JPH09120861A - Lever type connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce manufacturing cost without requiring a coil spring as another part by raising a turning-movement lever piece by means of a butting mechanism. SOLUTION: A male side connector 10 provided with a U-letter shaped turning-movement lever piece 30 wherein a protrusion piece 14d butting an inclined face 14d to a turning-movement lever piece 30 during incline movement is formed for a lock piece 14 to be incline-operated, thereby, the turning- movement lever 30 released by means of incline movement operation for release is pushed back without using a coil spring and slightly raised so as to perform the next turning-movement operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a lever type connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of lever type connector, those shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 have been known. In the figure, the male connector 1 has a hood portion 2 and a U-shaped turning lever 3 so as to straddle the hood portion 2 from above. The turning lever 3 has arms 3a and 3a that sandwich the hood 2, and shaft holes 3a1 and 3a1 are formed at the turning fulcrum. Support shaft pins 2a, 2a formed on the outer surface of the side wall of the hood portion 2 are inserted into the shaft holes 3a1, 3a1, and the rotating lever 3 is rotatable. In addition, the spiral cam grooves 3a2 and 3a2 are provided on the inner side surfaces of the arms 3a and 3a.
3a2 is formed, and the outermost end is formed with inlets 3a3, 3a3 that open in the opening direction of the hood 2.

When the female connector 4 can be inserted into the hood portion 2, the cam pin 4 mainly protrudes outward from the slits 2b formed in the side wall of the hood portion 2 from the opening side.
a, 4a. After the cam pins 4a, 4a are introduced into the cam grooves 3a2, 3a2 of the rotary lever 3, the rotary lever 3 is rotated to perform a retracting operation. On the other hand, a spiral spring 5 is attached around the support shaft pin 2a, one end of which is engaged with the rotating lever 3 and the other end of which is engaged with the hood portion 2. The inlets 3a3 and 3a3 are biased in the clockwise direction so as to face the opening direction of the hood portion 2. This position is called the start position, and the rotation lever 3
The end point of rotating clockwise is called the end point position.

An engaging piece 3c projecting toward the male connector 1 at an end position is formed on a base portion 3b connecting the arm portions 3a, 3a of the turning lever 3, and the tip end of the engaging piece 3c is formed. Has a protrusion 3c1 protruding rearward. Further, the male connector 1 is provided with a lock piece 6 which projects toward the engaging piece 3c and has a locking hole 6a in which the projection 3c1 can be locked. The lock piece 6 has a finger rest 6b at its tip. When the finger rest 6b is pushed down, the lock piece 6 bends and tilts, and the projection 3c1 is disengaged from the locking hole 6a as shown in FIG. . When the lock is released, the spiral spring 5 causes the rotary lever 3 to slightly rotate, so that the rotary lever 3 is lifted to facilitate the rotary operation.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional lever type connector, the spiral spring 5 is provided so that the turning lever 3 can be lifted when the lock is released. However, since the separate parts are mounted, there is a problem that it takes time and effort for manufacturing and the manufacturing cost is inevitably high. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lever-type connector that is inexpensive and that allows a rotating lever to be lifted when unlocking.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is such that a housing for accommodating terminal fittings and a rotatably supported from the starting point position to the ending point position with respect to the housing. A turning lever piece that engages with a part of the mating connector when it is combined with the mating connector and is pulled in by a turning operation, and a part of the turning lever piece at the end position of the turning lever piece. A flexible lock piece that can be locked on the uneven surface and that can be unlocked by tilting operation, and a protrusion that abuts so as to push back the rotating lever piece to the starting point side by tilting when releasing the lock piece. And a contact mechanism.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is based on claim 1.
In the lever-type connector according to the item [4], the abutting mechanism is formed as an inclined surface that is formed on the lock piece and abuts the rotating lever piece when tilted. further,
The invention according to claim 3 is the above-described claim 1 or claim 2.
In the lever-type connector according to the item [4], the abutting mechanism is formed on the turning lever piece as an inclined surface with which the lock piece abuts when the lock piece is tilted.

[0008]

In the invention according to claim 1 configured as described above, the mating connector is retracted by rotating the rotating lever piece rotatably supported with respect to the housing from the start point position to the end point position. Drive and combine.
At the end point position, a flexible lock piece waits and engages with a part of the turning lever piece in a concavo-convex manner. To release the lock, the lock piece is tilted, but at this time, the abutting mechanism hits the turning lever piece and pushes it back to the starting point side to lift it.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, the inclined surface formed on the lock piece constituting the abutting mechanism abuts the rotating lever piece by tilting the lock piece. , Push back. Further, in the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, the inclined surface formed on the rotating lever that constitutes the abutting mechanism abuts the lock piece by tilting the lock piece, and reacts with it. Pushed back.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the rotary lever piece is lifted by the abutting mechanism, it is not necessary to mount the spiral spring as in the conventional case, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. A lever-type connector can be provided. Further, according to the inventions according to claims 2 and 3, since the inclined surface is pressed against the counterpart member and pushed back, the structure can be simplified.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a male connector in a lever-type connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a male connector 10 as a housing has a rectangular box-shaped terminal accommodating portion 11 in which a large number of cylindrical terminal accommodating chambers capable of holding male terminal fittings (not shown) are formed. The terminal accommodating portion 11 is provided with a hood portion 12 that protrudes in a tubular shape from the peripheral edge of the opening surface of the terminal accommodating chamber. The female connector 20 can be inserted into the hood portion 12, and the side walls 12a and 12a of the hood portion 12 are provided on the side walls 12a and 12a corresponding to the pull-in cam pins 21 and 21 protruding from both side wall surfaces of the female connector 20, respectively. The drawing slits 12a1 and 12a1 are formed from the opening side.

In the present embodiment, the shape is provided with the rectangular box-shaped terminal accommodating portion 11 and the hood portion 12, but the shape is not particularly limited.
Further, although it is applied to the male side connector 10, it may be the side that accommodates the female side terminal fitting. The lever-type connector is originally intended to prevent workability from being deteriorated due to an increase in fitting force due to the increase in the number of poles, but it is not necessarily limited to a multi-pole type, and the cam structure is used to prevent disconnection. It is also applicable to other purposes.

The rotating lever piece 30 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to straddle the hood portion 12 from above, and the arm portions 31, which face the outer surfaces of the side walls 12a, 12a of the hood portion 12,
31 and a base portion 32 facing the upper surface side of the ceiling wall 12b of the hood portion 12. Side walls 12a, 1 of the hood portion 12
On the outer surface of 2a, spindle pins 12c, 12c projecting outwardly.
Is formed, and the support shaft pin 1 is provided on the arm portions 31 and 31.
Shaft holes 31a, 31a through which 2c, 12c can be inserted are formed. Then, while opening the arm portions 31 and 31 and straddling the hood portion 12, the support shaft pins 12c and 12c are attached to the shaft holes 31.
a and 31a are inserted and rotatably engaged. A spiral cam groove 31 is formed on the inner surface of the arm portion 31, 31.
b, 31b are formed, and the outer end portions of the cam grooves 31b, 31b are opened to the side surfaces of the arm portions 31, 31 to form inlet ports 31b1, 31b1. Rotating lever piece 3
When 0 has rotated most in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.
Corresponding to the opening direction of the drawing slits 12a1, 12a1 of the female side connector 20,
21 can enter into the cam grooves 31b, 31b, and the spiral cam grooves 31b, 31b become the retractable cam pins 2 as the turning lever piece 30 rotates in the clockwise direction.
1, 21 are drawn toward the support shaft pins 12c, 12c, and as a result, the female connector 20 is drawn into the hood portion 12. The position of the turning lever piece 30 in a state where the female connector 20 is pulled into the hood portion 12 is called an end point position.

In this embodiment, the rotating lever piece 30 is used.
It is mounted so as to straddle the hood portion 12 in a U-shape, but it is sufficient that the mating connector can be pulled in by a turning operation while being rotatably supported, and it is not always mounted so as to straddle. There is no. Also, regarding the pulling operation, the cam groove does not necessarily have to be formed on the side of the rotating lever piece 30, and the cam pin and the cam groove may be reversed. In addition to the combination of the cam pin and the cam groove, an uneven shape that can be drawn in by a rotating operation can be appropriately used.

A lock piece 14 is formed on the upper surface of the terminal accommodating portion 11 so as to project upward, and the turning lever piece 3 is formed.
A convex portion 33 is also formed on the 0 side toward the lock piece 14. The convex portion 33 is formed so as to be adjacent to the front side of the lock piece 14 at the end point position, and a wedge-shaped engaging projection 33a is formed on the side surface of the tip toward the lock piece 14 side. The engagement protrusion 33a gradually protrudes toward the lock piece 14 from the lower end toward the end at the end position, and the engagement hole 14a is formed on the side of the lock piece 14 facing the engagement protrusion 33a. I am doing it. Further, the upper end of the lock piece 14 is formed with an operation piece 14b which is offset and extended rearward so as not to interfere with the base portion 32 of the rotating lever piece 30, and when the operation piece 14b is pushed downward. Since it is offset to the rear side, the lock piece 14 itself tilts to the rear side. Since the engagement protrusion 33a enters into and engages with the engagement hole 14a on the front surface side of the lock piece 14, when the lock piece 14 tilts in this manner, the engagement between the both is released.

In the present embodiment, the lock piece 14 tilts rearward, but any structure capable of tilting may be used. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the convex portion 33 faces the rear surface side of the lock piece 14 and the engagement projection 33a also projects forward, push the operation piece 14b from the rear to the front. Thus, the lock piece 14 can be bent forward and released from the engagement with the convex portion 33. Further, it is not limited to the case of tilting in the front-rear direction, but as shown in FIG. 3, it may be formed so as to bend to the left and right. On the other hand, the turning lever piece 30 and the lock piece 14 may be appropriately engaged with each other, and the basic concave and convex engaging shapes of the two are not particularly limited.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lock piece 14 is provided with a protruding piece 14d which extends from slightly below the engaging hole 14a to the front side and wraps forward under the projection 33. Has been formed. The protruding piece 14d is provided with the inclined surface 14d1 facing the front lower end of the convex portion 33. When the locking piece 14 tilts backward as described above, the protruding piece 14d moves substantially horizontally backward. Become. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, since the inclined surface 14d1 also moves rearward and hits the lower end of the convex portion 33, the convex portion 33 is pushed up along the inclined surface 14d1. Then, the rotating lever piece 30 is pushed back slightly from the end point position toward the start point position. That is, the inclined surface 14d1 of the protruding piece 14d constitutes an abutting mechanism.

In this embodiment, the abutting mechanism is premised on the case where the lock piece 14 is tilted rearward.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the lock piece 14 tilts forward, an inclined surface 14b1 is formed below the front surface of the operation piece 14b to be extruded, and the inclined surface 14b1 has a convex portion 33 during the extruding operation. It may be a member that abuts against the lower end of the lower part and pushes back. That is, it is sufficient that the lock piece is tilted to directly or indirectly contact the turning lever piece 30 and push back to the starting point position side. Therefore, an inclined surface may be formed on the side of the rotating lever piece 30. 6 and 7, an inclined surface 34 is formed on the side of the turning lever piece 30 so as to face the operation piece 14b as compared with the push-out type shown in FIG. Therefore, if the operation piece 14b is pushed forward, it will hit the inclined surface 34 and will be pushed upward. The shape and the like of the inclined surface 34 formed on the side of the rotating lever piece 30 can be changed as appropriate. These inclined surfaces may be appropriately arranged according to the shape of the surrounding members and the like.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described. On the male connector 10 side, the turning lever piece 3
0 is rotated to the starting point position, and the female connector 20 is inserted into the hood portion 12. When the pull-in cam pins 21 and 21 of the female connector 20 enter the cam grooves 31b and 31b through the introduction ports 31b1 and 31b1 of the arm portions 31 and 31, the turning lever piece 30 is rotated clockwise from the start position to the end position. Rotate in the direction. As a result, the female connector 20 is pulled deep into the hood portion 12.

On the other hand, the convex portion 33 of the rotary lever piece 30 is pressed against the front surface of the lock piece 14 so as to be in sliding contact therewith, and the engagement projection 33a enters into the engagement hole 14a on the front surface of the lock piece 14 and engages with the engagement hole 14a. As a result, the rotary lever piece 30 is locked by the lock piece 14, and cannot easily rotate to the side of the starting point position. However, when it becomes necessary to separate the male connector 10 and the female connector 20, the operation piece 14b at the upper end of the lock piece 14 is pushed downward. Then, by pushing down the offset operation piece 14b, the lock piece 14 tilts rearward, and the engagement protrusion 33a of the convex portion 33 and the engagement hole 14a of the lock piece 14 are pushed.
Is disengaged. At the same time, since the protruding piece 14d protruding from the lower side of the convex portion 33 to the front moves rearward, the inclined surface 14d1 of the protruding piece 14d has the convex portion 33d.
Hit the front lower corner of the and push up as if rubbing upward. As a result, the turning lever piece 30 is slightly pushed back to be in a floating state, and thus the raised turning lever piece 30 can be easily returned to the starting point position with a hand.

If a spiral spring is used, the rotating lever piece 30 is lifted by the spring force and the play of the fitting portion when the lock piece 14 and the convex portion 33 are released.
The cost and labor for mounting such a spiral spring are high. On the other hand, if the spiral spring is simply abolished, the rotary lever piece 30 does not float, and it is difficult to lift the rotary lever piece 30. On the other hand, by using the tilting motion of the lock piece 14 to abut the inclined surface, it is possible to reduce the cost and maintain the operability.

Thus, the U-shaped turning lever piece 30
In the male connector 10 provided with, a spiral spring is used by forming a protruding piece 14d that abuts the inclined surface 14d1 on the rotating lever piece 30 when tilting with respect to the lock piece 14 that is tilted. Without rotating, the turning lever piece 30 unlocked by the tilting operation for unlocking
Can be pushed back and slightly lifted to facilitate the next turning operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a lever-type connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a lever-type connector according to a first modification.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view of a lever-type connector according to a second modification.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the lever-type connector according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a main part of a lever-type connector according to a first modification.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of a main part of a lever-type connector according to another modification.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of essential parts of the lever-type connector according to the modified example during a push-back operation.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a conventional lever-type connector.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the lever connector at the time of unlocking operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Male side connector 11 ... Terminal accommodation part 12 ... Hood part 14 ... Lock piece 14a ... Engagement hole 14b ... Operation piece 14b1 ... Inclined surface 14d ... Projection piece 14d1 ... Inclined surface 20 ... Female side connector 30 ... Rotating lever piece 33 ... Convex part 33a ... Engagement protrusion 34 ... Inclined surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A housing for accommodating a terminal fitting and a housing rotatably supported with respect to the housing from a start point position to an end point position and engaging with a part of the mating connector when the mating connector is united. A turning lever piece that is driven to be pulled in by a turning operation, and a flexibility that can be engaged and recessed with a part of the turning lever piece at the end position of the turning lever piece and can be released by a tilting operation. A lever-type connector comprising: a lock piece having; and an abutting mechanism that abuts so as to push back the rotating lever piece to the starting point position side by tilting when the lock piece is released. 2. The lever type connector according to claim 1, wherein the abutting mechanism is an inclined surface formed on the lock piece and abutting the rotating lever piece when tilted. connector. 3. The lever type connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the abutting mechanism is an inclined surface formed on the rotating lever piece and abutting the lock piece when the lock piece is tilted. A lever-type connector that is characterized.