Connector

Abstract

To suppress wrong operation and to provide excellent detachment operability.SOLUTION: A lock lever 20 of a connector 1 is integrally formed with a housing 10 so that an engaging part of a mating connector and a projection 224 engaging the same rotate around a rotary axis a1. The lock lever 20 has: an operation unit 21 located above an upper surface 10a and extending horizontally; and one or a pair of side parts 22 formed extensively from at least one end in the horizontal direction of the operation unit 21, and going along a side surface of the housing 10 on the extensively formed side. The side part 22 has: a connection part 221 extensively formed below from one end; a lock shaft part 222 extensively formed forward and backward respectively from an end part on the extension part of a connection part 221 to form a shaft; a rotary fulcrum part 223 to be an end on a back side on the lock shaft part 222 which is fixed on the side surface of the housing 10 and becomes a fulcrum; and a projection 224 projecting downward from an end in front of the lock shaft part 222.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector having a locking mechanism that locks the mated state with a mating connector. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism is the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the process of disengaging a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism from a mating connector. To unlock a connector 100 shown in Fig. 13(1) from a locked state with a mating connector 200, a force is applied to an operating portion 41 of a locking lever 40 in the direction indicated by arrow Q, and the operating portion 41 is pushed down. Because the operating portion 41 is positioned rearward of the pivot axis a, when a force is applied to the operating portion 41 to push down the operating portion 41, the locking lever 40 rotates around the pivot axis a as shown in Fig. 13(2). This displaces the protrusion 46 of the locking lever 40 upward, releasing it from its engagement with the engaging portion 66 of the mating connector 200, allowing the connector 100 to be disengaged from the mating connector 200 (see paragraph 0036 of Patent Document 1).

[0003] Another example of a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism is the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing another example of a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism, where (a) is a view from one direction and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI of (a). In the locking arrangement shown in FIG. 14, an elastic thrust applied by an element 159 formed on the pair of pins 157 and 158 maintains the elements 147 and 148 of the connector 146 fastened to each other, thereby ensuring the stability of the electrical connection. The locking arrangement shown in FIG. 14 can be achieved in a particularly simple and fast manner by manually pushing the formed element 159 around an axis substantially defined by the pair of pins 158 until hooking occurs between the hooking portion 161, which is bent to be elastically deformed, and the pin 157. The unlocking arrangement is likewise achieved in a simple and fast manner by operating the end of the actuating lever 163, without the need for tools, to elastically deform the forming element 159 and release the bent hooking portion 161 from the pin 157 (see paragraph 0054 of Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-106076 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2002-506985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The connectors of Patent Documents 1 and 2 require the operation unit 41 or the actuation lever 163 to be pressed downward (toward the connector body) to release the lock. Generally, connectors are often touched by the user's hands due to the nature of the insertion and removal operations. When the operation unit 41 or the actuation lever 163 is touched from the outside, the force acting on them is often a downward force when viewed from the connector side. If an unintentional downward force acts on a part that releases the lock, such as the operation unit 41 or the actuation lever 163, it can result in the lock lever being released by mistake.

[0006] Furthermore, when removing a connector from a mating connector, it is necessary to operate the connector in a direction away from the mating connector (disconnection direction). In the case of connectors that are unlocked by pushing the connector downwards toward the main body, as in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in addition to the operation in the pushing direction, force in the disconnection direction (direction in which the connector is disconnected from the mating connector) is also required. This results in a problem of poor disconnection operability.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that suppresses erroneous unlocking operations and achieves good detachment operability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a connector equipped with a lock lever that locks the mated state with a mating connector. The lock lever is integrally formed with a housing that accommodates and holds terminals so that an operating portion and a protrusion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the mating connector rotate about a rotation axis. When the mating direction of the connector with respect to the mating connector is defined as the front and the disengagement direction as the rear, and two directions that are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and perpendicular to each other are defined as the up-down direction and the left-right direction, the lock lever has an operating portion located above the top surface of the housing and extending in the left-right direction, and one or a pair of side portions that extend from at least one left-right end of the operating portion and follow the side surface of the housing on the extended side. The side portion has a connecting portion extending downward from one end, a locking shaft portion extending forward and rearward from the end of the extending side of the connecting portion to form an axis, a pivoting fulcrum portion at the rear end of the locking shaft portion which is fixed to the side of the housing to serve as a fulcrum, and a protrusion portion protruding downward from the front end of the locking shaft portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the connector of the present disclosure, the lock with the mating connector is released by pulling the operating part in a direction away from the mating direction, thereby suppressing malfunctions of the unlocking and achieving good removal operability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of a connector according to a first embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view from above and (b) is a perspective view from below. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows the connector 1, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a rear view. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows the connector 1, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a right side view. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a mating connector that mates with the connector 1, where (a) is a perspective view from the rear side, and (b) is a perspective view from the front side. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows the mating connector 5, where (a) is a view from the rear end face and (b) is a view from the front end face. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the mating connector 5, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in (a) of FIG. 5, and (b) is a right side view. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 in a state before they are mated. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 in a mated state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the process of fitting the connector 1 and the mating connector 5. In FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the process of disconnecting the connector 1 from the mating connector 5. In FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a right side view of the connector 1B. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows the process of separating a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism from a mating connector. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing another example of a conventional connector equipped with a locking mechanism, where (a) is a view seen from one direction, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of (a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <<First Embodiment>> A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, a continuous movement within a rotational orbit around a specific axis is referred to as a "rotation," the specific axis is referred to as a "rotation axis," and a point at which the rotation axis passes through a plane including the specific rotational orbit and acts to restrict the movement of an article within the specific rotational orbit is referred to as a "rotation fulcrum."

[0012] In the following description, when the mating connector 5 and printed wiring board 70 are viewed as being stationary (see FIG. 7), the mating direction of the connector 1 with respect to the mating connector 5 (-y direction in FIGS. 1 to 12) is defined as the front, the unmating direction (+y direction in FIGS. 1 to 12) as the rear, and two directions that are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and perpendicular to each other are defined as the up-down direction (z-axis direction in FIGS. 1 to 12) and the left-to-right direction (x-axis direction in FIGS. 1 to 12). Unless otherwise specified, the +z direction in FIGS. 1 to 12 is referred to as the up direction (or upward), and the -z direction is referred to as the down direction (or downward). Unless otherwise specified, the +x direction in FIGS. 1 to 12 is referred to as the right direction (or right side), and the -x direction is referred to as the left direction (or left side).

[0013] <Connector 1> FIG. 1 shows an example of a connector according to a first embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view from above and (b) is a perspective view from below. FIG. 2 shows the connector 1, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a rear view. FIG. 3 shows the connector 1, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a right side view. The connector 1 of the present disclosure is composed of a housing 10 made of insulating resin, a lock lever 20 made of insulating resin, and four harnesses 35a, 35b, 35c, and 35d in this example. The connector 1 is inserted into a mating connector 5, which will be described later, and electrically connects to the mating connector 5.

[0014] (Housing 10) The housing 10 has a rectangular cylindrical shape as a whole and accommodates and holds a portion of each of the harnesses 35a to 35d inside. The housing 10 has a top surface 10a, which is the upper surface of the rectangular cylindrical shape, a bottom surface 10b, which is the lower surface, a side surface 10c, which is the right side surface, a side surface 10d, which is the left side surface, a front surface 10e, which is the front surface, and a back surface 10f, which is the rear surface.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the front surface 10e of the housing 10 has four vertically elongated, approximately rectangular openings 10e1, 10e2, 10e3, and 10e4, two on each of the upper section (the +z side of the center of the front surface 10e in Fig. 1) and the lower section (the -z side of the center of the front surface 10e in Fig. 1). As shown in Fig. 1(b), the front surface 10e is provided with vertically elongated, approximately rectangular openings 10e5, 10e6, 10e7, and 10e8 that are slightly smaller than the openings 10e1, 10e2, 10e3, and 10e4, adjacent to their respective right sides.

[0016] Two adjacent openings are combined and transformed into a single hole inside the housing 10, penetrating to the rear surface 10f. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, openings 10e1 and 10e5 are connected to each other inside the housing 10 to form a single hole, which becomes opening 10f1 on the rear surface 10f side. Similarly, openings 10e2 and 10e6 become opening 10f2 on the rear surface 10f side. Openings 10e3 and 10e7 become opening 10f3 on the rear surface 10f side. Openings 10e4 and 10e8 become opening 10f4 on the rear surface 10f side.

[0017] The housing 10 has grooves 11 formed in the upper central portions of the side walls 10c and 10d, which are the outer surfaces of both side walls, from the opening 10e1 to the vicinity of the rear surface 10f. The housing 10 also has protrusions 12 near the bottom surfaces 10b of the side walls 10c and 10d, extending from the opening 10e1 to a position slightly toward the rear surface 10f from the longitudinal center of the housing 10. The protrusions 12 each have a contact portion 122 at the rear surface 10f end that protrudes further in the width direction (left-right direction) of the housing 10 than the protrusion 12 to prevent over-insertion of the connector 1 into the mating connector 5. Rearward of the contact portion 122, a support portion 123, which is connected to the contact portion 122 and has the same width as the contact portion 122, extends from the lower end of the contact portion 122 to the rear surface 10f. The protrusion 12, the contact portion 122, and the support portion 123 are all formed integrally with the side surface 10c (or the side surface 10d).

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the housing 10 is provided with a restricting portion 10g on the top surface 10a, slightly forward of a position facing the operating unit 21. The restricting portion 10g protrudes upward from the top surface 10a and restricts excessive forward movement of the operating unit 21 if the user unintentionally moves the operating unit 21 forward. The housing 10 is provided with a pair of restricting portions 10h, spaced a predetermined distance apart, on the top surface 10a, slightly rearward of a position facing the operating unit 21. The restricting portions 10h protrude upward from the top surface 10a and restrict excessive rearward movement of the operating unit 21 if the user unintentionally moves the operating unit 21 backward. The housing 10 is provided with a pressing portion 10i on the bottom surface 10b, protruding downward. The retaining portion 10i functions as an area to be pressed with other fingers, in other words, an area to place the fingers, when applying force to the operation unit 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow T (see FIG. 3). The retaining portion 10i allows the user to place a finger on the retaining portion 10i as a fulcrum and pull the operation unit 21 from the front to the rear with the other fingers.

[0019] (Lock lever 20) The lock lever 20 is formed so as to cover the upper part of the housing 10 from the outside, from near the center of the housing 10 in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction in FIG. 1) toward the rear surface 10f side. The lock lever 20 is formed so as to be integrated with the housing 10 on the rear surface 10f side of the side surfaces 10c and 10d.

[0020] The lock lever 20 has an operating portion 21 located on the rear surface 10f side above the top surface 10a and extending in the left-right direction a length slightly shorter than the width of the connector 1, and in this example, two side portions 22 extending from both left-right ends of the operating portion 21 and along the side surfaces 10c, 10d of the housing 10. The number of side portions 22 is not limited to two and may be one. When there is one side portion 22, the side portion 22 is extended from one of the left-right ends of the operating portion 21 and is provided along the side surface (side surface 10c or side surface 10d) of the housing 10 on the extended side.

[0021] The operation unit 21 is provided along the upper surface 10a of the housing 10, and in this example has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the width direction of the housing 10.

[0022] In this example, each of the side portions 22 is made up of a connecting portion 221 , a locking shaft portion 222 , a rotation fulcrum portion 223 , and a protrusion portion 224 .

[0023] The connecting portions 221 are formed to extend (stretch) from the respective left and right ends of the operating portion 21 toward the front side (the front surface 10e side) and downward (toward the lower surface 10b).

[0024] The locking shaft 222 forms a shaft extending in the front-rear direction from the end of the extension side of the connecting part 221. As a result, the connection point W (connection position) of the locking shaft 222 with the connecting part 221 is located further forward than the operating part 21. In this example, the locking shaft 222 extends from the connection point W to the rear end, gradually increasing in width, in order to ensure strength.

[0025] In this example, the pivot point 223 protrudes from the rear end of the lock shaft 222 towards the housing 10 and is connected and fixed to the housing 10. The pivot point 223 is configured as an elastically deformable part that is connected to the lock shaft 222. The pivot point 223 is connected and fixed to the side surface 10c (10d) of the housing 10 along which the side portion 22 runs, and the part of the side portion 22 other than the pivot point 223 is provided in a position slightly separated from the side surface 10c (10d) of the housing 10.

[0026] The lock lever 20 rotates due to elastic deformation of the rotation fulcrum portion 223 and the lock shaft portion 222. Since the lock shaft portion 222 and the rotation fulcrum portion 223 are integrally formed, the rotation fulcrum P1 can be considered as the portion where the lock shaft portion 222 is connected and supported by the rotation fulcrum portion 223, as shown in FIG. 1(a). A line passing through the two rotation fulcrums P1 of the two side portions 22 is parallel to the left-right direction (the width direction of the connector 1) and forms the rotation axis a1. In FIG. 1(a), the dashed dotted line indicates the rotation axis a1. Therefore, the rotation fulcrum portion 223 is fixed to the side surfaces 10c and 10d of the housing 10, as described below, and acts as the rotation fulcrum P1.

[0027] The protrusion 224 is formed on the front end of the lock shaft 222 and protrudes downward. The operation unit 21 and the connection point W are located forward of the rotation axis a1 in the front-to-rear direction of the connector 1 (toward the front surface 10e). The protrusion 224 is located forward of the rotation axis a1 in the front-to-rear direction. An inclined surface 224a (see FIGS. 1(b) and 2(a)) is formed on the front end side of the protrusion 224 toward the front end of the lock shaft 222.

[0028] In the lock lever 20 having the above configuration, when the operating part 21 is pushed backward as shown by the arrow T in Fig. 3, the connecting part 221, the locking shaft 222, the pivot point 223, and the protrusion 224 pivot about the pivot axis a1. The double-headed arrow R1 indicates the pivot direction in both cases, when the operating part 21 is pushed in the direction of the arrow T and when the pushing is stopped. In this example, the connecting part 221 is formed in an arm-like shape extending from the end of the operating part 21 toward the connection point W, and functions as a rigid body compared to the locking shaft 222 and the pivot point 223.

[0029] (Harnesses 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , harness 35a is composed of cable 35a1, a portion of which is inserted into housing 10, and terminal 35a2, the entirety of which is inserted into housing 10. Cable 35a1 is composed of a copper wire made of a copper alloy (not shown) and an insulating material covering the copper wire. One end of cable 35a1 has an exposed copper wire, which is covered by metal terminal 35a2 and electrically connected to terminal 35a2. The other harnesses are similar: harness 35b is composed of cable 35b1 and terminal 35b2. Harness 35c is composed of cable 35c1 and terminal 35c2. Harness 35d is composed of cable 35d1 and terminal 35d2. While connector 1 of the present disclosure includes four harnesses, the number of harnesses is not limited to four and may be other numbers, such as two, depending on the application.

[0030] Each harness is inserted from the rear surface 10f side and accommodated within the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 2, harness 35a is secured within the housing 10 with terminal 35a2 inserted through opening 10f1 and facing openings 10e1 and 10e5. Harness 35b is secured within the housing 10 with terminal 35b2 inserted through opening 10f2 and facing openings 10e2 and 10e6. Harness 35c is secured within the housing 10 with terminal 35c2 inserted through opening 10f3 and facing openings 10e3 and 10e7. Harness 35d is secured within the housing 10 with terminal 35d2 inserted through opening 10f4 and facing openings 10e4 and 10e8.

[0031] <Mating connector 5> FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a mating connector that mates with connector 1, where (a) is a perspective view from the rear side and (b) is a perspective view from the front side. FIG. 5 shows a mating connector 5, where (a) is a view from the rear end face and (b) is a view from the front end face. FIG. 6 shows a mating connector 5, where (a) is an E-E cross-sectional view of (a) in FIG. 5, and (b) is a right side view. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, mating connector 5 is composed of a housing 50 made of insulating resin and, in this example, four mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d that correspond to connector 1.

[0032] (Housing 50) The housing 50 is made up of a rear first housing 51 and a front second housing 55. The second housing 55 is made up of box-shaped portions 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d, 55e, and 55f.

[0033] The first housing 51 has a rectangular cylindrical shape as a whole, and accommodates and holds parts of four mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d therein in this example.

[0034] The first housing 51 has a top surface 51a which is the upper surface of the rectangular tube, a right side surface 51c which is connected to both left and right (widthwise) ends of the top surface 51a and extends downward (towards the printed wiring board 70), a left side surface 51d which is the left side surface, an end surface 51e which corresponds to the rear surface of the first housing 51, and an end surface 51f which corresponds to the front surface.

[0035] The end face 51e of the housing 50 is an open end. That is, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the end face 51e has an opening 51e1 that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the end face 51e, making the end face 51e of the first housing 51 an open end. The side wall having the side face 51c and the side wall having the side face 51d are not connected at their lower sides and are open. Therefore, when viewed from the end face 51e side, the first housing 51 forms a U-shape that is open at its lower side.

[0036] The first housing 51 has a tapered shape in a front region near the end face 51f, and therefore the outer shape of the end face 51f is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the end face 51e. As shown in FIG. 5, a hole 51f1 (see FIG. 5(a)) into which the mating terminal 60a is inserted is provided between the box-shaped portions 55a and 55b at the upper end of the end face 51f. A hole 51f2 into which the mating terminal 60b is inserted is provided between the box-shaped portions 55b and 55c at the lower end of the end face 51f. A hole 51f3 into which the mating terminal 60c is inserted is provided between the box-shaped portions 55d and 55e. A hole 51f4 into which the mating terminal 60d is inserted is provided between the box-shaped portions 55e and 55f.

[0037] Recesses 511 and 512 are formed on both side walls on the upper side of the interior of the first housing 51, penetrating from the end face 51e to the end face 51f. Recesses 513 and 514 are formed on both side walls on the lower side of the interior of the first housing 51, extending from the end face 51e to the rear wall. The recesses 513 and 514 do not penetrate the rear wall, and are closed on the rear wall side. By providing the recesses 511 and 512 and the recesses 513 and 514, guide pieces 515 ( FIG. 6( a) ) and guide pieces 516 (not shown) are formed in the center of both side walls in the front-to-rear direction of the first housing 51, as viewed from the end face 51e side. Guide pieces 517 ( FIG. 6( a) ) and guide pieces 518 (not shown) are formed in the front-to-rear direction of the first housing 51, as viewed from the end face 51e side, at the lower end of both side walls. The guide pieces 515 and 516 and the guide pieces 517 and 518 function as insertion guides when the connector 1 is inserted into the mating connector 5.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4(a), engagement portions 515a and 516a are provided at the rear end (end face 51e side) of the guide pieces 515 and 516. In this example, the engagement portions 515a and 516a protrude upward and slightly forward from the end of the guide pieces 515 and 516 on the end face 51e side. Inclined surfaces 515b and 516b are formed at the protruding end of the engagement portions 515a and 516a, respectively.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5(a), inclined surfaces 517b and 518b are formed at the rear ends of the guide pieces 517 and 518 to assist the insertion of the connector 1.

[0040] 5, the first housing 51 has a pair of pins 56 at the lower ends of the rear sides (end face 51e sides) of both side walls. Each of the pins 56 is inserted into one of two hole portions 72, which are non-through holes, provided in the printed wiring board 70.

[0041] The box-shaped portions 55a to 55f are aligned with one another and arranged slightly inside the outer shape of the end face 51f. As shown in FIG. 5B, the upper section of the end face 51f is provided with the box-shaped portions 55a, 55b, and 55c spaced apart from one another in order from the left side. The lower section of the end face 51f is provided with the box-shaped portions 55d, 55e, and 55f spaced apart from one another in order from the left side. The box-shaped portions 55a and 55b function as guides when the mating terminal 60a is inserted into the hole 51f1. The box-shaped portions 55b and 55c function as guides when the mating terminal 60b is inserted into the hole 51f2. The box-shaped portions 55d and 55e function as guides when the mating terminal 60c is inserted into the hole 51f3. The box-shaped portions 55e and 55f function as guides when the mating terminal 60d is inserted into the hole 51f4. The box-shaped portions 55a to 55f also function to ensure a predetermined gap so that the mating terminals 60a to 60d do not come into contact with each other.

[0042] (Mating terminals 60a to 60d) In this example, the mating connector 5 includes mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d so as to be electrically connectable to the harnesses 35a, 35b, 35c, and 35d of the connector 1. The mating terminals 60a and 60b each have a substantially L-shape. As shown in FIG. 5 , one end of each of the mating terminals 60a and 60b extending in the front-rear direction is inserted into the hole portions 51f1 and 51f2 and fixed to the housing 50. The mating terminals 60c and 60d each have a substantially L-shape that is one size smaller than the mating terminals 60a and 60b. One end of each of the mating terminals 60c and 60d extending in the front-rear direction is inserted into the hole portions 51f3 and 51f4 and fixed to the housing 50. That is, the housing 50 accommodates and holds a portion of the mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d. As shown in Fig. 6(a), the tips of the mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d are inserted into the housing 50 from the center in the front-to-rear direction (longitudinal direction) of the housing 50 to a position slightly rearward (toward the end face 51e).

[0043] 4, the mating connector 5 of this example is mounted on a printed wiring board 70. The pair of pins 56 are inserted into a pair of holes 72, which are non-through holes in the printed wiring board 70 and are provided opposite the pair of pins 56, respectively, to ensure positioning with the printed wiring board 70 and to ensure connection strength with the printed wiring board 70. The ends of the portions extending in the vertical direction of the approximately L-shaped mating terminals 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d are inserted into holes 71a, 71b, 71c, and 71d, which are through holes, and are electrically connected to the printed wiring board 70 via solder (not shown).

[0044] <Assembling the connector 1 and the mating connector 5> Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 in a state before they are mated. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 in a state after they are mated.

[0045] 7 and 8, the front surface 10e of the housing 10 is located at the front end of the connector 1 in the front-rear direction and faces forward.

[0046] The front end side (front surface 10e side) of housing 10 of connector 1 is guided by guide pieces 517, 518 of first housing 51 of mating connector 5 and inserted into opening 51e1 of first housing 51 of mating connector 5. When inserted to a predetermined depth (length), mating terminals 60a and 35a2, mating terminals 60b and 35b2, mating terminals 60c and 35c2, and mating terminals 60d and 35d2 are electrically connected, respectively. During the insertion process of connector 1, two protrusions 224 engage and become hooked on engaging portions 515a, 516a of mating connector 5, respectively, thereby locking the mated state. Note that contact portion 122 of connector 1 abuts against end face 51e of mating connector 5, preventing further forward insertion of connector 1.

[0047] <Operation of lock lever 20> Figure 9 is a diagram showing the process of mating the connector 1 with the mating connector 5. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the process of disengaging the connector 1 from the mating connector 5. Note that Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views with dashed lines used in some parts to facilitate understanding.

[0048] (Mating process) When connector 1 is pushed toward mating connector 5 from the state shown in Fig. 9(1) where connector 1 and mating connector 5 are opposed to each other, protrusion 224 of lock lever 20 abuts against engaging portions 515a, 516a of mating connector 5, as shown in Fig. 9(2). Because inclined surface 224a is formed on protrusion 224, when connector 1 is pushed further in, protrusion 224 receives a force pushing upward from engaging portions 515a, 516a, causing lock lever 20 to rotate around rotation axis a1 as shown in Fig. 9(2).

[0049] When connector 1 is pushed further in and protrusion 224 of rotated lock lever 20 overcomes engagement portions 515a, 516a, the elastic restoring force of elastically deformed pivot portion 223 of lock lever 20 causes lock lever 20 to rotate back to its original state as shown in Figure 9 (3), and protrusion 224 becomes caught on engagement portions 515a, 516a, locking the mated state between connector 1 and mating connector 5.

[0050] (Withdrawal process) To release the lock between the connector 1 and the mating connector 5 from the locked state shown in Figure 10(1), a force is applied to the operating part 21 of the lock lever 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow T. Applying a force in the direction of the arrow T can be said to involve pulling (pulling) the operating part 21 in the direction of the arrow T, assuming that the user of the connector 1 is located on the rear surface 10f side, for example.

[0051] The connection point W, which is the contact point between the coupling portion 221 and the locking shaft portion 222, is located at a position shifted forward from the rotation axis a1. Therefore, when a force is applied to the operating portion 21 in the rearward direction as indicated by the arrow T, the locking lever 20 rotates around the rotation axis a1 as shown in FIG. 10(2). As a result, the protrusion 224 of the locking lever 20 is displaced upward, and the engagement with the engaging portion 515a of the mating connector 5 is released, allowing the connector 1 to be detached from the mating connector 5. FIG. 10(3) shows the state in which the connector 1 has been detached from the mating connector 5 as a result of applying a force continuously to the operating portion 21 of the locking lever 20 in the direction of the arrow T.

[0052] The operation of the lock lever 20 has been described above, but the following can be said about the connector 1 of the present disclosure that is equipped with the lock lever 20 that operates in this way.

[0053] 10, by applying a force to the operation unit 21 in the direction of arrow T, the protrusion 224 of the lock lever 20, which is spaced L2 from the rotation axis a1, is displaced along the rotational trajectory of the rotation. As a result, the connection point W, which is spaced L1 (L2>L1) from the rotation axis a1, also rotates in the same direction. Because the protrusion 224 is located forward of the connection point W, when the protrusion 224 rotates around the rotation axis a1 with the rotation fulcrum P1 as the fulcrum, the protrusion 224 is displaced more than the connection point W. In other words, the operation unit 21, which is connected to the connection point W via the operation unit 21, can move the protrusion 224 with a smaller displacement than the protrusion 224.

[0054] Strictly speaking, the operation unit 21 also displaces around the rotation axis a1 around the rotation fulcrum P1, but the connector 1 is mated while being guided by the guide pieces 515, 516, 517, and 518 of the mating connector 5. Furthermore, the coupling unit 221 functions as a rigid body compared to the locking shaft 222 and the rotation fulcrum 223. Therefore, when removing the connector 1 from the mating connector 5, the user is made to be conscious of applying force in the pulling direction (in the direction of arrow T) rather than trying to rotate the operation unit 21 around the rotation fulcrum P1. In other words, the user can release the protrusion 224 from the engaging unit 515a by applying a pulling force backward (in the direction of arrow T).

[0055] Therefore, due to the positional relationship between the operating unit 21, the connection point W, the rotation axis a1, and the protrusion 224, the user can release the locked state between the mating connector 5 and the connector 1 by pulling the operating unit 21 in the direction of the arrow T without being aware of the upward or downward force compared to the displacement of the protrusion 224, and can remove the connector 1 from the mating connector 5 by continuing to apply force in the direction T. Note that, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the connection point W is located forward of the center of the locking shaft 222 in the front-to-rear direction, but the connector 1 of the present disclosure is not limited to this. Since the connection point W only needs to be located rearward of the protrusion 224, it may be configured to be located closer to the center of the locking shaft 222 than the position shown in FIG. 3(b), taking into consideration the magnitude of the force in the direction of the arrow T required for unlocking.

[0056] The connector 1 of the present disclosure does not have a structure that allows the engagement between the protrusion 224 and the engagement portions 515a, 516a to be released even when a downward force is applied to the operating portion 21. The connector 1 unlocks not by a downward force but by a force pulling the connector 1 backward. Therefore, even if a user unintentionally applies a downward force to the operating portion 21, the lock is not released, thereby preventing erroneous locking. Furthermore, because the force pulling the connector 1 backward coincides with the direction in which the connector 1 is pulled out from the mating connector 5, intuitive and easy disconnection is achieved by aligning the unlocking operation and the connector removal direction. That is, according to the connector 1 of the present disclosure, the lock with the mating connector 5 is released by pulling the operating portion 21 away from the mating direction, thereby preventing erroneous unlocking and achieving easy disconnection.

[0057] Note that operation unit 21, which is connected to connection point W via connecting unit 221, can move protrusion 224 with a smaller displacement than protrusion 224. Therefore, when considering the placement position of operation unit 21, the height position from top surface 10a (the vertical distance from top surface 10a) can be considered with a smaller displacement than the vertical displacement of protrusion 224. This allows the heightwise outer dimensions to be smaller than the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2, which can contribute to the miniaturization of connector 1.

[0058] <<Modifications>> The first embodiment described above may be a connector 1B shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing one example of a connector according to a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a right side view of the connector 1B. The connector 1B according to this modification has a protrusion 21a on the front side (front surface 10e side) of the operating portion 21. The connector 1B includes a removal assist member 80 that can apply a force in the direction of arrow T by engaging the protrusion 21a. The removal assist member 80 is a member that supports (assists) the removal (removal) of the connector 1 from the mating connector 5.

[0059] Connector 1B of this modified example has a housing into which two harnesses, harness 35a and harness 35b, are inserted. However, in this modified example, although the newly added parts due to the inclusion of detachment assist member 80 are indicated by different reference numerals from connector 1, parts having the same functions as connector 1 are indicated by the same reference numerals as connector 1 and their explanations are omitted. For ease of identification, the mating connector of connector 1B will be referred to as mating connector 5B.

[0060] The detachment assist member 80 is an elongated, belt-like elastic member having a front end 81a and a rear end 82a (opposite end 81a). The detachment assist member 80 is formed, for example, from a flexible, insulating resin. The detachment assist member 80 is composed of a substantially rectangular engagement portion 81 having an upper surface 811, which is the upper side in FIG. 11 , and a lower surface 812, which is the lower side in FIG. 11 , and a substantially rectangular grip portion 82 formed with a width slightly smaller than the width of the engagement portion 81 and having an upper surface 821 connected to the upper surface 811 and a lower surface 822 connected to the lower surface 812. The width of the end of the engagement portion 81 on the grip portion 82 side is gradually changed from the same width as the end 81a to the width of the grip portion 82, which is a width that is easy for a user to grip, and is connected to one end of the grip portion 82.

[0061] The engaging portion 81 has an engaging hole 81b. The engaging hole 81b has a width slightly larger than the length of the protrusion 21a in the left-right direction (width direction) from the vicinity of the end 81a and forms an elongated hole shape toward the grip portion 82.

[0062] The engaging portion 81 has a pair of locking portions 81c and 81d. The locking portions 81c and 81d have a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape along the front-to-rear direction (length direction) of the removal assist member 80 and are provided on the gripping portion 82 side on the upper surface 811 so as to be integrated with the engaging portion 81. The locking portions 81c and 81d are formed so that their heights from the upper surface 811 are higher than the heights of the openings 10x1 and 10y1 of the insertion guides 10x and 10y provided on the upper surface 10a.

[0063] The grip portion 82 has three protrusions 82b on the upper surface 821 near the end 82a that function as anti-slip devices when gripped by a user. In this example, the protrusions 82b are provided so as to be slightly convex upward. In this example, the protrusions 82b have a generally horizontally elongated trapezoidal shape in the left-right direction (width direction) of the grip portion 82, are provided adjacent to each other along the length of the grip portion 82, and the length in the left-right direction narrows as the protrusions approach the end 82a. When the three protrusions 82b are viewed as a whole, a pattern is formed that indicates a generally triangular shape with the end 82a as the apex. This not only functions as an anti-slip device, but also indicates the force to be applied (removal force) in the direction of arrow T', i.e., the direction in which force should be applied to the grip portion 82.

[0064] (Protrusion 21a) The operating portion 21 of the connector 1B includes a protrusion 21a made of insulating resin and integral with the operating portion 21. A groove 21b is provided in the operating portion 21 on the front side of the center of the operating portion 21 in the left-right direction. The protrusion 21a is formed to protrude forward (toward the front surface 10e) from the center of the groove 21b with a width slightly smaller than that of the groove 21b. As shown in FIG. 12, the front end of the protrusion 21a in this example protrudes toward the front surface 10e further than the end of the operating portion 21 on the front surface 10e side that does not have the protrusion 21a or the groove 21b.

[0065] (Insertion guide 10x, 10y) The insertion guides 10x and 10y protrude upward from the rear surface 10f-side end of the upper surface 10a near both ends of the housing 10 in the left-right direction (width direction), respectively, and protrude inward in the left-right direction from the protruding ends, forming a pair of generally L-shaped shapes. In this example, the insertion guides 10x and 10y are integrally formed with the housing 10 and made of insulating resin. The insertion guides 10x and 10y are spaced apart from each other by a distance approximately equal to the left-right (width direction) length of the gripping portion 82. As a result, the insertion guides 10x and 10y form openings 10x1 and 10y1 that open from the rear surface 10f toward the front surface 10e when viewed from the rear surface 10f side. The left-right distance from the opening 10x1 to the opening 10y1, including the width direction length of the opening, is slightly wider than the left-right (width direction) length of the engagement portion 81. This allows the engagement portion 81 to be inserted into the openings 10x1 and 10y1.

[0066] <Incorporation of the release assist member 80 into the lock lever 20> The end 81a of the detachment assist member 80 is inserted into the openings 10x1 and 10y1 from the rear surface 10f side, and the end 81a is inserted between the operation unit 21 and the top surface 10a and inserted forward of the protrusion 21a. Once the end 81a has been inserted far enough forward of the protrusion 21a, the engagement hole 81b is engaged with the protrusion 21a, and the detachment assist member 80 is incorporated (attached) to the lock lever 20.

[0067] Connector 1B equipped with removal assist member 80 can apply a rearward force to operating unit 21 by holding gripping portion 82 and applying a rearward force as indicated by arrow T' in Fig. 11. Applying a predetermined force in the direction of arrow T' releases the lock between connector 1B and mating connector 5B, and by continuing to apply further force in the same direction, connector 1B can be removed from mating connector 5B.

[0068] As described above, in connector 1B, operating portion 21 has protrusion 21a. Detachment assist member 80 is a belt-shaped member having engagement hole 81b that can engage with protrusion 21a. By providing detachment assist member 80, better detachment operability can be achieved than in connector 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1,1B Connector 10 Housing 10a Top surface 10b Bottom surface 10c,10d Side 10e Front 10f Back 10e1~10e8 Opening 10f1~10f4 Opening 10g,10h Regulation part 10i holding part 10x,10y insertion guide 10x1 opening 10y1 opening 11 Groove portion 12 Convex portion 122 Contact part 123 Support part 20 Lock lever 21 Operation section 21a Convex portion 21b Groove portion 22 Side 221 Connection 222 Lock shaft portion 223 Rotation fulcrum portion 224 Projection 224a Slanted surface 35 Harness 35a~35d Harness 35a1~35d1 Cable 35a2~35d2 Terminal 5 Mating connector 50 Housing 51 First housing 51a Top surface 51c,51d Side surface 51e End surface 51e1 Opening 51f End face 51f1,51f2,51f3,51f4 Hole 511~514 Recesses 515~518 Guide pieces 515a,516a Engagement part 515b,516b,517b,518b Slope 55 Second housing 55a to 55f Box-shaped portion 56 pins 60a~60d mating terminal 70 Printed wiring board 71a to 71d Hole portion 72 hole portion 80 release auxiliary member 81 Engagement part 811 Top surface 812 Bottom surface 81a End 81b Engagement hole part 81c, 81d Locking part 82 Gripping part 82a End part 82b Convex part 821 Top surface 822 Bottom surface a1 Rotation axis P1 Rotational support point W Connection point

Claims

1. A connector equipped with a lock lever that locks the mated state with a mating connector, The lock lever is integrally formed with a housing that accommodates and holds the terminals so that an operating portion and a protrusion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the mating connector rotate around a rotation axis, When the direction of mating of the connector with respect to the mating connector is defined as the front, the direction of removal is defined as the rear, and two directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction and perpendicular to each other are defined as the up-down direction and the left-right direction, the lock lever has the operation portion located above the top surface of the housing and extending in the left-right direction, and one or a pair of side portions that are extended from at least one end of the operation portion in the left-right direction and that are along the side surface of the housing on the extended side, The side portion is a connecting portion extending downward from the one end; locking shafts each extending forward and rearward from an end of the connecting portion on an extension side; a pivot point portion at the rear end of the lock shaft portion, the pivot point portion being fixed to a side surface of the housing and serving as a pivot point; the protrusion protruding downward from the front end of the lock shaft; A connector having:

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the operating portion is provided along an upper surface of the housing.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein a connection position of the locking shaft with the coupling portion is located further forward than the operating portion.

4. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the connection position of the locking shaft with the connecting portion is located at a center portion in the axial direction of the locking shaft.

5. The operating portion has a protrusion on the front side, The device further includes a belt-shaped detachment assisting member having an engagement hole that can be engaged with the protrusion. The connector according to claim 1 .

6. The pivot point portion is configured as an elastically deformable portion connected to the lock shaft portion. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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