JP2016219400A - Connection structure of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connection structure of a connector capable of maintaining good connection state of connectors while down-sizing the connection structure.SOLUTION: When fixing a lever 51 to a first connector 11, a space is formed between a front beak 57 and the main locking part 98a of a second connector 71, by elastic recovery of the front beak 57 toward the first connector 11. When fixing the second connector 71, fitted to the first connector 11, to a body panel P, the main locking part 98a deforms elastically toward the space, and the body panel P gets over the main locking part 98a. Thereafter, the main locking part 98a recovers elastically, and locks the second connector 71 to the body panel P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector connection structure.

  As a connector structure that can be attached to a vehicle body panel in a state of being inserted into an attachment hole (through hole) provided in a vehicle body panel such as a vehicle pillar, one connector with a lever is fitted to this one connector. There is known a connector structure that is fixed to the vehicle body panel by locking the locking portion of the other connector to the vehicle body panel (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). ).

JP 2006-278109 A JP 2002-359036 A

  In a connector having such a lever, in addition to the locking portion for locking to the vehicle body panel, a locking portion for locking the lever and maintaining the connection state between one connector and the other connector is provided. If provided, it is possible to maintain the state in which the connectors are fitted to each other. However, in such a connector structure, the connector structure becomes complicated due to the provision of a plurality of locking portions, and as a result, there is a possibility that the size of the connector is increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector connection structure capable of maintaining a good connection state between connectors while miniaturizing the connector structure. It is in.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the connector connection structure according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (7).
(1)
A connector connection structure attached to the panel in a state of being inserted into an attachment hole provided in a plate-shaped panel,
A first connector, a second connector, and a lever mounted so as to cover the first connector, and the first connector is moved by a movement operation from a fitting start position to a fitting completion position of the lever. And a lever for bringing the second connector into close contact with each other, and
The lever is
A first locking portion that is locked to the locked portion of the first connector at the fitting completion position, and is in contact with an outer wall surface of the first connector during the movement operation; Elastically deforms in a first direction away from the first connector, and in a second direction approaching the first connector by entering the locked portion of the first connector at the fitting completion position Having a first locking portion to recover,
The second connector is
A second locking portion locked to the panel, wherein the lever is disposed at a position in the first direction with respect to the first locking portion when the lever is in the fitting completion position. Having a second locking portion;
The first connector is:
When the lever is in the fitting completion position, the first locking portion is elastically restored in the second direction, so that the first locking portion and the second locking portion are positioned between the first locking portion and the second locking portion. Forming a space,
The second locking portion is
The first connector and the second connector after fitting are elastically deformed in the second direction so as to contact the inner edge portion of the mounting hole and enter the space while being inserted into the mounting hole. And by being elastically recovered in the first direction when insertion into the mounting hole is completed, it is locked to the panel.
The connector connection structure.
(2)
The connector connection structure according to (1) above,
The lever has a cam groove, and the second connector has a cam boss corresponding to the cam groove;
As the cam boss moves along the cam groove along with the movement operation of the lever, the first connector and the second connector are attracted and fitted together,
The second connector comprises:
A third engaging portion that is engaged with the panel, and is disposed at a position in the first direction with respect to the cam groove when the lever is in the fitting completion position. Further having a stop,
The third locking portion is
In the middle of inserting the first connector and the second connector after fitting into the mounting hole, the second connector is in contact with the inner edge portion of the mounting hole and enters the space defined by the cam groove. And elastically recovering in the first direction when insertion into the mounting hole is completed, thereby being locked to the panel.
The connector connection structure.
(3)
In the connector connection structure described in (2) above,
The cam groove
A starting point portion that receives the cam boss prior to the moving operation, an end point portion that the cam boss reaches after the moving operation, and a cam boss locking portion that locks the cam boss at the starting point portion,
The cam boss engaging portion is
When the cam boss enters the cam groove from the starting point, the second connector is temporarily locked to the first connector by locking the cam boss so that the cam boss does not come out of the cam groove. To
The connector connection structure.
(4)
In the connector connection structure described in (3) above,
The second connector comprises:
A frame having the cam boss attached thereto;
The shape of the frame is
From the shape of the thin cylindrical tube, it is a shape obtained by removing at least one notch that opens the front side in the fitting direction to the first connector,
The connector connection structure.
(5)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (2) to (4) above,
The cam boss
Extending from the second connector, and having a protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the extension,
The cam groove
Having a cam boss support groove corresponding to the protrusion of the cam boss,
The connector connection structure.
(6)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (1) to (5) above,
The first connector is
A guide protrusion protruding in the first direction, protruding in the same plane or in the first direction with respect to the outer wall surface of the second connector after fitting, and gradually in the insertion direction into the panel. A guide protrusion having an inclined guide surface so that the protrusion amount is small,
The guide protrusion is
When inserting the first connector and the second connector after fitting into the mounting hole, the inner edge portion of the mounting hole is guided to the outer wall surface of the second connector along the guide surface;
The connector connection structure.
(7)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (1) to (6) above,
The first connector is
A cover that covers a side surface opposite to the side surface on the fitting side with the second connector;
The cover is
A posture stabilizing rib that abuts against an inner edge portion of the mounting hole and stabilizes the posture of the first connector with respect to the panel when the first connector and the second connector are inserted into the mounting hole. On the outer peripheral surface,
The connector connection structure.

  According to the connector connection structure in (1) above, the second locking portion of the second connector is displaced to the position (second direction, inward) when the second locking portion is locked to the panel. There is a space (a space between the first locking portion and the second locking portion) formed by the elastic recovery of the first locking portion. Therefore, when the second connector is locked to the panel, the second locking portion can be more easily elastically deformed in the second direction (inward) than when there is no such space. . Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated space for elastically deforming the second locking portion. In addition, after considering the deformation mode of the plurality of locking portions (first locking portion, second locking portion), the plurality of locking portions can be provided close to each other. Thereby, the connector connection structure of this configuration can maintain a good connection state between the connectors while miniaturizing the connector structure.

  According to the connector connection structure of (2) above, the cam groove is formed on the side (second direction, inward) that is displaced when the third locking portion of the second connector is locked to the panel. A space (also a space where the cam boss is guided) is defined. Therefore, when the second connector is locked to the panel, the second locking portion can be more easily elastically deformed in the second direction (inward) than when there is no such space. . Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated space for elastically deforming the second locking portion. In addition, the third locking portion and the cam groove are provided close to each other in consideration of the deformation mode of the third locking portion. Thereby, the connector connection structure of this structure can reduce the connector connection structure in size.

  According to the connector connection structure of (3) above, the cam boss is engaged with the cam boss before the first connector and the second connector are engaged by the lever moving operation (for example, when the lever is in the engagement start position). The second connector is temporarily locked to the first connector by being locked to the locking portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the second connector from dropping from the first connector during the fitting operation between the first connector and the second connector due to the lever moving operation. Thereby, the fitting operation | work with a 1st connector and a 2nd connector can be performed smoothly and reliably.

  According to the connector connection structure of (4) above, since the shape of the frame has a notch, the cam boss extends when the cam boss is locked to the cam boss locking portion at the start point of the cam groove. The outgoing frame is easily elastically deformed. As a result, the force required to temporarily lock the second connector to the first connector is reduced, and the temporary locking operation can be easily performed.

  According to the connector connection structure of (5) above, the cam boss protrusion is engaged with the cam boss support groove provided in the cam groove, whereby the cam boss extends a frame, the cam groove lever, Stopped. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the frame in the direction away from the lever (lifting from the lever). Thereby, when inserting the 1st connector and 2nd connector after a fitting in the attachment hole of a panel, it can prevent that a flame | frame interferes with a panel and can perform the fixing operation | work to a panel smoothly.

  According to the connector connection structure of (6) above, when the first connector after fitting and the second connector fitted are inserted into the mounting hole of the panel, the inner edge of the mounting hole is formed by the guide surface of the guide protrusion. The portion is guided along the guide surface to the outer wall surface of the second connector. Thereby, a panel can be prevented from being caught in the gap between the first connector and the second connector, and the fixing work to the panel can be performed smoothly.

  According to the connector connection structure of (7) above, the posture stabilizing rib abuts against the inner edge portion of the mounting hole of the panel, so that the connector structure for the panel (the first connector after fitting and the second connector fitted) The connector posture is stable. Therefore, workability for attaching the connector structure (the first connector after fitting and the second connector fitted) to the panel can be improved. Further, by providing the posture stabilization rib on the cover, the posture stabilization rib itself becomes a reinforcing material for the cover, and deformation of the cover can be suppressed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the connection structure of the connector which can maintain the favorable connection state of connectors can be provided, aiming at size reduction of a connector structure.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first connector and a second connector for explaining a connector connection structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the first connector and the second connector that are fitted (joined) and fixed to the vehicle body panel. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector. FIG. 5 is a side view of the first connector. 6A and 6B are views showing the structure of the first connector. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector. FIG. 9 is a side view of the second connector. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the temporary locking step, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are side views, respectively. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the fitting process and the main locking process, and FIGS. 11A to 11C are side views, respectively. FIG. 12 is a side view in the middle of fitting into the mounting hole of the vehicle body panel in the final locking step. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a connector connection structure according to a modification, and is a side view of a male connector and a female connector that are fitted and fixed to a vehicle body panel. FIG. 14 is a partial side view showing a lever and a vehicle body panel that are not sufficiently pushed in. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view in the horizontal direction of the main locking portion and its surroundings in a state where the first connector and the second connector are incompletely fitted. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cam groove and the cam boss when the first connector and the second connector are fitted, and FIG. 16 (a) and FIG. It is a side view of a part of 1 connector and the 2nd connector. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cam groove and the cam boss when the first connector and the second connector are fitted, and FIG. 17A is a view of VV in FIG. FIG. 17B is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 18 is a view showing a modified example of the frame constituting the second connector, and FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are perspective views of the frame, respectively. FIG. 19 is a side view of the first connector and the second connector showing the connector connection structure according to the second embodiment. 20 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 22 is a view for explaining a fitting process between the first connector and the second connector, and FIGS. 22A and 22B are side views, respectively. 23A and 23B are diagrams for explaining a fitting process between the first connector and the second connector. FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 22A, and FIG. It is XX sectional drawing in FIG.22 (b). FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a connector connection structure according to the third embodiment, and FIGS. 24A and 24B are side views of the lower ends of the first connector and the second connector, respectively. It is. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a connector connection structure according to the third embodiment, and FIGS. 25A and 25B are bottom views of the first connector and the second connector, respectively. FIG. 26 is a view showing a state in which the vehicle body panel is fitted into the mounting hole in the final locking step, and FIGS. 26A to 26C are side views of the lower end portion. FIG. 27 is a bottom view showing a state in the middle of fitting into the mounting hole of the vehicle body panel in the final locking step. FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector for explaining the connector connection structure according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 29 is a side view of the first connector at the time of insertion into the mounting hole of the vehicle body panel in the temporary locking step. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. FIG. 31 is a side view of the first connector at the time of drawing to the vehicle body panel in the temporary locking step.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
First, the connector connection structure according to the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first connector and a second connector for explaining a connector connection structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the first connector and the second connector that are fitted and fixed to the vehicle body panel. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the connector structure according to the present embodiment is a connector structure including a first connector 11 and a second connector 71. The first connector 11 and the second connector are fitted and fixed to a mounting hole H formed in a vehicle body panel P such as a vehicle pillar of an automobile or the like while being fitted to each other.

  The first connector 11 includes a resin male housing 12 and a resin lever 51. The second connector 71 includes a female housing 72 made of resin. Thus, the 1st connector 11 is a lever type connector which has the lever 51, and is operated by operation of the lever 51 (movement operation from a fitting start position to a fitting completion position. Details will be described later). The second connector 71 can be easily fitted to one connector 11. In other words, the first connector 11 is a LIF connector that allows the second connector 71 to be fitted to the first connector 11 with a low insertion force by operating the lever 51.

  The male housing 12 of the first connector 11 is formed with a fitting recess 13 having an opening on the front side, which is the front side in the fitting direction with the second connector 71, and the female housing 72 of the second connector 71. The front end side that is the front side in the fitting direction with the first connector 11 is a fitting portion 73. Then, the second connector 71 is fitted (connected) to the first connector 11 by fitting the fitting portion 73 of the female housing 72 into the fitting recess 13 of the male housing 12.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector. FIG. 5 is a side view of the first connector. 6A and 6B are views showing the structure of the first connector. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the male housing 12 of the first connector 11 has a hood portion 10, and the inside of the hood portion 10 is a fitting recess 13. The lever 51 is attached to the hood portion 10 from above.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6A, the male housing 12 of the first connector 11 has a housing body 15 in which a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14 are formed. The terminal accommodating chamber 14 is formed along the fitting direction with the second connector 71. Each terminal accommodating chamber 14 has a lance portion 16 protruding from one side surface. Further, each terminal accommodating chamber 14 has an insertion hole 17 on the distal end side of the housing body 15.

  A male terminal 21 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 14 from the rear end side that is the rear side in the fitting direction. The male terminal 21 is formed of a conductive metal material such as copper or a copper alloy, for example, and has an electrical connection portion 22 and a crimping portion 23. The electrical connection portion 22 has a tab portion 22a that protrudes forward. An insulated wire 24 having a conductor covered with a jacket is crimped to the crimping portion 23 and is conductively connected. The male terminal 21 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 14 from the rear end side of the housing body 15, whereby the electrical connection portion 22 is locked to the lance portion 16. Thereby, the male terminal 21 is held in a state of being accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 14. Then, by accommodating the male terminal 21 in the terminal accommodating chamber 14, the tab portion 22 a of the electrical connection portion 22 protrudes into the fitting recess 13 from the insertion hole 17.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the male housing 12 is formed with an overhang portion 31 on the lower half side on the rear end side. The projecting portion 31 is formed with a flange portion 32 that protrudes downward. Further, the overhanging portion 31 is formed with a temporary locking claw 33 projecting downward on the front side of the flange portion 32 at the lower portion thereof. The overhang portion 31 is formed in a plate shape in which both side surfaces of the hood portion 10 extend forward. As a result, the male housing 12 has a gap between the overhanging portion 31 and the hood portion 10 on both sides of the hood portion 10. This gap forms an accommodation portion 34.

  In the male housing 12, fixing grooves 35 (locked portions) extending in the front-rear direction are formed on both side surfaces of the middle portion of the hood portion 10 in the vertical direction. As will be described later, the fixing groove 35 is a portion where the front beak 57 (first locking portion) provided in the lever 51 is locked when the lever 51 moves to the fitting completion position. Further, the male housing 12 has locking slits 36 formed on both side surfaces on the upper side of the hood portion 10. The locking slit 36 is formed on the front side of the male housing 12. The locking slit 36 is a part that temporarily locks the front beak 57 when the lever 51 is in the fitting start position, as will be described later. Furthermore, a locking projection 37 is formed on the male housing 12 on one side surface on the upper side of the hood portion 10. The locking protrusion 37 is formed on the rear side of the male housing 12. As will be described later, the locking protrusion 37 is a portion that temporarily locks the rear beak 61 provided on the lever 51 when the lever 51 is in the fitting start position, as with the locking slit 36.

  Further, the male housing 12 is formed with guide convex portions 39 protruding outward on both side surfaces of the front edge portion of the hood portion 10. The guide convex portion 39 has a guide slope 38 that is gradually inclined outward toward the rear in the hood portion 10. As will be described later, the guide slope 38 and the guide protrusion 39 are portions that guide the cam boss 97 provided in the female housing 72 into the cam groove 54 provided in the lever 51.

  The lever 51 has a pair of side wall portions 52 and an arc-shaped connecting wall portion 53 that connects the upper end sides of the side wall portions 52.

  A cam groove 54 is formed in each side wall 52 of the lever 51. The cam groove 54 has an introduction portion 55 that extends horizontally in the fitting direction of the lever 51 and a lead-in portion 56 that extends obliquely upward from the rear end of the introduction portion 55 to the rear. The end portion on the front side in the fitting direction of the introducing portion 55 is a starting point portion 54a that receives a cam boss 97 described later, and the end portion on the rear side of the fitting portion 56 is an end point where the cam boss 97 described later finally arrives. Part 54b. A bridge portion 52 a (cam boss locking portion) that connects both side walls of the cam groove 54 is formed at the start point portion 54 a of the cam groove 54 (the end portion on the front side in the fitting direction of the introduction portion 55). As will be described later, the bridge portion 52 a is a portion for locking the cam boss 97 that has entered the cam groove 54 so as not to unintentionally come out of the cam groove 54.

  A front beak 57 (first locking portion) is formed on each side wall 52 of the lever 51. Each of the front beaks 57 has a cantilever-like shape in which one end is a fixed end connected to the side wall portion 52 and the other end is a free end, and a locking claw 58 protruding inward from the side wall portion 52 is provided. It has in the vicinity of the free end. The front beak 57 can be elastically deformed outward (first direction described later) around the fixed end and elastically recovered inward (second direction described later) of the side wall 52. Is possible. A concave portion 59 is formed on the outer surface side of the side wall portion 52 at the position where the front beak 57 is formed. Further, a rear beak 61 is formed on the side wall portion 52. Similar to the front beak 57, the rear beak 61 is formed with a locking claw 62 (see FIG. 6B) that protrudes inward from the side wall 52.

  Further, the lever 51 is formed with a displacement regulating piece 63 protruding forward at the front end of the connecting wall portion 53. As will be described later, the displacement restricting piece 63 comes into contact with the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 after being fitted are fixed to the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P. This is a part for restricting the lever 51 from being unintentionally detached (displaced) by the above (see, for example, FIG. 11).

  The lever 51 is attached to the male housing 12 so as to cover the hood portion 10 from above the hood portion 10. Thereby, the side wall 52 of the lever 51 is disposed along both side surfaces of the hood 10 of the male housing 12 and is inserted into the accommodating portion 34.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the lever 51 has a rear beak formed by the locking claw 58 of the front beak 57 entering the locking slit 36 and locking the edge of the locking slit 36. In the state where the locking claw 62 of 61 locks the locking projection 37, it is temporarily locked to the male housing 12. The position of the lever 51 in the temporarily locked state corresponds to a fitting start position described later. In this temporary locking state, the movement of the lever 51 in the mounting direction (downward) with a predetermined force or less is restricted by the locking force of the locking claw 58 of the front beak 57 to the edge of the locking slit 36, The movement of the rear beak 61 to the opposite side (upward) of the mounting direction of the lever 51 is restricted by the locking force of the locking claw 62 to the locking projection 37. In this temporarily locked state, the bridge portion 52a of the cam groove 54 of the lever 51 is disposed at a position adjacent to the guide slope 38 and the guide convex portion 39 of the male housing 12 (see FIG. 5). Thus, when the cam boss 97 enters the cam groove 54, the cam boss 97 is guided along the guide slope 38 and the guide convex portion 39, and gets over the bridge portion 52a and is accommodated in the introduction portion 55 (see FIG. 17). Further, in this temporarily locked state, the lever 51 is offset upward with respect to the male housing 12.

  When the lever 51 is pushed into the mounting direction (downward) with respect to the male housing 12 with a force larger than a predetermined force from the temporarily locked state, the locking claw 58 of the front beak 57 comes off from the locking slit 36, and the male It further moves in the mounting direction (downward) with respect to the housing 12.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the lever 51 is further moved in the mounting direction with respect to the male housing 12, the locking claw 58 of the front beak 57 enters the fixed groove 35 and locks the edge of the fixed groove 35. To do. Furthermore, the latch 51 of the rear beak 61 of the lever 51 also enters the fixed groove 35 to lock the edge of the fixed groove 35. In this state, the lever 51 is in a fully locked state arranged at a fixed position with respect to the male housing 12. The position of the lever 51 in this fully locked state corresponds to a fitting completion position described later. In this fully locked state, the lever 51 is not offset upward with respect to the male housing 12. In addition, when the lever 51 is pushed into the fitting completion position in this way, the first connector 11 has an outer shape that can be inserted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P.

  FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector. FIG. 9 is a side view of the second connector.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the female housing 72 of the second connector 71 has a housing body 75 and a frame 91. The housing main body 75 has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 74, and the front end side of the housing main body 75 is a fitting portion 73. Further, the housing main body 75 is formed with a protrusion 78 on the rear side on both side surfaces thereof.

  The terminal accommodating chamber 74 is formed along the fitting direction with the first connector 11. Each terminal accommodating chamber 74 has a lance portion 76 protruding from one side surface. Each terminal accommodating chamber 74 has an opening 77 on the distal end side of the housing body 75 (see FIG. 3).

  The terminal accommodating chamber 74 accommodates the female terminal 81 from the rear end side that is the rear side in the fitting direction. The female terminal 81 is formed of, for example, a conductive metal material such as copper or copper alloy, and has an electrical connection portion 82 and a crimping portion 83. An insulated wire 84 having a conductor covered with a jacket is crimped to the crimping portion 83 and is conductively connected. The female terminal 81 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 74 from the rear end side of the housing body 75, so that the electrical connection portion 82 is locked to the lance portion 76. As a result, the female terminal 81 is held in a state of being accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 74.

  The frame 91 has a holding part 92. The holding portion 92 has a flange portion 93 formed in an annular shape on the rear end side. The frame 91 has a notch 90 at the top of the holding portion 92. The notch 90 is opened on the front side in the fitting direction of the second connector 71 to the first connector 11. In other words, the shape of the frame 91 is a shape obtained by removing at least one notch 90 that opens the front side in the fitting direction with respect to the first connector 11 from the shape of a thin cylindrical tube. As a result, the holding portion 92 of the frame 91 has a pair of side wall portions 94 and an arc-shaped connection wall portion 95 that connects the lower end sides of the side wall portions 94. A housing main body 75 is accommodated in the holding portion 92 from the front side. Abutting portions 96 are formed on the inner surface side of the flange portion 93, and the projecting portions 78 of the housing main body 75 accommodated in the holding portion 92 are abutted with these abutting portions 96. Then, the housing main body 75 accommodated in the holding portion 92 is restricted from moving toward the rear end side with respect to the holding portion 92 by the protrusion portion 78 being in contact with the contact portion 96.

  A cam boss 97 is formed on the inner surface side of the side wall portion 94. Further, the side wall portion 94 is formed with a main locking portion 98a (second locking portion) and a main locking portion 98b (third locking portion). The main locking portions 98a and 98b are arranged separately on the upper and lower sides of the side wall portion 94, and have main locking claws 99a and 99b that protrude outward. The main locking portions 98a and 98b have a cantilever-like shape in which one end (front side in the fitting direction) is a fixed end connected to the side wall portion 94 and the other end is a free end. 99b in the vicinity of the free end.

  In the holding portion 92 of the frame 91, a temporary locking release protrusion 101 that protrudes forward in the fitting direction is formed on the connecting wall portion 95. The temporary locking release protrusion 101 has a guide surface 102 that is gradually inclined downward toward the front in the fitting direction. Furthermore, a concave portion 103 is formed in the flange portion 93 of the frame 91 at the upper portion thereof.

  Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, the overhanging portion 31 and the frame 91 among the components constituting the outer periphery of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are operated by operating the lever 51. When the connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted together, they are adjacent components that are close to each other. These overhanging parts 31 and the frame 91 which are adjacent parts are engaged with each other at their opposite positions when they are close to each other. The overhanging portion 31 has an overhanging concave portion 31 a and an overhanging convex portion 31 b at locations facing the frame 91. Further, the frame 91 has a frame convex portion 91 a and a frame concave portion 91 b at a position facing the protruding portion 31. When the projecting portion 31 and the frame 91 are brought close to each other, the frame convex portion 91a of the frame 91 is fitted into the projecting concave portion 31a of the projecting portion 31, and the projecting portion 31 of the projecting portion 31 is projected into the frame concave portion 91b of the frame 91. The convex part 31b fits.

  Next, a process when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted and fixed to the vehicle body panel P will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a process of temporarily locking the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 to the vehicle body panel P. FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are side views, respectively. is there. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a process of permanently locking the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 to the vehicle body panel P. FIGS. 11A to 11C are side views, respectively. is there. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a fitting state with the vehicle body panel in the main locking step.

(1) Temporary Locking Step As shown in FIG. 10A, the first connector 11 to which the lever 51 is temporarily locked is tilted and inserted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P from the upper part (FIG. 10 ( a) See arrow A).

  Next, the tilt of the tilted first connector 11 is corrected, and the upper portion of the lever 51 protruding upward is drawn toward the vehicle body panel P (see arrow B in FIG. 10A). 10B, the lever 51 is brought into contact with the vehicle body panel P, and the flange portion 32 of the protruding portion 31 of the male housing 12 is brought into contact with the vehicle body panel P, so that the lower edge of the vehicle body panel P is obtained. The portion is disposed between the temporary locking claw 33 and the flange portion 32.

  In this way, the first connector 11 has a temporary locking claw 33 and a flange portion 32 that lock the lower edge portion of the vehicle body panel P at the lower portion, and a lever 51 that contacts the vehicle body panel P at the upper portion. By being in contact, the vehicle body panel P is in a temporarily locked state.

  In this temporarily locked state, the lever 51 protrudes upward and is in contact with the vehicle body panel P. Therefore, the temporarily locked first connector 11 is inserted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P. It does not fall off due to being pulled in the opposite direction.

(2) Fitting process Next, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted to the tip of the first connector 11 in the temporarily locked state so as to be fitted. The tips of the two connectors 71 are brought close to each other. At this time, the lever 51 is in the fitting start position. Then, the fitting portion 73 of the second connector 71 is inserted into the fitting recess 13 of the male housing 12 of the first connector 11. Then, the cam boss 97 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 is guided by the guide slope 38 and the guide convex portion 39 of the hood portion 10, and gets over the bridge portion 52 a formed on the lever 51 of the first connector 11, It enters into the introduction part 55 of the groove 54.

  In this state, the lever 51 of the first connector 11 in the temporarily locked state is pushed and moved toward the male housing 12 (that is, downward toward the fitting completion position) (in FIG. 11A). ), The locking claw 58 of the front beak 57 and the locking claw 62 of the rear beak 61 enter the fixed groove 35. At this time, the lever 51 is in the fitting start position. With such movement of the lever 51, the cam boss 97 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 moves along the cam groove 54, proceeds to the retracting portion 56 through the introducing portion 55, and fits along the retracting portion 56. Slide in the opposite direction. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11B, the second connector 71 is attracted to the first connector 11, and the housing of the second connector 71 is inserted into the fitting recess 13 of the male housing 12 of the first connector 11. The main body 75 is fitted, and the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted (joined). In this connected state (fitted state), the tab portion 22a of the male terminal 21 is inserted into the electrical connecting portion 82 of the female terminal 81 from the opening 77 on the distal end side of the housing body 75 of the female housing 72. The female terminal 81 and the male terminal 21 are conductively connected, and the insulated wires 24 and 84 are electrically connected. Thus, by operating the lever 51, the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 can be easily fitted with a low insertion force.

  Further, in this fully locked state, the projecting recess 31a of the projecting part 31 is brought about by bringing the projecting part 31 of the components constituting the outer periphery of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 close to the frame 91. In addition, the frame convex portion 91a of the frame 91 is fitted, and the protruding convex portion 31b of the protruding portion 31 is fitted to the frame concave portion 91b of the frame 91. That is, the projecting portion 31 and the frame 91 that are these adjacent parts are concavo-convexly fitted to each other.

  Further, when the lever 51 is pushed into the male housing 12 side and moved to the mating completion position, the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted, and the first connector 11 protrudes upward ( The lever 51 that has been offset) moves to the male housing 12 side, and the contact between the lever 51 and the vehicle body panel P is released. When the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted, the temporary engagement of the male housing 12 to the guide surface 102 of the temporary locking release protrusion 101 formed on the frame 91 of the second connector 71 is achieved. The pawl 33 abuts and is lifted, whereby the temporary pawl 33 is pushed into the flange portion 32. Accordingly, the temporary locking of the first connector 11 to the vehicle body panel P by the lever 51 and the temporary locking claw 33 is released.

  Further, the front beak 57 (first locking portion) of the lever 51 is in the middle of the movement of the lever 51 from the fitting start position (position of FIG. 11A) to the fitting completion position (FIG. 11B). The first connector 11 is elastically deformed in a first direction (outward) coming into contact with the outer wall surface of the first connector 11 and away from the first connector 11, and in the fitting completion position, the fixing groove 35 of the first connector 11. It will elastically recover in the second direction (inward) approaching the first connector 11 by entering the (locked portion). When the lever 51 reaches the mating completion position (when the mating between the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 is completed), the main locking portion 98a formed on the frame 91 of the second connector 71. The (second locking portion) is disposed at a position in the first direction (outward) with respect to the front beak 57 (first locking portion). In addition, due to the elastic recovery of the front beak 57, a space S1 is formed between the front beak 57 and the main locking portion 98a (see FIG. 7). As described above, when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted, the space S1 is provided at the position in the second direction (inward) of the main locking portion 98a of the frame 91. .

  On the other hand, for the main locking portion 98b (third locking portion) formed on the frame 91 of the second connector 71, when the lever 51 reaches the fitting completion position (the first connector 11 and the second locking portion). When the fitting with the connector 71 is completed), the main locking portion 98 b (third locking portion) is disposed at a position in the first direction (outward) with respect to the cam groove 54. As a result, similarly to the above, a space S2 in which the cam groove 54 is defined is provided at the position of the main locking portion 98b of the frame 91 in the second direction (inward) (see FIG. 7).

  Thus, when the lever 51 reaches the fitting completion position (when the fitting between the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 is completed), the second direction of the main locking portions 98a and 98b ( In this state, the spaces S1 and S2 are provided at the inward position.

  Further, when the lever 51 is in the fitting completion position, the displacement restricting piece 63 of the lever 51 is disposed in the recess 103 formed in the flange portion 93 of the frame 91.

(3) Main locking step The first connector 11 and the second connector 71 in the fitted state are pushed toward the first connector 11 (see arrow D in FIG. 11B). Then, the holding portion 92 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 is fitted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P.

  At this time, the projecting portion 31 and the frame 91 constituting the outer circumferences of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are engaged with each other at opposite positions. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 fitted to each other are fitted to the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, the opening edge ( The inner edge portion passes through without entering the gap between the overhanging portion 31 and the frame 91.

  Then, when the holding portion 92 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 is fitted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, the main locking claws 99a of the main locking portions 98a and 98b of the frame 91 of the second connector 71. 99b abuts against the edge of the mounting hole H, whereby the main locking portions 98a, 98b are once elastically deformed inward (second direction). At this time, as described above, since the spaces S1 and S2 are provided at the positions in the second direction (inward direction) of the main locking claws 99a and 99b, the main locking portions 98a and 98b include the spaces S1 and S2. Compared to the case without S2, it is more easily elastically deformed inward (second direction). Thereafter, when the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H passes through the positions of the main locking claws 99a and 99b and reaches the flange portion 93 side, the main locking portions 98a and 98b are elastically recovered outward (first direction). As shown in FIG. 11C, the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H is locked by the main locking claws 99a and 99b. As a result, the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 after fitting are brought into a final locking state in which they are fixed to the mounting holes H of the vehicle body panel P.

  As described above, when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 fitted to each other are in the final locking state in which the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fixed to the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, the upper portion of the lever 51 of the first connector 11 The formed displacement regulating piece 63 is disposed at a position where it abuts against the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P. Thereby, the movement of the lever 51 in the final locking state is reliably restricted. Therefore, in this fully locked state, even if an external force such as the insulated wires 24 and 84 being pulled is applied to the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, the lever 51 is lifted from the male housing 12 and displaced. The fitting state of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 is maintained.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by operating the lever 51, the second connector 71 is pulled into the first connector 11, and the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are connected. It can be easily fitted. Furthermore, the front beak 57 and the rear beak 61 of the lever 51 are locked in the fixing groove 35 of the first connector 11, whereby the connection state between the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 is maintained.

  Further, the elasticity of the front beak 57 is located on the side where the main locking portions 98a and 98b of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 are displaced when the vehicle body panel P is locked (inward of the main locking portions 98a and 98b). Since the space S1 defined by the recovery and the space S2 defined by the cam groove 54 are disposed, when the second connector 71 is finally locked to the vehicle body panel P, the main locking portions 98a and 98b are easily elastically deformed. Can do.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is not necessary to separately provide a dedicated space for elastically deforming the main locking portions 98a and 98b. Further, the front beak 57 for fixing the lever 51 and the cam groove 54 for drawing in the second connector 71 and the main locking portions 98a and 98b for fixing the second connector 71 to the vehicle body panel P are provided close to each other. be able to. Thereby, the favorable connection state of connectors can be maintained, aiming at size reduction of a connector structure.

  In the above embodiment, when the protruding portion 31 of the first connector 11 and the frame 91 of the second connector 71 that are close to each other by the operation of the lever 51 are used as the proximity components, the facing portions of these proximity components are unevenly fitted. However, it is not limited to this as a proximity component to be concavo-convexly fitted.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 13, in the configuration in which the male connector 111 is provided with a rotary lever 113 that draws the female connector 112, the lever is centered on the rotation center O to draw the female connector 112 to the male connector 111. The lever 113 that is close to each other by rotating the 113 and the male housing 114 of the male connector 111 may be used as proximity components, and the opposing portions of these proximity components may be unevenly fitted. Specifically, a lever recess 113 a and a lever protrusion 113 b are formed in the lever 113, and a housing protrusion 114 a and a housing recess 114 b are formed in the male housing 114. Then, by operating the lever 113, the housing convex portion 114a of the male housing 114 is fitted into the lever concave portion 113a of the lever 113 close to each other, and the lever convex portion 113b of the lever 113 is fitted into the housing concave portion 114b of the male housing 114. Also good.

Next, another function of the connector connection structure according to the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 14 is a partial side view showing the relationship between a lever that is not fully pushed in and the vehicle body panel. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view in the horizontal direction of the main locking portion and its surroundings in a state where the first connector and the second connector are incompletely fitted.

  In the connector connection structure according to the embodiment, as described above, the first connector 11 has an outer shape that can be inserted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P when the lever 51 reaches the fitting completion position. The

  On the contrary, in the main locking step in the operation of fitting the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 and fixing them to the vehicle body panel P, the lever 51 is not reliably pushed into the fitting completion position. If the fitting between the connector 71 and the first connector 11 is incomplete, the holding portion 92 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 may be fitted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P. As shown in FIG. 14, the lever 51 interferes with the vehicle body panel P.

  Furthermore, as described above, when the lever 51 is pushed into the fitting completion position, the spaces S1 and S2 are arranged so as to correspond to the main locking portions 98a and 98b of the frame 91 of the second connector 71.

  Conversely, in the final locking step in the operation of fitting the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 and fixing them to the vehicle body panel P, if the lever 51 is not reliably pushed into the fitting completion position, The spaces S1 and S2 are not arranged so as to correspond to the main locking portions 98a and 98b of the second connector 71. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the main locking portions 98a and 98b interfere with the lever 51 of the first connector 11 and cannot be elastically deformed, and the vehicle body panel P gets over the main locking portions 98a and 98b. I can't.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first connector 11 is moved as long as the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are not securely engaged by the lever 51 being reliably pushed into the engagement completion position. The main locking portions 98a and 98b of the second connector 71 cannot be locked to the vehicle body panel P through the mounting holes H of the vehicle body panel P. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 from being attached to the vehicle body panel P in a state where the fitting between the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 is incomplete.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the cam groove 54 and the cam boss 97 when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted, and FIG. 16 (a) and FIG. 16 (b). These are side views of a part of the lever 51 and the second connector 71 attached to the first connector 11, respectively. FIG. 17 is a view showing the positional relationship between the cam groove 54 and the cam boss 97 when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted, and FIG. FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-VI in FIG. 16B.

  In the connector connection structure according to the above embodiment, as described above, the male housing 12 of the first connector 11 is formed with the guide slopes 38 and the guide convex portions 39 on both side surfaces of the hood portion 10. The guide slope 38 and the guide protrusion 39 are formed so as to be adjacent to the bridge portion 52 a of the cam groove 54, and guide the cam boss 97 toward the introduction portion 55 of the cam groove 54.

  Specifically, when the tip of the second connector 71 is brought close to the tip of the first connector 11 in the step of fitting the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, FIG. As shown in FIG. 17A, the cam boss 97 of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 is brought into contact with the guide slope 38 of the guide convex portion 39 of the hood portion 10.

  Thereafter, when the second connector 71 is pushed into the first connector 11 (see arrow E in FIG. 17A), the cam boss 97 is guided outwardly by the guide slope 38 and the guide projection 39 (see FIG. 16 (b) and FIG. 17 (b), it gets over the guide convex portion 39 and the bridge portion 52a and enters the introduction portion 55 of the cam groove 54. As a result, the cam boss 97 is locked by the bridge portion 52 a, thereby restricting the movement in the direction of coming out of the cam groove 54. As a result, the second connector 71 is temporarily locked to the first connector 11.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the cam boss 97 is locked to the bridge portion 52a before the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are engaged with each other by operating the lever 51, whereby the second The connector 71 is temporarily locked to the first connector 11. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the second connector 71 from dropping from the first connector 11 when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are engaged with each other by operating the lever 51. 11 and the second connector 71 can be smoothly engaged.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the notch part 90 is provided in the flame | frame 91 which has the cam boss 97 (refer FIG. 8).

  Thus, when the frame 91 has the notch portion 90, the frame 91 is easily elastically deformed when the cam boss 97 inserted into the introduction portion 55 of the cam groove 54 gets over the guide convex portion 39. Thereby, the insertion force when temporarily locking the second connector 71 to the first connector 11 is reduced, and the temporary locking operation can be easily performed.

  The number of notches 90 formed in the frame 91 and the position where they are formed are not limited to one formed in the upper part of the frame 91.

  FIG. 18 is a view showing a modified example of the frame constituting the second connector, and FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are perspective views of the frame, respectively.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 18A, notch portions 90 may be formed on the upper and lower sides of the frame 91, respectively. In this case, when the cam boss 97 gets over the guide convex portion 39, the frame 91 is more easily elastically deformed, so that the insertion force when temporarily locking the second connector 71 to the first connector 11 can be further reduced. The temporary locking operation can be performed more easily.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 18 (b), the frame 91 may have no notch 90 over the entire circumference. In this case, the locking force of the second connector 71 to the first connector 11 in the temporarily locked state can be increased, and the second connector 71 can be reliably prevented from falling off from the first connector 11. Even in the case of the frame 91 without the notch 90, if the frame 91 is formed of a resin material that is easily elastically deformed, the insertion force when temporarily locking the second connector 71 to the first connector 11 can be reduced. The temporary locking operation can be easily performed.

  Next, the connector connection structure according to the second to fourth embodiments will be described. In addition, the same component as 1st Embodiment attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits description.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 19 is a side view of the first connector and the second connector showing the connector connection structure according to the second embodiment. 20 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 22 is a view for explaining a fitting process between the first connector and the second connector, and FIGS. 22A and 22B are side views, respectively. 23A and 23B are diagrams for explaining a fitting process between the first connector and the second connector. FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG. 22A, and FIG. It is XX sectional drawing in FIG.22 (b).

  As shown in FIG. 20, in the connector connection structure according to the second embodiment, the cam boss 97 of the frame 91 has a protrusion 97a. The protrusion 97 a is provided at the tip of the cam boss 97 and protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cam boss 97 extends from the frame 91.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, the cam groove 54 of the lever 51 has a cam boss support groove 54c. The cam boss support groove 54 c is formed in the lead-in portion 56 in the cam groove 54. A protrusion 97 a of the cam boss 97 can be engaged with the cam boss support groove 54 c of the cam groove 54.

  In the second embodiment, when the second connector 71 is pushed toward the first connector 11 in the step of fitting the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, FIG. 22 (a) and FIG. As shown in (a), the cam boss 97 enters the introduction portion 55 of the cam groove 54 and reaches the drawing portion 56.

  In this state, when the lever 51 is pushed into the male housing 12 side, the cam boss 97 is relatively displaced along the retracted portion 56 of the cam groove 54. At this time, the cam boss 97 engages with a cam boss support groove 54 c formed in the pull-in portion 56 of the cam groove 54 at the protrusion 97 a.

  Thereafter, even when the lever 51 is pushed to the fitting completion position and the second connector 71 is fitted to the first connector 11, as shown in FIGS. 22 (b) and 23 (b), The protrusion 97a of the cam boss 97 is maintained in a state of being engaged with the cam boss support groove 54c of the retracting portion 56 of the cam groove 54. Therefore, the frame 91 having the cam boss 97 is maintained in a state of being locked to the lever 51 having the cam groove 54 in a state where the second connector 71 is fitted to the first connector 11.

  As described above, according to the connector connection structure according to the second embodiment, the projection 91a of the cam boss 97 is engaged with the cam boss support groove 54c of the cam groove 54, whereby the frame 91 having the cam boss 97 is It is possible to prevent the frame 91 from being displaced and lifted in a direction away from the lever 51. Thereby, the interference of the frame 91 to the vehicle body panel P when the second connector 71 fitted to the first connector 11 is fixed to the vehicle body panel P is prevented, and the second connector 71 is attached to the vehicle body panel P. Fixing work can be performed smoothly.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a connector connection structure according to the third embodiment, and FIGS. 24A and 24B are views of the lower ends of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, respectively. It is a side view. FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a connector connection structure according to the third embodiment, and FIGS. 25A and 25B are bottom views of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71, respectively. is there. FIG. 26 is a view showing a state in which the vehicle body panel is fitted into the mounting hole in the final locking step, and FIGS. 26A to 26C are side views of the lower end portion. FIG. 27 is a bottom view showing a state in the middle of fitting into the mounting hole of the vehicle body panel in the final locking step.

  As shown in FIGS. 24A and 25A, in the connector connection structure according to the third embodiment, a guide protrusion 30 is provided at the lower end of the male housing 12 of the first connector 11. . Further, the second connector 71 has a recess 100 at the lower end of the frame 91.

  As shown in FIG. 24B and FIG. 25B, the guide protrusion 30 of the first connector 11 is a part of the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 fitted together. Is fitted into the recess 100 of the second connector 71. Further, the guide protrusion 30 is flush with the lower end of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 in a state where the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are fitted to each other. In this state, the guide protrusion 30 may protrude downward.

  The guide protrusion 30 has a tapered guide surface 30a on the side opposite to the fitting side with the second connector 71. The guide surface 30a is inclined so that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases in the direction of insertion into the vehicle body panel P.

  As shown in FIG. 26A and FIG. 26B, in the third embodiment, the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 in the connected state are pushed toward the first connector 11 side, In the main locking step of fitting the holding portion 92 of the frame 91 of the connector 71 of the second connector 71 into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P is the tapered guide surface of the guide protrusion 30. It is guided relatively downward by 30a. Then, the lower edge of the mounting hole H is guided to the lower part of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 by riding on the guide protrusion 30. Further, when the first connector 11 and the second connector 71 are pushed toward the first connector 11 side, the vehicle body panel P is moved to the second connector 71 side as shown in FIGS. Moved relative to At this time, since the guide protrusion 30 protrudes flush or downward with respect to the lower end portion of the frame 91 of the second connector 71, the lower edge of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P is the second connector 71. It does not get caught on the inner edge portion of the frame 91.

  Thus, according to the third embodiment, when the second connector 71 fitted to the first connector 11 is fixed to the vehicle body panel P, it is flush with the lower end of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 or The vehicle body panel P is guided to the lower part of the frame 91 of the second connector 71 by the guide surface 30a of the guide protrusion 30 protruding downward. Thereby, when fixing the 2nd connector 71 fitted with the 1st connector 11 to the vehicle body panel P, the male housing 12 of the 1st connector 11 and a part of male housing 12 of this 1st connector 11 Thus, it is possible to eliminate the problem that the vehicle body panel P is caught on the step portion of the second connector 71 covering the frame 91 with the frame 91, and the second connector 71 can be smoothly fixed to the vehicle body panel P.

  Furthermore, since the guide protrusion 30 is fitted into the recess 100 of the frame 91 and the male housing 12 and the frame 91 are concavo-convexly fitted at the lower end, as shown in FIG. The inner edge portion (opening edge) of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P does not enter between the housing 12 and the frame 91 of the second connector 71.

<Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector for explaining the connector connection structure according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 29 is a side view of the first connector at the time of insertion into the mounting hole of the vehicle body panel in the temporary locking step. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. FIG. 31 is a side view of the first connector at the time of drawing to the vehicle body panel in the temporary locking step.

  As shown in FIG. 28, the connector connection structure according to the fourth embodiment includes a cover 41 attached to the first connector 11. The cover 41 is mounted on the side surface opposite to the side surface on the fitting side with the second connector 71 that is the rear portion of the first connector 11 from which the insulated wire 24 is drawn. As a result, the first connector 11 is covered with the cover 41 at the rear portion from which the insulated wire 24 is drawn out, and the drawn-out insulated wire 24 is bundled and drawn out from the wire lead-out portion 42 provided at the lower end of the cover 41. .

  The cover 41 is formed with posture stabilizing ribs 43 on both side surfaces which are outer peripheral surfaces thereof. The posture stabilization rib 43 includes a vertical rib 43a and a plurality of horizontal ribs 43b. The vertical ribs 43 a are provided along the inner edge portion of the cover 41 on the side where the first connector 11 is attached. The lateral ribs 43 b are provided along the mounting direction of the cover 41 to the first connector 11. One end side of the horizontal rib 43b is connected to the vertical rib 43a, and each of the horizontal ribs 43b is arranged at an interval in the vertical direction.

  In the fourth embodiment, in the temporary locking step of temporarily locking the first connector 11 to the vehicle body panel P, the first connector 11 is tilted as shown in FIG. When inserted into H (see arrow F in FIG. 29), as shown in FIG. 30, the vertical rib 43a and the horizontal rib 43b of the posture stabilizing rib 43 of the cover 41 are formed on the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P. Abut. Thereby, the attitude | position with respect to the attachment hole H of the 1st connector 11 will be stabilized.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 31, the tilt of the tilted first connector 11 is corrected (see arrow G in FIG. 31), and when the upper portion of the lever 51 protruding upward is pulled toward the vehicle body panel P side, The vertical rib 43a and the horizontal rib 43b of the posture stabilizing rib 43 of the cover 41 abut on the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the panel P. Thereby, the attitude | position with respect to the attachment hole H of the 1st connector 11 will be stabilized.

  Thus, according to the fourth embodiment, the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cover 41 that covers the side of the first connector 11 that is opposite to the fitting side with the second connector 71. A posture stabilizing rib 43 is formed which is in contact with the vehicle body panel P and stabilizes the posture of the first connector 11 with respect to the vehicle body panel P. As a result, the posture stabilizing rib 43 contacts the inner edge portion of the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, so that the first connector 11 is in a stable posture with respect to the vehicle body panel P. Therefore, the first connector 11 can be smoothly inserted into the mounting hole H of the vehicle body panel P, and workability can be improved. Furthermore, by forming the posture stabilizing rib 43 on the cover 41, the posture stabilizing rib 43 serves as a reinforcement, and for example, deformation of the cover 41 when the cover 41 is molded with resin can be suppressed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and are not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the connector connection structure according to the present invention will be briefly summarized in (1) to (7) below.
(1) (Mainly Figure 11)
A connector connection structure attached to the panel in a state of being inserted into an attachment hole (H) provided in a plate-like panel (P),
A first connector (11), a second connector (71), and a lever (51) mounted so as to cover the first connector, and fitted from the fitting start position (FIG. 11a) of the lever A lever for pulling and fitting the first connector and the second connector together by a movement operation to a combined completion position (FIG. 11b),
The lever (51)
A first locking portion (57) locked to the locked portion (35) of the first connector (11) at the fitting completion position, wherein the first locking portion (57) is in the middle of the moving operation. Elastically deforms in a first direction (outward) away from the first connector by contacting the outer wall surface of the connector, and enters the locked portion of the first connector at the fitting completion position. A first locking portion (57) that elastically recovers in a second direction (inward) approaching the first connector;
The second connector (71)
A second locking portion (98a) locked to the panel (P) with respect to the first locking portion (57) when the lever (51) is in the fitting completion position; A second locking portion (98a) disposed at a position in the first direction (outward)
The first connector (11)
When the lever (51) is in the fitting completion position, the first locking portion (57) is restored by elastic recovery of the first locking portion (57) in the second direction (inward). ) And the second locking portion (98a), a space (S1) is formed,
The second locking portion (98a)
In the middle of inserting the first connector (11) and the second connector (71) after fitting into the mounting hole (H), they contact the inner edge of the mounting hole and enter the space (S1). The panel (P) is elastically deformed in the second direction (inward) as described above, and is elastically restored in the first direction (outward) when the insertion into the mounting hole is completed. ),
Connector connection structure.
(2) (Mainly Figure 11)
The connector connection structure according to (1) above,
The lever (51) has a cam groove (54), and the second connector (71) has a cam boss (97) corresponding to the cam groove;
As the lever is moved, the cam boss (97) moves along the cam groove (54), whereby the first connector (11) and the second connector (71) are pulled toward each other. Mated,
The second connector (71) is
A third locking portion (98b) to be locked to the panel (P), wherein the first groove with respect to the cam groove (54) when the lever (51) is in the fitting completion position; A third locking portion (98b) disposed at a position in the direction (outward)
The third locking portion (98b)
During insertion of the first connector (11) and the second connector (71) after fitting into the mounting hole (H), the cam groove (54) comes into contact with the inner edge portion of the mounting hole. Elastically deformed in the second direction (inward) so as to enter the defined space (S2), and elastically in the first direction (outward) when the insertion into the mounting hole is completed By being recovered, it is locked to the panel (P).
Connector connection structure.
(3) (Mainly Figure 17)
In the connector connection structure described in (2) above,
The cam groove (54)
Prior to the moving operation, a starting point portion (54a) that receives the cam boss (97), an end point portion (54b) that the cam boss (97) reaches through the moving operation, and the cam boss (97) at the starting point portion. A cam boss locking portion (52a) to be locked,
The cam boss engaging portion (52a)
When the cam boss (97) enters the cam groove (54) from the starting point portion, the cam boss (97) is locked so that the cam boss (97) does not come out of the cam groove (54). The connector (71) is temporarily locked to the first connector (11),
Connector connection structure.
(4) (Mainly FIGS. 8 and 18)
In the connector connection structure described in (3) above,
The second connector (71) is
A frame (91) to which the cam boss (97) is attached;
The shape of the frame (91) is
It is a shape obtained by removing at least one notch portion (90) from which the front side in the fitting direction to the first connector (11) is opened from the thin cylindrical shape.
Connector connection structure.
(5) (Mainly FIGS. 20 and 21)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (2) to (4) above,
The cam boss (97)
Extending from the second connector (71), and having a protrusion (97a) projecting in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction,
The cam groove (54)
A cam boss support groove (54c) corresponding to the protrusion (97a) of the cam boss,
Connector connection structure.
(6) (Mainly, FIG. 26)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (1) to (5) above,
The first connector (11) is
A guide protrusion (30) protruding in the first direction (outward), which is flush with the outer wall surface of the second connector (71) after fitting or in the first direction (outward) And a guide protrusion (30) having a guide surface (30a) inclined so that the amount of protrusion gradually decreases in the insertion direction into the panel (P),
The guide protrusion (30) is
When the first connector (11) and the second connector (71) after fitting are inserted into the mounting hole (H), an inner edge portion of the mounting hole (H) is formed on the guide surface (30a). Along the outer wall surface of the second connector (71),
Connector connection structure.
(7) (Mainly FIG. 29)
In the connector connection structure according to any one of (1) to (6) above,
The first connector (11) is
A cover (41) covering a side surface opposite to the side surface on the fitting side with the second connector (71);
The cover (41)
When the first connector (11) and the second connector (71) after fitting are inserted into the mounting hole (H), the first connector against the panel comes into contact with an inner edge portion of the mounting hole. A posture stabilizing rib (43) for stabilizing the posture of the connector (11) on the outer peripheral surface;
Connector connection structure.

11 First Connector 30 Guide Projection 30a Guide Surface 31 Overhang 31a Concave 31b Convex 39 Guide Convex (Convex)
41 Cover 43 Posture stabilization rib 51 Lever 52a Bridge part (cam boss locking part)
54 Cam groove 54c Cam boss support groove 57 Front beak (first locking portion)
59 Concave portion 71 Second connector 90 Notch portion 91 Frame 91a Frame convex portion 91b Frame concave portion 97 Cam boss 97a Protruding portion 98a Main locking portion (second locking portion)
98b Main locking portion (third locking portion)
P Body panel (panel)
S1, S2 space

Claims (7)

A connector connection structure attached to the panel in a state of being inserted into an attachment hole provided in a plate-shaped panel,
A first connector, a second connector, and a lever mounted so as to cover the first connector, and the first connector is moved by a movement operation from a fitting start position to a fitting completion position of the lever. And a lever for bringing the second connector into close contact with each other, and
The lever is
A first locking portion that is locked to the locked portion of the first connector at the fitting completion position, and is in contact with an outer wall surface of the first connector during the movement operation; Elastically deforms in a first direction away from the first connector, and in a second direction approaching the first connector by entering the locked portion of the first connector at the fitting completion position Having a first locking portion to recover,
The second connector is
A second locking portion locked to the panel, wherein the lever is disposed at a position in the first direction with respect to the first locking portion when the lever is in the fitting completion position. Having a second locking portion;
The first connector is:
When the lever is in the fitting completion position, the first locking portion is elastically restored in the second direction, so that the first locking portion and the second locking portion are positioned between the first locking portion and the second locking portion. Forming a space,
The second locking portion is
The first connector and the second connector after fitting are elastically deformed in the second direction so as to contact the inner edge portion of the mounting hole and enter the space while being inserted into the mounting hole. And by being elastically recovered in the first direction when insertion into the mounting hole is completed, it is locked to the panel.
Connector connection structure. The connector connection structure according to claim 1,
The lever has a cam groove, and the second connector has a cam boss corresponding to the cam groove;
As the cam boss moves along the cam groove along with the movement operation of the lever, the first connector and the second connector are attracted and fitted together,
The second connector comprises:
A third engaging portion that is engaged with the panel, and is disposed at a position in the first direction with respect to the cam groove when the lever is in the fitting completion position. Further having a stop,
The third locking portion is
In the middle of inserting the first connector and the second connector after fitting into the mounting hole, the second connector is in contact with the inner edge portion of the mounting hole and enters the space defined by the cam groove. And elastically recovering in the first direction when insertion into the mounting hole is completed, thereby being locked to the panel.
Connector connection structure. The connector connection structure according to claim 2,
The cam groove
A starting point portion that receives the cam boss prior to the moving operation, an end point portion that the cam boss reaches after the moving operation, and a cam boss locking portion that locks the cam boss at the starting point portion,
The cam boss engaging portion is
When the cam boss enters the cam groove from the starting point, the second connector is temporarily locked to the first connector by locking the cam boss so that the cam boss does not come out of the cam groove. To
Connector connection structure. The connector connection structure according to claim 3,
The second connector comprises:
A frame having the cam boss attached thereto;
The shape of the frame is
From the shape of the thin cylindrical tube, it is a shape obtained by removing at least one notch that opens the front side in the fitting direction to the first connector,
Connector connection structure. In the connector connection structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The cam boss
Extending from the second connector, and having a protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the extension,
The cam groove
Having a cam boss support groove corresponding to the protrusion of the cam boss,
Connector connection structure. In the connector connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The first connector is
A guide protrusion protruding in the first direction, protruding in the same plane or in the first direction with respect to the outer wall surface of the second connector after fitting, and gradually in the insertion direction into the panel. A guide protrusion having an inclined guide surface so that the protrusion amount is small,
The guide protrusion is
When inserting the first connector and the second connector after fitting into the mounting hole, the inner edge portion of the mounting hole is guided to the outer wall surface of the second connector along the guide surface;
Connector connection structure. In the connector connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The first connector is
A cover that covers a side surface opposite to the side surface on the fitting side with the second connector;
The cover is
A posture stabilizing rib that abuts against an inner edge portion of the mounting hole and stabilizes the posture of the first connector with respect to the panel when the first connector and the second connector are inserted into the mounting hole. On the outer peripheral surface,
Connector connection structure.

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