Connector fitting structure

Abstract

To realize a miniaturization of a connector fitting structure, capable of preventing a wrenched fitting.SOLUTION: A connector fitting structure 1 comprises: a male connector 6 and a female connector 2 that are fitted each other. A male connector 8 omc;ides: a male housing main body part 80 that is formed in a box shape opened to a female housing 4 side; and a prevention rib 84 that for preventing a wrenched fitting that is extended to the female housing 4 from a depth wall 88 of the male housing main body part 80. The female housing 4 includes: a female housing main body part 40 that is inserted into the inner side of the male housing main body part 80; a lock arm 43 hat is communicated with the upper surface 40a of the female housing main body part 40, and maintains a fitting state of the male connector 6 and the female connector 2 by being engaged to the male housing main body part 80; and an insertion part 44 into which the prevention rib 84 for preventing a wrenched fitting is inserted. The insertion part 44 is formed between the lock arm 43 and the female housing main body part 40, and opens to the male housing 8 side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fitting structure for a male connector and a female connector. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various types of mating structures for male and female connectors, but Patent Document 1 discloses a mating structure in which an anti-pry rib is provided on the male connector and a rib engagement groove into which the anti-pry rib is inserted is provided on the female connector. In this mating structure, the mating operation of the male and female connectors proceeds while the anti-pry rib is inserted into the rib engagement groove, thereby preventing prying during mating. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-021094 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The fitting structure of the male connector and female connector described above has room for improvement in terms of miniaturization.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a compact connector fitting structure capable of preventing twisting during fitting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a connector fitting structure comprising a male connector and a female connector which fit together, the male connector comprising a male terminal and a male housing, and the female connector comprising a female terminal and a female housing, the male housing having a male housing main body portion formed in a box shape opening toward the female housing side, and an anti-pinch rib extending from the rear wall of the male housing main body portion toward the female housing side, the female housing having a female housing main body portion inserted inside the male housing main body portion, a lock arm connected to the upper surface of the female housing main body portion and engaging with the male housing main body portion to maintain the fitted state of the male connector and the female connector, and an insertion portion into which the anti-pinch rib is inserted, the insertion portion being formed between the lock arm and the female housing main body portion and opening toward the male housing side. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the male connector and the female connector are mated while the anti-pinch rib is inserted into the insertion portion, thereby preventing prying during mating. Also, the insertion portion into which the anti-pinch rib is inserted is formed between the lock arm and the female housing main body, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a male connector and a female connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the male connector of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the male connector of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the female connector in FIG. 1 (the cover is not shown). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the lock arm of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the male connector and the female connector of FIG. 1 are mated together. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing how the anti-pry rib in FIG. 7 prevents excessive displacement of the lock arm. FIG. [Figure 9] 8 is a diagram showing how the anti-pinch rib in FIG. 7 prevents prying during fitting. FIG. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a pry prevention rib of a reference example. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a pry prevention rib of a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A connector fitting structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0010] 1, 6 to 9 includes a male connector 6 and a female connector 2 that fit together. The male connector 6 is mounted on a rigid board (not shown). The female connector 2 is surface-mounted on an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) 10.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the male connector 6 includes a male housing 8, a plurality of male terminals 7 held in the male housing 8, and a pair of pegs 20 that secure the male housing 8 to a board by soldering.

[0012] The male housing 8 is made of insulating synthetic resin and integrally includes a male housing main body 80, a pair of peg mounting portions 82, and a pry prevention rib 84.

[0013] The male housing body 80 has an upper wall 85, a lower wall 86, a pair of side walls 87, and a rear wall 88, and is formed in a box shape that opens toward the female housing 4. The space inside the male housing body 80 is referred to as the "accommodation space" and is given the reference numeral 81. The multiple male terminals 7 penetrate the rear wall 88, and one end of each is positioned in the accommodation space 81. The other end of each male terminal 7 is positioned outside the male housing 8 and connected to the board.

[0014] In this specification, the side of the male connector 6 that faces the female connector 2 in the mating direction (arrow Z direction) with the female connector 2 is defined as the "front", and the side away from the female connector 2 in the mating direction (board side) is defined as the "rear". Also, the side of the female connector 2 that faces the male connector 6 in the mating direction (arrow Z direction) is defined as the "front", and the side away from the male connector 6 in the mating direction (FPC 10 side) is defined as the "rear". Also, for convenience of explanation, "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" are expressed based on the orientation of the paper surface of the drawings. These front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right do not have to match the actual directions of the male connector 6 and the female connector 2 in the usage situation.

[0015] An upper wall 85 of the male housing main body 80 is formed with a locking hole 83 into which a protrusion 43b of a locking arm 43, which will be described later, is engaged. An inner surface of the upper wall 85 is formed with a recess 85a and a plurality of grooves 85b, 85c. The recess 85a is formed directly below the locking hole 83. A pair of grooves 85b are formed on both sides of the recess 85a. In addition, a pair of grooves 85c are formed on both ends of the upper wall 85. One side wall 89 of the male housing main body 80 is formed with an incorrect assembly prevention rib 89 that protrudes toward the accommodation space 81 side.

[0016] The pair of peg attachment parts 82 are connected to both side walls 87 of the male housing main body part 80. The pegs 20 are metal parts that are attached to the peg attachment parts 82 and soldered to the board. The pegs 20 are parts for fixing the male housing 8 to the board, and are not parts that form a circuit.

[0017] The anti-pinch rib 84 extends from the back wall 88 of the male housing main body 80 toward the female housing 4. That is, the anti-pinch rib 84 extends parallel to the male terminals 7. The anti-pinch rib 84 has an upper half positioned in the recess 85a and a lower half positioned in the accommodation space 81. The anti-pinch rib 84 is formed in a T-shape when viewed from the female connector 2 side.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the female connector 2 comprises a female housing 4, a plurality of female terminals held in the female housing 4, a pair of pegs 20 that secure the female housing 4 and the FPC 10 by soldering, and a cover 5 (shown in Figure 1) assembled to the female housing 4.

[0019] The female housing 4 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The female housing 4 integrally includes a female housing main body 40, a pair of peg mounting portions 42, a lock arm 43, and an insertion portion 44 into which an anti-pry rib 84 is inserted. The female housing main body 40 and the lock arm 43 are inserted into the inside of the male housing main body 80.

[0020] The female housing body 40 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an upper surface 40a, a lower surface 40b, a pair of side surfaces 40c, a front surface 40d, and a rear surface 40e. The female housing body 40 is formed with the same number of cavities 41 as the female terminals, each of which accommodates one end of the female terminal. The cavities 41 extend in the front-rear direction (arrow Z direction) of the female housing body 40, and are open to the front surface 40d and the rear surface 40e. The cavities 41 are aligned in the width direction (arrow X direction) of the female housing body 40, and are aligned in two rows vertically (arrow Y direction).

[0021] One end of the female terminal is inserted into the cavity 41 from the opening on the back surface 40e. The other end of the female terminal is positioned outside the female housing 4 and connected to the FPC 10. The male terminal 7 of the male connector 6 is inserted into the cavity 41 from the opening on the front surface 40d and mated with the female terminal.

[0022] Ribs 45b, 45c are formed on the upper surface 40a of the female housing body 40, which respectively enter the above-mentioned grooves 85b, 85c when mated with the male connector 6. A rib 46 is also formed on the upper surface 40a of the female housing body 40, which matches the groove 56 formed in the cover 5. One side surface 40c of the female housing body 40 is formed with an erroneous assembly prevention groove 49, which engages with the above-mentioned erroneous assembly prevention rib 89 when mated with the male connector 6.

[0023] The pair of peg attachment parts 42 are connected to both side surfaces 40c of the female housing main body 40. The peg attachment parts 42 are formed with locking projections 42a that lock onto the cover 5. The pegs 20 of the female connector 2 have substantially the same configuration as the pegs 20 of the male connector 6, and are attached to the peg attachment parts 42 and soldered to the FPC 10. The pegs 20 are components for fixing the female housing 4 and the FPC 10, and are not components that constitute a circuit.

[0024] The lock arm 43 has a plate portion 43a, a protrusion 43b, a pair of connecting portions connecting both side surfaces of the front end portion of the plate portion 43a and the top surface 40a, and an operation surface 43c. The plate portion 43a extends in the front-rear direction of the female housing 4 with a gap between it and the top surface 40a of the female housing main body portion 40. The protrusion 43b protrudes from the rear end portion of the plate portion 43a to the side opposite to the top surface 40a. The protrusion 43b engages with the above-mentioned engagement hole 83 when mated with the male connector 6. Each of the pair of connecting portions has an erected portion 43d erected vertically from the top surface 40a and a connecting portion 43e connecting the upper end of the erected portion 43d and the side surface of the front end portion of the plate portion 43a, and is configured in an L-shape. The operation surface 43c is connected to the rear end of the plate portion 43a.

[0025] When the lock arm 43 is inserted into the inside of the male housing main body 80, the plate portion 43a bends toward the upper surface 40a, and the protrusion 43b engages with the locking hole 83, thereby returning the bending of the plate portion 43a to its original state. Then, the protrusion 43b engages with the locking hole 83, thereby maintaining the mated state of the male connector 6 and the female connector 2. When the operation surface 43c of the lock arm 43 is pressed, the plate portion 43a bends toward the upper surface 40a, and the protrusion 43b comes out of the locking hole 83.

[0026] The insertion portion 44 is formed between the lock arm 43 and the female housing main body 40, and opens towards the male housing 8. A groove 44a extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the portion of the upper surface 40a of the female housing main body 40 facing the lock arm 43. The insertion portion 44 is made up of a space 44b between the plate portion 43a and the upper surface 40a, and the space within the groove 44a.

[0027] The cover 5 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The cover 5 integrally has an upper wall 50, a pair of side walls 52, a rear wall 51, and an operation portion 53 connected to the upper wall 50. The cover 5 is attached to the rear side of the female housing 4, and protects the FPC 10 by positioning the FPC 10 between the cover 5 and the female housing 4. By pressing the operation portion 53 of the cover 5, the operation surface 43c of the lock arm 43 is pressed, and the plate portion 43a can be bent in a direction to be removed from the male connector 6.

[0028] In the connector fitting structure 1 described above, the fitting operation of the male connector 6 and the female connector 2 proceeds while the anti-pry rib 84 is inserted into the insertion portion 44, so that it is possible to prevent prying during fitting. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, when the female connector 2 tries to fit into the male connector 6 while prying, the anti-pry rib 84 supports the lock arm 43 from being excessively deformed, and it is possible to prevent damage due to deformation of the lock arm 43. Since the anti-pry rib 84 is laid out near the protrusion 43b, it is more effective against damage due to deformation. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the lock arm 43 is pressed down, the lock arm 43 abuts against the anti-pry rib 84, so that it is possible to prevent excessive displacement of the lock arm 43.

[0029] Furthermore, the connector fitting structure 1 can be made compact because the insertion portion 44 into which the anti-pinch rib 84 is inserted is formed between the lock arm 43 and the female housing main body 40. That is, in the layout of Fig. 10 as a reference example (layout in which an anti-pinch rib is provided as shown by the dashed line), there are many areas in which the terminals 7 cannot be laid out, and the connector size needs to be increased to satisfy the required number of poles. Also, when an anti-pinch rib is provided between the upper and lower terminals 7 as in the layout of Fig. 11 as a reference example (layout in which an anti-pinch rib is provided as shown by the dashed line), it becomes necessary to increase the upper and lower terminal pitch H, which results in an increase in the connector size.

[0030] Furthermore, in the connector fitting structure 1, the anti-pry rib 84 also serves to prevent excessive displacement of the lock arm 43, eliminating the need to add excessive displacement prevention shapes to other parts, leading to weight reduction and cost reduction.

[0031] The above-described embodiment merely shows a typical form of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still provided even with such modifications, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1 Connector fitting structure 2 female connector 4 Female Housing 6 Male Connector 8 Male housing 43 Lock Arm 44 Insertion section 84 Anti-pry rib

Claims

1. A male connector and a female connector that mate with each other are provided, The male connector includes a male terminal and a male housing. The female connector includes a female terminal and a female housing. The male housing has a male housing main body portion formed in a box shape that opens toward the female housing side, and a pry prevention rib extending from a back wall of the male housing main body portion toward the female housing side, the female housing has a female housing body portion inserted into the inside of the male housing body portion, a lock arm connected to an upper surface of the female housing body portion and engaging with the male housing body portion to maintain a fitted state of the male connector and the female connector, and an insertion portion into which the anti-pry rib is inserted, The insertion portion is formed between the lock arm and the female housing body and opens toward the male housing. A connector fitting structure comprising:

2. The lock arm has a plate portion extending in the front-rear direction of the female housing with a gap between it and the female housing body portion, a protrusion protruding from a rear end portion of the plate portion toward the opposite side of the female housing body portion, and a pair of connecting portions connecting both side surfaces of a front end portion of the plate portion to the female housing body portion.

2. The connector fitting structure according to claim 1 .

3. The anti-pry rib is formed in a T-shape when viewed from the female connector side.

3. The connector fitting structure according to claim 1 or 2.

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