JPS625012Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for a connector.

In order to lock the connected state of a pair of male and female connectors, various connector locking mechanisms have been proposed.

A locking mechanism in which a pair of connector housings is provided with a locking portion at one end of an arm that is swingable in a balance type manner, and a locking portion that engages with the locking portion on each pair of the connector housing is simple and widely used.

Furthermore, devices in which a pair of locking portions and a locking portion that engages with the locking portions are provided at the tip of an arm provided in a cantilever type are also widely used for exactly the same reason.

Since these are integrally molded with the housing, they are easy to work with, and the fitting can be confirmed by the sound of fitting, and it is recognized that the fitting and removal operations are easy. However, since the bending of the arm is utilized, the volume occupied by the locking mechanism becomes large, resulting in a large connector.

Furthermore, the locking mechanism in which the screw fitting portion is provided in the housing is advantageous in miniaturization. However, since the shape is no longer simple, there is a problem of increased costs, and the operability of attaching and detaching is extremely poor, the tightened state of the threaded portion is opaque from the outside, and there are problems with the stability and reliability of the lock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a compact connector locking mechanism that is reliable, has good attaching/detaching workability, and is inexpensive.

According to the present invention, a leaf spring member made of an elastic thin metal plate is used as the main part of the locking mechanism to reduce the size of the flexible arm. It makes hiring possible.

Next, an embodiment of the connector locking mechanism of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The conductors 21 and 22 are connected using connector housings, with a male housing 23 and a female housing 24 attached to their respective connection ends.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a sleeve member 1 is provided which is attached to a male housing 23 and has an open end 7 in the direction of the insertion port of the housing 23. As shown in FIGS.

The sleeve member 1 has a connected housing 23
A bag-like cap portion 5 is provided, which has a rectangular cylindrical shape in the illustrated example and has a cross-sectional shape suitable for accommodating the housing 23 and the housing 23 and has an open other end. The cap portion 5 is connected to the housing 2
3 is provided with a wall surface for holding the leaf spring member 10 between it and the sleeve member 1.

An opening 6 is provided at the top of the sleeve member 1, and a protrusion 6' is provided at a corresponding portion of the housing 23, and the sleeve member 1 and the housing 23 are coupled by engagement thereof.

The housing 23 has a protrusion 25, and the housing 24 has a protrusion 26 protruding from both sides thereof, and both have locking surfaces 25a, 26a on the outer surface.
In addition, inclined surfaces 25b and 26b are provided on the inner surface. A leaf spring member 10 provided with locking holes 17 and 18 to engage with the projections 25 and 26,
It is arranged between the sleeve member 1 and the sleeve member 1.

The leaf spring member 10, as shown in FIG.
It consists of a long thin plate, preferably an elastic metal plate. It has an excellent spring action for attaching and detaching, which will be described later, and is compact.

The hem portions 15 and 16 at both ends of the leaf spring member 10 are approximately flat, and the locking holes 17 and 18 are provided at both ends, respectively, and the trough portions 13 and 14 are provided at the center portion.
A chevron-shaped extruded portion 11 is provided by bending at this point.

To attach the leaf spring member 10 to the connector, first contact the hem portions 15 on both sides of the male housing 23, lock the locking holes 17 with the protrusions 25, and slide the sleeve 1. Abutment wall 5a and protrusion 2
The plate spring member 10, whose axial movement is prevented by 5a, is held in place, and the projection 6' is inserted into the opening 6.
can be assembled by engaging. By exposing the protrusion 25 engaged with the locking hole 17 to the small window 3 and the chevron-shaped extruded portion 11 to the window 2, the sleeve member 1 can obtain an appropriate shape and size for the housing 23. The sleeve member 1 supports the skirt portion 16 of the leaf spring member 10 at the open end 7, accommodates the male housing 23, and is prepared for insertion of the female housing 24.

The female housing 24 is therefore inserted all over the face of the skirt 16. At the joining position, the protrusion 26 is engaged with the engagement hole 18 and locked. For the passage of the protrusion 26, the sleeve member 1 is provided with a notch 4 connected to the window 2, so that the connector can be held well and the sleeve member 1 is made compact.

Windows 2 opened on both sides of the sleeve member 1 expose the chevron-shaped extruded portion 11 and allow the leaf spring member 10 to be touched from the outside. And the top 12
When pressed by the operator's fingers, the hem portion 16 can spring up using the valley portion 14 as a fulcrum. At this time, the other end hem portion 15 is supported by the cap portion 5 and cannot be displaced, although the same tendency acts. As a result, the protrusion 26 that was locked in the locking hole 18 is released, the lock is released, and the female housing can be freely pulled out.

When the operator stops pressing the top part 12, the leaf spring member 10 supported by the cap part 5 moves to the valley part 13.
By bending, it elastically returns to the opening direction and to its initial shape.

In the above embodiment, the sleeve member was formed separately from the connector housing and then combined with the connector housing, but they may be formed integrally. In this case, one end of the leaf spring member is press-fitted between the protrusion and the cap portion. so that the locking hole engages with the protrusion.

As described above, the present invention includes a pair of connector housings, a sleeve member provided on one of the connector housings to receive the other connector housing, and a thin metal plate disposed between the connector housing and the sleeve member. The plate spring member has a chevron-shaped extruded portion in the center and a locking hole at both ends, and a protrusion that engages with the locking hole is provided on the outer periphery of the pair of connector housings. , one end of the leaf spring is engaged with the protrusion through the locking hole, and the engaged state is maintained by the cap portion of the sleeve member located on the protrusion, and the other end of the leaf spring is held as a free end. Since the sleeve member has an operation window through which the extruded portion of the leaf spring is exposed, it has the advantage that the locking mechanism of the connector can be made compact and the attachment/detachment workability can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connecting portion according to an embodiment of the connector locking mechanism of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same connector lock portion, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the leaf spring member, and Fig. 4 is the same as above. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting portion shown in FIG. 1 in a fitted state, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting portion shown in FIG. 1 in a state where it is about to be separated. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Sleeve member, 2... Window, 10... Leaf spring member, 11... Mountain-shaped extrusion part, 17, 18...
Locking hole, 23...Male housing, 24...Female housing, 25, 26...Protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Consisting of a pair of connector housings, a sleeve member provided on one of the connector housings to receive the other connector housing, and a leaf spring member made of a thin metal plate disposed between the connector housing and the sleeve member, A chevron-shaped extruded part and a locking hole are provided in the center of the leaf spring member, and a locking hole is provided at both ends, and a protrusion that engages with the locking hole is provided on the outer periphery of the pair of connector housings. The sleeve member is engaged with the protrusion through the locking hole, and the engaged state is maintained by the cap portion of the sleeve member located on the protrusion, and the other end of the leaf spring is a free end, and the sleeve member is connected to the plate. A locking mechanism for a connector, characterized in that it has an operating window through which the extruded portion of the spring is exposed.