JP2009104904A - Lever-type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover both connector housings into a normal fitted posture. <P>SOLUTION: A lever 60 having a cam groove 66 is turnably attached to one connector housing 20. The lever 60 is turned in an engaged state with a cam follower 41 installed at the other connector housing 40, and both connector housings 20, 40 are fitted. In the lever 60, a posture correcting groove 73 is installed which receives a posture correction pin 42 installed at the other connector housing 40 and corrects the tilt of the fitted posture by turning of the lever 60 when the fitted posture of both connector housings 20, 40 are tilted from the normal position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lever-type connector.

As a lever-type connector, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This includes one connector housing on which a lever having a cam groove is rotatably mounted, and the other connector housing having a cam follower that can be engaged with the cam groove, and the cam groove and the cam follower by rotation of the lever. By exhibiting the cam action, both connector housings are fitted with a low operating force.
JP 2004-288442 A

  In the above case, the operating force of the lever is unevenly distributed in the turning direction of the levers in the fitting process of the two connector housings, so that the fitting tends to proceed faster on the side approaching the lever by turning than on the side moving away. For this reason, the two connector housings may be tilted from the normal fitting posture within a range of a gap generated between the fitting regions of the two connector housings.

  On the other hand, for example, by shifting the pivot fulcrum of the lever from the center of the connector housing in the width direction to one side, the lever operating force acts on the center of the connector housing in the width direction in a balanced manner so There was also a way to avoid it. However, setting the lever operating force at the center in the width direction of the connector housing is difficult in design and it is difficult to design, and the lever pivot is shifted to one side, resulting in an inclination opposite to the above. There was a thing.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to restore both connector housings to a normal fitting posture.

  As means for achieving the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a pair of connector housings that can be fitted to each other and one connector housing of the two connector housings are mounted on the other connector housing. A connector having a cam groove engageable with the cam follower, and a lever for fitting the two connector housings by a cam action of the cam groove based on the rotation of the cam groove and the cam follower. When the fitting posture of both the connector housings is inclined from the normal, the posture correcting pin provided on the other connector housing is received and the inclination of the fitting posture is corrected by the rotation of the lever. It is characterized in that the posture correcting groove is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the lever includes a rotation fulcrum and an inlet of the cam groove at a central portion in the width direction of the one connector housing and faces the one side in the width direction. The posture correcting groove is arranged adjacent to the cam groove, and receives the posture correcting pin at substantially the same timing as the cam groove receives the cam follower.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the cam groove includes a fitting cam surface on which the cam follower slides and exhibits the cam action in the fitting process of the two connector housings, and the fitting cam surface. An auxiliary correction surface that is located on the opposite side of the mating cam surface and is slidable in contact with the cam follower to correct the fitting posture of the two connector housings by replacing the posture correcting groove at the end of the mating of the two connector housings. It has features where it has it.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the lever includes a rotation fulcrum on one side in the width direction of the one connector housing and an entrance to the cam groove and faces the other side in the width direction. The posture correcting groove is located on the other side in the width direction away from the cam groove, and receives the posture correcting pin at the end of fitting of the two connector housings.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 4, the posture correcting groove is engaged with the posture correcting pin when the resistance accompanying the fitting of the two connector housings becomes maximum. Have.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Even if the mating postures of both connector housings are tilted from the normal as the lever rotates, the posture correcting pins are received in the posture correcting grooves and the tilt is corrected. Can be rebuilt.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the lever is rotated toward one side in the width direction, there is a concern that the fitting of the two connector housings may be delayed on the other side in the width direction. According to the present invention, the timing is almost the same as when the cam groove receives the cam follower. Since the posture correction groove accepts the posture correction pin, it is possible to cope with the inclination occurring at the initial stage of fitting of the two connector housings and to prevent a delay in fitting on the other side in the width direction.

<Invention of Claim 3>
When both connector housings have not taken the normal fitting posture at the end of the fitting, the posture can be corrected correctly by the auxiliary correction surface of the cam groove.

<Invention of Claim 4>
Since the lever has a rotation fulcrum and a cam groove entrance on the other side in the width direction of one connector housing and is rotated toward one side in the width direction, the fitting of both connector housings is delayed on one side in the width direction. Although there is a concern, according to the present invention, the posture correction groove located on one side in the width direction accepts the posture correction pin at the end of the fitting, so that the fitting delay on the one side in the width direction can be recovered at the end of the fitting. .

<Invention of Claim 5>
Since the posture correction groove engages with the posture correction pin when the resistance due to the fitting of both connector housings is maximized, the resistance force is distributed on both sides in the width direction of both connector housings to maintain a good fitting balance. Be drunk.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector 10 of this embodiment includes a pair of connector housings 20 and 40 that can be fitted to each other, and a lever 60 that is rotatably mounted on one of the connector housings 20. In the following description, in the front-rear direction, the mating surface side of both connector housings 20 and 40 is the front.

  One connector housing 20 is made of a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 5, has an elongated shape in the width direction, and includes a horizontally long block-shaped housing body 21 and a fitting recess 22 surrounding the housing body 21. I have. A plurality of female terminal fittings (not shown) are accommodated in the housing main body 21, and are electrically connected to a mating male terminal fitting (not shown) by fitting.

  At the rear end portion of the housing main body 21, a pair of locking pieces 23 on the left and right are provided protruding rearward. An electric wire cover (not shown) for pulling out an electric wire connected to each female terminal fitting in a predetermined direction is attached to the rear end portion of the housing main body 21, and is held by the locking piece 23 on the housing main body 21. Has been made.

  Further, an extension portion 24 is attached to the rear end of the housing body 21 in the width direction central portion (which is also the width direction center portion of one connector housing 20). The support shaft 25 that pivotally supports the lever 60 is projected. The support shafts 25 are paired in the height direction, and are also provided on a surface opposite to the illustrated surface.

  The fitting recess 22 is disposed so as to cover the substantially front half of the outer surface of the housing body 21. An entrance groove 26 that can receive a cam follower 41 and a posture correcting pin 42 provided in the other connector housing 40 is provided in the center portion in the width direction of the fitting recess 22 (also the center portion in the width direction of one connector housing 20). Are cut out in the front-rear direction. On the rear edge of the entry groove 26, a pair of left and right expansion preventing edges 27 for preventing the lever 60 from expanding due to the fitting is provided in an arc shape.

  The other connector housing 40 is also made of a synthetic resin and includes a hood portion 43 having a horizontally long rectangular tube shape, and can be fitted into the housing body 21. In the hood part 43, tabs (not shown) of the male terminal fittings are disposed so as to protrude at positions corresponding to the female terminal fittings. A pair of left and right lock portions 44 are provided at the front end portions on both side edges in the width direction of the hood portion 43. The lock portion 44 has a lock claw 45 protruding outward, and the lever 60 is held in the rotation restricted state by the hooking engagement of the lock claw 45, thereby bringing the connector housings 20 and 40 into the release restricted state. It comes to hold.

  A cylindrical cam follower 41 that projects a cam action is provided between the lever 60 and a central portion in the width direction of the outer surface of the hood portion 43 (also the center in the width direction of the other connector housing 40). . The cam followers 41 are paired in the height direction and are also provided on the surface opposite to the illustrated surface. Further, a posture correcting pin 42 having the same shape as the cam follower 41 is provided at a position closer to one side than the central portion in the width direction on the outer surface of the hood portion 43. The posture correction pins 42 are arranged with the cam follower 41 aligned in the front-rear position, and are in a positional relationship aligned with the cam follower 41 on the same axis in the width direction.

  The lever 60 is also made of a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lever 60 includes an operation part 61 and a pair of arm parts 62 protruding in parallel from both ends of the operation part 61. It looks like a gate. The arm portion 62 has a plate shape, has an arcuate outer peripheral edge at an end portion away from the operation portion 61, and has a bearing hole 63 at the center of the arc. The lever 60 is attached to one connector housing 20 so as to straddle from the rear, and the support shaft 25 is penetrated and held in the bearing hole 63, thereby rotating between the initial position and the fitting position around the support shaft 25. It is possible to move. When the lever 60 is in the initial position, the operation portion 61 is disposed behind the one connector housing 20 and spaced apart to one side in the width direction. When the lever 60 is in the fitting position, the operation portion 61 is disposed in the one connector. The housing 20 is disposed so as to overlap one side in the width direction. Accordingly, the lever 60 gradually reduces the amount of protrusion from the one connector housing 20 from the initial position to the fitting position.

The operation portion 61 is provided with a lock receiving portion 65 having a lock receiving claw 64 protruding downward. When the lever 60 reaches the fitting position, the lock receiving claw 64 is elastically locked to the lock claw 45, thereby restricting the return operation of the lever 60 to the initial position side.
The arc-shaped outer peripheral edge of the arm portion 62 is thinned by the removal of the outer surface, and can enter the inside of the spread prevention edge 27.

  A bottomed cam groove 66 that opens to the outer periphery of the arc shape is provided on the inner side surface of the arm portion 62. The cam groove 66 includes a first introduction portion 67 that extends linearly toward the bearing hole 63 and a first action portion 68 that extends around the bearing hole 63 along a predetermined curve. When the lever 60 is in the initial position, the entrance of the first introduction portion 67 of the cam groove 66 faces the front end of the central portion in the width direction of one of the connector housings 20 and can accept the cam follower 41 entering from the front. .

  One of the opposing groove surfaces of the first working portion 68 of the cam groove 66 (the one closer to the bearing hole 63) is slidably contacted by the cam follower 41 during the fitting process of the two connector housings 20 and 40, thereby exhibiting the cam action. The other side (the far side from the bearing hole 63) is the fitting cam surface 71 that can be fixed, and the inclination is corrected when the fitting posture of the connector housings 20 and 40 is inclined from the normal position at the end of the fitting. The auxiliary follower surface 72 can be slidably contacted with the cam follower 41. The cam follower 41 can be slidably contacted with the auxiliary correction surface 72 when both the connector housings 20 and 40 are detached.

  Further, the arm portion 62 has a bottomed posture correction which is arranged in parallel with the cam groove 66 on one side in the width direction and is arranged in parallel and opens in the same direction along the cam groove 66 on the arcuate outer peripheral surface. A groove 73 is provided. The posture correcting groove 73 is configured to receive the posture correcting pin 42 and be engageable with the pin 42. When the fitting posture of the connector housings 20 and 40 is inclined from normal, the posture is gradually corrected. It has a form that extends. Specifically, the posture correction groove 73 includes a second introduction portion 74 that extends linearly in parallel with the first introduction portion 67, and a second action portion 75 that extends around the bearing hole 63 with a curvature different from that of the first action portion 68. It consists of. When the lever 60 is in the initial position, the entrance of the second introduction portion 74 is positioned slightly retracted from the entrance of the first introduction portion 67 due to the arc shape of the outer peripheral edge. The receiving timing is substantially the same as when the cam follower 41 enters the first introduction part 67.

  Then, the back side of one of the opposing groove surfaces of the second action portion 75 of the posture correcting groove 73 (the one closer to the bearing hole 63) is slidably contacted by the posture correcting pin 42 at the end of the mating to perform a cam action. The auxiliary cam surface 76 that can be exhibited, and the other (the one closer to the bearing hole 63) is in a direction to correct the inclination when the fitting posture of both the connector housings 20 and 40 is inclined from the normal during the fitting process. The posture correction surface 77 can be slidably contacted with the posture correction pin 42.

Next, the effect of the connector 10 of this embodiment is demonstrated.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the lever 60 is assembled to one connector housing 20 and held at the initial position. Subsequently, the one connector housing 20 is shallowly fitted to the other connector housing 40 to allow the cam follower 41 to enter the first introduction portion 67 of the cam groove 66, and at the same timing as the second of the posture correction groove 73. The posture correcting pin 42 is caused to enter the introducing portion 74. In this state, the lever 60 is rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft 25 while grasping the operation portion 61. At this time, if both the connector housings 20 and 40 maintain a normal fitting posture, the cam follower 41 is brought into sliding contact with the fitting cam surface 71 of the first action portion 68 along with the rotation of the lever 60, thereby causing the cam action. Is exerted, and the two connector housings 20, 40 are pulled toward each other. During this time, the posture correction pin 42 is kept in non-sliding contact with the groove surface of the posture correction groove 73. When the lever 60 reaches the fitting position in this manner, as shown in FIG. 2, the cam follower 41 reaches the back end of the cam groove 66 and the posture correction pin 42 reaches the back end of the posture correction groove 73, and the lock portion 44. The lock receiving portion 65 is elastically locked to restrict the rotation of the lever 60, and the detachment of the connector housings 20 and 40 is also restricted and held in the fitted state.

  By the way, in this embodiment, both the connector housings 20 and 40 are formed in an elongated shape in the width direction, and the lever 60 is rotated toward one side in the width direction. There is a dislike that the fitting is delayed on the other side in the width direction. Therefore, the operating force of the lever 60 is deflected to one side in the width direction, and the front surface of one connector housing 20 is lifted from the back surface of the hood portion 43 on the other side in the width direction. May take a posture inclined from the normal fitting posture.

  However, in this embodiment, when the connector housings 20 and 40 are in the inclined posture as described above, the posture correction pin 42 slides on the posture correction surface 77 of the posture correction groove 73 as shown in FIG. As the lever 60 rotates, the inclination postures of the connector housings 20 and 40 are gradually restored. Further, when the connector housings 20 and 40 have reached the end of the mating and the connector housings 20 and 40 have taken a tilted posture opposite to the above, the cam follower 41 is now provided with an auxiliary correction surface of the cam groove 66 as shown in FIG. 72, and the posture correction pin 42 is in sliding contact with the auxiliary cam surface 76 of the posture correction groove 73, so that the connector housings 20 and 40 are gradually corrected toward the normal fitting posture. Yes. Therefore, when the lever 60 reaches the mating completion position, the connector housings 20 and 40 are held in the proper mating posture as described above.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the connector housings 20 and 40 are inclined from the normal fitting posture as the lever 60 is rotated, the posture correcting pin 42 is received in the posture correcting groove 73. Since the inclination is corrected, both connector housings 20 and 40 can be brought into a normal fitting posture.

  Further, since the lever 60 is rotated toward one side in the width direction, there is a concern that the fitting of the two connector housings 20 and 40 may be delayed on the other side in the width direction. However, according to the present invention, the cam groove 66 is the cam follower. Since the posture correcting groove 73 receives the posture correcting pin 42 at almost the same timing as receiving 41, it is possible to cope with the inclination generated at the initial stage of the fitting of the connector housings 20 and 40, and the fitting delay on the other side in the width direction. Can be prevented.

  Further, when both connector housings 20 and 40 have not yet taken the proper fitting posture due to the posture correcting action by the posture correcting pin 42 and the posture correcting groove 73 at the end of the mating, the auxiliary correction surface 72 of the cam groove 66 is obtained. Can correct the posture correctly.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Since the basic configuration of the connector 10 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, parts that are the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the following, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

  One connector housing 20 has a shape elongated in the width direction, and includes a housing main body 21 that can accommodate a female terminal fitting and a fitting recess 22 that surrounds the housing main body 21. On the other side in the width direction of the rear end portion of the fitting recess 22, a support shaft 25 for supporting the lever 60 is projected, and this support shaft 25 is penetrated and held in the bearing hole 63 of the lever 60. As a result, the lever 60 is rotatably attached to the one connector housing 20. The fitting recess 22 is provided with a cut-out groove 26 for receiving the posture correcting pin 42 and the cam follower 41 provided in the other connector housing 40. The entrance grooves 26 are spaced apart in the width direction so as to correspond to the receiving position of the posture correcting pin 42 and the receiving position of the cam follower 41, respectively.

  The other connector housing 40 has a hood portion 43 into which the fitting recess 22 can be fitted, and a tab of the male terminal fitting projects from the hood portion 43. On the inner surface of the hood portion 43, a cylindrical cam follower 41 protrudes on the other side in the width direction, and a posture correcting pin 42 having the same shape as the cam follower 41 protrudes on one side in the width direction. The cam follower 41 and the posture correction pin 42 are arranged to be separated from each other on the same axis in the width direction.

  The lever 60 forms a gate shape with the operation unit 61 and a pair of arm units 62 protruding in parallel from both ends of the operation unit 61. The lever 60 is rotatable about the support shaft 25 from the other side in the width direction to one side in the width direction between the initial position and the fitting position. The arm portion 62 is plate-shaped and has a first arc portion 78 whose outer peripheral edge forms an arc shape near the operation portion 61, and a second arc shape whose outer peripheral edge is also arc-shaped apart from the operation portion 61. An arc portion 79 is provided. The outer peripheral edge of the second arc portion 79 is thin, and can enter the inside of the expansion preventing edge 27 of the entry groove 26.

  The lever 60 is provided with a bearing hole 63 into which the support shaft 25 can be fitted at the center of the arc of the second arc portion 79, and extends along a predetermined curve to open to the second arc portion 79. 66 is provided. The cam groove 66 includes an introduction portion 67 that extends straight toward the bearing hole 63 and an action portion 68 that draws a cam curve continuously to the end of the introduction portion 67. When the lever 60 is in the initial position, the introduction portion 67. The cam follower 41 can be received with the entrance of the connector facing the front end of one of the connector housings 20.

  In addition, the lever 60 is provided with a posture correcting groove 73 that opens in the first arc portion 78 while drawing a predetermined arc. The posture correcting groove 73 is configured to receive and engage the posture correcting pin 42 when both the connector housings 20 and 40 reach the final stage of the fitting. The fitting posture of both connector housings 20 and 40 can be corrected by sliding the groove surface of the posture correcting groove 73. The timing at which the posture correction groove 73 engages with the posture correction pin 42 is the same as when the fitting force between the connector housings 20 and 40 reaches the maximum value due to the connection between the male and female terminal fittings 80 and 90. Is set.

  Here, when the lever 60 is rotated toward the fitting position from the state in which the connector housings 20 and 40 are shallowly fitted, the cam follower 41 moves along the action portion 68 of the cam groove 66 and the cam action is exhibited. Both connector housings 20 and 40 are drawn toward each other to reach a normal fitting position. In this regular fitting position, as shown in FIG. 10, both male and female terminal fittings 80, 90 are conductively connected at a regular depth. In addition, the posture correction pin 42 is disposed in contact with the back end of the posture correction groove 73.

  In the above case, the lever 60 is pivotally supported and the portion where the cam action is exerted is unevenly distributed on the other side in the width direction of the two connector housings 20, 40. Therefore, there is a possibility that one connector housing 20 is lifted from the other connector housing 40 and the two connector housings 20 and 40 are inclined from the normal fitting posture.

  However, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 9, the posture correction pin 42 is received in the posture correction groove 73 until the end of the fitting, and then the posture correction pin 42 is posture correction until the fitting is completed. By sliding the groove surface of the groove 73, the inclination postures of the two connector housings 20 and 40 are reset, so that when the lever 60 reaches the fitting position, the two connector housings 20 and 40 are corrected to the normal fitting posture. Will be. In addition, according to the second embodiment, when the resistance associated with the fitting of the two connector housings 20 and 40 is maximized, the posture correcting groove 73 is engaged with the posture correcting pin 42. The resistance force is distributed on both sides in the width direction of the sheet, and the fitting balance is kept good.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The lever may have a single plate shape.
(2) The lever may be mounted on a male connector housing that houses the male terminal fitting.
(3) The posture correcting pin and the cam follower may be different from each other.

In Embodiment 1 of this invention, the side view which shows the state before both connector housings are fitted. Side view showing a state in which both the connector housings are properly fitted when the lever reaches the fitting position Side view showing the state immediately after the fitting posture of both connector housings is tilted from the normal position Side view showing a state where the mating posture of both connector housings is reestablished after reaching the final stage of mating Side view of one connector housing In Embodiment 2 of the present invention, a partially broken side view showing a state before both connector housings are fitted together Partially cutaway side view showing a state where both connector housings are being fitted Side view partially broken showing the posture correction pin received in the posture correction groove at the end of the mating Side view partly broken showing the state where the lever has reached the mating position and both connector housings are properly mated Side sectional view showing a state where both terminal fittings are connected at the proper depth

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connector 20 ... One connector housing 40 ... The other connector housing 41 ... Cam follower 42 ... Posture correction pin 60 ... Lever 62 ... Arm part 63 ... Support shaft 67 ... Cam groove 71 ... Fitting cam surface 73 ... Posture correction groove 77 ... posture correction

Claims (5)

A pair of connector housings that can be fitted together;
A cam groove mounted on one of the two connector housings and engageable with a cam follower provided on the other connector housing, and the cam action of the cam groove and the cam follower based on the rotation of the cam groove And a lever for fitting the two connector housings,
When the fitting posture of the two connector housings is inclined from the normal, the lever receives a posture correcting pin provided on the other connector housing, and the lever is tilted to tilt the fitting posture. A lever-type connector, characterized in that a posture correction groove for correcting the position is provided. The lever has a rotation fulcrum and an entrance to the cam groove at the center in the width direction of the one connector housing, and is rotated toward one side in the width direction.
The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the posture correction groove is arranged adjacent to the cam groove and receives the posture correction pin at substantially the same timing as the cam groove receives the cam follower.   The cam groove is located on a side of the mating cam surface where the cam follower slides into contact with each other in the mating process of the two connector housings to exert the cam action, and the mating of the two connector housings. 3. The lever according to claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary correction surface that can be slidably contacted with the cam follower so as to correct the fitting posture of the two connector housings by replacing the posture correction groove at the final stage. Type connector. The lever has a rotation fulcrum and an entrance to the cam groove on the other side in the width direction of the one connector housing, and is rotated toward one side in the width direction.
2. The lever-type connector according to claim 1, wherein the posture correction groove is positioned on one side in a width direction away from the cam groove and receives the posture correction pin at a final stage of fitting between the two connector housings.   The lever-type connector according to claim 4, wherein the posture correction groove engages with the posture correction pin when the resistance associated with the fitting of the two connector housings is maximized.

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