JP2008277037A - Connector housing and connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector housing capable of easily mounting L-type contacts without any mounting trouble. <P>SOLUTION: The connector housing 20A constituting a plug connector 20 by housing a plurality of parallel-set L-type contacts 200 each with a contact conductive part 201 and a wire connecting part 204 arranged in an L-shape is provided with a housing main body 31, a cable draw-out part cover 32, a first housing room 24 inside the housing main body, a second housing room 34 inside the cable draw-out part cover. The cable draw-out part cover is structured of a cover main body 33 fixedly connected to the housing main body and equipped with a plurality of holding grooves 34 with a front face open making up the second housing room at a front face side, and a cover lid body 35 of a side-view L-shape provided so as to be enabled to open and close continuous open parts from a below-neck opening of the housing main body to an open front face of the cover main body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector housing that accommodates an L-shaped contact, and a connector configured by accommodating an L-shaped contact in the connector housing.

2. Description of the Related Art An L-type connector that pulls out an electric wire in a direction orthogonal to the connector fitting direction has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1). This L-type connector has a structure in which L-type contacts are mounted as terminal fittings inside a connector housing.
JP 2005-71892 A

  In this type of L-shaped connector, a connector housing that can smoothly accommodate contacts having a bent shape in an L-shape is desired, but there has been no suitable one in the past.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector housing in which an L-shaped contact can be easily assembled and does not require assembling, and a connector having the L-shaped contact mounted on the connector housing.

  The connector housing according to the first aspect of the present invention has an L-shape in which the contact conduction portion with the mating contact is provided at the distal end and the wire connection portion is provided at the proximal end, and the contact conduction portion and the wire connection portion are arranged in an L shape. It is a connector housing which constitutes a connector by accommodating a plurality of contacts side by side, and a housing main body whose front side is a fitting portion with a housing of a mating connector, and a rear lower side of the housing main body. And a cable lead-out cover that forms an L shape corresponding to the contact shape together with the housing body, and each of the cover formed inside the housing body and inserted from below through the lower neck opening of the housing body. A plurality of first accommodation chambers for accommodating contact conducting portions of contacts and the cable lead-out portion cover are formed and communicated with the first accommodation chambers. And a second housing chamber for housing a part of the electric wire, and the cable lead-out cover is fixedly connected to the housing body so that the cable lead-out is provided. A cover body having a rear wall portion and a plurality of open grooves on the front surface constituting the respective second housing chambers on the front surface side; An L-shaped cover lid provided to open and close a continuous open portion up to the open front surface of the main body, and the cover lid in front of the lower neck opening of the housing main body The cover lid and the cover main body are formed so as to be freely rotatable in the up-and-down direction integrally through the hinge at the edge, and the open portion of the cover main body is closed between the cover lid and the cover main body. Lock Wherein the engagement portion is provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the connector housing according to the first aspect, wherein an engagement wall of the L-shaped contact inserted into the first storage chamber is engaged with an inner wall of the first storage chamber. By combining, a locking claw for preventing the contact from coming off is provided.

  The connector of the invention of claim 3 is a connector in which the L-shaped contact attached to the tip of the electric wire is attached to the connector housing of claim 1 or 2, and below the contact conduction portion of the contact, A contact fixing beam which is bent on the side of the electric wire connecting portion of the contact is continuously provided, and the contact main body of the contact is accommodated in the first accommodating chamber, and the cover main body constituting the second accommodating chamber In the housing groove, the electric wire connecting portion of the contact and a part of the electric wire connected to the electric wire connecting portion are accommodated, and the cover lid body is closed in this state, thereby fixing the contact on the inner surface of the cover lid body The tip of the beam is locked.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, by opening the cover lid, the lower neck opening of the housing body and the front surface of the cover body can be opened. The contact can be easily set in the housing. That is, the contact conducting portion of the contact can be inserted into the first housing chamber from the lower side, and the wire connecting portion of the contact and the electric wire connected thereto can be housed in the housing groove of the cover body. In this state, the cover lid is closed and the engaging portions are engaged with each other, so that the lower neck opening of the housing body and the front surface of the cover body can be closed with the cover lid. The whole and a part of the electric wire can be securely held and fixed.

  In this way, even though it is an L-shaped contact that is difficult to install, the contact can be inserted and set from below using the lower neck opening of the housing body or the front opening of the cover body. The assembly of the contact with the electric wire connected can be easily performed. In addition, after the contact is mounted, the contact lid and the electric wire can be securely held and fixed so that they do not fall off by simply rotating the cover lid to the closed position using the hinge, preventing contact deformation due to external force. Can be planned. Further, since the cover lid is formed integrally with the housing main body and the cover main body, it is easy to manage and can be manufactured at low cost.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the contact can be engaged so as not to drop out of the connector housing when the contact is inserted into the first housing chamber, the assembly of the connector can be facilitated.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the contact fixing beam comes into contact with the inner surface of the cover lid, so that the contact is accommodated inside the connector housing without rattling.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  Here, the whole connector device using the connector housing of the embodiment will be described, and the connector housing of the embodiment will be clarified in the description.

  First, drawings used for explanation will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a state before fitting of a connector device to which the connector housing of the embodiment is applied, and FIG. 2 shows a state when the connector device is fitted, before the double lock member is pushed to the double lock position. 3 is an overall perspective view showing a state in which the double lock member is pushed to the double lock position, FIG. 4 is a front view of the state of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 showing a state before being pushed into the double lock position, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 showing the state where the double lock member is pushed into the double lock position. .

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector in which the contacts are not shown, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view seen from another angle of the receptacle connector, and FIG. 9 shows the overall configuration of the plug connector using the connector housing of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the housing of the plug connector (connector housing of the embodiment) as seen from below, and FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the cover lid of the plug connector housing is closed. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover lid is closed, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the plug connector.

  14 is a perspective view of an L-shaped contact with an electric wire accommodated in the plug connector, FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of the contact, FIG. 16 is a side view of the contact, and FIG. 17 is a view taken along arrows XVII-XVII in FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along the line XVIII-XVIII in FIG.

  FIG. 19 is a horizontal sectional view showing the configuration of the engaging portion in a state in which the receptacle connector and the plug connector are fitted, omitting unnecessary portions, and FIG. 20 is when the unlocking lever of the engaging portion is in the normal position. FIG. 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the state when the lock release lever of the same engagement portion is in the unlock position with the unnecessary portion omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, this connector device includes a receptacle connector (the other connector) 10 fixed to the substrate 100 and a plug connector (one connector) that is inserted into and removed from the receptacle connector 10. ) 20. The receptacle connector 10 is configured as a female connector, and the plug connector 20 is configured as a male connector that is fitted into the receptacle connector 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the connector is fitted in the fitting hole 18 of the housing 10 </ b> A of the receptacle connector 10 so that the front ends of a plurality of male contacts 19 can be fitted with the mating contacts. Projects parallel to the direction. Further, each contact accommodating chamber 24 provided in the housing 20A of the plug connector 20 accommodates the contact conducting portion 201 and the locking fixing portion 202 of the female contact 200 attached to the tip of each electric wire W. .

  The female contact 200 in this case is L-shaped as will be described later, and the electric wire W is drawn out in a lower direction orthogonal to the fitting direction of the connectors 10 and 20. Correspondingly, the lower wall 17 of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 is provided with a notch 17a for leading out the lower portion of the plug connector 20 (a cable holding portion cover 32 and an electric wire W described later). Yes.

  The fitting portion of both the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 and the housing 20A of the plug connector 20 has a square shape, and each is made of an integrally molded product of resin. The receptacle connector 10 includes a resin-molded housing 10A and a plurality of contacts 19 mounted therein, and the plug connector 20 includes a resin-molded housing 20A and a plurality of L mounted therein. It comprises a mold contact 200 and a resin double lock member 50 to be mounted on the housing 20A later.

<Configuration of locking mechanism for both connectors>
As shown in FIG. 19, the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 and the housing 20A of the plug connector 20 are engaged with each other in conjunction with the fitting operation when both the connectors 10 and 20 are fitted in their proper positions. Accordingly, the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 for locking both the connectors 10 and 20 in the fitted state are integrally provided.

  Further, when the second lock portion 23 on the plug connector 20 side is pushed down to the position where the engagement with the first lock portion 15 on the receptacle connector 10 side is released on the inner surface of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10. In this position, a recess 14 is provided as a release state holding means for holding the second lock portion 23.

  The first and second lock portions 15 and 23 are arranged at positions that interfere with each other when the connectors 10 and 20 are fitted and detached, and the second lock portion 23 is a lock release lever 22 described later. By being provided on the left and right arms 21, it is possible to displace from a position where it interferes with the first lock portion 15 to a position where it does not interfere according to the bending of the left and right arms 21. Then, the release state holding recess 14 for receiving the second lock portion 23 is disposed at a position where the interference does not occur.

  More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 20, and 21, the flexible lock arm 11 having the first lock portion 15 on the left and right side walls of the housing 10 </ b> A of the receptacle connector 10. Is provided integrally with the housing 10A. In this flexible lock arm 11, the second lock portion 23 interferes with the first lock portion 15 in accordance with the fitting operation of the connectors 10 and 20 (insertion operation of the plug connector 20 in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 19). When it does, it allows the second lock portion 23 to pass by bending outward (in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 19), and when both connectors 10 and 20 are fitted to their proper positions, they return from the bending. Thus, the engagement surfaces 15a and 23b of the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 are engaged with each other.

  In addition, left and right arms 21 of a lock release lever 22 having a second lock portion 23 on the outer surface are provided outside the left and right side walls of the housing 20A of the plug connector 20. This unlocking lever 22 has flexibility in a direction orthogonal to the bending direction of the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side, and is bent from the normal position shown in FIG. 20 to the unlocked position shown in FIG. As a result, the second lock portion 23 is displaced to a position that does not interfere with the first lock portion 15.

  Then, by holding the lock release lever 22 in a bent state on the inner surface of the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side, the second lock portion 23 is non-interfering with the first lock portion 15. A recess 14 for holding the released state that is held in position is provided.

  Here, the bending direction of the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side is set to the left-right direction, and the bending direction of the lock release lever 22 is set to the up-down direction. The first lock portion 15 is provided at a position below the first lock portion 15.

  Further, the flexible lock arm 11 having the first lock portion 15 and the second lock portion 23 and the left and right arms 21 of the lock release lever 22 are the left and right side portions of the housings 10A and 20A of the receptacle connector 10 and the plug connector 20, respectively. A pair is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side is inserted substantially in parallel from the front end to the rear end direction in the connector fitting direction of the left and right side walls of the housing 10 </ b> A of the receptacle connector 10. The wall is sandwiched between two slits 12. And the front side of the groove | channel 13 (it may be a recessed part of an inner surface) formed in the position where the 1st lock part 15 was spaced from the front end of the connector fitting direction of the flexible lock arm 11 comprised by the wall body The rear end surface of the wall portion in the connector fitting direction is an engagement surface 15 a of the first lock portion 15 with respect to the second lock portion 23.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 19, the lock release lever 22 on the plug connector 20 side has a U-shape in plan view, and an operation bar that connects between the left and right arms 21 and the ends of the left and right arms 21. 22b. The left and right arms 21 extend outward from the left and right side walls of the housing 20A of the plug connector 20 from the front end in the connector fitting direction substantially parallel to the left and right side walls, and bend in the vertical direction with the front end as a fulcrum 21a. It is formed as a free cantilever beam. And the 2nd lock part 23 is projected as a lock claw on the outer surface by the side of the free end 21b of the right-and-left arm 21 formed as the cantilever, and the rear end face of the lock claw in the connector fitting direction is The engagement surface 23 b of the second lock portion 23 with respect to the first lock portion 15 is formed.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the inner surface of the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side is a recess 14 for holding a released state in which a lock claw protruding as a second lock portion 23 is fitted. Is provided. In this case, locking surfaces 14 d and 23 d that engage with each other at right angles to the bending direction of the second flexible lock arm 21 are provided on the upper end surface of the recess 14 and the upper end surface of the second lock portion 23. ing.

  Further, at least one of the front end surface of the first lock portion 15 in the connector fitting direction and the front end surface of the second lock portion 23 in the connector fitting direction is accompanied by the fitting operation of the connectors 10 and 20. Thus, when the first lock portion 15 and the second lock portion 23 interfere with each other, a guide slope that guides and displaces the first flexible lock arm 11 in the bending direction is provided. In this example, as shown in FIG. 19, a guide slope 23a is provided only on the second lock portion 23 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the second lock portion 23 and a path along which the second lock portion 23 moves from the position where the second lock portion 23 interferes with the first lock portion 15 to the release state holding recess 14. At least one of the above, the flexible lock arm 11 is moved outward so that when the second flexible lock arm 21 is bent, the second lock portion 23 fits into the recess 14 for holding the released state. Guide slopes 13b and 23c to be bent are provided.

  Next, (1) the configuration of the plug connector 20 other than the above in the housing 20A, (2) the configuration of the L-shaped contact 200 accommodated in the housing 20A, and (3) the bending restriction mechanism of the lock release lever 22 The configuration of the double lock mechanism will be described. The double lock mechanism includes a double lock member 50 that restricts the lock release lever 22 from being displaced from the normal position to the unlock position.

(1) <Configuration of housing 20A of plug connector 20>
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the housing 20 </ b> A of the plug connector 20 constitutes the plug connector 20 by accommodating a plurality of L-shaped contacts 200 side by side. It consists of a part of the cable lead-out cover 32. The L-type contact 200 has a contact conducting portion 201 with the mating contact 19 at the tip and an electric wire connecting portion 204 at the proximal end, and the contact conducting portion 201 and the electric wire connecting portion 204 are arranged in an L shape. I will elaborate later.

  The housing main body 31 has a front portion as a fitting portion with the housing 10 </ b> A of the receptacle connector 10, and the cable lead-out portion cover 32 is connected to the lower side of the rear portion of the housing main body 31. At the same time, an L-shaped shape in side view corresponding to the shape of the L-shaped contact 200 is formed.

  Inside the housing body 31, there are provided a plurality of first accommodation chambers 24 for accommodating the contact conducting portions 201 of the respective contacts 200 inserted from the lower side through the lower neck opening of the housing body 31. Each first storage chamber 24 is formed in a groove shape parallel to the lower neck opening on the lower surface side, and a housing body 31 for inserting the counterpart contact 19 into each first storage chamber 24. Each of the insertion holes 25 formed in the front wall portion communicates with each other. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inner wall of each first storage chamber 24 is engaged with a locking protrusion 213a (described later) of the L-shaped contact 200 inserted from below, A locking claw 26 for locking the contact that prevents the contact 200 from coming off is provided.

  In addition, the cable lead-out portion cover 32 has a second accommodation chamber (accommodation groove 34) that accommodates a part of the electric wire connection portion 204 of each contact 200 and the electric wire W by communicating with each first accommodation chamber 24. Is provided.

  The cable lead-out cover 32 includes a cover main body 33 and a cover lid body 35 coupled to the cover main body 33. The cover main body 33 is fixedly connected to the housing main body 31 to form a wall portion on the rear surface side of the cable lead-out portion cover 32, and the front surface constituting each second storage chamber on the front side thereof. A plurality of open receiving grooves 34 are provided. Each housing groove 34 is continuous with each first housing chamber 24 formed in a groove shape inside the housing body 31.

  The cover lid 35 is an L-shaped lid member provided in a side view so as to open and close a continuous open portion from the lower neck opening of the housing body 31 to the open front surface of the cover body 31. Is connected to the front edge of the lower neck opening through a hinge 36 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 13).

  The cover main body 33 is formed between a rear wall 33a formed perpendicular to the lower surface of the housing main body 31, left and right side walls 33b connected to the left and right side edges of the rear wall 33a so as to protrude forward, and a left and right side wall 33b. A partition wall 33c that forms each of the receiving grooves 34 by partitioning the space into a plurality of spaces, and an engagement hole (engagement portion) 37 for engaging with the cover lid 35 on the outer surface of the left and right side walls 33b. Have.

  Further, the cover lid 35 is connected to the housing body 31 by a hinge 36 having a thin base edge, thereby closing the lower neck cover portion 35a of the housing body 31 and the tip of the lower surface cover plate 35a. A front cover plate 35b that closes the front open portion of the cover body 33 by being provided at right angles to the edge, and provided inside the bent portion for maintaining the angle of the lower cover plate 35a and the front cover plate 35b. The rib 35c is connected to both side edges on the front end side of the front cover plate 35b toward the cover main body 33. When the cover lid 35 is operated to the closed position, it overlaps the outer surfaces of the left and right side walls 33b of the cover main body 33. A left-right plate 35d.

  An engagement protrusion (engagement portion) 38 that engages with an engagement hole 37 provided in the left and right side walls 33b of the cover main body 33 is provided on the inner surface of the left right plate 35d. Further, when the cover lid 35 is rotated to a position where the front surface of the cover body 33 is closed, the left and right side walls 33b on the cover body 33 side and the leading edges of the partition wall 33c are fitted on the inner surface of the front cover plate 35b. A plurality of narrow grooves 42 are provided, and positioning protrusions 39 and 40 for positioning the wire connection portion 204 of the L-shaped terminal 200 are provided. Further, on the inner surface of the lower surface cover plate 35a, when the cover lid 35 is rotated to a position where the front surface of the cover main body 33 is closed, the position of the contact conduction portion 201 of the L-type terminal 200 previously accommodated before that is positioned. A locking portion 44 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) for determining is provided.

(2) <Configuration of L-type contact 200 on the plug connector 20 side>
As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the contact 200 on the plug connector 20 side is made of a processed product obtained by press-molding one metal plate, and is brought into contact with the mating contact 19 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) at the tip. A contact conducting part 201 for connecting the electric wire W to the base end, and the contact conducting part 201 and the wire connecting part 204 are arranged in an L shape at an angle of approximately 90 °. is there. Specifically, a locking fixing portion 202 is supplementarily provided on the rear side of the contact conduction portion 201, and an electric wire connection portion 204 is provided below the locking fixing portion 202 via a holding portion 203. ing. Here, the locking and fixing portion 202 is handled as a part of the contact conducting portion 201, and the holding portion 203 is handled as a part of the electric wire connecting portion 204.

  The substrate 204a of the electric wire connecting portion 204 to the substrate 210 of the contact conducting portion 201 are constituted by continuous strips bent at right angles to the plate thickness direction, and are directed upward on both side edges of the substrate 210 of the contact conducting portion 201. The pair of front side plates 211 is erected by being bent, and the pair of front side plates 211 constitutes a main part of the contact conducting portion 201 that receives the mating contact 19. A pair of rear side plates 213 of the locking and fixing portion 202 is formed on the rear side of the front side plate 211 of the contact conducting portion 201 with the slit 212 interposed therebetween. The rear side plate 213 of the locking and fixing portion 202 also stands up from both side edges of the same substrate 210, and the first receiving chamber of the housing main body 31 is located at the rear edge of the rear side plate 213 of the locking and fixing portion 202. When the contact 200 is inserted into 24, a locking protrusion 213 a that engages with a locking claw 26 for locking a contact provided on the inner wall of the first storage chamber 24 is provided.

  Further, below the contact conduction portion 201, a leaf spring-like contact fixing beam 214 extending from the tip of the substrate 210 and bent toward the wire connection portion 204 is provided. The contact fixing beam 214 is formed when the cover lid 35 is rotated to the closed position after the contact conducting portion 201 and the locking fixing portion 202 of the contact 200 are inserted into the first storage chamber 24 of the housing body 31. The portion 214a is in contact with the inner surface (upper surface) of the cover lid 35, and in this state, the tip 214a of the contact fixing beam 214 is engaged with the engaging portion 44 on the inner surface of the cover lid 35. The contact 200 is held without rattling.

  Further, inside the bent portion (the portion where the strips constituting the substrates 204a and 210 are bent at a right angle) from the wire connecting portion 204 to the contact conducting portion 201, the wire connecting portion 204 and the contact conducting portion 201 are provided. A holding arm 215 that functions as a rib for holding the arrangement angle is provided. These holding arms 215 extend from both side edges of the substrate 204a of the wire contact portion 204 toward the contact conducting portion 201, and the tip of each holding arm 215 extends from the contact conducting portion 201 to the locking fixing portion 202. The side plate 213 is engaged with a notch 216 of the side plate 213 bent at both side edges of the substrate 210.

  That is, a holding portion 217 and abutment portion 218 are formed at the tip of each holding arm 215, and the holding portion 217 is formed on both sides of the substrate 210 exposed from the notch portion 216 of the locking and fixing portion 202 as shown in FIG. It is engaged with the upper surface of the edge (the outer surface of the bent portions of the substrates 210 and 204a). Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the abutting portion 218 of each holding arm is abutted against the abutting wall 216a on the upper side of the notch 216 (the inner surface in the bent portion of the substrates 210 and 204a). As a result, the holding arm 215 functions as a rib that holds the angle between the wire connecting portion 204 and the contact conducting portion 201.

(3) <Configuration of double lock mechanism>
As shown in FIG. 9, a rising wall portion 22a is provided above the free ends 21b of the left and right arms 21 of the unlocking lever 22, and the upper ends of the rising wall portions 22a are connected by an operation bar 22b, so that a plan view is obtained. An unlocking lever 22 having a U-shape and an L-shaped side view is configured.

  In this case, the operation bar 22b of the lock release lever 22 is located above the upper surface of the housing 20A, and the intermediate protruding wall 53 of the double lock member 50 is provided between the operation bar 22b and the upper surface of the housing 20A. A gap for insertion is secured.

  The double lock member 50 includes a back plate 51 perpendicular to the fitting direction of the connectors 10 and 20 and three parallel to the fitting direction of the connectors 10 and 20, which protrude from the upper, middle, and lower stages of the front side. And projecting walls 52, 53, 54. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the interval between the upper protruding wall 52 and the intermediate protruding wall 53 is set to be an interval between which the operation bar 22 b of the lock release lever 22 is sandwiched. Further, the thickness of the middle protruding wall 53 is such that the housing main body 31 of the plug connector 20 is fitted to the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10, and the upper surface of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 is unlocked from the normal position. The thickness is set so as to be inserted into the gap between the lever 22 and the operation bar 22b. Further, the interval between the middle projecting wall 53 and the lower projecting wall 54 is such that the connectors 10 and 20 are fitted together, and the upper surface of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 is sandwiched from the lower surface of the rear end portion 31h of the housing body 31. The interval is set.

  In addition, the double lock member 50 is selectively mounted between the temporary locking position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 and the final locking position shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 in a state where the double lock member 50 is mounted on the housing 20A of the plug connector 20. The position can be switched. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, in order to temporarily fix at the temporary locking position, the locking protrusions for temporary fixing are formed on the lower surface of the upper protruding wall 52 and the upper surface of the middle protruding wall 53 of the double lock member 50. 55a, 55b, and 55c are provided. Further, in order to perform the main fixing at the main locking position, locking protrusions 55b and 55d for main fixing are provided on the lower surface of the upper protruding wall 52 and the upper surface of the lower protruding wall 54 of the double lock member 50. . Here, the latching protrusion 55b is used for both temporary fixing and main fixing. The locking projections 55 a, 55 b, 55 c of the upper and middle protruding walls 52, 53 engage with the operation bar 22 b of the lock release lever 22, and the locking projection 55 d of the lower door wall 54 corresponds to the plug connector 20. The housing main body 31 is engaged with the lower end of the rear end portion 31h.

  When the double lock member 55 is in the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 5, the upper projecting wall 52 and the middle projecting wall 53 as the first engaging means are engaged with the operation bar 22 b of the lock release lever 22. Thus, in a state where the two connectors 10 and 20 are fitted, the lock release lever 22 can be displaced from the normal position to the unlock position (downward), and the double lock member 50 is shown in FIG. When the main locking position is shown, the upper projecting wall 52 and the middle projecting wall 53, which are the first engaging means, are engaged with the operation bar 22b of the lock release lever 22, and the second engaging means. When the middle protruding wall 53 and the lower protruding wall 54 are engaged with the main body portions of the housings 10A and 20A of the connectors 10 and 20, the double lock member 50 is engaged with the two connectors 10 and 20. , Tsu is adapted to prevent the displacement of the unlocked position of Unlock lever 22.

  In the double lock member 50, as a means for preventing lateral displacement when the plug connector 20 is mounted on the housing 20A, the right and left ends of the rear end portion 31h of the housing main body 31 are provided on the left and right ends of the upper surface of the lower protruding wall 54. A convex portion 56 that engages with the end is provided, and a notch 57 into which the rising portion 22a of the lock release lever 22 fits is provided on the back wall 51 between the upper and middle protruding walls 52 and 53. Further, at the lower end of the back wall 51, a die-cutting hole 55e for forming the locking projection 55d is provided.

<Action>
Next, the operation will be described.

  First, in the process of assembling the plug connector 20, as shown in FIG. 9, by opening the cover lid 35, the lower neck opening of the housing body 31 and the front surface of the cover body 33 are opened. By using the open part, the contact 200 attached to the tip of the electric wire W is inserted into the housing 20A from below. That is, the contact conducting portion 201 and the locking fixing portion 202 of the contact 200 are inserted into the first storage chamber 24 from the lower side, and the holding portion 203 and the electric wire connecting portion 204 of the contact 200 and a part of the electric wire W connected thereto are inserted. Then, it is housed in the housing groove 34 of the cover body 33. When the contact 200 is inserted in this way, when the contact conducting portion 201 and the locking fixing portion 202 of the contact 200 are inserted into the first storage chamber 24, the locking protrusion at the rear end of the locking fixing portion 202 is inserted. Since 213a is locked to the locking claw 26 on the inner side wall of the first storage chamber 24, the contact 200 can be held so as not to drop out of the connector housing 20A, and the assembly of the contact 200 is facilitated.

  In this state, the cover lid 35 is closed by rotating as shown by an arrow A in FIG. 13, and the engagement protrusion 38 of the cover lid 35 is engaged with the engagement hole 37 of the cover body 33. . As a result, the lower neck opening of the housing body 31 and the front surface of the cover body 33 can be completely covered with the cover lid 35, and in this state, the entire contact 200 and a part of the electric wire W are securely held and fixed. be able to.

  In this way, even though it is an L-shaped contact 200 that is difficult to install, the contact 200 is inserted and set from below using the lower neck opening of the housing body 31 or the front opening part of the cover body 33. Therefore, it is possible to easily assemble the contact 200 in a state where the electric wire W is connected. In addition, after the contact 200 is mounted, the contact 200 and the electric wire W can be securely held and fixed so as not to drop off by simply rotating the cover lid 35 to the closed position using the hinge 36. The contact 200 can be prevented from being deformed. Further, since the cover lid 35 is formed integrally with the housing main body 31 and the cover main body 33, it is easy to manage and can be manufactured at low cost.

  Further, by closing the cover lid 35 as described above, the tip 214a of the contact fixing beam 214 is engaged with the engaging portion 44 on the inner surface of the cover lid 35 as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the contact 200 can be accommodated in the connector housing 20A without backlash.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, the L-shaped contact 200 used here is provided with a holding arm 215 that performs a rib function inside the bent portion from the electric wire connecting portion 204 to the contact conducting portion 201. Therefore, even when an excessive external force is applied to the electric wire connecting portion 204 from the electric wire W, deformation of the contact 200 can be prevented. For example, at the stage of assembling the contact 200 to the connector housing 20A after crimping the electric wire W, there is a possibility that force may be applied from various directions. However, since the deformation of the contact 200 can be prevented in the assembling process, proper assembly is easily performed. be able to.

  Moreover, since the electric wire connection part 204 and the contact conduction part 201 are fixed at a right angle, the accuracy of the angle is increased and the assembly becomes easy. Further, since the holding arm 215 serves as a rib, the strength of the contact 200 can be increased with a simple structure.

  Specifically, the holding portion 217 at the tip of the holding arm 215 is engaged with the upper surfaces (outer surfaces of the bent portions) of both side edges of the substrate 210 exposed from the notch portion 216 of the contact conducting portion 201. The bending strength in the direction in which the angle of the bent portion widens can be increased. Further, since the abutting portion 218 at the tip of the holding arm 215 is abutted against the abutting surface 216a (the inner surface of the bent portion) facing the lower side of the notch 216 of the contact conducting portion 201, the angle of the bent portion The bending strength in the direction of narrowing can be increased. And as a result of both, the intensity | strength holding the squareness of the contact conduction part 201 and the electric wire connection part 204 increases, and it becomes strong to a deformation | transformation.

  In addition, although the angle of the contact conduction part 201 and the electric wire connection part 204 does not need to be tied to a right angle separately, the compactness of a contact shape and the ease of design can be achieved by making it a substantially right angle.

  When the plug connector 20 configured as described above is fitted to the receptacle connector 10 to the normal position as shown in FIG. 2, the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 are automatically engaged with each other. By doing so, both the connectors 10 and 20 are locked to a fitting state.

  That is, when the plug connector 10 is fitted to the receptacle connector 20 in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 19, the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 interfere with each other along with the fitting operation, and the flexible The lock arm 11 bends in the direction of arrow E. When the plug connector 20 and the receptacle connector 20 are fitted to the proper positions, the flexible lock arm 11 returns from the flexure, and the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 engaged with each other are engaged. The surfaces 15a and 23b are engaged with each other, and the connectors 10 and 20 are locked in a fitted state. In this state, the contacts 19 and 200 of both connectors 10 and 20 are coupled to each other, and electrical connection is achieved. At this time, the vertical cross section of the engaging portion is as shown in FIG.

  Normally, at this stage, as shown in FIG. 2, the double lock member 50 temporarily locked to the rear portion of the housing 20A of the plug connector 20 is pushed into the final locking position as shown in FIG. The lock release lever 22 is regulated so as not to move (double lock). This is to prevent the lock release lever 22 from inadvertently moving to the release side for some reason. Therefore, an operation for releasing the lock will be described first, and then a double lock function for preventing the lock from being released will be described.

  When releasing the lock and releasing the connectors 10 and 20, first, the operation bar 22b of the lock release lever 22 is pushed down in the direction of arrow B in FIG. The portion 23 is displaced to a position where it does not interfere with the first lock portion 15. Then, the lock release lever 22 is displaced from the normal position to the unlock position, so that the engagement between the lock portions 15 and 23 is released. As shown in FIG. When the lock portion 23 is fitted, the second lock portion 23 is held at that position. Accordingly, the plug connector 20 can be pulled out from the receptacle connector 10 in the state as it is.

  Thus, since the unlocking operation of the connectors 10 and 20 and the pulling-out operation of the connectors 10 and 20 can be performed separately, even if both of these operations cannot be performed at the same time, the connectors 10 and 20 can be securely connected. It can be detached and the operability can be improved. In addition, in this case, since it is not necessary to prepare another jig or add another part, the operability can be improved at a small size and at a low cost without increasing the number of parts.

  Further, in the case of this connector, the first and second lock portions 15 and 23 are locked and unlocked using the flexure of the flexible lock arm 11 and the left and right arms 21 of the lock release lever 22, so that the configuration is simple. Thus, the molding cost of the housings 10A and 20A is not incurred. Further, since the bending directions of the flexible lock arm 11 on the receptacle connector 10 side and the unlocking lever 22 on the plug connector 20 side are set to be orthogonal to each other, each does not disturb the bending on the other side. .

  Further, by pushing down the lock release lever 22, the second lock portion 23 is engaged with the recess 14 for holding the release state, so that the lock release operation can be easily performed, and the connectors 10 and 20 are detached as they are. Can be made.

  In addition, since the flexible lock arm 11 and the left and right arms 21 of the lock release lever 22 are provided on the left and right sides of the housings 10A and 20A, it is possible to lock firmly in a balanced manner, and the lock release operation can be performed by simply pressing the operation bar 22b. It can be easily performed in a balanced manner.

  In addition, the flexible lock arm 11 is configured by simply inserting two slits 12 in the left and right side walls of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10, and the first lock portion 15 is formed on the inner surface of the flexible lock arm 11. Since it is not provided as a protruding protrusion but is formed by the wall of the flexible lock arm 11 itself, the necessary functional elements can be made compact only in the range of the thickness of the side wall of the housing 10A without increasing the extra thickness. Can be provided.

  In addition, the left and right arms 21 of the unlocking lever 22 are configured as cantilever beams having the front end as a fulcrum 21a, and the second lock portion 23 protrudes as a locking claw on the outer surface of the left and right arms 21 on the free end 21b side. Therefore, the operability can be improved. Further, the first and second lock portions 15, 23 can be smoothly engaged by the action of the guide slope 23a, and the second lock portion 23 can be smoothly released by the action of the guide slopes 13b, 23c. It can be engaged with the recess 14 for maintaining the state.

  Next, the setting and operation of the double lock will be described.

  Before performing the unlocking operation as described above, the unlocking lever 22 is in the normal position. At this stage, the double lock member 50 is held at the temporary locking position shown in FIG. 5 by the engagement of the locking protrusions 55a, 55b, 55c and the operation bar 22b. Can be operated. Therefore, in order to restrict the free operation of the lock release lever 22, the double lock member 50 is pushed forward (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 13).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the middle protruding wall 53 of the double lock member 50 is inserted into the gap between the upper surface of the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 and the operation bar 22b of the lock release lever 22. Displacement of the lock release lever 22 to the lower side (unlock position) is prevented. Therefore, the connectors 10 and 20 can be reliably held in a state where the lock cannot be released. That is, the locked state can be easily released for some reason and the connectors 10 and 20 can be reliably prevented from coming off, and the reliability of the fitting of the connectors 10 and 20 is improved.

  Incidentally, if the double lock member 50 is not pushed down to the double lock position, the lock release state is maintained when the lock release lever 22 is mistakenly operated to the unlock position. Therefore, even if the operator does not intend, the fitted connectors 10 and 20 can be pulled out, and in some cases, the connectors 10 and 20 may be pulled out.

  In that respect, in the case of this connector device, such a possibility can be eliminated. Further, it is possible to confirm that the connectors 10 and 20 are normally locked by mounting the double lock member 50 at an appropriate position (double lock position).

  Further, in the case of this connector device, when the lock release lever 22 is erroneously operated to the unlock position for some reason and is held at the unlock position by the release state holding means (recess 14), the middle protruding wall 53 is provided. Since the double lock member 50 cannot be mounted to the double lock position (predetermined position) by interfering with the housings 10A and 20A, it is possible to inform in advance that the lock release lever 22 is not in the normal position. Incomplete fitting of the connectors 10 and 20 can be avoided in advance.

  Further, in the case of this connector device, since the double lock member 50 can be preset in the housing 20A of the plug connector 20, the engagement between the connectors 10 and 20 through the engagement between the lock portions 15 and 23, The operation up to the completion of the double lock operation by the double lock member 50 can be performed by a series of operations, and the operability can be improved. Further, since the double lock member 50 can be preset, there is no need to manage the double lock member 50 as a single unit, and there is an advantage that there is no troublesome part management.

  Further, in the case of this connector device, when the double lock member 50 is positioned at the main locking position, the upper and middle protruding walls 52 and 53 (first engaging means) of the double lock member 50 become the lock release lever 22. At the same time, the middle and lower protruding walls 53 and 54 (second engaging means) engage with the housing 10A of the receptacle connector 10 and the housing body 31 of the plug connector 20, so that the unlocking position of the unlock lever 22 is unlocked. Can be reliably prevented, and the reliability of the lock can be improved.

It is a whole perspective view which shows the state before fitting of the connector apparatus to which the connector housing of embodiment of this invention is applied. It is a whole perspective view which shows the state at the time of fitting of the connector apparatus, and shows the state before pushing in a double lock member to a double lock position. It is a whole perspective view which shows the state which pushed in the double lock member to the double lock position. It is a front view of the state of FIG. 2 or FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 showing a state before the double lock member is pushed into a double lock position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4 illustrating a state where the double lock member is pushed into a double lock position. It is a perspective view of the receptacle connector which abbreviate | omitted contact. It is explanatory drawing seen from another angle of the receptacle connector. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the whole structure of a plug connector. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the housing of a plug connector from the bottom. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which closed the cover cover body of the housing of the same plug connector. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which closed the cover cover body. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly completion state of a plug connector. It is a perspective view of the L-shaped contact with an electric wire accommodated in a plug connector. It is an expansion perspective view of the contact. It is a side view of the contact. It is XVII-XVII arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is XVIII-XVIII arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is a horizontal sectional view which omits an unnecessary part and shows composition of an engagement part in the state where a receptacle connector and a plug connector were fitted. It is a vertical sectional view showing the state when the lock release lever of the engaging portion is in the normal position, omitting unnecessary portions. It is a vertical sectional view showing the state where the lock release lever of the same engagement portion is in the unlock position, omitting unnecessary portions.

Explanation of symbols

W Electric wire 10 Receptacle connector (mating connector)
10A housing 19 mating contact 20 plug connector 20A connector housing 24 first housing chamber 26 locking claw 31 housing body 32 cable lead-out cover 33 cover body 34 housing groove (second housing chamber)
35 Cover lid 36 Hinge 37 Engagement hole (engagement part)
38 Engagement protrusion (engagement part)
200 L-shaped contact 201 Contact conducting portion 204 Electric wire connecting portion 213a Locking protrusion 214 Contact fixing beam 214a Tip

Claims (3)

A connector having a plurality of L-type contacts each having a contact conduction portion with a mating contact at the distal end and an electric wire connection portion at the proximal end, the contact conduction portion and the electric wire connection portion being arranged in an L shape. A connector housing comprising:
A housing body whose front side is a mating portion with the mating connector housing;
A cable lead-out cover that forms an L shape corresponding to the contact shape together with the housing main body by being provided continuously below the rear portion of the housing main body,
A plurality of first storage chambers that are formed inside the housing main body and store the contact conduction portions of the respective contacts inserted from the lower side through the lower neck opening of the housing main body;
A second housing chamber that is formed inside the cable lead-out cover and houses the wire connecting portion of each contact and a part of the wire by communicating with the first housing chamber;
Comprising
The cable lead-out cover is
By being fixedly connected to the housing body, a wall portion on the rear surface side of the cable lead-out cover is formed, and a plurality of open grooves on the front surface forming the second storage chambers are formed on the front surface side. A cover body having,
A side-view L-shaped cover lid provided so as to open and close a continuous open part from the lower neck opening of the housing body to the opened front surface of the cover body,
The cover lid is formed to be vertically rotatable integrally with a front edge portion of a lower neck opening of the housing body via a hinge,
A connector housing characterized in that an engagement portion is provided between the cover lid and the cover body to lock the cover lid and the cover body in a state where the open portion of the cover body is closed with the cover lid. . The connector housing according to claim 1,
A locking claw that prevents a contact from coming off by engaging with a locking protrusion of the L-shaped contact inserted into the first storage chamber is provided on the inner wall of the first storage chamber. A featured connector housing. A connector having the L-shaped contact attached to the tip of an electric wire attached to the connector housing according to claim 1 or 2,
Under the contact conduction portion of the contact, a contact fixing beam that is bent to the wire connection portion side of the contact is connected, and then,
The contact conducting portion of the contact is accommodated in the first accommodating chamber, and the electric wire connecting portion of the contact and a part of the electric wire connected to the electric wire connecting portion in the accommodating groove of the cover body constituting the second accommodating chamber. Contain
By closing the cover lid in this state, the tip of the contact fixing beam is locked on the inner surface of the cover lid.

Images