JP4032933B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to one in which one housing is fitted into a hood portion of the other housing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 12A shows an example of this type of connector. This is provided with a box-shaped housing 1 that is elongated in the lateral width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface), and a plurality of cavities (not shown) into which female terminal fittings are inserted are formed inside the housing 1. An electric wire 2 connected to the female terminal fitting extends backward. The housing 1 is adapted to be fitted from a front surface which is a fitting surface with respect to a rectangular tube-shaped hood portion 4 formed in the other housing 3. A plurality of male terminal fittings 5 project from the hood portion 4, and when the housing 1 is fitted, both terminal fittings are electrically connected.
Note that this type of connector is described in Patent Document 1, for example.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-231372
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the connector as described above, when the housing 1 is accidentally pushed into the hood portion 4 with the fitting surface facing upward or downward, for example, as shown in FIG. The housing 1 may be fitted into the hood 4 while the upper and lower surfaces of the hood 4 are bent outward. In that case, the housing 1 may come into contact with the male terminal fitting 5 in the hood portion 4 and deform it. In order to prevent such a situation, it is conceivable to set the depth dimension (front and rear length dimension) of the entire housing 1 to be larger than that described above, but as a result, the material cost increases accordingly, and the housing 1 becomes heavy. Or, since the total length of the cavity becomes long, it becomes difficult to insert the terminal fitting.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector capable of preventing the housing from being fitted into the hood portion in an incorrect direction.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A connector according to the invention of claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problem is provided with a pair of housings, of which one of the horizontally long substantially box-shaped housings is provided in a rectangular tube-shaped hood portion provided on the other housing. The both side walls of the one housing protrude rearward from the rear end portion in the fitting direction, and the housing is from the side different from the original fitting surface. A pair of fitting regulation walls that can be regulated to be fitted into the hood part are integrally formed, and one of the wall surfaces in the height direction of the one housing has a longitudinal dimension of the hood part. One of the housings is smaller than an inner height dimension, and a length dimension of the front and rear sides of the both side walls including the fitting restriction wall is larger than an inner height dimension of the hood portion. In And a lever for fitting the two housings by a cam action with the other housing, and the lever is in the form of a single plate along the other wall surface in the height direction of the housing. And is sandwiched between the other wall surface and a wall surface parallel to the other wall surface, and the fitting restriction wall is restricted from fitting into the hood portion from the surface opposite to the lever. And a pair of wall surfaces sandwiching the lever and the fitting restricting wall protrude rearward by the same dimension .
[0006]
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the one housing has a frame shape provided with a housing chamber capable of housing a plurality of sub-connectors.
[0008]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the first or second aspect, a receiving groove provided on an inner surface of the hood portion is provided on a side portion on the other surface in the height direction of the one housing. A feature is that a guide rib capable of engaging with unevenness is formed along the front-rear direction, and a step-shaped catching portion is formed by disposing the guide rib at a position separated from the side end of the housing. Have.
[0009]
Operation and effect of the invention
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the fitting restricting wall integrally formed on the rear surface of the one housing prevents the housing from fitting into the hood portion in the wrong direction. The housing is prevented from coming into contact with and deforming the terminal fitting provided in the hood portion. Since this fitting restriction wall is partially provided only at the side end position of the housing, it is possible to suppress an increase in material cost and an increase in the weight of the connector.
Further, in a lever-type connector having a single plate-like lever, fitting from the surface opposite to the lever is prevented.
[0010]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the so-called divided connector from being fitted into the hood portion in the wrong direction by providing the fitting restriction wall in the frame-shaped housing that accommodates the plurality of sub-connectors.
[0012]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the case where the guide ribs are both provided at the side end positions on one side surface of the height direction of one housing and there is no stepped portion, this portion is strong against the hood portion. If pressed, the housing may be deeply fitted while the wall surface of the hood portion is bent outward. However, in this configuration, since the step-like hook portion is provided, this hook portion is not the hood portion. When the opening edge is caught in the holder, the holder is less likely to be fitted.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, the connector of this embodiment includes a female connector 10 and a male connector 50 that can be fitted and detached from each other. In the following description, the respective mating surfaces of the connectors 10 and 50 are the front side, and the vertical direction is based on FIG.
[0014]
The female connector 10 is a so-called split connector, and includes a plurality of sub-connectors 27 that house the female terminal fittings 29 and a frame-shaped holder 11 that houses these sub-connectors 27 (in the “one housing” of the present invention). Equivalent) and a lever 40 assembled to the holder 11.
[0015]
The holder 11 is made of a synthetic resin material, and as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, as a whole, the holder 11 has a horizontally long substantially box shape penetrating in the front-rear direction. That is, the holder 11 has an upper wall 12, a lower wall 13, and left and right side walls 14, and among the space surrounded by the four walls, the upper wall 12 and a ceiling wall 15 parallel to the upper wall 12. A space formed in the shape of a horizontally long slit partitioned between the two is an accommodation recess 16 for accommodating the lever 40. In the inner space of the holder 11, a region below the housing recess 16 has three left and right housing chambers 18 formed by two partition walls 17 provided between the ceiling wall 15 and the lower wall 13. Each of the sub-connectors 27 is inserted into the storage chamber 18 from behind. A lance 19 that can be elastically deformed is formed on the lower wall 13 so as to correspond to each storage chamber 18. A recess 21 that is long in the left-right direction of the holder 11 is formed in the lower wall 13 of the holder 11, and a retainer 22 is fitted into the recess 21 from below. Further, four rows of guide ribs 23 along the front-rear direction are formed on the lower wall 13 so as to be separated into a pair with the recess 21 interposed therebetween. Out of these, the two outer rows of guide ribs 23 are both disposed at positions slightly inward from the side wall 14, thereby forming stepped catch portions 24 on the left and right side portions of the lower surface wall 13. . The wall surfaces 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17 constituting the holder 11 are coincident at the front end, whereas the rear ends of the upper surface wall 12 and the ceiling wall 15 are the rear ends of the lower surface wall 13 and the partition wall 17. Rather than a predetermined dimension. Further, the rear end portions of the left and right side walls 14 are fitted into the restricting walls 26 so as to protrude rearward by the same dimensions as the top wall 12 and the ceiling wall 15. A tapered inclined surface 26 </ b> A is formed at the lower end of the fitting restriction wall 26.
[0016]
The sub-connector 27 is made of synthetic resin and has a rectangular block shape as a whole (see FIG. 1). A plurality of cavities 28 are formed in each sub-connector 27, and a female terminal fitting 29 is inserted into each cavity 28 from the rear. Each sub-connector 27 is assembled to the accommodation chamber 18 of the holder 11 while being fitted from behind. In the assembled state, the front end surface of the sub connector 27 is flush with the front end surface of the holder 11, and the rear end surface of the sub connector 27 is flush with the lower end wall 13 of the holder 11 and the rear end surfaces of the partition wall 17. . The assembled sub-connector 27 is held in a retaining state by the lance 19 and the retainer 22 fitted in the recess 21 being double-locked.
[0017]
The lever 40 is made of a synthetic resin and has a horizontal plate shape as a whole as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The lever 40 includes a cam plate portion 41 having a slightly elongated flat plate shape, and a circular bearing hole 42 is recessed in the lower surface near the one end side. A support shaft 31 projecting upward from the ceiling wall 15 in the housing recess 16 of the holder 11 is fitted into the bearing hole 42, and the lever 40 can be rotated in the horizontal direction around the support shaft 31. Has been. The lever 40 is housed in the housing recess 16 in a state where the cam plate portion 41 is sandwiched between the top wall 12 and the ceiling wall 15 with a slight clearance, and a part thereof is the top wall 12 and the ceiling wall. 15 protrudes rearward from the rear end.
[0018]
The lever 40 can be rotated from an initial position shown in FIG. 5 to a fitting completion position shown in FIG. A cam groove 45 that can engage the cam pin 54 of the male connector 50 is formed around the bearing hole 42 in the cam plate portion 41. An escape groove 32 into which the cam pin 54 of the male connector 50 can enter is formed in the upper surface wall 12 of the holder 11 on the front side of the support shaft 31. When the lever 40 is in the initial position, the opening of the cam groove 45 is open. In alignment with the relief groove 32, the cam pin 54 can be received in the cam groove 45.
[0019]
A cantilevered elastic locking piece 46 is provided at the edge of the cam plate portion 41 on the bearing hole 42 side. The elastic locking piece 46 can be bent and deformed inward and outward, and a protrusion 46A protruding outward is formed at the tip.
On the other hand, the holder 11 is provided with a relief groove 33 into which the unlocking rib 55 of the male connector 50 can enter at one side end position of the housing recess 16. The escape groove 33 is formed from the front surface of the holder 11 toward the rear side, and a lock receiving portion 33A that protrudes into a lower half region of the groove is formed at the rear end thereof. When the lever 40 is in the initial position, the protrusion 46A of the elastic locking piece 46 advances into the escape groove 33, and the lower half of the protrusion 46A is locked to the lock receiving portion 33A. The turning to the completion position side is restricted.
[0020]
Further, the lever 40 is provided with an operation portion 47 and an elastic lock piece 48 for locking the lever 40 at the fitting completion position at the end of the cam plate portion 41 opposite to the bearing hole 42. Yes.
[0021]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the male connector 50 includes a housing 51 (corresponding to “the other housing” of the present invention) made of a synthetic resin material and a plurality of male terminal fittings 52. Has been. The housing 51 has a substantially rectangular tube-shaped hood portion 53 that opens to the front, and the holder 11 of the female connector 10 is fitted into the hood portion 53 almost tightly. Further, the male terminal fitting 52 protrudes from the rear end face of the hood 53, and the male terminal fitting 52 and the female terminal fitting 29 are connected when both the connectors 10 and 50 are properly fitted. A cylindrical cam pin 54 and a lock releasing rib 55 are formed on the upper surface of the hood 53 so as to protrude downward. The unlocking rib 55 is formed along the front-rear direction from the front end position of the hood portion 53, and enters the upper half region in the escape groove 33 when mated with the female connector 10. On the lower surface of the hood portion 53, receiving grooves 56 that can be engaged with the guide ribs 23 are formed along the front-rear direction.
[0022]
The depth dimension (front and rear length dimensions, hereinafter the same) in the lower wall 13 and the partition wall 17 of the holder 11 and the depth dimension of the sub connector 27 are slightly larger than the inner diameter of the hood portion 53 in the height direction (vertical direction). It is getting smaller. On the other hand, the depth dimensions of the top wall 12, the ceiling wall 15, and the side wall 14 (the fitting restriction wall 26) of the holder 11 are larger than the inner diameter in the height direction of the hood portion 53.
[0023]
When assembling the male and female connectors 10 and 50, first, as shown in FIG. 5, the lever 40 is locked at the initial position with respect to the holder 11, and the holder 11 of the female connector 10 is moved to the hood of the male connector 50. The portion 53 is shallowly inserted. At this time, when the female connector 10 is mistakenly turned upside down, the tip of the lock release rib 55 comes into contact with the holder 11 and the insertion thereof is restricted.
[0024]
When the holder 11 is shallowly inserted into the hood portion 53, the cam pin 54 is inserted into the opening of the cam groove 45 and the unlocking rib 55 abuts against the protrusion 46A of the elastic locking piece 46 as shown in FIG. Thus, the elastic locking piece 46 is bent and deformed so as to release the locking with the lock receiving portion 33A, and the lever 40 is allowed to rotate.
[0025]
From this state, when the operating portion 47 of the lever 40 is pressed and the lever 40 is rotated to the mating completion position side, both the connectors 10 and 50 are pulled toward each other by the cam action due to the engagement between the cam pin 54 and the cam groove 45. The insertion of the holder 11 into the hood portion 53 proceeds. Then, the lever 40 reaches the fitting completion position, and the elastic lock piece 48 is engaged with the male housing 51 so that the lever 40 is locked. Thereby, both the connectors 10 and 50 reach a proper fitting state (see FIGS. 7 and 8), and the fitting of both the connectors 10 and 50 is completed.
[0026]
When the female connector 10 is pressed against the hood portion 53 from the front side with the fitting surface facing upward, for example, as shown in FIG. The female side connector 10 is prevented from deeply fitting into the hood portion 53 by interfering with the opening edge portion, and the female side connector 10 does not contact the male terminal fitting 52 in the hood portion 53. FIG. 9 shows the case where the female connector 10 is pressed against the hood 53 from the lower wall 13 side. Similarly, the female connector 10 is viewed from the side wall 14 side with the fitting surface facing upward. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, when the hood portion 53 is pressed in an oblique posture, the fitting restriction wall 26 similarly restricts the fitting. Also in the case shown in FIG. 10, the corner of the female connector 10 does not contact the male terminal fitting 52 in the hood 53. In addition, since the upper surface wall 12 and the lever 40 protrude from the rear surface upper part of the female side connector 10, it is controlled that the female side connector 10 fits in the hood part 53 from the upper surface wall 12 side. Further, when the female connector 10 is pressed against the hood portion 53 in a posture (including an oblique direction) in which the fitting surface is directed to the side from the original posture, as shown in FIG. The female connector 10 is restricted from fitting into the hood portion 53 by being caught by the opening edge portion of the portion 53.
[0027]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the fitting restriction wall 26 integrally formed on the rear surface of the holder 11 prevents the female connector 10 from fitting into the hood portion 53 in the wrong direction, This prevents the holder 11 from coming into contact with the male terminal fitting 52 in the hood 53 and deforming it. Since the fitting restriction wall 26 is partially provided only at the side end position of the holder 11, it is possible to suppress an increase in material cost and weight of the female connector 10. Further, since the rear end of the sub-connector 27 coincides with the rear end of the lower wall 13 and is not extended to the rear end of the fitting restricting wall 26, the total length of the cavity 28 does not increase, and therefore the female terminal fitting 29 insertion is not affected.
[0028]
In addition, by fitting the frame-shaped holder 11 that accommodates the plurality of sub-connectors 27 and providing the restriction wall 26, it is possible to prevent a so-called divided connector from being fitted into the hood portion 53 in an incorrect direction.
Further, in the lever-type connector 10 including the single plate-like lever 40, the fitting from the surface opposite to the lever 40 is prevented.
[0029]
Further, in the both side portions of the lower wall 13 of the holder 11, if both the guide ribs 23 are provided at the side end positions and there is no stepped portion, if this portion is strongly pressed against the hood portion 53, There is a possibility that the holder 11 will be deeply fitted while the wall surface is bent outward. The holder 11 is less likely to be fitted by being hooked on the portion.
[0030]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment 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, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, the housing fitted to the mating hood portion is exemplified as a holder of a split connector with a lever. However, the present invention is not a lever type or other type of connector that is not a split connector. It can also be applied to.
(2) According to the present invention, guide ribs may be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of one housing, and the hooks may be provided on both surfaces.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state before a female connector and a male connector are fitted in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the holder. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the holder. Front view [Fig. 5] Horizontal sectional view showing the state before the female connector and male connector are mated [Fig. 6] Horizontal sectional view showing the initial mating state of the female connector and male connector [Fig. 7] Horizontal sectional view showing the state where the female connector and the male connector are completely mated [FIG. 8] Vertical sectional view showing the state where the female connector and the male connector are completely mated [FIG. 9] Restriction of fitting Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the fitting of the female connector to the hood portion is restricted by the wall. Fig. 10 shows a state in which the fitting of the female connector to the hood portion is restricted by the fitting restriction wall. Fig. 11 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the hook part. FIG. 12A is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the fitting of the female connector to the hood portion is restricted. FIG. 12A is a longitudinal sectional view showing the connector in the conventional example. FIG. Sectional view showing the state of fitting in the part 【Explanation of symbols】
10: Female connector 11 ... Holder (one housing)
18 ... Accommodating chamber 23 ... Guide rib 24 ... Hook 26 ... Insertion restricting wall 27 ... Sub connector 40 ... Lever 50 ... Male connector 51 ... Housing (the other housing)
53 ... Food part 56 ... Receiving groove

Claims (3)

A connector comprising a pair of housings, one of which is in the shape of a horizontally elongated box, and is fitted into a rectangular tube-shaped hood provided in the other housing,
The pair of side walls of the one housing protrudes rearward from the rear end portion in the fitting direction, and a pair of the housing capable of restricting fitting of the housing into the hood portion from the side different from the original fitting surface. The fitting restriction wall is integrally formed,
One wall surface in the height direction of the one housing has a front-rear length dimension smaller than a height dimension inside the hood portion, and the front and rear sides of the both side walls including the fitting restriction wall The length dimension is made larger than the inner height dimension of the hood part, and a lever for fitting the two housings by a cam action with the other housing is attached to the one housing. The lever is in the form of a single plate along the other wall surface in the height direction of the housing and is sandwiched between the other wall surface and a wall surface parallel thereto.
In addition, the fitting restriction wall is configured to restrict fitting into the hood portion from a surface opposite to the lever, and a pair of wall surfaces sandwiching the lever and the fitting restriction wall are provided. A connector characterized by protruding rearward by the same dimension.   2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the one housing has a frame shape including a housing chamber capable of housing a plurality of sub-connectors. A guide rib that can be engaged with a recess in a receiving groove provided on the inner surface of the hood portion is formed along the front-rear direction on a side portion on the other surface in the height direction of the one housing. the connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the latching portion of the step shape is formed by being arranged at a position spaced from the side end of the housing.

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