JP4809747B2 - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a latch-fixed connector assembly in which connector housings are fitted to each other and can be maintained in a fitted state by a latch mechanism.

Conventionally, various connectors such as an electrical connector and an optical connector have been put to practical use, and connectors having various structures are used depending on applications and use locations.
Among them, there is a latch-fixed type connector that can be easily attached and detached.
A latch-fixed connector is different from the one in which the connector parts are relatively screwed together or clamped with a spring to fix the connector parts, and one connector is pushed into the other connector or adapter. Just because it is automatically latched and the connector is fixed, there is an advantage that the operation is easy and easy to handle.
On the other hand, when releasing the connection between the connectors, it is necessary to release the fixing by the latch, and for this purpose, the latch arm is removed by pushing or shrinking the latch arm provided on the connector or adapter. Work is necessary.
As optical connectors having a latch fixing mechanism, for example, those shown in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1 have been put into practical use.

In the case of the connector shown in Non-Patent Document 1, two plug connectors are connected via an adapter. The adapter has an inward latching claw and the plug connector protrudes outward. A joint is provided. When the plug connector is inserted into the adapter, the latch claw and the engaging portion are fitted, whereby the plug connector is sandwiched and fixed together.
When releasing the connection, the slider, which is a component of the plug connector housing, is actuated to widen the latch claw provided on the adapter, remove the hook from the engaging portion, and then pull it out.

In the case of the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, a latch arm having a latch claw outwardly is formed on one side of the plug connector. When the plug connector is inserted into the adapter, the latch claw is caught in the engaging portion formed in the adapter, and the connector is fixed.
When releasing the connection, the operation part at the rear of the latch arm provided on the plug is pushed down, so that the catch between the latch claw at the front of the latch arm and the engaging part of the adapter can be released and pulled out as it is.

FIG. 11 shows a connector assembly 30 composed of a plug connector 10 and a socket connector 20 similar to those in Patent Document 1.
The plug connector 10 includes a connection portion 11 and a housing 16 disposed on the outside thereof. The connection portion 11 is composed of a ferrule 12 and other connection element bodies 14, and the end face of the optical fiber extending from the optical fiber core wire 19 is exposed from the connection end face 13 of the ferrule 12. This configuration may be formed as follows. That is, a built-in optical fiber is embedded in the ferrule 12, one end of the built-in optical fiber is exposed on the connection end surface 13 of the ferrule 12, and the other end of the built-in optical fiber is connected to the optical fiber in the optical fiber core wire 19 and the connection element body. 14 and the optical fiber in the optical fiber core wire 19 may be exposed to the connection end face 13 of the ferrule 12 indirectly. A latch arm 17 is formed on a part of the outer periphery of the housing 16 along the axial direction of the ferrule 12, and a latch claw 18 is formed at the tip of the housing 16 so as to protrude in the diameter increasing direction of the housing 16.

  The socket connector 20 includes a connection portion 21 and a housing 26 disposed outside the connection portion 21. The connection portion 21 includes a ferrule 22 and other connection element bodies 24, and the end face of the optical fiber extending from the optical fiber core wire 29 is exposed from the connection end face 23 of the ferrule 22. In this configuration, a built-in optical fiber is embedded in the ferrule 22, one end of the built-in optical fiber is exposed on the connection end surface 23 of the ferrule 22, and the other end of the built-in optical fiber is an optical fiber in the optical fiber core wire 29. In the connection element body 24, the optical fiber in the optical fiber core wire 29 may be optically exposed on the connection end face 23 of the ferrule 22.

Further, the housing 26 includes an engaging portion 27 that engages with the latch claw 18 at a part of the outer periphery thereof.
The plug connector 10 and the socket connector 20 can be fitted to each other as shown in FIG. 12 with their connection end faces facing each other. In this fitted state, the optical fiber core wire 19 The optical fiber of the optical fiber and the optical fiber of the optical fiber core wire 29 are optically connected, and the latch claw 18 is fitted into the engaging portion 27 and latched, and the connectors 10 and 20 are mechanically latched.

  Further, when releasing the latch, the latch claw 18 is removed from the engaging portion 27 by operating the latch release operation portion 17a formed on the latch arm 17 in the direction of reducing the diameter of the housing 16, and both connectors 10 -Can be separated by pulling 20 apart.

It should be noted that the latch arm 17 is designed to have a slight opening angle outward and to be reliably maintained fixed by the outward elastic force when hooked to the engaging portion 27. Is desirable.
Further, it is desirable that a taper is provided at the front portion of the latch claw 18 so that the leading end of the latch is introduced into the socket without intentional compression and contraction of the latch arm when connected.

  When the plug connector 10 is further advanced to the back of the socket connector 20, the plug connector 10 advances while the latch arm 17 is bent and contracted, and the latch claw 18 is an engaging portion formed in the socket connector 20. When 27 is reached, the latch arm 17 is elastically opened and the latch claw 18 is fixed. Further, in this state, the ferrules accommodated in both the plug connector 10 and the socket connector 20 are connected to each other, and an appropriate pressure is applied.

  In addition, the surfaces of the latch claw 18 and the engaging portion 27 that are in contact with each other are, for example, 5 to 5 so that the latch engagement is further ensured by the force in the repulsive direction of the plug connector 10 and the socket connector 20 due to the pressing at this time. It is desirable that the design is inclined about 15 degrees with respect to a plane perpendicular to the connecting axis direction.

FIG. 13 shows a conventional connector assembly 31 different from the above, and is composed of a plug connector 10 and a socket connector 20 as described above. This connector assembly 31 has substantially the same structure as the conventional connector assembly 30 described above, and only the differences in function and structure will be described, and the other components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. To do.
The connector assembly 31 is greatly different in the shape of the latch arm 17 of the housing 16 from the connector assembly 30. That is, the latch arm 17 is formed by folding back from the connecting end portion side of the housing 16, the latch claw 18 is disposed at the intermediate portion of the latch arm 17, and the latch release operation portion 17 a is provided at the distal end portion (front side) of the latch arm 17. Has been placed.
The plug connector 10 and the socket connector 20 configured as described above can be fitted to each other as shown in FIG. 14 with the connection end faces thereof facing each other. The optical fiber of the core wire 19 and the optical fiber of the optical fiber core wire 29 are optically connected, and the latch claw 18 is fitted into the engaging portion 27 and latched, and the connectors 10 and 20 are mechanically latched. Is done.
Further, when releasing the latch, the latch claw 18 is removed from the engaging portion 27 by operating the latch release operation portion 17a formed on the latch arm 17 in the direction of reducing the diameter of the housing 16, and both connectors 10 -Can be separated by pulling 20 apart.

JP 2003-098381 A JIS-C5973 F04 type single fiber optic connector

In the conventional latch-fixed connector, it is necessary to operate a latch release operation portion arranged on the plug connector side when releasing the connection between both connectors.
However, in a connection under a specific condition, a situation in which operation on the plug connector side is difficult may occur.
For example, when the connector is stored in high density and it is difficult to perform a latch operation by inserting a fingertip to the side of the connector, the plug connector side is exposed only on the connection end surface, and the back is stored in a wiring box etc. This is a case where the latch arm of the plug connector cannot be touched unless a large-scale operation such as opening / closing and removing is performed.
In such a case, when reconnecting or releasing the connection with a conventional latch-fixed connector, the entire connector is temporarily removed from the stored state, and surrounding parts and wiring are removed to secure a working space. In addition, it is necessary to attach and detach after opening the wiring box in which the plug connector is stored, and the work efficiency is poor.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, consists of a plug connector housing to the outside of the connecting portion is formed with a ferrule, a socket connector housing to the outside of the connecting portion is formed with a ferrule, the The housing of the plug connector has a latch arm having a latching claw that projects in the direction of expanding the diameter of the housing, and the housing of the socket connector has an engaging portion that locks the latching claw, The latch claw is locked by the engaging portion in a state where both the connectors are fitted to each other, the two connectors are kept in the fitted state, and the latch claw and the engaging portion are unlocked. Thus, in the connector assembly capable of releasing the fitting of both the connectors, the locking release mechanism capable of releasing the fitting of the connector in the fitted state is provided with the two connectors. With Kuta, and a connector assembly operation unit of the lock release mechanism of the two connectors on both sides of the connection portions of the ferrules in the axial direction, characterized in that position.

  According to the present invention, the connection can be released only by the operation on the socket connector side, whereas the connection can be released only by the operation of the latch arm on the plug connector side. Accordingly, the connector can be easily attached and detached even in a situation where the operation on the plug connector side is difficult, and workability can be improved.

The present invention can adopt the following embodiments in a timely manner.
A release arm that pushes the engagement latch of the latch arm formed on the housing of the plug connector inward from the outside and releases the engagement state when the both connectors are engaged is formed integrally with the socket connector housing. It is characterized by that. As a result, the number of parts does not increase, and the cost can be reduced.

  A release part that pushes the engagement latch of the latch arm formed on the housing of the plug connector inward from the outside and releases the engagement state when the both connectors are in the fitted state is arranged on the socket connector side. To do.

  The release component slides along the axial direction of the socket connector. By sliding the release component backward, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as accidentally releasing the latch fitting during connection.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3 show a connector assembly 35 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Each of the connector assemblies 35 has almost the same structure as that of the connector assembly 30 shown in FIGS. Only different points will be described, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 1, the connector assembly 35 of the present embodiment is different from the connector assembly 30 in the structure of the housing 26 of the socket connector 20. That is, on the outside of the housing 26, an operation portion 25 is formed as an arm-shaped operation piece 25a for folding back from the rear end side to the connection end side. The tip of the operation piece 25a is formed so as to be at the position of the engaging portion 27, and the connectors 10 and 20 are fitted to each other and the latch claw and the engaging portion are latched with each other in FIG. As shown, the latch claw 18 is formed in a structure that covers the tapered surface from the outside. Then, by applying a pressing force to the operating portion 25 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 3, the operating piece 25a is deformed to remove the latch claw 18 from the engaging portion 27 as shown in FIG. By causing the connectors 10 and 20 to act rearward away from each other, the fitting of both connectors can be released.

  In the present embodiment, the operation unit 25 is integrally formed with one of the parts constituting the housing, but may be attached to the housing 26 as a separate part. In a state where no pressing force is applied to the operation unit 25, connection is hindered if a slight gap is provided so that the tip of the operation unit 25 does not contact the latch claw 18. Or unintentional disconnection is desirable.

  4 and 5 show another embodiment of the present invention. The operation portion 25 shown in this embodiment is formed separately from the housing 26, and the base 25b of the operation portion 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the outer periphery of the housing 26 slides with a predetermined width W as shown in FIG. It is made possible. An arm-like operation piece 25a is formed on the outer side. Further, the operation piece 25a is formed so that the tip thereof is positioned at the engaging portion 27 in the state shown in FIG. Thereby, the operation piece 25a can be operated similarly to the said FIG.2 and FIG.3, and the fitting of both connectors can be cancelled | released by the socket connector 20 side.

  In the present embodiment, the operation unit 25 is arranged at a position away from the connection end surface as shown in FIG. 4, so that the tip of the operation piece 25a is latched by the latch claw even if the operation piece 25a is accidentally pressed. 18 does not cause unintended disconnection.

  6 to 8 show still another embodiment of the present invention. The operation unit 25 in this embodiment is configured to be slidable on the outer periphery of the housing 26 in the same manner as the base body 25b shown in FIGS. However, the operation piece 25a is not formed as in the second embodiment. Instead, when the base body 25b is slid to the connection end side, the connection side end portion of the base body 25b has a latch claw 18 as shown in FIG. The latch claw 18 fitted to the engaging portion 27 can be removed from the engaging portion 27 by pushing the pin from the outside to the inside. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, by sliding the operation unit 25, the fitting of both connectors can be released on the socket connector side.

Also in the case of the present embodiment, by moving the operation unit 25 to the rear side of the socket connector 20, it is possible to prevent normal connection from being interrupted or unintentional disconnection from occurring.
Further, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for suppressing the movement of the operation unit 25 so that the operation unit 25 does not move forward during normal connection. For example, a small protrusion or a slight step is provided on the sliding portion of the operation unit 25 and the housing 26 so that an appropriate frictional resistance is generated when the operation unit 25 is advanced.
On the contrary, it is desirable that a slide range limiting mechanism is provided so that the operation unit 25 does not come off from the rear. In the case of the present embodiment, as an example, a claw 26 ′ for limiting the movement range of the operation unit 25 is provided at the rear of the housing 26.

  In this embodiment, the fitting of both connectors can be performed by moving the operation portion 25 in the connecting shaft direction of the connector without performing the operation of pushing the arm-shaped operation piece 25a inward as in the first and second embodiments. Since it is possible to release the connection, it is particularly effective in a situation where the connector is housed at a high density, and parts and wirings are gathered around the connector and the operation piece 25a is difficult to operate.

9 and 10 show still another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment relates to the structure of the connector assembly 31 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and the configuration of the plug connector 10 of this embodiment is the same as that of the plug connector 10 of the connector assembly 31, and the socket The structure of the connector 20 is different.
In the socket connector 20 of the present embodiment, an operation portion 25 extending from the rear end side to the connection end side is formed as an arm-like operation piece 25a on the outside of the housing 26. As shown in FIG. 10, the tip of the operation piece 25a is formed so as to be at the position of the engaging portion 27, and both the connectors 10 and 20 are fitted to each other so that the latch claw 18 and the engaging portion 27 latch each other. In this state, it is formed in a structure that covers the inclined portion of the latch claw 18 from the outside. Then, by applying a pressing force to the operation portion 25 in a direction approaching the center of the housing 26, the operation piece 25 a disengages the latch claw 18 from the engagement portion 27, and then connects the connectors 10 and 20 to each other. By making it act in the direction which leaves | separates, the fitting of both connectors can be cancelled | released.

  At this time, the operation piece 25a is designed so that the tip does not contact the latch claw 18 in a state where the pressing force is not applied, and the fitting is not inadvertently released when the two connectors are fitted. It is desirable to place it.

Although not shown, it is also possible to use the above-described slide type operation unit for such a latch-type connector.
Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated the case where a pair of arm-shaped operation piece 25a was arrange | positioned, even if it provides only in one side, this invention is applicable similarly.

The partially cut front view which shows the time of connector isolation | separation of one Example of this invention. The partially cut front view which shows the state at the time of the assembly of FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially cut front view showing the operation of FIG. 2. The partially cut front view in the other Example of this invention. FIG. 5 is a partially cut front view at the time of operation different from FIG. 4. The partially cut front view which shows the time of connector separation of the further different Example of this invention. The partially cut front view which shows the state at the time of the assembly of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partially cut front view showing the operation of FIG. 7. The partially cut front view which shows the time of connector separation of the further different Example of this invention. FIG. 10 is a partially cut front view showing the operation of FIG. 9. The partially cut front view which shows the time of connector separation in an example of the past. The partially cut front view which shows the state at the time of the assembly of FIG. The partially cut front view which shows the time of connector isolation | separation in the other conventional example. FIG. 14 is a partially cut front view showing a state at the time of assembly in FIG. 13.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Plug connector 11 Connection part 12 Ferrule 13 Connection end surface 14 Connection element body 16 Housing 17 Latch arm 17a Latch release operation part 18 Latch nail | claw 19 Optical fiber core wire 20 Socket connector 21 Connection part 22 Ferrule 23 Connection end surface 24 Connection element body 25 Operation Portion 25a Operation piece 25b Base 26 Housing 26 'Claw 27 Engagement portion 29 Optical fiber core wire 30 Connector assembly 31 Connector assembly 35 Connector assembly W Predetermined width

Claims (5)

A plug connector having a housing formed on the outside of the connecting portion having a ferrule ;
It consists of a socket connector in which a housing is formed on the outside of the connection part having a ferrule ,
The housing of the plug connector has a latch arm having a latching claw that protrudes in the diameter increasing direction of the housing, and the housing of the socket connector has an engaging portion that locks the latching claw. The latch claw is locked by the engaging portion in a state where both the connectors are fitted to each other, the both connectors are kept in the fitted state, and the latch claw and the engaging portion are unlocked. In the connector assembly that can release the fitting of both connectors,
The both connectors are provided with a locking release mechanism capable of releasing the connector in the fitted state, and the operation portions of the locking release mechanisms of the two connectors are located on both sides of the connecting portion between the ferrules in the axial direction. A connector assembly characterized by that.   The locking release mechanism on the socket connector side pushes the latch claw of the latch arm formed on the housing of the plug connector inward from the outside to release the locked state when both connectors are in a fitted state. 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector assembly is a release arm including the operation portion provided at one end, and the release arm is formed integrally with the housing of the socket connector.   The unlocking mechanism on the socket connector side slides along the axial direction, thereby allowing the latch claw of the latch arm formed on the housing of the plug connector from the outside when both the connectors are fitted. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein an operation portion that is pushed inward and releases the locked state is disposed on the socket connector.   The protrusion or step is provided on the sliding portion of the housing of the operation portion and the socket connector so that the operation portion of the socket connector does not come off from the rear of the socket connector. The connector assembly as described. The socket connector used for the connector assembly in any one of Claim 1 to 4.

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