Patent Application
20240291206
The present invention relates to a connector in which a Connector Position Assurance (CPA) member is attached to a connector body to ensure mating with a mating connector.
Conventionally, a connector is known in which a CPA member is attached to the connector body to ensure mating with a mating connector (for example, see Patent Document 1). The CPA member of Patent Document 1 is attached to a housing in a temporarily locked state, and movement in the mating direction is inhibited before mating. Then, when the connector body and the mating connector are fitted together, the inhibition of the CPA member is released to allow the CPA member to move. When the mating is completed, a worker moves the movable CPA member to enter the fully locked state. In this connector, since the CPA member is in the fully locked state, mating with the mating connector is guaranteed.
In the above-mentioned CPA member, the movement inhibition in the temporarily locked state and the full locking to the housing in the fully locked state are performed by a CPA arm formed in a cantilever shape. In the temporarily locked state, the CPA arm comes into contact with the housing on the distal end side, thereby inhibiting movement of the CPA member. When the mating connector is mated, the CPA arm is bent and the tip side is removed from the housing to release the movement inhibition and allow movement by operation of the worker.
Here, in many of the connectors with a CPA member as described above, the CPA member is attached in a temporarily locked state while they are carried. When such a connector is transported, some external force may be applied to the CPA arm, causing the CPA arm to become bent. Such unintended deflection of the CPA arm may cause deformation of the CPA arm if the deflection is too large, or may release the movement inhibition of the CPA member in the temporarily locked state before mating with the mating connector, which are not desirable.
Therefore, the present invention focuses on the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a connector that can suppress unintended deflection of the CPA arm of the CPA member in the temporarily locked state.
In order to solve the above problems, a connector includes a connector body in which a connector terminal is accommodated in a cavity of a housing, and a CPA member configured to be attached to the housing in a temporarily locked state and configured to, before mating of the connector body with a mating connector, inhibit movement in a movement direction along a mating direction, the CPA member being configured to, when the inhibition is released by the mating, transit to a fully locked state by moving in the movement direction, so that the CPA member guarantees the mating, wherein the CPA member includes: a CPA body configured to temporarily lock to the housing and receive a transition operation to the fully locked state on a rear side in the movement direction; a CPA arm being a cantilever extending in the movement direction from the CPA body, the CPA arm configured to, before the mating, inhibit the movement by bringing an end portion on a free end side of the CPA arm to come into contact with the housing, and configured to release the inhibition due to the mating and make a full lock at the end portion; and a pair of CPA-side protrusions protruding in a width direction of the CPA arm from an intermediate position between the fixed end side and the free end side on each of side edges, constituting a pair, of the CPA arm, wherein the housing includes: a housing body provided with the cavity; a CPA-receiving portion that defines, of an outer peripheral surface of the housing body, a CPA-receiving space for receiving the CPA member, with a bottom surface of the CPA-receiving space being a CPA movement surface on which the CPA member moves, the CPA body temporarily locking to the CPA-receiving portion in the temporarily locked state, and the end portion of the CPA arm fully locking to the CPA-receiving portion in the fully locked state; and a pair of housing-side protrusions formed in a protruding manner on the CPA movement surface at such a position that the pair of housing-side protrusions does not overlap with the CPA arm in a top view of the CPA movement surface and that the pair of housing-side protrusions comes into contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions in the temporarily locked state and comes out of contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions in the fully locked state.
According to the above connector, unintended deflection of a CPA arm of a CPA member in the temporarily locked state can be alleviated.
An embodiment of a connector will be described below.
The connector 1 according to the present embodiment is used, for example, as an end connector of a wire harness mounted on a vehicle or the like. The mating connector 2 is provided in a mating device or a mating wire harness to which the wire harness in question is connected. Further, in the present embodiment, the connector 1 is a female connector having an appearance of a rectangular block shape, and the mating connector 2 is a male connector in a rectangular block shape, to which the connector 1 can be connected.
The connector 1 includes a connector body 11 and a CPA member 12. The connector body 11 has connector terminals 11b housed in cavities 111a of a housing 11a. The housing 11a is a member made of insulating resin that has an appearance of a rectangular block shape and has the multiple rectangular cylindrical cavities 111a formed inside. The connector terminal 11b is a female terminal made of a conductive metal that is crimped and connected to an end of an electric wire W1 and formed into a rectangular tube shape by sheet metal processing. A single connector terminal 11b is housed in each of the cavities 111a of the housing 11a.
Furthermore, the connector body 11 includes a spacer 11c. The spacer 11c is a member made of insulating resin that is inserted through a slit formed on one side of a housing body 111 in a rectangular block shape. When this spacer 11c is inserted into the housing body 111, the connector terminal 11b in each cavity 111a is pressed in the insertion direction, and each connector terminal 11b is fixed so as not to come out of the cavity 111a.
A CPA member 12 is a resin member that is attached to the housing body 111 in the temporarily locked state, and after the connector body 11 is fitted to the mating connector 2, shifts to the fully locked state to ensure the mating. Before the connector body 11 is fitted to the mating connector 2, the CPA member 12 is inhibited from moving in a movement direction D12 along the mating direction D11, and this inhibition is released upon mating. When the mating of the connector body 11 to the mating connector 2 is completed, the worker confirms the mating by pushing the CPA member 12 in the movement direction D12 to shift to the fully locked state.
The housing 11a in the connector body 11 includes: the housing body 111 in which the cavities 111a are provided; and a CPA-receiving portion 112 that receives the CPA member 12. The CPA-receiving portion 112 defines, on the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 111, a CPA-receiving space 112b that receives the CPA member 12, with a bottom surface of the CPA-receiving space 112b being a CPA movement surface 112a on which the CPA member 12 moves. This CPA-receiving portion 112 includes: a pair of side wall ribs 112c that are erected on a pair of side edges, along the movement direction D12, of the CPA movement surface 112a; and a mating locking arm 112d that extends between the side wall ribs 112c to face the CPA movement surface 112a.
In the mating locking arm 112d, a rear side in the movement direction D12 is connected to the pair of side wall ribs 112c, a front side is connected to the CPA movement surface 112a, and a central part is configured to have deflection deformation. The mating locking arms 112d includes arm portions 112d-1, constituting a pair, each extending along the side wall ribs 112c, the arm portions 112d-1 being connected, on the rear side in the movement direction D12, to the side wall ribs 112c, and the arm portions 112d-1 being connected, on the front side in the movement direction D12, to the CPA movement surface 112a at positions closer to the side wall ribs 112c. A locking bridge 112d-2 connects the central portions of the arm portions 112d-1 constituting the pair. During mating with the mating connector 2, the mating connector 2 is locked to a locking end face 112d-2a, which is an end face of the locking bridge 112d-2 on the rear side in the movement direction D12, so that the mating state is stabilized.
Furthermore, on the rear side of the locking bridge 112d-2, a lock release operation-receiving portion 112d-3 is provided, in the form of a bridge, between the arm portions 112d-1 constituting the pair. During releasing of mating, a worker performs a lock release operation on the lock release operation-receiving portion 112d-3 to detach the locking end face 112d-2a from the mating connector 2 by deflecting the mating locking arm 112d. The lock release operation-receiving portion 112d-3 is formed such that the height of the lock release operation-receiving portion 112d-3 from the CPA movement surface 112a is greater than the height of the locking bridge 112d-2, so that the worker can readily perform the lock release operation.
The CPA member 12 is a member having an appearance of a generally rectangular plate shape, and is inserted into the CPA-receiving space 112b such that it is introduced between the CPA movement surface 112a and the mating locking arm 112d in the CPA-receiving portion 112. Before mating with the mating connector 2, the CPA member 12 will be in the temporarily locked state explained below in the CPA-receiving space 112b.
First, the CPA member 12 has a CPA body 121 formed in a rectangular frame shape and provided with a full lock operation-receiving portion 121a, on the rear side in the movement direction D12 along the mating direction D11, for receiving a transition operation to the fully locked state. CPA-side temporary locking protrusions 121c for temporarily locking to the housing 11a are provided on the outer surfaces of the side frame portions 121b, constituting a pair, that are provided along the movement direction D12 of the CPA body 121. In the CPA-receiving portion 112 of the housing 11a, housing-side temporary locking protrusions 112e to which the CPA-side temporary locking protrusions 121c lock are provided on the inner surfaces of the side wall ribs 112c constituting the pair. When the pair of CPA-side temporary locking protrusions 121c lock to the pair of housing-side temporary locking protrusions 112e, the CPA body 121, thus the CPA member 12, temporarily locks to the housing 11a, and therefore,
Furthermore, the CPA member 12 includes a CPA arm 122 in a cantilever shape extending inside the rectangular frame-shaped CPA body 121 in the movement direction D12. The rear side of the CPA arm 122 in the movement direction D12 is a fixed end, and the front side is a free end. An end portion protrusion 122a protruding toward the side opposite from the CPA movement surface 112a is formed on the end portion of the CPA arm 122 on the free end side. Before mating, a movement inhibition end face 122a-1, which is the end face of the end portion protrusion 122a on the front side in the in the movement direction D12, comes into contact with the locking end face 112d-2a of the mating locking arm 112d of the housing 11a. Due to the movement inhibition end face 122a-1 coming into contact with the locking end face 112d-2a, the CPA arm 122 inhibits the CPA member 12, in the temporarily locked state before mating, from moving in the movement direction D12.
When the mating connector 2 is mated, this mating connector 2 pushes the end portion protrusion 122a toward the CPA movement surface 112a, and the movement inhibition end face 122a-1 is detached from locking end face 112d-2a, so that the movement inhibition in the temporarily locked state is released. Then, when the worker puts his finger on the full lock operation-receiving portion 121a and pushes the CPA member 12 in the movement direction D12, the end portion protrusion 122a of the CPA arm 122 passes under the locking bridge 112d-2 of the mating locking arm 112d to the front side in the movement direction D12. When the CPA arm 122 springs back upon passing under the locking bridge 112d-2, the full lock end face 122a-2, i.e, the end face of the end portion protrusion 122a on the rear side in the movement direction D12, locks to the full lock-receiving portion 112d-2b, i.e., the end portion of the locking bridge 112d-2 on the front side in the movement direction D12. The fully locked state of the CPA member 12 with respect to the housing 11a means a state in which the full lock end face 122a-2 of the CPA arm 122 locks to the full lock-receiving portion 112d-2b of the mating locking arm 112d. As described above, when the movement inhibition is released due to mating of the mating connector 2, the CPA arm 122 fully locks to the housing 11a.
The CPA arm 122 has a full lock release-receiving portion 122b formed in a protruding manner at an intermediate position between the fixed end side and the free end side on the outer surface opposite from the CPA movement surface 112a. The full lock release-receiving portion 122b is a portion on which the worker performs a full lock release operation to deflect the CPA arm 122 to release the full lock of the full lock end face 122a-2 in the fully locked state. In the full lock release operation, the worker pushes the full lock release-receiving portion 122b toward the CPA movement surface 112a, so that the full lock end face 122a-2 is detached from the full lock-receiving portion 112d-2b to release the full lock.
Furthermore, the CPA arm 122 is provided with a pair of CPA-side protrusions 123. The CPA-side protrusions 123 constituting the pair are portions provided at the intermediate position between the fixed end side and the free end side on the side edges 122c constituting the pair of the CPA arm 122, the CPA-side protrusions 123 formed to protrude in a width direction D13 of the CPA arm 122. Each of the CPA-side protrusions 123 has a square prism shape with a pair of corners on the side of the CPA movement surface 112a being chamfered. The CPA-side protrusions 123 constituting the pair protrude from a position adjacent to the full lock release-receiving portion 122b on the side edges 122c constituting the pair of the CPA arm 122. As illustrated in
On the housing 11a, a pair of housing-side protrusions 113 is formed, as a portion corresponding to the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123, in a protruding manner on the CPA movement surface 112a. The pair of housing-side protrusions 113 does not overlap with the CPA arm 122 on the CPA movement surface 112a in a top view of the CPA movement surface 112a, and is provided at a position in contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 in the temporarily locked state. The positions where the housing-side protrusions 113 are formed are positions that come out of contact with the CPA-side protrusions 123 in the fully locked state.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a chamfered portion of each of the CPA-side protrusions 123 on the front side in the movement direction D12 is a CPA front side-inclined surface 123a that is inclined such that the distance from the CPA movement surface 112a gradually increases in the movement direction D12. Each of the housing-side protrusions 113 is provided with, on the rear side in the movement direction D12, a housing-side-inclined surface 113a that is inclined such that the protrusion height from the CPA movement surface 112a gradually increases in the movement direction D12.
Furthermore, a chamfered portion of each of the CPA-side protrusions 123 on the rear side in the movement direction D12 is formed with a CPA rear side-inclined surface 123b that is inclined such that the distance from the CPA movement surface 112a gradually decreases in the movement direction D12. An end face of each of the housing-side protrusions 113 on the front side in the movement direction D12 is a housing-side non-inclined surface 113b that rises substantially vertically from the CPA movement surface 112a.
In a first step S11 of
In the second step S12 in which the mating connector 2 slightly makes progress in the mating process with the connector 1, the mating-side lock portion 21 passes over the locking bridge 112d-2 while deflecting the mating locking arm 112d toward the CPA movement surface 112a. At this occasion, the front end portion is pushed by the locking bridge 112d-2, and the CPA member 12 is inclined toward the CPA movement surface 112a.
In a third step S13 in which mating of the mating connector 2 with the connector 1 is completed, the mating-side lock portion 21 passes over the locking bridge 112d-2 to lock to the locking end face 112d-2a. Then, the mating-side lock portion 21 pushes the end portion protrusion 122a of the CPA member 12, of which the movement inhibition end face 122a-1 was in contact with locking end face 112d-2a in the temporarily locked state, toward the CPA movement surface 112a while deflecting the CPA arm 122. According to this pushing, the movement inhibition end face 122a-1 is detached from the locking end face 112d-2a, which releases movement inhibition of the CPA member 12.
In a fourth step S14 in which mating of the mating connector 2 with the connector 1 is completed, the CPA member 12 which has been released from the movement inhibition is pushed in the movement direction D12 to transit to the fully locked state. In the fully locked state, the end portion protrusion 122a of the CPA arm 122 passes under the locking bridge 112d-2, and the full lock end face 122a-2 on the rear side in the movement direction D12 latches to the full lock-receiving portion 112d-2b of the locking bridge 112d-2.
Then, in the fully locked state, as illustrated in
In order to release the mating between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2, before the mating release, first, the CPA member 12 is returned from the fully locked state to the temporarily locked state. At this occasion, by utilizing the above clearance d11, the worker pushes the full lock release-receiving portion 122b adjacent to the CPA-side protrusion 123 in the width direction D13. With this pushing, the CPA arm 122 in a cantilever shape is deflected toward the CPA movement surface 112a, and the full lock end face 122a-2 of the end portion protrusion 122a on the front end side is detached from the full lock-receiving portion 112d-2b of the locking bridge 112d-2, so that the full lock is released. Thereafter, the CPA member 12 is pulled in the direction opposite to the movement direction D12 to return back to the temporarily locked state, which enables releasing of mating with the mating connector 2.
According to the connector 1 of the embodiment described above, in the temporarily locked state, the of housing-side protrusions 113 provided on the CPA movement surface 112a is in contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 provided on the CPA arm 122. With this contact, unintended deflection of the CPA arm 122 is alleviated in the temporarily locked state. In addition, the CPA-side protrusions 123 protrude from the side edges of the CPA arm 122 in the width direction D13, and the housing-side protrusions 113 are provided at positions that do not overlap with the CPA arm 122. Because the CPA-side protrusions 123 do not overlap with the CPA arm 122, deflection deformation of the CPA arm 122 due to mating with the mating connector 2 is not hindered. The housing-side protrusions 113 are provided at positions that come out of contact with the CPA-side protrusions 123 in the fully locked state, and therefore, when mating with the mating connector 2 is released, deflection deformation of the CPA arm 122 for releasing the full lock of the CPA member 12 is not hindered either. As described above, according to the present embodiment, unintended deflection of the CPA arm 122 of the CPA member 12 in the temporarily locked state can be alleviated without interfering with the original operation of the CPA member 12.
Here, in the present embodiment, the full lock release-receiving portion 122b for receiving a full lock release operation is formed in a protruding manner on the CPA arm 122, and the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 protrudes from a position adjacent to the full lock release-receiving portion 122b. According to this configuration, the CPA-side protrusions 123 are provided at positions adjacent to the full lock release-receiving portion 122b that is formed in a protruding manner for a full lock release operation by a worker and that is more likely to receive external force than other portions. Because the CPA-side protrusions 123 are provided such positions and are in contact with the housing-side protrusions 113 in the temporarily locked state, unintended deflection of the CPA arm 122 when receiving external force can be effectively alleviated.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the CPA arm 122 is formed such that the length L12 of the portion between the CPA-side protrusions 123 and the free end side is the length L11 of the portion between the CPA-side protrusions 123 and the fixed end side. According to this configuration, the portion of the CPA arm 122 between the CPA-side protrusion 123 and the free end side, which functions substantially as a cantilever in the temporarily locked state, is longer. Because the portion on the free end side is longer, the free end side of the CPA arm 122 is effectively deflected by the mating with the mating connector 2, so that the movement inhibition of the CPA member 12 can be released.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 is such that the CPA front side-inclined surface 123a is formed on the front side, in the movement direction D12, of each of the CPA-side protrusions 123. The pair of housing-side protrusions 113 is such that the housing-side-inclined surface 113a is formed on the rear side, in the movement direction D12, of each of the housing-side protrusions 113. According to this configuration, when the CPA member 12 is attached to the housing in the temporarily locked state, first, the CPA front side-inclined surfaces 123a of the CPA-side protrusions 123 face the housing-side-inclined surfaces 113a of the housing-side protrusions 113. Thereafter, the CPA front side-inclined surfaces 123a slide on the housing-side-inclined surfaces 113a, and the CPA-side protrusions 123 smoothly ride over the housing-side protrusions 113, so that the contact state therebetween is established, and therefore, the CPA member 12 can be attached with good workability.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 is such that the CPA rear side-inclined surface 123b is formed on the rear side, in the movement direction D12, of each of the CPA-side protrusions 123. According to this configuration, when, before release of mating, the CPA member 12 in the fully locked state is returned back to the temporarily locked state, the CPA rear side-inclined surfaces 123b slide on the housing-side protrusions 113. With this sliding, the CPA-side protrusions 123 smoothly ride over the housing-side protrusions 113, so that the contact state therebetween is established. At this occasion, because the housing-side protrusions 113 are not provided with any inclined surface corresponding to the CPA rear side-inclined surfaces 123b, a situation such as where, e.g., the CPA member 12 in the fully locked state is returned back to the temporarily locked state is alleviated, so that stability of the fully locked state is ensured. In this way, according to the above configuration, while ensuring the stability of the fully locked state, the CPA member 12 can be moved with good workability when the CPA member 12 is returned from the fully locked state to the temporarily locked state prior to release of mating,
Note that the embodiments described above merely illustrate typical forms of the connector. The connector is not limited thereto, and can be implemented with various modifications.
For example, according to the above-described embodiment, the connector 1 used as an end portion connector of a wire harness mounted on a vehicle or the like is illustrated as an example of the connector. However, the connector is not limited thereto, and the specific target of application can be anything.
Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the housing 11a having an appearance of a rectangular block is illustrated as an example of the housing. However, the housing is not limited thereto, and any shape may be adopted as a specific external shape and the like.
Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 provided at positions adjacent to the full lock release-receiving portion 122b formed to protrude from the CPA arm 122 is illustrated as an example of the pair of CPA-side protrusions. However, the pair of CPA-side protrusions is not limited thereto, and the installation positions thereof can be set as appropriate. However, when the CPA-side protrusions 123 are provided at positions adjacent to the full lock release-receiving portion 122b, unintentional deflection of the CPA arm 122 when subjected to external force can be effectively alleviated, as described above.
Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the CPA arm 122 in which the length L12 of the portion between the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 and the free end side is longer than the length L11 of the portion between the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 and the fixed end side is illustrated as an example of the CPA arm. However, the CPA arm is not limited thereto, and may be formed so that the free end side is shorter, contrary to the above. However, when the free end side is longer, the free end side of the CPA arm 122 can be effectively deflected to release the movement inhibition of the CPA member 12, as described above.
Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the housing-side protrusion 113 in which the CPA-side protrusions 123 formed with the CPA front side-inclined surface 123a and the housing-side-inclined surfaces 113a are formed is illustrated as an example of the CPA-side protrusions and the housing-side protrusions. However, the CPA-side protrusions and the housing-side protrusions are not limited thereto, and the inclined surfaces as described above may not be provided on any of the CPA-side protrusions and the housing-side protrusions. However, when the CPA front side-inclined surfaces 123a are provide on the CPA-side protrusions 123 and the housing-side-inclined surfaces 113a are provided on the housing-side protrusions 113, the CPA member 12 may be attached with good workability, as described above.
Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the CPA-side protrusions 123 formed with the CPA rear side-inclined surfaces 123b are illustrated as an example of the CPA-side protrusions. However, the CPA-side protrusions are not limited thereto, and any inclined surface may not be provided on the rear side in the movement direction. However, when the CPA rear side-inclined surfaces 123b are provided, the CPA members 12 can be moved with good workability to return the CPA member 12 in the fully locked state back to the temporarily locked state, as described above.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-027268 | Feb 2023 | JP | national |
