CONNECTOR HOUSING, CONNECTOR, AND WIRE HARNESS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a connector housing, a connector in which connector terminals are accommodated in a connector housing, and a wire harness having a connector at an end portion.

BACKGROUND

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-249303, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-249304, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-249305 disclose conventional connector housings including a lever for assisting connection of connectors. In a connector in which connector terminals are accommodated in such a connector housing, first, a mating connector is temporarily locked to a housing body to which a lever is attached. Thereafter, the lever is rotated to pull the mating connector to make a final locking, so that connection of the connectors is completed. Furthermore, in the above connector housing, an arm portion provided with a shaft-receiving hole is accommodated in an accommodation recess, in a narrow groove-shape, of the housing body, and in the housing body, a shaft projection is fitted into and axially supported by the shaft-receiving hole. The walls of the accommodation recess that sandwich the arm portion from above and below achieve the function of, e.g., preventing the lever from detaching from the housing body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Problem to Be Solved by the Invention

In this case, when the connector housing is assembled, a lever attachment operation is performed to fit the shaft projection into the shaft-receiving hole while the arm portion is accommodated in the accommodation recess. In this lever attachment operation, the walls of the accommodation recess, which achieve the function of preventing the lever from detaching by sandwiching the arm portion after the attachment, become obstacles to the operation of attaching the lever. For this reason, in the lever attachment operation, it is necessary to, e.g., temporarily widen the groove width by bending the walls of the accommodation recess, i.e., the obstacles. Such an operation not only imposes a burden on the worker, but also may deteriorate the walls of the accommodation recess due to forcible bending and reduce the holding strength of the lever.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector housing, a connector, and a wire harness that reduce the workload related to attachment of the lever and improve the holding strength of the lever.

Solution to Problem

In order to solve the above problems, a connector housing includes a housing body configured to accommodate a connector terminal; and a lever axially supported on the housing body so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis, the lever being configured to rotate around the rotation axis from a temporary lock position to a final lock position to finally lock a mating connector to the housing body by pulling the mating connector having been temporarily locked, wherein the lever includes: an operation portion with which a rotation operation is performed; and an arm portion extending from the operation portion to cross the rotation axis and having a shaft-receiving hole formed at a position that crosses the rotation axis, wherein the housing body includes: an inner housing formed in a tubular shape that includes a terminal accommodation chamber configured to accommodate the connector terminal, a shaft projection configured to be fitted into the shaft-receiving hole of the arm portion projecting from an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing to cross an axis of the tubular shape and form the rotation axis, and an outer housing attached to the inner housing such that the arm portion having the shaft projection being fitted into the shaft-receiving hole is sandwiched between the outer housing and at least a surface portion of the outer peripheral surface from which the shaft projection projects so that the arm portion is rotatable around the rotation axis.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, a connector includes a connector terminal; and the above-described connector housing configured to accommodate the connector terminal.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, a wire harness includes a terminal-attached electric wire having a connector terminal connected to an end portion of an electric wire; and the above-described connector housing configured to accommodate the connector terminal of the terminal-attached electric wire.

Advantageous Effect of the Invention

According to the connector housing, the connector, and the wire harness explained above, the workload related to attachment of the lever can be reduced, and the holding strength of the lever can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a wire harness.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector and a connector housing illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating, as a cross-section taken along line V12-V12 in FIG. 1, the connector and the connector housing illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector and the connector housing illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating, as a perspective view, an operation of attaching the lever illustrated in FIG. 4 to the inner housing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating, as a perspective view, an operation of attaching the outer housing to the inner housing.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating, as a cross-sectional view taken through the shaft projection, operations from attaching of the lever to attaching of the outer housing.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a housing body in a connector housing according to a comparative example with respect to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7.

FIG. 9 is a drawing schematically illustrating, as a cross-sectional view, attaching of the lever to the connector housing illustrated in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connector housing, a connector, and a wire harness is described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a wire harness W1.

The wire harness W1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a connector C1 at an end portion. The connector C1 includes a lever 12 for assisting connection with a mating connector. This lever 12 is operated by a worker, and the lever 12 accordingly rotates from a temporary lock position P11 to a final lock position P12 in a rotation direction D11 around a predetermined rotation axis 12a, thereby assisting the connection between the connector C1 and the mating connector. The temporary lock position P11 is a lever position where the lever 12 is connected to the mating connector when the mating connector is shallowly temporarily locked to the connector C1 in a connector lock direction D12. The final lock position P12 is a lever position where the mating connector, which is temporarily locked and connected to the lever 12, is pulled and finally locked to the connector C1. When the lever 12 rotates to the final lock position P12 and the mating connector is finally locked, the wire harness W1 is electrically connected to the mating wire harness, the mating device, and the like via the connector C1 and the mating connector. Conversely, to disconnect this electrical connection, first, the lever 12 is moved from the final lock position P12 to the temporary lock position P11. This movement releases the final lock between the connector C1 and the mating connector, and returns the connector C1 to the temporary lock state with the mating connector. Thereafter, the worker pulls out the connector C1 from the mating connector. The detailed configuration of the connector C1 in the wire harness W1 and the connector housing 1 that constitutes the connector C1 is described below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector and a connector housing illustrated in FIG. 1, as viewed from the direction of arrow V11 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating, as a cross-section taken along line V12-V12 in FIG. 1, the connector and the connector housing illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector and the connector housing illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The connector C1 includes a connector terminal W111 for each of multiple terminal-attached electric wires W11, a large-sized terminal W121 for each of multiple large-sized terminal-attached electric wires W12, and a connector housing 1. The terminal-attached electric wire W11 has the connector terminal W111 connected to an end portion of an electric wire W112. The large-sized terminal-attached electric wire W12 has the large-sized terminal W121, of which the terminal size is larger than that of the connector terminal W111, connected to an end portion of a large electric wire W122 that is larger than the electric wire W112. In the present embodiment, both of the connector terminals W111 and the large-sized terminals W121 are female-type terminals. The connector housing 1 is a member that accommodates multiple connector terminals W111 and multiple large-sized terminals W121, and includes a housing body 11, a lever 12, and a spacer 13.

The housing body 11 accommodates the multiple connector terminals W111 and the multiple large-sized terminals W121. The lever 12 is axially supported on the housing body 11 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis 12a and is configured to rotate from the temporary lock position P11 to the final lock position P12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The lever 12 finally lock the mating connector to the housing body 11 (and also to the connector C1) by pulling the mating connector having been temporarily locked.

The lever 12 includes: an operation portion 121 with which a rotation operation is performed; and an arm portion 122 extending from the operation portion 121 to cross the rotation axis 12a and having a shaft-receiving hole 122a formed at a position that crosses the rotation axis 12a. In the present embodiment, the lever 12 is formed in a single plate shape constituted by the operation portion 121 and the arm portion 122. The arm portion 122 is formed with a cam groove 122b configured to receive a portion of the mating connector and to move the portion so as to connect or disconnect the mating connector to or from the housing body 11 according to rotation around the rotation axis 12a. When the portion of the mating connector moves inside the cam groove according to rotation of the lever 12 from the temporary lock position P11 to the final lock position P12, the mating connector is pulled toward the housing body 11. Conversely, when the portion of the mating connector moves inside the cam groove according to rotation of the lever 12 from the final lock position P12 to the temporary lock position P11, the mating connector separates from the housing body 11.

The housing body 11 includes an inner housing 111 and an outer housing 112.

The inner housing 111 is a member made of resin formed in a rectangular tubular shape, and includes multiple terminal accommodation chambers 111a accommodating connector terminals W111 and multiple large-sized accommodation chambers 111b accommodating large-sized terminals W121. The terminal accommodation chambers 111a and the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b are provided in the inner housing 111 such that an entry side from which the mating terminal of the mating connector enters is open and an accommodation side in which the connector terminal W111 and the large-sized terminal W121 are accommodated is open. Inside the terminal accommodation chamber 111a, a lance 111a-1 configured to lock with the accommodated connector terminal W111 is provided. Inside the large-sized accommodation chamber 111b, a similar lance is also provided.

An outer peripheral surfaces 111c crossing the rotation axis 12a of outer peripheral surfaces 111c on four sides of the rectangular tubular shape of the inner housing 111 is provided with a shaft projection 111e in a protruding manner. The shaft projection 111e is fitted into the shaft-receiving hole 122a of the arm portion 122. The shaft projection 111e crosses an axis 111d of the inner housing 111 in the tubular shape to form the rotation axis 12a. A lock claw 111f configured to lock with the outer housing 112 is provided on each of the outer peripheral surfaces 111c on the four sides of the inner housing 111.

The outer housing 112 is a cover member made of resin that is attached to the inner housing 111. The arm portion 122 of the lever 12 with the shaft projection 111e being fitted into the shaft-receiving hole 122a is sandwiched between the outer housing 112 and a surface portion 111c-1 of the inner housing 111 from which the shaft projection 111e is projecting, such that the arm portion 122 is rotatable around the rotation axis 12a. The outer housing 112 includes a mask wall portion 112a and an outer tubular portion 112b.

The mask wall portion 112a is a wall portion that covers a contact surface 111g of the inner housing 111, through which the terminal accommodation chambers 111a and the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b are open and which is configured to contact with the mating connector. As illustrated in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, this mask wall portion 112a is provided with through holes 112a-1 and guiding-recessed portions 112a-2 for the mating terminals at positions corresponding to respective openings 111a-2 of the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. The through holes 112a-1 are through holes that are in communication with the openings 111a-2 of the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. The guiding-recessed portions 112a-2 are shape portions for guiding the mating terminals to the through holes 112a-1. The guiding-recessed portions 112a-2 are entrances in a rectangular funnel shape, which are formed around the through holes 112a-1 and of which bottom sides are connected to the through holes 112a-1. Furthermore, the mask wall portion 112a is formed with inspection windows 112a-3, next to the through holes 112a-1, through which the locks of the lances 111a-1 in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a to the connector terminals W111 are confirmed. The mask wall portion 112a is formed with an exposure window 112a-4 in a rectangular shape, through which the openings of the multiple large-sized accommodation chambers 111b are collectively exposed, at a position corresponding to the multiple large-sized accommodation chambers 111b. For the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b, the locks of the lances in the inside are confirmed through the opening of each large-sized accommodation chamber 111b exposed through the exposure window 112a-4.

The outer tubular portion 112b is a wall portion in a rectangular tubular shape extending from the outer peripheral edges of the mask wall portion 112a so as to cover, from the side of the contact surface 111g, the outer peripheral surfaces 111c on the four sides of the inner housing 111, including the surface portion 111c-1 from which the shaft projection 111e projects. Of the outer tubular portion 112b, an opposite surface portion 112b-1 opposite to the surface portion 111c-1 extends longer than the other portions to sandwich the arm portion 122 of the lever 12 between the opposite surface portion 112b-1 and the surface portion 111c-1. The outer tubular portion 112b is formed with lock holes 112b-2 for locking with lock claws 111f formed on the outer peripheral surfaces 111c on the four sides of the inner housing 111.

In this case, the arm portion 122 of the lever 12 is provided with a first lever lock portion 122c for holding the lever 12 at the temporary lock position P11 and a second lever lock portion 122d for holding the lever 12 at the final lock position P12.

The first lever lock portion 122c locks with the outer housing 112 so as to limit rotation to the final lock position P12 when the lever 12 is at the temporary lock position P11. The outer tubular portion 112b of the outer housing 112 is provided with a lock-receiving groove 112b-3, with which the first lever lock portion 122c locks as illustrated in FIG. 1 at this occasion. The first lever lock portion 122c is a flexibly bendable cantilever with a projection for locking formed at the tip. Locking of the first lever lock portion 122c to the lock-receiving groove 112b-3 when the lever 12 is at the temporary lock position P11 is made by hooking the projection at the tip to the edge of the lock-receiving groove 112b-3. Then, when the mating connector is temporarily locked to the housing body 11, the first lever lock portion 122c is bent by the mating connector, which enables the protrusion at the tip to pass under the edge of the lock-receiving groove 112b-3, so that the lock is released. In this state, when the lever 12 rotates to the final lock position P12, the first lever lock portion 122c moves such that the protrusion at the tip of the first lever lock portion 122c passes inside the outer tubular portion 112b to reach the window portion 112b-4 through which the first lever lock portion 122c is exposed and becomes unbent.

Furthermore, the protrusion at the tip of the first lever lock portion 122c is formed with a sloped surface that comes into contact with the edge of the window portion 112b-4 when the lever 12 rotates from the final lock position P12 to the temporary lock position P11. With this sloped surface, when the first lever lock portion 122c rotates to the temporary lock position P11, the first lever lock portion 122c bends so that the protrusion passes under the edge of the window portion 112b-4, and continues to move inside the outer tubular portion 112b to reach the lock-receiving groove 112b-3, where the first lever lock portion 122c is exposed and becomes unbent. Of the projection at the tip of the first lever lock portion 122c, a portion that comes into contact with the edge of the lock-receiving groove 112b-3 when the lever 12 rotates to the final lock position P12 is a standing surface substantially orthogonal to the lever 12. With this standing surface, unless unlocked by the temporary lock of the mating connector, the projection at the tip cannot pass under the edge of the lock-receiving groove 112b-3, so that the lock is maintained to hold the lever 12 at the temporary lock position P11.

In contrast, the second lever lock portion 122d for holding the lever 12 at the final lock position P12 has the following configuration. When the lever 12 rotates to the final lock position P12, the lever 12 locks with the mating connector with the mating connector finally locking with the housing body 11, so that rotation of the lever 12 to the temporary lock position P11 is restricted. The second lever lock portion 122d is a flexibly bendable cantilever with a step for locking formed in the middle. Locking of the second lever lock portion 122d to the mating connector when the lever 12 is at the final lock position P12 is made by hooking the step in the middle to a lock-receiving portion provided on the mating connector. This step is formed in a sloped surface on the entry side for the mating connector, and when the mating connector is to be finally locked, this slope bends the second lever lock portion 122d until it reaches the lock-receiving portion of the mating connector. In contrast, on the lock side for the lock-receiving portion of the mating connector, this step is formed in a standing surface substantially orthogonal to the lever 12. This standing surface makes it impossible to pass the lock-receiving portion of the mating connector, so that the lock is maintained, and the lever 12 is held at the final lock position P12. Then, when the worker pushes down the tip portion of the cantilever beam to bend the second lever lock portion 122d, the step in the middle is unhooked from the lock-receiving portion of the mating connector, so that the lock is released.

Next, the spacer 13 provided in the connector housing 1 is explained. As illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, this spacer 13 is a plate-like member that enters the inside of the inner housing 111 of the housing body 11 by crossing the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. The spacer 13 is provided with multiple tightening regulation portions 131, corresponding to the respective terminal accommodation chambers 111a, for tightening the connector terminals W111 so as to restrict movement of the connector terminals W111 in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. In the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b of the inner housing 111, regulation of movement of the large-sized terminals W121 is sufficiently performed by the locks of large lances in the inside. For this reason, the spacer 13 is formed in such a shape as to cross only the terminal accommodation chambers 111a and enter the inside of the inner housing 111 without crossing the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b. As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an entry portion 111h for the spacer 13 is open on a side of the inner housing 111 opposite to the shaft projection 111e. In other words, the shaft projection 111e is provided to protrude from the surface portion 111c-1 of the outer peripheral surface 111c of the inner housing 111 that is away from the entry portion 111h for the spacer 13. The spacer 13 is fitted from the entry portion 111h of the inner housing 111 to enter the inside of the inner housing 111.

In this case, entry of the spacer 13 into the inside of the inner housing 111 is performed by two-stage entry as explained below. First, in a first stage before the connector terminals W111 are accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a, the spacer 13 is pushed in and placed at the first position where the connector terminals W111 are allowed to move in the inside of the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. In other words, at this first position, the multiple tightening regulation portions 131 of the spacer 13 do not tighten the connector terminals W111, so that the connector terminals W111 are allowed to move. In the first stage, the spacer 13 is in the temporary lock state at this first position. Then, without being restricted in movement by the tightening regulation portions 131, the connector terminals W111 are accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a of the connector housing 1 in which the spacer 13 is temporarily locked at the first position. When all the connector terminals W111 have been accommodated, in a second stage, the spacer 13 is pushed into the inside of the inner housing 111 from the first position and advanced to the second position as follows. That is, at this second position, the tightening regulation portions 131 tightens the connector terminals W111 to regulate movement of the connector terminals W111 in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. At this second position, the spacer 13 is in the final lock state. The spacer 13 is provided to be movable between the first position and the second position, and when, e.g., the connector terminals W111 are to be replaced, the spacer 13 is pulled out from the first position to the second position, so that restriction of movement of the connector terminals W111 is cancelled.

The connector housing 1 as explained above is assembled according to the following procedure. First, the lever 12 is attached to the inner housing 111, and subsequently, the outer housing 112 is attached to the inner housing 111.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating, as a perspective view, an operation of attaching the lever illustrated in FIG. 4 to the inner housing. FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating, as a perspective view, an operation of attaching the outer housing to the inner housing. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating, as a cross-sectional view taken through the shaft projection, operations from attaching of the lever to attaching of the outer housing.

Attaching of the lever 12 to the inner housing 111 is performed by fitting the shaft projection 111e of the inner housing 111 into the shaft-receiving hole 122a of the arm portion 122 of the lever 12. At this occasion, in the present embodiment, the shaft projection 111e includes a cylindrical portion 111e-1 having the rotation axis 12a as a central axis and a lateral branch portion 111e-2 protruding in a lateral branch manner from the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 111e-1. In contrast, the shaft-receiving hole 122a of the arm portion 122 is formed in a shape in which a circular hole portion 122a-1 and a fan hole portion 122a-2 are connected. The circular hole portion 122a-1 is a circular hole portion through which the cylindrical portion 111e-1 penetrates in an axial direction D13 of the rotation axis 12a. The fan hole portion 122a-2 is a hole portion formed in a fan shape along a trace of a relative movement of the lateral branch portion 111e-2 with respect to the arm portion 122 when the lever 12 rotates between the temporary lock position P11 and the final lock position P12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. An interference wall 122a-3 is provided in the inside of the fan hole portion 122a-2. The interference wall 122a-3 interferes with the lateral branch portion 111e-2 such that the arm portion 122 does not detach from the inner housing 111 in the axial direction D13 when the lever 12 rotates from the temporary lock position P11.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, in the first step S11, the lever 12 is positioned such that the lateral branch portion 111e-2 of the shaft projection 111e of the inner housing 111 matches with a penetrating portion of the fan hole portion 122a-2 that does not overlap with the interference wall 122a-3. In the present embodiment, when the lever 12 is at the temporary lock position P11, the lateral branch portion 111e-2 matches with the above-described penetrating portion. In the second step S12, the shaft projection 111e is fitted into the shaft-receiving hole 122a such that the lateral branch portion 111e-2 passes through the penetrating portion of the fan hole portion 122a-2. In the second step S12, the lever 12 is situated at the temporary lock position P11. Thereafter, in step S13, the lever 12 is moved in a rotation direction D11 from the temporary lock position P11 to the final lock position P12. At the final lock position P12, the lateral branch portion 111e-2 of the shaft projection 111e interferes with the interference wall 122a-3 in the inside of the fan hole portion 122a-2, and the lever 12 is attached to the inner housing 111 in such a detachment-preventing state that the shaft projection 111e does not detach from the shaft-receiving hole 122a.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, in the fourth step S14, the outer housing 112 is positioned such that both the lever 12 in the detachment-preventing state at the final lock position P12 and the inner housing 111 are in the inside of the outer tubular portion 112b. In the fifth step S15, the outer housing 112 is attached to the inner housing 111. At this occasion, the lock claws 111f of the inner housing 111 lock with the lock holes 112b-2 of the outer tubular portion 112b of the outer housing 112 so that the outer housing 112 locks with the inner housing 111. As a result, the arm portion 122 of the lever 12 is sandwiched between the surface portion 111c-1 of the inner housing 111, from which the shaft projection 111e projects, and the outer tubular portion 112b of the outer housing 112. In this state, even if the lever 12 rotates to the temporary lock position P11, the outer tubular portion 112b of the outer housing 112 prevents the lever 12 from detaching. After this fifth step S15, the spacer 13 is inserted from the entry portion 111h of the inner housing 111 so that the connector housing 1 is completed.

Next, a comparative example with respect to the embodiment explained with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 is explained.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a housing body in a connector housing according to the comparative example with respect to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 9 is a drawing schematically illustrating, as a cross-sectional view, attaching of the lever to the connector housing illustrated in FIG. 8.

In a connector housing 5 according to the comparative example, a housing body 51 is not divided into an inner housing and an outer housing, and an accommodation recess 51a in a narrow groove shape for accommodating an arm portion 522 of a lever 52 is formed in the housing body 51. In this comparative example, a shaft projection 511e, which is fitted into a shaft-receiving hole 522a of an arm portion 522, is provided in the inside of the accommodation recess 51a of the housing body 51.

In this comparative example, a wall 51a-1 of the accommodation recess 51a with which the arm portion 522 is sandwiched in the vertical direction becomes an obstacle against insertion of the arm portion 522. Therefore, in a first step S51 of a lever attachment task in this comparative example, the groove width of the accommodation recess 51a is temporarily widened due to bending of the wall 51a-1 of the accommodation recess 51a, i.e., the obstacle, in a bending direction D51. Thereafter, in a second step S52, the arm portion 522 of the lever 52 is inserted in an insertion direction D52 into the accommodation recess 51a, of which the groove width is widened, in such a manner as to pass over the shaft projection 511e. When the arm portion 522 is sufficiently inserted and the shaft projection 511e is fitted into the shaft-receiving hole 522a, the wall 51a-1 of the accommodation recess 51a is unbent.

In this case, in this comparative example, the task of widening the groove width by bending the wall 51a-1 of the accommodation recess 51a in the first step S51 tends to be a burden on workers. Furthermore, forcible bending may degrade a base portion 51a-2 that allows for bending of the wall 51a-1 of the accommodation recess 51a, and may reduce the holding strength of the lever 52.

In contrast to the comparative example, the connector housing 1, the connector C1, and the wire harness W1 according to the embodiment explained with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 7 can achieve the following effects. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the housing body 11 is divided into the inner housing 111 provided with the shaft projection 111e for holding the lever and the outer housing 112 attached to the inner housing 111. This divided configuration enables an attachment task of the lever 12, including, first, fitting the shaft projection 111e of the inner housing 111 into the shaft-receiving hole 122a of the arm portion 122 of the lever 12, and thereafter, attaching the outer housing 112 so as to cover the arm portion 122. In this attachment task, the walls sandwiching the lever 12 to prevent the lever 12 from detaching are formed by attaching the outer housing 112 after the arm portion 122 is attached to the inner housing 111. Therefore, when the shaft projection 111e is fitted into the shaft-receiving hole 122a, any obstacle such as a surrounding wall does not exist, and the workload of the attachment task of the lever 12 can be alleviated. Furthermore, it is not necessary to forcibly bend the walls provided for prevention of detachment of the lever 12, and degradation of the walls due to attachment task of the lever 12 can be prevented. Therefore, the holding strength of the lever 12 can be improved.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the outer housing 112 includes the mask wall portion 112a for covering the contact surface 111g, for the mating connector, of the inner housing 111. The mask wall portion 112a is provided with the through holes 112a-1 for the mating terminals and the guiding-recessed portions 112a-2 for the mating terminals. According to this configuration, with the guiding-recessed portions 112a-2 of the mask wall portion 112a, the outer housing 112 also achieves the function of guiding the mating terminals. Therefore, the size of the connector housing 1 can be reduced as compared with a configuration in which a member having such a guiding function is attached separately.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the outer housing 112 includes the mask wall portion 112a and the outer tubular portion 112b. The lock claws 111f are formed on the outer peripheral surface 111c of the inner housing 111, and the lock holes 112b-2 are formed on the outer tubular portion 112b of the outer housing 112. According to this configuration, the outer housing 112 is attached to the inner housing 111 from the side of the contact surface 111g for the mating connector. In contrast, a side of the inner housing 111 opposite to the contact surface 111g is open, and is therefore can be preferably used as an accommodation side in which the connector terminals W111 are accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. According to the above configuration, the outer housing 112 can be attached by an easy task, i.e., locking the lock claws 111fwith the lock holes 112b-2.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the inner housing 111 is provided with the large-sized accommodation chamber 111b for accommodating the large-sized terminals W121 in addition to the terminal accommodation chambers 111a such that the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b are open through the contact surface 111g. The mask wall portion 112a is provided with the exposure window 112a-4, through which the openings of the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b are exposed. According to this configuration, a connector that has multiple types of terminals with different sizes and can transmit multiple types of electrical signals with different voltage and current levels can be made in a preferable manner. The mask wall portion 112a is formed such that the openings of the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b, which are large and are therefore not required to guide the mating terminals, are exposed through the exposure window 112a-4. As a result, the shape of the outer housing 112 can be simplified to reduce the labor required for processing.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the lances 111a-1 for locking with the connector terminals W111 are provided in the inside of the terminal accommodation chambers 111a. Also, in the mask wall portion 112a, the inspection windows 112a-3, through which the locks of the lances 111a-1 are confirmed, are formed next to the through holes 112a-1. According to this configuration, the locks of the lances 111a-1 with the connector terminals W111 can be confirmed through the inspection windows 112a-3 formed in the mask wall portion 112a. Therefore, the connector C1 that alleviates, e.g., detachment of the connector terminals W111 from the terminal accommodation chambers 111a can be made with a high quality.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the lever 12 is formed in a single plate shape constituted by the operation portion 121 and the arm portion 122, and the inner housing 111 is provided with the single shaft projection 111e. According to this configuration, only the single lever 12 in the single plate shape is axially supported on the inner housing 111. Therefore, the thickness of the connector housing 1 can be reduced in the axial direction D13 of the rotation axis 12a as compared with, for example, a C-shaped lever having two axially supported arm portions 122.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the spacer 13 that enters the inside of the inner housing 111 of the housing body 11 by crossing the terminal accommodation chambers 111a to restrict movement of the connector terminals W111 is provided. Also, the shaft projection 111e is provided to protrude from the surface portion 111c-1 of the outer peripheral surface 111c of the inner housing 111 that is away from the entry portion 111h for the spacer 13. According to this configuration, the lever 12 in the single plate shape can be attached to the inner housing 111 in a preferable manner, without interfering with the spacer 13 for restricting movement of the connector terminals W111 in the inside of the terminal accommodation chambers 111a.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the shaft projection 111e includes the cylindrical portion 111e-1 and the lateral branch portion 111e-2. The shaft-receiving hole 122a of the arm portion 122 is formed in a shape in which the circular hole portion 122a-1 and the fan hole portion 122a-2 are connected. Also, the interference wall 122a-3 is provided in the inside of the fan hole portion 122a-2. The interference wall 122a-3 interferes with the lateral branch portion 111e-2 when the lever 12 rotates from the temporary lock position P11. According to this configuration, movement of the lever 12 can be regulated in a preferable manner between the temporary lock position P11 and the final lock position P12, and the lever 12 can be attached to the inner housing 111 at the temporary lock position P11 in a preferable manner. Also, after the attachment, the position of the ever 12 is moved from the temporary lock position P11 to cause the lateral branch portion 111e-2 to interfere with the interference wall 122a-3, so that the lever 12 can be prevented from detaching in a preferable manner even before the outer housing 112 is attached.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the arm portion 122 is provided with the first lever lock portion 122c that locks with the outer housing 112 when the lever 12 is at the temporary lock position P11 and that unlocks by the mating connector. Also, the arm portion 122 is provided with the second lever lock portion 122d that locks with the mating connector when the lever 12 to the final lock position P12 and that unlocks when operated. According to this configuration, when, e.g., the connector housing 1 is transported alone as a component, the first lever lock portion 122c locks with the outer housing 112, so that the position of the lever 12 can be stabilized at the temporary lock position P11. Also, when, e.g., the connector housing 1 is assembled into the wire harness W1 and connected to the mating connector, the second lever lock portion 122d locks with the mating connector, so that the position of the lever 12 can be stabilized at the final lock position P12.

It should be noted that the embodiment described above merely shows a representative form of the connector housing, the connector, and the wire harness. The connector housing, the connector, and the wire harness are not limited thereto, and can be modified and implemented in various ways.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the connector C1 and the wire harness W1 having the connector housing 1 in the rectangular block shape have been shown as an example of the connector housing, connector, and wire harness. However, the connector housing, the connector, and the wire harness are not limited thereto. For example, the shape of the connector housing may be, for example, a cylindrical block shape or the like, and the shape of the housing may be any shape.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the outer housing 112 has the mask wall portion 112a that achieves the function of, e.g., guiding the mating terminals, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto. The outer housing may be in a simple tubular shape that achieves only the detachment prevention function for sandwiching the arm portion of the lever between the inner housing and the outer housing. However, as described above, when the mask wall portion 112a that achieves the function of, e.g., guiding the mating terminals is provided in the outer housing 112, the size of the connector housing 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the outer housing 112 formed with the lock holes 112b-2 is attached, from the side of the contact surface 111g, to the inner housing 111 formed with the lock claws 111f, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto, and the structure for attaching the outer housing to the inner housing is not particularly limited. However, as described above, according to the above-described structure of attachment using the lock claws 111f and the lock holes 112b-2, the connector terminals W111 are accommodated in a preferable manner, and the outer housing 112 can be attached by an easy task. Even when a structure for attaching using lock claws and lock holes is provided, the inner housing may be formed with lock holes and the outer housing may be formed with lock claws, conversely to the above-described embodiment.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1 with the mask wall portion 112a formed with the exposure window 112a-4 through which the openings of the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b of the inner housing 111 are exposed is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto. The large-sized accommodation chambers and the exposure window for the openings thereof do not have to be provided, and only small-sized terminal accommodation chambers and through holes and guiding-recessed portions for the openings thereof may be provided. However, as described above, when not only the small-sized terminal accommodation chambers but also the structure corresponding to the large-sized accommodation chambers are provided, the connector that can transmit multiple types of electrical signals can be made in a preferable manner. In addition, as described above, when the exposure window 112a-4 is adopted as the structure of the mask wall portion 112a corresponding to the large-sized accommodation chambers 111b, the shape of the outer housing 112 can be simplified to reduce the labor required for processing.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the mask wall portion 112a of the outer housing 112 is formed with the inspection windows 112a-3 through which the locks of the lances 111a-1 are confirmed, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto, and such inspection windows do not have to be provided. However, as described above, when the inspection windows 112a-3 for confirming the locks of the lances 111a-1 are provided, the connector C1 can be made with a high quality.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the inner housing 111 is provided with the single shaft projection 111e for axially supporting the lever 12 in the single plate shape, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto. A C-shaped lever having two arm portions may be provided, and the inner housing may be provided with a pair of shaft projections for axially supporting the C-shaped lever. However, as described above, when the structure in which the lever 12 in the single plate shape is axially supported by the single shaft projection 111e is employed, the thickness of the connector housing 1 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the spacer 13 is provided to restrict movement of the terminals, and the inner housing 111 is provided with the shaft projection 111e such that the entry portion 111h for the spacer 13 and the lever 12 do not overlap with each other, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto. The spacer does not have to be provided, and even if the spacer is provided, the shaft projection may be provided such that the lever overlaps with the entry portion. However, as described above, when the shaft projection 111e is provided such that the entry portion 111h of the spacer 13 and the lever 12 do not overlap with each other, the lever 12 in the single plate shape can be attached to the inner housing 111 in a preferable manner.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1, in which the interference wall 122a-3 that interferes with the lateral branch portion 111e-2 of the shaft projection 111e is provided in the inside of the fan hole portion 122a-2 of the shaft-receiving hole 122a, is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto, and the structure for axial support is not particularly limited. However, as described above, according to the above-described axial structure for causing the lateral branch portion 111e-2 of the shaft projection 111e to interfere with the interference wall 122a-3 of the shaft-receiving hole 122a, the lever 12 can be attached in a preferable manner, and detachment of the lever 12 can be prevented in a preferable manner.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the connector housing 1 provided with the first lever lock portion 122c for holding the lever 12 at the temporary lock position P11 and the second lever lock portion 122d for holding the lever 12 at the final lock position P12 is shown as an example of the connector housing. However, the connector housing is not limited thereto, and it is not necessary to provide the structure for holding the lever at the temporary lock position and at the final lock position. However, as described above, when the first lever lock portion 122c and the second lever lock portion 122d are provided, the position of the lever 12 can be stabilized at the temporary lock position P11 and the final lock position P12.

List of Reference Signs

1

connector housing

11

housing body

12

lever

12
a

rotation axis

13

spacer

111

inner housing

111
a

terminal accommodation chamber

111
a-1
lance

111
b

large-sized accommodation chamber

111
c

outer peripheral surface

111
c-1
surface portion

111
d

axis

111
e

shaft projection

111
e-1
cylindrical portion

111
e-2
lateral branch portion

111
f

lock claw

111
g

contact surface

111
h

entry portion

112

outer housing

112
a

mask wall portion

112
a-1
through hole

112
a-2
guiding-recessed portion

112
a-3
inspection window

112
a-4
exposure window

112
b

outer tubular portion

112
b-1
opposite surface portion

112
b-2
lock hole

112
b-3
lock-receiving groove

112
b-4
window portion

121

operation portion

122

arm portion

122
a

shaft-receiving hole

122
a-1
circular hole portion

122
a-2
fan hole portion

122
a-3
interference wall

122
b

cam groove

122
c

first lever lock portion

122
d

second lever lock portion

131

tightening regulation portion

C1
connector

D11
rotation direction

D12
connector lock direction

D13
axial direction

P11
temporary lock position

P12
final lock position

W1
wire harness

W11
terminal-attached electric wire

W111
connector terminal

W112
electric wire

W12
large-sized terminal-attached electric wire

W121
large-sized terminal

W122
large electric wire

CONNECTOR HOUSING, CONNECTOR, AND WIRE HARNESS

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (1)