JPH07296871A - Connector device and assembling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a low-cost connector device that has a structure in which terminals of series lamination are fitted and which has a reduced width and can be used for various usage conditions by using a conductive plate material. The present invention also provides a female terminal that is simple and can be manufactured at low cost, and a method of assembling the female terminal into a connector device. [Structure] A fitting part 6A, 6B made of a conductive material, one end of which is formed into a cylindrical shape and into which the connection pin 2 can be fitted, and the other end is a wire connection part 7A for connecting a wire. , 7B, the plurality of female terminals 5A, 5B formed on the housing 21 with the fitting portions 6A, 6B arranged in series.
The same connection pin 2 is placed inside each of the fitting portions 6A and 6A.
A plurality of female type terminals 5A,
B is electrically connected to each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector device and a method for assembling the same, and more particularly to a connector device also serving as a safety plug used for connecting and disconnecting a high voltage circuit or a large current circuit such as an electric vehicle and a method for assembling the connector device. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a switchboard of a high-voltage circuit, when a cover of the switchboard is opened, a male connector fixed to the cover is pulled out from a female connector fixed to a main body of the switchboard, and the height of the switch is increased. The electrical connection of the voltage circuit is cut off so that an operator does not accidentally touch the electrode and receive an electric shock.

The applicant of the present invention also previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. 5-11.
No. 4253 proposes a connector device that also serves as a safety plug. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10,
This connector device WA is rotatable about a female connector 52 fixed to a first base body 51 and a rotation axis WB provided at one end of the first base body 51, and the first base body 51 is rotated. It is composed of a male connector 54 attached to a second base body 53 which serves as a lid for 51. The one ends 52a and 52b of the female connector 52 are connected to the first base body 51.
Partially exposed to the outer surface of the high voltage wiring 55a,
55b is provided so that a connector can be connected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the male connector 54 includes a guide 57 which is attached to the second base body 53 by a bolt 56, and an axial line of the rotating shaft WB which is loosely fitted inside the guide 57. The connector main body 58 is configured to be displaceable in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to.
The connector body 58 of the male connector 54 is composed of a rectangular parallelepiped base 61 made of an insulating resin material, a guide member 62 vertically extending from the base 61, and a copper member vertically extending from the base 61 in parallel with the guide member 62. Of the electrode pins 63. Further, the electrode pin 63 is formed in a substantially U shape in a front view.

Then, by rotating the second base body 53 in the direction of the arrow WC, the electrode pin 63 of the male connector 54 is rotated.
Are a pair of insertion holes 52d, 5 formed in the female connector 52.
2e, which results in an end 52 of the first substrate 51
The high voltage electric wires 55a and 55b connected to a and 52b are energized. On the other hand, when the power supply is cut off, the second base 5
3 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow WC to extract the electrode pin 63 from the female connector 52.

A connector device having the structure shown in FIG. 11 is also known. The female connector 64 is the housing 6
5, the terminal 65 is housed inside. The terminal 65 has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and a high voltage electric wire 67 is connected to one end 66 of the high voltage electric wire 67 by a bolt 68, and a pair of elastic members which allow an electrode pin 69 of a male connector (not shown) to be fitted into the other end thereof. The contact surfaces 70a and 70b are formed. Then, the electrode pin 69 is fitted into the pair of contact surfaces 70a and 70b to obtain conduction, and the terminal 69 is pulled out to be disconnected.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional connector device, for example, in forming the terminal 65 of the female connector 64 shown in FIG. 11, a solid conductive member is cut into an L shape, Furthermore, the contact surfaces 70a and 70b into which the electrode pins 69 of the male connector can be fitted must be formed. Therefore, it takes time and effort to create the terminal 65, and at the same time, there is a problem of material loss due to cutting work, which has been a factor of high cost of the terminal and the connector device.

Further, also in the electrode pins 63 and 69, for example, in the electrode pin 63 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the rectangular columnar metal material is accurately dimensioned so that the protrusion lengths toward the female connector 52 side are the same. B-shaped bending must be performed, and the pair of insertion holes 52d, 5d of the female connector 52,
Since the mounting position is also required to have high accuracy so that it can be smoothly fitted into 2e, the cost is high due to manufacturing problems as in the case of the female connector. Furthermore, especially in the connector device shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the electrode pin 6
Since 3 is formed in a substantially U shape, the pair of insertion holes 52d and 52e of the female connector 52 also need to be arranged in the lateral direction, which causes a problem that the entire connector device becomes large.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector device in which terminals can be easily manufactured, can be manufactured at low cost, and can be easily assembled.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a connector device according to the present invention is provided with a fitting portion into which a connection pin can be fitted, and an electric wire is connected to the other end. A plurality of female terminals having wire connection portions formed therein for stacking are arranged in the housing in a state where the fitting portions are arranged in series, and a single connecting pin is passed through each of the fitting portions, It is characterized in that the female terminals having a laminated structure are electrically connected to each other. Further, in the female terminal, a substantially T-shaped conductive plate material is formed by bending a horizontal plate portion thereof in a vertical plate portion direction and bending it into a cylindrical shape to form a fitting portion, and at the same time, a wire connecting portion on the vertical plate portion. Are formed.

In order to achieve the same object, in the method of assembling the connector device according to the present invention, the fitting portion into which the connection pin can be fitted is formed at one end, and the electric wire is connected at the other end. A plurality of female terminals having wire connection portions formed therein, the fitting portion is introduced into each opening of the housing, and a stopper is inserted into the opening to close the opening, whereby the inside of the housing is closed. And a single connecting pin is inserted into each of the fitting portions of the female terminal so as to be electrically connected.

[0012]

In the connector device according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, a plurality of female terminals, each of which is made of a conductive material and has a cylindrical fitting portion at one end and a wire connecting portion at the other end, are fitted to each other. The parts are stacked in the housing in a state of being arranged in series. When one connection pin is sequentially fitted into each fitting portion in this state, the female terminals arranged in layers are electrically connected via the connection pin. As a result, the electric wire connected to the electric wire connecting portion of each female terminal is electrically connected. In this way, a connector device having a reduced width is realized.
Furthermore, by changing the number of female terminals to be laminated, it is possible to change the number of electric wires to be connected, which increases the degree of freedom in design.

In the female terminal, a fitting portion is formed only by bending a horizontal plate portion of a substantially T-shaped conductive plate in a vertical plate portion direction and bending it into a cylindrical shape, and an electric wire is formed on the vertical plate portion. A connection is formed. Thereby, the female terminal can be easily manufactured at low cost. Further, since the connecting pin is also constructed by surrounding the concave portion in the cylindrical conductive material and externally fitting the contact spring member, it can be manufactured as easily and inexpensively as the female terminal.

The method of assembling the connector device according to the present invention is as follows.
Positioning the female terminal in the housing by introducing the fitting portion of the female terminal into the opening formed in the housing wall, and further inserting a stopper into the opening to close the opening. While being fixed, the connecting pin is configured to be inserted into the fitting portion of the female terminal so as to be conductive. This operation is simple and easy, and thus the terminal assembling process is greatly simplified.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the connector device according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a connector device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state in which the female terminals of FIG. 1 are stacked and housed in a housing, and FIG. 3 shows an assembled state of the connector device of FIG. Sectional views shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views for explaining a method for producing the female terminal of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 6 to 8 are perspective views and cross sections for explaining a method for producing the connection pin of FIG. It is a figure.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector device 1 includes the female terminals 5A and 5B and the fitting portions 6 respectively.
Housing 21 with A and 6B facing each other in series
It is configured by stacking and disposing one connection pin 2 made of a conductive material in the fitting portions 6A and 6B. For convenience of explanation, the female terminal is divided into the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B, and related parts and members are similarly described by distinguishing the upper side and the lower side. . Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B are fixed to the housing 21 via the upper electric wire connecting portion 7A and the lower electric wire connecting portion 7B provided at the ends thereof, respectively. By fitting the connection pin 2, the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B are electrically connected, the upper wiring terminal 14A and the lower wiring terminal 14B are electrically connected, and the electric wires are electrically connected to each other. Become.

The upper female terminal 5A is made of a conductive material, one end of which is formed into a cylindrical shape to form an upper fitting portion 6A into which the connection pin 2 can be fitted and penetrated, and the other end of which is an electric wire ( Upper wire connecting part 7 for connecting (not shown)
A is formed. The lower female terminal 5B is the same member as the upper female terminal 5A, and includes a lower fitting portion 6B and a lower wire connecting portion 7B.

In these female terminals 5A and 5B, as shown in FIG. 4, a conductive plate material 17 made of metal or the like is punched out into a substantially T-shape, and the horizontal plate portion (AB) is further cut along a folding line 17a to form a vertical plate portion. It is formed by bending it in the direction (D) vertically and bending it into a cylindrical shape so that both ends A and B of the horizontal plate portion abut each other. The female terminal 5 thus processed is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical fitting portion 6 having the abutting portion 9
And a flat wire connecting portion 7. The cylindrical fitting portion 6 is open at the top and bottom to allow the fitting and penetration of the connection pin from either the top or bottom direction. Also,
An attachment hole 8 for connecting wiring is formed in the electric wire connecting portion 7.

As described above, the female terminal 5 in this embodiment
Can be manufactured extremely easily, so that the labor required for manufacturing can be significantly reduced and the cost can be reduced. As the material of the female terminal 5, a conductive flat plate material that is available as a standard product can be used, and the material is preferably a low resistance material such as copper. Alternatively, a light alloy or the like can be used, and the surface may be plated with rust to prevent conductivity or enhance conductivity. In addition, the diameter and depth of the fitting portion 6,
Further, the thickness of the flat plate material 17 is appropriately set in accordance with the voltage and current amount used and the size of the connection pin 2.

The upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B are housed in the housing 21 via the upper stopper 10A and the lower stopper 10B, respectively.
Explaining the structure of the stopper by taking the upper stopper 10A as an example, the outer shape is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the inner wall surface thereof is the upper fitting portion 6.
It is formed in an arc shape along the outer side surface of A, while its outer wall surface is formed in a flat plate shape so as to close the upper opening 13A from the inside. An annular upper flange 15A for locking a part of the upper fitting portion 6A is formed on the upper end of the stopper 10A. Further, the upper stopper 10
Upper skirts 16A are provided on both lower blades of A, and the upper wire connecting portion 7 is formed in a U-shaped portion formed between them.
The shape is such that A is sandwiched from the upper side and both side surfaces.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the connecting pin 2 has an upper contact spring member 3A and a lower contact spring in a recessed engaging groove 19 formed around a shaft portion of a round rod-shaped conductive material 18. It is configured by winding the member 3B. This locking groove 19
For example, it can be formed by cutting with a header and a cutting tool 25, and can be produced at low cost.

The contact spring member 3 is for improving electrical contact when the connecting pin 2 is inserted into the fitting portion 6 of the female terminal 5, and as shown in FIG. A flat spring material having a plurality of overhanging pieces 4 is curved into a circular shape and locked in the locking groove 19 so as not to slip out. When it is fitted into the fitting portion 6, the overhanging piece 4 is rubbed against the inner wall surface of the fitting portion 6 and elastically dents and deforms, and when pulled out, it returns to the original shape. There is. Further, the length of the shaft portion of the connection pin 2, the number of the engaging groove 19 and the contact spring member 3 provided are set in accordance with the number of the female terminals 5 arranged in layers.

Next, a method of assembling the connector device 1 having the above structure will be described with reference to FIGS. The housing 21 includes an upper female terminal 5A and a lower female terminal 5A.
B and B are separately partitioned into upper and lower parts, and an upper opening 13A is formed in a wall portion on one side (left side in the figure) above the upper side, and an upper end facing the wall side (right side in the figure). An annular upper flange 11A for locking the upper fitting portion 6A of the upper female terminal 5A is formed on the. An upper stopper 10A, which will be described later, can be inserted into the front side (left side in the figure) of the housing 21. A lower opening 13B and a lower flange 11B are formed below the housing 21 so as to be asymmetrical with the upper opening 13A and the upper flange 11A.

To store the upper female terminal 5A in the housing 21, first insert the upper fitting portion 6A into the upper opening 13A and push the upper fitting portion 6A upward so that the tip portion thereof is in the housing 21. Upper flange 11A
The upper stopper 10A is inserted from above the housing 21. here,
The upper flange 15A at the upper end of the upper stopper 10A presses the upper female terminal 5A downward, and the upper female terminal 5A
A is restrained from the side surface and fixed in the housing 21. At the same time, the upper opening 13A causes the upper stopper 1 to
It is blocked by 0A.

The assembling work of the lower female terminal 5B can be performed similarly. That is, first, the lower fitting portion 6B of the lower female terminal 5B is inserted into the lower opening 13B, the tip portion thereof is brought into contact with the lower flange 11B of the housing 21, and then from the lower side of the housing 21 to the lower side. Stopper 10
This is done by inserting B. At this time, the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B may be housed in the housing 21 so that the electric wire connecting portions 7A and 7B are aligned as shown in the drawing, or the electric wires are Connection 7A,
7B can be accommodated at a predetermined angle, and can be changed appropriately according to the design.

After accommodating the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B in the housing 21, the upper wiring terminal 14A having the electric wire connected to the upper electric wire connecting portion 7A is fastened by the upper bolt 23A, The lower wiring terminal 14B is fastened to the lower electric wire connecting portion 7B with the lower bolt 23B, and the assembling work of the female terminal 5 is completed.

On the other hand, the connection pin 2 has a cover 20 at its end.
When the cover 20 is housed inside and the cover 20 is attached to the housing 21, the connection pin 2 is fitted into the fitting portions 6A and 6B of the female terminals 5A and 5B. At that time, when the connecting pin 2 is hung down, first, the lower contact spring member 3B is moved to the upper female terminal 5A.
The lower contact spring member 3B is fitted to the lower fitting portion 6B of the lower female terminal 5B by penetrating the upper fitting portion 6A and further hanging down. Here, the upper fitting portion 6A and the lower fitting portion 6B
And the lower extension piece 4B of the lower spring member 3B of the connection pin 2 is elastically restored and is fitted to the lower fitting portion 6B in a contracted state. . Therefore, once the connecting pin 2 is fitted into the upper fitting portion 6A, a large fitting input is required to hang it down to the lower fitting portion 6B, and workability can be improved.

In the above description, the female terminal 5 is described as an example of the two female terminal 5A including the upper female terminal 5A and the lower female terminal 5B. By changing the number of the contact spring members 3 of the connection pin 2, the number of electric wires to be connected can be increased or decreased, and a connector with various current capacities can be easily realized.

[0029]

As described above, the connector device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of female terminals made of a conductive material, one end of which is a cylindrical fitting portion and the other end of which is a wire connecting portion. The fitting portions are stacked in the housing in a state of being arranged in series. When one connection pin is sequentially fitted into each fitting portion in this state, the female terminals arranged in layers are electrically connected via the connection pin. As a result, the electric wire connected to the electric wire connecting portion of each female terminal is electrically connected. In this way, a connector device having a reduced width is realized. Furthermore, by changing the number of female terminals to be laminated, it is possible to change the number of electric wires to be connected, which increases the degree of freedom in design.

In the female terminal, a fitting portion is formed only by bending the horizontal plate portion of the substantially T-shaped conductive plate vertically to the vertical plate portion direction and bending it into a cylindrical shape. A connection is formed. Thereby, the female terminal can be easily manufactured at low cost. Further, since the connecting pin is also constructed by surrounding the concave portion in the cylindrical conductive material and externally fitting the contact spring member, it can be manufactured as easily and inexpensively as the female terminal.

The method of assembling the connector device according to the present invention is as follows.
Positioning the female terminal in the housing by introducing the fitting portion of the female terminal into the opening formed in the housing wall, and further inserting a stopper into the opening to close the opening. While being fixed, the connecting pin is configured to be inserted into the fitting portion of the female terminal so as to be conductive. This operation is simple and easy, and thus the terminal assembling process is greatly simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration perspective view of a connector device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the female terminals of FIG. 1 are stacked and housed in a housing.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a completed state of assembly of the connector device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a method of manufacturing the female terminal of FIG.

5 is a perspective view of the female terminal of FIG. 1. FIG.

6 is a perspective view for explaining a method for producing the connection pin of FIG. 1. FIG.

7A and 7B are cross-sectional views for explaining a method of manufacturing the connection pin of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a contact spring member externally fitted to the connection pin of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a configuration perspective view showing a conventional connector device.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the male connector of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a configuration perspective view showing another conventional connector device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Connector device 2 Connection pin 3, 3A, 3B Contact spring member 4, 4A, 4B Overhanging piece 5, 5A, 5B Female type terminal 6, 6A, 6B Fitting part 7, 7A, 7B Electric wire connection part 8, 8A, 8B Mounting hole 10, 10A, 10B Stopper 11, 11A, 11B Flange 13, 13A, 13B Opening 14, 14A, 14B Electric wire terminal 15, 15A, 15B Flange 16, 16A, 16B Skirt 17 Conductive plate material 19 Locking groove 20 Cover 21 housing

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of female terminals, each of which has a fitting portion formed at one end for allowing a connection pin to be fitted therein and a wire connecting portion for connecting an electric wire at the other end. Are arranged in a stacked state in a state of being arranged in series, and a single connection pin is made to penetrate each of the fitting parts to electrically connect the female terminals of the laminated structure. Connector device. 2. The female terminal has a substantially T-shaped conductive plate member having a horizontal plate portion bent in the vertical plate portion direction and curved into a cylindrical shape to form a fitting portion, and the female plate terminal is formed in the vertical plate portion. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein a wire connecting portion is formed. 3. A plurality of female terminals, each of which is provided with a fitting portion at one end thereof into which a connection pin can be fitted and at the other end of which a wire connecting portion for connecting an electric wire is formed. Is inserted into each opening of the housing, and a stopper is inserted into the opening to close the opening to position and fix the housing, and a single connecting pin is fitted to each of the female terminals. A method of assembling a connector device, characterized in that the connector device is inserted into the mating portion to conduct electricity.