Spring type connector

Abstract

One of a pair of connectors of a spring type connector includes an inner housing, an outer housing, a gap defined between the inner housing and the outer housing, retaining mechanisms, and a spring. The retaining mechanism includes a pair of abutting members provided on the inner housing and the outer housing, and a cushioning member provided between the pair of the abutting members.

Claims

1. A spring type connector comprising: a pair of connectors having a lock mechanism that are engaged with each other at a fitting position, wherein one of the pair of the connectors includes: an inner housing; an outer housing that surrounds the inner housing, and is assembled to and slidable to the inner housing relatively in fitting directions; a gap defined between the inner housing and the outer housing and into which the other of the pair of the connectors is capable of being inserted; a retaining mechanism configured to suppress separation between the inner housing and the outer housing; and a spring configured to bias the inner housing and the outer housing in directions in which the inner housing and the outer housing are separated from each other, and wherein the retaining mechanism includes: a pair of abutting members provided on the inner housing and the outer housing so as to face each other in the fitting directions; and a cushioning member provided between the pair of the abutting members.

2. The spring type connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a watertight annular packing that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing and is provided in the gap, wherein the cushioning member is a band-shaped member that extends from the annular packing and is provided between the pair of the abutting members.

3. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is provided between respective abutting surfaces of the pair of the abutting members.

4. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is configured to abut the pair of the abutting members.

5. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is provided between respective surfaces of the pair of the abutting members that face each other in the fitting directions.

6. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the pair of the abutting members sandwich the cushioning member therebetween.

7. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is configured to absorb at least part of a force exerted by the spring.

8. The spring type connector according to claim 1, wherein the pair of abutting members includes a protrusion provided on one of the inner housing and the outer housing and a hole wall of a hole provided in the other of the inner housing and the outer housing, and wherein protrusion abuts against the hole wall in a state that the protrusion is inserted into the hole.

9. A spring type connector comprising: a pair of connectors having a lock mechanism that are engaged with each other at a fitting position, wherein one of the pair of the connectors includes: an inner housing; an outer housing that surrounds the inner housing and is assembled to and slidable to the inner housing relatively in fitting directions; a gap defined between the inner housing and the outer housing and into which the other of the pair of the connectors is capable of being inserted; a retaining mechanism configured to suppress separation between the inner housing and the outer housing; a spring configured to bias the inner housing and the outer housing in directions in which the inner housing and the outer housing are separated from each other; and a watertight annular packing that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing and is provided in the gap, and wherein the retaining mechanism includes a flange extending from the annular packing and a lock portion of the outer housing abutting on a back side part of the flange in the fitting directions, and is configured to suppress the outer housing from moving toward a front side in the fitting directions with respect to the flange by bringing into contact the flange on the lock portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a spring type connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a female connector according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of the female connector, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view of the female connector as viewed from a male connector side.

(3) FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an operation at a time of fitting the female connector and the male connector according to the first embodiment.

(4) FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a cushioning member provided in a retaining mechanism of the female connector according to the first embodiment.

(5) FIG. 5 is a configuration view of an annular packing that includes the cushioning member provided in the retaining mechanism of the female connector according to the first embodiment.

(6) FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a main portion of the female connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the main portion of the female connector, and FIG. 6(b) is a front view of the main portion of the female connector as viewed from a male connector side.

(7) FIG. 7 is a configuration view of an annular packing constituting a retaining mechanism of the female connector according to the second embodiment, FIG. 7(a) is a front view of the annular packing, and FIG. 7(b) is a side view of the annular packing.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(8) Hereinafter, the present invention is described based on embodiments.

First Embodiment

(9) A spring type connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. As illustrated in an exploded view of FIG. 1, the spring type connector includes a female connector 1 and a male connector 2. The female connector 1 includes an inner housing 3 accommodating a plurality of female terminals, and an outer housing 5 that surrounds the inner housing 3 and is assembled to and relatively slidable to the inner housing 3 along fitting directions indicated by an arrow 4. The inner housing 3 includes a cylindrical portion 3a that surrounds an accommodation chamber which is configured to accommodate the plurality of female terminals, and an upper plate 3b that is a cover member provided above the cylindrical portion 3a with a space therebetween. The cylindrical portion 3a has a substantially rectangular cross section. The cylindrical portion 3a is formed so as to be insertable into a cylindrical portion 5a of the outer housing 5. The cylindrical portion 5a has a substantially rectangular cross section. A gap into which a cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2 is inserted is formed between an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a and an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 5a. The cylindrical portion 10 has a substantially rectangular cross section described later.

(10) The annular packing 6 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a, and serves to waterproof between an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2 and an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 3, the cylindrical portion 10 has a substantially rectangular cross section described later. The annular packing 6 is positioned between a front holder 7 attached to a tip portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a and a step portion formed in a back of the cylindrical portion 3a. In the present embodiment, two short terminals 8 are inserted into the corresponding accommodation chamber of the inner housing 3 to be mounted. The short terminals 8 short-circuit two specific male terminals of the male connector 2 to be fitted into the female connector 1. However, the present invention is not limited to a connector including the short terminal 8.

(11) Meanwhile, the male connector 2 includes the cylindrical portion 10 that includes a accommodation chamber in which a plurality of needle-shaped male terminals 9 are inserted and accommodated, and has a substantially rectangular cross section. The male connector 2 of the present embodiment is used by being coupled to a circuit board (not illustrated), for example, and includes a support portion 11 that is fixed to the circuit board with bolts or the like and is provided on both side surfaces of the cylindrical portion 10. However, the male connector 2 is not limited thereto.

(12) Here, a retaining mechanism that is configured to maintain the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 of the female connector 1 in a predetermined assembled state and suppress separation between the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5, and a lock mechanism that is configured to maintain a fitting state between the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 are described. First, the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are assembled so as to be slidable relatively in the fitting directions indicated by the arrow 4 in FIG. 1. The inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are biased in a direction in which the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are separated from each other by a plurality of coiled springs 12. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), a spring accommodation portion 3c is provided at a rear end portion of a side surface of the inner housing 3, and a spring accommodation portion 5d is provided at a rear end portion of a side surface of the outer housing 5 in correspondence therewith. One end of the spring 12 is slidably accommodated in the spring accommodation portion 3c, and another end of the spring 12 is accommodated in the spring accommodation portion 5d. The spring 12 biases the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 in directions in which the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are separated from each other (anti-fitting directions) along the fitting directions indicated by the arrow 4 in FIG. 1.

(13) Here, the lock mechanism in the fitting state of the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 is described. The lock mechanism includes a lock claw 3j of a lock arm 3e formed on an upper plate 3b of the inner housing 3 of the female connector 1, and a protrusion 10a formed to protrude from an upper surface of the cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3(a), when the male connector 2 is pushed into the female connector 1, a protrusion 10b provided on a lower surface of the cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2 abuts against a tip portion of the outer housing 5, so that a position of the male connector 2 with respect to the outer housing 5 is determined. Further, if the inner housing 3 is pushed in, as illustrated in FIG. 3(b), the lock claw 3j at a tip end of the lock arm 3e abuts against the protrusion 10a of the male connector 2, so that the lock arm 3e elastically deforms and the lock claw 3j rides on the protrusion 10a. If the inner housing 3 is further pushed in, the lock claw 3j rides over the protrusion 10a and is locked to the protrusion 10a. In this manner, the lock mechanism is engaged, a fitting of the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 is completed, and electrical connection between the female terminal 14 and the male terminal 9 in correspondence with the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 is maintained. When the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 is in a half fitting state in which the lock mechanism of the female connector and the male connector is not engaged, the spring 12 biases the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 in the anti-fitting directions in which the housings of the male connector 1 and the male connector 2 are separated, so that the retaining mechanism operates.

(14) Next, the retaining mechanism related to features of the present embodiment is described. The retaining mechanism that is configured to maintain the assembled state of the female connector 1 and suppress separation between the housings includes elongated holes 5b formed on an upper surface of the outer housing 5 and protrusions 3d formed on the upper plate 3b of the inner housing 3 so as to be insertable into the elongated holes 5b respectively. The elongated hole 5b is formed so as to have a long axis in relative sliding directions of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5. The protrusions 3d slidably inserted into the elongated holes 5b abuts against hole walls 5c at one end in sliding directions to regulate a position of the inner housing 3 with respect to the outer housing 5. That is, a pair of abutting members of the retaining mechanism includes the hole wall 5c and the protrusion 3d. As illustrated in FIG. 2(b), two sets of the retaining mechanisms according to the present embodiment are provided on the upper plate 3b of the inner housing 3 and an upper cylindrical surface of the outer housing 5 corresponding to the upper plate 3b of the inner housing 3, and one set of the retaining mechanism is provided on a lower cylindrical surface of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3 and a lower cylindrical surface of the outer housing 5 corresponding to the lower cylindrical surface of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3. However, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(15) As illustrated in FIG. 2(b), reinforcing ribs 3f are provided on a lower surface of the upper plate 3b on the cylindrical portion 3a side. Side edges on both sides of the upper plate 3b are slidably supported by ribs 5h formed on an inner surface of the outer housing 5.

(16) Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a cushioning member of the retaining mechanism according to features of the present embodiment is described. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are cross-sectional views of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 in the predetermined assembled state. FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along an arrow IVa in FIG. 2(a) at a fitting axis position, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along an arrow IVb in the elongated hole 5b in the front of FIG. 2(a) at a position of the long axis. FIG. 5 illustrates a configuration of the annular packing 6. The annular packing 6 includes a rectangular packing main body portion 6a mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 3, and a band-shaped cushioning member 6b that is formed to extend from an end surface of the packing main body portion 6a in a depth direction. That is, the cushioning member 6b is preferably formed of the same material (for example, silicon rubber) integrally with the annular packing 6.

(17) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the annular packing 6 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3. A partition wall 3g is provided on the end surface of the packing main body portion 6a in the depth direction from an upper surface of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a toward a lower surface of the upper plate 3b of the inner housing 3. A cylindrical wall including a partition wall is formed from a lower surface of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a toward an inner surface of the cylindrical portion 5a of the outer housing 5. The packing body portion 6a is positioned and fixed between an end face of the front holder 7 mounted from a tip portion of the inner housing 3, and the partition wall 3g of the inner housing 3 and the cylindrical wall including the partition wall. The band-shaped cushioning member 6b extends from a portion where the packing main body 6a abuts against the partition wall 3g or the cylindrical wall including the partition wall, and is inserted into a gap where the hole wall 5c of the elongated hole 5b constituting the retaining mechanism and the protrusion 3d face each other. The cushioning member 6b may be provided separately from the packing main body portion 6a, and may be inserted into the gap where the hole wall 5c and the protrusion 3d face each other. However, a number of components can be reduced to facilitate work management at a time of assembly by integrally forming the cushioning member 6b and the packing main body portion 6a.

(18) With this configuration, according to the present embodiment, the retaining mechanism is formed such that the protrusion 3d and the hole wall 5c provided so as to face both housings of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 abut against each other. The cushioning member 6b is inserted or provided between the protrusion 3d and the hole wall 5c, so that when the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 are in a half fitting state or the like, even if the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are separated by the spring 12 in the anti-fitting directions in which a fitting of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are forcibly released, the protrusion 3d and the hole wall 5c abut against each other so that the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 are held at predetermined assembling positions. Further, when the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 have a large number of terminals, a biasing force of the spring is strengthened and the impact force acting between the abutting members of the protrusion 3d and the hole wall 5c is alleviated by the cushioning member 6b, so that damages to the protrusion 3d can be prevented or reduced.

Second Embodiment

(19) A spring type connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in configurations of the retaining mechanism, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, only the differences are described, and description of the other configurations is omitted.

(20) FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of the female connector 1 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along a central axis of the upper spring 12, and FIG. 6(b) is a front view of the female connector 1 as viewed from a male connector 2 side. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the annular packing 13 according to the present embodiment includes an annular packing main body 13a mounted on the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3, and a flange 13b integrally formed at an end portion on a back side in a drawing of the packing main body 13a. A notch 13c is formed in the flange 13b. The notch 13c is located at a center of an upper surface of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3. However, the notch 13c is not necessarily required.

(21) As illustrated in FIG. 6(a), the annular packing 13 is mounted on a outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3 with the flange 13b on the back side. A step portion 3h having a stepped surface is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 3a. The step portion 3h is formed at the predetermined assembling positions of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5 in accordance with a position of a back surface 5f of a spring receiver 5e forming the spring accommodation portion 5d of the outer housing 5. In FIG. 6(a), reference numeral 3k denotes a guide rod of the spring 12. Therefore, when the annular packing 13 is mounted on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 3a of the inner housing 3 with the flange 13b on the back side, a back side surface of the flange 13b is mounted so as to abut against both the step portion 3h and the back surface 5f. A state illustrated in FIG. 6(a) is predetermined assembling positions of the inner housing 3 and the outer housing 5, and is positions where the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 are forcibly returned by a biasing force of the spring 12 when the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 are in the half fitting state. That is, the retaining mechanism is constituted by the flange 13b of the annular packing 13 mounted on the inner housing 3 and the back surface 5f of the spring receiver 5e (lock portion) of the outer housing 5.

(22) Therefore, when the female connector 1 and the male connector 2 are in the half fitting state, the inner housing 3 protruding downward in FIG. 6(a) from the outer housing 5 is pushed back by the spring 12 to return to an illustrated position. At this time, the flange 13b of the annular packing 13 collides against the back surface 5f of the spring receiver 5e. However, the impact force thereof is sufficiently alleviated by the flange 13b, so that even if the biasing force of the spring 12 is strong, it is possible to suppress damages to the retaining mechanism. In a case of the present embodiment, the retaining mechanism according to the first embodiment can be omitted.

(23) As described above, in the present embodiment, the watertight annular packing 13 inserted between the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2 is mounted. The outer housing 5 includes the back surface 5f of a spring reception portion located at a back of the gap into which the cylindrical portion 10 of the male connector 2 is inserted. The gap is located at an end portion on a back side of the annular packing 13. The flange 13b, which is formed integrally with the annular packing 13 and is formed so as to be able to abut against the back surface 5f of the spring receiver 5e of the outer housing 5, is provided so as to constitute the retaining mechanism in which the flange 13b serves as the cushioning material.

(24) While specific embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to appearances and configurations in the embodiments, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible without changing the spirit of the present invention.

(25) Here, characteristics of the spring type connector according to the embodiments of the present invention described above are summarized briefly in the following (1) to (3), respectively.

(26) (1)

(27) A spring type connector includes a pair of connectors having a lock mechanism that are engaged with each other at a fitting position.

(28) One of the pair of the connectors (1) includes: an inner housing (3); an outer housing (5) that surrounds the inner housing and is assembled to and slidable to the inner housing relatively in fitting directions; a gap defined between the inner housing and the outer housing and into which the other the pair of the connectors is capable of being inserted; a retaining mechanism (3d, 5c) configured to suppress separation between the inner housing and the outer housing; and a spring (12) configured to bias the inner housing and the outer housing in directions in which the inner housing and the outer housing are separated from each other.

(29) The retaining mechanism includes: a pair of abutting members (3d, 5c) provided on the inner housing and the outer housing so as to face each other in the fitting directions; and a cushioning member (6b) provided between the pair of the abutting members.

(30) (2)

(31) The spring type connector according to (1) further includes:

(32) a watertight annular packing (6) that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing and is provided in the gap.

(33) The cushioning member (6b) is a band-shaped member that extends from the annular packing and is provided between the pair of the abutting members (3d, 5c).

(34) (3)

(35) A spring type connector includes a pair of connectors having a lock mechanism that are engaged with each other at a fitting position.

(36) One of the pair of the connectors (1) includes: an inner housing (3); an outer housing (5) that surrounds the inner housing and is assembled to and slidable to the inner housing relatively in fitting directions; a gap defined between the inner housing and the outer housing and into which the other the pair of the connectors is capable of being inserted; a retaining mechanisms (5e, 13b) configured to suppress separation between the inner housing and the outer housing; a spring (12) configured to bias the inner housing and the outer housing in directions in which the inner housing and the outer housing are separated from each other; and a watertight annular packing (6) that is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the inner housing and is provided in the gap.

(37) The retaining mechanism includes a flange (13b) extending from the annular packing and a lock portion (5e) of the outer housing abutting on a back side part of the flange in the fitting directions, and is configured to suppress the outer housing from moving toward a front side in the fitting directions with respect to the flange by abutting between the flange and the lock portion.

(38) The present application is based on a Japanese Patent Application (JP-2017-010296) filed on Jan. 24, 2017, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(39) According to a spring-equipped connector according to the present invention, the spring type connector that includes the mechanism which is configured to push back the housing by utilizing the biasing force of the spring at the time of half fitting is capable of preventing or reducing damages to the mechanism. The present invention having this effect is useful for a spring type connector.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(40) 1 female connector

(41) 2 male connector

(42) 3 inner housing

(43) 3d protrusion

(44) 3e lock arm

(45) 3j lock claw

(46) 5 outer housing

(47) 5b elongated hole

(48) 5c hole wall

(49) 5e spring receiver (lock portion)

(50) 6 annular packing

(51) 7 front holder

(52) 10 cylindrical portion

(53) 10a protrusion

(54) 10b protrusion