Connector device

Abstract

It mates smoothly with the other connector. [Solution] The connector device 10 includes a movable member 15 that can be mated with a mating connector 50, and a clip 19 that attaches the movable member 15 to the vertical support surface 11F of a support member 11 to which the connector device 10 is attached. The movable member 15 has a non-contact opposing surface 17R that is spaced horizontally away from the support surface 11F, and a tilt restricting portion 26 that abuts against the support surface 11F is formed on the non-contact opposing surface 17R.

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a floating connector including a slide housing to which contacts are attached and a base housing that holds the slide housing so as to be relatively displaceable in the horizontal direction. This floating connector can absorb positional displacement in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the fitting direction during the fitting process with the mating connector.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the above floating connector is supported on the vertical surface of a fixed support member, the floating connector may be supported in a cantilever manner on the support member via a support member. In this case, due to the presence of the support member between the support member and the floating connector, the vertical surface of the support member and the floating connector may be in a horizontally separated positional relationship. When the support member and the floating connector are in a horizontally separated positional relationship, when the floating connector is fitted to or detached from the mating connector, the floating connector may tilt so as to approach or separate from the vertical surface due to frictional resistance. If this occurs, it may interfere with the fitting of the floating connector to the mating connector, and thus a countermeasure is desired.

[0005] This disclosure has been completed based on the circumstances described above and aims to enable smooth mating with the mating connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector device of this disclosure is A movable member that can be mated with the mating connector, The connector device includes a mounting portion that is attached to the vertical support surface of the support member to which the connector device is to be attached, so as to support the movable member, The movable member has a non-contact opposing surface that is spaced horizontally away from the support surface, The non-contact opposing surface has a tilting restricting portion that contacts the support surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it can be smoothly mated with the other connector. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the connector device of Example 1 and the mating connector in a detached state. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the support member and connector device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a front view showing the connector device attached to the support member. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the connector device attached to the support member. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 3. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a rear view of the connector device. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line CC in Figure 3, showing the state in which the angled mating connector is pressing against the second interference point. [Figure 9]Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the CC line in Figure 3, showing the housing tilted in the same direction as the mating connector. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line BB in Figure 3, under the same conditions as in Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the DD line in Figure 4, showing the state in which the diagonally positioned mating connector is pressing against the first interference point. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the DD line in Figure 4, showing the holder and housing tilted in the same direction as the mating connector. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a rear view of the same state as in Figure 12. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the holder. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments, insofar as they do not contradict each other, is also included as a form for carrying out the invention. The connector device of this disclosure is (1) The connector device comprises a movable part that can be mated with a mating connector, and a mounting part that is attached to support the movable part with respect to the vertical support surface of a support member to which the connector device is to be attached, wherein the movable part has a non-contact opposing surface that is spaced horizontally apart from the support surface, and the non-contact opposing surface has a tilt restricting part that abuts against the support surface. According to this disclosure, the tilt restricting part abuts against the support surface, which prevents the movable part from tilting in a direction intersecting the support surface. This prevents interference with mating between the movable part and the mating connector caused by the movable part tilting in a direction intersecting the support surface.

[0010] (2) In (1), the mounting portion supports the movable member so as to be swingable with respect to the support surface. The movable member has a pair of interference portions that interfere with the mating connector with its posture inclined. When the pair of interference portions are viewed in a direction parallel to the swing center axis of the movable member, they are positioned so as to sandwich the swing center axis from both sides in the horizontal direction. Preferably, the tilting restriction portion is disposed between the swing center axis and the pair of interference portions. When the tilting restriction portion is viewed in a direction parallel to the swing center axis of the movable member and is significantly separated from the swing center axis, when the movable member swings, the sliding distance of the tilting restriction portion on the support surface becomes long, so the friction of the tilting restriction portion tends to progress. In view of this point, the tilting restriction portion is disposed between the swing center axis and the pair of interference portions. According to this arrangement, compared with the case where the tilting restriction portion is disposed on the opposite side of the swing center axis across the interference portions, the sliding distance of the tilting restriction portion on the support surface becomes short, so the tilting restriction portion can be worn.

[0011] (3) In (1) or (2), preferably, the tilting restriction portion has a rib shape extending in the vertical direction. When the movable member swings, the tilting restriction portion moves up and down. Therefore, when the vertical dimension of the support surface is small, there is a concern that the tilting restriction portion may come off the support surface upward or downward. In view of this point, the tilting restriction portion is formed in a rib shape extending in the vertical direction. Thereby, even when the tilting restriction portion moves up and down as the movable member swings, there is no possibility that the tilting restriction portion comes off the support surface.

[0012] (4) In (1) or (2), preferably, the tilting restriction portion includes a lower restriction portion disposed below the swing center axis and an upper restriction portion disposed above the swing center axis. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the inclination of the movable member both when the movable member fits into the mating connector and when the movable member detaches from the mating connector.

[0013] (5)(4), it is preferable that the upper restricting portion and the lower restricting portion form a rib shape extending in the vertical direction and are connected to each other. When the upper restricting portion and the lower restricting portion are separately arranged at different positions from each other, the rib-shaped upper restricting portion or lower restricting portion may be deformed by the friction with the support surface. In view of this point, the upper restricting portion and the lower restricting portion are formed in a connected form with each other. According to this configuration, the overall rigidity of the tilting restricting portion is increased, so that deformation of a part of the tilting restricting portion can be prevented.

[0014] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] [Example 1] The connector device 10 of Example 1 embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In Example 1, regarding the front-rear direction, the F direction in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 10, and 14 is defined as the front. Regarding the vertical direction, the H direction in FIGS. 1 to 3, 6 to 14 is defined as the upper. Regarding the left-right direction, the R direction in FIGS. 1 to 5, 7, 11 to 14 is defined as the right.

[0015] The connector device 10 of Example 1 is, for example, a device attached to an automobile chassis (not shown). The connector device 10 is a device that is fitted from below to a mating connector 50 attached to an automobile body (not shown). The mating connector 50 has female mating terminals (not shown). On the facing surface (lower surface) of the mating connector 50 with respect to the connector device 10, a guiding portion 51 protruding toward the connector device 10 is formed. The guiding portion 51 has a guiding surface 52 inclined with respect to the fitting direction (vertical direction) with the mating connector 50. When the connector device 10 and the mating connector 50 are fitted in a state where they are displaced in the two-dimensional direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the fitting direction, the guiding surface 52 comes into sliding contact with the connector device 10, so that the displacement in the two-dimensional direction (front-rear direction and left-right direction) between the connector device 10 and the mating connector 50 is corrected.

[0016] The connector device 10 has a movable member 15 attached to a support member 11. The support member 11 is a panel-shaped member fixed to the automobile with its thickness direction oriented in the front-rear direction. The front of the front and rear vertical surfaces of the support member 11 is defined as the support surface 11F that faces the movable member 15 horizontally at a distance from it. The support member 11 has three mounting holes formed through it. The mounting holes include one center hole 12 and a pair of left and right side holes 13. As shown in Figures 7 and 13, in a rear view of the support member 11, the pair of side holes 13 are positioned diagonally below the center hole 12 and are arranged symmetrically on either side of the center hole 12. The rear view shapes of the center hole 12 and the side holes 13 are elliptical or oblong, with their major axis oriented vertically.

[0017] The movable member 15 is constructed by assembling one holder 16, one housing 30, and a male terminal fitting (not shown). The holder 16 is made of synthetic resin and is a single component having a rear wall portion 17 and a pair of symmetrical side wall portions 18. The rear surface of the rear wall portion 17 is defined as a non-contact opposing surface 17R that is horizontally spaced and parallel to the support surface 11F. Three clips 19 are attached to the non-contact opposing surface 17R, for example. The three clips 19 are individually attached to the center hole 12 and the pair of side holes 13. The lower end of the clip 19 attached to the center hole 12 abuts from above against the lower end of the opening edge of the center hole 12. The lower end of the clip 19 attached to the center hole 12 functions as a second pivot point 21, which is the pivot axis when the holder 16 swings left and right relative to the support member 11. The second pivot point 21 serves as the pivot point when the holder 16 begins to tilt its posture relative to the support member 11. The axis of the second pivot point 21, as the pivot center axis, is oriented in the front-rear direction, perpendicular to the fitting direction (up-down direction) between the mating connector 50 and the housing 30.

[0018] The orientation of the holder 16 and housing 30 when they are facing the mating connector 50 without tilting is defined as the neutral position. The clip 19 attached to the center hole 12 is located on a virtual vertical line (not shown) passing through the center of gravity (not shown) of the movable member 15 when viewed from the rear. When the three clips 19 are attached to the center hole 12 and the two side holes 13, a first clearance 22 is secured within the side hole 13 that allows the clips 19 to be displaced relative to each other in both vertical directions. This first clearance 22 allows the holder 16 to swing left and right around the second pivot point 21.

[0019] A pair of symmetrical tilt restricting portions 26 are formed on the non-contact opposing surface 17R. The tilt restricting portions 26 are rib-shaped and elongated in the vertical direction (the fitting direction between the mating connector 50 and the movable member 15). The tilt restricting portions 26 are formed continuously from the upper end to the lower end of the holder 16 (non-contact opposing surface 17R). A single tilt restricting portion 26 is composed of an upper restricting portion 27, a lower restricting portion 28, and a connecting portion 29. The upper restricting portion 27 is the part of the tilt restricting portion 26 above the second pivot point portion 21. The lower restricting portion 28 is the part of the tilt restricting portion 26 below the second pivot point portion 21. The connecting portion 29 is the part that connects the lower end of the upper restricting portion 27 and the upper end of the lower restricting portion 28.

[0020] A pair of symmetrical support grooves 23 are formed in the pair of side wall portions 18. The support grooves 23 have a shape that extends in the front-rear direction and open to the inner surface and front end surface of the side wall portion 18. The lower surface on the inner surface of the support groove 23 functions as a mounting surface 24 that supports the housing 30 when it is placed on it. When the holder 16 and housing 30 are facing the mating connector 50, the mounting surface 24 is oriented perpendicular to the mating direction and extends in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction). A stopper 25 that protrudes downward in a stepped manner is formed on the upper surface on the inner surface of the support groove 23.

[0021] The housing 30 is a single component having a block-shaped terminal holding portion 31 and a rectangular tubular fitting portion 32 extending upward from the upper surface of the terminal holding portion 31. The housing 30 is housed inside the holder 16. In other words, the housing 30 is housed in a space enclosed by the rear wall portion 17 and the left and right side wall portions 18. A male terminal fitting (not shown) is held in the terminal holding portion 31. The tab of the terminal fitting is arranged inside the fitting portion 32. In a plan view of the housing 30 from above, the opening edge of the fitting portion 32 forms a rectangle with its long side oriented in the left-right direction. A tapered guide slope 33 is formed at the upper end of the opening edge of the fitting portion 32.

[0022] The mating portion 32 is the part into which the mating connector 50 is inserted from above. The mating portion 32 is composed of a front wall 34, a pair of left and right side walls 35, and a rear wall 36. The inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 35 of the mating portion 32 function as a pair of second interference portions 37. As shown in Figure 4, in the left-right direction perpendicular to the mating direction with the mating connector 50, the second pivot portion 21 is positioned between the pair of second interference portions 37. The pair of tilt restricting portions 26 described above are positioned between the second pivot portion 21 and the second interference portions 37 in a rear view of the movable member 15 viewed parallel to the axial direction of the second pivot portion 21. In the mating direction (up and down direction), the pair of second interference portions 37 are positioned at the same height as the second pivot portion 21 or in a region lower than the second pivot portion 21. The inner surfaces of the front wall 34 and the rear wall 36 of the mating portion 32 function as a pair of first interference portions 38.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of symmetrical projections 40 are formed on the outer surface of the side wall 35 of the mating portion 32. As shown in Figures 6 and 10, the projections 40 as a whole have an elongated shape in the front-rear direction. An elastic arm portion 41 is formed on the upper surface of the projection 40, extending forward in a cantilevered manner. The elastic arm portion 41 is capable of elastic displacement in the vertical direction. In a side view of the housing 30 viewed from the side, the lower surface of the projection 40 functions as a rolling surface 42 that is curved to be convex downward. Before the mating connector 50 is mated, the contact point between the rolling surface 42 and the mounting surface 24 of the holder 16 is defined as the first pivot point 43. In a side view of the housing 30 viewed from the side, the position of the first pivot point 43 in the front-rear direction is between the pair of first interference portions 38.

[0024] The housing 30 is attached to the holder 16 with the terminal holding portion 31 and the mating portion 32 housed inside the holder 16 and the projection portion 40 housed in the support groove 23. When assembling the housing 30 to the holder 16, the projection portion 40 is inserted into the support groove 23 from the front of the housing 30. During the insertion process, the elastic arm portion 41 is elastically displaced downward due to interference with the stopper 25. When the elastic arm portion 41 passes the stopper 25, the assembly of the housing 30 to the holder 16 is completed. The housing 30 is held in a non-removable state from the holder 16 by the front end of the elastic arm portion 41 engaging with the stopper 25.

[0025] When the housing 30 is not mated with the mating connector 50 and the rolling surface 42 is placed on the mounting surface 24, a second clearance 44 is secured between the area of ​​the rolling surface 42 other than the first pivot point 43 and the mounting surface 24 of the holder 16. This second clearance 44 allows the housing 30 to roll in the front-rear direction on the mounting surface 24 relative to the holder 16. The first pivot point 43 serves as the pivot point for the tilt when the housing 30 begins to tilt its posture relative to the holder 16.

[0026] A third clearance 45 is provided between the inner surface of the holder 16 and the outer surface of the housing 30, which allows the housing 30 to move relative to the holder 16 in the front-rear and left-right directions. When the front end of the elastic arm portion 41 is in contact with the stopper 25, a third clearance 45 in the front-rear direction is provided between the rear wall portion 17 of the holder 16 and the rear wall 36 of the housing 30. A third clearance 45 in the left-right direction is provided between the outer surface of the projection portion 40 and the inner surface of the support groove 23. A third clearance 45 is also provided between the outer surface of the housing 30 and the side wall portion 18 of the holder 16. This third clearance 45 allows the housing 30 to be displaced relative to the holder 16 in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the fitting direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, when the mating connector 50 attempts to enter the mating portion 32 of the housing 30 with its orientation tilted in the front-rear direction, the mating connector 50 interferes with a pair of front and rear first interference portions 38, applying a pressing force to the housing 30 in the mating direction. This pressing force generates a moment force on the housing 30 that causes it to tilt forward or backward with the first pivot portion 43 as the pivot point. Here, the pair of front and rear first interference portions 38 to which the pressing force is applied are positioned at a distance from the first pivot portion 43 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the mating connector 50 presses downward on the first interference portions 38 with its orientation tilted forward, the moment force generated on the housing 30 becomes a force that causes the housing 30 to tilt forward. As a result, the housing 30 tilts its orientation forward, just like the mating connector 50, allowing the mating between the mating connector 50 and the housing 30 to proceed smoothly.

[0028] As shown in Figure 11, when the mating connector 50 attempts to enter the mating portion 32 of the housing 30 with its orientation tilted to the left or right, the mating connector 50 interferes with a pair of left and right second interference portions 37, applying a pressing force to the housing 30 in the mating direction. This pressing force generates a moment force in the housing 30 that causes it to tilt to the left or right with the second pivot portion 21 as the pivot point. Here, the pair of front and rear second interference portions 37 to which the pressing force is applied are positioned at a distance from the second pivot portion 21 in the left or right direction. Therefore, when the mating connector 50 presses downward on the second interference portions 37 while tilted to the left or right, the moment force generated in the housing 30 becomes a force that tries to tilt the housing 30 in the same direction as the mating connector 50. Since the housing 30 tilts in the same direction as the mating connector 50, the mating of the mating connector 50 and the housing 30 proceeds smoothly.

[0029] The connector device 10 of this embodiment 1 includes a movable member 15 that can be mated with a mating connector 50, and a clip 19. The clip 19 is a mounting part that supports the movable member 15 with respect to the vertical support surface 11F of the support member 11 to which the connector device 10 is attached. The movable member 15 has a non-contact opposing surface 17R that is horizontally spaced away from the support surface 11F. The non-contact opposing surface 17R has a tilt restricting portion 26 that abuts against the support surface 11F. With this configuration, since the movable member 15 is supported so as to be swingable with respect to the support member 11 via the clip 19, the movable member 15 can be mated with a mating connector 50 that is tilted. The tilt restricting portion 26 abuts against the support surface 11F, which prevents the movable member 15 from tilting in a direction intersecting the support surface 11F. This prevents the movable member 15 from tilting in a direction that intersects with the support surface 11F, thereby preventing interference with the mating of the movable member 15 and the mating connector 50.

[0030] The clip 19 supports the movable member 15 so that it can swing relative to the support surface 11F. The movable member 15 has a pair of second interference parts 37 that interfere with the mating connector 50 when its orientation is tilted in the left-right direction. The pair of second interference parts 37 are positioned to sandwich the second pivot point 21 from both the left and right sides in the horizontal direction when the movable member 15 is viewed parallel to the axis of the second pivot point 21 of the movable member 15 (the pivot center axis). The pair of tilt restricting parts 26 are individually arranged in two regions between the second pivot point 21 and the pair of second interference parts 37.

[0031] When the movable member 15 is viewed parallel to the axis of the second pivot point 21 (the pivoting center axis), if the tilt restricting part 26 is far enough away from the second pivot point 21 in the left-right direction, the sliding distance of the tilt restricting part 26 on the support surface 11F becomes longer when the movable member 15 swings, so friction of the tilt restricting part 26 is likely to increase. In view of this, the tilt restricting part 26 is positioned between the second pivot point 21 and the second interference part 37. With this arrangement, the sliding distance of the tilt restricting part 26 on the support surface 11F is shorter compared to when the tilt restricting part 26 is positioned on the opposite side of the second interference part 37 from the second pivot point 21, so wear of the tilt restricting part 26 is possible.

[0032] When the movable member 15 swings, the tilt restricting portion 26 moves up and down. Therefore, if the vertical dimension of the support surface 11F is small, there is a concern that the tilt restricting portion 26 may detach from the support surface 11F either upward or downward. In view of this, the tilt restricting portion 26 is made into a rib shape that extends in the vertical direction. As a result, even if the tilt restricting portion 26 moves up and down in conjunction with the swinging of the movable member 15, there is no risk of the tilt restricting portion 26 detaching from the support surface 11F.

[0033] The tilt restricting portion 26 includes a lower restricting portion 28 positioned below the second pivot portion 21 and an upper restricting portion 27 positioned above the second pivot portion 21. With this configuration, tilting in the direction of approaching or moving away from the support surface 11F can be prevented both when the movable member 15 is fitted into the mating connector 50 and when the movable member 15 is disengaged from the mating connector 50.

[0034] If the upper restricting portion 27 and the lower restricting portion 28, which have a rib-like shape extending in the vertical direction, are individually positioned at different locations, there is a risk that the upper restricting portion 27 and the lower restricting portion 28 may deform due to friction with the support surface 11F when the movable member 15 swings. In view of this, the upper restricting portion 27 and the lower restricting portion 28 are connected to each other via a connecting portion 29. With this configuration, the overall rigidity of the tilt restricting portion 26 is increased, so that deformation of a part of the tilt restricting portion 26 can be prevented.

[0035] [Other examples] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, but is shown in the claims. The present invention includes the meaning of equivalents to the claims and all modifications within the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. The tilting restrictor may have a long, slender shape extending horizontally. The tilting restricting part is not limited to an elongated shape; it may also be pin-shaped or block-shaped. If the movable member does not detach from the mating connector after mating with the mating connector, the range of the tilting member may be limited to below the pivot axis. The tilting restricting section may be arranged in two positions, with the upper restricting section and the lower restricting section separated vertically from each other. The movable member may be a single component. The interference portion may be formed in the holder. The interfering portion provided on the movable member may be either the first interfering portion or the second interfering portion. The pivot point provided on the movable member may be either the first pivot point or the second pivot point. The holder may have as few as two clips. In this case, the part of the holder between the two clips functions as the second support point. The holder may be configured to swing from side to side relative to the clip. The clip may be attached to the support member so that it cannot move relative to it in the vertical and horizontal directions. The configuration of the mounting part is not limited to the clip configuration of the above embodiment. The mounting part can be any form that cantileveres the movable member to the support member. For example, the mounting part may be made of resin or metal and can be attached to a hole provided in the support member by utilizing the elastic deformation of the mounting part. The housing may be restricted from relative displacement in a two-dimensional direction with respect to the holder. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 10…Connector device 11…Support member 11F…Support surface 12... Center hole 13…Side holes 15…Movable parts 16…Holder 17...Rear wall part 17R…Non-contact facing surface 18... Side wall section 19…Clip (mounting part) 21...Second pivot point (axis of oscillation) 22…First clearance 23...Support groove 24… Mounting surface 25... Stopper 26...Tilting regulating part 27… Upper regulatory section 28...Lower regulatory section 29…Connecting part 30… Housing 31...Terminal holding part 32…Matching part 33... Guiding slope 34…Front wall 35…Side wall 36…Rear wall 37…Second Interference Section (Interference Section) 38…First Interference Section 40...Protrusion 41...Elastic arm section 42... Rolling surface 43...First support point 44…Second clearance 45...Third clearance 50...Mother connector 51…Induction Section 52…Induced surface

Claims

1. A movable member that can be mated with the mating connector, The connector device includes a mounting portion that is attached to the vertical support surface of the support member to which the connector device is to be attached, so as to support the movable member, The movable member has a non-contact opposing surface that is spaced horizontally away from the support surface, A connector device having a tilting restricting portion formed on the non-contact opposing surface that abuts against the support surface.

2. The mounting portion supports the movable member so that it can swing with respect to the support surface. The movable member has a pair of interfering parts that interfere with the opposing connector, which is tilted in position. The pair of interfering parts are positioned so as to sandwich the pivot axis from both sides in the horizontal direction when the movable member is viewed parallel to the pivot axis of the movable member. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt restricting portion is disposed between the pivoting central axis and the pair of interference portions.

3. The connector device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tilting restricting portion is rib-shaped and extends in the vertical direction.

4. The connector device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tilt restricting portion includes a lower restricting portion positioned below the pivoting center axis and an upper restricting portion positioned above the pivoting center axis.

5. The connector device according to claim 4, wherein the upper restricting portion and the lower restricting portion are rib-shaped and extend in the vertical direction and are connected to each other.

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