Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector in which a position of a position assurance member can be easily confirmed.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: a housing 2 provided so as to be connectable to a mating connector; and a position assurance member 3 attached to the housing so as to be movable from a temporary locking position to a full locking position along a connecting direction X. The housing has a lock arm 24 formed along the connecting direction X and engaged with a locked part of the mating connector. The position assurance member has an engagement arm 33 extending in the connecting direction X. The lock arm has: an arm part 241 extending from a main body part in the connection direction X; and an engagement part 242 formed in the arm part and engaged with the locked part. The engagement arm is configured to have an engagement convex part 331 disposed adjacent to the engagement part 242 in a state where the position assurance member is in the temporary locking position, and an extending part 332 extending from the engagement convex part to the distal end side and extending from the engagement part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, as a connector related to a connector, a connector having a connector position assurance function that is connected to a mating connector, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, has been known. This connector is equipped with a position assurance member that ensures a mated state with the mating connector. The position assurance member is attached to the connector and placed in a standby position. After the connector and the mating connector are mated, the position assurance member is moved in the mating direction, from the standby position to a mating lock position. If the position assurance member can be moved to the mating lock position, it is assured that the connector and the mating connector are properly mated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-157454 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector described above has room for improvement in that it is difficult to confirm whether the position assurance member is properly positioned in the standby position. For example, if the connector position assurance member is not properly positioned in the standby position, the connector and the mating connector cannot be mated and connected. For this reason, there is a need for a connector that makes it easier to confirm the position of the position assurance member.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector in which the position of a position assurance member can be easily confirmed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the connector of the present invention comprises a housing connectable to a mating connector and forming an insertion space between two side walls arranged along a connection direction, and a position assurance member inserted into the insertion space and attached to the housing so as to be movable along the connection direction from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, wherein the housing has a locking arm formed along the connection direction and engaging with a locked portion of the mating connector, and the position assurance member has an engaging arm extending in the connection direction, and the locking arm has an arm portion extending from a main body of the housing in the connection direction, and a locking portion formed on the arm portion extending in a direction intersecting the connection direction and engaging with the locked portion, and the engaging arm is configured to have an engaging protrusion disposed adjacent to the locking portion when the position assurance member is in the temporary locking position, and an extension portion extending from the engaging protrusion toward the tip side and extending from the locking portion in the connection direction when the position assurance member is in the temporary locking position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the connector of the present invention, the position of the position assurance member can be easily confirmed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a housing in the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the mating connector. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a connection in a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a connection in a connector according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] This embodiment relates to a connector. In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with one another, the first direction is referred to as the "connection direction X," the second direction is referred to as the "width direction Y," and the third direction is referred to as the "height direction Z." Here, the connection direction X, width direction Y, and height direction Z are perpendicular to one another. The connection direction X corresponds to the connection or mating direction of the connector and the mating connector. The width direction Y corresponds to the width direction of the connector. The width direction Y and height direction Z correspond to orthogonal directions that are perpendicular to the connection direction X. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, each direction used in the following description represents the direction when the respective parts are assembled together. Note that orthogonal here includes nearly orthogonal.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a connector 1 according to this embodiment is used in connection with a mating connector 10 and has a CPA (Connector Position Assurance) function. The connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a position assurance member 3. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a state in which the connector 1 and the mating connector 10 are separated, and the housing 2 and the position assurance member 3 are also separated. The housing 2 is a member that mates with the mating connector 10 and is formed, for example, in a block shape. The housing 2 has installation holes 21 for arranging terminals. The installation holes 21 are formed in a main body 20 of the housing 2 and are formed along the connection direction X with the mating connector 10. The main body 20 has a block shape, for example, formed as a rectangular parallelepiped or approximately rectangular parallelepiped. A plurality of installation holes 21 are formed, and are arranged, for example, in a width direction Y. The installation holes 21 are formed by penetrating the housing 2 in the connection direction X, and are used to insert and hold terminals of terminal-attached electric wires (not shown).

[0012] The housing 2 defines an insertion space 22 above the area where the installation hole 21 is formed. The insertion space 22 is a space for inserting the position assurance member 3, and is formed, for example, between two side walls 23 spaced apart in the width direction Y of the housing 2. The side walls 23 are provided at the ends of the housing 2 in the width direction Y and are walls extending in the height direction Z and the connection direction X. In other words, the two side walls 23 define the insertion space 22. The sides of the insertion space 22 are partitioned by the side walls 23, but the top is open and does not have a ceiling. Therefore, the insertion space 22 can be seen from outside the housing 2. Therefore, the insertion position of the position assurance member 3 inserted into the insertion space 22 can be visually confirmed.

[0013] The side wall 23 has an insertion chamber 231 formed by recessing the inner surface in the width direction Y. The insertion chamber 231 is formed to penetrate the housing 2 along the connection direction X. The insertion chamber 231 is a space through which the guide arm 32 of the position assurance member 3 is inserted. The insertion chamber 231 is formed according to the size of the guide arm 32, and restricts the guide arm 32 from moving in the height direction Z and the width direction Y.

[0014] The housing 2 is provided with a locking arm 24. The locking arm 24 is a portion that engages with the mating connector 10 when the connector 1 and the mating connector 10 are connected, and locks the connector 1 to the mating connector 10. The locking arm 24 is provided, for example, in the insertion space 22, with a base end portion joined to the main body 20 of the housing 2 at the front end 2A side and a front end portion extending in the connection direction X toward the rear end 2B side. The front end 2A of the housing 2 is the end in the connection direction X and is the end that is inserted first into the mating connector 10. The rear end 2B of the housing 2 is the end opposite the front end 2A.

[0015] The lock arm 24 is formed with an arm portion 241, a locking portion 242, a pressing portion 243, a protrusion 244, and an arrangement space 245. The arm portion 241 is an arm-shaped portion extending in the connection direction X, connected to the main body portion 20 of the housing 2, and extending from the front end 2A toward the rear end 2B. The front end of the arm portion 241 extending toward the rear end 2B is a free end, and when pressed downward, it bends downward and elastically deforms. The arm portion 241 is divided into two arm pieces 242A by a notch in the center on the front end side. The arm pieces 241A extend toward the connection direction X, spaced apart in the width direction Y.

[0016] The locking portion 242 is a portion formed on the arm portion 241, extends in a direction intersecting the connection direction X, and engages with the locked portion 123 (see FIG. 4). The locking portion 242 extends, for example, in the width direction Y and is bridged between the two arm pieces 241A. The locking portion 242 is provided to protrude upward from the arm portion 241. When the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 10, the locking portion 242 engages with the locked portion 123 formed on the mating connector 10, thereby locking the connector 1 to the mating connector 10.

[0017] The pressing portion 243 is provided by raising the tip portion of the locking arm 24 upward. For example, the pressing portion 243 has pillar portions 243A extending upward from the two arm pieces 241A, respectively, and a bridge portion 243B formed by bridging the upper end portions of the two pillar portions 243A. When pressed downward, the pressing portion 243 bends the locking arm 24 downward and elastically deforms it. This allows the locked state between the locking portion 242 and the locked portion 123 to be released.

[0018] The protrusion 244 is a portion that protrudes from the tip of the lock arm 24 in the connection direction X. The protrusion 244 engages with the recess 311 of the position assurance member 3, thereby suppressing downward deformation of the lock arm 24 and suppressing unlocking caused by pressing of the pressing portion 243.

[0019] The arrangement space 245 is a space for inserting the engaging arm 33 of the position assurance member 3, and is formed between the two arm pieces 241A. The arrangement space 245 is formed in the connection direction X from the tip end of the locking arm 24 to a position on the base end side beyond the engaging portion 242.

[0020] 3, the housing 2 is configured by, for example, attaching a front mask 201 and a spacer 202 to the main body 20. The front mask 201 is attached to the tip 2A of the main body 20. The spacer 202 is attached to the lower part of the main body 20. By making the housing 2 have a divided structure in this way, the front mask 201 and the spacer 202 can be used as common parts for connectors other than the connector 1.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the position assurance member 3 is inserted into the insertion space 22 from the rear end 2B of the housing 2 and is attached so as to be movable in the connection direction X from a provisionally locked position to a fully locked position. The position assurance member 3 is configured with a guide arm 32 and an engagement arm 33 protruding from a base 31 in the connection direction X. The base 31 is a plate-shaped portion that rises upward and is provided in a direction intersecting the connection direction X. Two guide arms 32 are provided, protruding from both ends of the base 31 in the width direction Y. The guide arm 32 is formed, for example, by joining a side surface portion 321 and a bottom surface portion 322 and has an L-shaped cross section. When the position assurance member 3 is attached to the housing 2, the side surface portion 321 of the guide arm 32 is inserted into the insertion chamber 231, and the bottom surface portion 322 is disposed along the floor surface 221 of the insertion space 22. In this case, the L-shaped cross section of the guide arm 32 prevents the position assurance member 3 from being mistakenly attached upside down to the housing 2, thereby preventing improper attachment of the position assurance member 3. Furthermore, the engagement between the guide arm 32 and the insertion chamber 231 prevents a position assurance member different from the position assurance member 3 from being mistakenly attached to the housing 2.

[0022] A groove 323 is formed in the side surface 321. The groove 323 is a long groove formed by recessing the outer surface of the side surface 321 and is formed toward the connection direction X. The groove 323 is a groove into which a protrusion 232 provided in the insertion chamber 231 of the housing 2 is inserted. When the position assurance member 3 is attached to the housing 2, the protrusion 232 is inserted into the groove 323. The position assurance member 3 is movable in the connection direction X relative to the housing 2 within a range in which the protrusion 232 moves within the groove 323. Furthermore, by inserting the protrusion 232 into the groove 323, the position assurance member 3 attached to the housing 2 is prevented from coming off the housing 2.

[0023] The engaging arm 33 is provided between the two guide arms 32 and protrudes in the connection direction X. The engaging arm 33 has an engaging protrusion 331 and an extending portion 332. The engaging protrusion 331 is a portion that protrudes upward at the tip of the engaging arm 33. When the position assurance member 3 is inserted into the housing 2 up to the temporary locking position (standby position), the engaging protrusion 331 is located in front of the locking portion 242. When the connector 1 is properly connected to the mating connector 10, the position assurance member 3 can be inserted into the housing 2 up to the full locking position, making it possible to confirm that the connector 1 is properly connected to the mating connector 10. In other words, when the connector 1 is properly connected to the mating connector 10, the engaging protrusion 331 is pressed down by the locked portion 123 (see FIG. 4 ) of the mating connector 10, causing the engaging arm 33 to bend downward and elastically deform. This allows the engaging protrusions 331 to pass under the locking portions 242 and move toward the tip 2A of the housing 2 relative to the locking portions 242, enabling the position assurance member 3 to be inserted into the housing 2 up to the full locking position. On the other hand, if the connector 1 is not properly connected to the mating connector 10, the position assurance member 3 cannot be inserted into the housing 2 up to the full locking position. In other words, the engaging protrusions 331 cannot pass under the locking portions 242, and the position assurance member 3 cannot be inserted into the housing 2 up to the full locking position. This allows the user to recognize that the connector 1 is not properly connected to the mating connector 10, such as when the connector 1 is only partially mated.

[0024] The extension portion 332 is a portion extending from the tip end of the engagement arm 33. That is, while the engagement protrusion 331 protrudes upward, the extension portion 332 extends from a position below the engagement protrusion 331 toward the tip end. That is, the extension portion 332 is formed to extend from the locking portion 242 in the connecting direction X when the position assurance member 3 is in the provisional locking position. For example, the extension length of the extension portion 332 from the position of the engagement protrusion 331 in the connecting direction X is longer than the width of the locking portion 242 in the connecting direction X. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the position assurance member 3 is in the provisional locking position, the engagement protrusion 331 is adjacent to the locking portion 242, and the extension portion 332 extends from the locking portion 242. Therefore, by the extension portion 332 extending from the locking portion 242, it is possible to easily confirm that the position assurance member 3 is in the provisional locking position relative to the housing 2.

[0025] A recess 311 is formed in the base 31. The recess 311 is a portion formed by recessing the base 31 in the connection direction X. FIG. 2 shows the recess 311 formed to penetrate the base 31. When the position assurance member 3 is inserted into the housing 2 to the full locking position, the recess 311 allows the protrusion 244 of the locking arm 24 to be inserted into the recess 311. When the protrusion 244 is inserted into the recess 311, the pressing portion 243 of the locking arm 24 cannot press, and therefore, the connector 1 is prevented from coming off the mating connector 10.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4 , the mating connector 10 is cylindrical and configured so that the mating surface 11 is open and the connector 1 can be inserted into the internal space 12. A rib 121 is formed in the internal space 12. The rib 121 protrudes downward from the ceiling surface, for example, and extends in the connection direction X. The rib 121 is a portion for defining an insertion chamber 122 into which the side wall 23 of the connector 1 is inserted. A locked portion 123 is formed on the ceiling surface of the internal space 12. The locked portion 123 is a protrusion that engages with a locking portion 242 of the lock arm 24. The locking portion 242 is locked to the locked portion 123, thereby preventing the connector 1 from coming off the mating connector 10.

[0027] A plurality of terminals 13 are provided in the internal space 12. The terminals 13 are held by the mating connector 10, and are electrically connected to terminals provided on the connector 1 when the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 10.

[0028] Next, the connection of the connector 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the position assurance member 3 is attached to the housing 2. The position assurance member 3 is inserted into the housing 2 with the guide arm 32 at the front. The two guide arms 32 are inserted into the insertion chambers 231 and move along the insertion chambers 231. At this time, the insertion chambers 231 restrict movement of the guide arms 32 in directions intersecting the insertion direction. In other words, the insertion chambers 231 restrict movement of the guide arms 32 in the height direction Z and width direction Y. Therefore, the position assurance member 3 can move smoothly within the housing 2 along the connection direction X, and is attached to the housing 2 smoothly.

[0030] The position assurance member 3 is then inserted to the temporary locking position. That is, the position assurance member 3 is positioned so that the engaging protrusion 331 of the engaging arm 33 is positioned just before the locking portion 242. By inserting the position assurance member 3 until the engaging protrusion 331 abuts the locking portion 242, the position assurance member 3 can be easily positioned in the temporary locking position. Furthermore, when the connector 1 is not mated with the mating connector 10, the engaging protrusion 331 abuts the locking portion 242, preventing the position assurance member 3 from being inserted to the full locking position. When the position assurance member 3 is positioned in the temporary locking position and the engaging protrusion 331 is adjacent to the locking portion 242, the extension portion 332 extends from the locking portion 242 toward the tip 2A. Therefore, the extension portion 332 extending from the locking portion 242 allows visual confirmation that the position assurance member 3 is properly positioned in the temporary locking position.

[0031] The engaging arm 33 can prevent the tip from curling up by extending the extension portion 332 from the engaging protrusion 331. That is, the engaging arm 33 has the extension portion 332 extending toward the tip side at a position below the engaging protrusion 331, so that the extension portion 332 slips under the locking portion 242. This prevents the engaging arm 33 from being improperly inserted, such as the tip riding up onto the locking portion 242 and curling up above the locking portion 242.

[0032] Once the position assurance member 3 is in the temporary locking position, the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 10, as shown in FIG. 6. The connector 1 is inserted into the internal space 12 of the mating connector 10, with the tip 2A of the housing 2 first. Once the connector 1 is inserted into the mating connector 10, the position assurance member 3 is moved from the temporary locking position to the full locking position. That is, the position assurance member 3 is pushed into the housing 2 and moved to the full locking position. By successfully moving the position assurance member 3 to the full locking position, it is assured that the connector 1 is properly connected to the mating connector 10.

[0033] As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment has an extension portion 332 formed on the engagement arm 33 of the position assurance member 3, so that when the position assurance member 3 is attached to the housing 2, the extension portion 332 extends from the engagement portion 242, making it easy to confirm that the position assurance member 3 is properly positioned in the provisional engagement position.

[0034] Furthermore, the connector 1 of this embodiment extends the extension portion 332 from the lower position of the engaging protrusion 331 toward the tip side, thereby preventing improper insertion such as the engaging arm 33 riding up onto the locking portion 242 and flipping up when the position assurance member 3 is moved.

[0035] The connector according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The connector according to this embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the above-described embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1: Connector 2: Housing 3: Position assurance components 10: Mating connector 22: Insertion space 23: Side wall 24: Lock Arm 33: Engagement arm 123:Locked part 241: Arm part 242: Locking part 331: Engagement convex part 332: Extension part X: Connection direction

Claims

1. a housing that is connectable to a mating connector and that defines an insertion space between two side walls that are provided along a connection direction; a position assurance member that is inserted into the insertion space and is attached to the housing so as to be movable along the connection direction from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, the housing has a lock arm formed along the connection direction and adapted to engage with a locked portion of the mating connector, the position assurance member has an engagement arm extending in the connection direction; the lock arm has an arm portion extending from a main body portion of the housing in the connection direction, and a locking portion formed on the arm portion, extending in a direction intersecting the connection direction, and engaging with the locked portion, The engaging arm has an engaging protrusion disposed adjacent to the locking portion when the position assurance member is in the temporary locking position, and an extending portion extending from the engaging protrusion toward a distal end and extending from the locking portion in the connecting direction when the position assurance member is in the temporary locking position. connector.

2. The extension portion extends from a lower portion of the engaging protrusion that protrudes upward toward the tip side of the engaging arm. The connector according to claim 1 .

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