JPH0831513A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To always stabilize a locking state and ensure the unlocking prevention of both connector housings. CONSTITUTION:An engaging piece 16 and a locking projection 9 which are engaged when both connector housings 1, 2 are fit and prevent unlocking of the housings 1, 2 are arranged, and elastic bodies 11 which act elastic force to the housings 1, 2 so that locking surfaces 9b, 16a adhere closely and lock with no play are set. By forming the locking surfaces 9b, 16a in reversed tapered surface, the engaging piece 16 and the locking projection 9 are engaged so as to bite each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a connector housing is provided with a locking means for holding the fitted state when male and female housings are fitted to each other, and various types have been developed conventionally. Is coming. FIG. 6 shows an example thereof. The structure will be briefly described. On the upper surface of the female housing 40, a locking arm 41 that constitutes a locking means is arranged. The locking arm 41 extends in a cantilever manner from the front part of the upper surface of the female housing 40 to the rear side, and can be bent and deformed in the vertical direction. The locking arm 41 is configured by connecting an intermediate portion and an end portion of two parallel pieces, and the piece connecting the end portions is a pressing piece 4 for separating operation.
2, the piece that connects the intermediate portions is the engagement piece 43 that participates in the lock.

On the other hand, the front portion of the male housing 44 serves as a hood portion 45, which can be fitted to the female housing 40 side, and a locking projection 46 is formed on the inner wall surface thereof.
When the male and female connector housings 40 and 44 are fitted, the fitting operation proceeds while pushing down the fitting arm 41, and when the fitting state is completely fitted, the fitting protrusion 46 and the fitting piece 43 are separated from each other. When engaged, both connector housings 40 and 44 are locked.

[0004]

In the above, the positional relationship is set such that the locking projection and the engaging piece of the locking arm are engaged with each other when both connector housings are completely fitted. Must have been done. Actually, these positional relationships are set in consideration of molding errors and the like. That is, at the time of complete fitting, the locking projections and the engagement pieces do not engage each other in a state of being in close contact, but as shown in FIG. It is set so that it will pass through, that is, there will be some gap between the two.

However, although such a gap is necessary to absorb a molding error, it causes rattling of the housing. Therefore, even when the locking arm is in the locked state, the locking arm is in a state in which it can move relatively easily by the application of the external force, and therefore, the locking arm may be displaced in the separating direction and the engagement may be released.

The present invention has been developed and devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a connector capable of reliably holding a locked state.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, lock means for maintaining the fitted state of the male and female connector housings is arranged, and both lock means are mutually provided. In a connector having opposed locking surfaces, at least one of the connector housings has an elastic body that urges both connector housings in a direction in which the locking surfaces are in close contact with a surface facing the mating connector. Is provided.

Further, the locking means is formed on one of the connector housings and has a resiliently deformable elastic locking arm which has a locking surface at a part thereof, and the other connector housing, and the both connector housings. A locking portion formed on a part of the elastic locking arm when the fitting is completely fitted, the locking surface being engaged with the elastic locking arm in a state of facing the locking surface on the elastic locking arm side. Both locking surfaces may be formed in a reverse taper shape in which both connector housings engage with each other with a predetermined biting allowance in the direction in which they are separated (the invention of claim 2).

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when both connector housings are fitted to each other, both locking means engage with each other and their locking surfaces face each other. Then, at this time, since the elastic force of the elastic body acts on both connector housings so as to bring both locking surfaces into a close contact state, both locking means are engaged with each other without rattling.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when both connector housings are completely fitted, the elastic locking arm and the locking portion are engaged with each other. At this time, both locking surfaces are brought into close contact with each other by the elastic force of the elastic body acting between the two housings to lock each other without rattling, as in the case of the invention of claim 1. Further, in the invention of claim 2, since the locking surface is formed by the reverse taper surface, the engaging surfaces are engaged with each other so as to bite each other.

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the two housings are fitted together due to the provision of the elastic body, the locking means engages in a tight contact state without rattling, so that the locking means is always engaged. It is possible to realize a stable engagement state and to reliably prevent the connector housings from coming off.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since both locking surfaces are engaged with each other with a predetermined biting allowance, further prevention of disengagement can be achieved.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, the two connectors will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the male connector has a male connector housing (hereinafter referred to as a male housing) 1, and the male housing 1 is integrally molded with a synthetic resin material. ing.
A hood portion 3 involved in fitting with a female connector housing (hereinafter, referred to as a female housing) 2 is formed in the front portion thereof so as to be opened forward, and a main body portion 4 is formed in the rear portion. A male terminal accommodating chamber 6 into which the male terminal fitting 5 is inserted is formed inside the main body portion 4 from the rear side, and the front side is opened so as to communicate with the hood portion 3. Also, the male terminal accommodating chamber 6
A lance 7 is formed to project obliquely forward from the upper wall surface. The lance 7 is formed so as to be flexibly deformable, and a locking portion 7a that holds the male terminal fitting 5 in a retaining state by engaging with the locking hole 8 of the male terminal fitting 5 is formed at the tip thereof. .

The hood portion 3 of the male housing 1 is formed into a rectangular tube shape, and a locking projection 9 for the female housing 2 is formed at the center of the upper edge of the opening edge in the figure. The locking projection 9 has its front edge formed with an inward slope,
A guide surface 9a is provided for a smooth engagement operation with a locking arm (described later) on the female housing 2 side. Further, the rear edge (the edge facing the inside of the hood portion 3) of the locking projection 9 is also inclined in the same direction as the front edge, and this surface serves as a locking surface 9b for the locking arm 10. Become. On the other hand, a mounting hole 12 for mounting the elastic body 11 penetrates through a wall surface of a portion of the hood portion 3 that projects from the main body portion 4. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the mounting holes 12 is disposed on the upper side, two on the left and right sides, and on the lower side, one is disposed in the central part. It is opened at a position where it can be opposed to the tip edge of 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, each mounting hole 12 has a hood portion 3
The taper hole has a small opening on the side and a large outer surface. Then, elastic bodies 11 as described below are attached to the respective attachment holes 12.

The elastic body 11 is integrally formed of a rubber material having an appropriate elasticity, and has a disk-shaped base 11a having a diameter sufficiently larger than the mounting hole 12 and a circle extending coaxially from the base. It is composed of a columnar shaft portion 11b and a retaining portion 11c formed at the tip of the shaft portion 11b. The outer diameter of the shaft portion 11b is set to be slightly larger than the outer surface side hole diameter of the mounting hole 12, and is inserted into the mounting hole 12 while applying an elastic force over the entire circumference. The retaining portion 11c is formed in a tapered shape for convenience of insertion into the mounting hole 12, and has a predetermined protrusion from the shaft portion 11b, that is, a sufficient margin for the edge of the mounting hole 12. It is overhanging so that it can be engaged. In this way, the elastic body 11 has the retaining portion 1
It is mounted in the male housing 1 in a state in which it is firmly prevented from coming off by the engagement by 1c and the press-fitting of the shaft portion 11b and the mounting hole 12. Further, the elastic body 11 is set to have a size such that the retaining portion 11c protrudes into the hood portion 3 by a predetermined length when mounted on the male housing 1.
Even when the male and female housings 1 and 2 are incompletely fitted to each other to the extent shown in FIG. 6, the elastic force is held in contact with the edge of the female housing 2 and pushing the female housing 2 back in the separating direction. Such compression deformation is possible.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the female housing 2 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material like the male housing 1, and the front edge of the upper surface of the female housing 2 locks the fitted state with the male housing 1. Locking arm 10 extends rearward in a cantilever manner. The locking arm 10 is configured by connecting a middle portion and a terminal end portion of a pair of pieces arranged in parallel to each other on the left and right sides. The piece serves as an operation piece 15 for bending operation, and the connecting piece in the middle portion can engage with the locking projection 9 when the housings 1 and 2 are in a normal fitting state (complete fitting state). It is the engagement piece 16.

A surface (arm side locking surface 16a) of the engaging piece 16 which faces the locking surface 9b on the locking projection 9 side when engaged with the locking projection 9 side is directed toward the upper end side. And is designed to have an upward slope, whereby both locking surfaces 9b,
16a will engage with each other with a predetermined biting margin.

The female housing 2 has a female terminal fitting 1 inside thereof.
A female terminal accommodating chamber 18 for accommodating 7 is formed, and an insertion hole 19 for receiving the tip of the male terminal fitting 5 is opened on the front surface. Furthermore, the female terminal accommodating chamber 1
A lance 20 for preventing the female terminal fitting 17 from coming off from the upper wall in FIG. 8 is provided. The lance 20 has substantially the same structure as that on the male housing 1 side, and has a locking portion 20a which is elastically engageable with the locking hole 21 of the female terminal fitting 17 at the tip. Further, in this embodiment, the retainer 22 is assembled to the female housing 2, and the claw portion 22a on one end side of the retainer 22 can be engaged with the jaw portion of the female terminal fitting 17. As a result, the female terminal fitting 17 is temporarily locked by the lance 20 and then is finally locked by the retainer 22 so that the female terminal fitting 17 is prevented from coming off from the female housing 2 in a double manner.

Next, the function and effect of the present example configured as described above will be specifically described. After inserting the male and female terminal fittings 5 and 17 into the respective housings 1 and 2, the housings 1 and 2 are fitted together. In this case, the fitting operation is performed by fitting the front portion of the female housing 2 to the opening surface of the hood portion 3 of the male housing 1. During the fitting process, the front surface of the engaging piece 16 of the locking arm 10 contacts the guide surface 9a of the locking projection 9, and the inclination of the locking arm 10 guides the deformation operation in the pushing-down direction ( (Figure 1 state). While the locking arm 10 is being pushed down in this manner, the distal end surface of the female housing 2 is fixed to the retaining portion 11c of the elastic body 11.
Has already started to be compressed. Therefore, if the fitting operation is stopped during the fitting process, the elastic force of each elastic body 11 causes the female housing 2 to be displaced in the direction in which the female housing 2 is pushed out from the hood portion 3. By this operation, he knows that the semi-fitting state has been reached, and performs the fitting operation again. This prevents transfer to the next process in an incompletely fitted state.

When the fitting further progresses from the state shown in FIG. 1 and the locking projection 9 relatively passes through the engaging piece 16, the locking arm 10 returns as shown in FIG. 4 and its locking surface. 16a
Is opposed to the locking surface 9b on the locking projection 9 side and is in an engaged state. At this point, the male and female housings 1 and 2 are completely fitted, and the male and female terminal fittings 5 and 17 are electrically connected. Further, in the completely fitted state, the female housing 2 compresses the retaining portion 11c of each elastic body 11 more than in the above-mentioned state. Therefore, both housings 1,
When the two are in the completely fitted state, the both locking surfaces 9
Even if there is a slight gap between b and 16a, each elastic body 11
Since the female housing 2 is displaced by the elastic force of, the both locking surfaces 9b and 16a are in close contact with each other. That is, since the two locking surfaces 9b and 16a are in close contact with each other while the elastic forces act on each other, the locking arm 10 may be displaced in the downward direction by an external force and the lock may be inadvertently released. Regulated.

Further, in this example, since the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are formed in the reverse taper shape, the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are formed.
Because they are engaged with each other biting each other,
Bending deformation of the locking arm 10 is further regulated, and the locked state is reliably regulated.

As described above, in this embodiment, the elastic bodies 11 are used to bring the two engaging surfaces 9b and 16a on the engaging arm 10 side and the locking projection 9 side into close contact with each other while applying an elastic force. The locking arm 10 is held without rattling. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the locking arm 10 in the direction of pushing it down, the external force can be resisted by the frictional force between the locking surfaces 9b and 16a. Further, since the locking surfaces 9b and 16a are engaged with each other while having the inverted taper surfaces, the locking arms 10 can be more reliably prevented from being unlocked. further,
In this embodiment, in order to prevent each elastic body 11 from coming off, the mounting hole 12 is tapered and the retaining portion 1 is provided.
Since sufficient measures are taken such as forming 1c, even if compressed between the housings, it will not easily come off. Furthermore, since the elastic body 11 is biased in a direction to disengage the housings 1 and 2, it is possible to let the operator recognize the half-fitted state by pushing out the mating housing in the half-fitted state. Has become.

The present invention can be modified in various ways,
The following modified examples also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) In the embodiment, the elastic body 11 is attached to the male housing 1, but it may be attached to the facing surface on the female housing 2 side.

(2) The elastic body 11 may be a spring instead of a rubber material, for example, a spring piece curved in an arc shape toward the female housing 2 side is provided in the hood portion 3. May be.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is in the middle of fitting.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the same male connector.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state before mating of the connector.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a completely fitted state of the connector.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the same elastic body.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Male housing 2 ... Female housing 9 ... Lock protrusion 9b ... Locking surface 10 ... Locking arm 11 ... Elastic body 16 ... Engaging piece 16a ... Locking surface

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A connector comprising male and female connector housings, each of which is provided with locking means for holding the fitted state, and both locking means are formed with locking surfaces facing each other, respectively. The connector, wherein one of the connector housings is provided with an elastic body for urging the both connector housings in a direction in which the both locking surfaces are brought into close contact with each other, on a surface facing the mating connector. 2. The lock means is formed on one of the connector housings and has a resiliently deformable elastic locking arm which has a locking surface at a part thereof, and the other connector housing, and the both connector housings. Comprises a locking portion that engages with the elastic locking arm in a state where the locking surface formed on a part of the locking surface faces the elastic locking arm side locking surface when fully fitted, 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein both locking surfaces are formed in a reverse taper shape so that the two connector housings engage with each other with a predetermined biting allowance in the direction in which they are separated.