JP2019067744A - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector capable of ensuring a sufficient holding force in a mated state after both connectors are mated is provided. A lock arm (31) protrudes toward a side wall (24a1) and extends in a detachment direction. The detection member 40 is located on the detachment side from the contact surface 46, and is sandwiched between the main body 21 and the locking projection 27 when viewed from the fitting direction at the final locking position. The rib 47 and the body portion 21 are connected to each other while the tip portion 42a of the detection arm faces the locking portion in the fitting direction, and the locking projection 27 faces the contact surface 46 in the insertion/removal direction. It is possible to move relative to the housing 20 between a fixed position where the projecting body 26 is positioned so as to face a part of the guide rail 31f on the detachment direction side, and a full locking position. [Selection drawing] Fig. 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a technique for causing an operator or the like to determine whether or not a fitting state with a mating connector is perfect in a connector. For example, the connector is provided with a detection member that can move relative to the housing between the temporary locking position and the full locking position (Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). The detection member is moved from the temporary locking position to the main locking position if the fitting state between the connector and the mating connector (between the connectors) is not perfect (in the case of a so-called disengaging state) If the fitting state is complete (so-called perfect fitting state), it can be moved from the temporary locking position to the full locking position. An operator or the like can determine whether or not the fitting state between the connectors is perfect based on the relative positional relationship of the detection member to such a housing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-260781 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-31517

  By the way, when locking both housings, the lock arm of the housing is elastically deformed, and the lock portion of the lock arm gets over the locked portion provided on the other housing, and the lock arm is elastically restored. . Further, when releasing the locking of both housings, the lock arm is operated to be elastically deformed, and by pulling apart the two connectors so as to make the locked portion get over, the locking between the locking portion and the locked portion is performed. It will be released. Thus, in order to lock and release the two housings, the lock arm can be bent and deformed. For example, when the other connector is not fitted, such as transporting a single connector, and the lock arm is in a free state, the external force or the electric wire is hooked, and the lock arm is deformed beyond the deformation that allows elastic recovery. As a result, the lock arm may be plastically deformed. In that case, since the lock arm can not elastically return to the original state, the holding power in the fitted state after both connectors are fitted can not be sufficiently secured.

  This invention is made in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the connector which can fully ensure the retention strength in the fitting state after both connectors fitting.

  In order to solve the problems described above and to achieve the object, according to the present invention, when the terminal is housed and held, and the mating state with the mating connector is a complete mating state, the locking portion is the mating side. The housing is engaged with the other housing by engaging and releasably locking with a locked portion provided in the housing, and the housing is assembled to the housing, and the fitting state is the temporary locking in the complete fitting state A detection member capable of relative movement in the fitting direction and the detachment direction with respect to the housing between the position and the full locking position, the housing being orthogonal to the body portion and the fitting direction with the body portion A lock wall facing the opposite direction which is the direction and sandwiching the lock with the main body at the main lock position, a flexible lock arm fixed to the main body, and the book A pair of side walls which are erected in the opposite direction from each other and which face each other in the arrangement direction orthogonal to the fitting direction with the lock arm interposed therebetween, and the pair projecting from each side wall toward the opposite side wall And the lock arm is attachable to the detection member, and protrudes toward the lock portion and each side wall and extends in the release direction, and the release direction side A pair of guide rails formed in a direction away from the main body, and the detection member projects from the base and the base in the fitting direction, and the temporary locking In the position, the flexible detection arm is positioned such that the tip end faces the locking portion in the disengaging direction, and in the full locking position, the tip end faces the locking portion in the fitting direction. Set up from the base in the opposite direction, When the detection member is attached to the lock arm, the main body and the guide rail are protruded from the pair of walls facing each other in the arrangement direction and from the respective walls toward the other wall. A pair of projecting members positioned so as to be sandwiched, an abutment surface provided on the detachment direction side of the detection member, and an abutment surface facing the fitting direction, and located on the detachment direction side from the abutment surface A rib positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion and the locking projection when viewed from the fitting direction, and positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion and the locking projection at the temporary locking position And in the main locking position, the detection is at least partially located between the locking wall and the locking portion, and at least before the fitting state is a complete fitting state. The tip of the arm faces the locking part in the fitting direction A position in which the locking projection is interposed between the rib and the main body while facing the contact surface in the insertion and removal direction, and the protrusion faces the part of the guide rail in the detachment direction It is characterized in that relative movement with respect to the housing is possible between the fixed position and the main locking position.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION The connector concerning this invention has an effect that the retention strength in the fitting state after both connectors fitting can be ensured enough.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment, and is a view showing a state before fitting with the mating connector. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector of the embodiment as viewed from the mating connector side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment and shows a completely fitted state after the fitting with the mating connector is completed. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y-Y of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X1-X1 of FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a detection member of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Y1-Y1 of FIG. FIG. 10 is a view showing a state of the detection member after moving from the main locking position of FIG. 6 to the temporary locking position. FIG. 11 is a view showing a state of the detection member after moving from the main locking position of FIG. 9 to the temporary locking position. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the state of the detection member in the fixed position. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Z-Z of FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Z1-Z1 of FIG. FIG. 15 is a view showing a state in the middle of movement of the detection member before reaching from the fixed position of FIG. 13 to the full locking position. FIG. 16 is a view showing a state in the middle of movement of the detection member before reaching from the fixed position of FIG. 14 to the full locking position.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

[Embodiment]
The X direction in FIGS. 1 to 16 is the insertion and removal direction of the connector 1 and the mating connector C in the present embodiment, and is the front-rear direction of the housing 20 and the mating housing Ch. The Y direction is the arrangement direction of both connectors in this embodiment, is orthogonal to the insertion / removal direction, and is the width direction of the housing 20 and the mating housing Ch. The Z direction is the vertical direction of both connectors in the present embodiment, and is a direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the arrangement direction. The X1 direction is the fitting direction of the connector 1, and the X2 direction is the dismounting direction of the connector 1. The Z1 direction is the upper direction of both connectors, and the Z2 direction is the lower direction of both connectors. Each direction used in the following description represents a direction in which each part is assembled to each other unless otherwise specified.

  The connector 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is applied to, for example, a wire harness used in an automobile or the like. Here, the connector 1 is a connection mechanism for wire-to-wire connection, which connects a plurality of wires constituting the wire harness, and is used, for example, in an airbag circuit. The connector 1 includes a terminal (not shown) and a housing 20 for housing and holding the terminal.

  The terminal is formed in a predetermined shape by a conductive material such as metal, and the core wire of the end of the electric wire is physically and electrically connected in a predetermined connection form such as crimping or welding. The terminal has a terminal connection portion to which the other terminal of the opposite connector C is connected, and a wire connection portion to which the core of the wire is connected. In this embodiment, the terminal of the connector 1 is molded as a female terminal, and the mating terminal of the mating connector C is molded as a male terminal. However, as long as the terminal and the mating terminal are engaged with each other and physically and electrically connected, either of them may be a female terminal or a male terminal.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 20 is formed in a predetermined shape by an insulating material such as a synthetic resin, and the main body 21, the hood 22, the annular space 23, the operation groove 24, and the housing space It has a portion 25, a locking body 26 and a locking projection 27.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 21 is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodation chambers 21a for accommodating and holding a plurality of terminals. Each of the terminal receiving chambers 21a is formed to receive and hold the terminals one by one and to receive and hold the terminals one by one along the inserting and removing direction. The terminal accommodating chamber 21a has an opening on the fitting direction side, and the terminal connecting portion of the inner terminal is exposed outward through the opening. The mating terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 21a from the opening in the connector fitting step, and is fitted to the terminal connection portion of the terminal. The terminal accommodating chamber 21a also has an opening at the side of the separating direction, and the electric wire connected to the wire connecting portion of the terminal at the inner side is drawn out from the opening at the side of the separating direction. The respective terminal accommodating chambers 21 a of the present embodiment are arranged in a grid on the inner side of the rectangular main body portion 21 arranged on the inner side of the rectangular cylindrical hood 22, and in the separating direction from the hood 22. It is projected to the side.

  The hood 22 is cylindrical as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is formed such that the main body 21 is disposed inward. The hood 22 is disposed such that the cylinder axis direction is along the insertion / removal direction. The hood 22 has an opening 22a on the fitting direction side. The mating connector C is inserted from the opening 22a. The hood 22 in the present embodiment is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the terminal storage chambers 21a are arranged in a grid shape inward of the rectangular main body portion 21 disposed inward, and the terminal storage The chamber 21a is protruded in the separating direction.

  The annular space portion 23 is formed between the main body portion 21 and the hood 22 as shown in FIG. 1, and in the connector fitting process between the connector 1 and the mating connector C, the mating housing of the mating connector C A cylindrical hood Chf of Ch is housed so as to wrap the main body 21 inward. Inside the food Chf, a plurality of counterpart terminals are accommodated and held.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the operation groove 24 is formed to expose a part of the detection member 40 described later to the outside, and is provided to perform an operation on the detection member 40 by an operator or the like. There is. The operation groove 24 has an operation space portion 24a, a side wall 24a1, and a movable space portion 24b. The operation space portion 24a is a space portion which exposes the detection member 40 outward in the operation groove 24, and is used when an operator or the like performs an operation. The operation space 24a has a side wall 24a1. The side walls 24 a 1 are formed to face each other in the arrangement direction, and form a part of the outer wall of the housing 20. The movable space portion 24b is a space provided between the detection member 40 and the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 21 in the operation groove 24, and communicates with the annular space portion 23 on the fitting direction side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the housing space 25 is formed to be disposed on the fitting direction side relative to the operation space 24a, and communicates with the fitting direction of the operation space 24a. The accommodation space 25 has a locking wall 25 a and a side wall 25 b. The lock wall 25 a is formed on the side opposite to the annular space 23 in the vertical direction so as to face the main body 21 in the upward direction, and accommodates a part of the detection member 40. The side wall portions 25b are formed so as to be connected to both end portions of the locking wall portion 25a, and are formed in a pair so as to face each other in the arrangement direction. The locking wall 25 a and the side wall 25 b form a part of the outer wall of the housing 20.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the locking members 26 are respectively provided separately from the pair of side wall portions 25 b of the housing space portion 25 and are formed in a pair so as to face each other in the arrangement direction. One locking body 26 is formed to project toward the other locking body 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the locking protrusions 27 are respectively provided separately from the pair of side walls 24 a 1 of the operation space portion 24 a and are formed in a pair so as to face each other in the arrangement direction. One locking projection 27 projects toward the other locking projection 27. The locking projection 26 in the present embodiment is formed on the upper side at the end portion on the disengaging direction side of both end portions in the insertion and removal direction of the side wall 24a1.

  Here, a state in which the connector 1 and the mating connector C are completely inserted to each other and a physical and electrical connection between the terminal and the mating terminal is established is referred to as a completely fitted state. On the other hand, fitting between the connector 1 and the mating connector C (hereinafter also referred to as "between connectors") before the complete fitting state in the connector fitting process or after the complete fitting state in the connector releasing process. The mating state is called the mating release state.

  As shown in FIG. 6, between the connector 1 and the mating connector C, the housing 20 and the mating housing Ch are engaged with each other when they are in the completely fitted state, and holding the completely fitted state A structure 30 is provided. The holding structure 30 is a so-called lock structure between the connectors, and as shown in FIG. 6, when the fitted state of the connector 1 and the mating connector C is a completely fitted state, the housing 20 and the mating housing Ch engage with each other. Fit and hold the fully fitted state. The holding structure 30 comprises a lock arm 31 and a locked structure 32.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lock arm 31 is formed to be integrated with one of four outer peripheral surfaces of the main body 21, and is completely locked by being locked to the counterpart housing Ch. Hold the fitting state. The lock arm 31 is formed such that a pair of side walls 24a1 sandwich the lock arm. Further, the lock arm 31 is fixed to the main body 21 and has flexibility, and the detection member 40 can be attached. Further, the lock arm 31 has a base portion 31a, a locking portion 31b, a release lever portion 31c, a support portion 31d, a guide portion 31f, and a lock arm protrusion 31g.

  The base 31a is formed such that one end on the disengaging direction side is bent downward and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the main body, and the other end on the mating direction side extends in the mating direction.

  The locking portion 31b is formed at the other end of the base 31a in the fitting direction, and is formed to face the locking wall 25a in the lower direction. The locking portion 31 b is for locking to the locked portion 32 a provided in the mating housing C, and locks the mating housing C relative to the housing 20 so as to be able to release the locking.

  The release lever portion 31c is formed such that one end on the fitting direction side is connected to the locking portion 31a and the other end on the disengaging direction side extends in the disengaging direction. The release lever portion 31 c is formed in a half arrow shape in which both side walls of the lock arm 31 extend in the fitting direction, and configure this side wall. Further, the release lever portion 31c has a support portion 31d.

  A gap is formed between the support portion 31 d and the main body portion 21 in the state of the housing 20 alone. The support portion 31 b is opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 21 in the vertical direction, and is formed to overlap with one end of the base portion 31 a in the removal direction when viewed from the arrangement direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the guide rails 31f respectively project toward the side walls 24a1 and extend in the separating direction, and a part in the separating direction is formed in the direction away from the main body 21. . The pair of guide rails 31f in the present embodiment are provided at positions facing the respective side walls 24a1 of the release lever portion 31c. Further, the guide rail 31 f has a straight portion 31 f 1 and an inclined portion 31 f 1.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the linear portion 31f1 is a part of the guide rail 31f on the fitting direction side, and is formed so as to extend in parallel to the disengaging direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the inclined portion 31f2 is a part of the guide rail 31f on the disengaging direction side, extends from the end of the rectilinear portion 31f2 on the disengaging direction side, and leaves the main body 21 as it proceeds in the disengaging direction It is formed to go in the direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the locked bodies 31 g are positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body 21 and the locking projections 27, and are erected individually from the pair of side walls 24 a 1 and opposed in the arrangement direction A pair is formed. The locked body 31g is formed in a rectangular shape. The locked body 31g in the present embodiment is formed at the end of the release lever portion 31c in the release direction.

  The locked structure 32 is provided on the mating housing C, and is formed so as to be releasably locked by being locked to the locking portion 31 b. The locked structure 32 has a locked portion 32a and a release operating portion 32b.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the locked portion 32a is a protruding body that protrudes from the outer wall surface of the hood Chf, and is formed so as to face the locking portion 31a in the insertion and removal direction in the connector fitting step. ing. The locked portion 32a is formed on the outer wall surface of the hood Chf so as to be located on the side of the locking direction with respect to the locking portion 31a in the completely fitted state. The locking portion 31a and the locked portion 32a may be in contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction when in the completely fitted state, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction. However, in the case of leaving a gap, the gap is set so that when the locking portion 31a and the locked portion 32a come into contact with each other, the completely fitted state is not lost. The illustrated engaged portion 32a is formed in a square shape.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the release operating portion 32b is a projecting body that protrudes from the outer wall surface of the hood Chf, and is formed to be able to face the locking portion 31a in the insertion and removal direction in the connector fitting step. There is. The release operating portion 32 b is formed on the outer wall surface of the hood Chf so as to be positioned on the fitting direction side relative to the locking portion 31 a when in the completely fitted state. The locking portion 31a and the release operating portion 32b may be brought into contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction when in the completely fitted state, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction. The release operation unit 32b of this example is formed in a square shape, and a slope is formed on the fitting direction side.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the connector 1 of the present embodiment is formed so as to be able to move relative to the housing 20 in the insertion / removal direction, and detection for the operator etc. to determine the completely fitted state with the mating connector C. It has a member 40. The detection member 40 is attached to the lock arm 31. The detection member 40 is attached to the housing 20 so that the detection member 40 is disposed closer to the outside of the housing 20 than the lock arm 31 and at least the detachment direction side is disposed in the operation space 24 a of the operation groove 24. Therefore, in the operation space portion 24a, at least the detachment direction side of the detection member 40 is exposed outward. In the connector 1 of the present embodiment, the operation space portion 24 a is also used as a space for relative movement operation of the detection member 40. For this reason, in the detection member 40, the detachment direction side is used as an operation unit for relative movement operation. Further, the detection member includes a base 41, a detection arm 42, a wall 43, a protrusion 44, a detection member operation portion 45, an abutment surface 46, a rib 47, and a locking protrusion 48 for full locking.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the base 41 is formed to be spaced apart from the base 31 b of the lock arm 31 after the detection member 40 is attached to the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the base 41 may be, for example, a rectangular single-piece shaped molded body having one flat surface facing downward to the base 31b, and various types of single-piece shaped molded bodies may be used. A notch or a groove may be formed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the detection arm 42 protrudes from the central portion in the arrangement direction of the U-shaped bases 41 in the fitting direction, and is formed to have flexibility with respect to the base 41. ing. The detection arm 42 has a distal end portion 42a, and when the detection member 40 is attached to the lock arm 31, the distal end portion 42a is formed to face the locking portion 31b in the insertion / removal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the wall bodies 43 are formed in a pair in such a manner as to stand in opposite directions from both ends in the arrangement direction of the base body 41. The walls 43 are formed toward the side walls 24a1 and are formed to face each other in the row direction. Each wall 43 has a protrusion 44 respectively. The protrusions 44 are formed to project from the respective walls 43 toward the wall pair 43 of the other. The protrusions 44 in this embodiment are formed at the lower end of the wall 43 and are formed so as to face the guide rails 31 f of the lock arm 31 in the arrangement direction in the detection member moving step. It is arranged. The protrusion 44 guides the relative movement of the detection member 40 in the insertion / removal direction with respect to the housing 20 by moving in the insertion / removal direction while facing the guide rail 31 f in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the detection member operation unit 45 is formed to project upward from the base 41 in the operation space 24 a. It is used when a worker etc. perform relative movement of detection member 40. The detecting member operating portion 45 protrudes outward beyond the locking wall 25a of the housing 20, and has a release operation surface 45a and a fitting operation surface 45b. The release operation surface 45a is located on the fitting direction side so as to face the disengaging direction, and the fitting operation surface 45b is located on the disengaging direction side so as to face the fitting direction. The detection member operating portion 44 is formed so as to face the main body portion 21 with the support portion 31d interposed therebetween at the temporary locking position and to be located on the side of the locking direction 31b from the locking portion 31b.

  The abutment surface 46 is a plane perpendicular to the fitting direction when the detection member 40 is attached to the lock arm 31 as shown in FIG. 7, and faces the respective locking projections 27 from the fitting direction side. It is formed. The contact surfaces 46 in the present embodiment are formed in a pair with the detection member operation unit 45 in the arrangement direction. The contact surfaces 46 each have a temporary locking contact surface 46 a and a fixing contact surface 46 b.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the temporary locking contact surface 46 a is a part of the contact surface 46 in the upward direction, and is formed to extend upward. The pair of temporary engagement contact surfaces 46 a in the embodiment is formed so as to sandwich the detection member operation unit 45 in the arrangement direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the fixing abutment surface 46b is a part of the abutment surface 46 on the lower side, and is formed to extend downward. The pair of fixing abutment surfaces 46b in the embodiment are located on the side of the separating direction of each wall 43, and are formed orthogonal to the fitting direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ribs 47 are located on the side of the abutment surface 46 in the detachment direction, and extend in the detachment direction from a position midway in the opposing direction of the abutment surfaces 46. The ribs 47 in the present embodiment are formed in a pair on both sides of the detection member operating portion 45 in the arrangement direction. The ribs 47 extend in the disengaging direction from the lower end of each temporary locking abutment surface 46a, and are positioned above the temporary locking abutment surface a4 when viewed from the disengaging direction. It is configured to

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main locking locking projections 48 are respectively formed on the fitting direction side of the wall bodies 43 of the detection member 40. The pair of main locking projections 48 project so as to face the respective side walls 25b of the housing 20, and in the detection member moving step, they may face the locking members 26 of the housing 20 in the fitting direction. It is formed and arranged to be able to.

  The detection member 40 can be moved relative to the housing 20 between the temporary locking position and the main locking position (detection member moving step). The temporary locking position is the position of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 when the fitting state between the connector 1 and the mating connector C is in the fitting release state, and the detection member 40 is the locking wall 25a. And the locking portion 31b. The main locking position is the position of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 when the fitted state between the connector 1 and the mating connector C is the completely fitted state, and at least a part of the detection member 40 is for locking This position is located between the wall 25a and the locking portion 31b. The detection member 40 in the present embodiment can move relative to the housing 20 in the insertion / removal direction, and reaches the main locking position by relative movement from the temporary locking position to the fitting direction, and the main engagement The relative locking position is reached by moving the locking position relative to the locking direction.

  Next, the relative movement direction and upward locking of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 in the temporary locking position will be described. Between the detection member 40 and the housing 20, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, there is a temporary locking structure for restricting the movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 in the insertion / extraction direction and upward at the temporary locking position. It is provided. The temporary locking structure restricts the movement of the detecting member 40 in the disengaging direction side by the temporary locking abutting surfaces 46 a of the detecting member 40 and the locking protrusions 27 of the housing 20, and locks the lock arm 31. The movement of the detection member 40 in the fitting direction is restricted by the portion 31 b and the tip 42 a of the detection arm 42, and the ribs 47 of the detection member 40 and the locking projections 27 of the housing 20 form an upper surface of the detection member 40. Regulate movement on the direction side.

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the detachment direction side of the detection member 40 in a temporary latching position is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 11, each locking projection 27 is disposed on the side of the detachment direction with respect to each temporary anchoring contact surface 46a, and at the end in the detachment direction of each temporary anchoring contact surface 46a. The movement of each temporary locking contact surface 46 a in the direction of removal is restricted by the locking protrusions 27 by facing each other in the insertion and removal direction. Movement of the detection member 40 relative to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) at the temporary locking position is restricted by the temporary locking contact surfaces 46a and the locking protrusions 27. When the detection member 40 is in the temporary locking position, the temporary locking contact surfaces 46a and the locking protrusions 27 may be in contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction.

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the fitting direction side of the detection member 40 in a temporary latching position is demonstrated. The tip end portion 42 a of the detection arm 42 restricts movement in the fitting direction in the accommodation space 25. As shown in FIG. 10, the locking portion 31b is disposed so as to face the tip end portion 42a in the insertion and removal direction, thereby restricting the movement of the tip end portion 42a in the fitting direction. The connector fitting direction side of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) before the mating connector C is inserted by the locking portion 31b and the tip portion 42a and when the detection member 40 is in the temporary locking position. Regulate travel to At this time, the locking portion 31b and the tip portion 42a may be brought into contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction.

  The structure for restricting the upward movement of the detection member 40 at the temporary locking position will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, each locking projection 27 is disposed on the upper side with respect to each rib 47, and is opposed to the upper end of each rib 47 in the insertion and removal direction, thereby each rib The movement of the 47 in the direction of detachment is regulated by the respective locking projections 27. The ribs 47 and the locking projections 27 restrict the upward movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) at the temporary locking position. The respective ribs 47 and the respective locking projections 27 may be in contact with each other in the opposite direction when the detection member 40 is in the temporary engagement position, or may be spaced apart in the opposite direction.

  Next, the relative movement direction and upward locking of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 in the full locking position will be described. Between the detection member 40 and the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 6, there is provided a main locking structure for restricting the movement of the detection member 40 in and out of the housing 20 in the main locking position. There is. In this locking structure, the movement of the detection member 40 in the direction of removal is restricted by the respective locking members 26 of the housing 20 and the locking protrusions 48 for the full locking of the detection member 40, and the detection member of the detection member 40 Movement of the detection member 40 in the insertion direction is restricted by the operation wall 45 and the lock wall 25a of the housing 20, and the detection wall 40 of the lock 20 of the housing 20 and the wall 43 of the detection member 40 is used to detect the detection member 40. Restrict upward movement of the

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the detachment direction side of the detection member 40 by this latching position is demonstrated. In the detection member 40, the respective locking projections 48 for the main locking are respectively positioned on the fitting direction side with respect to the respective locking members 26, and each locking body 26 and each locking protrusion 48 for each main locking are They are facing each other in the insertion and removal direction. Here, the movement of the main locking projections 48 in the removal direction is restricted by the respective locking members 26. The movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) in the removal direction side is restricted by the respective locking members 26 and the respective main locking locking protrusions 48 in the main locking position. At this time, each locking body 26 and each locking protrusion 48 for main locking may be brought into contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction.

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the insertion direction side of the detection member 40 by this latching position is demonstrated. In the detecting member 40, as shown in FIG. 6, the detecting member operating portion 45 is located on the side of the locking wall 25a in the separating direction, and the locking wall 25a and the detecting member operating portion 45 are inserted and removed. They are facing each other in the direction. Here, the movement of the detection member operation unit 45 in the fitting direction is restricted by the respective lock wall portions 25a. The locking wall 25a and the detecting member operating portion 45 restrict movement of the detecting member 40 in the fitting direction with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) at the full locking position. At this time, the lock wall 25a and the detection member operation unit 45 may be brought into contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced in the insertion / removal direction.

  A structure for restricting the upward movement of the detection member 40 at the full locking position will be described. In the detection member 40, as shown in FIG. 6, the walls 43 are positioned lower than the locking wall 25a, and the locking wall 25a and the walls 43 are opposed to each other. They are in the opposite state to each other. Here, the upward movement of each wall 43 is restricted by the respective locking wall portions 25a. The locking wall 25a and the walls 43 restrict the upward movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) at the full locking position. At this time, the locking wall 25a and the walls 43 may be in contact with each other in the opposite direction, or may be spaced apart in the opposite direction.

  Further, the detection member 40 can be moved relative to the housing 20 between the full locking position and the fixed position. The fixed position is a position where the detection member 40 is held on the housing 20 in a state where the detection member 40 is attached to the lock arm 31 before the fitted state becomes the completely fitted state. The fixed position in the present embodiment is also the position when the detection member 40 is assembled to the housing 20. Therefore, in the fixed position, the state before the connector 1 and the mating connector C are inserted into each other is also included.

  The relative movement direction of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 and the locking in the opposite direction in the fixed position will be described. Between the detection member 40 and the housing 20, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, there is provided a fixing structure for restricting movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the housing 20 in the inserting / removing direction and the opposite direction at the main locking position. ing. The fixing structure restricts the movement of the detection member 40 in the disengaging direction by the locking projections 27 of the housing 20 and the fixing abutment surfaces 46b of the detection member 40, and the tip 42a of the detection arm 42 and the lock arm The movement of the detection member 40 in the insertion direction is restricted by the locking portions 31b, and the upward movement of the detection member 40 is achieved by the inclined portions 31f2 of the guide rails 31f and the protrusions 44 of the walls 43. The movement is restricted, and the upward movement of the detection member 40 is restricted by the locking projections 27 of the housing 20 and the ribs 47 of the detection member 40.

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the detachment direction side of the detection member 40 in a fixed position is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 4, in the detection member 40, each fixing abutment surface 46b is positioned on the fitting direction side relative to each locking projection 27, and each locking projection 27 and each fixing abutment surface 46b and 46b are opposite to each other in the insertion and removal direction. Here, the movement of each fixing abutment surface 46b in the disengaging direction is restricted by each locking projection 27. The movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) in the removal direction is restricted at the fixed position by the locking projections 27 and the fixing abutment surfaces 46b. At this time, the locking projections 27 and the fixing abutment surfaces 46b may be in contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction.

  The structure which restrict | limits the movement to the insertion direction side of the detection member 40 in a fixed position is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 4, in the detection member 40, the tip end portion 42a is located on the release direction side with respect to the locking portion 31b, and the locking portion 31b and the tip end portion 42a face each other in the insertion and removal direction. . Here, the movement of the distal end portion 42a in the insertion direction is restricted by the locking portion 31b. The locking portion 31 b and the distal end portion 42 a restrict movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) in the insertion direction at the fixed position. At this time, the locking portion 31b and the tip portion 42a may be brought into contact with each other in the insertion / removal direction, or may be spaced apart in the insertion / removal direction.

  The structure for restricting the upward movement of the detection member 40 at the fixed position will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, in the detection member 40, the protrusions 44 are positioned lower than the slopes 31 f 2, and the slopes 31 f 2 and the protrusions 44 face each other in the facing direction. It is in. Here, the upward movement of each protrusion 44 is restricted by each inclined portion 31 f 2. The movement of the detection member 40 in the upward direction with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) is restricted by the inclined portions 31f2 and the protrusions 44 when in the fixed position. At this time, the inclined portions 31f2 and the protrusions 44 may be in contact with each other in the opposite direction, or may be spaced apart in the opposite direction.

  A structure for restricting the downward movement of the detection member 40 at a fixed position will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, in the detection member 40, the ribs 47 are positioned above the locking protrusions 27, and the locking protrusions 27 and the ribs 47 face each other in the facing direction. It is in. Here, the downward movement of each rib 47 is restricted by each locking projection 27. The locking projections 27 and the ribs 47 restrict the downward movement of the detection member 40 with respect to the lock arm 31 (housing 20) in the fixed position. Each locking projection 27 and each rib 47 may then be brought into contact with each other in the opposite direction, or may be spaced apart in the opposite direction.

  Next, fitting of the connector 1 and the mating connector C will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, with the detection member 40 in the fixed position, the connector 1 is moved in the fitting direction so as to insert the counterpart housing Ch into the annular space portion 23 of the housing 20. The movement of the connector 1 in the fitting direction brings the locking portion 31 b into contact with the locked portion 32 a. After the locking portion 31b and the locked portion 32a come in contact with each other, the locking portion 31b is pushed upward by the locked portion 32a by the connector 1 continuing to move in the fitting direction. While bending the arm 31, the locking portion 31b is passed over to a position where the locked portion 32a is completely fitted. Further, after the worker etc. bends the locking portion 31b of the lock arm 31 upward, the connector 1 continues to move in the fitting direction, whereby the locked portion 32a is completely fitted. It may be moved to the position.

  In addition, after the locked portion 32a pushes the locking portion 31b upward, the distal end portion 42a of the detection arm 42 contacts the locked portion 32a by continuing to move the connector 1 in the fitting direction. Do. Then, as the movement proceeds, the engaged portion 32a exerts an upward force on the distal end portion 42a. At that time, in the detection member 40, the detection arm 42 starts to bend with the root on the disengaging direction side as a fulcrum.

  At the fully fitted position, as shown in FIG. 13, the bent lock arm 31 returns to the original position, and the locking portion 31b and the locked portion 32a face each other in the insertion and removal direction. . In the holding structure 30, since the removal operation between the connector 1 and the mating connector C is suppressed, the holding structure 30 is held in the completely fitted state. Further, in the detection member 40, the detection arm 42 is bent to a position where the tip end portion 42a can get over the locking portion 31b.

  In the lock arm 31, as shown in FIG. 13, the locking portion 31b approaches the release operation portion 32b by moving in the fitting direction to the position where the completely fitted state is achieved. Between the locking portion 31b and the release operating portion 32b, the movement of the locking portion 31b in the fitting direction side is reduced by closing the gap at the position where the complete fitting state is achieved. Lock on. By using the locking portion 31b and the end of the release operation portion 32b, the movement of the lock arm 31 in the fully fitted state to the fitting direction side is restricted.

  The relative movement of the detection member 40 from the fixed position to the full locking position will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, with the detection member 40 in the fixed position in the completely fitted state, the detection member 40 is fixed by moving the tip end portion 42 a to the fitting direction side beyond the locking portion 31 b. It moves relative to the housing 20 from the position to the full locking position. As a result, the detection arm 42 is positioned between the locking wall 25a and the locking portion 31b. In the detection member 40, as shown in FIG. 6, since the tip end 42a is separated from the release operation portion 32b from when the locked state of the tip end 42a is released to when it moves to the fully locked position, The deflection of the detection arm 42 is gradually eliminated.

  Further, at an end of the detection member 40 on the side wall 24 a 1 side, a groove is formed along the insertion / extraction direction surrounded by the base 41, the wall 43 and the protrusion 44. The detection member 40 is held by the lock arm 31 by being accommodated in the groove of the detection member 40 when the detection member 40 is assembled to the lock arm 31. By this configuration, as shown in FIG. 16, guiding becomes possible when the relative movement of the detection member 40 in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the lock arm 31 is enabled, and the detection member 40 is separated from the lock arm 31 (relative movement It is possible to suppress the departure) to a direction different from the direction. In the fixed position, as shown in FIG. 14, the protrusion 44 is positioned to face the inclined portion 31f2 of the guide rail 31f, and in the fully locked position, as shown in FIG. 9, the straight line of the guide rail 31f. It is positioned to face the portion 31f1.

  The relative movement from the main locking position to the temporary locking position in the detection member 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, with the detection member 40 in the full locking position, the operator pulls the release operation surface 45a in the removal direction with a finger to move the detection member in the removal direction, thereby moving the detection member in the removal direction. The part 42a contacts the release operation part 32b. Then, as the release proceeds, the release operation unit 32b applies an upward force to the tip end 42a. At that time, in the detection member 40, the detection arm 42 starts to bend with the root on the disengaging direction side as a fulcrum. In the detection member 40, the release proceeds further, and as shown in FIG. 15, the detection arm 42 bends to a position where the tip end portion 42a can get over the release operation portion 32b. The detection member 40 is moved relative to the housing 20 from the main locking position to the temporary locking position by moving the tip end portion 42a in the separating direction side beyond the release operation portion 32b. In the temporary locking position, as shown in FIG. 11, the protrusion 44 is positioned to face the inclined portion 31f2 of the guide rail 31f.

  The release of the completely fitted state in the connector 1 and the mating connector C will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, when the detection member 40 is in the full locking position, the worker continues pulling the release operation surface 45b in the disengaging direction, whereby the support portion 31d of the lock arm 31 is lowered and the body portion of the housing 20 is lowered. Abuts on 21. After the contact, the release operation surface 45a is further pulled, and the release lever portion 31c of the lock arm 31 rotates about the fulcrum that is the contact point of the support portion 31d and the main body portion 21 by the lever action. The part 45 moves in the separating direction and downward. As a result, the locking portion 31b connected to one end of the release lever portion 31c in the fitting direction is bent upward, so that the locking portion 31b and the locked portion 32a do not face each other in the insertion and removal direction. Become. For this reason, by continuing to pull the release operation surface 45a, the completely fitted state of the connector 1 and the mating connector C can be released, and it is possible to make the main locking release state. In the semi-fitted state, the detection member operation portion 45 faces the main body portion 21 with the support portion 31 d interposed therebetween, and is positioned on the side of the detachment direction with respect to the locking portion 31 b.

  According to the connector 1 described above, the front end portion 42a of the detection arm 42 faces the locking portion 31b in the fitting direction at least before the fitting state becomes the completely fitting state, and the locking projection 27 is a rib The detection member 40 is held by the housing 20 with the detection member 40 attached to the lock arm 31 by a fixed position which is sandwiched between the main body 21 and the projection 44 so as to face the part of the guide rail 31f in the disengaging direction. It is possible to As a result, since the lock arm 31 is held, it is possible to suppress the deformation of the lock arm due to the external force or the electric wire being caught as in the conventional connector. That is, when the lock arm 31 is in a free state, the detection member 40 is held by the housing 20 even if a load is applied that causes deformation beyond the elastic deformation of the lock arm 31. Therefore, the deformation of the lock arm 31 can be suppressed, and the lock arm 31 is not in a deformed state in which the lock arm 31 is plastically deformed, and the holding force after the connector fitting can be sufficiently secured.

  Also, although the projection 44 of the detection member 40 holds the guide rail 31f so as to restrict the deformation of the lock arm 31 in the vertical direction, it is formed in the fixed position in the direction away from the main body 21 in the guide rail 31f. To hold the projection 44 of the detection member 40 opposite to the part in the direction of detachment, so that the relative distance in the opposite direction between the detection member 40 and the lock arm 31 is increased when compared with the full locking position. Even if the detection member 40 rides on the locking projection 27 of the housing 20, the lock arm 31 can be held with a small amount of deflection.

  Further, the guide rail 31f has an inclined portion 31f2 which is directed in a direction away from the main body 21 as a part in the detachment direction advances in the detachment direction, and the projection 44 of the detection member 40 faces the inclined portion 31f2. As a result, the detection member 40 can be smoothly moved from the fixed position to the full locking position.

  Further, the lock arm 31 has a locked body 31g positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion 21 and the locking projection 27. For example, the elasticity of the lock arm 31 at the main locking position or the temporary locking position Even if a load is applied that causes deformation beyond the possible deformation that can be restored, the locked body 31g abuts on the locking projection 27, so that deformation of the lock arm 31 can be suppressed.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the guide rail 31 f is formed of the inclined portion 31 f 2 which goes in the direction of separating from the main body 21 as a part in the separating direction goes in the separating direction, but is not limited thereto. A part in the detachment direction may be formed to be away from the main body 21.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the lock arm includes the engaged body 31g positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion 21 and the locking projection 27. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The portion 31 f may be positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion 21 and the locking projection 27.

  In the above embodiment, the locking projection 27 is provided at the rear end of the housing 20, but is not limited to this. For example, the locking projection 27 is provided on the fitting direction side from the rear end of the housing 20 It is good.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the lock arm operation portion may be formed in the release lever portion 31c. As a result, even if the detection member 40 is not provided, the locking release of both housings can be performed by operating the lock arm operation unit.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the guide rail 31f was provided in the position which each opposes each side wall 24a1 in the releasing lever part 31c, it is not limited to this. The guide rail 31 f may be a portion projecting opposite to each side wall 24 a 1 in the release lever portion 31 c, that is, both side walls of the lock arm 31. In this case, the guide rail 31 f is a portion of the both side walls of the lock arm 31 that constitutes the release lever portion 31 c.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the lock arm 31 is fixed to the main-body part 21 in the base 31a, ie, it forms as a cantilever with respect to the main-body part 21, it is not limited to this. For example, a support portion fixed to the main body portion 21 is formed at a central portion in the insertion and removal direction of the lock arm 31, and a locking portion 31b is formed at an end portion in the fitting direction. Alternatively, the release direction side may be the release lever portion 31c.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the latching protrusion 27 is formed flat in the insertion / extraction direction, it is not limited to this. The locking projection 27 may have a regulating projection protruding upward at the end in the detachment direction. In this case, when the detection member 40 is in the fixed position, the restriction protrusions are respectively positioned on the separating direction side of the ribs 47 that ride on the locking protrusions 27. In other words, when the detection member 40 is in the fixed position, the two pairs of ribs 47 and the locking projections 27 face each other in the insertion and removal direction, so that the detection member 40 moves in the removal direction with respect to the housing 20 40 can be prevented from being twisted, that is, the detection member 40 can not be detached from the housing 20.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the detection member 40 is in the fixed position, the surface contact between the locking projection 27 and the rib 47 is detected by the detection member 40 moving in the detachment direction with respect to the housing 20 It is preferable in order to suppress that the member 40 is twisted, that is, the detection member 40 is detached from the housing 20. With respect to the detection member 40 at the fixed position, with respect to the detection member 40 at the other position, the end of the base 41 in the detachment direction is positioned upward with respect to the end of the fitting direction, and the base 41 is in the insertion / extraction direction On the other hand, the end in the disengaging direction is inclined to be positioned upward. Therefore, when viewed from the width direction, when the upper surface in the vertical direction of the locking projection 27 is parallel to the insertion and removal direction, the lower surface in the vertical direction of the rib 47 is in the insertion and removal direction when the detection member 40 is in the fixed position. Form in parallel. Alternatively, when viewed from the width direction, when the lower surface in the vertical direction of the rib 47 is parallel to the insertion / removal direction in a state other than the fixed position of the detection member 40, the upper surface in the vertical direction of the locking projection 27 is The detection member 40 is formed to be parallel to the lower surface of the rib 47 in the fixed position.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 connector 20 housing 21 main body 24a1 side wall 25a lock wall 27 locking projection 31 lock arm 31b locking portion 31f guide rail 31f2 inclined portion 31g locked body 32a locked portion 40 detection member 41 base 42 detection arm 42a Tip 43 Wall 44 Projection 46 Abutment surface 47 Rib C Counter connector Ch Counter housing

Claims (3)

Terminal,
When the terminal is accommodated and held, and the fitting state with the mating connector is the completely fitting state, the mating portion is locked by the locked portion provided on the mating housing and releasably locked by the mating housing A housing in which the
A detection member which is assembled to the housing, and in which the fitted state can be moved relative to the housing in a fitting direction and a detaching direction between the temporary locking position and the full locking position in the completely fitted state;
Equipped with
The housing is
Body part,
A lock wall facing the main body in an opposing direction perpendicular to the fitting direction, and sandwiching the locking portion with the main body at the full locking position;
A flexible lock arm fixed to the body portion;
A pair of side walls which are erected in the opposite direction from the main body and which face each other in the arrangement direction orthogonal to the fitting direction and the opposite direction with the lock arm interposed therebetween;
A pair of locking projections projecting from each side wall toward the opposite side wall;
Have
The lock arm is
The detection member is attachable,
A locking portion,
A pair of guide rails which respectively project toward the side walls and extend in the disengaging direction, and a part of the disengaging direction side is formed in the direction away from the main body;
Have
The detection member is
A substrate,
It projects from the base in the fitting direction, and in the temporary locking position, the tip end faces the locking portion in the disengaging direction, and in the full locking position, the tip end fits in the locking portion A flexible sensing arm positioned opposite in direction;
A pair of wall bodies which are erected in the opposite direction from the base and which face each other in the arrangement direction;
A pair of protrusions positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body and the guide rail when projecting from the respective walls toward the wall of the other, and attaching the detection member to the lock arm;
An abutment surface provided on the side of the direction of detachment of the detection member and orthogonal to the direction of fitting;
It is located on the disengaging direction side from the contact surface, and is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body and the locking projection when viewed from the fitting direction at the full locking position, the temporary locking A rib positioned so as to be sandwiched between the main body and the locking projection in position;
Have
In the full locking position, at least a portion is located between the locking wall and the locking portion,
The tip of the detection arm faces the locking portion in the fitting direction at least before the fitting state is completely fitted, and the locking protrusion faces the contact surface in the insertion and removal direction, The relative movement with respect to the housing is between the fixed position, which is sandwiched between the rib and the main body, and the projection is positioned so as to face the part on the disengaging direction side of the guide rail A connector characterized in that it is possible. In the connector according to claim 1,
The said guide rail consists of a slope part which goes to the direction which leaves | separates from the said main-body part as the said one part by the side of a detachment direction goes to a detachment direction. In the connector according to claim 1 or 2,
The lock arm has a locked body positioned to be sandwiched between the main body and the locking projection.
connector.

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