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EP-4738618-A2 - MATING ASSIST MECHANISM

EP4738618A2EP 4738618 A2EP4738618 A2EP 4738618A2EP-4738618-A2

Abstract

A mating assist mechanism includes a first structure and a second structure. The first structure has two guide portions and a first piece. The second structure has a second piece. The guide portion guides a second connector toward a first connector when the second connector is mated with the first connector. At least one of the first piece and the second piece is resiliently deformable. The first piece has a first protrusion. The second piece has a second protrusion. When the second connector is mated with the first connector, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are brought into abutment with each other and then pass over each other in accordance with resilient deformation of at least one of the first piece and the second piece, and thereby a click feeling is generated.

Inventors

  • OOSAKA, JUNJI

Assignees

  • Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20250826

Claims (8)

  1. A mating assist mechanism configured to assist a mating operation of a first connector and a second connector which are mounted on a first object and a second object, respectively, and are mateable with each other along an up-down direction, wherein: the mating assist mechanism comprises a first structure configured to be attached to the first object and a second structure configured to be attached to the second object; the first structure comprises two guide portions and at least one first piece; the second structure comprises at least one second piece; the guide portion is configured to guide the second connector toward the first connector when the second connector is mated with the first connector; at least one of the first piece and the second piece is resiliently deformable; the first piece has a first protrusion; the second piece has a second protrusion; and when the second connector is mated with the first connector, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are brought into abutment with each other and then pass over each other along the up-down direction in accordance with resilient deformation of the at least one of the first piece and the second piece, and thereby a click feeling is generated.
  2. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein: the at least one first piece includes two first pieces; the at least one second piece includes two second pieces which correspond to the two first pieces, respectively; the two second pieces are apart from each other in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction; each of the second pieces is resiliently deformable; the second structure comprises two protection portions which correspond to the two second pieces, respectively; each of the protection portions is adjacent to a corresponding one of the second pieces; and each of the protection portions protects the corresponding one of the second pieces when the second connector is mated with the first connector.
  3. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 2, wherein: each of the protection portions is adjacent to the corresponding one of the second pieces in an intersecting direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and intersecting with the horizontal direction; the second structure is formed with two receiving spaces which are located between the two protection portions in the horizontal direction and correspond to the two protection portions, respectively; each of the receiving spaces is adjacent to a corresponding one of the protection portions in the horizontal direction; and when the second connector is mated with the first connector, the two protection portions guide the two guide portions, respectively, so that the two guide portions are received in the two receiving spaces, respectively.
  4. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 2 or 3, wherein: the second structure is configured to be mounted on a lower surface of the second object; the second object is formed with two openings; each of the openings passes through the second object in the up-down direction; the two openings are provided so as to correspond to the two second pieces, respectively; each of the openings is located inward of a corresponding one of the second pieces in the horizontal direction; and each of the second pieces extends upward in a corresponding one of the openings beyond the lower surface of the second object and then extends downward beyond the lower surface of the second object.
  5. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 2, wherein: the second structure comprises at least one coupling portion; and the coupling portion couples the two protection portions together in the horizontal direction.
  6. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 5, wherein: the at least one coupling portion includes two coupling portions; and each of the coupling portions couples the two protection portions together in the horizontal direction.
  7. The mating assist mechanism as recited in claim 5 or 6, wherein: the second structure comprises an extending portion; the extending portion extends from the coupling portion along an extending direction so as to be located inside the second structure, the extending direction being perpendicular to the up-down direction and intersecting with the horizontal direction; and the extending portion is formed with a broken portion located at an end thereof.
  8. A predetermined member usable as the second structure of the mating assist mechanism as recited in one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: the predetermined member comprises two second pieces, two protection portions corresponding to the two second pieces, respectively, a coupling portion, an extending portion and a suckable portion; the two second pieces are apart from each other in a horizontal direction; each of the second pieces is resiliently deformable; each of the protection portions is adjacent to a corresponding one of the second pieces in an intersecting direction intersecting with the horizontal direction; the coupling portion couples the two protection portions together in the horizontal direction; the extending portion extends from the coupling portion along an extending direction so as to be located inside the predetermined member, the extending direction intersecting with the horizontal direction; and the suckable portion is connected to the extending portion, is located between the two protection portions in the horizontal direction and extends along a horizontal plane defined by the horizontal direction and the intersecting direction.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a mating assist mechanism configured to assist a mating operation of two connectors mateable with each other. For example, this type of mating assist mechanism is disclosed in JP2011-129459A (Patent Document 1), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Referring to Fig. 19, Patent Document 1 discloses a mating guide component (guide component) 90 configured to guide mating of a connector with a mating connector (not shown). The connector 95 is mounted and fixed on a circuit board 98 in an up-down direction. The connector 95 is provided with a plurality of lock portions 97. Each of the lock portions 97 is located at a lower edge of the connector 95. The guide component 90 is provided with a plurality of lock claws 92 which correspond to the lock portions 97, respectively. When the illustrated guide component 90 is moved toward the connector 95, each of the lock claws 92 is moved under the corresponding lock portion 97 and is engaged with the corresponding lock portion 97. The thus-moved guide component 90 is attached to the connector 95. The mating connector (not shown) is mateable from above with the connector 95 to which the guide component 90 is attached. The guide component 90 guides the mating connector when the mating connector is mated with the connector 95. Thus, the connector 95 is provided with a mating assist mechanism comprising the guide component 90. It is not easy for a user who is not mature in a mating operation to mate two connectors mounted on two circuit boards, respectively, with each other even though a mating assist mechanism such as that of Patent Document 1 is provided. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mating assist mechanism configured to assist a mating operation performed by a user who is not mature in a mating operation. An aspect of the present invention provides a mating assist mechanism configured to assist a mating operation of a first connector and a second connector which are mounted on a first object and a second object, respectively, and are mateable with each other along an up-down direction. The mating assist mechanism comprises a first structure configured to be attached to the first object and a second structure configured to be attached to the second object. The first structure comprises two guide portions and at least one first piece. The second structure comprises at least one second piece. The guide portion is configured to guide the second connector toward the first connector when the second connector is mated with the first connector. At least one of the first piece and the second piece is resiliently deformable. The first piece has a first protrusion. The second piece has a second protrusion. When the second connector is mated with the first connector, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are brought into abutment with each other and then pass over each other along the up-down direction in accordance with resilient deformation of the at least one of the first piece and the second piece, and thereby a click feeling is generated. Another aspect of the present invention provides a predetermined member usable as the second structure of the mating assist mechanism. The predetermined member comprises two second pieces, two protection portions corresponding to the two second pieces, respectively, a coupling portion, an extending portion and a suckable portion. The two second pieces are apart from each other in a horizontal direction. Each of the second pieces is resiliently deformable. Each of the protection portions is adjacent to a corresponding one of the second pieces in an intersecting direction intersecting with the horizontal direction. The coupling portion couples the two protection portions together in the horizontal direction. The extending portion extends from the coupling portion along an extending direction so as to be located inside the predetermined member, the extending direction intersecting with the horizontal direction. The suckable portion is connected to the extending portion, is located between the two protection portions in the horizontal direction and extends along a horizontal plane defined by the horizontal direction and the intersecting direction. The mating assist mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention comprises an informing mechanism in addition to a guide mechanism. The guide mechanism comprises the guide portions configured to guide mating of the first connector with the second connector. The informing mechanism comprises the first piece and the second piece configured to generate a click feeling when the first connector and the second connector are mated with each other. The thus-generated click feeling clearly informs a user that the first connector and the second connector are mated with each other. Moreover, the first piece and the second piece of an aspect of the present inventio