JP2017050232A - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operability when moving a detection member.SOLUTION: A connector includes: first and second housings 10, 40 capable of mutually being fitted; and a detection member 60 assembled to the first housing 10 so as to be movable to a standby position and a detection position. The detection member 60 is so disposed as to cover both side surfaces of the first housing 10 and includes a holding part 61 enabling a moving operation to the detection position. When the detection member 60 is moved, a worker can operate by picking the holding part 61.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is movable to a connector housing (hereinafter referred to as a first housing) that can be fitted to a mating connector (hereinafter referred to as a second housing), and a standby position and a detection position with respect to the connector housing. And a slider to be assembled (hereinafter referred to as a detection member). The first housing has a lock arm that elastically locks the lock projection of the second housing and holds the first and second housings in a fitted state.

  The detection member is supported by the lock arm and has a flat plate-like main body that can slide on the upper surface (sliding surface) of the lock arm. An operation part protrudes from the rear end upper part of the main body part. The detection member has a deflectable detection piece protruding forward. During the fitting of the first and second housings, the detection piece is locked to the lock arm, so that the detection member is held at the standby position. When the first and second housings are normally fitted, the detection piece is locked. The engagement with the lock arm is released by being pressed by the portion, and the movement of the detection member to the detection position is allowed. Here, the operator can bring the detection member to the detection position by manually moving the detection member while grasping the operation unit. Therefore, when the detection member reaches the detection position, it can be determined that the first and second housings are in a properly fitted state.

JP 2009-140675 A

  By the way, if the connector is reduced in size, the operation area of the operation unit is also relatively small, which may cause a problem that it is difficult for an operator to move the detection member from the standby position to the detection position.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve operability when moving a detection member.

  The connector of the present invention is assembled to the first and second housings that can be fitted to each other, and can be moved to a standby position and a detection position with respect to the first housing, and the first and second housings are being fitted. And a detection member that is held at the standby position and can move to the detection position when the first and second housings are properly fitted, and the detection members are provided on both side surfaces of the first housing. It has a feature in that it has a gripping part that is disposed so as to cover the cover and enables a movement operation to the detection position.

  Since the gripping part is disposed so as to cover both side surfaces of the first housing, when the detection member is moved to the detection position, the operator can easily pick the gripping part, and the operability can be improved. .

In the connector which concerns on the Example of this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the state before the fitting of the 1st, 2nd housing. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the lock arm bent and deformed in the middle of fitting of the 1st and 2nd housing. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the 1st, 2nd housing was normally fitted and the latching | locking of the stopper part and the stopper receiving part was cancelled | released. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the detection member was moved to the detection position after the normal fitting of a 1st, 2nd housing. It is a front view which shows the state by which the detection member was hold | maintained at the standby position with respect to the 1st housing. It is a top view which shows the state by which the detection member was hold | maintained at the standby position with respect to the 1st housing. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the detection member was hold | maintained at the standby position with respect to the 1st housing. It is a top view which shows the state with which the detection member was hold | maintained at the detection position with respect to the 1st housing. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the detection member was hold | maintained at the detection position with respect to the 1st housing. It is a side view which shows the state by which the detection member was hold | maintained at the standby position with respect to the 1st housing.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below.
The detection member is capable of reaching the detection position by being pulled away from the second housing after the first and second housings are properly fitted. It has a stopper portion that restricts movement to the detection position by being locked to one housing, and releases the locking with the first housing when the first and second housings are properly fitted. According to this, if the detection member is moved to the detection position in a state where the first and second housings are not properly fitted, the locking between the stopper portion and the first housing is maintained. The member is spaced apart from the second housing along with the first housing. Therefore, it can be clearly known that the first and second housings are not properly fitted.

  The first housing has a lock arm that elastically locks the second housing and holds the first and second housings in a fitted state, and the front of the lock arm is connected to the second housing. And an operating portion that is pressed when releasing the locking to the second housing is provided at the rear of the lock arm, and the detection member is disposed between the opposing gripping portions. The ceiling portion is disposed so as to cover the locking portion at the standby position, and is disposed so as to cover the operation portion at the detection position. According to this, when the detection member is in the standby position, the locking portion is covered with the ceiling portion, so that the locking with the second housing can be stably performed. Further, when the detection member is at the detection position, since the operation unit is covered with the ceiling, it is possible to prevent the operation unit from being inadvertently released.

  The detection member is formed in a cylindrical shape in which a portion including the grip portion surrounds the first housing over the entire circumference. According to this, the periphery of the first housing is protected from external foreign matter by the detection member. Moreover, it can be visually confirmed from any direction of the circumferential direction whether the detection member is in the standby position or the detection position.

<Example>
Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment includes first and second housings 10 and 40 that can be fitted to each other, and a detection member 60 that is assembled to the first housing 10 so as to be movable between a standby position and a detection position. In the following description, with respect to the front-rear direction, the first and second housings 10 and 40 face each other at the start of fitting, and the vertical direction is based on FIGS. 1 to 5 and 10. To do. The width direction is synonymous with the left-right direction of FIG.

  The second housing 40 is made of synthetic resin and has a cylindrical hood portion 41 protruding forward as shown in FIG. In the hood part 41, the male tab 43 of the 2nd terminal metal fitting 42 protrudes and is arrange | positioned. On the upper surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 41, a lock portion 44 is provided so as to protrude. Further, on the upper surface of the upper wall of the hood portion 41, a pair of release portions 45 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) are provided to protrude on both sides in the width direction across the lock portion 44. The release portion 45 has a rib shape extending in the front-rear direction, the front end reaches the front end of the hood portion 41, and the rear end is disposed at the same front-rear position as the rear end of the lock portion 44.

  The first housing 10 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a block-shaped housing body 11 that is long in the width direction, and a cylindrical fitting tube portion 12 that surrounds the outer periphery of the housing body 11. And a connecting portion 13 that connects the fitting cylinder portion 12 and the housing main body 11. Between the fitting cylinder part 12 and the housing body 11 and in front of the connecting part 13 is opened as a fitting space 14 into which the hood part 41 of the second housing 40 can be fitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the housing body 11 is provided with a plurality of cavities 15 arranged in the width direction. A first terminal fitting 16 is inserted into each cavity 15 from behind. In addition, on the lower surface of the inner wall of each cavity 15, a bendable lance 46 that locks the first terminal fitting 16 in a retaining state is provided so as to protrude. As shown in FIG. 3, the first terminal fitting 16 has a box portion 17 into which a male tab 43 is inserted and connected when the first and second housings 10 and 40 are properly fitted. The barrel portion 19 is connected to the 18 terminal portions and the rubber plug 50 by pressure bonding.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a lock arm 20 is connected to the central portion of the upper surface of the housing body 11 in the width direction. The lock arm 20 has an arm body 21 that swings (elastically displaces) like a seesaw. The arm body 21 is provided with a lock hole 22, a locking portion 23 for partitioning the front of the lock hole 22 is provided at the front end portion, and an operation portion 24 is provided at the rear end portion so as to protrude one step higher. ing. As shown in FIG. 3, a locking portion 44 fitted in the locking hole 22 is disposed in the locking portion 23 so as to be able to be locked in a locked state when the first and second housings 10 and 40 are properly fitted. Further, when releasing the locking between the locking portion 23 and the locking portion 44, the operation portion 24 is pressed from above.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a pair of stopper receiving portions 25 protrude from the upper surface of the housing body 11 on both sides in the width direction across the lock arm 20. The stopper receiving portion 25 has a vertical wall shape along the front-rear direction, and an upper end portion is integrally connected to both side surfaces of the lock arm 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper front corner of the stopper receiving portion 25 is a receiving surface 26 that is chamfered in a curved shape. A stopper portion 67 (described later) of the detection member 60 can be brought into contact with the receiving surface 26. A relief groove 27 is provided at the rear of the stopper receiving portion 25 so as to open upward and rearward.

  The part corresponding to the lock arm 20 in the upper part of the fitting cylinder part 12 is open, and the entire lock arm 20 can be viewed from above before the detection member 60 is assembled to the first housing 10. It is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the fitting cylinder portion 12 is provided with a pair of side wall portions 28 erected on both sides in the width direction across the lock arm 20. Both side wall portions 28 are configured to extend over the entire length of the fitting tube portion 12 in the front-rear direction. A protruding portion 29 extending in the front-rear direction is provided on the upper end of the side wall portions 28 so as to protrude outward. The overhang portion 29 defines a rail groove 30 between the opposing upper surface portion of the fitting tube portion 12. As shown in FIG. 7, a claw-shaped stopper 31 is provided so as to protrude into the rail groove 30 in the middle of the side wall 28 in the front-rear direction. A fitting portion 70 (described later) of the detection member 60 can be inserted into the rail groove 30 in a fitted state, and a contact portion 71 (described later) of the detection member 60 can be contacted with the stopper 31. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, at the rear end of the upper surface of the fitting cylinder portion 12, a pair of detachment restricting portions 32 are provided so as to protrude outward in the width direction of the both protruding portions 29. The detachment restricting portion 32 is integrally connected to the side wall portion 28.

  The detection member 60 is made of a synthetic resin and has a tubular shape as a whole, and is configured to surround the outer periphery of the first housing 10 as shown in FIG. The front-rear length of the detection member 60 is smaller than the front-rear length of the first housing 10, but exceeds half of the front-rear length of the first housing 10. 6 and 10, the detection member 60 is disposed so as to cover the front portion of the first housing 10 in the standby position, and as illustrated in FIG. 8, the detection member 60 covers the rear portion of the first housing 10. It is arranged so that it can be moved by being manually pulled from the standby position toward the detection position.

  Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the detection member 60 includes a pair of gripping portions 61 disposed to face both ends in the width direction, and a ceiling disposed between the upper ends of the gripping portions 61. It consists of the part 62 and the bottom part 63 arrange | positioned across the lower end of both the holding parts 61. FIG.

  At both upper and lower end portions of the grip portion 61, curved corner portions 64 that are substantially parallel to the square portions of the fitting tube portion 12 are provided. A rising portion 65 that rises from the corner portion 64 is provided at the upper end portion of the grip portion 61. The upright portion 65 is disposed substantially parallel to the side wall portion 28. On the outer surface of the gripping portion 61, a gripping surface 66 is disposed between the upper and lower corner portions 64 and substantially along the vertical direction. An operator's finger is applied to the gripping surface 66 of the gripper 61 when the detection member 60 is moved.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ceiling portion 62 is provided with a pair of stopper portions 67 projecting downward in the width direction, and a pair of rail portions 68 projecting downward on the outer side in the width direction of both stopper portions 67. It has been. As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper portion 67 is integrally extended in a cantilevered manner from the middle in the front-rear direction of the ceiling portion 62, and can be bent and deformed with the connection position with the ceiling portion 62 as a fulcrum. It is said that. An abutting surface 69 that is recessed in a curved surface is provided at the extended end portion (rear end portion) of the stopper portion 67. The contact surface 69 can be brought into contact with the receiving surface 26 of the stopper receiving portion 25 in a fitted state.

  Both the rail parts 68 are made into the form extended over the full length of the front-back direction of the ceiling part 62. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, a fitting portion 70 is provided at the lower end of the rail portion 68 so as to protrude inward. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a claw-shaped contact portion 71 is provided to protrude in the middle of the protruding end (inner end) of the fitting portion 70 in the front-rear direction.

Next, the function and effect of this embodiment will be described.
At the time of assembly, the detection member 60 is externally attached to the first housing 10 from the front. As shown in FIG. 1, the detection member 60 is restricted from moving rearward when the contact surface 69 of the stopper portion 67 abuts against the receiving surface 26 of the stopper receiving portion 25, and as shown in FIG. When the abutment portion 71 of the portion 68 abuts against the abutment portion 31 of the side wall portion 28, the forward movement is restricted, and the movement restriction state is maintained at the standby position. In the standby position, the upper portion of the locking portion 23 is covered with the ceiling portion 62 and the upper portion of the operation portion 24 is open.

  When the first and second housings 10 and 40 are fitted to each other and the hood portion 41 of the second housing 40 is inserted into the fitting space 14 of the first housing 10, as shown in FIG. Interferes with the lock portion 44 and rides on the lock portion 44, and the lock arm 20 is bent and deformed. During this time, the state in which the upper portion of the locking portion 23 is covered with the ceiling portion 62 is maintained, so that interference of external foreign matters to the locking portion 23 is avoided, and the stability of the locking operation is ensured. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3, when the first and second housings 10, 40 reach the normal fitting position, the lock arm 20 is elastically restored, and the lock portion 44 is fitted into the lock hole 22 to be locked. It arrange | positions at the part 23 so that latching is possible. Thereby, the 1st, 2nd housings 10 and 40 are hold | maintained in the state by which separation | separation was controlled mutually.

  Further, almost simultaneously with the first and second housings 10 and 40 reaching the normal fitting position, the release portion 45 presses the front slope of the stopper portion 67, and the stopper portion 67 is elastically bent and deformed. Accordingly, the contact surface 69 of the stopper portion 67 is separated from the receiving surface 26 of the stopper receiving portion 25, and the locking between the stopper portion 67 and the stopper receiving portion 25 is released as shown in FIG.

  In the above state, the operator's index finger and thumb are pressed against the gripping surfaces 66 of the gripping portions 61, respectively, and the entire detection member 60 is sandwiched between the fingertips and pulled backward. Then, the detection member 60 is retracted toward the detection position with respect to the first and second housings 10 and 40 in the fitted state. At this time, the movement of the detection member 60 is guided by the fitting portion 70 of the rail portion 68 sliding in the rail groove 30 of the side wall portion 28. When the detection member 60 reaches the detection position, as shown in FIG. 9, the detection member 60 is detached from the first housing 10 by the rear end of the rail portion 68 coming into contact with the separation restriction portion 32 of the first housing 10. Be regulated. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the stopper portion 67 is elastically restored and fitted into the escape groove 27 of the stopper receiving portion 25, the return movement of the detection member 60 to the standby position is restricted.

  In addition, at the detection position, the upper portion of the operation unit 24 of the lock arm 20 is covered with the ceiling portion 62, and external foreign matter is unlikely to interfere with the upper surface of the operation unit 24. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lock arm 20 from being inadvertently released.

  By the way, the detection member 60 may be pulled backward (detection position side) by misunderstanding that the operator has been properly fitted in spite of the first and second housings 10 and 40 being in the half-fitted state. . In this case, since the lock portion 44 has not reached the position where it can be locked with the lock arm 20, the locking between the stopper portion 67 and the stopper receiving portion 25 is maintained (see FIG. 2). ), The detection member 60 is separated from the second housing 40 together with the first housing 10. Therefore, it can be clearly known that the first and second housings 10 and 40 have not reached the normal fitting state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the gripping portion 61 of the detection member 60 is disposed so as to cover both side surfaces of the fitting tube portion 12 of the first housing 10, so that the detection member 60 is When moving to the detection position, it is easy for an operator to pick the grip portion 61, and operability can be improved. Moreover, since the detection member 60 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the entire circumference of the first housing 10, it can be determined whether the detection member 60 is in the standby position or the detection position in the circumferential direction. It can also be confirmed visually from the direction. As a result, even if the mounting posture of the connector is changed, the operator can confirm the position of the detection member 60 without any trouble.

<Other embodiments>
Other embodiments will be briefly described below.
(1) The detection member does not necessarily have a cylindrical shape that covers the entire circumference of the first housing, and may have a grip portion that covers at least both side surfaces of the first housing. For example, the detection member may have a gate shape as a whole by a ceiling part and a pair of gripping parts protruding from both ends of the ceiling part.
(2) The detection member may advance from the standby position toward the detection position with respect to the first housing.
(3) The gripping surface of the gripping part may be provided with a non-slip part made up of a number of uneven stripes.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 11 ... Housing main body 20 ... Lock arm 23 ... Locking part 24 ... Operation part 40 ... 2nd housing 44 ... Lock part 45 ... Release | release part 60 ... Detection member 61 ... Grip part 62 ... Ceiling part 66 ... Grip Surface 67 ... Stopper

Claims (4)

First and second housings that can be fitted to each other;
The first housing is assembled so as to be movable between a standby position and a detection position, and is held at the standby position in the middle of the fitting of the first and second housings, and the first and second housings are properly fitted. A detection member capable of moving to the detection position when
The connector, wherein the detection member is disposed so as to cover both side surfaces of the first housing, and has a grip portion that enables a movement operation to the detection position.   The detection member is capable of reaching the detection position by being pulled away from the second housing after the first and second housings are properly fitted. It has a stopper portion that restricts movement to the detection position by being locked to one housing, and releases the locking with the first housing when the first and second housings are properly fitted. The connector according to claim 1.   The first housing has a lock arm that elastically locks the second housing and holds the first and second housings in a fitted state, and the front of the lock arm is connected to the second housing. And an operating portion that is pressed when releasing the locking to the second housing is provided at the rear of the lock arm, and the detection member is disposed between the opposing gripping portions. The ceiling part is arranged to cover the operating part at the detection position, and the ceiling part is arranged to cover the locking part at the standby position. Item 3. The connector according to item 1 or 2.   4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the detection member is formed in a cylindrical shape in which a portion including the grip portion surrounds the first housing over the entire circumference. 5.

Images