Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can be compactly configured with a lever and a position assurance member.SOLUTION: A connector 1 includes: a housing 2 that holds a terminal attached to an electric wire W and is connected to a mating connector 90; a lever 3 that is rotatably attached to the housing 2 and that moves the housing 2 toward the mating connector 90 by being rotated; and a position assurance member 4 that is attached to the lever 3. The lever 3 has two arm parts 31 rotatably attached to a side part of the housing 2 and provided so as to be spaced apart from each other with the housing 2 interposed therebetween; and a bridge part 32 bridged between the two arm parts 31. The position assurance member 4 is configured to be movably attached to the bridge part 32 from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, and to be movable to the full locking position in a state in which the housing 2 is properly fitted to the mating connector 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a lever-type connector has been known that includes a housing that holds terminals and a lever that is rotatable relative to the housing, as described in Patent Document 1. This connector has a connector position assurance mechanism located next to the lever, and the connector position assurance mechanism ensures proper mating of the connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-073674 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 make it compact. That is, the connector needs to have the connector position assurance mechanism installed away from the pivot path of the lever. Therefore, if the connector position assurance mechanism is installed next to the lever, the connector will become large.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector that can be constructed compactly while still including a lever and a position assurance member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In other words, the connector of the present invention comprises a housing that holds terminals to be attached to electric wires and is connected to a mating connector, a lever that is rotatably attached to the housing and that rotates to move the housing toward the mating connector, and a position assurance member attached to the lever, wherein the lever has two arm portions that are rotatably attached to the side of the housing and spaced apart on either side of the housing, and a bridge portion that is bridged between the two arm portions, and the position assurance member is attached to the bridge portion so that it can be moved from a provisional locking position to a full locking position, and is configured so that it can be moved to the full locking position when the housing is properly engaged with the mating connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The connector according to the present invention can be configured compactly while including the lever and the position assurance member. [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 a housing of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lever of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a position assurance member of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of disconnection of the connector and the mating connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the connection between the connector according to the embodiment and the mating connector. 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 Figure 1, the connector 1 according to this embodiment is a lever-type connector that is used by connecting to a mating connector 90 and has a connector position assurance function. The connector 1 is configured with a housing 2, a lever 3, and a position assurance member 4. Figure 1 shows the connector 1 separated from the mating connector 10, with the housing 2, lever 3, and position assurance member 4 of the connector 1 disassembled.

[0012] The housing 2 is a member that holds terminals to be attached to electric wires W and is connected to the mating connector 90, and has, for example, a block-shaped main body 20. The main body 20 has a plurality of insertion holes 21. The insertion holes 21 are holes into which terminals (not shown) are inserted, and are formed along the connection direction X. Terminals are inserted into the insertion holes 21, and the electric wires W connected to the terminals extend rearward from the housing 2.

[0013] A protrusion 22 and a long groove 23 are formed on the side portion 2A of the housing 2. The protrusion 22 is a protrusion that protrudes from the side portion 2A in the width direction Y and is inserted into the bearing portion 311 of the lever 3. The long groove 23 is a groove that extends in the connection direction X and is formed, for example, so as to penetrate the side portion 2A of the housing 2 in the width direction Y. A pin 94 formed on the mating connector 90 is inserted into the long groove 23 when mating with the mating connector 90. A locking portion 24 is formed on the housing 2 and is spaced apart from the outer surface 2B. For example, the locking portion 24 is provided on an upper portion of the housing 2. The locking portion 24 is provided facing the connection direction X and is supported by the main body 20 with a gap between it and the outer surface 2B of the upper portion of the main body 20.

[0014] The lever 3 is rotatably attached to the housing 2, and by rotating, moves the housing 2 toward the mating connector 90. For example, the lever 3 engages with a pin 94 of the mating connector 90, and by rotating, moves the housing 2 in the connecting direction X and fits into the mating connector 90.

[0015] The lever 3 has an arm portion 31 and a bridge portion 32. Two arm portions 31 are provided spaced apart across the housing 2, and are rotatably attached to the side portion 2A of the housing 2. For example, a bearing portion 311 is formed in the arm portion 31. The bearing portion 311 is, for example, a hole that penetrates the arm portion 31 in the width direction Y, and allows the projection 22 of the housing 2 to be inserted therein. The lever 3 and the arm portion 31 move around the projection 22. The bridge portion 32 is bridged between the two arm portions 31 and extends in the width direction Y. The bridge portion 32 can be used, for example, as an operating portion when rotating the lever 3.

[0016] The position assurance member 4 is attached to the erection portion 32 so as to be movable from a provisional locking position to a full locking position, and is a member that can be moved to the full locking position when the housing 2 is properly mated with the mating connector 90, and by moving to the full locking position, it guarantees proper mating of the connector 1 and the mating connector 90.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 2 is provided with a locking portion 24. The locking portion 24 has a main body 240. The main body 240 is a plate member extending in the connection direction X, and is provided at a distance from the outer surface 2B of the housing 2. The main body 240 is supported at three points on the housing 2, for example. That is, a front end 240A of the main body 240 is connected to the main body portion 20. A rear end 240B of the main body 240 is branched into two in the width direction Y by a slit 241 and is connected to the main body portion 20.

[0018] The slit 241 is formed by cutting out the central portion of the locking portion 24 along the connecting direction X, and extends from the rear end 240B to the front end 240A. By cutting out the central portion of the locking portion 24 with the slit 241, the disengagement restricting portion 44 of the position assurance member 4 can be positioned toward the front end of the housing 2 through the slit 241. The slit 241 has a wide portion 241A and a narrow portion 241B extending from the rear end 240B toward the front end 240A in the connecting direction X. The wide portion 241A is wider than the narrow portion 241B in the width direction Y. The wide portion 241A is the region where the disengagement restricting portion 44 is located when the position assurance member 4 is in the temporary locking position. The narrow portion 241B is the region where the disengagement restricting portion 44 is located when the position assurance member 4 is in the full locking position.

[0019] A locking protrusion 242 is formed on the locking portion 24. The locking protrusion 242 is provided to protrude from the main body 240. For example, the locking protrusion 242 protrudes from the side of the housing 2 opposite the main body 20, and engages with the locking arm 43 of the position assurance member 4.

[0020] The locking portion 24 is formed with a pressing portion 243. The pressing portion 243 is, for example, block-shaped and protrudes from the main body 240. For example, the pressing portion 243 protrudes from the opposite side of the main body 20 of the housing 2 and is located closer to the tip 240A than the locking protrusion 242. When pressed toward the outer surface 2B of the housing 2, the pressing portion 243 bends the main body 240 and disengages the locking protrusion 242 from the locking arm 43. In the connector 1 according to this embodiment, a slit 241 can be formed in the locking portion 24 to position the disengagement restricting portion 44 of the position assurance member 4 closer to the tip 240A, making it possible to provide a disengagement mechanism for the position assurance member 4 on the tip side of the housing 2.

[0021] A mating space 25 is formed in the main body 20 of the housing 2. The mating space 25 is a space into which a mating housing 91 of a mating connector 90 is inserted to assemble the housing 2 and the mating housing 91. The mating space 25 is open at its front end, and is formed so that the mating housing 91 can be inserted. Here, the front end refers to the front end side of the housing 2, which is the side of the mating connector 90 in the connection direction X. The rear end refers to the side of the housing 2 opposite the front end.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the lever 3 is formed with a guide groove 312. The guide groove 312 is a groove that engages with the mating connector 90, and is a long groove into which the pin 94 is inserted. The guide groove 312 extends in a direction inclined with respect to the rotation path centered on the bearing portion 311. When the pin 94 is inserted into the guide groove 312, the housing 2 moves in the connection direction X by rotating the lever 3.

[0023] The lever 3 is formed with a housing chamber 321. The housing chamber 321 is a space that houses and holds the position assurance member 4, and is configured to be able to house the position assurance member 4 from the rear end side of the bridge portion 32. For example, two housing chambers 321 are formed from the rear end portion of the bridge portion 32 along the connection direction X, and are spaced apart in the width direction Y. The temporary-locking arm 42 of the position assurance member 4 is inserted into the housing chamber 321. For example, the housing chamber 321 is formed with an enlarged portion 321A that is enlarged in the width direction Y on the rear side, and is engageable with the temporary-locking arm 42. The temporary-locking arm 42 engages with the enlarged portion 321A, preventing the position assurance member 4 from coming off the lever 3 in the temporary-locking position.

[0024] An opening 322 is formed in the lever 3. The opening 322 is a notch through which the locking arm 43 of the position assurance member 4 is inserted, and is formed, for example, by opening the central portion of the bridge portion 32 in the width direction Y along the connection direction X. A movement restricting portion 323 is formed in the opening 322. The movement restricting portion 323 is bridged across the opening 322 in the width direction Y on the tip side of the opening 322. The movement restricting portion 323 restricts the locking arm 43 from moving from the temporary locking position to the full locking position.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the position assurance member 4 has a base end portion 41, a temporary-locking arm 42, a locking arm 43, a disengagement restricting portion 44, and a full-locking portion 46. The base end portion 41 is the main body of the position assurance member 4 and is a rod- or plate-shaped member extending along the width direction Y. The position assurance member 4 and the base end portion 41 are formed to have the same length as the bridge portion 32 of the lever 3 in the height direction Z, and are formed compactly. Here, "same length" includes "approximately the same length."

[0026] The temporary-locking arm 42 is a portion extending from the base end 41 toward the tip end, and has a hook portion 421 formed at the tip end that protrudes outward in the width direction Y. For example, two temporary-locking arms 42 are provided spaced apart in the width direction Y, and are housed in the housing chamber 321 of the lever 3 to engage with the lever 3. The locking arm 43 is a portion extending from the base end 41 toward the tip end, and has a hook portion 431 formed at its tip that protrudes in the height direction Z. The locking arm 43 is provided, for example, in the central portion of the position assurance member 4 in the width direction Y, and engages with the locking protrusion 242 and the movement restricting portion 323 when the position assurance member 4 is moved to the full-locking position.

[0027] The disengagement restricting portion 44 penetrates the locking portion 24 and extends toward the outer surface 2B of the housing 2 of the locking portion 24, and has a connecting portion 441 and a release restricting portion 442. The connecting portion 441 is a portion that extends toward the outer surface 2B of the housing 2. The release restricting portion 442 is provided at the tip of the connecting portion 441. The release restricting portion 442 extends in the width direction Y. The length of the release restricting portion 442 in the width direction Y is shorter than the width of the wide portion 241A of the slit 241 and longer than the width of the narrow portion 241B. The full locking portion 46 is a portion that protrudes toward the tip side from the base end portion 41, and engages with the rear end portion 240B of the locking portion 24 when the position assurance member 4 is moved to the full locking position.

[0028] Next, the connection between the connector 1 according to this embodiment and the mating connector 90 will be described.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the connector 1 is disposed opposite a mating connector 90. That is, the connector 1 is disposed with the housing 2 facing the mating housing 91. A plurality of electric wires W extend from the rear of the housing 2 of the connector 1. The electric wires W are connected to terminals (not shown) and are held in the housing 2. A plurality of electric wires W1 extend from the rear of the mating housing 91 of the mating connector 90. The electric wires W1 are connected to terminals (not shown) and are held in the mating housing 91. When the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 90, the electric wires W and W1 are electrically connected.

[0030] The lever 3 of the connector 1 is rotated to the lever release position. That is, the bridge portion 32 of the lever 3 and the position assurance member 4 attached to the bridge portion 32 are facing diagonally upward. In this state of the lever 3, the long groove 23 of the housing 2 is connected to the guide groove 312 of the lever 3. The position assurance member 4 is disposed in a provisionally locked position relative to the lever 3.

[0031] When the position assurance member 4 is in the provisionally locked position, the position assurance member 4 and lever 3 are positioned so as not to come into contact with the electric wire W extending from the housing 2. In other words, the rotation range of the lever 3 and the movement range of the position assurance member 4 are outside the installation range of the electric wire W, allowing the lever 3 to rotate and the position assurance member 4 to move without interfering with the electric wire W in the connector 1. For example, the bridge portion 32 is formed on the tip side of the rear end of the lever 3, and the position assurance member 4 is arranged so as not to protrude from the rear end portion of the bridge portion 32. Here, "not protruding" includes the case where it hardly protrudes at all. As a result, the connector 1 is structured so that the lever 3 and position assurance member 4 do not come into contact with the electric wire W.

[0032] 6, the housing 2 of the connector 1 is mated with the mating housing 91. When the pin 94 of the mating connector 90 reaches the position of the guide groove 312 of the lever 3, the lever 3 is rotated from the lever release position to the lever engagement position. By rotating the lever 3, the housing 2 moves toward the mating connector 90 and is deeply mated with the mating housing 91.

[0033] 7, when the lever 3 rotates to the lever engagement position, the position assurance member 4 is pushed toward the mating connector 90 and moved from the temporary locking position to the final locking position. At this time, if the connector 1 and the mating connector 90 are properly mated, the position assurance member 4 can be moved to the final locking position. On the other hand, if the connector 1 and the mating connector 90 are not properly mated, the position assurance member 4 cannot be moved to the final locking position.

[0034] 8, when the position assurance member 4 is pushed into the mating connector 90, the locking arm 43 bends upward, and the hook portion 431 at the tip moves over the locking projection 242 and the movement restricting portion 323 to engage with the locking portion 24 of the housing 2 and the bridge portion 32 of the lever 3. Since the connector 1 has the opening 322, it is possible to visually check through the opening 322 whether the locking arm 43, the locking portion 24, and the bridge portion 32 are engaged with each other.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9 , when the position assurance member 4 moves to the full locking position, the disengagement restricting portion 44 is positioned in the area of ​​the narrow portion 241B of the slit 241, and is positioned closer to the housing 2 than the locking portion 24. This prevents the pressing portion 243 of the locking portion 24 from being pressed down, preventing the locking arm 43 from disengaging from the locking portion 24. In other words, the locking portion 24 is suspended by the position assurance member 4 via the disengagement restricting portion 44, preventing the locking arm 43 from disengaging. This prevents, for example, the connector 1 from disengaging the locking arm 43 even if the pressing portion 243 is accidentally pressed, thereby preventing problems such as loosening of the connector 1.

[0036] Next, disconnection of the connector 1 according to this embodiment from the mating connector 90 will be described.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 10 , when the connector 1 is properly mated with the mating connector 90, to remove the connector 1 from the mating connector 90, it is necessary to press down the pressing portion 243 to disengage the locking arm 43 and pull the position assurance member 4 out of the lever 3. In this case, the pressing portion 243 of the connector 1 is located at the leading end (the mating connector 90 side), which makes it possible to avoid locating components related to the disengagement mechanism at the rear end. In other words, since the number of components installed at the rear end of the connector 1 is reduced, it is possible to prevent interference between the wire W extending rearward of the connector 1 and the position assurance member 4 attached to the bridging portion 32 of the lever 3. As a result, the connector 1 according to this embodiment allows the position assurance member 4 to be attached to the bridging portion 32 of the lever 3 and operated, allowing the connector 1 to be configured compactly.

[0038] 11 , when the pressing portion 243 of the connector 1 is pressed down and the position assurance member 4 is moved to the provisional locking position, the lever 3 is rotated so as to rotate backward, thereby separating the connector 1 from the mating connector 90 and enabling it to be removed from the mating connector 90.

[0039] As described above, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can be configured compactly while including the lever 3 and the position assurance member 4 by attaching the position assurance member 4 to the bridge portion 32 of the lever 3.

[0040] Furthermore, by attaching the position assurance member 4 to the center of the bridge portion 32, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can be configured compactly by suppressing an increase in the size of the connector 1 in the width direction Y.

[0041] Furthermore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment has a slit 241 formed in the locking portion 24, allowing the disengagement restricting portion 44 of the position assurance member 4 to be positioned between the main body 20 of the housing 2 and the locking portion 24 through the slit 241. Therefore, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, the disengagement restricting portion 44 supports the locking portion 24, causing the locking portion 24 to bend toward the main body 20 and restricting disengagement between the locking portion 24 and the position assurance member 4. Furthermore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can have a compact disengagement mechanism, allowing for miniaturization. Furthermore, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can have the disengagement mechanism, including the disengagement restricting portion 44, positioned at the front end, eliminating the need for components at the rear end, thereby preventing the lever 3 and the position assurance member 4 from interfering with the wire W. This allows for a compact overall connector design, even with the lever 3 and the position assurance member 4 included.

[0042] The connector 1 of this embodiment is provided with a position assurance member 4 having an engagement release restriction portion 44, so that even though the position assurance member 4 is located outside the engagement portion 24, the engagement release restriction portion 44 can be positioned between the engagement portion 24 and the outer surface 2B to restrict disengagement with the engagement portion 24.

[0043] Furthermore, in connector 1 according to the present embodiment, locking portion 24 has slit 241 extending along connection direction X, so that disengagement restricting portion 44 can be positioned between locking portion 24 and outer surface 2B through slit 241. Therefore, in connector 1 according to the present embodiment, disengagement restricting portion 44 can prevent locking portion 24 from bending toward outer surface 2B, thereby restricting disengagement between locking portion 24 and position assurance member 4.

[0044] 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]

[0045] 1: Connector 2: Housing 2B: External surface 3: Lever 4: Position assurance component 20: Main body 24: Locking part 31: Arm section 32:Erection part 44: Disengagement restriction portion 90: Mating connector 91: Opponent Housing 241: Slit 242: Locking protrusion W: Electric wire X: Connection direction

Claims

1. a housing that holds a terminal attached to an electric wire and is connected to a mating connector; a lever rotatably attached to the housing, which moves the housing toward the mating connector by rotating; a position assurance member attached to the lever; the lever has two arm portions rotatably attached to the side portions of the housing and spaced apart from each other across the housing, and a bridge portion bridged between the two arm portions, the position assurance member is attached to the bridge portion so as to be movable from a temporary locking position to a full locking position, and is movable to the full locking position in a state in which the housing is properly mated with the mating connector. connector.

2. The position assurance member is attached to a central portion of the installation portion. The connector according to claim 1 .

3. the housing has a locking portion provided between the main body and the position assurance member and adapted to engage with the position assurance member; The locking portion is disposed in a direction of connection with the mating connector, and a slit extending in the connection direction is formed in a rear end portion on a side opposite to the mating connector side, the position assurance member has a disengagement restricting portion extending through the slit to between the main body portion and the locking portion, and the disengagement restricting portion supports the locking portion to restrict disengagement from the locking portion; 3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

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