Connector device, connector and mating connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11336056-B2
Application number	US-201917044978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2019
Priority date	Jun 19, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A connector device comprises a connector and a mating connector. Under a mated state where the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the mating connector is positioned forward of the connector in a front-rear direction. The connector comprises at least one supporting portion, at least one lock portion and a receiving portion. The mating connector has at least one mating lock portion and an abutment portion. At least one of the lock portion and the mating lock portion has an intersecting surface which intersects with both the front-rear direction and a perpendicular direction. Under the mated state, the abutment portion is positioned forward beyond the receiving portion in the front-rear direction and is brought into abutment against the receiving portion by a rearward force so that a rearward movement of the abutment portion beyond the receiving portion is regulated by the receiving portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector device comprising a connector and a mating connector, wherein:
the mating connector is mateable with and removable from the connector along a front-rear direction;
under a mated state where the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the mating connector is positioned forward of the connector in the front-rear direction;
the connector comprises at least one supporting portion, at least one lock portion and a receiving portion;
the supporting portion has an elastic property and supports the lock portion;
the lock portion is movable at least in a perpendicular direction by an elastic deformation of the supporting portion;
the perpendicular direction is perpendicular to the front-rear direction;
the mating connector has at least one mating lock portion and an abutment portion;
a relative position between the mating lock portion and the abutment portion in the front-rear direction is fixed in the mating connector;
at least one of the lock portion and the mating lock portion has an intersecting surface which intersects with both the front-rear direction and the perpendicular direction;
under the mated state, the lock portion is pressed against the mating lock portion by the elasticity of the supporting portion at the intersecting surface to apply a rearward force in the front-rear direction to the mating lock portion;
under the mated state, the abutment portion is positioned forward beyond the receiving portion in the front-rear direction and is brought into abutment against the receiving portion by the rearward force so that a rearward movement of the abutment portion beyond the receiving portion is regulated by the receiving portion; and
the mating lock portion is positioned rearward of the abutment portion in the front-rear direction.

2. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein under the mated state, the mating lock portion is positioned inward of the lock portion in the perpendicular direction and the supporting portion presses the lock portion against the mating lock portion.

3. The connector device as recited in claim 2 , wherein:
the connector device further comprises a maintaining mechanism; and
under the mated state, the maintaining mechanism is positioned outward beyond the supporting portion in the perpendicular direction and presses the supporting portion to maintain a state where the supporting portion presses the lock portion against the mating lock portion.

4. The connector device as recited in claim 3 , wherein:
the maintaining mechanism comprises an additional elastic portion and a pressing member; and
under the mated state, the additional elastic portion is positioned between the supporting portion and the pressing member in the perpendicular direction and applies an inward force in the perpendicular direction to the supporting portion.

5. The connector device as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the connector comprises a connector body and a lock member in addition to the pressing member;
the lock member is attached to the connector body;
the lock member has the supporting portion, the lock portion and the additional elastic portion;
the additional elastic portion is a spring which extends from the supporting portion in a cantilever manner; and
the pressing member is attached to the connector body so as to be movable in the front-rear direction in a space which is positioned outward of the supporting portion in the perpendicular direction.

6. The connector device as recited in claim 5 , wherein:
the connector body is provided with a regulating portion;
the lock member is provided with a regulated portion;
the regulated portion is positioned rearward of the regulating portion in the front-rear direction;
when the lock portion applies the rearward force to the mating lock portion under the mated state, the lock portion receives a forward force as a reaction force transferred from the mating lock portion; and
the regulated portion is pressed against the regulating portion by the forward force so that relative movements of the lock member and the connector body with respect to each other are regulated.

7. The connector device as recited in claim 5 , wherein:
the connector body comprises an optical module and a holding member;
the optical module has a photoelectric conversion portion and an electrical connector;
the holding member holds the optical module;
the holding member has an extending portion which extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction;
the extending portion has a front surface facing forward in the front-rear direction;
the front surface of the extending portion functions as the receiving portion;
the mating connector comprises a mating connector body;
the mating connector body has a mating shell;
the mating shell is formed with the abutment portion; and
under the mated state, the receiving portion and the abutment portion are in contact with each other.

8. The connector device as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
the mating shell is attached to a housing when the connector device is used;
the mating shell has a mating protruding portion;
the mating protruding portion is provided so as to be positioned outside the housing when the mating shell is attached to the housing;
the mating connector body has a mating electrical connector; and
when the connector device is used, the mating electrical connector is fixed on a circuit board which is arranged in the housing.

9. The connector device as recited claim 2 , wherein:
the connector comprises a plurality of the supporting portions and a plurality of the lock portions;
the lock portions are supported by the supporting portions, respectively;
the connector has an axis which extends in the front-rear direction; and
the lock portions are arranged at a constant interval in a circumferential direction of the axis.

10. The connector device as recited in claim 9 , wherein:
each of the lock portions has the intersecting surface; and
the intersecting surfaces of all of the lock portions are parts of a common cone surface which has a center on the axis.

11. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the intersecting surface is provided on both of the lock portion and the mating lock portion.

12. The connector device as recited in claim 11 , wherein:
the connector has a protruding portion which protrudes inward in the perpendicular direction from the supporting portion;
the lock portion is provided on the protruding portion;
the intersecting surface of the lock portion faces inward in the perpendicular direction and rearward in the front-rear direction;
the mating connector has a recess;
under the mated state, the recess receives, at least in part, the protruding portion;
the mating lock portion is provided on the recess;
the intersecting surface of the mating lock portion is a surface of the recess, the surface of the recess being positioned rearward of the protruding portion in the front-rear direction under the mated state; and
the intersecting surface of the mating lock portion faces outward in the perpendicular direction and forward in the front-rear direction.

13. The connector device as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the connector has a terminal;
the mating connector has a mating terminal; and
under the mated state, the terminal is connected with the mating terminal.

14. The connector used for the connector device as recited in claim 1 .

15. The mating connector used for the connector device as recited in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Koreeda Yuichi
• Ishiguro Masaki
• Shimazu Hideto
• Hashiguchi Osamu

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/639 Primary

  Additional means for holding or locking coupling parts together, after engagement, {e.g. separate keylock, retainer strap} · CPC title

• H01R13/6277 Primary

  comprising annular latching means, e.g. ring snapping in an annular groove · CPC title

• H01R24/76

  with sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall · CPC title

• H01R13/62

  Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement · CPC title