JP3477641B2 - Connector with detachable contacts - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for mounting on an automobile or the like, and more particularly to a connector capable of separating a contact and an insulator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vehicle-mounted connector, contacts are integrally fixed to an insulator.

A connector capable of disassembling a contact and a contact housing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-28.
2884, JP-A-11-185857 and JP-A-11-185858.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional vehicle-mounted connector, the contact and the insulator cannot be separated from each other. Further, even if a part of the harness is cut and collected, the number of steps is required, and the cost is high. Therefore, it is difficult to collect the conductive material of the contact and the harness, and it is difficult to recycle the material.

Further, the techniques described in the respective publications are intended for a connector in which a contact and a contact housing can be disassembled, and moreover, the structure is complicated, the number of parts is large, and the disassembling operation is complicated. is there.

Therefore, the present invention provides a connector which can improve the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, has a simple structure, has a small number of parts, and is easy to operate, and which can separate the contact from the insulator. Is what you are trying to do.

[0007]

The present invention adopts the following means in order to solve the above problems.

1. In a connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance for locking the contact, the lance has a locking portion for locking the contact and a spring portion integrally formed with the locking portion. Then, by forming the lance from a shape memory alloy, providing a heating element on the lance, and causing the heating element to generate heat, the spring portion of the shape memory alloy is deformed into a previously stored shape, A connector in which a contact for separating the locking portion from the contact can be separated.

2. In a connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance for locking the contact, a resin-made locking part for locking the lance, and a shape memory alloy fixed to the locking part. And a heating element provided on the shape memory alloy,
A connector in which a contact is separable by causing the shape-memory alloy to be deformed into a shape that is stored in advance by causing the heating element to generate heat, so as to separate the locking portion from the contact.

3. The connector in which the contact is separable according to 1 or 2 above, wherein the heating element is a heating wire, and heat is generated by passing an electric current through the heating wire.

4. In a connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance that locks the contact, the lance includes a locking portion that locks the contact and a spring portion that is integrally displaced with the locking portion. Having a metal piece on the locking portion, an electromagnet is provided at a position facing the metal piece, and by exciting the electromagnet, the metal piece is attracted to the electromagnet side, and the lance is displaced, A connector in which a contact for separating the locking portion from the contact can be separated.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A connector with separable contacts according to two embodiments of the present invention will be described.

First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plug connector 1
Is an insulator 2, five pairs of contacts 3 separable from the insulator 2, five pairs of lances 4 for locking each contact 3, and a shape memory alloy 4A of each lance 4.
The heating wire 5 is wound around, the conducting wire 6 for passing a current through each heating wire 5, and the dustproof and waterproof rubber piece 7.

The insulator 2 is integrally molded from a synthetic resin and has a rectangular base plate 2A and a central fitting protrusion 2B formed so as to be orthogonal to the center of one surface of the base plate 2A.
And a center plate-shaped portion 2C formed in the center of the center fitting protrusion 2B and a peripheral frame portion 2D formed so as to be orthogonal to the periphery of one surface of the substrate portion 2A, and are configured in a mountain-shaped cross section. It

As shown in FIG. 3, each lance 4 is a shape memory alloy 4 which is fixed to the central plate-shaped portion 2C to serve as a spring portion.
A and the resin-made locking portion 4 fixed to the shape memory alloy 4A
The engaging portion 4B has a convex portion 4C.
The convex portion 4C of each locking portion 4B is the concave portion 3A of each contact 3.
Can be disengaged with respect to.

As shown in FIG. 2, the receptacle connector 11 includes an insulator 12 and an insulator 1.
It is composed of five pairs of contacts 13 fixed to 2, and two conductors 14 for passing a current through each conductor 6 of the plug connector 1.

The insulator 12 is integrally molded from a synthetic resin in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a space 12A for inserting the central fitting protrusion 2B of the plug connector 1 therein. Each contact 13 is formed in an L shape, aligned and held by the insulator 12, and each contact 1
The tip of 3 projects into the space 12A.

FIG. 3 shows the plug connector 1 and the receptacle connector 11 fitted together. The convex portion 4C of the locking portion 4B of each lance 4 locks the concave portion 3A of each contact 3, and the tip of each contact 13 of the receptacle connector 11 has a hole 3B at the tip of each contact 3 of the plug connector 1. Has been inserted into.

When separating each contact 3 of the plug connector 1 from the insulator 2, the following operation is performed. That is, when an electric current is applied to each heating wire 5, each lance 4
The shape memory alloy 4A is heated and deformed into a predetermined shape as shown in FIG. On this occasion,
A recess 2E is formed in the insulator 2 so as not to hinder the movement of each locking portion 4B. Therefore, the convex portion 4C of each locking portion 4B separates from the concave portion 3A of each contact 3. As a result, each contact 3 is connected to the insulator 2
Can be pulled from.

The dustproof and waterproof rubber piece 7 is formed in a rectangular frame shape and is mounted inside the peripheral frame portion 2D of the insulator 2. The two ridges 7A thereof are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As described above, the insulator 12 closely contacts the outer peripheral surface of the insulator 12.

In the present embodiment, the shape memory alloy 4A serving as the spring portion and the locking portion 4B are made of different materials.
The design can be changed so that the whole structure is made of a shape memory alloy.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. However, description of the same parts as those of the first embodiment will be omitted, and only different parts will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, the plug connector 2
The reference numeral 1 designates an insulator 22, five pairs of contacts 23 separable from the insulator 22, five pairs of lances 24 for locking each contact 23, five electromagnets 25 for operating each lance 24, and a dustproof. It is composed of a waterproof rubber piece 26.

Each lance 24, as shown in FIG.
A spring portion 24A integrally formed with the center plate-shaped portion 22C of the insulator 22, a locking portion 24B integrally formed at the tip of the spring portion 24A, and a metal piece 24C fixed to each locking portion 24B. To be done. Each locking portion 24B can be locked and released from the recess 23A of each contact 23.

Each electromagnet 25 includes a coil 25A and a metal rod 2.
5B and is housed in the central plate-shaped portion 22C.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the plug connector 21 and the receptacle connector 31 are fitted together. The locking portion 24B of each lance 24 of the plug connector 21 locks the concave portion 23A of each contact 23, and the receptacle connector 31
The tips of the contacts 33 are inserted into the holes 23B at the tips of the contacts 23 of the plug connector 21.

When separating each contact 23 of the plug connector 21 from the insulator 22, the following operation is performed. That is, when a current is applied to the coil 25A of each electromagnet 25, each metal rod 25B is excited and attracts the metal piece 24C of each lance 24, as shown in FIG. Therefore, since each spring portion 24A elastically deforms,
Each locking portion 24B separates from the recess 23A of each contact 23. As a result, each contact 23 can be pulled out from the insulator 22.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

1. Since the contact can be separated from the insulator of the connector, the conductor material of the contact and the harness can be recovered. It is also possible to recycle the materials used in the connector.

2. The structure is simple, the number of parts is small, and the cost is low.

3. The operation of separating the contact from the insulator is simple and easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is views of a plug connector in a first embodiment of a connector with separable contacts according to the present invention,
(A) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view,
(D) is a bottom view, (e) is a sectional view taken along line AA in (d), (f) is a sectional view taken along line BB in (d), and (g) is taken along line C- in (d). A sectional view by C
Shown respectively.

2A and 2B are views of a receptacle connector according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a front view, and FIG.
(C) is a side view and (d) is a bottom view, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view when the plug connector and the receptacle connector in the first embodiment are fitted together.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a contact is being pulled out from the insulator of the plug connector according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state before the plug connector and the receptacle connector are fitted to each other in the first embodiment.

6A and 6B are views of a plug connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. 6B is a front view.
(C) is a side view, (d) is a bottom view, (e) is a sectional view taken along line AA in (d), (f) is a sectional view taken along line BB in (d), and (g) is Line C-C in (d)
The cross-sectional views according to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view when the plug connector and the receptacle connector according to the second embodiment are fitted together.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a contact is being pulled out from the insulator of the plug connector according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 plug connector 2 insulators 2A board part 2B Central fitting protrusion 2C Center plate part 2D surrounding frame 2E recess 3 contacts 3A recess 3B hole 4 Lance 4A Shape memory alloy (spring part) 4B locking part 4C protrusion 5 heating wire 6 conductors 7 Dustproof and waterproof rubber piece 7A ridge 11 Receptacle connector 12 insulator 12A space section 13 contacts 21 plug connector 22 Insulator 22C Central plate-shaped part 23 contacts 23A recess 23B hole 24 Lance 24A spring part 24B locking part 24C metal piece 25 electromagnet 25A coil 25B metal rod 26 Rubber pieces for dustproof and waterproof 31 Receptacle connector 33 contacts

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-11-185858 (JP, A) JP-A-7-28284 (JP, A) JP-A-11-185757 (JP, A) Actual development Sho 61- 161975 (JP, U) Actual development 2-24467 (JP, U) Actual development 3-26973 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/42

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance for locking the contact, wherein the lance is formed integrally with the locking portion for locking the contact. A spring portion, the lance is made of a shape memory alloy, the lance is provided with a heating element, and the heating element is caused to generate heat, so that the shape of the spring portion of the shape memory alloy is stored in advance. A connector in which a contact can be separated, which is characterized in that the locking portion is disengaged from the contact by being deformed. 2. A connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance for locking the contact, wherein the lance is fixed to the locking part made of resin for locking the contact and the locking part. The shape memory alloy is provided with a heating element, and by heating the heating element, the shape memory alloy is deformed into a shape stored in advance, and the locking portion is formed. A connector in which a contact can be separated, wherein the connector is separated from the contact. 3. The connector with separable contacts according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is a heating wire, and heat is generated by passing an electric current through the heating wire. 4. A connector having a contact and an insulator provided with a lance for locking the contact, wherein the lance is integrally displaced with the locking portion for locking the contact. A metal piece is provided on the locking portion, an electromagnet is provided at a position facing the metal piece, and the electromagnet is excited to attract the metal piece to the electromagnet side. Is disengaged to disengage the locking portion from the contact.