Connector

Abstract

When the rod is assembled on the shell, whether the rod is located at the rotation starting position or not can be detected. A connector (10) is provided with: a housing (20) fitted to a mating housing (110); a lever (30) which is attached to the housing (20) so as to be rotatable between a rotation start position and a rotation completion position, and which engages the housing (20) with the counterpart housing (110) by rotation from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position; and a detection unit (70) that detects whether or not the lever (30) is located at the rotation start position when the lever (30) is assembled to the housing (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. Background Art

[0002] The lever-type connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises: a first housing and a second housing that fit together; a lever mounted on the first housing and rotatable between an initial position and a mating position; and a slide mounted on the first housing and capable of parallel movement between a mating start position and a mating completion position. The slide is provided with a cam groove, and a cam follower formed on the second housing is allowed to enter the cam groove when the slide is located at the mating start position, and the cam follower is slidably engaged with the cam groove during the movement from the mating start position to the mating completion position. By rotating the lever from the initial position to the mating position, the slide is moved from the mating start position to the mating completion position, and by making the cam follower slideably engage with the cam groove, the second housing is pulled toward the first housing and mated therewith. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-195400 Summary of the invention Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] In a structure including a rod and a driven member driven by the rod as in Patent Document 1, it is assumed that when the rod is to be assembled to the driven member, the relative rotation position of the rod with respect to the driven member is not in the normal position (initial position). In such a case, after the rod is assembled to the driven member, even if the rod is rotated from the initial position to the mating position, it is possible that the driven member cannot be moved to the mating completion position. In this case, the two housings are in a semi-mated state.

[0005] The connector of the present invention has been completed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to detect whether or not the lever is at the rotation start position when the lever is assembled to the housing. Solutions to Solve Problems

[0006] The connector of the present invention comprises: A housing, engaged with a housing on the other side; a lever rotatably assembled to the housing between a rotation start position and a rotation completion position, wherein the housing is engaged with the counterpart housing by rotating from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position; and The detection unit detects whether the lever is located at the rotation start position when the lever is assembled to the housing. Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, when the lever is assembled to the housing, it is possible to detect whether the lever is at the rotation start position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector of Example 1. Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the connector. Figure 3 This is a side view showing a state in which the lever assembled to the wire cover is located at a rotation start position. Figure 4 This is a side view showing a state in which the lever located at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body. Figure 5 It is a side cross-sectional view of the shell body. Figure 6 It is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the slider is located at a mating start position and the connector and the mating connector are not mated with each other. Figure 7 Indicates the holding state and release state of the holding unit. Figure 6 The AA line is an enlarged top view of the section. Figure 8 It is a side cross-sectional view showing a state where the connector and the mating connector are fitted together. Fig. 9 This is a side view showing a state in which the lever assembled to the wire cover is located at a position deviated from the rotation start position. Fig.10 This is a side view showing a state in which the lever located at a position offset from the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body. Fig.11 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the force applied to the pin when the lever located at a position offset from the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Invention] First, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples. [1] A connector comprising: A housing, engaged with a housing on the other side; a lever rotatably assembled to the housing between a rotation start position and a rotation completion position, wherein the housing is engaged with the counterpart housing by rotating from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position; and The detection unit detects whether the lever is located at the rotation start position when the lever is assembled to the housing. According to the structure of the present invention, when the lever is assembled to the housing, the detection portion can detect whether the lever is located at the rotation start position.

[0010] [2] In the connector described in [1], the detection portion includes a pin provided on the lever and a groove provided on the housing, and the groove is provided along a movement path of the pin when the lever located at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing. According to this structure, when the lever is assembled to the housing, when the lever is located at the rotation start position, the pin enters the groove, and it is possible to detect that the lever is located at the rotation start position.

[0011] [3] In the connector described in [2], the groove has an arc-shaped portion that bends along the moving path of the pin as the rod rotates. According to this structure, compared with a structure in which a wide area including the moving path of the pin is cut out, the cutout portion can be set to the minimum necessary size, so it is easy to ensure the strength of the housing.

[0012] [4] In the connector described in [3], when viewed in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rod, the rod can be assembled to the housing in a reverse manner around an imaginary axis that passes through the rotation axis and is parallel to the mating direction of the housing and the other side housing, and when viewed in the axial direction, the pin moves through the imaginary axis as the rod moves between the rotation start position and the rotation completion position. According to this structure, the rod can be assembled to the housing in a reverse manner around the imaginary axis. On this basis, since the pin moves in a manner that passes through the imaginary axis when viewed in the axial direction, the groove portion can be configured so as not to expand easily in a direction away from the rotation axis.

[0013] [5] In the connector described in any one of [1] to [4], there is a sliding member, and the sliding member moves relative to the housing from the mating start position to the mating completion position as the rod rotates from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position, so that the housing and the other side housing are mated. The sliding member has a retaining portion that retains the sliding member at the mating start position. According to this structure, the sliding member can be retained at the mating start position by the retaining portion, thereby retaining the rod at the rotation start position. Therefore, compared with a structure in which a locking mechanism is provided between the rod and the housing, troublesome operations such as unlocking are not required.

[0014] [Details of Embodiments of the Invention] [Example 1] Reference Figures 1 to 11 The connector of the first embodiment of the present invention is described. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, including all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In the first embodiment, with respect to the front and rear directions, Figure 1 , Figure 6 The positive direction of the X-axis in is defined as the front. Regarding the left and right directions, Figure 1The positive direction of the Y axis in is defined as the right direction. The left-right direction and the width direction are used synonymously. Figure 1 , Figure 6 The positive direction of the Z axis is defined as upward.

[0015] 1. Connector structure like Figure 1 As shown, the connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a housing 20, a rod 30, and a pair of slide members 40. Figure 8 As shown, the connector 10 is mated with a mating connector 100 . The mating connector 100 includes a mating housing 110 .

[0016] The housing 20 includes a housing body 50 and a wire cover 60. The housing body 50 and the wire cover 60 are made of, for example, synthetic resin. A female terminal part (not shown) is inserted into the housing body 50. The wire (not shown) connected to the terminal part is led out to the upper side of the housing body 50, and is bent in the wire cover 60 and led out to the rear of the housing 20. The rod 30 is rotatably assembled to the wire cover 60.

[0017] The housing body 50 is a structure that is symmetrical in the front-rear direction. Figure 2 As shown, a pair of left and right guide spaces 51 extending in the front-to-back direction are formed in the housing body 50. The slide member 40 is accommodated in the guide spaces 51. The pair of guide spaces 51 are located along the left and right outer wall portions 52 of the housing body 50. The front and rear ends of the guide spaces 51 are opened in the front and rear end surfaces of the housing body 50 to form a slit shape elongated in the vertical direction. Figure 7 As shown, at both front and rear ends of the guide space 51, the inner surface of the outer wall 52 (the surface facing the guide space 51) is recessed to form a stopper 54. As described later, the stopper 54 contacts the slider 40 to hold the slider 40.

[0018] The lever 30 includes an operating portion 31 and a pair of arm portions 32 that are symmetrical to the left and right. The operating portion 31 is slender in the left-right direction. The pair of arm portions 32 extend from the left and right ends of the operating portion 31. The lever 30 is a single component made of, for example, synthetic resin. A bearing hole 33 is provided in the arm portion 32. The bearing hole 33 is engaged with the shaft portion 61 of the wire cover 60. When the operating portion 31 is grasped and an operating force is applied to the lever 30, the lever 30 rotates around the shaft portion 61 of the wire cover 60 in a rotation start position (see Figure 3 , 6 ) and the rotation completion position (refer to Figure 8). In the rotation start position, the operating portion 31 is located in front of the shaft portion 61, and in the rotation completion position, the operating portion 31 is located behind the shaft portion 61. A gear 34 is formed on the inner surface of the arm portion 32, and the gear 34 is in an arc shape concentric with the bearing hole 33. The gear 34 meshes with the rack 43 of the housing body 50 described later.

[0019] The slider 40 moves parallel to the front-rear direction between the mating start position and the mating completion position where the two housings 20 and 110 are mated together as the lever 30 is operated. The slider 40 is made of synthetic resin, for example. The slider 40 has a plate-shaped main body 41 and a retaining portion 42. The slider 40 is a single component. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the plate-shaped main body 41 is a rectangular plate-shaped body that is long in the front-to-back direction. A rack 43 extending in the front-to-back direction is formed on the upper edge of the plate-shaped main body 41. Figure 2 , Figure 6 As shown, a pair of cam grooves 44 separated in the front-rear direction are provided on the inner side surface (the surface facing the other plate-like main body 41) of the plate-like main body 41. The lower ends of the cam grooves 44 are open downward.

[0020] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , a retaining portion 42 is provided on the rear end side of the plate-shaped main body portion 41. The retaining portion 42 has the function of retaining the slider 40 at the mating start position. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the holding portion 42 includes an arm-shaped locking piece 42A, a supporting portion 42B, and a release extension portion 42C. The arm-shaped locking piece 42A extends slenderly in the front-back direction. The supporting portion 42B extends from the base end of the arm-shaped locking piece 42A in the upward and downward direction. The extended end of the supporting portion 42B is connected to the plate-shaped main body 41 and supported by the plate-shaped main body 41. The release extension portion 42C extends from the base end of the arm-shaped locking piece 42A to the side opposite to the arm-shaped locking piece 42A in a cantilevered manner. The holding portion 42 can be tilted in the left and right directions with the supporting portion 42B as a fulcrum.

[0021] like Figure 4 As shown, the connector 10 includes a detection unit 70. The detection unit 70 has a function of detecting whether the lever 30 is at the rotation start position when the lever 30 is assembled to the housing body 50. The detection unit 70 includes a pin 35 provided on the lever 30, a groove 53 provided on the housing body 50, and an outer wall 52. The detection unit 70 is provided on both left and right sides of the connector 10.

[0022] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the pin 35 protrudes from the left and right outer side surfaces of the arm portion 32 (the surface on the side opposite to the other arm portion 32) in a cylindrical shape and parallel to the shaft portion 61. The pin 35 is on the rod 30 relative to the rotation axis L1 (refer to Figure 3 The pin 35 is located on the opposite side of the operating portion 31 across the bearing hole 33.

[0023] The inner surfaces (surfaces facing the guide space 51) of the left and right outer wall portions 52 of the housing body 50 are formed with groove portions 53. Here, the groove portions 53 are formed on the inner surfaces (surfaces facing the guide space 51) of the left and right outer wall portions 52 of the housing body 50. Figure 6 ) is observed in the axial direction parallel to the rotation axis L1, and an axis passing through the rotation axis L1 and parallel to the fitting direction (Z-axis direction) of the housing 20 and the counterpart housing 110 is defined as the virtual axis L2. The groove portion 53 is symmetrical in front and back with respect to the virtual axis L2.

[0024] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the groove portion 53 includes a pair of end side portions 53A and a central portion 53B disposed between the pair of end side portions 53A. The end side portions 53A extend in the up-down direction. The end side portions 53A are disposed along the moving path of the pin 35 when the rod located at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body 50. Both ends of the central portion 53B are connected to the lower ends of the end side portions 53A on both sides. The central portion 53B is an arc-shaped portion that bends along the moving path of the pin 35 as the rod 30 rotates. The central portion 53B is an arc-shaped portion that protrudes downward. The central portion 53B penetrates the outer wall portion 52 of the housing body 50 in the wall thickness direction.

[0025] 2. Structure of the other party's connector The mating connector 100 includes a mating housing 110 (see Figure 6 ) and a terminal part on the other side (not shown). The other side housing 110 has a cam follower 111 (see Figure 6 ) and release holding portion 112 (refer to Figure 7 ). A pair of cam followers 111 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the counterpart housing 110. On each of the left and right sides of the counterpart housing 110, a pair of cam followers 111 are arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction. The cam followers 111 are cylindrical protrusions. The release holding portion 112 is formed in the shape of protrusions at the front and rear ends of the left and right outer sides of the counterpart housing 110.

[0026] 3. Connector assembly process Next, the assembly process of the connector 10 is described. First, the lever 30 is rotatably assembled to the wire cover 60. Figure 3 As shown, the lever 30 is moved to the rotation start position relative to the wire cover 60 in advance. The slider 40 is accommodated in the guide space 51 of the housing body 50. The slider 40 is moved to the mating start position in advance. The slider 40 located at the mating start position is restricted from moving toward the mating completion position by the retaining portion 42 and is retained at the mating start position.

[0027] When the two connectors 10 and 100 are not mated and the slide member 40 is at the mating start position, Figure 7 As shown by the solid line, the retaining portion 42 is located at the retaining position. The arm-shaped locking piece 42A is located at a position opposite to the stopper 54 provided on the inner surface of the housing body 50 from the rear. When the slider 40 is forced toward the mating completion position, the arm-shaped locking piece 42A abuts against the stopper 54, thereby restricting the movement of the slider 40.

[0028] Next, the rod 30 and the wire cover 60 are assembled to the housing body 50. At this time, the detection unit 70 can detect whether the rod 30 is at the rotation start position. Since one (rear) end portion 53A of the pair of end portions 53A of the groove portion 53 is arranged along the movement path of the pin 35 when the rod 30 at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body 50, Figure 3 When the rod 30 is in the rotation start position, Figure 4 As shown by the solid line, the pin 35 enters the end portion 53A. Therefore, it can be detected that the lever 30 is at the rotation start position. When the pin 35 enters the end portion 53A and the lever 30 and the wire cover 60 are properly assembled to the housing body 50, the gear 34 of the lever 30 and the rack 43 of the housing body 50 are meshed.

[0029] On the other hand, Fig. 9 As shown, when the rod 30 is located at a position offset from the rotation start position, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the pin 35 interferes with the upper edge 55 (the portion where the end side portion 53A is not opened) of the outer wall portion 52 of the housing body 50. Therefore, the pin 35 does not enter the end side portion 53A, and it can be detected that the lever 30 is not at the rotation start position.

[0030] 4. The process of fitting the connector to the other connector Next, the mating process of the connector 10 and the mating connector 100 is described. With the lever 30 at the rotation start position and the slider 40 held at the mating start position, the mating housing 110 is mated into the housing body 50 from below. Figure 6 As shown, the cam follower 111 enters the cam groove 44. During the process of the other side housing 110 entering, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the release holding portion 112 presses the release extension portion 42C. By this pressing action, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the holding portion 42 moves to the holding release position (see Figure 7 The arm-shaped stopper 42A is tilted to a position away from the stopper 54 (a position inward in the left-right direction than the stopper 54). As a result, the slider 40 is released from the holding state of the housing body 50 and becomes movable to the mating completion position side.

[0031] Then, the operating portion 31 of the lever 30 is grasped to rotate the lever 30 from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position. As the lever 30 is operated, the slider 40 moves from the mating start position to the mating completion position, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 100 are pulled closer together by the sliding of the cam groove 44 and the cam follower 111. Figure 8 As shown, when the lever 30 reaches the rotation completion position and the slider 40 reaches the mating completion position, the mating of the connector 10 and the counterpart connector 100 is completed.

[0032] When the mating connector 10 and the mating connector 100 are to be separated, the lever 30 is rotated from the rotation completion position to the rotation start position. By this operation, the slider 40 moves from the mating completion position to the mating start position, and the connector 10 and the mating connector 100 are separated by the sliding of the cam groove 44 and the cam follower 111.

[0033] 5. Reverse assembly of the rod As described above, the housing body 50 has a symmetrical structure in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the rod 30 can be assembled to the housing 20 in a reversed manner around the above-mentioned virtual axis L2.

[0034] When viewed in the axial direction, the pin 35 moves through the imaginary axis L2 as the rod 30 moves between the rotation start position and the rotation completion position. Figure 4 As shown, the pin 35 is located at the position indicated by the solid line when the rod 30 is at the rotation start position, and is located at the position indicated by the single-dot chain line when the rod 30 is at the rotation completion position. With such a structure, the moving path of the pin 35 can be arranged to cross the center (virtual axis L2) of the front-to-back direction of the housing body 50. As a result, the groove 53 is not easily enlarged in the front-to-back direction, and the dimension in the front-to-back direction can be set to the necessary minimum.

[0035] 6. Guide the rod to the starting position of rotation It can also be constructed as: Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the rod 30 is located at a position offset from the rotation start position toward the rotation completion position, the rod 30 is guided to rotate to the rotation start position when the rod 30 is to be assembled to the housing body 50. Fig.11 As shown in the figure, when the pin 35 interferes with the upper edge 55 of the outer wall portion 52 of the housing body 50, the pin 35 receives an upward force F1 from the upper edge 55. When the force F1 is decomposed into components in each direction, the component of the force F1 in the direction toward the rotation axis L1 is the force F2, and the component in the direction orthogonal to the direction toward the rotation axis L1 is the force F3. The force F3 is a force that rotates the rod 30 toward the rotation start position. Therefore, by continuing to press the rod 30 downward, the rod 30 can be guided to the rotation start position, and the pin 35 can enter the end side portion 53A.

[0036] 7. Effects of Example 1 The connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a detection unit 70, and when the lever 30 and the wire cover 60 are assembled to the housing body 50, the detection unit 70 detects whether the lever 30 is at the rotation start position. Therefore, when the lever 30 and the wire cover 60 are assembled to the housing body 50, the detection unit 70 can detect whether the lever 30 is at the rotation start position.

[0037] The detection unit 70 of the first embodiment includes a pin 35 provided on the rod 30, a groove 53 provided on the housing body 50, and an outer wall 52. The end side portion 53A of the groove 53 is provided along the movement path of the pin 35 when the rod 30 located at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing body 50. According to this structure, when the rod 30 and the wire cover 60 are assembled to the housing body 50, when the rod 30 is located at the rotation start position, the pin 35 enters the groove 53 (end side portion 53A), and it is possible to detect that the rod 30 is located at the rotation start position.

[0038] The groove portion 53 of the first embodiment includes an arc-shaped portion (central portion 53B) that bends along the moving path of the pin 35 as the rod 30 rotates. According to this structure, compared with a structure in which a wide area including the moving path of the pin 35 is cut out, the cutout portion can be set to the minimum necessary size, so it is easy to ensure the strength of the housing body 50.

[0039] The rod 30 of the first embodiment can be assembled to the housing body 50 in a reverse manner with the imaginary axis L2 passing through the rotation axis L1 and parallel to the mating direction of the housing 20 and the counterpart housing 110 as the center when the rod 30 is observed in the axial direction in parallel with the rotation axis L1 of the rod 30. When observed in the axial direction, the pin 35 moves through the imaginary axis L2 as the rod 30 moves between the rotation start position and the rotation completion position. According to this structure, the rod 30 can be assembled to the housing body 50 in a reverse manner with the imaginary axis L2 as the center. On this basis, since the pin 35 moves in a manner passing through the imaginary axis L2 when observed in the axial direction, the groove portion 53 can be configured so as not to expand in the direction that is not easily separated from the imaginary axis L2 to the front and rear.

[0040] The connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a slider 40, and the slider 40 moves relative to the housing body 50 from the mating start position to the mating completion position as the rod 30 rotates from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position, so that the housing 20 is mated with the counterpart housing 110. The slider 40 includes a retaining portion 42 for retaining the slider 40 at the mating start position. According to this structure, the slider 40 can be retained at the mating start position by the retaining portion 42, thereby retaining the rod 30 at the rotation start position. Therefore, compared with a structure in which a locking mechanism is provided between the rod 30 and the housing 20, troublesome operations such as unlocking are not required.

[0041] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in the above description and drawings, but is shown by the claims. The present invention includes all modifications within the meaning and protection scope equivalent to the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. In the first embodiment, the housing 20 is composed of the housing body 50 and the wire cover 60, but a housing of a single component may be used. In this case, a groove is provided in the housing, and the pin of the lever and the groove of the housing constitute the detection unit. In the first embodiment, the connector 10 may be configured without a slider. In this case, the cam follower provided on one of the lever and the mating housing may slide in the cam groove provided on the other of the lever and the mating housing to fit the two housings together. In the first embodiment, the rod is provided with a pin and the housing is provided with a groove, but the housing may be provided with a pin and the rod may be provided with a groove. The pin moves in the groove, so that the rod rotates relative to the housing. In the first embodiment, the groove 53 includes portions extending vertically (a pair of end portions 53A), but may not include such portions and may be in an arc shape convex downward as a whole. Description of Reference Numerals

[0042] 10: Connector 20: Shell 30: Rod 31: Operation Department 32: Arm 33: Bearing hole 34: Gear 35: Pin 40: Sliding parts 41: Plate-shaped main body 42: Maintaining Department 42A: Arm-shaped stopper 42B: Supporting part 42C: Release extension 43: Rack 44: Cam groove 50: Shell body 51: Guiding Space 52: Outer wall 53: Groove 53A: End side 53B: Central part 54: Stopper 55: Upper edge 60: Wire cover 61: Axis 70: Inspection Department 100: Connector on the other side 110: Other side housing 111: Cam follower 112: Release the holding unit L1: Rotation axis L2: Imaginary axis

Claims

1. A connector having: A housing, engaged with a housing on the other side; a lever rotatably assembled to the housing between a rotation start position and a rotation completion position, wherein the housing is engaged with the counterpart housing by rotating from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position; and The detection unit detects whether the lever is located at the rotation start position when the lever is assembled to the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: The detection unit has A pin disposed on the rod and A groove portion provided in the housing, The groove portion is provided along a movement path of the pin when the lever located at the rotation start position is assembled to the housing.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein: The groove portion includes an arc-shaped portion that curves along a moving path of the pin as the lever rotates.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein: The rod can be assembled to the housing in a reverse manner around a virtual axis passing through the rotation axis and parallel to the fitting direction of the housing and the counterpart housing when viewed in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rod. When viewed in the axial direction, the pin moves via the imaginary axis as the rod moves between the rotation start position and the rotation completion position.

5. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A slider is provided, wherein the slider moves relative to the housing from a mating start position to a mating completion position as the lever rotates from the rotation start position to the rotation completion position, thereby mating the housing with the counterpart housing. The slider has a holding portion that holds the slider at the fitting start position.

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