Connector

Abstract

To improve operability of a detection member.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: a housing 20; a detection member 50 which can be pushed in forward into the housing 20 from a standby position to a detection position; and a cover 40 fitted to a rear end portion of the housing 20. The cover 40 has: a cover lock part 41; a vertical part 42 provided at a rear end of the cover lock part 41; and a tapered part 43 continuous from the vertical part 42. A rear end of the detection member 50 at the standby position is disposed at a position which is in rear of the vertical part 42 and is along the tapered part 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] As a connector equipped with a mating detection member, for example, the female connector described in JP 2022-32086 A (Patent Document 1 below) is known. This female connector includes a female housing in which a female terminal (not shown) is housed, and a mating detection member that detects the mating state. The female housing includes a CPA housing portion that houses the mating detection member. The CPA housing portion has a bottom wall and a pair of protective walls that extend vertically from both ends of the bottom wall. The mating detection member has an operating portion as a main body. By pressing the operating portion with a finger, the mating detection member slides from the provisional locking position to the full locking position, and it is detected that the male connector and the female connector are mated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-32086 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above connector, a pair of protective walls are arranged on the left and right sides of the operation part, and a bottom wall is arranged below the operation part, making it difficult to place a finger on the operation part. For example, in an environment where the connector cannot be seen directly, it becomes extremely difficult to place a finger on the operation part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector comprising a housing, a detection member having a push-in portion that can be moved relative to the housing from a standby position to a detection position when the push-in portion is pushed forward, and a cover attached to the rear end of the housing, wherein the cover comprises a cover lock portion, a vertical portion provided at the rear end of the cover lock portion, and a tapered portion continuing from the vertical portion, and the rear end of the detection member in the standby position is arranged behind the vertical portion and in a position along the tapered portion. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the operability of the detection member can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector with a lever in an initial position, as viewed obliquely from the front. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the connector with the lever in the initial position. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the connector with the lever in the completed position and the detection member in the standby position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the connector with the lever in the completed position and the detection member in the detection position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which a finger is brought into contact with the enlarged pressing surface of the detection member while moving along the tapered portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which a finger is placed against the pressing surface of the detection member and pressed in. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state before a cover is attached to the rear end portion of the housing. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view of the cover. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the locking structure between the cover and the housing. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state in which a finger is hooked on the protruding portion of the detection member at the detection position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a finger is placed on the pressing surface and the pressing enlargement surface of the detection member. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the detection member as viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the detection member at the standby position. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the detection member at the detection position. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the lever lock portion when the detector is in the standby position. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the lever lock portion when the detector is in the detection position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure includes a housing, a detection member having a push-in portion that is movable relative to the housing from a standby position to a detection position when the push-in portion is pushed forward, and a cover attached to a rear end of the housing, wherein the cover includes a cover lock portion, a vertical portion provided at a rear end of the cover lock portion, and a tapered portion continuing from the vertical portion, and the rear end of the detection member in the standby position is disposed rear of the vertical portion and along the tapered portion.

[0009] When pushing the detection member from the standby position to the detection position, the finger can be placed on the tapered portion of the cover and then moved along the tapered portion to contact the rear end of the detection member. Once the finger touches the rear end of the detection member, the finger can be slid from there to move to the pushing portion. In this way, for example, in an environment where the connector cannot be directly seen with the naked eye, the position of the detection member can be accurately grasped and the pushing portion can be pushed forward, improving the operability of the detection member.

[0010] [2] In the above [1], it is preferable that the detection member comprises a detection arm and a push-in portion connected to a rear end of the detection arm and having a push-in surface, and that a push-in enlargement surface continuing from the push-in surface is formed at a corner of the push-in portion facing the tapered portion. When the finger is moved along the tapered portion, it comes into contact with the enlarged pressing surface, making it easier to place the finger on the detection member. Then, by moving the finger from the enlarged pressing surface to the pressing surface, the detection member can be pressed forward.

[0011] [3] In the above item [2], it is preferable that the pressing portion is elongated in the width direction, and a pair of protruding portions are formed at both ends of the pressing portion in the width direction, extending diagonally rearward from the pressing surface. When the detection member is pulled out from the detection position to the standby position, the finger can be hooked on the protruding portion, so that the operation of pulling out the detection member can be easily performed.

[0012] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ in each drawing. Furthermore, "parallel," "vertical," and "orthogonal" in this specification do not only mean strictly parallel, vertical, or orthogonal, but also include roughly parallel, vertical, or orthogonal within the range of the action and effect of this embodiment.

[0013] In each drawing, three mutually perpendicular directions are shown, and the three directions are respectively indicated as a front-rear direction X, a left-right direction Y, and a top-bottom direction Z. That is, the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y are mutually perpendicular, the left-right direction Y and the top-bottom direction Z are mutually perpendicular, and the top-bottom direction Z and the front-rear direction X are mutually perpendicular. The front-rear direction X is based on the mating direction of the connector, with the mating surface side of the connector as the front side, and the left-right direction Y and the top-bottom direction Z are based on the up-down, left-right, and right directions when viewed from the mating surface side.

[0014] In addition, the term "cylindrical" used in the description of this specification does not only refer to a cylindrical shape having a continuous wall formed around the entire circumference, but also includes a cylindrical shape formed by combining multiple parts, and a C-shape having a notch in a part of the circumference. In addition, the shape of a "cylindrical shape" includes a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon with sharp or rounded corners.

[0015] In addition, the term "ring" in this specification refers to any closed shape whose outer edge is connected by straight lines or curves, including a circular ring whose outer edge is a circular shape, an elliptical or oval ring whose outer edge is a polygonal ring, and a ring whose outer edge is a rounded polygonal shape. The term "ring" includes rings whose outer edge and inner edge are the same shape, and rings whose outer edge and inner edge are different shapes. The term "ring" includes rings whose outer edge and inner edge are a predetermined length extending along the central axis, regardless of the length. In addition, the term "annular" in this specification refers to rings whose entire shape can be regarded as a ring, and includes rings whose outer edge has a notch or slit in a part, such as a C-shape.

[0016] In addition, "facing" in this specification refers to surfaces or members facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. In addition, "facing" in this specification includes both cases where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0017] <Embodiment> (Connector 10 Configuration) The connector 10 is a connector that can be mated with a mating connector (not shown). The mating connector has a mating housing (not shown) that holds male terminals (not shown). The mating housing is cylindrical and opens forward. The male terminals are provided to protrude forward from the back wall of the mating housing.

[0018] 1 and 2, the connector 10 includes a housing 20 having a lock arm 30, a cover 40, a detection member 50, and a lever 60. Materials for the housing 20, the cover 40, the detection member 50, and the lever 60 can include insulating resin materials.

[0019] (Configuration of housing 20) 1, the housing 20 includes a housing main body 21 in which female terminals (not shown) to be connected to male terminals are housed and held, and a front holder 22 attached to the front side of the housing main body 21. The front holder 22 opens toward the rear and is fitted from the front onto the housing main body 21. The front holder 22 is formed with a plurality of terminal insertion holes 23 into which the male terminals are inserted.

[0020] A pair of lock protection walls 24 are formed on both side edges on the upper side of the housing body 21. A lock arm 30 is formed between the pair of lock protection walls 24. As shown in Fig. 15, the lock arm 30 includes a base end 31 connected to the upper surface of the housing body 21, an arm portion 32 extending rearward from the base end 31, and a lock receiving portion 33 formed on a rear end 32A of the arm portion 32.

[0021] The arm portion 32 is capable of swinging up and down with the base end portion 31 as the base end. The lock receiving portion 33 is capable of displacing up and down in association with the swinging of the arm portion 32. The lock receiving portion 33 is elastically displaced downward by a lever lock portion 63 (described later) during the rotation of the lever 60, and is displaced back upward and can be engaged with the lever lock portion 63 when the rotation of the lever 60 is completed.

[0022] 1, the rear end 32A of the arm portion 32 is formed to protrude upward. A pair of lock receiving portions 33 are provided on the upper surface of the rear end 32A of the arm portion 32. A pair of mounting portions 24A, to which a detection member 50 is attached on the inside, are formed on both the left and right sides of the rear end 32A of the arm portion 32. The mounting portions 24A constitute a part of the lock protection wall 24, and are formed at the rear end of the lock protection wall 24.

[0023] (Lever 60) As shown in FIG. 1, the lever 60 is generally U-shaped. The lever 60 includes a pair of plate-shaped portions 61, an operating portion 62 that connects the pair of plate-shaped portions 61, and a lever lock portion 63 that protrudes from the operating portion 62. The two plate-shaped portions 61 are arranged opposite each other. The plate-shaped portion 61 is formed with an axial hole 61A that penetrates the plate-shaped portion 61 and a cam groove 61B that is recessed from the outer surface of the plate-shaped portion 61 in the thickness direction (left-right direction) of the plate-shaped portion 61. The cam groove 61B has an entrance 61B1 located at the outer edge of the plate-shaped portion 61, and extends in a generally arc shape from the entrance 61B1 to approach the axial hole 61A. The entrance 61B1 is an opening for receiving a cam pin (not shown) of a mating connector into the cam groove 61B.

[0024] A shaft portion 21A is formed on a side surface of the housing main body 21. One shaft portion 21A is disposed on each side surface of the housing main body 21. The shaft portion 21A is received in the shaft hole 61A of the lever 60, so that the lever 60 is rotatably supported relative to the housing 20. The lever 60 is rotatable between an initial position shown in FIG. 2 and a completed position shown in FIG. 3.

[0025] 1 and 15, the lever lock portion 63 is formed to protrude inward toward the shaft hole 61A from the inner surface of the operating portion 62. When the lever lock portion 63 engages with the lock receiving portion 33 of the housing 20, the lever 60 is held in the completion position and the connector 10 and the mating connector are held in the completed mating state.

[0026] (detection member 50) 12, the detection member 50 includes a pair of detection arms 51 and a push-in portion 52 connected to the rear ends of the pair of detection arms 51. The push-in portion 52 has a push-in surface 53. The push-in surface 53 is formed on the outer surface of the push-in portion 52 on the side opposite the pair of detection arms 51. A locking protrusion 51A is formed at a position near the front end of the detection arm 51. The locking protrusion 51A has a semi-locking shape (when viewed from the Y direction, the front and rear inclined surfaces have a gentle shape) and protrudes upward from the detection arm 51.

[0027] The pressing portion 52 is elongated in the left-right direction (Y direction), and a pair of overhanging portions 54 are formed at both left-right ends of the pressing portion 52, extending diagonally rearward from the pressing surface 53. An enlarged pressing surface 55 continuing to the pressing surface 53 is formed at the corners (corners facing the tapered portion 43 described later) located at the rear portions of the lower ends of the pressing portion 52 and the pair of overhanging portions 54.

[0028] 1, the detection arm 51 is attached to a mounting portion 24A of the housing 20. The mounting portion 24A has mounting holes 24B into which the detection arm 51 is inserted. By inserting the pair of detection arms 51 into the pair of mounting holes 24B from the rear, the detection member 50 can move in the front-rear direction between a standby position shown in FIG. 3 and a detection position shown in FIG. 4.

[0029] 13, a temporary locking portion 51B is formed behind the locking projection 51A of the detection arm 51. The temporary locking portion 51B protrudes upward from the detection arm 51. A hollow portion that opens downward is formed in a portion of the detection arm 51 rearward of the temporary locking portion 51B.

[0030] The temporary locking portion 51B is accommodated inside the mounting hole 24B of the housing 20. A temporary locking projection 24C is formed at the rear end of the upper surface of the inner wall that constitutes the mounting hole 24B. The temporary locking projection 24C protrudes downward from the upper surface of the inner wall of the mounting hole 24B. The temporary locking portion 51B of the detection member 50 locks with the temporary locking projection 24C of the housing 20 from the front, so that the detection member 50 is held in the standby position without being pulled out rearward.

[0031] 1, the detection arm 51 passes through the mounting hole 24B of the mounting portion 24A and is housed in the mounting groove 25 formed between the lock arm 30 and the lock protection wall 24. A locking portion 25A is formed in the mounting groove 25. The locking projection 51A of the detection arm 51 locks with the locking portion 25A from behind. This holds the detection member 50 in the standby position and prevents it from moving to the detection position.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 13, the front surface of the locking projection 51A of the detection arm 51 is tapered. Therefore, when the detection member 50 is pushed forward, the detection arm 51 is elastically deformed and the locking projection 51A is displaced downward. When the detection member 50 is pushed forward in this state, the locking projection 51A passes over the locking portion 25A and the detection arm 51 elastically returns to its original position, so that the locking projection 51A is locked to the locking portion 25A from the front, as shown in Fig. 14. This holds the detection member 50 in the detection position and prevents it from moving to the standby position.

[0033] 15, a flexure space 34 into which the detection member 50 can enter from the rear is formed below the lock arm 30. When the detection member 50 is in the standby position, the detection member 50 is located behind the flexure space 34, making it possible to flex the lock arm 30 downward. When the lock arm 30 flexes downward, the engagement between the lever lock portion 63 and the lock receiving portion 33 is released, allowing the lever 60 to rotate to the initial position (i.e., separation of the connector 10 and the mating connector).

[0034] 16, when the detection member 50 is in the detection position, the lock arm 30 cannot be bent downward because the detection member 50 is located in the bending space 34. Therefore, the engagement between the lever lock portion 63 and the lock receiving portion 33 cannot be released, and the lever 60 is held in the completion position.

[0035] (Cover 40) The cover 40 guides the electric wires drawn rearward from the housing 20 in a predetermined direction and protects the electric wires. The cover 40 of this embodiment is generally cylindrical and opens rearward and sideward. As shown in Fig. 8, the cover 40 includes a pair of upper and lower cover locking portions 41, a vertical portion 42 provided at the rear end of the upper cover locking portion 41, and a tapered portion 43 continuing from the vertical portion 42.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 7, the cover locking portion 41 has a shape that is long in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 9, a pair of holding protrusions 41A are formed on both ends of the cover locking portion 41. Meanwhile, the housing 20 is formed with an entry space 26 into which the cover locking portion 41 enters from the left-right direction. A holding receiving portion 26A that engages with the holding protrusion 41A is formed on an inner wall that constitutes the entry space 26. The cover 40 is held at the rear end portion of the housing 20 by the holding protrusion 41A engaging with the holding receiving portion 26A.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 8, the upper cover lock portion 41 protrudes forward from the upper end of the vertical portion 42. The tapered portion 43 is formed in a tapered shape that tapers downward from the lower end of the vertical portion 42 toward the rear. As shown in Fig. 3, the rear end of the vertical portion 42 is located at approximately the same position in the front-rear direction as the rear end of the mounting portion 24A to which the detection member 50 is attached.

[0038] The pushing portion 52 of the detection member 50 protrudes downward further than the detection arm 51. The lower end of the pushing portion 52 is located at the same position as or slightly lower than the center of the vertical portion 42 in the up-down direction. In other words, the pushing portion 52 is located behind the vertical portion 42. The lower end of the pushing portion 52 is also disposed at a position along the tapered portion 43. The expanding pushing surface 55 of the pushing portion 52 is formed at a corner of the pushing portion 52 facing the tapered portion 43.

[0039] (Method of operating the detection member 50) First, a method of attaching the detection member 50 to the housing 20 will be described. As shown in Fig. 9, the pair of detection arms 51 are inserted into the pair of attachment holes 24B of the housing 20 from the rear. As shown in Fig. 13, when the detection member 50 reaches the standby position, the temporary locking projections 24C are locked to the temporary locking portions 51B from the front, thereby preventing the detection member 50 from moving backward. Furthermore, the locking projections 51A are locked to the locking portions 25A from the rear, thereby preventing the detection member 50 from moving forward.

[0040] After the detection member 50 is attached to the housing 20 in the standby position, the lever 60 is assembled to the housing 20. The lever 60 is assembled to the housing 20 from above while deforming the pair of plate-like portions 61 so as to move them away from each other. After the cover 40 is attached to the housing 20 with the lever 60 held in the completed position, the lever 60 is set to the initial position.

[0041] When connector 10 and the mating connector are shallowly mated, the cam pin of the mating connector enters cam groove 61B of lever 60. When lever 60 rotates from the initial position to the completion position, the cam pin moves along cam groove 61B, thereby progressing the mating of connector 10 and the mating connector. When lever 60 reaches the completion position, mating of connector 10 and the mating connector is completed, and the terminals of both are electrically connected to each other.

[0042] Next, the detection member 50, which serves as a mating assurance member, is moved from the standby position to the detection position. The operation of moving the detection member 50 may be performed in an environment where it cannot be seen directly, for example, when the connector 10 is hidden behind another member, with only one hand inserted behind the other member. In such a case, it may be extremely difficult to place a finger on the pushing portion 52 of the detection member 50.

[0043] 5, in this embodiment, a finger is placed on tapered portion 43 and moved along tapered portion 43, so that the finger can be surely brought into contact with push-in portion 52 of detection member 50. In particular, in this embodiment, the pad of the finger is brought into contact with enlarged push-in surface 55 of push-in portion 52. This makes it extremely easy to bring the finger into contact with push-in portion 52 of detection member 50.

[0044] Next, the pad of the finger is moved to the center of the pressing surface 53 by sliding the finger slightly upward. At this time, as shown in Fig. 11, the pad of the finger can be hooked on the protruding portion 54, so that the finger can be firmly placed against the pressing surface 53. Then, as shown in Fig. 6, the finger is pushed forward to move the detection member 50 to the detection position. As described above, the completion of mating of the connector 10 and the mating connector can be detected by the detection member 50 moving to the detection position.

[0045] In addition, when moving the detection member 50 from the detection position to the standby position, as shown in FIG. 10, the fingers can be hooked on the protruding portions 54, and more specifically, the pair of protruding portions 54 can be pinched and grasped between the index finger and thumb, making it easy to pull out the detection member 50.

[0046] (Effects of the embodiment) (1) The connector 10 of the present disclosure is a connector 10 including a housing 20, a detection member 50 having a pushing portion 52 and movable relative to the housing 20 from a standby position to a detection position when the pushing portion 52 is pushed forward, and a cover 40 attached to the rear end of the housing 20, wherein the cover 40 includes a cover locking portion 41, a vertical portion 42 provided at the rear end of the cover locking portion 41, and a tapered portion 43 continuing from the vertical portion 42, and the rear end of the detection member 50 in the standby position is disposed rear of the vertical portion 42 and along the tapered portion 43.

[0047] When pushing the detection member 50 from the standby position to the detection position, a finger can be placed on the tapered portion 43 of the cover 40 and then moved along the tapered portion 43 to contact the rear end of the detection member 50. Once the finger touches the rear end of the detection member 50, the finger can be slid from there to move to the pushing portion. In this way, for example, in an environment where the connector 10 cannot be directly seen with the naked eye, the position of the detection member 50 can be accurately grasped and the pushing portion 52 can be pushed forward, improving the operability of the detection member 50.

[0048] (2) The detection member 50 comprises a detection arm 51 and a push-in portion 52 connected to the rear end of the detection arm 51 and having a push-in surface 53, and it is preferable that a push-in expansion surface 55 continuing from the push-in surface 53 is formed at the corner of the push-in portion 52 facing the tapered portion 43. When the finger is moved along the tapered portion 43, it comes into contact with the enlarged push-in surface 55, making it easier to place the finger on the detection member 50. Then, by moving the finger from the enlarged push-in surface 55 to the push-in surface 53, the detection member 50 can be pushed forward.

[0049] (3) It is preferable that the pressing portion 52 is elongated in the width direction, and a pair of protruding portions 54 are formed on both ends of the pressing portion 52 in the width direction so as to extend obliquely rearward beyond the pressing surface 53. When the detection member 50 is pulled out from the detection position to the standby position, the finger can be hooked on the protruding portion 54, so that the operation of pulling out the detection member 50 can be easily performed.

[0050] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the enlarged indentation surface 55 is formed on both the indentation portion 52 and the protruding portion 54, but the enlarged indentation surface may be formed only on the indentation portion 52.

[0052] In the above embodiment, a pair of protruding portions 54 is formed at both left and right ends of the push-in portion 52, but a protruding portion may be formed on only one of them.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the connector 10 is provided with the lever 60, but the connector may not be provided with the lever 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10: Connector 20: Housing 21: Housing body 21A: Shaft part 22: Front holder 23: Terminal insertion hole 24: Rock Protection Wall 24A: Mounting part 24B: Mounting hole 24C: Temporary locking protrusion 25: Mounting groove 25A: Locking part 26: Approach space 26A: Retaining part 30: Lock Arm 31: Proximal end 32: Arm section 32A: Rear end 33: Lock receiving part 34: Flexure space 40: Cover 41: Cover lock part 41A: Retaining protrusion 42:Vertical part 43: Tapered section 50:Detection member 51: Detection arm 51A: Locking protrusion 51B: Temporary locking part 52: Push-in section 53: Push-in surface 54: Overhang 55: Pressed expansion surface 60: Lever 61: Plate-shaped part 61A: Shaft hole 61B: Cam groove 61B1:Entrance 62:Operation unit 63: Lever lock part

Claims

1. Housing and a detection member having a push portion and movable from a standby position to a detection position relative to the housing when the push portion is pushed forward; a cover attached to a rear end of the housing, the cover includes a cover lock portion, a vertical portion provided at a rear end of the cover lock portion, and a tapered portion continuing from the vertical portion, A connector, wherein a rear end of the detection member in the standby position is disposed behind the vertical portion and along the tapered portion.

2. The detection member includes a detection arm and the pushing portion connected to a rear end of the detection arm and having a pushing surface, The connector according to claim 1 , wherein an enlarged push-in surface is formed on a corner of the push-in portion facing the tapered portion, the corner being continuous with the push-in surface.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the pushing portion is elongated in a width direction, and a pair of protruding portions are formed on both widthwise ends of the pushing portion so as to extend obliquely rearward beyond the pushing surface.

Images