JP2003272763A - Self-locating connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small self-locating connector with good fitting and high connection reliability of a connector and with a large volume for absorbing centering errors at the time of fitting. <P>SOLUTION: A head part of a bolt 13 of a first connector 11 is pushed and slides between an outer rib 113 of the first connector 11 and an inner peripheral edge 211 of a holder, and between a skirt part 112 outer face of the first connector 11 and an inner rib 214 of the holder 21. Thereafter, a tip end 118 of the skirt part, an inclined face 317 of the second connector, and inclined face 116 of the first connector, and a tip end 313 of the second connector abuts and slides approximately simultaneously, so that centers of both of the connectors 11 and 31 perfectly match each other. Then, a male terminal 12 of the first connector is fitted with a female terminal 32 of the second connector. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection structure of a connector used for electrical connection of electrical equipment, and more particularly to a self-locating connector mounted on a modular instrument panel mounted on an automobile or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a self-locating device for connecting an instrument harness such as a meter, an audio, an air conditioner of an automobile or an electric device housed under the instrument panel to a body harness arranged on a vehicle body. As the connector, there is, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-259974.

7 to 9 are shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-259974.

In these drawings, the first unit fixed to one electric unit A of the electric units connected to each other
A connector S1, a second connector S2 provided at the end of the wire harness S3, and a holder S attached to the other electric unit B to temporarily lock the second connector S2.
6 and the housings S8 of the first and second connectors,
The second connector S2 is provided with fastening means S11, S17 for fastening S15, and as the housings S8, S15 of the both connectors are fastened by the fastening means fastening means S11, S17 in a state where both electric units A, B are connected. Is drawn out from the holder S6 and fitted into the first connector S1.
In addition, the electric wire holding portion S positioned laterally of the location of the second connector S2 and capable of being displaced inward of the holder S6.
21 is provided, and this electric wire holding portion prevents the above displacement in the state where the second connector S2 is temporarily locked in the holder S6, and when the second connector S2 is pulled forward from the holder S6. The displacement is allowed and is biased by the biasing means S22, so that the second connector S6
A connector connecting portion structure is shown, which is configured to displace the electric wire bundle S5 that is continuous to the state of being constrained.

[0005]

However, in the above conventional example, the first unit attached to the electric unit A is used.
Since the axial misalignment between the connector S1 and the second connector S2 attached to the electric unit B is mainly due to the tapered surface S13 around the opening end of the housing S8 of the first connector S1, there is a limit in itself and sufficient absorption. It cannot be a quantity. In addition, the arm member S21 is generated by the bending force and the pulling force of the electric wire bundle S5 arranged in the second connector S2.
Is deformed, the first connector S1 and the second connector S2
Of the first connector S1 of the bolt S11
And the screw hole S17 of the second connector S2 are not screwed together, and there is a problem that both connectors S1 and S2 are not fitted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and increases the amount of absorption of axial misalignment when the first connector S1 and the second connector S2 are fitted together, and the bending force of the wire bundle S5. It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-locating connector which is not affected by the pulling force and has good connector fitting workability and high connection reliability, and which is used for module installation.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the invention for achieving the above object, there is provided a first connector for accommodating a male terminal or a female terminal, and a second connector for accommodating a female terminal or a male terminal. A self-locating connector comprising a holder for axially locking the first connector,
The first connector includes an engaging portion that engages with the holder in the axial direction, a substrate portion that engages the male terminal or the female terminal, an outer rib of the substrate portion, a fitting portion that fits the second connector, and a fitting portion. The second connector has a sloping inward facing surface and a skirt, and the second connector engages the female terminal or the male terminal and is fitted to the fitting portion of the first connector. And a fitting portion that fits into the skirt portion of the first connector, and the holder has an inner peripheral edge portion in which one end of a rectangular tubular shape is in sliding contact with the outer rib of the first connector. A rib, and in the fitting operation of the first connector and the second connector, between the outer rib of the first connector and the inner peripheral edge portion of the holder, and the outer surface of the skirt portion of the first connector and the holder. After the sliding operation with the inner rib, the skirt part The tip end and the slope of the second connector, and the slope of the first connector and the tip of the second connector substantially abut and slide at the same time, so that the fitting portion of the first connector and the second connector are slid. After the board portion and the skirt portion of the first connector and the fitting portion of the second connector are fitted, the male or female terminal of the first connector and the female or male terminal of the second connector are Self-locating and connector characterized by mating.

A second aspect of the invention is the self-locating connector according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the engaging protrusion and the engaging protrusion of the first connector are engaged in the fitting operation of the first connector and the second connector. The engagement operation of the first connector and the second connector is performed after the engagement between the concave groove formed by the claw and the inner peripheral edge portion of the holder is released.

A third aspect of the invention is the self-locating connector according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein
In the fitting operation of the connector and the second connector, the first
Simply push the connector to the second connector side in the axial direction,
The axial engagement between the first connector and the holder is released.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (Embodiment of the Invention) FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a first connector and a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 11 is a first connector and 21 is a holder. The holder 21 is attached to a bracket 14 on the instrument side, and the first connector is housed inside. Reference numeral 31 is a second connector that fits with the first connector 11, and is attached to a bracket 34 on the vehicle body side.

The state shown in the drawing shows a state in which the axial centers of the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 are displaced by the dimension L.

2 to 4 show a first connector, a holder,
The structure of the second connector is shown and will be described below in detail with reference to this drawing.

FIG. 2 shows a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side sectional view (cross section GG in FIG. (B)), (b) is a front view, (c). Is a plan view cross-sectional view (cross-section FF in FIG. 7B).

Reference numeral 110 denotes a housing body of the first connector 11, which has a rectangular shape in a front view and has a plurality of male terminals 12.
Board portion 111 into which the connector is inserted, and fitting portion 11 of the second connector
7, the inclined surface 116, and the skirt portion 112, and the substrate portion 11
A bolt, which is screwed into the nut of the second connector to facilitate the fitting of both connectors, is rotatably slidably passed through the center of the first connector, and the washer 15 regulates the axial position. The inclined surface 116 functions as a guide surface when the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 are fitted together.

Reference numeral 115 is a knob made of an elastic piece, and has a locking projection 1151 and a locking claw 1152 which are engaged with the holder 21.
The engaging projection 1151 and the engaging claw 1152 form a concave groove 1153 that engages with the holder 21. 11
Reference numeral 3 denotes an outer rib, the end surface of which is a sliding surface (described later) with the inner peripheral edge portion 211 of the holder 21.

FIG. 3 shows a holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a side sectional view (cross section H-H in FIG. (B)), (b) is a front view, and (c) is. It is a plane view sectional view (section I-I in FIG. 6B).

Reference numeral 210 denotes a housing main body of the holder 21, which has a rectangular tubular shape when viewed from the front, and 213 denotes an outer tubular portion, an inner rib 214 is provided on the inner surface, and the end surface thereof is a sliding surface with the first connector 11. Has become.

Reference numeral 217 denotes a flange portion protruding outward from one end of the cylindrical shape, and 216 is a locking lance provided adjacent to the flange portion 217. The locking lance 216 and the flange portion 217 form a holder 21. It is fixed to the bracket 14 on the instrument panel side.

Reference numeral 211 denotes an inner peripheral edge portion of the housing main body 210, which forms a sliding surface with the outer rib of the first connector engaged with the inside thereof and has the same crossover dimension as the opposite crossover dimension of the inner rib 214. is doing. 212 is the inner peripheral edge portion 2
11 is an inwardly facing slope connecting the outer cylinder portion 213.

FIG. 4 shows a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view (arrow N in FIG. (A)), and (c) is a plan view. It is a cross-sectional view (cross-section KK in FIG.

Reference numeral 310 denotes a housing body of the second connector 31, which has a rectangular tubular shape when viewed from the front, and has a substrate portion 311 formed at one end thereof and a plurality of female terminals 32 inserted therein, and a center portion of the substrate portion 311. A nut 33 that is screwed into the bolt 13 of the first connector 11 is inserted.

Reference numeral 312 denotes the skirt portion 1 of the first connector 11.
12 is a fitting portion that fits with 12, and has a flange 316 provided with an engaging claw 314 and a bolt hole 315 for fixing the second connector 31 to the bracket 34 on the vehicle body side. Reference numeral 317 denotes an outwardly facing inclined surface that is connected to the fitting portion 312 from the board portion 311 and has a function as a guide surface when the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 are fitted.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the fitting operation of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the fitting operation of the connector progresses as it goes from FIG. There is. FIG. 1A shows a state in which the first connector housed in the holder 21 fixed to the instrument panel side and the second connector fixed to the vehicle body face each other, and the module instrument is mounted on the vehicle. The fixed position is shown.

FIG. 1A shows a limit position where the mutual positional deviation (M direction, downward) of the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 can be absorbed (the same applies to FIG. 1).
It is designed so that it will not exceed the position shown in the drawing when the module instrument in which is installed is mounted in the vehicle.

FIG. 6B shows a state when the locking lance of the first connector is released. By bending the knob 115 inward, the engagement between the recessed groove 1153 formed by the locking projection 1151 and the locking claw 1152 and the inner peripheral edge portion 211 is released, and the first connector 11 is moved in the N direction (hereinafter, “shaft It is possible to move in any direction.

FIG. 3C shows the initial state of the pushing movement of the first connector. When the head of the bolt 13 is pushed axially with a socket wrench from the position shown in FIG.
End surface of the holder 21 and the inner peripheral edge portion 211 of the holder 21, and between the end surface of the inner rib 214 and the outer surface of the skirt portion 112 of the first connector 11 to keep the axial distance L of both connectors constant. While, the skirt portion 112 of the first connector 11
Slides on the board portion 311 of the second connector.

FIG. 3D shows a state where the first connector is being pushed. By further pushing the head of the bolt 13 in the axial direction from the state shown in FIG.
The tip 118 of the skirt comes into contact with the slope 317 of the second connector, and at the same time, the tip 313 of the second connector 31 comes into contact with the slope 116 of the first connector 11 and the slope 317 and the slope 1
The first connector 11 is guided along 16 and moves in the axial direction and the M direction (obliquely downward in the drawing).

At the position shown in FIG. 3D, the inner peripheral edge portion 211 of the holder 21, the outer rib 113 of the first connector 11, the end face of the inner rib 214 and the skirt portion 1 of the first connector 11 are positioned.
Although the sliding contact with the outer surface of 12 is completed and the regulation in the axial direction is released, the first connector is pushed in the axial direction without rotating the first connector (J direction). Before that, it is pushed into the position shown in the next figure (e).

FIG. 6E shows the initial state of fitting when the male terminal of the first connector 11 and the female terminal of the second connector 31 have started to be fitted.

When the first connector 11 is further pushed in, the tip of the bolt 13 of the first connector 11 and the nut 33 of the second connector 31 come into contact with each other, and the skirt portion 112 of the first connector 11 moves into the second connector 31. A fitting part 312,
Further, the fitting portion 117 of the first connector and the board portion 311 of the second connector 31 are slightly fitted to each other, so that both connectors 11, 3
The axis of 1 is completely the same.

Around the contact between the tip of the bolt 13 of the first connector 11 and the nut 33 of the second connector 31, the bolt 13 is rotated with a socket wrench to connect the male terminal 12 of the first connector 11 and the Female connector 32 of 2 connector 31
Mating with.

In FIG. 6 (f), the bolt 13 is further rotated from the state shown in FIG. 6 (e) to push in the first connector 11, and the fitting of the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 is completed. It shows the state.

The alignment in the M direction has been described above.
The alignment in the direction perpendicular to the M direction (perpendicular to the plane of the drawing) is also the same as the alignment in the M direction, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, as described in the above construction and fitting operation, the inner peripheral edge portion 211 of the holder 21.
And the outer rib 113 of the first connector 11, and the outer surface of the skirt portion 112 of the first connector 11 and the inner rib 214 of the holder 21 slide, and at the same time, the skirt portion 112 of the first connector 11, the inclined surface 111, and the fitting Part 117 and the second
The board portion 311, the inclined surface 317, and the fitting portion 31 of the connector 31.
When the first connector 11 is pushed axially toward the second connector 31 side by sliding with the second connector 11, the first connector 11 is held in a substantially constant axial direction, and both connectors 1
Before the male terminals 12 on the first connector side and the female terminals 32 on the second connector 31 start to be mated with each other, the first connector 11 and the second connector are completely aligned in axis. After that, since both connectors 11 and 31 are fitted only by tightening the bolt 13 with a socket wrench, it is possible to absorb axial misalignment in two orthogonal directions with a simple structure.

Further, the holder 21, the first connector 11,
The guide portion of the second connector 31 has a high rigidity, and the connector axial misalignment occurs depending on the wiring situation and wiring work of the conventional wire harness, which impairs the fitting workability between the connectors. It is possible to obtain a self-locating connector that is small in size, low in cost, has good fitting workability, and has high connection reliability, without the problem of deterioration in connection reliability.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the fitting operation of the connector according to another example of the embodiment of the present invention.

The present embodiment is the same as the above-mentioned embodiment except that the locking projection of the knob 115 of the first connector 11 is provided with the inclined surface 1153, which is different from the above-mentioned embodiment.

In FIG. 5A, the first connector 11 accommodated in the holder 21 attached to the bracket 14 on the module installation side and the second connector 31 attached to the bracket 34 on the vehicle body side are displaced from each other by a dimension L. It shows the state of facing.

FIG. 6B shows a state in which the bolt 13 is pressed with a socket wrench to release the locking lance of the first connector.

Since the holder 21 is provided with the inclined surface 1153, only by pressing the bolt 13 with the socket wrench, the concave groove 1153 formed by the locking projection 1151 and the locking claw 1152 of the knob 115 and the inner peripheral edge of the holder 21. Part 2
Since the engagement with the connector 11 is released, the fitting operation of the first connector 11 and the second connector 31 can be performed more smoothly in this embodiment.

[0041]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the module instrument is mounted on the vehicle, it is possible to absorb the axial misalignment in two orthogonal directions by simply pressing and rotating the bolt of the first connector with a tool such as a socket wrench. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a self-locating connector that is compact, inexpensive, has good fitting workability, and has high connection reliability.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the fitting work is performed after the axial engagement between the first connector and the holder is released, the first connector is removed while the module instrument is mounted on the vehicle. No axial movement, 1st
There is an effect that it is possible to obtain a self-locating connector having a good fitting workability between the connector and the second connector and having high connection reliability.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the axial locking between the first connector and the holder is released at the same time when the fitting operation by the impact wrench or the like is started. An effect that the workability of fitting the connector is good and the connection reliability can be enhanced is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first connector and a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a side view sectional view of a connector.

2A and 2B show a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a side sectional view, FIG. 2B is a front view, and FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a holder according to an embodiment of the present invention,
(A) is a side view sectional view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a plan view sectional view.

FIG. 4 shows a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view cross-sectional view.

5A and 5B are explanatory views of the fitting operation of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is a front view of a first connector and a second connector, and FIG. Time,
(C) is the initial pushing of the first connector, (d) is the pushing of the first connector, (e) is the initial mating of the first connector and the second connector, (f) is the first connector and the second connector. Shows the completion of mating.

6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of a fitting operation of a connector according to another example of the embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a front view of a first connector and a second connector, and FIG. Shows when the locking lance is released.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the connector of the invention according to the conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before connection of a connector according to a conventional example.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after connection of a connector according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: 1st connector (instrument panel side) 110: housing body 111: substrate part 112: Skirt 113, 114: Outer rib 115: Knob 1151: Locking projection 1152: Locking claw 1153: concave groove 1154: slope 116: slope 117: Fitting part 12: Male terminal 13: Bolt 14: Bracket (instrument panel side) 15: Washer 21: Holder 210: housing body 211: Inner peripheral edge 212: slope 213: Outer tube part 214, 215: Inner rib 216: Locking lance 217: Flange part 31: Second connector 310: housing body 311: substrate part 312: Fitting part 313: Tip 314: Locking claw 315: Bolt hole 316: Flange 317: slope 32: Female terminal 33: Nut 34: Bracket (vehicle body side)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first housing for accommodating a male terminal or a female terminal.
A self-locating connector comprising a connector, a second connector accommodating a female terminal or a male terminal, and a holder for axially locking the first connector, wherein the first connector is axially locked to the holder. A locking portion, a base plate portion into which the male terminal or the female terminal is engaged, an outer rib thereof, a fitting portion into which the second connector is fitted, an inwardly facing sloped surface connected to the fitting portion, and a skirt portion. The second connector has a board portion into which the female terminal or the male terminal is inserted and which fits with the fitting portion of the first connector, and an outwardly facing slope connecting to the board portion and the first connector. The holder has a fitting portion that fits into the skirt portion, and the holder has an inner peripheral edge portion and an inner rib whose one end in the shape of a rectangular tube is in sliding contact with the outer rib of the first connector, and the first connector and the second connector. In mating operation with The tip of the skirt and the second connector after the sliding operation between the outer rib of the first connector and the inner peripheral edge of the holder and between the outer surface of the skirt of the first connector and the inner rib of the holder. Slope, and the first
The inclined surface of the connector and the tip end portion of the second connector contact and slide at substantially the same time, and the fitting portion of the first connector and the second connector
After the board portion of the connector and the skirt portion of the first connector and the fitting portion of the second connector are fitted,
A self-locating connector, wherein a male or female terminal of the first connector and a female or male terminal of the second connector are fitted to each other. 2. An engagement between an inner peripheral edge portion of the holder and a groove formed by a locking projection and a locking claw of the first connector in a fitting operation of the first connector and the second connector. The fitting operation of the first connector and the second connector is performed after releasing the connection.
Self-locating connector described in. 3. In the fitting operation of the first connector and the second connector, the first connector and the holder are axially pushed only by pushing the first connector in the axial direction. The self-locating connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engagement is released.