housing

Abstract

To provide a housing that allows the engagement of housing components to be released while avoiding accidental contact with terminals. [Solution] The housing 2 comprises an inner housing 9 having a terminal housing chamber 42, and an outer housing 8 that houses the inner housing 9 inside. The outer housing 8 has a storage chamber 17 for housing the inner housing 9, an engaging portion 18a provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber 17 that engages with the inner housing 9, and a hood portion 15 that houses the mating housing 3 which will be fitted into the housing 2. The inner housing 9 is configured such that a portion 7a of the terminals 7 which will be housed in the terminal housing chamber 42 is positioned inside the hood portion 15. The housing 2 has an insertion passage S that allows communication with the engaging portion 18a from outside the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8 without passing through the hood portion 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing including an inner housing having a terminal accommodation chamber and an outer housing for storing the inner housing therein.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been proposed to configure a single housing by combining a plurality of housing parts (for example, an inner housing and an outer housing). In such a combined housing, by using one housing part that differs for each required specification and another common housing part regardless of the specification, it is possible to reduce the production cost of the housing while corresponding to a plurality of specifications (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above-described combined housing, when disengaging the engagement between one housing part and another housing part for reasons such as maintenance, generally, a rod-shaped disengagement jig is inserted from the outside of the housing toward the engagement portion (for example, the portion where the engagement protrusions of both housings are engaged), and the engagement portion is displaced with the disengagement jig to disengage the engagement. However, when inserting the disengagement jig toward the engagement portion while passing through the hood portion of the housing, there is a possibility that the disengagement jig may accidentally contact the terminals exposed inside the hood portion. Contact between the disengagement jig and the terminals can cause deformation or misalignment of the terminals.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a housing that allows the engagement of housing components to be released while avoiding accidental contact with terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the housing according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] A housing comprising an inner housing having a terminal housing chamber and an outer housing that houses the inner housing inside, The outer housing is, It has a storage chamber for storing the inner housing, an engaging portion provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber that engages with the inner housing, and a hood portion that houses the mating housing which will be fitted into the housing, The aforementioned inner housing is A portion of the terminals to be housed in the terminal housing chamber is configured to be positioned inside the hood portion. The housing in question is The outer housing has an insertion passage that communicates with the engagement portion without passing through the hood portion from outside the storage chamber of the outer housing. It is a housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the housing of the present invention, when the inner housing is stored in the storage chamber of the outer housing, an engaging portion provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber engages with the inner housing, and a portion of the terminals that will be housed in the terminal housing chamber of the inner housing are positioned inside the hood portion of the outer housing. Furthermore, the insertion passage of the housing communicates with the engaging portion from outside the storage chamber of the outer housing without passing through the hood portion. The insertion passage may be, for example, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the inner housing, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the outer housing, or the space in the gap between the inner housing and the outer housing. When releasing the engagement between the engaging portion of the inner housing and the outer housing, the engagement between the two can be released without concern for contact with the terminals inside the hood portion by inserting a release tool through the insertion passage. Therefore, the housing of the present invention makes it possible to release the engagement between housing components that constitute the housing while avoiding accidental contact with terminals.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. Further details of the present invention will be clarified by referring to the accompanying drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first procedure for fitting a male housing and a female housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the second procedure for mating the male housing and female housing shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a third step in mating the male and female housings shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the male housing and female housing shown in Figure 1 after the mating is complete. [Figure 5]Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the outer housing and inner housing, which constitute the male housing shown in Figure 1, separated. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a rear view of the outer housing shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a rear view of the male housing shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of BB in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 9, showing the state in which the engaging portion of the outer housing and the engaged portion of the inner housing are engaged using a release jig. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 9, showing the inner housing separated from the outer housing by being pulled backward from the state shown in Figure 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a housing unit 1 including a male housing 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 4, the housing unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 1 etc., includes a male housing 2 and a female housing 3 that can be fitted to each other, and a lever 4 attached to the female housing 3 to assist the fitting of the male housing 2 and the female housing 3. When the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 are fitted, a plurality of male terminals 7 (see Figs. 9 to 11) accommodated in the male housing 2 and a plurality of female terminals (not shown) accommodated in the female housing 3 are electrically connected, and an electric wire (not shown) extending from the male terminal 7 and an electric wire (not shown) extending from the female terminal are electrically connected. The male housing 2 and the female housing 3 respectively correspond to the "housing" and the "opposite housing" of the present invention. When a pair of protruding portions 26 (see Fig. 1) of the female housing 3 described later are inserted into a pair of insertion holes 37 (see Fig. 1) of the lever 4 described later, the lever 4 is rotatable between the "main fitting position" shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the "temporary fitting position" shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the pair of protruding portions 26 as the rotation center, and is attached to the female housing 3.

[0013] For the sake of explanation, the following definitions are given as shown in Figures 1 to 11: "front-back direction," "left-right direction," "up-down direction," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction coincides with the "fitting direction between the housing and the mating housing" and the "storage direction of the inner housing into the outer housing" according to the present invention. For each of the male housing 2 and female housing 3, the advancing side and retracting side of the fitting are defined as "front" and "rear," respectively. Therefore, the "front" and "rear" directions are reversed for the male housing 2 and the female housing 3. Note that "front (rear)" in Figures 1 to 11 refers to "front" for the female housing 3 and "rear" for the male housing 2, and "rear (front)" in Figures 1 to 11 refers to "rear" for the female housing 3 and "front" for the male housing 2. Furthermore, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions do not necessarily have to coincide with the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions of the vehicle or other structure when the housing unit 1 is mounted on such a structure. The configuration of each component constituting the housing unit 1 will be described in order below.

[0014] First, let's describe the male housing 2. The male housing 2 is a resin molded body and, as shown in Figure 5, comprises an outer housing 8 and a plurality of inner housings 9 (up to three in this example) housed inside the outer housing 8. The outer housing 8 is used in common regardless of the specifications of the vehicle on which the male housing 2 (housing unit 1) is mounted. Inside the outer housing 8, only one or more of the plurality (three) inner housings 9, selected according to the specifications of the vehicle on which the male housing 2 (housing unit 1) is mounted, are housed. The configurations of the outer housing 8 and inner housings 9 that constitute the male housing 2 will be described in order below.

[0015] First, the structure of the outer housing 8 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, the outer housing 8 includes a substantially rectangular box-shaped main body 11 that is open at the front and rear and long in the left-right direction. The front region of the main body 11 functions as a hood portion 15 that houses the female housing 3 inside, and the rear region of the main body 11 that is continuous with the rear side of the hood portion 15 functions as a storage portion 16 that stores the inner housing 9.

[0016] The hood portion 15 has one internal space that extends in the front-rear direction and is continuous in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 9, in a state where the inner housing 9 is stored in the storage portion 16, the tip portions (tab portions) 7a of the plurality of male terminals 7 that extend in the front-rear direction and are housed in the inner housing 9 are arranged in the internal space of the hood portion 15 so as to line up along the vertical and horizontal directions. When the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 are fitted together, the main body 21 (see FIG. 1 and the like) of the female housing 3 described later is inserted into the internal space of the hood portion 15.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 9 to 11, in the internal space of the hood portion 15, a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped moving plate 5 that is long in the left-right direction is accommodated so as to be movable between an initial position (see FIGS. 7 and 9 to 11) and a fitting position (not shown) located on the rear side (the inner side of the hood portion 15) from the initial position. The moving plate 5 has a shape corresponding to the internal space of the hood portion 15. A plurality of through holes 5a (see FIGS. 7 and 9 to 11) are formed in the moving plate 5 corresponding to the plurality of male terminals 7. Each of the tip portions (tab portions) 7a of the plurality of male terminals 7 is arranged and protected in the corresponding through hole 5a of the moving plate 5 in the initial position (see FIG. 9). Thereby, the moving plate 5 functions to regulate the position of the tip portion 7a of the male terminal 7 and facilitate connection with the female terminal, and also functions to prevent an external force from acting on the male terminal 7 and causing the male terminal 7 to deform. The detailed description of the configuration of the moving plate 5 will be omitted. '

[0018] As shown in Figure 5, the storage section 16 has multiple (three) storage compartments 17 that are partitioned from each other in the left-right direction, arranged in a left-right direction. Each storage compartment 17 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that opens to the front and rear and extends in the front-rear direction, and communicates with the internal space of the hood section 15 in the front-rear direction. Each storage compartment 17 will house one of the multiple (three) inner housings 9.

[0019] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a cantilevered beam section 18, having a rectangular flat plate (strip) shape that is long in the front-to-back direction, is provided on a portion of the upper wall of each storage compartment 17, instead of the wall of the storage section 16 that constitutes the upper wall of the storage compartment 17 (see also Figure 9). Each beam section 18 is fixed to the upper wall of the storage compartment 17 at its front and rear ends, and the central part in the front-to-back direction, excluding the front and rear ends, is configured to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction. In this example, of the three storage compartments 17 arranged in the left-to-right direction, one beam section 18 is provided in each of the storage compartments 17 located on both sides in the left-to-right direction, and two beam sections 18 are provided in the storage compartment 17 located in the center in the left-to-right direction, spaced apart in the left-to-right direction. As shown in Figures 7 to 9, an engaging portion 18a protruding downward (towards the inside of the storage compartment 17) is provided on the inner wall surface (the surface facing the internal space of the storage compartment 17) of the approximate center in the front-to-back direction of each beam section 18. The engaging portion 18a of each storage compartment 17 engages with the corresponding engaged portion 43 of the inner housing 9, which will be described later (see Figure 9, etc.).

[0020] As shown in Figures 5 and 9, an opening 19 is formed in a part of the lower wall of each storage compartment 17 (more specifically, the wall of the storage section 16 that constitutes the lower wall of the storage compartment 17), which penetrates in the wall thickness direction (vertical direction) and extends in the horizontal direction. The opening 19 of each storage compartment 17 serves to expose the insertion hole 44 to the outside, so that a spacer 46, described later, can be attached to the insertion hole 44 of the corresponding inner housing 9 when it is stored in the storage compartment 17 (see Figure 9).

[0021] On the inner wall surfaces (inner surfaces in the vertical direction) of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15, approximately in the left-right direction, a pair of cylindrical bosses 12 are provided so as to protrude inward in the vertical direction, engaging with a pair of guide grooves 33 (see Figure 1) of the lever 4, which will be described later (see Figure 1). When the lever 4 is rotated from the temporary fitting position (see Figures 1 and 2) to the permanent fitting position (see Figures 3 and 4), the pair of bosses 12 enter the pair of guide grooves 33, and as the lever 4 rotates, the bosses 12 move within the guide grooves 33, thereby assisting in the fitting of the male housing 2 and the female housing 3.

[0022] The front end of the left wall of the hood section 15 is provided with a locking section 13 that engages with a locking arm (not shown) of the lever 4, which will be described later (see Figure 1, etc.). When the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 are fitted together, the locking arm engages with the locking section 13, maintaining the fitted state between the male housing 2 and the female housing 3.

[0023] A pair of grooves 14 opening forward are provided at the front end of the inner wall surface of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15, in front of the pair of bosses 12 and aligned with the pair of bosses 12 in the front-rear direction (see Figure 1). A pair of projections 26 (more specifically, the tips of the projections 26) (see Figure 1) of the female housing 3, which will be described later, will engage with the pair of grooves 14. Specifically, the groove 14 is composed of a first groove that is recessed outward in the vertical direction, opens forward, and extends in the front-rear direction, and a second groove that is recessed outward on both the left and right sides of the bottom edge of the first groove, opens forward, and extends in the front-rear direction. The function and effect of providing such grooves 14 in the hood portion 15 will be described later. The configuration of the outer housing 8 has been described above.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the inner housing 9 will be described. Each of the multiple (three) inner housings 9 is provided with a roughly rectangular parallelepiped body portion 41 having a shape corresponding to the corresponding storage chamber 17, as shown in Figure 5. Each body portion 41 is provided with multiple terminal housing chambers 42 that penetrate in the front-to-back direction, arranged along the vertical and left-to-right directions. A male terminal 7 (see Figure 9, etc.) to which an electric wire is connected at its rear end is inserted from the rear side and housed in each terminal housing chamber 42.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, each main body portion 41 is provided with an engaged portion 43 that protrudes upward, corresponding to the engaging portion 18a provided in the storage chamber 17 of the corresponding outer housing 8.

[0026] On the lower surface of each main body 41, a roughly rectangular insertion hole 44 is formed, recessed upward and extending in the left-right direction, for inserting a spacer 46 (see Figure 9, etc.). The insertion hole 44 is located behind the lance 45 provided in each terminal housing chamber 42. The insertion hole 44 communicates with each terminal housing chamber 42 in such a way that it divides a portion of each terminal housing chamber 42 in the front-rear direction.

[0027] The spacer 46 is a component that performs the functions of detecting whether or not the male terminal 7 is in the correct position within the terminal housing chamber 42, and holding the male terminal 7 in the correct position (so-called double locking). The spacer 46 is a resin molded body and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that extends in the left-right direction corresponding to the internal space of the insertion hole 44 of the inner housing 9. The spacer 46 is provided with terminal housing holes 47 that penetrate in the front-rear direction, arranged along the vertical and left-right directions, corresponding to the arrangement of the multiple terminal housing chambers 42 of the inner housing 9 (see Figure 9, etc.).

[0028] The spacer 46 is inserted from below into the insertion hole 44 of the inner housing 9 and is housed so as to be selectively locked in a temporary locking position (not shown) and a permanent locking position (see Figure 9, etc.) above the temporary locking position (towards the back of the insertion hole 44). When the spacer 46 is in the temporary locking position, the terminal housing hole 47 is aligned to communicate with the terminal housing chamber 42 of the inner housing 9 in the front-rear direction, thereby serving to compensate for the division of the terminal housing chamber 42 caused by the insertion hole 44.

[0029] When the spacer 46 is in the temporary locking position, the lower end of the spacer 46 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner housing 9 (main body portion 41), and when the spacer 46 is in the permanent locking position, as shown in Figure 9, the entire spacer 46 is located inside the insertion hole 44. In this example, when the spacer 46 is in the permanent locking position, the lower surface of the spacer 46 and the lower surface of the inner housing 9 (main body portion 41) are flush.

[0030] When the spacer 46 is in the temporary locking position, as described above, each of the multiple terminal housing holes 47 of the spacer 46 communicates with the multiple terminal housing chambers 42 of the inner housing 9 in the front-rear direction. This allows the male terminal 7 to be attached to and detached from the normal position. When the male terminal 7 is in the normal position engaged with the lance 45, the spacer 46 in the temporary locking position can move to the permanent locking position. On the other hand, when the male terminal 7 is in an intermediate insertion position on its way to the permanent position, a part of the wall defining the terminal housing hole 47 of the spacer 46 interferes with a part of the male terminal 7, preventing the spacer 46 in the temporary locking position from moving to the permanent locking position. In other words, by detecting whether the spacer 46 in the temporary locking position can move to the permanent locking position, it is possible to detect whether the male terminal 7 is in the normal position or not.

[0031] When the spacer 46 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 9, a portion of the wall defining the terminal housing hole 47 of the spacer 46 interferes with a portion of the male terminal 7 in its normal position. Therefore, the spacer 46 works in cooperation with the lance 45 to prevent the male terminal 7 from coming out to the rear and to hold the male terminal 7 in its normal position (double locking). The configuration of the inner housing 9 has now been described.

[0032] Next, the assembly procedure for the male housing 2 will be explained. In the male housing 2, as described above, only one or more of the multiple (three) inner housings 9, selected according to the specifications of the vehicle on which the male housing 2 (housing unit 1) is installed, are stored in the corresponding storage compartments 17 of the outer housing 8.

[0033] To store the inner housing 9 in the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8, first, the inner housing 9 is inserted from the rear towards the front into the internal space of the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8, where the moving plate 5 is housed in its initial position (see Figure 9, etc.), so that the engaged portion 43 of the inner housing 9 comes into contact with the engaged portion 18a of the outer housing 8. Next, the inner housing 9 is pushed further forward. As a result, the beam portion 18, which is integrated with the engaged portion 18a, temporarily deforms elastically upward due to the pressing force received by the engaged portion 43 on the engaged portion 18a, causing the engaged portion 18a to be temporarily pushed outward in the vertical direction, and the engaged portion 43 to move over the engaged portion 18a, after which the beam portion 18 elastically returns to its downward position. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, the engaged portion 18a and the engaged portion 43 engage, completing the storage of the inner housing 9 into the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8. When the inner housing 9 is fully retracted, the engagement between the engaging portion 18a and the engaged portion 43 prevents the inner housing 9 from falling out of the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8. The insertion hole 44 of the inner housing 9 is exposed downward (to the outside) through the opening 19 of the storage chamber 17 (see Figure 9). In this embodiment, since the engaging portion 18a of the outer housing 8 is provided on the double-sided beam portion 18, it is possible to suppress accidental disengagement of the engagement between the engaging portion 18a and the engaged portion 43 of the inner housing 9 by foreign objects, compared to the case where the engaging portion 18a is provided on a cantilevered member.

[0034] Next, the spacer 46 is inserted from below through the opening 19 of the storage chamber 17 into the insertion hole 44 of the inner housing 9 and locked in a temporary locking position. Then, the male terminals 7, with the wires attached to their rear ends, are inserted from the rear into each terminal housing chamber 42 of the inner housing 9 and housed in their permanent positions, engaging with the lance 45. This positions and protects the tip (tab portion) 7a of each male terminal 7 within the corresponding through hole 5a of the moving plate 5 in its initial position (see Figure 9).

[0035] Next, by pushing the lower surface of the spacer 46 upward, the spacer 46, which is in the temporary locking position, is moved toward the permanent locking position and locked in the permanent locking position. Here, because the spacer 46 is movable from the temporary locking position to the permanent locking position, it is possible to detect that all male terminals 7 housed in the multiple terminal housing chambers 42 are in the correct position engaged with the lance 45. Furthermore, the function of holding the male terminals 7 in the correct position (double locking) in cooperation with the lance 45 (so-called double locking function) is achieved. With this, the assembly of the male housing 2 is completed.

[0036] When the male housing 2 is assembled, as shown in Figure 9, a vertical gap is defined between the beam portion 18 of the outer housing 8 and the upper wall of the main body portion 41 of the inner housing 9. This gap communicates with the engaging portion 18a provided on the beam portion 18, without passing through the rear end opening (exterior) of the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8 and the hood portion 15 of the male housing 8. This gap can be used as an insertion passage S for inserting a rod-shaped release tool 50, which is used to release the engagement between the engaging portion 18a of the outer housing 8 and the engaged portion 43 of the inner housing 9, as will be described later (see Figure 10).

[0037] In a male housing 2 in which the inner housing 9 is assembled to the outer housing 8, it may be necessary to disengage the engagement between the engaging portion 18a of the outer housing 8 and the engaged portion 43 of the inner housing 9 to separate the outer housing 8 and the inner housing 9 for reasons such as maintenance.

[0038] In this embodiment, when separating the outer housing 8 and the inner housing 9, first, as shown in Figure 10, the rod-shaped tip 51 of the release jig 50 is inserted into the insertion passage S from the rear, and the tip 51 is used to press the engaging portion 18a of the outer housing 8 (i.e., the beam portion 18 integrated with the engaging portion 18a) upward, temporarily pushing the engaging portion 18a upward (see the black arrow in Figure 10). This releases the engagement between the engaging portion 18a and the engaged portion 43. Then, while maintaining this state (the state in which the engagement is released), the inner housing 9 can be pulled out from the rear (see the white arrow in Figure 11), thereby separating the inner housing 9 from the outer housing 8.

[0039] In this embodiment, by inserting the release jig 50 so as to pass through the insertion passage S, the engagement between the engaging portion 18a and the engaged portion 43 can be released without concern for contact with the tip portion 7a of the male terminal 7 located inside the hood portion 15. Furthermore, the insertion hole 44 of the inner housing 9 is positioned so that the spacer 46 does not interfere with the insertion passage S even when the spacer 46 is in a temporary locking position and its lower end protrudes (exposed) from the insertion hole 44. As a result, regardless of the position of the spacer 46, the spacer 46 does not obstruct the passage of the release jig 50 through the insertion passage S. Moreover, since the insertion passage S for passing the release jig 50 does not pass through the hood portion 15, even if a moving plate 5 is provided on the hood portion 15, the moving plate 5 does not obstruct the passage of the release jig 50 through the insertion passage S. The assembly procedure for the male housing 2 has been described above.

[0040] Next, the female housing 3 will be described. The female housing 3 is a resin molded body and, as shown in Figure 1, has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped body portion 21 that is long in the left-right direction. The body portion 21 has a shape that corresponds to the internal space of the body portion 11 (hood portion 15) of the male housing 2. The lever 4 will be mounted on the body portion 21.

[0041] Inside the main body 21, a plurality of terminal housing chambers 22 (see Figure 1) extending in the front-to-back direction are provided, corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of male terminals 7 provided on the male housing 2, and are arranged along the vertical and left-to-right directions. A female terminal (not shown) to which an electric wire is connected at its rear end is inserted from the rear side and housed in each terminal housing chamber 22.

[0042] At approximately the center in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the upper and lower surfaces (outer wall surfaces) of the main body 21, a pair of projections 26 are provided that protrude outward in the vertical direction, corresponding to a pair of grooves 14 of the male housing 2 and a pair of insertion holes 37 of the lever 4, which will be described later. When the pair of projections 26 are inserted into the pair of insertion holes 37 of the lever 4, the pair of projections 26 function as the pivot point of the lever 4.

[0043] The projection 26 is composed of a base end that extends outward in the vertical direction from the outer wall surface of the main body 21, and a tip end that extends further outward in the vertical direction from the base end. The base end of the projection 26 is the part that will be positioned inside the insertion hole 37 of the lever 4, and the tip end of the projection 26 is the part that will protrude outward in the vertical direction from the insertion hole 37 of the lever 4 and engage with the groove 14 provided in the main body 11 (hood portion 15) of the male housing 2.

[0044] The base end of the projection 26 is specifically composed of a substantially cylindrical base portion extending outward in the vertical direction from the outer wall surface of the main body portion 21, and extension portions extending outward in the left and right directions from the extension end of the base portion. The tip of the projection 26 is specifically composed of a first portion that protrudes outward in the vertical direction from the base end (base portion) of the projection 26 and extends in the front-rear direction, and a second portion that extends outward in the left and right directions from the protruding end of the first portion. The first and second portions of the tip of the projection 26 are insertable into the first groove and the second groove of the groove portion 14 of the male housing 2, respectively. In this way, the projection 26 not only functions as the pivot point of the lever 4, but also functions to engage with the groove portion 14 of the male housing 2.

[0045] On the outer surface of the rear region of the tip portion (= first portion + second portion) of the projection 26, an inclined surface 29 is formed that is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction and parallel to the left-right direction, so as it moves inward in the vertical direction as it moves to the rear (see Figure 1). The effect of providing such an inclined surface 29 will be described later.

[0046] Next, the lever 4 will be described. The lever 4 is a resin molded body and, as shown in Figure 1, has a roughly U-shaped form, consisting of a pair of flat plate-like portions 31 that are spaced apart vertically and facing each other, and a connecting portion 32 that connects the base ends of the pair of plate-like portions 31 and extends vertically. When the lever 4 is in the fully fitted position (see Figures 3 and 4), the plate-like portions 31 have a shape that extends horizontally, and the connecting portion 32 connects the base ends located at the left ends of the pair of plate-like portions 31.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, a pair of guide grooves 33 are formed at the extended ends of the pair of plate-shaped portions 31, corresponding to a pair of bosses 12 of the male housing 2 (see Figure 1). The guide grooves 33 are notches that penetrate the plate-shaped portion 31 in the thickness direction (vertical direction), with an opening 33a at the front end that faces forward and extending backward and to the left towards the innermost part 33b at the rear end, when the lever 4 is in the temporary fitting position (see Figures 1 and 2). The guide grooves 33 have a shape that can accommodate the bosses 12 of the male housing 2.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, a pair of insertion holes 37 are formed near the innermost part 33b of the guide groove 33 of the pair of plate-shaped parts 31, penetrating the plate-shaped part 31 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). The insertion holes 37 have a shape through which the projection 26 of the male housing 2 can be inserted. Locking projections protruding inward into the hole are provided at predetermined locations on the inner wall of the insertion hole 37 in the circumferential direction. The locking projections of the insertion holes 37 are configured such that when the lever 4 is in the fully fitted position (see Figures 3 and 4), they do not engage with the extension at the base end of the projection 26, and when the lever 4 is in the temporary fitted position (see Figures 1 and 2), they are positioned vertically inward of the extension at the base end of the projection 26 and engage with the extension in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the plate-shaped part 31. In other words, when the lever 4 is maintained in the orientation corresponding to the permanent fitting position, the projection 26 can be inserted into the insertion hole 37 (i.e., the lever 4 can be attached to the female housing 3), and after the projection 26 is inserted into the insertion hole 37, moving the lever 4 from the permanent fitting position (see Figures 3 and 4) to the temporary fitting position (see Figures 1 and 2) makes it impossible for the projection 26 to be removed from the insertion hole 37 (separation of the lever 4 from the female housing 3).

[0049] A lock arm is formed in the area enclosed by the base ends of the pair of plate-shaped parts 31 and the connecting part 32, corresponding to the lock part 13 of the male housing 2 (see Figures 1 and 2) (not shown). Furthermore, a connector position assurance member (CPA) 6 is housed near the lock arm in the area enclosed by the base ends of the pair of plate-shaped parts 31 and the connecting part 32, so as to be movable between an initial position (see Figures 1-3, etc.) and a fitted position (see Figure 4). The connector position assurance member 6 has the function of detecting whether or not the engagement between the lock arm of the lever 4 and the lock part 13 of the male housing 2 is complete (i.e., whether or not the fitting of the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 is complete), and also has the function of maintaining the engaged state between the lock arm and the lock part 13 (a so-called double locking function). A detailed explanation of the configuration of the connector position assurance member 6 is omitted. The configuration of each component constituting the housing unit 1 has been described above.

[0050] Next, the procedure for attaching the lever 4 to the female housing 3 will be described. First, with the lever 4 maintained in the orientation corresponding to the final fitting position, the lever 4 is positioned behind the main body 21 of the female housing 3 such that the insertion hole 37 of the lever 4 is aligned with the projection 26 in the front-to-back direction behind the projection 26 of the female housing 3. Next, the lever 4 is pressed against the main body 21 from the rear. As a result, the pair of plate-like parts 31 of the lever 4 elastically deform in a direction away from each other (outward in the vertical direction), and the pair of plate-like parts 31 temporarily ride up onto the pair of projections 26. When the pair of insertion holes 37 reach the position of the pair of projections 26, the pair of plate-like parts 31 elastically return inward in the vertical direction. As a result, with the lever 4 in the final fitting position, the pair of projections 26 are inserted into the pair of insertion holes 37. Here, when the lever 4 is pressed against the main body 21 from the rear, the pair of plate-like portions 31 come into contact with the inclined surfaces 29 formed on the pair of projections 26 and receive an external force that moves them away from each other from the inclined surfaces 29, so that the pair of plate-like portions 31 can easily elastically deform in a direction that moves them away from each other without difficulty. As a result, the operation of inserting the pair of projections 26 into the pair of insertion holes 37 (i.e., the operation of attaching the lever 4 to the female housing 3) can be easily performed. In this state, with the pair of projections 26 inserted into the pair of insertion holes 37, the base ends of the projections 26 are positioned inside the holes 37 of the lever 4 and support the lever 4 so that it can rotate, and the tips of the projections 26 protrude outward in the vertical direction from the insertion holes 37 of the lever 4 (see Figure 1).

[0051] As described above, after the pair of projections 26 are inserted into the pair of insertion holes 37, the lever 4 is moved (rotated) from the fully fitted position to the temporary fitted position. As a result, the lever 4 is in the temporary fitted position. When the lever 4 is in the temporary fitted position, the engagement between the locking projections of the insertion holes 37 and the extensions at the base ends of the projections 26 prevents the projections 26 from coming out of the insertion holes 37 (separation of the lever 4 from the female housing 3). With this, the mounting of the lever 4 to the female housing 3 is completed.

[0052] Next, the mating procedure between the male housing 2 and the female housing 3, to which the lever 4 is attached, will be described. First, the male housing 2, which houses multiple male terminals 7 and has the moving plate 5 in its initial position, and the female housing 3, which houses multiple female terminals and has the lever 4 in its temporary mating position, are positioned facing each other (see Figure 1), and the female housing 3 (main body 21) is inserted into the internal space of the male housing 2 (hood portion 15) to the mating start position (see the white arrow in Figure 1). Once the female housing 3 is inserted to the mating start position, the pair of bosses 12 of the male housing 2 enter the entrance portions 33a of the pair of guide grooves 33 of the lever 4, which is in the temporary mating position.

[0053] Next, the lever 4 is rotated from the temporary fitting position to the permanent fitting position (see the white arrow in Figure 2). As a result, the boss 12 moves relatively from the entrance 33a to the innermost part 33b of the guide groove 33, and the boss 12 presses against the groove side wall of the guide groove 33, exerting a reaction force. As the lever 4 rotates, the main body 21 of the female housing 3 is pulled forward (i.e., towards the back of the main body 11 of the male housing 2). In this way, rotating the lever 4 from the temporary fitting position to the permanent fitting position assists in fitting the male housing 2 and the female housing 3. As the main body 21 of the female housing 3 is pulled towards the back of the hood 15 of the male housing 2, the moving plate 5, which was initially housed in the internal space of the hood 15, is pushed forward by the main body 21, moving from the initial position (see Figures 7 and 9-11) to the fitting position (not shown).

[0054] Furthermore, during this fitting, the first and second portions of the tips of the pair of projections 26 are inserted into the first and second grooves of the pair of grooves 14 of the male housing 2, respectively, thereby engaging the pair of grooves 14 of the male housing 2 with the pair of projections 26 of the female housing 3. This restricts the displacement of the inner wall surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15 of the male housing 2 away from the main body portion 21 of the female housing 3 (outward in the vertical direction). As a result, even if one of the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 is fitted together in a slightly inclined position relative to the other, the displacement of the inner wall surfaces of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15 away from the main body portion 21 of the female housing 3 is restricted, thus properly maintaining the state in which the boss 12 provided on the hood portion 15 and the guide groove 33 provided on the lever 4 are engaged (the state in which the female housing 3 is pulled towards the back of the hood portion 15 of the male housing 2 as the lever 4 rotates).

[0055] Furthermore, during mating, the boss 12 of the male housing 2 and the projection 26 of the female housing 3 are positioned to align in the mating direction (front-to-back direction) between the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 (see Figure 1). As a result, as the female housing 3 moves into the internal space of the hood portion 15 of the male housing 2 during mating, the boss 12 and the projection 26 move closer to each other. Here, considering the elasticity of the hood portion 15, the restricting force exerted by the projection 26 on the vertical outward displacement of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15 is considered to decrease as the projection 26 moves away from the hood portion 15. Therefore, as the boss 12 and the projection 26 move closer to each other during mating, the effect of the projection 26 restricting the displacement of the upper and lower walls of the hood portion 15 and maintaining the engagement between the boss 12 and the guide groove 33 of the lever 4 is maintained more appropriately throughout the entire mating process compared to when they are separated.

[0056] When the lever 4 reaches the main mating position (see Figure 3), the lock arm of the lever 4 engages with the lock portion 13 of the male housing 2. After the lever 4 reaches the main mating position (after the lock arm of the lever 4 engages with the lock portion 13 of the male housing 2), the mating guarantee member 6 provided on the lever 4 moves from the initial position to the mating position (see the white arrow in Figure 3). Here, because the mating guarantee member 6 is movable from the initial position to the mating position, it is possible to detect that the engagement between the lock arm of the lever 4 and the lock portion 13 of the male housing 2 is complete (i.e., that the mating between the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 is complete). Furthermore, as the mating guarantee member 6 moves from the initial position to the mating position, a function to maintain the engaged state between the lock arm and the lock portion 13 (a so-called double locking function) is achieved. With the above, the mating between the male housing 2 and the female housing 3 is completed, and the housing unit 1 according to this embodiment is completed (see Figure 4).

[0057] <Effects and Actions> As described above, according to the housing unit 1 of this embodiment, when the inner housing 9 is stored in the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8, the engaging portion 18a provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber 17 engages with the inner housing 9, and a part (tip portion 7a) of the terminal (male terminal 7) that will be housed in the terminal housing chamber 42 of the inner housing 9 is positioned inside the hood portion 15 of the outer housing 8. Furthermore, the insertion passage S of the housing (male housing 2) communicates with the engaging portion 18a from outside the storage chamber 17 of the outer housing 8 without passing through the hood portion 15. As the insertion passage S, for example, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the inner housing 9 may be used, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the outer housing 8 may be used, or the space in the gap between the inner housing 9 and the outer housing 8 may be used. When disengaging the engagement portion 18a of the inner housing 9 and the outer housing 8, inserting the disengagement tool 50 through the insertion passage S allows the engagement between the two to be released without any concern about contact with the terminal 7 located inside the hood portion 15. Therefore, in this embodiment, the housing 2 allows the engagement between the housing components 8 and 9 constituting the housing 2 to be released while avoiding accidental contact with the terminal 7.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the housing 2 of this embodiment, since the engaging portion 18a of the outer housing 8 is provided on the double-sided beam portion 18, it is possible to suppress the accidental disengagement of the engaging portion 18a and the inner housing 9 by foreign matter or the like, compared to the case where the engaging portion is provided on a cantilevered member.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the housing 2 of this embodiment, the inner housing 9 has a spacer 46 and an insertion hole 44 for mounting the spacer 46. The insertion hole 44 is provided in a position where the spacer 46 does not interfere with the insertion passage S even if a part of the spacer 46 is exposed from the insertion hole 44. As a result, regardless of the position of the spacer 46, the spacer 46 does not obstruct the passage of the release jig 50 through the insertion passage S.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the housing 2 of this embodiment, a movable member (moving plate 5) is provided on the hood portion 15 of the outer housing 8. Since the insertion passage S for passing the release jig 50 does not pass through the hood portion 15, even if the movable member 5 is provided, the movable member 5 does not obstruct the passage of the release jig 50 through the insertion passage S.

[0061] <Other embodiments> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, the projection 26 for supporting the lever 4 is also used as a "restricting part" that restricts the displacement of the male housing 2 (hood portion 15). Alternatively, the projection 26 for supporting the lever 4 and the "restricting part" that restricts the displacement of the male housing 2 (hood portion 15) may be provided on the female housing 3 as independent components.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the space between the inner housing 9 (upper wall of the main body portion 41) and the outer housing 8 (beam portion 18) is used as the insertion passage S. In contrast, the insertion passage S may also be, for example, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the inner housing 9, or the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the outer housing 8.

[0064] Herein, the features of the embodiment of the housing (male housing 2) according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized below.

[0065] [1] A housing (2) comprising an inner housing (9) having a terminal housing chamber (42) and an outer housing (8) that houses the inner housing (9) inside, The outer housing (8) is, The housing (2) has a storage chamber (17) for storing the inner housing (9), an engaging portion (18a) provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber (17) for engaging with the inner housing (9), and a hood portion (15) for housing the mating housing (3) which will be fitted into the housing (2), The aforementioned inner housing (9) is A portion (7a) of the terminal (7) that will be housed in the terminal housing chamber (42) is configured to be placed inside the hood portion (15), The housing (2) is, The outer housing (8) has an insertion passage (S) that communicates with the engaging portion (18a) from outside the storage chamber (17) without passing through the hood portion (15), Housing (2).

[0066] In the housing configuration described in [1] above, when the inner housing is stored in the storage chamber of the outer housing, the engaging portion provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber engages with the inner housing, and a portion of the terminals that will be housed in the terminal housing chamber of the inner housing are positioned inside the hood portion of the outer housing. Furthermore, the insertion passage of the housing communicates with the engaging portion from outside the storage chamber of the outer housing without passing through the hood portion. The insertion passage may be, for example, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the inner housing, the internal space of a recess or through hole provided in the outer housing, or the space in the gap between the inner housing and the outer housing. When releasing the engagement between the engaging portion of the inner housing and the outer housing, the engagement between the two can be released without concern for contact with the terminals inside the hood portion by inserting a release tool through the insertion passage. Therefore, the housing configuration allows for the release of engagement between housing components while avoiding accidental contact with terminals.

[0067] [2] In the housing (2) described in [1] above, The outer housing (8) is, The outer housing (8) has a beam portion (18) that has a cantilevered beam shape extending in the direction of storage of the inner housing (9) into the outer housing (8) and is provided with the engaging portion (18a), Housing (2).

[0068] In the housing configuration described in [2] above, the engagement portion of the outer housing is provided on the beam portion of a double-sided beam, so compared to the case where the engagement portion is provided on a cantilevered beam member, it is possible to suppress the accidental disengagement of the engagement portion and the inner housing due to foreign objects, etc. This is because the beam portion does not have a free end like a cantilevered beam.

[0069] [3] In the housing (2) described in [1] above, The aforementioned inner housing (9) is The inner housing (9) has a spacer (46) which is inserted into the insertion hole (44) and fitted into it. The aforementioned spacer (46) is The spacer (46) can be positioned in two ways: an insertion position in which the entire spacer (46) is inserted into the insertion hole (44) to hold the terminal (7) within the terminal housing chamber (42); and an exposed position in which a portion of the spacer (46) is exposed from the insertion hole (44) to allow the terminal (7) to be attached to and detached from the terminal housing chamber (42). The aforementioned insertion hole (44) is The spacer (46) in the exposed position is provided in a position where it does not interfere with the insertion passage (S). Housing (2).

[0070] According to the housing configuration described in [3] above, the inner housing has a spacer and an insertion hole for mounting the spacer. The insertion hole is positioned so that even if a part of the spacer is exposed from the insertion hole, the spacer does not interfere with the insertion passage. This ensures that, regardless of the position of the spacer, the spacer does not obstruct the passage of the release tool.

[0071] [4] The housing (2) described in [1] above, The hood portion (15) further comprises a movable member (5) provided inside the hood portion (15) so as to be movable in the fitting direction between the housing (2) and the mating housing (3). Housing (2).

[0072] In the housing configuration described in [4] above, a movable member (a so-called moving plate) is provided in the hood portion of the outer housing. Since the insertion passage for the release jig does not pass through the hood portion, the movable member does not obstruct the insertion of the release jig through the insertion passage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 2 Male Housing (Housing) 3. Female housing (opposite housing) 5. Moving plate (movable component) 7 Male terminals (terminals) 7a Tip (part) 8 Outer Housing 9 Inner Housing 15. Food section 17. Hangar 18 Beam section 18a Engagement part 42 Terminal housing room 44 Insertion holes 46 Spacers S insertion passage

Claims

1. A housing comprising an inner housing having a terminal housing chamber and an outer housing that houses the inner housing inside, The outer housing is, It has a storage chamber for storing the inner housing, an engaging portion provided on the inner wall surface of the storage chamber that engages with the inner housing, and a hood portion that houses the mating housing which will be fitted into the housing, The aforementioned inner housing is A portion of the terminals to be housed in the terminal housing chamber is configured to be positioned inside the hood portion. The housing in question is The outer housing has an insertion passage that communicates with the engagement portion without passing through the hood portion from outside the storage chamber of the outer housing. housing.

2. In the housing according to claim 1, The outer housing is, The outer housing has a beam-like shape that extends in the direction in which the inner housing is stored, and the engaging portion is provided on the beam portion, housing.

3. In the housing according to claim 1, The aforementioned inner housing is The inner housing has a spacer that is inserted into an insertion hole and fitted into it, The previous spacer is The spacer can be positioned in two locations: an insertion position in which the entire spacer is inserted into the insertion hole and holds the terminal within the terminal housing chamber, and an exposed position in which a portion of the spacer is exposed from the insertion hole and allows the terminal to be attached to and detached from the terminal housing chamber. The aforementioned insertion hole is The spacer in the exposed position is provided in a position where it does not interfere with the insertion passage. housing.

4. The housing according to claim 1, The hood portion further includes a movable member provided inside the hood so as to be movable in the fitting direction between the housing and the mating housing. housing.

Images