JPH0321022Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Summary] The present invention provides a new locking device for fitting and locking a male connector and a female connector. Inset/
It is characterized in that it is formed by a guide groove that provides resistance in the detachment direction, and that the upper wall portion provided with the outer guide groove is supported by a deformable wall portion.

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an electrical connector that connects a removable male connector and a female connector.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as a locking device for removably fitting and locking the female connector F and the male connector M, a lock device is always provided on the upper wall of the male connector M in parallel with the upper wall. A lock arm 11 having a protrusion 3 arranged so as to be positioned has one end 11a supported on the front end of the upper wall, and the other end is provided with a pressing operation part 11b, and the lock arm 11 has a protrusion 3 arranged so as to On the wall,
A recess or notch 12 is provided which engages with the protrusion 3 of the lock arm 11 of the male connector M when the male connector M and the connector F are fitted and locked.

When the male connector M is inserted into the female connector F, the protrusions 14, 14 of the male connector M are guided by the guide grooves 13, 13 of the female connector F, and the lock arm of the male connector M is inserted at the connection position of both terminals. 11
The protrusion 3 provided on the female connector F fits into the recess or notch 12 provided on the upper wall of the female connector F, and the female connector F and the male connector M are engaged and disengaged from each other. Therefore, the pressing operation portion 11b of the lock arm 11 of the male connector M is operated downward, the protrusion 3 is separated from the recess or notch 12, and the male connector M is pulled out from the female connector F.

As described above, the pressing operation part 11b provided at the end of the lock arm 11 of the male connector M is biased upward to ensure locking and is operated downward to release. When both connectors are connected, they are always protruded upward to facilitate operation, and force is inadvertently applied to this protruding part from above, making it impossible to guarantee the reliability of engagement, and causing damage to the protruding part. This has disadvantages such as the lead wires of the connector getting tangled, which causes the lock arm of the male connector to be easily damaged. If such damage occurs, especially if a recess is provided inside the upper wall of the female connector F, the engaged state cannot be confirmed from the outside, resulting in incomplete fitting.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] The present invention solves the drawbacks of the conventional technology as a locking device for fitting and locking a male connector and a female connector, and is also compact and compact. The present invention provides a device that can perform reliable engagement and disengagement.

[Means for solving the problem] The present invention is a locking device for an electrical connector.
A protrusion is formed on the upper wall of one connector, and a guide groove is formed on the upper wall of the other connector to guide the protrusion in the fitting direction of both connectors, and the guide groove is connected to the opening end and the fitting direction.・It is made up of a locking protrusion that provides resistance in the detachment direction and a locking end at the mating position of both connectors, and a deformable wall connects the top wall with a guide groove and both side walls. This is a characteristic feature.

[Function] According to the configuration of the present invention, when a male connector and a female connector are connected, the protrusion of one connector fits into the groove provided in the other connector from the open end toward the locking protrusion. Since the groove is inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the protrusion, the upper wall having the groove shifts through the thin wall part, and when the protrusion crosses the locking protrusion, the protrusion and Both connectors are coupled by engagement with the engagement end, and in order to release the coupling between the two connectors, the locking protrusion is shifted so that the protrusion can be moved toward the open end. In order to do this, the top wall having the groove is moved through the thin wall and pulled in a direction to separate both connectors.

[Example] The present invention will be described with reference to embodiments.

In FIG. 1, the male connector M is provided with a plurality of female terminal wire storage sections 1 on the rear end side, and a protrusion 3 is formed on the front end of the upper wall 2 on the side to be fitted with the female connector F. ing.

The female connector F has an opening 4 at the front end into which the male connector M can be inserted, and a male terminal wire storage section 5 at the rear end so that the female connector F and the male connector M can be connected to each other. When coupled, the male terminal and female terminal are connected.

The upper wall 6 of the female connector F has a male connector M.
A groove 7 provided at the front end of the upper wall 2 into which the protrusion 3 can fit is provided with one end 7a as an open end at a position facing the protrusion 3, and the other end 7b is engaged from the open end 7a. The engaging end portion 7b is provided at a position where it engages with the protrusion 3 of the male connector M when the male connector M and the female connector F are fully engaged. The protrusion 3 provided on the male connector M and the open end 7a and engagement end 7b of the groove 7 of the female connector F are located on the same axis with respect to the fitting direction, respectively.

The shape of the groove 7 of the female connector F from the open end 7a to the engagement end 7b is a curved lock that prevents the protrusion 3 of the male connector M from coming off immediately before the engagement end 7b. A protrusion 7c is formed, and a groove 7 is formed.
is formed in a straight, substantially straight, or curved shape at a predetermined angle with respect to the axis in the fitting direction from the opening end 7a to the locking protrusion 7c.

The groove 7 formed in the female connector F in this way
are the opening end 7a, the locking protrusion 7c, and the engaging end 7b.
The protrusion 3 provided on the male connector M is formed at a predetermined angle with the axis in the mating direction. The connection portions of the wall 6 with the side walls 8, 8 are formed as thin wall portions 9, 9. The thin wall portions 9, 9 between the top wall 6 and the side walls 8, 8 can be formed by providing a cavity or a notch in both end corners of the top wall 6 from the inside or outside in the insertion direction.

In order to separate the protrusion 3 of the male connector M from the engagement end 7b of the female connector F, a lock release tool is provided over the thin wall portion 9 on the side opposite to the curved locking protrusion 7c and its vicinity. A pressing member 10 is provided.

With the above configuration, in order to fit and connect the female connector F and the male connector M, the female connector F
When the male connector M is inserted into the insertion opening 4 of
The protrusion 3 of the male connector M is inserted into the open end 7a of the groove 7 of the female connector F, and as it is pushed from the open end 7a into the curved locking protrusion 7c, the pushing resistance increases. , this pushing resistance is applied to the female connector F in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG.
The upper wall 6 is offset via thin wall sections 9, 9 provided on both sides. From the state shown in Figure 2 A, female connector F
When the male connector M is pushed in, the protrusion 3
When the connector passes through the locking protrusion 7c of the groove 7, after the upper wall 6 of the female connector F is deflected to the maximum, the protrusion 3 of the male connector M moves toward the female connector as shown in FIG. Fits into the engagement end 7b of the groove 7 of the connector F,
In this engagement position, the engagement end 7b of the protrusion 3 and the groove 7
are on the same axis in the insertion direction, and the female connector F
No displacement of the upper wall 6 occurs. In this state shown in FIG. 2B, the connection between the female connector F and the male connector M is completed, and the movement of the protrusion 3 of the male connector M is restricted by the locking protrusion 7c of the female connector F. .

Next, to separate the connected connectors,
The position of the engagement protrusion 7c of the groove 7 of the female connector F is located at a position corresponding to the passage of the protrusion 3 of the male connector M, that is, on the line connecting the open end 7a of the groove 7 and the engagement end 7b. The protrusion 3 of the male connector M passes through the locking protrusion 7c of the groove 7 of the female connector F to the open end 7a of the groove 7.
, and the male connector M is separated from the female connector F. To shift the position of the locking protrusion 7c of the groove 7 of the female connector F, the lock release pressing member 10 provided on the thin wall portion 9, which is the upper part of the side wall 8 facing the locking protrusion 7c, is pressed. the locking portion 7c located in the passage of the protrusion 3 is moved back,
The protrusion 3 allows the groove 7 to move toward the open end 7a side.

[Effects] In the present invention, when the female connector and the male connector are connected and disconnected, a projection provided on the upper wall of the male connector and a special shape that allows the projection to fit into the upper wall of the female connector are formed. Due to the groove part and the thin wall part that allows the top wall to shift, there is no need for a conventional engaging/disengaging means that moves in the vertical direction, and there is no protruding part when connecting both connectors, so the locking device The device is small in size, and the lead wires do not become entangled, and damage caused by inadvertent application of external force does not occur. Moreover, the protrusions and specially shaped grooves of this invention,
The shape of the groove up to the engaging protrusion located just in front of the engaging end causes the protrusion to act in the opposite direction to the mating direction of both connectors, so when the protruding part is fitted into the engaging end, both connectors This has the effect of confirming the fitted state of both connectors by moving and stopping the protrusion.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the separated state of the male connector and female connector of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which both conventional connectors are separated; FIG. M...male connector, F...female connector, 3
...Protrusion, 7...Groove (7a open end, 7b engaging end, 7c locking protrusion), 9...Thin wall part, 10
...Press member for unlocking.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] (1) By fitting a male connector and a female connector,
In an electrical connector that electrically connects both male and female terminals, a protrusion is formed on the top wall of one connector, and the protrusion is guided in the insertion direction of both connectors on the top wall of the other connector. The guide groove includes an open end, a locking protrusion that provides resistance in the insertion/removal direction, and a locking end at the mating position of both connectors, and an upper wall having the guide groove; A locking device for an electrical connector, characterized in that a deformable wall portion connects both side walls. (2) The electric device according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, characterized in that a lock release pressing portion is provided on the wall portion facing the curved portion formed in the guide groove and on the upper wall in the vicinity thereof. Connector locking device.