pin is introduced into the inlet of the cam groove with the initial fitting of both housings, and when the lever is subsequently turned, the cam action between the cam groove and the follower pin causes both housings to move. It is gradually fitted.

On the other hand, in such a connector, mainly in order to improve the operability, before the initial fitting, the lever is temporarily engaged in a posture in which the inlet of the cam groove is in a frontward direction capable of receiving the follower pin. It has also been adopted to employ a means that enables stopping and automatically releases the temporary locking at the time of initial fitting to allow subsequent rotation of the lever. Such a concept is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2596450. Conventionally known as a specific example thereof is to provide a lever with a deformable temporary locking piece and hook it on the locking projection of one housing so that the inlet of the cam groove faces forward. While the lever is temporarily locked in that position, a release part is provided on the other housing of the other party, and when the initial fitting is performed, the release part engages with the elastic locking piece and flexibly deforms it. The temporary locking is released to allow the lever to rotate.

[0004]

However, in the prior art, when the two housings are gradually fitted by the turning operation of the lever after the releasing portion functions to release the temporary locking,
Since the lever and the housing interfere with the release part, it is necessary to provide a relief part to escape the release part in the lever and the housing to avoid the interference, and the structure is inevitable. It was The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a function of temporary locking of a lever and its automatic release with a simple structure.

[0005]

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 provides a cam groove in one of the pair of connector housings to be fitted with each other. The lever is rotatably supported, and the other connector housing is provided with a follower pin that can be fitted in the cam groove, and a cam action between the cam groove and the follower pin according to the rotation of the lever is provided. Is a lever-type connector in which the both connector housings are fitted together, and the lever is elastically locked to the one connector housing so that the follower pin can be introduced into the inlet of the cam groove. An elastic locking part for holding the lever is provided, and the follower pin is introduced into the inlet of the cam groove in the other connector housing. In the case where a release portion is provided that engages with the elastic locking portion and elastically displaces the elastic locking portion when initially fitted to one of the connector housings, the releasing portion is provided. An elastic locking portion is provided in communication with the entrance of the cam groove, and the release portion is provided in the vicinity of the follower pin, and the release portion can enter the cam groove together with the follower pin when the lever is rotated. The feature is that it is configured as. A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the elastic locking portion is formed so as to be flexibly deformable in a direction along a plate surface of the lever.

[0006]

<Advantages and Effects of the Invention><Invention of Claim 1> Before the initial fitting of both connector housings, the elastic locking portion is locked to one of the connector housings, so that the follower pin is positioned at the inlet of the cam groove. The lever is held in a position where it can be introduced. When initially fitted, the follower pin is introduced into the inlet of the cam groove, and the release portion engages with the elastic locking portion and elastically displaces the elastic locking portion, whereby the locking is automatically released.
When the lever is subsequently rotated, both connector housings are fitted while the follower pin moves in the cam groove, and at that time, the release portion enters into the cam groove together with the follower pin, that is, is released. Since the escape portion of the release portion is also used as the cam groove, it is possible to prevent the structure from becoming complicated.

<Invention of Claim 2> In the case of the type in which the lever is housed inside the other connector housing, for example, when the elastic locking portion has a structure in which it is bent and deformed in the plate thickness direction of the lever, the other connector housing Since it is necessary to secure a bending space of the elastic locking portion between and, it is inevitable to increase the size of the other connector housing. In this respect, according to the present invention, since the elastic locking portion has a structure in which it is flexibly deformed in the direction along the plate surface of the lever, it is not necessary to provide a flexing space between the elastic locking part and the other connector housing, and the size thereof can be reduced. Planned.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
Or, it demonstrates based on FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lever-type connector of this embodiment includes a female connector housing 10 (hereinafter referred to as a female housing) and a male connector housing 20 (which can be fitted to the female housing 10). Hereinafter, referred to as a male housing), both housings 10, 2 with respect to the female housing 10.
A lever 30 is attached to assist the 0 fitting and releasing operations.

The female housing 10 is formed of a synthetic resin material into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality of cavities 11 are formed in two rows in the interior thereof.
A female terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted into the housing 1 from the upper surface side and accommodated therein. The male housing 20 is also made of a synthetic resin material, and is provided with a hood portion 21 that opens upward, and the female housing 10 can be fitted therein. A tab-shaped male terminal metal fitting 22 (see FIG. 6) is projected upward from the inner surface of the hood portion 21, and when the male and female housings 10 and 20 are properly fitted, The corresponding male terminal fittings 22 are electrically connected to each other.

The lever 30 is mounted on the female housing 10 as described above. The lever 30 is also made of synthetic resin, and has a pair of cam plate portions 31 that are in close contact with both side surfaces of the female housing 10 and an operation portion 32 that connects the tips thereof.
And are formed in a gate shape as a whole. The lever 30 is mounted so as to straddle the female housing 10, and the shaft holes 33 opened in both cam plate portions 31 are fitted into the support shafts 13 which are erected on both side surfaces of the female housing 10, thereby supporting the female housing 10. It is rotatably supported around the shaft 13.

A guide groove 34 having a predetermined length and having an arcuate shape centered on the shaft hole 33 is penetratingly formed in the cam plate portion 31 at a position near the tip end side where the operation portion 32 is provided. In addition, guide projections 14 slidably fitted in the guide grooves 34 are provided at upper edge positions on both side surfaces of the female housing 10. The lever 30 has a guide protrusion 1
4 is guided by sliding along the guide groove 34, and is rotated between the fitting start position shown in FIG. 2 and the fitting completion position shown in FIG. At the mating start position shown in FIG. 2, the guide protrusion 14 has the start end 34 of the guide groove 34.
The rotation is stopped by hitting A, and the operating portion 32 is in an upright posture in which the operating portion 32 is lifted obliquely upward with respect to the female housing 10. On the other hand, at the fitting completion position of FIG. The rotation is stopped by hitting 34B,
It takes an almost horizontal tilting posture.

A curved cam groove 36 is formed on the outer surface of the cam plate portion 31 at a position substantially opposite to the operation portion 32 so that the distance from the shaft hole 33 gradually decreases. On the other hand, the male housing 20 is provided with follower pins 23 projecting on both inner side surfaces of the hood portion 21 that can be fitted into the cam grooves 36. At the start end 36A of the cam groove 36, an inlet 37 that is open to the peripheral edge is continuously provided, and when the lever 30 is brought to the above-mentioned fitting start position, the inlet 37 of the cam groove 36 faces downward and opens. However, the follower pin 23 can be introduced. Then, the follower pin 23 moves in the cam groove 36 in accordance with the turning operation of the lever 30, and the cam action during that time assists the fitting or releasing operation of both the housings 10 and 20. When the lever 30 is rotated to the fitting completion position, the follower pin 23 reaches the terminal end 36B of the cam groove 36, and the two housings 10 and 20 are properly fitted.

A means for temporarily locking the lever 30 at the fitting start position is provided. Therefore, the cam plate portion 31 of the lever 30 has a cam groove 36 with the inlet 37 interposed therebetween.
A temporary locking piece 38 is provided at a position opposite to the position.
The temporary locking piece 38 has a substantially arcuate shape centered on the shaft hole 33 and extends in a cantilever shape toward the inlet 37 side, and the distal end side can be flexibly deformed inward and outward along the plate surface. There is. A hook portion 39 protruding outward is formed at the tip of the temporary locking piece 38, and the hook portion 39 of the female housing 10 is formed when the lever 30 is at the fitting start position as shown in FIG. By locking to the temporary locking projections 15 provided on the lower edge sides of both side surfaces, the rotation of the lever 30 toward the fitting completion position side is stopped.

From the leading edge of the temporary locking piece 38, the pressed portion 40
And a release projection 24 is formed on the inner surface of the hood portion 21 of the male housing 20 so as to be directly adjacent to the follower pin 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the release projection 24 has a protrusion height substantially the same as that of the follower pin 23, and together with the follower pin 23, the cam groove 3 is formed.
It is possible to enter 6. The release projection 24 presses the pressed portion 40 of the temporary locking piece 38 to forcibly bend and deform the temporary locking piece 38 when both housings 10 and 20 are initially fitted, as will be described later. It has a function of releasing the locking of the temporary locking projection 15.

As shown in FIG. 6, a chevron-shaped retaining projection 17 is formed on the lower edge of the side of the female housing 10 near the front end (on the left side of FIG. 2), and the male housing is formed. At a corresponding position on the inner side surface of the hood portion 21 of 20, a mountain-shaped retaining projection 27 is formed at a predetermined depth. The side surface of the portion provided with the retaining projection 27 has a double wall structure with a space 28 provided therebetween, and is easily bent and deformed. Follower pin 2
Both housings 1 until 3 enters the inlet 37 of the cam groove 36
When 0 and 20 are initially fitted, the to-be-removed protrusion 17 rides over the retaining protrusion 27 and fits therebelow, so that both housings 10 and 20 are held in the initially fitted state. .

Further, the operating portion 32 of the lever 30 has a main locking piece 42 formed downward. This main locking piece 42
Has a locking groove 43 and is flexibly deformed. on the other hand,
The male housing 20 has a main locking projection 26 formed on the upper edge of the rear surface (right side in FIG. 2) of the hood portion 21. As described above, when the lever 30 is rotated to the fitting completion position, the main locking protrusion 26 causes the locking groove 4 of the main locking piece 42 to move.
3 can be fitted.

This embodiment has the structure as described above,
Next, the operation will be described. In performing the connector mounting operation, in the female housing 10, the female-side terminal fitting is housed in the cavity 11 and the lever 30 is mounted and held at the fitting start position shown in FIG. At this fitting start position, the start end 34A of the guide groove 34 abuts the guide protrusion 14 to stop the counterclockwise rotation in the figure, and the hook 39 of the temporary locking piece 38 is temporarily locked. The protrusion 15 is locked and the clockwise rotation is also stopped. At this time, the inlet 37 of the cam groove 36 is opened downward.

When the lever 30 is held at the fitting start position, the female housing 10 is brought closer to the male housing 20 from above as shown by the arrow in FIG.
Fit inside. As a result, the follower pin 23 is introduced from the inlet 37 to the side of the starting end 36A of the cam groove 36, as shown in FIG. At the same time, since the release projection 24 advances and pushes up the pressed portion 40, as shown in detail in FIG. 5, the temporary locking piece 38 is bent and deformed upward from the chain line position to the solid line position, and the hook is hooked. The locking of the part 39 with respect to the temporary locking projection 15 is released. At the same time, the retaining projection 17 on the female housing 10 side passes over the retaining projection 27 while flexing and deforming the side surface of the hood portion 21 and fits therebelow (see FIG. 6).
Both housings 10 and 20 are held in the initial fitting state.
As a result, the unlocked state of the lever 30 is also maintained.

From this state, when the operating portion 32 is pushed down and the lever 30 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 4, the release projection 24 supports the temporary locking piece 38 for a while and then separates to the follower pin 23. Then, it enters the cam groove 36, the temporary locking piece 38 rides on the temporary locking projection 15 and passes through it, and then is restored and deformed. The follower pin 23 moves in the cam groove 36 in accordance with the rotation of the lever 30, and the housings 10 and 20 are gradually fitted by the cam action between them. When the lever 30 approaches the fitting completion position, as shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the main locking piece 42 hits the main locking projection 26, and when the lever 30 is further rotated, the main locking piece 42 bends and deforms. While overcoming the main locking projection 26.

When the lever 30 is rotated to the fitting completion position, the guide projection 14 is moved to the guide groove 34 as shown in FIG.
The rotation in the clockwise direction in the figure is stopped by hitting the end 34B of the. On the other hand, since the tip of the main locking piece 42 rides over the main locking projection 26, the main locking projection 26 is restored and deformed so that the main locking projection 26 fits in the locking groove 43, and returns to the fitting start position side. Is regulated. As a result, the lever 30 is locked at the fitting completion position, and the housings 10 and 20 are locked in a properly fitted state.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
Since the existing cam groove 36 is used for escaping the release protrusion 24 for releasing the temporary locking of the lever 30, the complication of the structure is minimized. Further, since the temporary locking piece 38 has a structure in which it flexes and deforms in the direction along the plate surface of the lever 30, it is necessary to provide a bending space for the temporary locking piece 38 with the side surface of the hood portion 21 of the male housing 20. Therefore, the hood portion 21, that is, the male housing 20 can be downsized accordingly.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) Contrary to the above embodiment, the present invention is similarly applicable to a type in which the lever is provided on the male housing side and the follower pin is provided on the female housing side. (2) The means for locking the lever at the fitting completion position may be provided between the lever and the female housing in which the lever is mounted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view showing a male and female housing before fitting.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the male housing.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing an initial fitting state of male and female housings.

[Figure 5] Partial enlarged view

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state of a mating end plate.

FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which male and female housings are properly fitted.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Female housing (one connector housing) 13 ... Support shaft 15 ... Temporary locking protrusion 20 ... Male housing (other connector housing) 21 ... Hood section 23 ... Follower Pin 24 ... Release protrusion (release portion) 30 ... Lever 31 ... Cam plate part 32 ... Operation unit 36 ... Cam groove 37 ... Entrance 38 ... Temporary locking piece (elastic locking portion) 39 ... Hook 40 ... Pressed part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lever provided with a cam groove is rotatably supported on one of the pair of connector housings to be fitted with each other, and the other groove is provided on the other connector housing. Is a lever-type connector in which both connector housings are fitted by a cam action between the cam groove and the follower pin associated with the rotation of the lever, the lever-type connector comprising: An elastic locking portion that elastically locks to the one connector housing and holds the lever in a posture in which the follower pin can be introduced into the inlet of the cam groove is provided, and the other connector housing, The elastic lock when initially fitted to the one connector housing to introduce the follower pin into the inlet of the cam groove. A releasing portion that engages with and elastically displaces the engaging portion to release the locking, wherein the elastic locking portion is provided in communication with the inlet of the cam groove, and the releasing portion Is provided in the vicinity of the follower pin, and the release portion can enter the cam groove together with the follower pin when the lever is rotated. 2. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic locking portion is formed so as to be flexibly deformable in a direction along a plate surface of the lever.