Connector connecting structure

Abstract

To provide a connection structure of a connector which suppresses deterioration of operability of a fitting detection member.SOLUTION: The connector connection structure includes a mating connector 101 and a connector 1 connected to the mating connector 101. In the housing 2 provided in the connector 1, the locking piece 23 of the housing lock 20 includes the rod-shaped piece main body side 23a having the axial direction orthogonal to the fitting direction in which the housing 2 is fitted to the mating housing 111, and the flat plate-shaped hood portion side 23a provided at the upper end close to the upper surface 63 of the rear surface 62 of the piece main body side 23b facing the locking protrusion 113 in the fitted state. A front face 64 of the hood part side 23b continues so as to constitute the same face as an upper face 63 of the piece main body side 23a, and comes into contact with a locking claw 46 which is a part of the side CPA4 when the side CPA4 is slid. The back surface 66 of the receptacle 23b is in surface contact with the 113b of the tip surface of the locking protrusion 113 in the connected state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11B

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is a connector that includes a housing configured to be freely mated with a mating housing of a mating connector, and a mating detection member (CPA) that is slidably attached to the housing and detects mating of the housing and the mating housing. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a connector in which, when the housing and the mating housing are mated and the locking piece of the locking arm rides over the locking protrusion on the mating housing, the mating detection member can move from a temporary locking position to a full locking position. When the mating detection member moves from the temporary locking position to the full locking position, a locking claw provided on the arm piece of the mating detection member continuously rides over the locking protrusion of the mating housing and the locking piece of the locking arm, which are in an engaged relationship with each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-102018 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the locking piece of the locking arm passes over the locking protrusion of the mating housing, a gap may be formed between the locking piece and the locking protrusion, or a step may be formed such that the upper surface of the locking piece is higher than the tip surface of the locking protrusion. Therefore, when the locking claw of the mating detection member tries to pass over the locking protrusion and the locking piece continuously, it may get caught in the gap or step between the locking protrusion and the locking piece, which may result in the movement of the mating detection member being hindered and the operability of the mating detection member being reduced.

[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 connection structure that prevents a decrease in the operability of a mating detection member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector connection structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a mating connector having a mating housing with a locking protrusion on its outer surface, and a connector to be connected to the mating connector. The connector comprises a housing that mates with the mating housing, and a mating detection member that is slidably attached to the housing and detects the mated state in which the housing and the mating housing are mated. The housing has a housing lock including a locking piece that engages by climbing over the tip surface of the locking protrusion when the mated state is reached. The locking piece has a rod-shaped main body whose axial direction is perpendicular to the mating direction in which the housing is mated with the mating housing, and a flat hood portion provided at the upper end near the top surface of the rear surface of the main body that faces the locking protrusion when in the mated state. The surface of the hood portion is continuous with the top surface of the main body so as to form the same plane, and comes into contact with a part of the mating detection member when the mating detection member is slid, and the back surface of the hood portion comes into surface contact with the tip surface of the locking protrusion when in the mated state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector connection structure that suppresses a decrease in the operability of a fitting detection member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing with a portion cut away. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view corresponding to the line IV-IV in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a CPA. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the connector according to the embodiment connected to the mating connector. [Figure 7A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector at the start of connection, corresponding to the AA portion in FIG. 6. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to the portion VIIB in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the locking piece is riding up, corresponding to the AA portion in FIG. 6. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to part VIIIB in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when fitted into the housing, corresponding to the AA portion of FIG. 6. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to the portion IXB in FIG. 9A. [Figure 10A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector at the start of the CPA operation, corresponding to the AA portion of FIG. 6. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to the portion XB in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector when the locking claw is riding up, corresponding to the section AA in FIG. 6. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to the portion XIB in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12A] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector in the CPA fully locked state corresponding to the AA portion of FIG. 6. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a partial enlarged view corresponding to the portion XIIB in FIG. 12A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A connector connection structure according to one 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] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1 and a mating connector 101 related to a connector connection structure according to one embodiment. Fig. 1 shows the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 in a state before they are connected to each other. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1.

[0011] The connector 1 is used, for example, as an automotive connector, to electrically connect a power source and a device, or between devices. The connector 1 is electrically connected to one device, etc., and is freely connectable to a mating connector 101 electrically connected to the other device, etc. In this embodiment, as an example, the mating connector 101 is a male connector, and the connector 1 is a female connector. Also, as an example, the connector 1 has a structure that allows up to three electric wires (not shown) electrically connected to any one of the devices to be connected via terminal fittings (not shown), respectively.

[0012] In this embodiment, the directions are defined as follows, for example. The X direction is the direction in which the connector 1 connects to the mating connector 101, and is the direction in which the housing 2 of the connector 1 mates with the mating housing 111 of the mating connector 101 (hereinafter referred to as the "mating direction"). Hereinafter, when the housing 2 mates with the mating housing 111 along the X direction, the side of the housing 2 closer to the mating housing 111 may be referred to as the "front" and the side farther from the mating housing 111 may be referred to as the "rear". The Y direction and the Z direction are each perpendicular to the X direction and are mutually perpendicular. The Y direction is the direction along the width direction of the housing 2. The Z direction is the direction from bottom to top along the height direction of the housing 2. Hereinafter, the Z direction may be referred to as "upper" or "lower" in accordance with this definition.

[0013] First, mating connector 101 includes mating housing 111, base portion 112 (see FIG. 7A, etc.) that supports mating housing 111, and mating terminals (not shown) that are connected to terminal fittings assembled to connector 1.

[0014] The mating housing 111 is a cylindrical enclosure made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is fitted with the housing 2 of the connector 1. The base portion 112 is depicted as an imaginary structural portion. In the mating connector 101 as an actual product, a mating cavity or the like for accommodating a mating terminal will be formed in the area corresponding to the base portion 112, but this will not be shown here.

[0015] Furthermore, the mating housing 111 has a locking protrusion 113 on its outer surface 111a that is locked with the locking piece 23 of the lock arm 21 of the housing 2 when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are fitted together. The locking protrusion 113 integrally includes a pair of inclined side walls 120 and a protrusion main body 121.

[0016] The pair of inclined side walls 120 face each other in the Y direction, which corresponds to the width direction of the mating housing 111, have the same shape, and are arranged on both sides of the locking protrusion 113. The inclined side walls 120 have guide surfaces 113a that face the locking pieces 23 in the direction opposite to the X direction when the housing 2 is fitted into the mating housing 111. The guide surfaces 113a are continuous with the outer surface 111a of the mating housing 111 and with a tip surface 113b that corresponds to the upper surface of the protrusion main body 121, and are inclined so as to gradually approach the tip surface 113b as they move in the X direction.

[0017] As described above, the protrusion body 121 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with its upper surface being the tip surface 113b. The tip surface 113b is the surface of the locking protrusion 113 that is farthest from the outer surface 111a. The protrusion body 121 has a pair of inclined side walls 120 integrated at both ends of its rear surface. The front surface of the protrusion body 121 is the locking surface 113c that faces the locking piece 23 of the lock arm 21 when the locking piece 23 is locked to the locking protrusion 113. In other words, the locking surface 113c is located on the opposite side of the guide surface 113a with respect to the tip surface 113b. The locking surface 113c is continuous with the outer surface 111a and the tip surface 113b, and is inclined so as to gradually approach the tip surface 113b as it moves in the X direction.

[0018] The protrusion main body 121 also has an engagement hole 113d having an opening at least in the locking surface 113c. In this embodiment, the engagement hole 113d is a through-hole provided in the rear surface of the protrusion main body 121, with one opening provided in the locking surface 113c and the other opening facing the spatial region surrounded by the pair of inclined side walls 120. The shape of the engagement hole 113d is set to a shape that can accommodate at least a part of the auxiliary rib 23c provided on the locking piece 23 of the lock arm 21.

[0019] Next, the connector 1 includes a housing 2, a front holder 3, a CPA 4, and a packing 5.

[0020] 3 is a perspective view of the housing 2. However, in FIG. 3, a portion of the housing 2 is broken away so that the overall structure of the housing lock 20 can be seen.

[0021] The housing 2 is formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is a housing that mates with a mating housing 111. When the connector 1 is a female connector, the housing may be called a "female housing." On the other hand, when the mating connector 101 is a male connector, the mating housing 111 may be called a "male housing." The housing 2 integrally includes an inner housing 11, an outer housing 12, a housing lock 20, a pair of protective walls 16, and a beam 17.

[0022] The inner housing 11 is cylindrical and is a portion that is accommodated inside the mating housing 111 when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated. On the other hand, the outer housing 12 is cylindrical and covers a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11 with a gap therebetween, and is a portion that accommodates the mating housing 111 inside when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated. In other words, when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated, the mating housing 111 is inserted into the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 12.

[0023] The inner housing 11 is formed so that a front end 14 of the inner housing 11 protrudes slightly forward beyond the front end surface of the outer housing 12. A packing 5 is attached to the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11 covered by the outer housing 12. In addition, a front holder 3 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the front end 14 of the inner housing 11.

[0024] The inner housing 11 also has a plurality of cavities 13 into which a plurality of terminals are respectively inserted from the rear. In this embodiment, three cavities 13 are provided, and the terminals to be inserted are female terminals. Each cavity 13 is open to the outside through an opening at the front end 14 of the inner housing 11, and a mating terminal (not shown) provided on a mating connector is inserted through this opening.

[0025] When the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated, the housing lock 20 maintains the mated state by partially engaging with a locking protrusion 113 provided on the mating housing 111. In other words, the housing lock 20 and the locking protrusion 113 form a locking mechanism. The housing lock 20 has a lock arm 21 and a release arm 24, each of which is elastically deformable.

[0026] The lock arm 21 integrally includes a pair of elastic arm pieces 22 and a locking piece 23. The elastic arm pieces 22 are U-shaped in plan view and are formed in a cantilevered manner on the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11. The elastic arm pieces 22 are configured as a pair on the left and right so as to extend forward in parallel with the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11.

[0027] The locking piece 23 connects the front ends of the elastic arm pieces 22 together in the left-right direction, and when the connection between the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 is completed, it locks the locking protrusion 113 of the mating housing 111. The locking piece 23 is sometimes called a "lock beak."

[0028] Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a part of locking piece 23 cut along an imaginary XZ plane, corresponding to the IV-IV portion in Fig. 3. Locking piece 23 has a piece main body 23a, a hood portion 23b, and an auxiliary rib 23c.

[0029] The half body 23a is rod-shaped and extends in the Y direction as a whole. The cross-sectional shape of the half body 23a taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction is generally rectangular. The half body 23a has a bottom surface 60, a front surface 61, a rear surface 62, and a top surface 63. The bottom surface 60 faces the outer surface 111a of the mating housing 111 when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated. The front surface 61 faces at least a portion of the locking claw 46 of the CPA 4 when the CPA 4 is in the fully locked state. The upper end of the front surface 61 is continuous with the top surface 63. The lower end of the front surface 61 is continuous with the bottom surface 60. The rear surface 62 is located on the opposite side of the front surface 61 and faces a portion of the locking surface 113c of the locking protrusion 113 when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated. The top surface 63 is located opposite the bottom surface 60 and contacts the locking claw 46 when the CPA 4 moves from the temporary locking position to the full locking position.

[0030] The hood portion 23b is provided at the upper end of the rear surface 62 of the main body 23a, and is a flat portion that protrudes rearward from the rear surface 62 in the extension direction of the elastic arm piece 22. A surface 64 of the hood portion 23b is continuous with the upper surface 63 of the main body 23a so as to form the same plane. A back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b is continuous with the rear surface 62 so as to be approximately perpendicular to the rear surface 62. When the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated, the back surface 66 comes into surface contact with the tip surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113.

[0031] Further, the hood portion 23b has a guide assist surface 65 at the tip of the front surface 64. When the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are fitted together and the locking protrusion 113 is locked to the locking piece 23, the guide assist surface 65 becomes continuous with the guide surface 113a of the locking protrusion 113 so as to form the same surface (see FIG. 10B, etc.). In other words, the guide assist surface 65 is inclined so as to gradually approach the upper surface 63 of the half main body 23a from the back surface 66 as it advances in the X direction.

[0032] The auxiliary rib 23c is provided at the lower end of the rear surface 62 of the main body piece 23a, and is a convex portion that protrudes rearward from the rear surface 62 along the extension direction of the elastic arm piece 22, with an end surface 67 as its tip surface. In this embodiment, the end surface 67 and the rear surface 62 are approximately parallel. The auxiliary rib 23c also has an inclined side surface 68 that is inclined so as to gradually approach the hood portion 23b from the end surface 67 toward the rear surface 62. In other words, a gap S is formed in the locking piece 23, facing the rear surface 62, and sandwiched between the back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b and the inclined side surface 68 of the auxiliary rib 23c.

[0033] The release arms 24 are U-shaped in plan view, and are formed as cantilevers at the front ends of the pair of elastic arm pieces 22, extending rearward. The release arms 24 have a release operation portion 25 that is pushed down when the locking pieces 23 and the locking protrusions 113 are disengaged. The release operation portion 25 is spaced apart from the inner housing 11 in the Z direction and is located above the elastic arm pieces 22. When the release operation portion 25 is pushed down and displaced downward, an upward release force is applied to the locking pieces 23 via the release arms 24.

[0034] The unlocking operation part 25 is block-shaped. The upper surface of the unlocking operation part 25 is preset to be higher than the upper end of the release arm 24. Furthermore, when the housing lock 20 is not deformed, the unlocking operation part 25 has a front end surface 25a whose normal direction is the X direction. When the CPA 4 is completely attached to the housing lock 20, a portion of the front end surface 25a faces a portion of the rear end surface of the CPA 4 in the X direction.

[0035] The release arm 24 also has a pair of locking projections 26, which are symmetrical to each other and project in directions away from each other along the Y direction, on both outer surfaces of the release arm 24, the normal direction of which is along the Y direction. The locking projections 26 are displaceable relative to the upper outer peripheral surface 12a of the housing 2, and a locking projection 43 provided on the CPA 4 is locked to the locking projections 26.

[0036] The pair of protective walls 16 are disposed to sandwich a portion of the lock arm 21 in the Y direction, thereby protecting the housing lock 20. The beam 17 is hung in the Y direction in front of the protective walls 16 and above the outer peripheral surface 12a, thereby defining, together with the pair of protective walls 16, a space in which at least a portion of the CPA 4 is disposed.

[0037] The front holder 3 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin and is a cylindrical body that is assembled to the front end of the inner housing 11 of the housing 2. The front holder 3 has a first opening 31 and a second opening 32 (see FIG. 7A ), each of which has an opening that opens along the X direction when assembled to the inner housing 11. The first opening 31 is located on the front side of the front holder 3 and exposes the front end 14 of the inner housing 11 to the outside when the front holder 3 is assembled to the inner housing 11. The second opening 32 is located on the rear side of the front holder 3 and introduces the front end of the inner housing 11 into the interior. A portion of the front holder 3 near the second opening 32 has a flange shape that prevents the packing 5 assembled to the inner housing 11 from slipping out forward.

[0038] 5 is a perspective view of the CPA 4. Hereinafter, the directions referred to in describing the shape or state of the CPA 4 correspond to the directions relative to the connector 1 when the CPA 4 is or has been attached to the housing lock 20.

[0039] The CPA 4 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is slidably attached to the housing lock 20 from the rear to ensure the mating position of the housing 2 into the mating housing 111. CPA is an abbreviation for Connector Position Assurance. The CPA is also called a "mating detection member" as it detects whether the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are properly mated.

[0040] The CPA 4 integrally includes a pair of side walls 41 and a support wall 42. The pair of side walls 41 are walls facing each other in the Y direction, which corresponds to the width direction. The main plane of the side walls 41 is parallel to an imaginary XZ plane, and the side walls 41 are rectangular in shape with their longitudinal direction in the X direction, which corresponds to the length direction. The support wall 42 connects the rear portions of the upper ends of the side walls 41 together.

[0041] Each side wall 41 has locking projections 43 that protrude facing each other on the opposing surfaces of the side wall 41. Each of the pair of locking projections 43 is positioned so that when the CPA 4 is attached to the housing lock 20, it comes into contact with the locked projection 26 of the housing lock 20 and allows partial sliding of the surfaces. Each locking projection 43 is provided at the front lower corner of the corresponding side wall 41. In addition, a convex CPA operating portion 44 that is operated when sliding the CPA 4 is provided on the upper surface of the support wall 42.

[0042] The CPA 4 also has an arm piece 45 extending forward from the center of the support wall 42 in the Y direction. The arm piece 45 is supported by the support wall 42 in a cantilevered manner and is tilted downward. A locking claw 46 extending downward is formed on the front end 45a of the arm piece 45. The front end 45a is shaped like an elongated plate with its longitudinal direction in the Y direction. The locking claw 46 is a convex portion with its longitudinal direction in the Y direction that matches the outer circumferential shape of the front end 45a. However, the outer circumferential shape of the base of the locking claw 46 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer circumferential shape of the front end 45a. The arm piece 45 is elastically deformable so that the locking claw 46 swings upward with its rear end as a fulcrum. The locking claw 46 is located behind the locking piece 23 of the housing 2 when the CPA 4 is in the provisionally locked state. On the other hand, when the CPA 4 is in a fully locked state, the locking claw 46 is locked to the locking piece 23. The "fully locked state" of the CPA 4 refers to the locked state when the CPA 4 ensures that the housing 2 is properly fitted to the mating housing 111, that is, when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are properly fitted to each other.

[0043] The CPA 4 is attached to the housing 2 in the following procedure. First, the CPA 4 is placed on the unlocking operation portion 25 of the housing lock 20, with the arm piece 45 facing forward, and the underside of the support wall portion 42 abutting against the unlocking operation portion 25 of the housing lock 20. Next, the CPA 4 is pushed down toward the unlocking operation portion 25 and slid forward. As the unlocking operation portion 25 is pushed down, the locking piece 23 at the free end of the lock arm 21 of the housing lock 20 rises. As the locking piece 23 rises, the position of the release arm 24, which is connected to the locking piece 23 at its tip, also changes, and each of the locked protrusions 26 also rises, resulting in an increase in the gap between the outer circumferential surface 12a and the locked protrusions 26. As the CPA 4 moves forward, each of the locking projections 43 comes into contact with the corresponding locked projection 26, displacing the locked projection 26 upward as it moves forward, and finally passes through the gap between the outer circumferential surface 12a and the locked projection 26. This completes the installation of the CPA 4.

[0044] Here, although the CPA 4 is attached to the housing 2 so as to be prevented from falling off the housing lock 20, it is not in a fully locked state because the connector 1 is not connected to the mating connector 101. Therefore, this state of the CPA 4 is also called a "provisionally locked state."

[0045] The packing 5 is an annular elastic body that is tightly fitted to the inner side of the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 11 in the housing 2. When the connector 1 is connected to the mating connector 101, the packing 5 also comes into close contact with the inner wall of the mating housing 111, thereby achieving waterproofing and other functions.

[0046] Next, the states of the housing lock 20 and CPA 4 when the housing 2 of the connector 1 is mated with the mating housing 111 of the mating connector 101 will be described. Figures 7A and 7B through 12A and 12B show the stages of the state of the housing lock 20 and CPA 4 in chronological order. It is assumed that the front holder 3, CPA 4, and packing 5 are pre-assembled in the housing 2.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a rear view of the connector 1 connected to the mating connector 101. Fig. 6 shows the connector 1 drawn so that the rear side, which is opposite to the front side connected to the mating connector 101, can be seen along the X direction.

[0048] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 when connection of the connector 1 to the mating connector 101 is initiated. Fig. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section corresponding to the line AA in Fig. 6. Here, the cross section corresponding to the line AA in Fig. 6 is a virtual XZ plane, part of which passes through the middle of the housing lock 20 and the CPA 4 in the Y direction, and the other part of which passes between two adjacent cavities 13. Fig. 7B is an enlarged view of the locking portion between the locking piece 23 provided on the housing lock 20 and the locking protrusion 113 provided on the mating housing 111, corresponding to the line VIIB in Fig. 7A.

[0049] First, at the start of connection of the connector 1, the front holder 3 assembled to the inner housing 11 is inserted into the mating housing 111, and the mating housing 111 is inserted into the outer housing 12. As this insertion progresses, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the locking piece 23 of the housing lock 20 eventually comes into contact with the guide surface 113a of the locking protrusion 113 provided on the mating housing 111. Thus, until the locking piece 23 comes into contact with a part of the locking protrusion 113, the housing lock 20 and the CPA 4 are not deformed.

[0050] 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views of the connector 1 showing the state of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 when the locking piece 23 is lifted by the guide surface 113a. Fig. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 6. Fig. 8B is an enlarged view of the locking portion between the locking piece 23 and the locking protrusion 113, corresponding to the line VIIIB in Fig. 8A.

[0051] 8A, as the connector 1 advances toward the mating connector 101, the locking piece 23 is lifted along the slope of the guide surface 113a and rides onto the tip surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113. At this time, in this embodiment, the locking piece 23 is provided with the auxiliary rib 23c, so that a part of the auxiliary rib 23c abuts against the tip surface 113b, as shown in FIG. 8B. Meanwhile, with the CPA4, the front end 45a of the arm piece 45 gets caught on the locking piece 23, and the locking claw 46 is also lifted up to the tip surface 113b.

[0052] 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of the connector 1 showing the state of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 when the mating housing 111 and the housing 2 have been completely mated. Fig. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section corresponding to the section AA in Fig. 6. Fig. 9B is an enlarged view of the locking portion between the locking piece 23 and the locking protrusion 113, corresponding to the section IXB in Fig. 9A.

[0053] At the stage where mating housing 111 and housing 2 are completely fitted together, first, packing 5, which has been attached to inner housing 11 in advance, comes into close contact with the inner wall of mating housing 111, as shown in FIG. 9A.

[0054] 9A and 9B, when connector 1 moves further toward mating connector 101 from the stage shown in Fig. 8A, locking piece 23 climbs over tip surface 113b, and housing lock 20 undergoes restoration deformation. As a result, locking piece 23 faces locking surface 113c of locking protrusion 113 in the direction opposite to the X direction, and is locked by locking protrusion 113. In other words, connector 1 is in a state where it cannot be released from mating connector 101 simply by being pulled in the direction opposite to the X direction, i.e., it is in a locked state.

[0055] 7A and 8A, the CPA 4 was maintained in the provisionally locked state. In contrast, at this stage, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the CPA 4 remains resting on the distal end surface 113b of the locking projection 113, and there is no obstacle in front of the locking claws 46 of the CPA 4. Therefore, the CPA 4 is now in a state where it can transition to the fully locked state.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking piece 23 is provided with a hood portion 23b. As shown in FIG. 9B, the back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b is in surface contact with the tip surface 113b of the locking projection 113. Therefore, when the CPA 4 transitions from the provisionally locked state to the fully locked state, the contact area of ​​the locking claw 46 from the guide surface 113a of the locking projection 113 to the upper surface 63 of the locking piece 23 is formed as a continuous surface without any gaps or steps. Here, FIGS. 9A and 9B show the state immediately after the locking piece 23 has overcome the tip surface 113b and the housing lock 20 has undergone its return deformation, and the housing 2 has not yet returned in the direction opposite to the X direction. At this time, the contact area of ​​the locking claw 46 extends from the guide surface 113a to the tip surface 113b, the auxiliary guide surface 65 of the hood portion 23b, and finally to the upper surface 63.

[0057] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views of connector 1 showing the state of connector 1 and mating connector 101 when back surface 66 of hood portion 23b is brought into close contact with tip surface 113b. Fig. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 6. Fig. 10B is an enlarged view of the engagement portion between locking piece 23 and locking protrusion 113, corresponding to line XB in Fig. 10A.

[0058] At the stage of bringing the back surface 66 into close contact with the tip surface 113b, for example, an operator pulls the housing 2 in the direction opposite to the X direction, which is the mating direction, while maintaining the locked state in which the locking piece 23 is engaged with the locking protrusion 113. This pulling causes the locking piece 23 of the housing lock 20 to displace in the direction opposite to the X direction in accordance with the displacement of the housing 2. Here, in this embodiment, the locking piece 23 is provided with an auxiliary rib 23c, and as shown in FIG. 10B , at least a portion of the auxiliary rib 23c enters the engagement hole 113d formed in the locking protrusion 113. After the inclined side surface 68 of the auxiliary rib 23c abuts against the opening end 113e that defines the opening of the engagement hole 113d in the protrusion main body 121, the inclined side surface 68 of the auxiliary rib 23c displaces downward toward the outer surface 111a of the mating housing 111 as the housing 2 moves in the direction opposite to the X direction. Finally, a part of the portion of the protrusion main body 121 located above the engagement hole 113d enters the gap S between the back surface 66 and the inclined side surface 68 of the hood portion 23b, and the back surface 66 is pressed against the tip surface 113b to come into close contact. When the back surface 66 and the tip surface 113b come into close contact, the guide auxiliary surface 65 provided at the tip of the hood portion 23b becomes continuous with the guide surface 113a of the locking protrusion 113 so as to form the same plane.

[0059] 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views of the connector 1 showing the states of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 when the CPA 4 starts to transition from the provisionally locked state to the fully locked state. Fig. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 6. Fig. 11B is an enlarged view of the locked portion between the locking piece 23 and the locking protrusion 113, corresponding to the line XIB in Fig. 11A.

[0060] The transition of the CPA 4 to the fully locked state begins when the CPA 4 is pushed forward in the X direction. At this stage, there is no obstacle in front of the locking claw 46 of the CPA 4. In addition, the guide surface 113a of the locking projection 113 and the auxiliary guide surface 65 of the hood portion 23b are already continuous and form the same plane. Therefore, as the CPA 4 slides forward, the locking claw 46 moves smoothly from the guide surface 113a to the auxiliary guide surface 65 while making contact with it, as shown in FIG. 11B.

[0061] 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views of the connector 1 showing the states of the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 when the CPA 4 has completed transition to the full locking state. Fig. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 6. Fig. 12B is an enlarged view of the locking portion between the locking piece 23 and the locking protrusion 113, corresponding to the line XIIB in Fig. 12A.

[0062] Following the previous stage in Figure 11A, CPA4 is pushed forward and slid, so that, as shown in Figure 12B, locking claw 46 passes over locking piece 23 and locks onto front surface 61 of locking piece 23, and finally, CPA4 enters a fully locked state.

[0063] Next, the effects of the connector connection structure according to this embodiment will be described.

[0064] The connector connection structure according to this embodiment includes a mating connector 101 having a mating housing 111 with a locking protrusion 113 on its outer surface 111a, and a connector 1 to be connected to the mating connector 101. The connector 1 includes a housing 2 that mates with the mating housing 111, and a CPA 4 that slides into the housing 2 and serves as a mating detection member that detects the mated state in which the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are mated. The housing 2 has a housing lock 20 including a locking piece 23 that rides over and engages with the tip surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113 when the mating state is reached. The locking piece 23 has a rod-shaped half body 23a whose axial direction is perpendicular to the mating direction in which the housing 2 is mated with the mating housing 111. The locking piece 23 also has a flat plate-shaped hood portion 23b provided at the upper end, near the upper surface 63, of the rear surface 62 of the half body 23a that faces the locking protrusion 113 when the housing 2 is mated. A surface 64 of the hood portion 23b is flush with the upper surface 63 of the half body 23a and comes into contact with a part of the CPA 4 when the CPA 4 is slid. A back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b comes into surface contact with the tip surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113 when the CPA 4 is fitted.

[0065] Here, the mating direction in which the housing 2 is mated with the mating housing 111 corresponds to the X direction in the above example. Also, the axial direction of the piece main body 23a of the locking piece 23 corresponds to the Y direction in the above example.

[0066] First, in this connector connection structure, when the housing 2 and the mating housing 111 are in a mated state, the locking pieces 23 of the housing lock 20 are locked with the locking projections 113 of the mating housing 111, thereby locking the connector 1 and the mating connector 101. Furthermore, when the connector 1 and the mating connector 101 are in a locked state, the CPA 4 can be changed from a provisionally locked state to a fully locked state by causing a part of the CPA 4, for example, the locking pawls 46, to continuously ride over the locking projections 113 and the locking pieces 23.

[0067] 9A and 9B, the connector connection structure includes a hood portion 23b on the locking piece 23, and in the mated state, a back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b is in surface contact with the distal end surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113. Therefore, when the CPA 4 transitions from the provisionally locked state to the fully locked state, there is no gap between the locking protrusion 113 and the locking piece 23, at least in the range where a portion of the CPA 4 makes contact to climb over the distal end surface 113b. In other words, when a portion of the CPA 4 attempts to climb over the locking protrusion 113 and the locking piece 23, it is unlikely that the CPA 4 will get caught in the gap between the locking protrusion 113 and the locking piece 23. Therefore, the connector connection structure makes it difficult for the movement of the CPA 4 to be hindered, and as a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the operability of the CPA 4.

[0068] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a connector connection structure that suppresses a decrease in the operability of the CPA 4.

[0069] In addition, in this connector connection structure, the hood portion 23b may have a guide auxiliary surface 65 at the tip of the surface 64 that is inclined so as to gradually approach the upper surface 63 of the main body 23a from the back surface 66 as it progresses in the mating direction.

[0070] In this case, even if hood portion 23b is placed on tip surface 113b, as shown in FIG. 9B, the surface that CPA 4 comes into contact with during sliding continues smoothly from tip surface 113b to upper surface 63 of locking piece 23 via guide assist surface 65. In other words, a step is unlikely to occur between locking protrusion 113 and locking piece 23. In other words, when a part of CPA 4 tries to continuously climb over locking protrusion 113 and locking piece 23, it is unlikely to get caught on the step between locking protrusion 113 and locking piece 23. Therefore, with this connector connection structure, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the movement of CPA 4 is even less likely to be hindered, and as a result, deterioration in the operability of CPA 4 can be further suppressed.

[0071] In this connector connection structure, the locking protrusion 113 may have a guide surface 113a that is inclined from the outer surface 111a of the mating housing 111 to the tip surface 113b of the locking protrusion 113 and that guides the locking piece 23 to the tip surface 113b as the locking piece 23 moves in the mating direction. The locking protrusion 113 may have a locking surface 113c that is located on the opposite side of the guide surface 113a with respect to the tip surface 113b and that faces the locking piece 23 in the mated state, and an engagement hole 113d that has an opening in at least the locking surface 113c. The locking piece 23 may have an auxiliary rib 23c provided at the lower end of the rear surface 62 of the piece main body 23a. The auxiliary rib 23c may have an inclined side surface 68 that is inclined so as to gradually approach the hood portion 23b as it moves in the mating direction. When the housing 2 is pulled in the opposite direction to the mating direction in the mated state, at least a portion of the auxiliary rib 23c may enter the mating hole 113d, and the inclined side surface 68 may abut against the opening edge 113e that defines the opening of the mating hole 113d.

[0072] 10A and 10B, the back surface 66 of the hood portion 23b can be brought into close contact with the tip surface 113b. Therefore, according to this connector connection structure, a step is less likely to occur between the locking protrusion 113 and the locking piece 23, and as a result, deterioration in the operability of the CPA4 can be further suppressed.

[0073] Furthermore, in the connector connection structure, when the housing 2 is pulled in the opposite direction to the mating direction in the mated state, the guide auxiliary surface 65 may be continuous so as to form the same surface as the guide surface 113a of the locking protrusion 113.

[0074] 10B and 11B, guide surface 113a and surface 64 of hood portion 23b are continuous to form the same plane. Therefore, according to this connector connection structure, a step between locking protrusion 113 and locking piece 23 is less likely to occur than when back surface 66 of hood portion 23b and tip surface 113b are simply in close contact with each other. As a result, deterioration in the operability of CPA4 can be further suppressed.

[0075] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 connector 2. Housing 4 CPA (Mating Detection Element) 20 Housing Lock 23 Locking piece 23a Single body 23b Hood 23c Auxiliary rib 24 Release arm 26 Locked protrusion 46 Locking claw 62 Rear of one body 63 Top of one body 64 Hood surface 65 Guidance auxiliary surface 66 Back of hood 68 Slanted side 101 Mating Connector 111 Opposite Housing 111a Exterior 113 Locking protrusion 113a Guidance surface 113b Tip surface 113c Locking surface 113d He-Sea Point 113e Open end

Claims

1. a mating connector having a mating housing with a locking protrusion on its outer surface; a connector to be connected to the mating connector, The connector comprises: a housing that mates with the mating housing; a mating detection member that is slidably mounted on the housing and detects a mating state in which the housing and the mating housing are mated, the housing has a housing lock including a locking piece that rides over and engages with the tip end surface of the locking protrusion when the housing reaches the fitted state, The locking piece is a rod-shaped one-piece main body having an axial direction perpendicular to a fitting direction in which the housing is fitted to the mating housing; a flat plate-shaped hood portion provided at an upper end near an upper surface of a rear surface of the one main body that faces the locking protrusion in the fitted state, a surface of the hood portion that is continuous with the upper surface of the one main body and that contacts a part of the fitting detection member when the fitting detection member is slid; A connector connection structure in which the back surface of the hood portion comes into surface contact with the tip surface of the locking protrusion when in the fitted state.

2. The connector connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the hood portion has a guide assist surface at the tip of the surface that is inclined so as to gradually approach the upper surface of the one main body from the back surface as it progresses in the mating direction.

3. The locking projection is a guide surface that is inclined from the outer surface of the mating housing toward the tip surface of the locking protrusion and that guides the locking piece to the tip surface in accordance with the movement of the locking piece along the fitting direction; a locking surface that is located on the opposite side of the guide surface with respect to the tip surface and that faces the locking piece when in the fitted state; an engagement hole having an opening at least on the engagement surface, The locking piece has an auxiliary rib provided at a lower end of the rear surface of the piece main body, The auxiliary rib has an inclined side surface that is inclined so as to gradually approach the hood portion as it advances in the fitting direction, 3. The connector connection structure according to claim 2, wherein when the housing is pulled in the direction opposite to the mating direction in the mated state, at least a portion of the auxiliary rib enters the engagement hole and the inclined side surface abuts against an opening end that defines the opening of the engagement hole.

4. When the housing is pulled in the direction opposite to the mating direction in the mated state, 4. The connector connection structure according to claim 3, wherein the guide assist surface is continuous with the guide surface of the locking projection so as to form the same plane.

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