Connector with cover

Abstract

To provide a connector with a cover capable of operating a lock arm in a state that the cover is attached to a housing of the connector, and suppressing deformation of an upper end part of the cover so as to open right and left.SOLUTION: A connector 1 with a cover includes a housing 10 having a lock arm 16 for locking a mating housing, and a cover 30 mounted on the housing 10. The cover 30 is arranged just above the operation part 16a of the lock arm 16, and has an arm part 50 elastically deformable in the direction for operating the operation part 16a of the lock arm 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] An example of this type of covered connector is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the covered connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, a protector (cover) is attached to the rear of a connector housing that is equipped with a locking arm for locking with a mating connector, protecting the wires drawn out from the rear surface of the connector housing and guiding them in a predetermined direction. The protector is provided with a bridge-shaped protective beam (connecting portion) that covers the top of the locking arm when attached to the rear of the connector housing to protect the locking arm from interference with other components. This protective beam is positioned so that the operating portion of the locking arm can be pressed down with a finger in the unlocking direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-293859 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to directly operate the operating portion of the locking arm to unlock the mating connector while the cover is attached to the connector housing, it is necessary to provide an opening in the top of the cover to expose the operating portion of the locking arm. If an opening is provided in the top of the cover to expose the operating portion of the locking arm, there is a possibility that the top of the cover may deform to open to the left or right due to external forces, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a connecting portion in the top end of the cover to prevent the top of the cover from deforming to open to the left or right. However, depending on the position or shape of the operating portion of the locking arm, the size of the connecting portion that connects the top end of the cover may be limited, or it may not be possible to provide a connecting portion.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector with a cover that allows the locking arm to be operated with the cover attached to the connector housing, and that prevents the upper end of the cover from deforming to open to the left or right. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A covered connector according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having a locking arm that engages a mating housing, and a cover that is attached to the housing, and the cover is positioned directly above the operating portion of the locking arm and has an arm portion that is elastically deformable in the direction of operating the operating portion of the locking arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector with a cover that allows the locking arm to be operated with the cover attached to the connector housing, and that can prevent the upper end of the cover from deforming so that it opens to the left or right. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector with a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector with cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the connector with cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper cover of the cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an upper cover of the cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an upper cover of the cover according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper cover is attached to the upper part of the housing. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the upper cover is attached to the upper part of the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The covered connector according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of convenience and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0010] The X direction shown in Figures 1 to 3 is the direction along the operation direction (sliding direction) of the mating detection member 19, and corresponds to the mating direction (front-rear direction) of the connector 1a and the mating connector (not shown). The Y direction shown in Figures 1 to 3 corresponds to the left-right direction (width direction) of the connector 1a, and is perpendicular to the X direction. The Z direction shown in Figures 1 to 3 corresponds to the height direction (up-down direction) of the connector 1a, and is perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

[0011] 1 and 2, connector 1a of connector with cover 1 includes housing 10 from whose rear surface 11a electric wires (not shown) are drawn, and cover 30 attached to the rear side of housing 10. Connector 1a of connector with cover 1 is a waterproof female connector, and is configured so that when mounted on a vehicle, a male housing of a mating male connector (not shown) is mated with housing 10.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 3, connector 1a, which is a waterproof female connector, has a housing 10, a front holder 17, a gasket 18, a mating detection member 19, and a plurality of female terminals (not shown) electrically connected to the ends of electric wires to which rubber stoppers are attached.

[0013] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, housing 10 is made of synthetic resin and has a rectangular block-shaped main body 11 and a hood 12 that is integrally formed to cover main body 11. A mating space 13 into which a mating male housing is mated is formed between main body 11 and hood 12. Main body 11 also has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14 that penetrate in the X direction and accommodate female terminals. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, cover locking portions 11c for locking cover 30 are formed on the lower rear ends of both side surfaces 11b of main body 11 of housing 10.

[0014] 3, 5, and 6, a notch 15 is provided on the upper rear side of the main body 11. A lock arm 16 for locking the mating male housing in a mated state is provided within this notch 15. An operating portion 16a of this lock arm 16 is exposed on the rear side of the top opening of the notch 15.

[0015] Then, female terminals (not shown) are accommodated in the multiple terminal accommodating chambers 14 of the main body 11, a rubber packing 18 is attached to the middle of the main body 11, and a front holder 17 having an insertion hole 17a into which the front end of the housing 10 is inserted is attached to the front side of the main body 11. Furthermore, a mating detection member 19 is slidably attached onto the lock arm 16, thereby completing the connector 1a, which is a female connector, and although not shown, multiple electric wires are drawn rearward from the rear surface 11a of the main body 11 of the housing 10.

[0016] The mating detection member 19, also called a CPA (Connector Position Assurance), is used to detect and ensure that the female housing 10 and the mating male housing are properly mated. The mating detection member 19 is housed in the cutout 15 of the housing 10 and slides on the lock arm 16 to detect whether the female housing 10 and the mating male housing are properly mated.

[0017] As shown in Figure 7, the cover 30 attached to the rear of the housing 10 is made of synthetic resin and holds a corrugated tube or the like that is inserted inside to protect the electric wires drawn out from the rear surface 11a of the main body 11.

[0018] The cover 30 has an upper cover 31 as a first divided cover, a lower cover 41 as a second divided cover, and a hinge portion 40 connecting the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 41 together.

[0019] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the upper cover 31 has a holding portion 32 that holds a corrugated tube or the like, and a housing mounting portion 34 that has a housing accommodating chamber 35 that accommodates the upper half of the rear portion of the main body 11 of the housing 10. As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the housing mounting portion 34 of the upper cover 31 is defined by a pair of side walls 36 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction (Y direction). Locked portions 37 that engage with the cover locking portion 11c are formed on both inner surfaces 36a of the pair of side walls 36. In addition, locking recesses (not shown) that engage with locking protrusions 43 of the lower cover 41, which will be described later, are each formed in the lower part of the pair of side walls 36 of the upper cover 31.

[0020] The upper cover 31 is provided with an arm 50 that is disposed directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 and is elastically deformable in a direction that operates the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16. The arm 50 includes a beam 51 that connects the upper ends 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36 and extends in the left-right direction (Y direction), and an arm main body 52 that protrudes in the front-rear direction (Z direction) from the beam 51 and extends between the upper ends 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36. The arm main body 52 is configured to swing in the direction that operates the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 (i.e., Z direction) with the beam 51 as a swing fulcrum. The length of the arm 50 in the X direction is approximately the same as the length of the upper ends 36b of the side wall portions 36 in the X direction, and the arm main body 52 may be configured to abut against the rear end of the fitting detection member 19 assembled to the housing 10 when the cover 30 is attached to the housing 10 (see FIG. 6).

[0021] By providing the arm portion 50 configured in this manner on the upper cover 31, the arm body 52, which is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, can be used to operate the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 to release the lock. In addition, the beam portion 51, which is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, can also function as a connecting portion that connects the upper end portions 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36. This makes it possible to prevent the upper end portions 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36 from deforming so as to open to the left or right (Y direction).

[0022] 7, the lower cover 41 has a holding portion 42 for holding a corrugated tube or the like, and a housing mounting portion 44 having a housing accommodating chamber 45 for accommodating the lower half of the rear portion of the main body 11 of the housing 10. Locking protrusions 43 are formed on both sides of the lower cover 41, respectively, to engage with locking recesses (not shown) of the upper cover 31. The lower cover 41 also has a connecting portion 46 for connecting to another connector, member, or the like.

[0023] Next, the attachment of the cover 30 to the rear of the main body 11 of the housing 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] 11 and 12, the housing accommodating chamber 35 of the holding portion 32 of the upper cover 31 of the cover 30 is fitted into the upper rear side of the main body 11 of the housing 10, and the locked portion 37 of the upper cover 31 is engaged with the cover locking portion 11c of the main body 11. That is, the upper cover 31 is placed above the housing 10 of the connector 1a, and the upper cover 31 is slid downward along the cover locking portion 11c.

[0025] Next, the lower cover 41 is folded back toward the rear lower side of the main body 11 of the housing 10 via the hinge portion 40 located in the center of the cover 30, and the locking protrusions 43 of the lower cover 41 are engaged with the locking recesses (not shown) of the upper cover 31 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). With this engagement, the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 41 are held together on the rear surface 11a of the main body 11, which is the rear part of the housing 10, and are assembled in the direction in which the electric wires (not shown) are drawn out.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, when the cover 30 is attached to the rear of the housing 10, the arm portion 50 provided on the upper cover 31 is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 of the housing 10. Furthermore, the arm portion 50 is configured to be elastically deformable in the direction of operating the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, so that the arm portion 50 can be used to operate the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 to release the lock. Furthermore, the arm portion 50, which is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, can also function as a connecting portion that connects the upper end portions 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36 of the upper cover 31. This makes it possible to prevent the upper end portions 36b of the pair of side wall portions 36 from deforming so as to open to the left or right (Y direction).

[0027] Thus, the covered connector 1 according to this embodiment includes a housing 10 having a locking arm 16 that locks a mating housing, and a cover 30 that is attached to the housing 10. The cover 30 is disposed directly above the operating portion 16a of the locking arm 16 and has an arm portion 50 that is elastically deformable in the direction of operating the operating portion 16a of the locking arm 16.

[0028] In this embodiment, the arm portion 50 is provided on the cover 30 so as to be located directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16. By providing the arm portion 50 in this manner, the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 can be operated using the arm portion 50, which is elastically deformable in the direction of operating the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16. In addition, the arm portion 50, which is arranged so as to be located directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, can also function as a connecting portion that connects the upper end portion 36b of the cover 30. This makes it possible to prevent the upper end portion 36b of the cover 30 from deforming so as to open left or right (in the Y direction).

[0029] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a covered connector 1 that can operate the lock arm 16 with the cover 30 attached to the housing 10 and can prevent the upper end 36b of the cover 30 from deforming so as to open to the left or right.

[0030] In the covered connector 1, the cover 30 may have an upper cover 31 attached to the upper part of the housing 10, a lower cover 41 attached to the lower part of the housing 10, and a hinge portion 40 connecting the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 41. The arm portion 50 may be provided on the upper cover 31.

[0031] By providing the arm portion 50 on the upper cover 31, it is possible to operate the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 using the arm portion 50, which is elastically deformable in the direction of operating the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16. Furthermore, since the arm portion 50 of the upper cover 31 can also function as a connecting portion that connects the upper end portion 36b of the cover 30, it is possible to prevent the upper end portion 36b of the cover 30 from deforming so as to open to the left or right (Y direction).

[0032] In the covered connector 1, the upper cover 31 may have a pair of side walls 36 that define a housing chamber 35 that accommodates the upper part of the housing 10. The arm 50 may have a beam 51 that connects the upper ends 36b of the pair of side walls 36 and extends in the left-right direction (Y direction), and an arm main body 52 that protrudes from the beam 51 in the front-rear direction (X direction) and extends between the upper ends 36b of the pair of side walls 36.

[0033] By configuring the arm portion 50 in this manner, the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16 can be operated using the arm main body 52, which is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16. Furthermore, the beam portion 51, which is positioned directly above the operating portion 16a of the lock arm 16, can also function as a connecting portion that connects the upper end portion 36b of the side wall portion 36, making it possible to prevent the upper end portion 36b of the cover 30 from deforming so as to open to the left or right (Y direction).

[0034] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1 connector 10. Housing 16 Lock Arm 16a Operation section 30 Cover 31 Upper cover 35 Housing Containment Room 36 Side wall 40 Hinge part 41 Lower cover 50 Arm section 51 Beam section 52 Arm body

Claims

1. a housing having a lock arm for locking a mating housing; a cover attached to the housing, The cover is disposed directly above the operating portion of the lock arm and has an arm portion that is elastically deformable in a direction in which the operating portion of the lock arm is operated. Connector with cover.

2. The cover is an upper cover attached to an upper portion of the housing; a lower cover attached to a lower part of the housing; a hinge portion connecting the upper cover and the lower cover, The arm portion is provided on the upper cover. The connector with cover according to claim 1 .

3. the upper cover has a pair of side walls that define a housing chamber that accommodates the upper part of the housing, The arm portion a beam portion connecting upper ends of the pair of side wall portions and extending in the left-right direction; an arm body protruding in the front-rear direction from the beam portion and extending between the upper ends of the pair of side wall portions, The connector with cover according to claim 2 .

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