JP4881797B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector used for electrical connection with a substrate provided in, for example, an in-vehicle device or an AV device.

  Conventionally, as an electrical connector of this type, a portion between one end side and the other end side is formed in a U-shape, and a front end side of one end side is engaged with an engaging portion provided in a mating connector. Provided with a locking portion provided with a pressing portion for pressing the one end side toward the other end side, and the locking portion of the locking portion is engaged with the mating connector. It is known that when the pressing portion is pressed in a state of being locked to the portion, the locking state between the locking portion and the mating connector is released (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this electrical connector, when the pressing portion is pressed toward the other end side of the lock portion, the lock portion is elastically deformed with a U-shaped portion as a base point.
JP 2004-14384 A

  However, in this electrical connector, since the lock portion is elastically deformed with the U-shaped portion as a base point, the displacement amount of the locking portion provided at a position further away from the U-shaped portion compared to the pressing portion is small. It becomes larger than the displacement amount of the pressing part. In this case, since the locking state between the locking portion and the mating connector is released even when the pressing force against the pressing portion is insufficient, the pressing portion should be sufficient when releasing the locking state with the mating connector. There was a risk that the operability could be lowered due to the lack of a feeling of pressing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector capable of improving operability when releasing the locking state with the mating connector. It is in.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is formed in a U-shape between one end side and the other end side, and is locked to an engagement portion provided on the mating connector on the distal end side of the one end side. A locking portion provided with a pressing portion for pressing one end side toward the other end side on the proximal end side of the one end side, and the locking portion of the locking portion is a mating connector When the pressing portion is pressed while being engaged with the engaging portion, the locking portion is pressed against the locking portion in the electrical connector in which the engaging state between the engaging portion and the mating connector is released. Then, only the other end side of the lock part is elastically deformed so that the locking part and the pressing part are displaced almost equally toward the other end side of the lock part.

  Thereby, when one end side of the lock part is pressed to the other end side, only the other end side of the lock part is elastically deformed, and the locking part and the press part are displaced almost equally toward the other end side of the lock part. Thus, the pressing portion can be sufficiently pressed against the other end side of the locking portion until the locking state between the locking portion and the mating connector is released.

  According to the present invention, the pressing portion can be sufficiently pressed against the other end side of the locking portion until the locking state between the locking portion and the counterpart connector is released. It is possible to obtain a feeling that the pressing portion is sufficiently pressed when releasing the button, and the operability can be improved.

  1 to 10 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector, FIG. 2 is a side view of the connector, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the connector, and FIGS. 6 is a rear perspective view of the shell, FIG. 7 is a side view of the shell, FIG. 8 is a plan view of the shell, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of arrows AA, and FIG. It is a principal part enlarged view at the time.

  This electrical connector includes a connector main body 10 having a space formed therein, a coaxial cable 20 as a conductive portion provided so as to pass through the connector main body 10 in the front-rear direction (Y direction in the figure), and the coaxial cable 20 And a shell 40 formed so as to cover the distal end side of the coaxial cable 20 and the periphery of the connection portion 30.

  The connector body 10 is made of a synthetic resin molded product, and is composed of a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 which are each formed in a box shape and can be combined with each other. In addition, the connector body 10 is provided with two pressing operation portions 13 having a convex cross-sectional shape, and each pressing operation portion 13 has protrusions formed at both ends in the width direction of the housings 11 and 12. It is provided so as to protrude from the operation hole 10a to the outside. When the protrusion is pressed from the outside, the connector body 10 moves inward in the width direction. Further, a shell holding hole 10b for holding the shell 40 is provided on the front side of each housing 11, 12, and the coaxial cable 20 is inserted in the front-rear direction on the back side of each housing 11, 12. For this purpose, an insertion hole 10c is provided.

  The coaxial cable 20 covers a core wire 21, an insulating clothing film 22 that covers the outer peripheral surface of the core wire 21, a shield wire 23 that covers the outer periphery of the core wire 21 via the abdominal membrane 22, and an outer peripheral surface of the shield wire 23. It consists of a protective material 24 and is inserted through the insertion hole 10 c of the connector body 10.

  The connection portion 30 includes a center terminal 31 made of a conductive metal, an insulator 32 formed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the center terminal 31, and a conductive material covering the front end side of the coaxial cable 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the insulator 32. And a housing 33 made of a metallic material. The center terminal 31 is attached to the core wire 21 of the coaxial cable 20 and is electrically connected to the core wire 21. The housing 33 is attached so as to be in contact with the shield wire 23 of the coaxial cable 20 and is electrically connected to the shield wire 23.

  The shell 40 is made of a conductive metal plate formed in a rectangular tube shape, and is provided so as to cover the distal end side of the coaxial cable 20 and the periphery of the connection portion 30. That is, the shell 40 includes an upper surface portion 41, a bottom surface portion 42, and left and right side surface portions 43, and a lock portion 50 formed in a substantially U shape is integrally provided with the shell 40 on the left and right side surface portions 43.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lock portion 50 includes a first straight portion 51 extending rearward from the left and right side surface portions 43 of the shell 40, and a rear end of the first straight portion 51 toward the inner side in the width direction of the shell 40. A first bent portion 52 that is bent, a second straight portion 53 that extends rearward from the first bent portion 52, and a bent portion from the rear end of the second straight portion 53 toward the outer side in the width direction of the shell 40. The second bent portion 54 and the third straight portion 55 extending forward from the second bent portion 54 are provided.

  Further, one end side of the lock portion 50, that is, the third straight portion 55 is provided such that the tip end side thereof is located in a notch 43 a provided at the rear end of the first straight portion 51 and the left and right side surface portions 43. On the base end side of the third straight portion 55, a pressing portion 56 for pressing the third straight portion 55 to the other end side of the lock portion 50, that is, the second straight portion 53 side is provided on the shell 40. It is provided so as to protrude outward in the width direction. The pressing portion 56 is provided so as to come into contact with the bottom surface of the pressing operation portion 13, and the pressing portion 56 can be pressed via the pressing operation portion 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the engagement is formed on the distal end side of the third straight portion 55 so as to protrude from the left and right side surface portions 43 of the shell 40 outward in the width direction by a predetermined distance (for example, distance A). A stop portion 57 is provided, and a projecting piece 58 formed so as to extend upward and downward is provided at a substantially central portion of the third straight portion 55. The second straight portion 53 is formed so that the vertical dimension (Z direction in the drawing) is smaller than the vertical dimension of the third straight portion 55, and the shell 40 is pressed when the pressing portion 56 is pressed. Is elastically deformed inward in the width direction. In this case, the third straight portion 55, the pressing portion 56, the locking portion 57, and the protruding piece 58 are configured such that when the pressing portion 56 is pressed, only the second straight portion 53 is elastically deformed, whereby the second straight portion It moves to the part 53 side. In addition, on the upper and lower sides of the second straight portion 53, there are restricting pieces 53a for restricting the movement of the protruding piece 58 accompanying elastic deformation of the second straight portion 53 within a predetermined range (for example, distance A). It is provided so as to extend rearward from the first bent portion 52, and when the protruding piece 58 is locked to the restricting piece 53a, the elastic deformation of the second straight portion 53 is restricted.

  The mating connector 100 has a box shape with an open front, and is attached to a board (not shown) provided in, for example, an in-vehicle device or an AV device. The front opening of the mating connector 100 is formed so as to be able to be fitted to the front end side of the shell 40, and the center terminal 31 of the connecting portion 30 inserted into the front opening, the insulator, at the center of the front opening A fitting portion 101 made of a conductive metal and an insulator formed so as to be fitted to each of the housing 32 and the housing 33 is provided so as to extend forward from the rear end side of the mating connector 100. Further, the rear end side of the fitting portion 101 is connected to a signal portion and a ground portion provided on the board, and the center terminal 31 of the connection portion 30 is connected to the signal portion, and the housing 33 of the connection portion 30 is connected to the ground portion. It is designed to be electrically connected.

  Further, on both side surfaces in the width direction of the front opening of the mating connector 100, engagement holes 102 formed so as to be engageable with the locking portions 57 of the locking portion 50 are provided. When the engaging hole 102 is engaged, the engaging portion 57 is engaged with the engaging hole 102 to restrict the movement of the shell 40 in the anti-insertion direction.

  The electrical connector configured as described above is used to electrically connect the coaxial cable 20 and the substrate. Here, the operation when the electrical connector is attached to the mating connector 100 will be described. First, when the front end side of the shell 40 is inserted into the front opening of the mating connector 100, the connecting portion 30 is fitted into the fitting portion 101. When the front end side of the shell 40 is further inserted, the locking portion 57 moves inward in the width direction of the shell 40 while contacting both side surface portions of the front opening of the mating connector 100. Next, when the locking portion 57 reaches the engagement hole 102 by further inserting the front end side of the shell 40, the locking portion 57 is restored and engaged with the engagement hole 102. At this time, since the locking portion 57 is locked in the anti-insertion direction, it is possible to prevent the electrical connector from being detached.

  Next, the operation when the electrical connector is removed from the mating connector 100 will be described. In a state where the locking portion 57 of the locking portion 50 is locked in the engaging hole 102 of the mating connector 100, the pressing portion 13 is pressed by the pressing operation portion 13 as shown in FIG. When pressed to the 53 side, the second straight portion 53 is elastically deformed as indicated by a one-dot chain line in the drawing along with the pressing of the pressing portion 56, and the pressing portion 56 and the locking portion 57 are the second straight portion 53. Move towards the side. And if the protrusion piece 58 latches to the control piece 53a, the elastic deformation of the 2nd straight part 53 will be controlled. In this case, the displacement amount of the pressing portion 56, the locking portion 57, and the protruding piece 58 is A. At this time, the locking portion 57 does not protrude outward in the width direction from the left and right side surface portions 43, that is, the locking portion 57 is not locked in the engagement hole 102 of the mating connector 100. The connector can be pulled out in the anti-insertion direction. In this case, the pressing portion 56 can be sufficiently pressed toward the second straight portion 53 side of the locking portion 50 until the locking state between the locking portion 57 and the counterpart connector 100 is released. It is possible to obtain a feeling that the pressing portion 56 is sufficiently pressed when the locked state with the 100 is released.

  Thus, according to the electrical connector of the present embodiment, when the pressing portion 56 is pressed, only the second straight portion 53 of the locking portion 50 is elastically deformed and the locking portion 57 and the pressing portion are pressed. Since the portion 56 is formed so as to be displaced substantially equally toward the other end side of the lock portion 50, the pressing portion 56 of the lock portion 50 is moved until the lock state between the lock portion 57 and the mating connector 100 is released. The second straight portion 53 can be sufficiently pressed. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a feeling that the pressing portion 56 is sufficiently pressed when the locked state with the mating connector 100 is released, and the operability can be improved.

  In addition, since the restricting piece 53a for restricting the elastic deformation of the second straight portion 53 of the lock portion 50 within a predetermined range (distance A) is provided, an excessive pressing force is applied to the pressing portion 56. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent the second straight portion 53 from being plastically deformed.

  Furthermore, since the coaxial cable 20 for electrical connection with the mating connector 100 and the shell 40 formed so as to cover the periphery of the coaxial cable 20 are provided, and the lock portion 50 is provided integrally with the shell 40, The number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the electrical connector can be reduced.

  In addition, the said embodiment is only one specific example of this invention, and this invention is not limited only to the said embodiment. For example, although the electrical connector for the coaxial cable 20 has been described in the above embodiment, the configuration of the present invention can be applied to an electrical connector for a flat cable.

The perspective view of the connector in one embodiment of the present invention Connector side view Top view of connector Perspective view of main part of connector Perspective view of main part of connector Shell rear perspective view Shell side view Shell top view AA line arrow direction sectional view Enlarged view of the main part when the operation unit is pressed

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connector main body, 20 ... Coaxial cable, 40 ... Shell, 50 ... Lock part, 53 ... 2nd straight part, 53a ... Restriction piece, 54 ... 2nd bending part, 55 ... 3rd straight part, 56 ... Pressing part, 57 ... locking part, 58 ... projecting part, 100 ... mating connector, 102 ... engagement hole.

Claims (3)

A portion between the one end side and the other end side is formed in a U-shape, and a locking portion for locking to an engaging portion provided on the mating connector is provided on the distal end side of the one end side. The end side is provided with a lock portion provided with a pressing portion for pressing one end side toward the other end side, and the pressing portion in a state where the locking portion of the locking portion is locked to the engaging portion of the mating connector In the electrical connector in which the locking state between the locking part and the mating connector is released,
The lock portion is formed such that when the pressing portion is pressed, only the other end side of the lock portion is elastically deformed and the locking portion and the pressing portion are displaced substantially equally toward the other end side of the lock portion. An electrical connector featuring. The electrical connector according to claim 1, further comprising a restriction portion that restricts elastic deformation of the other end side of the lock portion within a predetermined range. A conductive portion for electrically connecting to the mating connector;
A shell formed to cover the periphery of the conductive portion,
The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the lock portion is provided integrally with the shell.

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