JP2006318845A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the collision sound between a lock arm and a housing. <P>SOLUTION: An elastic deflection section 16 is provided between a second housing 20 and the lock arm 13, where the elastic deflection section 16 is elastically deflected between the lock arm 13 and the second housing 20 by the elastic restoration force of the lock arm 13 while the lock arm 13 interferes with the lock section 13 of the second housing 20 and elastically returns when the lock arm 13 and the lock section 23 transit from the interference state to a locked state. When both the housings 10, 20 are fitted regularly, shock energy caused by the elastic restoration force of the elastic deflection section 16 is added to the shock energy caused by the elastic restoration force of the lock arm 13 between the second housing 20 and the lock arm 13, thus amplifying the shock sound between the second housing 20 and the lock arm 13 by that amount. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, as a connector for locking both housings in a fitted state by a lock arm, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this connector, in the fitting process of both housings, the lock arms are elastically deflected by the interference between the step-shaped lock portions provided in the housing and the step-shaped lock portions provided in the lock arm, so that both housings are properly When the fitting state is reached, both the housings are locked in the disengagement restricted state by the elastic return of the lock arm and the locking portions being locked.
JP-A-5-182712

In the connector as described above, when the lock parts are displaced from the interference state to the locked state, the lock arm that has returned elastically collides with the housing and generates a collision sound. It is possible to determine whether or not it has been done.
However, there is a concern that, for example, in a noisy environment, the worker cannot clearly recognize the collision sound.
The present invention has been completed based on the above situation, and an object thereof is to increase the collision noise between the lock arm and the housing.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a first housing provided with a lock arm, and a second housing capable of fitting with the first housing, In the fitting process of the two housings, the lock portion provided in the lock arm and the lock portion provided in the second housing interfere with each other, so that the lock arm is elastically bent, and the two housings are brought into a normal fitting state. In this case, in the connector in which both the housings are locked in the disengagement restricted state by the elastic return of the lock arm and the locking portions being in a locked state, the second housing and the lock arm Between the lock arm and the second housing by the elastic restoring force of the lock arm in a state where the lock portions interfere with each other. Allowed to flex, has a feature where the resilient deforming portion for resiliently returning is provided when the locking portions moves from the interference state to the locked state.

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the structure of claim 1, the elastic bending portion is formed by forming the lock portion of the lock arm into an elastically bendable form.

<Invention of Claims 1 and 2>
When the two housings are properly fitted, the collision energy due to the elastic restoring force of the elastic bending portion is added to the impact energy due to the elastic restoring force of the lock arm between the second housing and the lock arm. Therefore, the collision sound between the second housing and the lock arm is amplified.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The connector of the present embodiment includes a first housing 10 and a second housing 20 that can be fitted to each other.
The first housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin, and is integrally formed with a terminal holding portion 11 that forms a block shape as a whole and a cylindrical fitting portion 12 that surrounds a substantially first half portion of the terminal holding portion 11. A first terminal fitting (not shown) is accommodated in the terminal holding portion 11. The cylindrical fitting part 12 is supported by the terminal holding part 11 at the rear end thereof and protrudes forward.
A lock arm 13 is integrally formed on the upper surface (outer surface) of the terminal holding portion 11. The lock arm 13 extends substantially straight in the front-rear direction (a direction parallel to the fitting direction of the housings 10 and 20), and is approximately in the center in the length direction (exactly a position slightly behind the center). , The leg 14 is supported on the upper surface of the terminal holding part 11. The lock arm 13 can be elastically displaced in the form of a seesaw so that the leg portion 14 is supported as a fulcrum and the leg portion 14 is elastically deformed so as to assume a front-down posture or a rear-down posture.

  The lock arm 13 is formed with a slit 15 having a shape in which the central portion in the width direction is cut out from the vicinity of the front end to the vicinity of the rear end, and has a frame shape as a whole. And the front edge part 13F which comprises a frame is formed with the elastic bending part 16 of the form extended from the lower surface front end edge to the back in the cantilever form. In a free state where the elastic bending portion 16 is not elastically bent, the elastic bending portion 16 is vertically spaced from the lower surface of the front edge portion 13F. It can be elastically bent in the direction (direction intersecting with the fitting direction of both housings 10 and 20). The elastic deflecting portion 16 also serves as a lock portion for engaging with the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20. In addition, the leg part 14 is formed in the left-right both-sides edge which comprises a frame. In addition, a release operation portion 17 is formed on the rear edge portion constituting the frame so as to extend rearward in a wide plate shape.

  The second housing 20 is made of synthetic resin and has a form in which the hood portion 22 protrudes forward from the housing body 21, and a tab at the tip of a second terminal fitting (not shown) housed in the housing body 21. (Not shown) is accommodated in the hood portion 22. The upper surface plate of the hood portion 22 is formed with a lock portion 23 protruding from the upper surface (outer surface). The lock portion 23 has a generally triangular shape when viewed from the side (direction intersecting with the fitting direction of both housings 10 and 20), and the front surface of the lock portion 23 is in the fitting direction of both housings 10 and 20. The guide slope 24 is inclined with respect to the lock portion 23, and the rear surface of the lock portion 23 is a locking surface 25 substantially perpendicular to the fitting direction of the housings 10 and 20.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
When the fitting of both the housings 10 and 20 is started, the hood portion 22 of the second housing 20 is located between the terminal holding portion 11 and the cylindrical fitting portion 12 of the first housing 10 as shown in FIG. It enters into the fitting space, and the lower surface of the elastic deflection portion 16 of the lock arm 13 overlaps the outer surface of the hood portion 22 of the second housing 20, and the elastic deflection base end and the induction of the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20 Interference (contact) with the inclined surface 24 occurs. From this state, when the fitting of the two housings 10 and 20 is advanced, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic deflecting portion 16 (the front end portion of the lock arm 13) rides on the guiding inclined surface 24 and rides. Thus, the lock arm 13 is elastically displaced so as to take a forwardly raised posture with the leg 14 as a fulcrum. At this time, the elastic bending portion 16 supported by the lock portion 23 of the lock arm 13 is pressed against the upper end of the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20 by the elastic restoring force of the lock arm 13 (leg portion 14), and elastically. The bending portion 16 elastically bends relatively upward (approaching) relative to the lock arm 13 with the front end edge of the lock portion 23 of the lock arm 13 as a fulcrum.

  Thereafter, when the two housings 10 and 20 reach the proper fitting state, as shown in FIG. 3, the elastic deflecting portion 16 passes through the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20, and the lock arm 13 is in the horizontal posture (both (An attitude substantially parallel to the fitting direction of the housings 10, 20), and the extended end portion of the elastic bending portion 16 is locked to the locking surface 25 of the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20. Due to the locking action of the portion 16 and the locking surface 25, the housings 10 and 20 are locked in a state in which separation is restricted.

  When the elastic bending portion 16 passes through the lock portion 23 and the lock arm 13 is elastically restored, the lower surface of the elastic bending portion 16 (the surface facing the hood portion 22) collides with the upper surface of the hood portion 22 of the second housing 20. However, at the same timing as this, the elastic bending portion 16 that has been elastically bent due to the interference with the lock portion 23 also elastically returns downward (in the direction in contact with the outer surface of the hood portion 22). Then, a collision sound is generated by the collision between the elastic deflecting portion 16 and the hood portion 22, and it can be seen that both the housings 10 and 20 are locked in the normal fitting state.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the lock arm 13 and the lock portion 23 of the second housing 20 interfere between the second housing 20 and the lock arm 13, the lock arm is caused by the elastic restoring force of the lock arm 13. An elastic bending portion 16 is provided that is elastically bent between the first housing 13 and the second housing 20 and elastically returns when the lock arm 13 shifts from the interference state with the lock portion 23 to the locked state.

  Thereby, when both the housings 10 and 20 are properly fitted, the elastic restoring force of the elastic bending portion 16 is caused between the second housing 20 and the lock arm 13 by the impact energy caused by the elastic restoring force of the lock arm 13. Therefore, the collision noise between the second housing 20 and the lock arm 13 is amplified accordingly.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.
(1) In the above embodiment, the elastic bending portion is provided only on the lock arm. However, according to the present invention, the elastic bending portion may be provided only on the second housing, or provided on both the lock arm and the second housing. Also good.
(2) In the above embodiment, the elastic deflecting portion is formed integrally with the lock arm. However, according to the present invention, the elastic deflecting portion may be a separate component from the lock arm.

Sectional drawing showing the state which the fitting of both housings in Embodiment 1 started Sectional view showing the state during fitting of both housings Sectional view showing the state where the fitting of both housings is completed Partially cutaway perspective view of the first housing Lock arm perspective view

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 13 ... Lock arm 16 ... Elastic bending part (lock part)
20 ... 2nd housing 23 ... Lock part

Claims (2)

A first housing provided with a lock arm;
A second housing capable of fitting with the first housing;
In the fitting process of the two housings, the lock arm is elastically bent due to interference between the lock portion provided in the lock arm and the lock portion provided in the second housing,
In the connector in which the two housings are locked in the disengagement restricted state by the elastic return of the lock arm and the locking portions being in a locked state when the two housings are in the normal fitting state. ,
Between the second housing and the lock arm, when the lock portions interfere with each other, the lock arm is elastically deflected between the lock arm and the second housing by an elastic restoring force of the lock arm, and the lock A connector characterized in that an elastic bending portion is provided which elastically returns when the portions shift from an interference state to a locked state. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic bent portion is formed by forming the lock portion of the lock arm into an elastically bendable form.

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