Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of improving strength.SOLUTION: A connector 1 includes: a housing 2 connectable to a mating connector 10 and forming an assembly space 22 along a connecting direction X; and a position assurance member 3 inserted into the assembly space 22 and assembled with respect to the housing 2 to be movable from a temporary locking position to a main locking position along the connecting direction X. The assembly space 22 is formed between two side walls 23 formed in the housing 2 and extending in the connecting direction X. The housing 2 includes a locking member 24 that engages with the position assurance member 3 assembled in the assembly space 22 and locks the position assurance member 3 at the main locking position. The locking member 24 includes an installation portion 244 installed between the two side walls 23. The installation portion 244 is connected to the two side walls 23, and also connected to a columnar portion 25 extending from a floor portion 221 of the assembly space 22 to be supported at three points.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

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 housing and arranged 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 connectors described above have a portion where the housing and the position assurance member engage, and the mechanical strength of this portion may be lower than that of other portions. For this reason, there is a need for a connector with improved strength.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector that can improve strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] That is, the connector of the present invention comprises a housing that is configured to be connectable to a mating connector and that forms an assembly space along the connection direction, and a position assurance member that is inserted into the assembly space and assembled to the housing so as to be movable along the connection direction from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, the assembly space being formed between two side walls that are formed on the housing and extend in the connection direction, the housing having a locking member that engages with the position assurance member assembled in the assembly space and locks the position assurance member at the full locking position, the locking member having a bridging portion that is bridged between the two side walls, and the bridging portion is connected to each of the two side walls and to pillar portions extending from the floor of the assembly space so as to be supported at three points. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the connector of the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength. [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 plan view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing in the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the position assurance member in the connector according to the embodiment in a fully locked state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a connection in a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the mechanical strength of the connector according to the 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 Figures 1 to 3, a connector 1 according to this embodiment is a connector used by connecting to 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. Figure 1 shows 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 is made of, for example, resin, and formed by resin molding. The housing 2 has installation holes 21 for arranging terminals. The installation holes 21 are formed along the connection direction X with the mating connector 10. A plurality of installation holes 21 are formed, and a plurality of installation holes 21 are arranged, for example, in the 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 assembly space 22 above the area where the installation hole 21 is formed. The assembly space 22 is a space into which the position assurance member 3 is inserted and assembled, and is defined, 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 partition both side portions of the assembly space 22 to define the assembly space 22.

[0013] A guide portion 222 is formed in the assembly space 22. The guide portion 222 is formed at the lower end of the assembly space 22 along the connection direction X. For example, the guide portion 222 is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the side wall 23 in the width direction Y. The guide portion 222 guides the position assurance member 3 along the connection direction X when the position assurance member 3 is assembled. The guide portion 222 also functions as a stopper when the position assurance member 3 is assembled. For example, an end face 222A of the guide portion 222 opposite the mating face 2A abuts against the position assurance member 3 when the position assurance member 3 is assembled, thereby positioning the position assurance member 3 in the full locking position. The mating face 2A is the end face of the housing 2 in the connection direction X and is the face that faces the mating connector 10 when the housing 2 is mated to the mating connector 10.

[0014] The housing 2 is provided with a locking member 24. The locking member 24 is a member that locks the housing 2 to the mating connector 10 when the connector 1 and the mating connector 10 are connected, and is a member that engages with the position assurance member 3. The locking member 24 is provided, for example, in the assembly space 22 and is installed along the connection direction X.

[0015] The locking member 24 has a locked portion 241, a pressing portion 242, an arm portion 243, and a bridging portion 244. The locked portion 241 is a portion that engages with the locking portion 121 of the mating connector 10 and the locking portion 331 of the position assurance member 3. The pressing portion 242 is a portion that, when pressed down, releases the engagement between the locked portion 241 and the locking portion 121, thereby releasing the locked state between the mating connector 10 and the housing 2. The locked portion 241, the pressing portion 242, and the bridging portion 244 each extend in a width direction Y that intersects with the connection direction X, and are connected to, for example, two arm portions 243, respectively. The two arm portions 243 are arranged spaced apart in the width direction Y, and each extend in the connection direction X. The locked portion 241, the pressing portion 242, and the bridging portion 244 are bridged between two arm portions 243, and are arranged in the order of the bridging portion 244, the locked portion 241, and the pressing portion 242 from the fitting surface 2A side.

[0016] The locked portion 241 is provided, for example, between the opposing surfaces 243A of the two arm portions 243. The pressing portion 242 is provided to protrude upward in the height direction Z compared to the locked portion 241 and is connected, for example, to the upper surfaces 243B of the two arm portions 243. The bridging portion 244 is connected to the ends of the two arm portions 243 on the mating surface 2A side. The bridging portion 244 is formed longer than the distance between the two arm portions 243, and both ends are connected to the side walls 23. A pillar portion 25 is connected to the center of the bridging portion 244 in the width direction Y. The pillar portion 25 is a member extending along the height direction Z and is provided between the bridging portion 244 and the floor portion 221 of the assembly space 22. The pillar portion 25 supports the bridging portion 244 from below. In other words, the locking member 24 is supported at three points on the mating surface 2A side, thereby increasing its strength. That is, the locking member 24 is supported by the two side walls 23 and the pillars 25 via the bridge portion 244 on the mating surface 2A side, and is structured to be resistant to damage even when subjected to external force. For example, if the bridge portion 244 were supported at two points by the two side walls 23, the bridge portion 244 would be easily bent in the height direction Z, and its strength against external force would be reduced. In contrast, the connector 1 according to this embodiment has the locking member 24 supported at three points, which improves its strength and enables it to withstand external force.

[0017] The ends of the two arms 243 opposite the mating surface 2A are connected to the side wall 23. That is, the locking member 24 is supported on both the mating surface 2A side and the side opposite the mating surface 2A. Therefore, the strength of the locking member 24 is improved compared to a cantilever structure.

[0018] A recess 244A is formed in the bridge portion 244. The recess 244A is formed by recessing the surface of the bridge portion 244 that faces the mating connector 10 in the connection direction X. For example, the recess 244A is formed by recessing the entire bridge portion 244 in the connection direction X. Here, "entirely" includes "almost entirely." The formation of the recess 244A in the bridge portion 244 of the locking member 24 makes it less susceptible to external forces. For example, even if the connector 1 is dropped on the floor, the bridge portion 244 is less likely to come into direct contact with the floor surface, and the locking member 24 is less likely to receive an impact.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the position assurance member 3 has a guide arm 32 and a locking arm 33 protruding from a base 31 in the connection direction X. The base 31 is a plate-like portion that stands upward and is provided in a direction intersecting the connection direction X. Two guide arms 32 are provided, each extending in the connection direction X from both ends of the base 31 in the width direction Y. When the position assurance member 3 is installed in the installation space 22 of the housing 2, the guide arms 32 are inserted along the guide portions 222.

[0020] The locking arm 33 is provided between the two guide arms 32 and protrudes in the connection direction X. The locking arm 33 is an engaging portion that engages with the housing 2. When the position assurance member 3 is assembled into the assembly space 22, the locking arm 33 is inserted between the two arm portions 243. The locking arm 33 is formed with a locking portion 331. The locking portion 331 is a portion that engages with the locked portion 241 of the locking member 24 of the housing 2. When the position assurance member 3 is inserted into the housing 2 up to the temporary locking position (standby position), the locking portion 331 is located in front of the locked portion 241. 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, allowing the connector 1 to recognize that it is properly connected to the mating connector 10. At this time, by inserting the position assurance member 3, the locking portion 331 can move under the locked portion 241 toward the mating surface 2A of the housing 2 relative to the locked portion 241. 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 to the full locking position relative to the housing 2. In other words, the locking portion 331 cannot move under the locked portion 241 toward the mating surface 2A of the locked portion 241.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the mating connector 10 is cylindrical and configured so that the connector 1 can be inserted into an internal space 12 with an opposing surface 11 open. A locking portion (not shown) is formed on the ceiling surface of the internal space 12. The locking portion is a protrusion that engages with a locked portion 241 of a locking member 24. The locked portion 241 is locked to the locking portion, thereby preventing the connector 1 from coming off the mating connector 10. A plurality of terminals (not shown) are provided in the internal space 12.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4 , the locking member 24 of the housing 2 has a protrusion 27 that protrudes downward from the arm portion 243. A projection 28 is also formed that protrudes from the floor 221 of the assembly space 22. The protrusions 27 and 28 are each portions that engage with the position assurance member 3. When the housing 2 is resin-molded, the connection direction X corresponds to the mold opening direction. In this case, forming the protrusions 27 and 28 requires forming a hole 26 on the mating surface 2A side of the assembly space 22 for mold removal. While it is possible to completely open the portion between the locking member 24 and the floor 221 on the mating surface 2A side, this would reduce the support strength of the locking member 24. For this reason, the connector 1 according to this embodiment has a pillar 25 that supports the locking member 24, thereby increasing the support strength of the locking member 24.

[0023] 5, the position assurance member 3 is assembled to the housing 2 and placed in the final locking position. At this time, the position assurance member 3 is spaced apart from the locking member 24 and abuts against the end surface 222A of the guide portion 222. That is, the position assurance member 3 is inserted from the provisional locking position to the final locking position in the assembly space 22, but the abutment surface 311 of the base 31 abuts against the guide portion 222 to be placed in the final locking position. At this time, the position assurance member 3 is spaced apart from the locking member 24, and a gap G is formed between the position assurance member 3 and the locking member 24.

[0024] Next, the mechanical strength of the connector 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, connector 1 is connected to a mating connector 10 with position assurance member 3 attached to housing 2. Position assurance member 3 is inserted into housing 2 up to the provisionally locked position. Electric wires (not shown) are connected to connector 1 and mating connector 10.

[0026] At this time, as shown in FIG. 7 , the connector 1 may bump into an external object. For example, the connector 1 may accidentally fall and hit the floor surface 80. If the connector 1 falls with the mating surface 2A facing downward, the mating surface 2A will hit the floor surface 80. In this case, the connector 1 will receive an impact from the fall, but application of a large impact to the locking member 24 is suppressed. That is, a recess 244A is formed in the bridge portion 244 of the locking member 24, and the locking member 24 is recessed from the mating surface 2A. Therefore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment suppresses the locking member 24 from directly abutting on the floor surface 80, thereby reducing the impact from the floor surface 80.

[0027] Furthermore, the locking member 24 is supported at three points on the housing 2, improving its mechanical strength. That is, the bridge portions 244 of the locking member 24 are connected to the side walls 23 on both sides and to the columns 25 extending from the floor 221 of the assembly space 22. Therefore, the bridge portions 244 are structured to be resistant to movement in the width direction Y and the height direction Z, and are resistant to deformation when subjected to an impact. Therefore, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, even when an impact is applied from the floor surface 80, the locking member 24 is prevented from being easily damaged.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the position assurance member 3 of the connector 1 is assembled to the housing 2 and placed in the full locking position, the position assurance member 3 abuts against the guide portion 222 of the assembly space 22. At this time, a gap G is formed between the position assurance member 3 and the locking member 24, and the position assurance member 3 is spaced apart from the locking member 24. Therefore, even if the connector 1 comes into contact with an external object, direct impact on the locking member 24 is suppressed. In other words, even if the position assurance member 3 of the connector 1 comes into contact with an external object, the impact is transmitted to the guide portion 222 of the housing 2, and is less likely to be transmitted to the locking member 24. The connector according to this embodiment suppresses the application of external force from the locking member 24, thereby improving resistance to external forces.

[0029] As described above, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can increase the mechanical strength of the housing 2 by supporting the locking member 24 at three points in the housing 2. That is, in the housing 2, the locking member 24 is structured to be bridged across the two side walls 23, but is also connected to the two side walls 23 and the pillars 25 for three-point support. Therefore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can strongly support the locking member 24, thereby improving the mechanical strength.

[0030] Furthermore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can prevent external forces from being directly applied to the locking member 24 by forming the recess 244A in the bridge portion 244 of the locking member 24. This allows the connector 1 according to this embodiment to reduce the impact applied to the locking member 24.

[0031] Furthermore, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, the position assurance member 3 is spaced from the locking member 24 and abuts against the guide portion 222 when in the full locking position. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the position assurance member 3, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can prevent the external force from being transmitted to the locking member 24 via the position assurance member 3. Therefore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can achieve improved mechanical strength.

[0032] 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.

[0033] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the recess 244A is formed in the bridge portion 244, but there is also a case where the recess 244A is not formed in the bridge portion 244. Even in this case, the strength of the connector 1 can be improved by supporting the locking member 24 at three points. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1: Connector 2: Housing 2A: Mating surface 3: Position assurance components 10: Mating connector 22: Assembly space 23: Side wall 24: Locking member 25: Pillar part 221: Floor part 244:Erection section 244A: Recess X: Connection direction

Claims

1. a housing configured to be connectable to a mating connector and forming an assembly space along a connection direction; a position assurance member that is inserted into the assembly space and assembled to the housing so as to be movable along the connection direction from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, The assembly space is formed between two side walls formed in the housing and extending in the connection direction, the housing has a locking member that engages with the position assurance member assembled in the assembly space and locks the position assurance member at the full locking position; the locking member has a bridge portion that is bridged between the two side walls, the bridge portion is connected to each of the two side walls and to a column portion extending from a floor portion of the assembly space, and is supported at three points; connector.

2. The bridge portion is provided on a mating surface of the housing facing the mating connector, and a recess is formed by recessing the surface facing the mating connector along the connection direction. The connector according to claim 1 .

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