This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese patent application No. 2015-005242, filed on Jan. 14, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a lock structure of a connector.
2. Background Art
The lock structure is a structure which can lock a fitting state between connector housings of a connector 100 when fitting between the connector housings is completed, and which can release a lock state between the connector housings in order to detach the locked connector housings from each other. The connector 100 includes a pair of the connector housings, i.e. a first connector housing 110 and a second connector housing 120.
In the case of the lock structure in JP-A-2013-58358, the first connector housing 110 which is one connector housing is provided with a lock portion 113. The lock portion 113 has a lock arm 111 and lock release arms 112. In addition, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A distal end side (front end side) of the spring piece portion 111e can be deflected in a height direction (a direction of arrow Y1 in
The lock protrusion 111c of the lock arm 111 is a protrusion which protrudes toward the surface of the housing body 114 from the connection part 111b connecting the distal end portions of the pair of flexible arms 111a to each other. When fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock protrusion 111c is engaged with the lock engagement part 121 of the second connector housing 120 as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
When the operating portion 112c is pushed down in a direction of an arrow Y2 as shown in
That is, the lock release arms 112 are swung around the fulcrum portions 112b so that the lock state carried out by the lock arm 111 can be released.
Incidentally, the lock protrusion 111c of the lock arm 111 rides onto the lock engagement part 121 when the connector housings are being fitted into each other. On this occasion, the lock release arms 112 provided integrally with the connection part 111b are also displaced due to deflection displacement of the flexible arms 111a. The operating portion 112c moves down toward the housing body 114 side even in such a situation.
In the lock structure disclosed in JP-A-2013-58358, the lock release arms 112 of the lock portion 113 are disposed outside the lock arm 111 in the width direction, as shown also in
For this reason, the width of the lock structure is larger than the width of the lock arm 111. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the first connector housing 110 may be increased due to the increase of the width of the lock structure.
The present invention may provide a lock structure of a connector in which it is possible to prevent the width of the lock structure from increasing due to a lock release arm and it is therefore possible to reduce the width of a connector housing.
The lock structure may comprise: a lock arm and a lock release arm which are provided in one connector housing of a pair of connector housings which are fitted into each other, the lock arm which is engaged with a lock engagement part of the other connector housing to lock a fitting state between the connector housings when fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock release arm which is formed integrally with the lock arm and which can deflect the lock arm in a lock release direction, and the lock release arm may be provided above the lock arm.
An upper surface portion of a distal end portion of the lock release arm may be formed with a taper portion in which thickness of the lock release arm is reduced gradually toward a distal end of the lock release arm.
A preferred embodiment of a lock structure of a connector according to the invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
A connector housing 3 shown in
The connector housing 3 is provided with a terminal receiving portion 31, a hood portion 32, and a lock portion 33. The terminal receiving portion 31 receives a terminal metal fitting. The hood portion 32 which is substantially shaped like a cylinder surrounds an outer circumference of the terminal receiving portion 31. The lock portion 33 is provided in an outside surface of an upper portion of the terminal receiving portion 31.
The connector housing 3 is a single-pole connector housing which can receive one terminal metal fitting.
As shown in
As shown in
The terminal lock lance 312 has a flexible piece 312a and a lock protrusion 312b. The flexible piece 312a extends in a length direction of the terminal receiving hole 311. The lock protrusion 312b protrudes into the terminal receiving hole 311 from the flexible piece 312a. As soon as the terminal metal fitting inserted into the terminal receiving hole 311 reaches a prescribed position of the terminal lock lance 312, the lock protrusion 312b is engaged with the terminal metal fitting to thereby prevent the terminal metal fitting from coming off.
As shown in
The hood portion 32 has a substantially cylindrical structure which surrounds the outer circumference of the terminal receiving portion 31. A housing fitting space 35 into which the cylindrical portion of the mating connector housing (not shown) is fitted is defined between the hood portion 32 and the terminal receiving portion 31.
The lock portion 33 has a structure serving as the lock structure according to the invention. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
A distal end side (a front end side of the connector housing 3, which is the left end side in
In addition, as shown in
As shown in
The lock protrusion 363 of the lock arm 36 is a protrusion which protrudes toward the outside surface 31a of the terminal receiving portion 31 from the connection part 362 which connects the distal end portions of the pair of flexible arms 361 to each other. When fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock protrusion 363 is engaged with a lock engagement part of the not-shown mating connector housing to thereby restrict the connector housings from moving in a detachment direction from each other. Thus, the fitting state between the connector housings is locked.
Incidentally, although not shown, the lock engagement part of the mating connector housing with which the lock protrusion 363 is engaged has a similar structure to the lock engagement part 121 shown in
When the connector housings are being fitted into each other, the lock protrusion 363 of the lock arm 36 rides onto the lock engagement part due to elastic deformation of the flexible arms 361. In addition, when the fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock protrusion 363 climbs over the lock engagement part to move down to the back of the lock engagement part due to elastic restoring force of the flexible arms 361. Thus, the lock protrusion 363 is engaged with the lock engagement part.
That is, when the fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock arm 36 is engaged with the lock engagement part (not shown) on the other connector housing to thereby lock the fitting state between the connector housings.
As shown in
Each of the lock release arms 37 is provided with a release arm body 371 and a fulcrum portion 372. The release arm body 371 extends from an upper portion of the connection part 362 toward the rear end side of the connector housing 3. The fulcrum portion 372 is provided in a lower portion of a longitudinally intermediate portion of the release arm body 371. That is, the lock release arms 37 are formed integrally with the lock arm 36 through the connection part 362.
The upper portion of the connection part 362 from which the lock release arms 37 extends is provided integrally with the lock release arms 37 and functions as upper portions of distal end portions of the lock release arms 37.
In addition, as shown also in
In the case of the embodiment, the release arm bodies 371 of the pair of lock release arms 37 are disposed immediately above the pair of flexible arms 361 of the lock arm 36, as shown in
When the operating portion 38 is pushed down in a direction of an arrow Y5 as shown in
When the fulcrum portions 372 abut against the outside surface 31a of the terminal receiving portion 31, the lock release arms 37 swing with the fulcrum portions 372 as fulcrums. Due to the swinging, the lock protrusion 363 is displaced in a lock release direction (a direction of an arrow Y6 in
That is, when the operating portion 38 is pushed down to swing the lock release arms 37 around the fulcrum portions 372, the lock arm 36 can be deflected in the lock release direction. The lock state carried out by the lock arm 36 can be released by the operation of swinging the lock release arms 37 around the fulcrum portions 372.
Incidentally, the lock protrusion 363 of the lock arm 36 rides onto the not-shown lock engagement part when the connector housings are being fitted into each other. On this occasion, the lock release arms 37 provided integrally with the connection part 362 are also displaced due to the deflection displacement of the flexible arms 361. The operating portion 38 moves down toward the housing body 114 side even in such a situation.
In addition, in the case of the embodiment, as shown in
In the aforementioned lock structure according to the embodiment, the lock release arms 37 are provided above the lock arm 36. Accordingly, the lock release arms 37 can be provided to fall into the occupied width W of the lock arm 36 so that the lock release arms 37 can be prevented from sticking out of lateral sides of the lock arm 36.
Therefore, the width of the lock structure (the lock portion 33) having the lock arm 36 and the lock release arms 37 can fall into the range of the width of the lock arm 36. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the width of the lock structure from increasing due to the lock release arms 37 so that it is possible to reduce the width of the connector housing 3.
In addition, in the aforementioned lock structure according to the embodiment, when the lock release arms 37 are operated to deflect the lock arm 36 in the lock release direction in order to detach the connected connector housings from each other, the distal end sides of the lock release arms 37 move in the lock release direction (a direction of an arrow Y7 in
On this occasion, the taper portion 375 in which the thickness of the lock release arm 37 is reduced gradually toward the distal end of the lock release arm 37 is provided in the upper surface portion of the distal end side of the lock release arm 37. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the increase of the substantially protruding length of the distal end side of the lock release arm 37 in the lock release direction.
Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the increase of the occupied height of the connector housing 3 in the lock release direction so that it is possible to suppress the increase of a space required for arrangement of the connector housing 3 having the lock release arms 37. Thus, it is possible to make the arrangement of the connector housing 3 easy.
In addition, interference with peripheral equipment etc. to disturb lock release work can be prevented from occurring due to protrusions of the distal end sides of the lock release arms 37 in the lock release direction during lock release operation. Thus, it is possible to make the lock release work easy.
Incidentally, the invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment. Any modification, improvement, etc. can be made on the invention suitably. In addition thereto, materials, shapes, sizes, numbers, arrangement places, etc. of the respective constituent elements in the aforementioned embodiment are not limited but may be set desirably as long as they can achieve the invention.
For example, the lock arm 36 has the pair of flexible arms 316 provided separately from each other in the width direction of the connector housing 3. However, the pair of flexible arms 361 may be replaced by a single arm.
In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, the width of the lock release arms 37 is made consistent with the width of the lock arm 36. However, the width of the lock release arms 37 may be set at a value smaller than the width of the lock arm 36.
In addition, in the aforementioned embodiment, the pair of the lock release arms 37 are provided separately from each other in the width direction of the connector housing 3. However, the lock release arms 37 may be replaced by a single arm structure.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a lock structure of a connector, the lock structure including: a lock arm (36) and lock release arms (37) which are provided in one connector housing (3) of a pair of connector housings which are fitted into each other, the lock arm (36) which is engaged with a lock engagement part of the other connector housing to lock a fitting state between the connector housings when fitting between the connector housings is completed, the lock release arms (37) which is formed integrally with the lock arm (36) and which can deflect the lock arm (36) in a lock release direction, wherein the lock release arms (37) are provided above the lock arm (36).
According to the aforementioned configuration, the lock release arm is provided above the lock arm. Accordingly, the lock release arm can be provided to fall into an occupied width of the lock arm so that the lock release arm is prevented from sticking out of lateral sides of the lock arm.
Therefore, the width of the lock structure having the lock arm and the lock release arm can be made to fall into the range of the width of the lock arm. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the width of the lock structure from increasing due to the lock release arm so that it is possible to reduce the width of the connector housing.
An upper surface portion of a distal end portion of each of the lock release arms (37) is formed with a taper portion (375) in which thickness of the lock release arm (37) is reduced gradually toward a distal end of the lock release arm (37).
According to the aforementioned configuration, when the lock release arm is operated to deflect the lock arm in the lock release direction in order to detach the connected connector housings from each other, the distal end side of the lock release arm moves in the lock release direction integrally with the lock arm. On this occasion, the upper surface portion of the distal end side of the lock release arm is provided with the taper portion in which the thickness of the lock release arm is reduced gradually toward the distal end of the lock release arm. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the increase of the substantially protruding length of the distal end side of the lock release arm in the lock release direction.
Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the increase of an occupied height of the connector housing in the lock release direction so that it is possible to suppress the increase of a space required for arrangement of the connector housing having the lock release arm. Thus, it is possible to make the arrangement of the connector housing easy.
In addition, interference with peripheral equipment or the like to disturb lock release work can be prevented from occurring due to protrusion of the distal end side of the lock release arm in the lock release direction during lock release operation. Thus, it is possible to make the lock release work easy.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2015-005242 | Jan 2015 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4272145 | LaDuke | Jun 1981 | A |
4273403 | Cairns | Jun 1981 | A |
6669398 | Wada | Dec 2003 | B2 |
7056142 | Ueda | Jun 2006 | B2 |
20040166717 | Muro et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
20080057769 | Mase et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20130260590 | Hitchcock et al. | Oct 2013 | A1 |
20140179146 | Hamai et al. | Jun 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
103782455 | May 2014 | CN |
104205518 | Dec 2014 | CN |
02-054180 | Apr 1990 | JP |
2004-259600 | Sep 2004 | JP |
2013-058358 | Mar 2013 | JP |
Entry |
---|
Communication dated Dec. 13, 2016, issued by the Japanese Patent Office in counterpart Japanese application No. 2015-005242. |
Office Action dated Apr. 11, 2017 issued by the Japanese Patent Office in counterpart Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-005242. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160204551 A1 | Jul 2016 | US |