connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector with a simpler lever shape that prevents the temporary locking from being released by unintended external forces applied to the lever, which is held in its initial position by the temporary locking arm. [Solution] In the connector 1, the first side plate 71 of the lever 7 has, on one end each, a temporary locking arm 76 which restricts the rotation of the lever 7 when the projection 75 contacts a locking portion 35 provided in the opening 34 of the front mask 3 when the lever 7 is in its initial position, and when the arm portion 74 bends toward the second side plate 72 and the projection 75 disengages from the locking portion 35, the lever 7 can be rotated, and a deflection restricting portion 79 which includes a deflection restricting surface 78 that contacts the arm portion 74 of the temporary locking arm 76 which has been deformed by an external force applied to the lever 7 in its initial position. The deflection restricting surface 78 is inclined such that the distance from the arm portion 74 widens as it moves away from the second side plate 72 along the opposing direction between the first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a lever-type connector in which a lever is rotatably supported on a connector body, and the connector body and a mating connector are brought close to each other and fitted by the rotation of the lever. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a connector in which a temporary locking arm is formed on a part of the lever so that the lever can be shipped or transported while being held in an initial position. In this connector, a deflection restricting portion having an opposing portion and a perpendicular portion is provided on one of a pair of side plates constituting the lever, adjacent to the temporary locking arm. Thereby, when an unintended external force is applied to the lever positioned at the initial position, the temporary locking arm deformed by the external force abuts against the corner where the opposing portion and the perpendicular portion of the deflection restricting portion intersect, so that the arm portion of the temporary locking arm can be restricted from deflecting toward the side of the other side plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the deflection restricting portion has an opposing portion and a perpendicular portion, there is room for further improvement in order to avoid complication of the shape of the lever provided with the deflection restricting portion.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art. The object of this invention is to provide a connector with a simpler lever shape that prevents the temporary locking from being released when an unintended external force is applied to a lever that is held in its initial position by a temporary locking arm. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a connector body comprising at least an inner housing and a front mask housing the inner housing, and a lever rotatably supported by the inner housing and rotating from an initial position to a mating completion position to bring the connector body closer to the mating connector and engage it, wherein the lever has a pivot point on one end each and arm-shaped first side plate and second side plate that position the inner housing between them, and an operating part that connects the other end of the first side plate and the other end of the second side plate, and the front mask has an opening that exposes outward one end of the first side plate that enters between the front mask and the inner housing, Each side plate includes, on one end, an arm portion that bends toward the second side plate and a projection that protrudes from the free end of the arm portion toward the opposite side of the second side plate. When the lever is in its initial position, the projection contacts a locking portion provided in the opening of the front mask, restricting the rotation of the lever. When the arm portion bends toward the second side plate and the projection disengages from the locking portion, the lever can be rotated. The temporary locking arm includes a deflection restricting portion that contacts the arm portion of the temporary locking arm, which is deformed when an external force is applied to the lever in its initial position. The deflection restricting portion is inclined such that the distance from the arm portion increases as it moves away from the second side plate along the opposing direction between the first and second side plates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector with a simpler lever shape that prevents the temporary locking from being released due to an unintended external force being applied to a lever that is held in its initial position by a temporary locking arm. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the connector during assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a connector in its shipped state according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the lever. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the lever. [Figure 6] This is a partial bottom view of the lever. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the connector when the lever is held in its initial position. [Figure 8A] This is a bottom view of the connector when the lever is held in its initial position. [Figure 8B] This is a magnified view of a portion of the connector corresponding to section VIIIB in Figure 8A. [Figure 9] This is a side view of the connector when an external force is applied to the lever. [Figure 10A] This is a bottom view of the connector when an external force is applied to the lever. [Figure 10B] This is a magnified view of a portion of the connector corresponding to section XB in Figure 10A. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A connector according to one embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of connector 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view of connector 1 during assembly. Figure 3 is a perspective view of connector 1 in its shipping state.

[0011] The connector 1 includes a connector body 4, a spacer 5, and a lever 7. By rotating the lever 7, the connector body 4 and a mating connector (not shown) are brought closer and mated, which is a so-called lever-type connector. Hereinafter, the direction in which the connector body 4 mates with the mating connector (hereinafter referred to as the "mating direction") corresponds to the Z direction in each figure. Also, when the Z direction is regarded as the vertical direction, the upstream part may be expressed as "upper" and the downstream part may be expressed as "bottom". Also, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as two directions that are perpendicular to the mating direction and perpendicular to each other.

[0012] The connector body 4 is composed of an inner housing 2 and a front mask 3.

[0013] The inner housing 2 houses a plurality of terminals 12 that are each connected to the terminals of wires (not shown). In this embodiment, the terminals 12 are female terminals. FIG. 2 shows the connector 1 when one terminal 12 is assembled to the connector body 4 to which the lever 7 is attached. The inner housing 2 is made of synthetic resin and is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having an upper surface 20a, a bottom surface 20b, and four side surfaces as the first side surface 20c, the second side surface 20d, the third side surface 20e, and the fourth side surface 20f. A plurality of accommodating portions 21 for accommodating one terminal 12 each are formed in the inner housing 2.

[0014] The upper surface 20a is provided with one opening of each accommodating portion 21 and is the surface on the side for accommodating the terminal 12 in the accommodating portion 21. The bottom surface 20b is on the opposite side of the upper surface 20a in the Z direction, is provided with the other opening of each accommodating portion 21, and is the surface on the side for inserting a part of the mating terminal connected to the terminal 12.

[0015] The first side surface 20c is a surface provided with a first pivot receiving portion 25 with which the first pivot portion 81 of the lever 7 engages slidably. In the present embodiment, while the first pivot portion 81 is a through-hole portion, the first pivot receiving portion 25 is a cylindrical portion. The second side surface 20d is on the opposite side of the first side surface 20c in the direction opposite to the Y direction, and is a surface provided with a second pivot receiving portion (not shown) with which the second pivot portion 83 of the lever 7 engages slidably. In the present embodiment, while the second pivot portion 83 is a cylindrical portion, the second pivot receiving portion is a hole portion. The central axis of the first pivot receiving portion 25 and the central axis of the second pivot receiving portion are coaxial along the Y direction.

[0016] The third side surface 20e is a surface provided with a second locking projection (not shown) that locks to the second locking hole portion 33 of the front mask 3. The fourth side surface 20f is on the opposite side of the third side surface 20e in the X direction, and is a surface provided with a first locking projection 22 that locks to the first locking hole portion 32 of the front mask 3.

[0017] The front mask 3 houses the inner housing 2. The front mask 3 is made of synthetic resin and is a box body having a bottom wall 30b and four side walls, namely a first side wall 30c, a second side wall 30d, a third side wall 30e, and a fourth side wall 30f.

[0018] The bottom wall 30b has a plurality of through-holes 31 for passing the male terminals of the mating connector into the housing portion 21 of the inner housing 2. In the front mask 3, the portion facing the bottom wall 30b in the direction opposite to the Z direction is a housing opening portion 3ta for receiving the inner housing 2.

[0019] The first side wall 30c faces the first side surface 20c of the inner housing 2 when the inner housing 2 is housed in the front mask 3. An opening 34 is formed in the first side wall 30c and the bottom wall 30b such that a part of the first side wall 30c and a part of the bottom wall 30b are integrally cut out. The opening 34 exposes one end of the first side plate 71 of the lever 7 that enters between the front mask 3 and the inner housing 2 to the outside. In addition, a locking portion 35 is provided in a part of the opening 34, which restricts the rotation of the lever 7 by contacting the projection 75 of the temporary locking arm 76 when the lever 7 is in its initial position. The initial position of the lever 7 will be described in detail below. The locking portion 35 has a shape obtained by further cutting out a part of the side edge of the opening 34, and in this embodiment, it is composed of a first edge portion 35a defined as a YZ plane with the X direction as the normal direction, and a second edge portion 35b defined as an XY plane with the Z direction as the normal direction. The first edge 35a faces the opposite side edge of the opening 34 in the X direction. The second edge 35b extends outward in the Z direction. The second side wall 30d is on the opposite side of the first side wall 30c in the opposite direction to the Y direction, and faces the second side surface 20d of the inner housing 2 when the inner housing 2 is housed in the front mask 3.

[0020] The third side wall 30e has a second locking hole 33 that engages with a second locking projection (not shown) of the inner housing 2. The fourth side wall 30f is on the opposite side of the third side wall 30e in the X direction and has a first locking hole 32 that engages with a first locking projection 22 of the inner housing 2.

[0021] The spacer 5 is made of synthetic resin and is a plate-shaped member for double-locking multiple terminals 12. When the lever 7 is positioned in the mating completion position, the spacer 5 is temporarily locked to the inner housing 2, and the multiple terminals 12 are housed in the housing section 21. After each terminal 12 has been housed in the housing section 21, the spacer 5 is permanently locked to the inner housing 2. Finally, when the lever 7 is returned to its initial position, the connector 1 returns to the shipping state shown in Figure 3. The mating completion position of the lever 7, along with the initial position, will be explained in detail below.

[0022] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lever 7. Figure 5 is a side view of the lever 7, viewed in the opposite direction to the Y direction. Figure 6 is a partial bottom view of the lever 7, showing the first side plate 71 viewed in the opposite direction to the Z direction. The XYZ directions in Figures 4, 5, and 6 correspond to the case where the lever 7 is positioned in its initial position.

[0023] The lever 7 is rotatably supported by the connector body 4 and rotates from the initial position to the mating completion position to bring the connector body 4 and the mating connector closer together and mat them.

[0024] Here, the initial position of lever 7 refers to the position that keeps connector 1 in a constant state, such as when connector 1 is in its factory default state, and is not connected to the mating connector. In the connector 1 shown in Figure 3, lever 7 is in the initial position. The state of lever 7 held in the initial position can also be described as a "temporarily locked state."

[0025] On the other hand, the mating completion position of lever 7 refers to the position when the connector body 4 has been fully mated with the mating connector. In the connector 1 shown in Figure 2, the stage of assembling the terminals 12 is shown, and it has not yet been mated with the mating connector, but the position of lever 7 corresponds to the mating completion position. The state of lever 7 held in the mating completion position can also be described as the "fully locked state".

[0026] The lever 7 is made of synthetic resin and comprises a first side plate 71, a second side plate 72, and an operating part 73. The first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72 each have a pivot point on one end and are arm-shaped, positioning the inner housing 2 between them. The first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72 are arranged parallel to each other in the Y direction, positioning the inner housing 2 between them. In particular, a portion of the first side plate 71, including one end, enters between the inner housing 2 and the front mask 3 when the connector 1 is assembled. The pivot point provided on one end of the first side plate 71 is a through-hole, which is the first pivot point 81. The pivot point provided on one end of the second side plate 72 is a cylindrical part, which is the second pivot point 83. The central axis of the first pivot point 81 and the central axis of the second pivot point 83 are coaxial along the Y direction. The operating unit 73 connects the other end of the first side plate 71 to the other end of the second side plate 72 and is operated when the operator rotates the lever 7.

[0027] Each of the first side plates 71 has a cam groove 82, a temporary locking arm 76, and a deflection restricting portion 79 on one end.

[0028] The cam groove 82 is into which the cam projection of the mating connector enters when connector 1 is mated with the mating connector. The cam groove 82 has a shape that opens on the first side plate 71 at least on the side opposite to the side facing the second side plate 72, and opens so as to face in the Z direction when the lever 7 is in its initial position. When connector 1 is mated with the mating connector while the lever 7 is held in its initial position, the cam projection of the mating connector enters the cam groove 82 smoothly even without aligning the lever 7. When the lever 7 rotates to the mating completion position with the cam projection entered in the cam groove 82, the connector body 4 and the mating connector are brought closer to each other.

[0029] Figure 7 is a side view of the connector 1 when the lever 7 is held in its initial position, viewed from the opposite direction to the Y direction. Figure 8A is a bottom view of the connector 1 when the lever 7 is held in its initial position, viewed from the opposite direction to the Z direction. Figure 8B is a partially enlarged view of the connector 1, corresponding to section VIIIB in Figure 8A, showing the respective ends of the temporary locking arm 76 and the deflection restricting section 79.

[0030] The temporary locking arm 76 holds the lever 7 in its initial position. The temporary locking arm 76 includes an arm portion 74 that bends toward the second side plate 72 and a projection 75 that protrudes from the free end of the arm portion 74 toward the side opposite the second side plate 72. In this embodiment, the arm portion 74 is formed in a cantilever shape by forming a notch 80 in the first side plate 71.

[0031] First, the temporary locking arm 76 restricts the rotation of the lever 7 by bringing its projection 75 into contact with a locking portion 35 provided in the opening 34 of the front mask 3, thereby holding the lever 7 in its initial position. In this embodiment, the locking portion 35 is composed of a first edge 35a and a second edge 35b, and when the lever 7 is held in its initial position, a part of the projection 75 comes into contact with the second edge 35b. At this time, the projection 75 in contact with the second edge 35b is exposed outward in the Y direction through the opening 34, and is also exposed outward in the Z direction. When the lever 7 is in its initial position, the arm portion 74 is in a natural state without elastic deformation, maintaining an orientation approximately along the Z direction. Then, as shown in Figure 8B, the temporary locking arm 76 has an engagement allowance k with the second edge 35b, which is part of the side edge of the opening 34, and the lever 7 is held in its initial position.

[0032] On the other hand, the temporary locking arm 76 allows the lever 7 to rotate when the arm portion 74 bends toward the second side plate 72 and the projection 75 disengages from the locking portion 35. When the mating of the connector body 4 with the mating connector begins, a part of the mating connector presses the projection 75 toward the second side plate 72, causing the projection 75 to disengage from the locking portion 35, i.e., the opening 34, and finally the lever 7 reaches the mating completion position.

[0033] Figure 9 is a side view of the connector 1 when an external force is applied to the lever 7, which is in its initial position, viewed from the opposite direction to the Y direction. In Figure 9, the direction in which an external force is applied to the lever 7 unintentionally, as an example, is indicated by a white arrow. Figure 10A is a bottom view of the connector 1 when an external force is applied to the lever 7, which is in its initial position, viewed from the opposite direction to the Z direction. Figure 10B is a partially enlarged view of the connector 1, corresponding to section XB in Figure 10A, showing the ends of the temporary locking arm 76 and the deflection restricting section 79.

[0034] The deflection restricting portion 79 is positioned adjacent to the temporary locking arm 76 via a notch 80 on the lever 7, and restricts the deflection of the second side plate 72 of the arm portion 74 when an unintended external force is applied to the lever 7 in its initial position. In this embodiment, the deflection restricting portion 79 has a deflection restricting surface 78.

[0035] As shown in Figure 8B, the deflection restricting surface 78 faces the arm portion 74 via the notch 80 when the lever 7 is in its initial position, that is, when the temporary locking arm 76 is in its natural state. Then, as shown in Figure 10B, the deflection restricting surface 78 comes into contact with the deformed arm portion 74 of the temporary locking arm 76 when an external force is applied to the lever 7 in its initial position.

[0036] Furthermore, the deflection restricting surface 78 is inclined such that the distance from the arm portion 74 increases as it moves away from the second side plate 72 along the opposing direction between the first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72. In this embodiment, the direction away from the second side plate 72 along the opposing direction between the first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72 corresponds to the Y direction. Note that the deflection restricting surface 78 does not need to be the entire surface on the side of the notch 80 in the deflection restricting portion 79; the surface not facing the arm portion 74 may be, for example, a non-inclined surface 77 which is a plane along the Y direction. Figure 8B shows, as an example, a deflection restricting surface 78 inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to a non-inclined surface 77.

[0037] Referring to Figure 10B, when an external force as exemplified is applied to the lever 7 in its initial position, first, the side end 75a of the projection 75 facing the first edge 35a of the locking portion 35 in the front mask 3 comes into contact with the first edge 35a. As a result, the temporary locking arm 76 deforms, and a part of the inner surface 74a of the arm portion 74 comes into contact with the deflection restricting surface 78. At this time, since the deflection restricting surface 78 is an inclined surface as defined above, the arm portion 74 is guided by the deflection restricting surface 78 and displaced in a direction away from the second side plate 72, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 10B. In other words, when such an external force is applied to the lever 7, the deflection of the arm portion 74 toward the second side plate 72 is suppressed.

[0038] Next, we will explain the effect of connector 1.

[0039] Connector 1 comprises a connector body 4, which consists of at least an inner housing 2 and a front mask 3 that houses the inner housing 2. Connector 1 also includes a lever 7 that is rotatably supported by the inner housing 2 and rotates from an initial position to a mating position to bring the connector body 4 closer to the mating connector for mating. The lever 7 has a pivot point on one end each, and includes arm-shaped first side plates 71 and second side plates 72 that position the inner housing 2 between them, and an operating part 73 that connects the other end of the first side plate 71 and the other end of the second side plate 72. The front mask 3 has an opening 34 that exposes one end of the first side plate 71 that enters between the front mask 3 and the inner housing 2 to the outside. Each of the first side plates 71 has a temporary locking arm 76 and a deflection restricting part 79 on one end. The temporary locking arm 76 includes an arm portion 74 that bends toward the second side plate 72 and a projection 75 that protrudes from the free end of the arm portion 74 toward the opposite side of the second side plate 72. The temporary locking arm 76 restricts the rotation of the lever 7 when the projection 75 contacts a locking portion 35 provided in the opening 34 of the front mask 3 while the lever 7 is in its initial position. The temporary locking arm 76 also allows the lever 7 to rotate when the arm portion 74 bends toward the second side plate 72 and the projection 75 disengages from the locking portion 35. The deflection restricting portion 79 includes a deflection restricting surface 78 that contacts the arm portion 74 of the temporary locking arm 76, which is deformed when an external force is applied to the lever 7 in its initial position. The deflection restricting surface 78 is inclined such that the distance from the arm portion 74 increases as it moves away from the second side plate 72 along the opposing direction between the first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72.

[0040] In this example, with respect to the lever 7, the pivot point provided on one end of the first side plate 71 corresponds to the first pivot point 81, and the pivot point provided on one end of the second side plate 72 corresponds to the second pivot point 83.

[0041] First, in connector 1, since the lever 7 has a temporary locking arm 76, the lever 7 can be held in its initial position when the connector 1 is shipped.

[0042] Furthermore, in connector 1, the lever 7 has a deflection restricting portion 79 that includes a deflection restricting surface 78 that is inclined as described above. Therefore, as explained with reference to Figure 10B, even if an unintended external force is applied to the lever 7, which is held in its initial position when connector 1 is shipped, in a direction that causes it to rotate toward the mating completion position, the deflection of the arm portion 74 toward the second side plate 72 is suppressed.

[0043] Here, as a comparative example, let us consider a case where the lever 7 does not have a deflection-restricting surface 78, and for example, the entire surface of the lever 7 facing the notch 80 is a plane aligned with the opposing direction of the first side plate 71 and the second side plate 72, like a non-inclined surface 77. In this case, when an unintended external force is applied to the lever 7 as described above, the arm portion 74 that is in contact with the plane may deflect toward the second side plate 72. This deflection of the arm portion 74 in this direction leads to a decrease in engagement allowance k, and if the decrease in engagement allowance k ultimately exceeds the allowable range, the locking of the temporary locking arm 76 will be unintentionally released, which is undesirable.

[0044] In contrast, with connector 1, even if an unintended external force is applied to lever 7, the bending of arm portion 74 toward the second side plate 72 is suppressed, thereby reducing the engagement allowance k and, as a result, preventing the temporary locking arm 76 from being released.

[0045] Furthermore, in connector 1, the only structure for preventing the arm portion 74 from bending toward the second side plate 72 when an unintended external force is applied to the lever 7 is the bending restricting surface 78, which is an inclined surface. Therefore, connector 1 avoids the complexity of the bending restricting portion 79, which allows for a simpler shape of the lever 7 and can be advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of connector 1.

[0046] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a connector 1 in which the temporary locking is suppressed by an unintended external force being applied to the lever 7, which is held in its initial position by the temporary locking arm 76, with a simpler lever 7 shape.

[0047] Furthermore, in connector 1, the arm portion 74 of the temporary locking arm 76 may be formed in a cantilever shape by forming a notch 80 in the first side plate 71. The deflection restricting portion 79 may be positioned adjacent to the temporary locking arm 76 via the notch 80.

[0048] With this connector 1, the temporary locking arm 76 and the deflection restricting portion 79 can be formed by creating a notch 80 in the first side plate 71 of the lever 7, thus further avoiding complexity in the shape of the lever 7.

[0049] Although one embodiment has been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1 Connector 2 Inner Housing 3 Front Mask 4. Connector body 7 Lever 34 Opening 35 Locking part 71 1st side plate 72 Second side plate 73 Operation section 74 Arm section 75 Protrusion 76 Temporary locking arm 78. Deflection-regulating surface 79. Deflection control section 80 notches 81 First pivot point 83 Second pivot point

Claims

1. A connector body comprising at least an inner housing and a front mask housing the inner housing, A lever is rotatably supported by the inner housing and rotates from an initial position to a mating position to bring the connector body closer to the mating connector and engage it. Equipped with, The lever has a pivot point at one end, and comprises an arm-shaped first side plate and a second side plate that position the inner housing between them, and an operating part that connects the other end of the first side plate and the other end of the second side plate. The front mask has an opening that exposes outward one end of the first side plate that extends between the front mask and the inner housing. Each of the first side plates has, A temporary locking arm includes an arm portion that bends toward the second side plate and a projection that protrudes from the free end of the arm portion toward the opposite side of the second side plate, wherein when the lever is in the initial position, the projection contacts a locking portion provided in the opening of the front mask, thereby restricting the rotation of the lever, and when the arm portion bends toward the second side plate and the projection disengages from the locking portion, the temporary locking arm enables the rotation of the lever. The lever, which is located in the initial position, has a deflection restricting portion which includes a deflection restricting surface that contacts the arm portion of the temporary locking arm that has been deformed by an external force applied to it, A connector in which the deflection restricting surface is inclined such that the distance from the arm portion increases as it moves away from the second side plate along the opposing direction between the first side plate and the second side plate.

2. The arm portion of the temporary locking arm is formed in a cantilever shape by forming a notch in the first side plate. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the deflection restricting portion is arranged adjacent to the temporary locking arm via the notch.

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