JP5692598B2 - Mating detection structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fitting detection structure.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector described in Patent Document 1 below is known as a connector that has a housing in which a plurality of terminal fittings are housed and can be fitted to a mating connector. A pair of guide ribs are provided on both sides of the housing, and a pair of guide recesses into which the pair of guide ribs are inserted are provided on the counterpart housing. When the two connectors are fitted, the two guide ribs are inserted into the two guide recesses, so that erroneous fitting of the two connectors is restricted.

JP-A-2005-243606

  However, in the above connector, since both guide ribs are inserted into both guide recesses, the erroneous fitting of both connectors is restricted. I cannot know visually. In other words, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a misfit for the first time by fitting both connectors, and in the case of a misfit, it is necessary to perform the fitting operation of both connectors again. For this reason, both connectors could not be properly fitted at once.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above situation, and an object thereof is to visually detect erroneous fitting of both connectors.

In the technology disclosed in this specification, a mating connector and a fitting recess provided in the mating connector are provided so as to be fitted therein, and an electric wire is drawn out in a direction crossing the fitting direction. A fitting detection structure between a connector and a plurality of terminal fittings connected to an end of an electric wire, and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminal fittings in the fitting recess and the housing in the fitting direction. When the surfaces facing each other are used as fitting surfaces, this fitting surface is characterized in that it is divided into two steps with a step surface extending in the fitting direction as a boundary.

  According to such a configuration, since the fitting surface is divided into two steps with the step surface as a boundary, the normal fitting posture can be known only by visually recognizing the step shape of the fitting surface. Therefore, the erroneous fitting detection of both connectors can be visually performed, and both the connectors can be properly fitted at one time.

The following configurations are preferable as embodiments of the technology disclosed in this specification .
The plurality of terminal fittings may all have the same shape.
According to such a configuration, it is only necessary to prepare one type of terminal fitting, and the types of components can be reduced.

The terminal fitting may be L-shaped as a whole, and may be configured as an L-shaped terminal including a connection portion extending in the fitting direction and a barrel portion extending in the wire drawing direction.
According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to bend the electric wire, and it is only necessary to bend between the connection portion and the barrel portion in the L-shaped terminal, so that the bending R can be reduced.

The drawing directions of the wires drawn from the plurality of terminal fittings may be the same direction.
According to such a configuration, since the drawing directions of the electric wires are all the same direction, a plurality of electric wires can be collected in one place.

The plurality of terminal fittings may be configured to be accommodated in the housing so that the electric wires are stacked in the fitting direction.
According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to arrange the plurality of terminal fittings so that the electric wires are arranged in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the fitting direction), and the electric wires are arranged in a stacked manner in the fitting direction. Thus, since a plurality of terminal fittings can be accommodated inside the housing, the dimension in the width direction of the housing can be reduced. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the size of the mating connector in the width direction.

The housing may have a plurality of cavities that accommodate the terminal fittings, and the partition walls that partition the cavities may be connected to the housing via hinges.
According to such a configuration, the pair of terminal fittings adjacent to each other can be reliably insulated by the partition walls. In addition, since the partition wall is connected to the housing via the hinge, the partition wall can be easily assembled.

In the fitting recess and the housing, the side wall portion connected to the stepped surface may be provided with a guide portion for guiding fitting at the initial stage of fitting.
According to such a configuration, even during the initial stage of fitting, the fitting can be guided by the mutual guide portions.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to visually detect erroneous fitting of both connectors.

The perspective view which shows the state in which the power supply side connector in embodiment was connected to the electrical junction box The perspective view which showed the state before inserting a 1st terminal metal fitting in a 1st cavity. The perspective view which showed the state before inserting a 2nd terminal metal fitting in a 2nd cavity. The perspective view which showed the state before attaching a cover to a housing The perspective view which showed the state which attached the cover to the housing and closed the 2nd cavity Bottom view of power connector Front view of power supply side connector Plan view of power supply side connector Left side view of power connector Right side view of the power connector AA line sectional view in FIG. Sectional drawing which showed the state before fitting a power supply side connector with a case side connector Sectional drawing which showed the state after fitting the power supply side connector with the case side connector Top view of case side connector Front view of housing The top view which showed the state after inserting the 1st terminal metal fitting in the 1st cavity. Top view of cover Bottom view of cover Left side view of cover

<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings of FIGS. A power supply side connector (an example of a “connector” of the present invention) 10 in the present embodiment is a connector connected to an electrical connection box 50 having a substantially box shape as shown in FIG. ) To the end of the electric wire W. The electric connection box 50 has a function of distributing and supplying electric power supplied from a battery in the vehicle to various vehicle electrical components, and controlling such power supply switching.

  The electrical connection box 50 is formed by integrally forming an input side connector (an example of the “mating side connector” of the present invention) 51, a plurality of relay mounting portions 52, a fuse mounting portion 53, an output side connector 54, and the like. It is designed to be fixed on the car body. The power supply side connector 10 is fitted to the input side connector 51. In addition, a relay 60 is connected to each relay mounting portion 52. A fuse 61 is connected to the fuse mounting portion 53. Although not shown in the figure, the output-side connector 54 is adapted to be fitted with a device-side connector connected to each vehicle electrical component, whereby predetermined power defined by each vehicle electrical component is supplied to each output-side connector 54. Supplied to vehicle electrical components.

  First, the configuration of the input side connector 51 will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, the input-side connector 51 has a fitting recess 55 that opens upward. The inner surface (lower surface) of the fitting recess 55 is stepped. A pair of tab terminals having a flat plate shape are provided on the inner surface of the fitting recess 55 so as to protrude upward. One of the tab terminals is an upper terminal 56 that projects upward from the upper surface 55U, and the other is a lower terminal 57 that projects upward from the lower surface 55L. . The upper-side back surface 55U and the lower-side back surface 55L are arranged in a stepped manner via a step surface 55C. The inner surfaces 55U and 55L constitute a fitting surface on the fitting recess 55 side in the present invention, and this fitting surface is divided into two upper and lower steps with the step surface 55C as a boundary.

  A current sensor 58 is accommodated below the upper surface 55U on the fitting recess 55. This current sensor 58 is electrically connected to a power supply circuit that uses a battery as a power source, and detects the current flowing through the power supply circuit to detect the degree of consumption of the battery. In the present embodiment, the step surface 55 </ b> C is formed due to the current sensor 58 being disposed in the fitting recess 55.

  A lock protrusion 59 is provided on a surface of the inner surface of the fitting recess 55 that rises upward from the periphery of the upper surface 55U. As shown in FIG. 14, the lock protrusion 59 is provided on the front wall portion 55 </ b> A of the inner surface of the fitting recess 55. As shown in FIG. 12, a lock hole 59 </ b> A that penetrates the front wall portion 55 </ b> A in the plate thickness direction is continuously provided below the lock protrusion 59. The locking projections 29, which will be described later, are fitted into the locking holes 59A and locked with the locking projections 59, whereby the connectors 10 and 51 are held in the fitted state.

  On the other hand, a guide rib 62 is provided on each of the pair of left and right wall portions 55B and 55B disposed in the inner surface of the fitting recess 55 so as to face each other in the left-right direction. The left and right wall portions 55B and 55B are connected to the left and right sides of the front wall portion 55A. The guide ribs 62 arranged on the left and right side wall portions 55B and 55B are arranged in an opposed state in the left-right direction.

  A pair of guide ribs 62, 62 arranged side by side in the front-rear direction are arranged on each wall portion 55B, 55B. Both guide ribs 62, 62 are configured to extend upward from the periphery of the upper surface 55 </ b> U and almost reach the upper end opening edge of the fitting recess 55. As shown in FIG. 14, one of the guide ribs 62, 62 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper terminal 56, and the other is disposed at a position corresponding to the step surface 55 </ b> C of the fitting recess 55. Yes.

  Also, a pair of left and right guide grooves 63 are formed on the left and right wall portions 55B and 55B, which are surfaces (side surfaces that are continuous with the step surface 55C) that rise upward from the peripheral edge of the lower surface 55L on the inner surface of the fitting recess 55. , 63 are provided. The guide groove 63 is configured to extend upward from the periphery of the lower surface 55L on the lower side and substantially reach the upper end opening edge of the fitting recess 55. Both guide grooves 63 are arranged in the left-right direction so as to face each other. Further, the guide groove 63 is arranged at a position corresponding to the lower stage terminal 57.

  Next, the configuration of the power supply side connector 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the power supply side connector 10 has a housing 20 made of synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 15, the housing 20 includes a terminal accommodating portion 21 in which a pair of cavities C and C for accommodating a pair of terminal fittings 30 is formed, and an insulating partition 22 that partitions the cavities C and C. And a flexible hinge 23 that connects the partition wall 22 to the terminal accommodating portion 21.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal fitting 30 is formed by pressing a conductive metal flat plate. The terminal fitting 30 is an L-shaped terminal having a substantially L shape as a whole. The terminal fitting 30 can be connected to the terminals 56 and 57 of the input side connector 51, and the barrel portion 32 is connected to the terminal of the electric wire W. The connecting portion 31 and the connecting portion 33 for connecting the barrel portion 32 are provided. The terminal fitting 30 is bent at a right angle in a substantially L shape at the connecting portion 33.

  The connecting portion 31 is in the form of a horizontal rectangular tube, and an elastic contact piece 34 is provided therein as shown in FIG. The elastic contact piece 34 is folded backward from the front edge of the connecting portion 31 to extend rearward in a substantially chevron shape. A pair of contact protrusions 35 and 35 are provided at a position facing the elastic contact piece 34 in the connection portion 31. When the terminal fitting 30 is connected to the terminals 56 and 57 of the input side connector 51, the terminals 56 and 57 are elastically sandwiched between the elastic contact piece 34 and the contact protrusions 35 and 35, so that the terminal fitting 30 and the terminals 56 and 57 of the input side connector 51 are connected so as to be conductive. In addition, a pair of retaining pieces 36 and 36 are formed on both the left and right sides of the horizontal portion of the connecting portion 33 so as to protrude from the left and right sides.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the pair of cavities C and C includes an upper-stage cavity C and a lower-stage cavity C for accommodating the pair of terminal fittings 30 in a stacked state in the vertical direction. These upper and lower cavities C are composed of a vertical portion C1 extending in the vertical direction (up and down direction) and a horizontal portion C2 extending in the horizontal direction (rearward) from the upper end of the vertical portion C1. The vertical portion C1 accommodates the vertical portions of the connecting portion 31 and the connecting portion 33, and the horizontal portion C2 accommodates the horizontal portion of the connecting portion 33 and the barrel portion 32.

  The vertical portion C1 is provided with a lance 24. The lance 24 is fitted into a lance hole provided in the connection portion 31 and locked in the vertical direction, whereby the connection portion 31 is held by the vertical portion C1. ing. On the other hand, the horizontal portion C <b> 2 is provided with a pair of retaining ribs 25, 25 that are engaged with the retaining pieces 36, 36 of the connecting portion 33. When both the retaining pieces 36 and 36 and both the retaining ribs 25 and 25 are locked in the front-rear direction, the barrel portion 32 connected to the rear of the connecting portion 33 is held by the horizontal portion C2.

  On the front surface of the housing 20, a lock arm 28 having a locking projection 29 that can be locked with the locking projection 59 of the input side connector 51 is provided. When the connectors 10 and 51 are fitted together, as shown in FIG. 13, the locking projections 29 of the lock arm 28 are locked with the locking projections 59 in the fitting direction (vertical direction). Is maintained in a normal fitting state. At this time, both the back surfaces 55L and 55U of the fitting recess 55 are substantially in contact with the front end surface of the housing 20, and the lower back surface 55L of the front end surface of the housing 20 is fitted in the fitting direction (vertical direction). The front surface 20L on the lower side is the surface facing the lower surface, and the front surface 20L of the front surface of the housing 20 is the upper surface 20U on the upper surface side facing the lower surface 55L in the fitting direction (vertical direction). ing. Further, the step surface 55C of the fitting recess 55 faces the direction (front-rear direction) orthogonal to the fitting direction in a substantially contact state with the step surface 20C of the housing 20.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the partition wall 22 is disposed on the side of the terminal accommodating portion 21 via the hinge 23 in a state before the terminal fitting 30 is accommodated in the lower cavity C. A plurality of holding pieces 22 </ b> A and holding protrusions 21 </ b> A are provided on the peripheral edge of the partition wall 22. On the other hand, a plurality of holding protrusions 21 </ b> A and holding pieces 22 </ b> A are provided in the terminal accommodating portion 21 constituting the lower-stage cavity C. When the partition wall 22 is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion 21 with the hinge 23 as the center, the retaining pieces 22A are respectively engaged with the retaining projections 21A, whereby the partition wall 22 is retained by the terminal accommodating portion 21 and the lower cavity C is formed. Closed to form the ceiling wall of the lower-stage cavity C and the bottom wall of the upper-stage cavity C.

  The electric wire W with the terminal fitting 30 accommodated in the lower cavity C is disposed below and behind the electric wire W with the terminal fitting 30 accommodated in the upper cavity C. Therefore, the lower end surface 20L protrudes downward from the upper end surface 20U, and the two end surfaces 20L and 20U are divided into two upper and lower steps with the step surface 20C as a boundary. In addition, the connector-side fitting surface in the present invention is constituted by both end surfaces 20L and 20U.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper cavity C is open upward, and a cover 40 (to be described later) is attached so as to close the opening. The upper cavity C includes a pair of terminals that rise from the front terminal accommodating portion 21 (the vertical portion C1 adjacent to the vertical portion C1 of the lower cavity C via the step surface 20C), the partition wall 22 and both side edges of the partition wall 22. And a protective wall 26. The upper end opening edge of the terminal accommodating portion 21 (the front vertical portion C1) has a height aligned with the upper end opening edges of both protective walls 26, 26 in the vertical direction, and both the protective walls 26, 26 are in the upper cavity C. Forming both side walls of the horizontal portion C2.

  The cover 40 is made of synthetic resin and has a flat plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction. A plurality of lock pieces 41 are provided on the peripheral edge of the cover 40. On the other hand, a plurality of lock receiving portions 27 that can be locked to the respective lock pieces 41 are provided at the upper opening edge of the upper cavity C. When each lock piece 41 is locked in the vertical direction with respect to each lock receiving portion 27, the cover 40 is held by the terminal accommodating portion 21 (front vertical portion C1) and the two protective walls 26, 26, and the upper cavity is formed. C is closed. Note that any one of the lock pieces 41 has a different shape from the other lock pieces 41, and the lock receiving portion 27 is formed corresponding to the shape of the lock piece 41. Prevention is intended.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of guide recesses 21 </ b> B into which the respective guide ribs 62 of the input-side connector 51 can be fitted are formed in the upper end surface 20 </ b> U. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each guide recess 21 </ b> B extends upward from the upper end surface 20 </ b> U and substantially reaches the upper end opening edge of the terminal accommodating portion 21.

  On the other hand, guide protrusions 21 </ b> C that can be fitted in the respective guide grooves 63 of the input-side connector 51 are provided on the lower end surface 20 </ b> L. Each guide protrusion 21C is configured to extend upward from the lower end side tip surface 20L, and is at an intermediate position between the height position of the upper end side tip surface 20U and the bent portion of the lower stage side cavity C. It is supposed to be a form to reach. Therefore, even in the initial stage of fitting (from the time when the lower end surface 20L is fitted into the fitting recess 55 to the time when the upper end surface 20U is fitted into the fitting recess 55), each guide projection 21C. Is fitted in each guide groove 63, so that the fitting of the connectors 10 and 51 can be guided.

  The present embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described subsequently. First, a method for assembling the power supply side connector 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, in a state before the partition wall 22 is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion 21, the lower terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the lower cavity C from above. Then, the lance 24 is locked in the lance hole of the terminal fitting 30 so that the terminal fitting 30 is held in the lower cavity C. When the partition wall 22 is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion 21 via the hinge 23, as shown in FIG. 3, each retaining piece 22A engages with each retaining projection 21A, so that the partition wall 22 is retained in the terminal accommodating portion 21. Is done. As a result, the upper end opening of the lower cavity C is closed by the partition wall 22.

  Next, the upper terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the upper cavity C from above. Then, the lance 24 is locked in the lance hole of the terminal fitting 30 so that the terminal fitting 30 is held in the upper cavity C. Subsequently, when the cover 40 is assembled to the terminal accommodating portion 21 and the two protective walls 26, 26, the lock pieces 41 are engaged with the lock receiving portions 27, so that the cover 40 is connected to the terminal accommodating portion 21 and the two protective walls 26, 26. 26. As a result, the upper end opening of the upper cavity C is closed by the cover 40.

  At this time, since the upper and lower terminal fittings 30, 30 are separated by the partition wall 22, insulation is ensured. Moreover, since the electric wire W with a pair of terminal metal fittings 30 is laminated | stacked up and down, while being able to miniaturize the power supply side connector 10 in the left-right direction, the input side connector 51 is reduced in the left-right direction. be able to. Moreover, since each electric wire W is pulled out back, these electric wires W can be collected in one place. Furthermore, since the connecting portion 33 of each terminal fitting 30 is bent at a right angle, the bending R can be reduced, and the power supply side connector 10 can be downsized in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction.

  Thus, after the assembly of the power supply side connector 10 is completed, the power supply side connector 10 is fitted to the input side connector 51 of the electrical connection box 50. Here, in confirming that the power supply side connector 10 is in the proper fitting posture, it can be easily performed by confirming the shape of the fitting surface of the power supply side connector 10. In other words, in the present embodiment, it is easily detected that the lower end side tip surface 20L is in the normal fitting posture only by visually recognizing that the lower end side tip surface 20L is positioned on the right side in the drawing with respect to the upper stage side tip surface 20U. be able to.

  Even if the power-side connector 10 and the input-side connector 51 are fitted in an incorrect posture, the shapes of the mating surfaces of each other do not match. Interfere with each other and the fitting operation is stopped, and it can be detected that the fitting is incorrect. On the other hand, when the power supply side connector 10 is properly fitted to the input side connector 51, the shapes of the mating surfaces match each other, so that the mating operation is performed up to the position where the mating surfaces come into contact with each other. Is called.

  In the power connector 10, the lower end surface 20 </ b> L protrudes downward from the upper end surface 20 </ b> U. It will not fit all around. However, since each guide protrusion 21C is fitted in each guide groove 63, both connectors 10 and 51 are corrected to a normal fitting posture. Thereafter, since each guide rib 62 is fitted into each guide recess 21B, both connectors 10 and 51 can be fitted in a more stable fitting posture. When both the connectors 10 and 51 are properly fitted, the locking projections 29 of the lock arm 28 are fitted into the lock holes 59A and locked to the locking projections 59, so that both the connectors 10 and 51 are properly connected. Is maintained in the fitted state. The upper and lower terminals 56 and 57 are connected to both terminal fittings 30 and 30 in a conductive manner.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the fitting surfaces of both connectors 10 and 51 are stepped, so that erroneous fitting detection can be performed by visual inspection before both connectors 10 and 51 are started to be fitted. Moreover, since the terminal metal fitting 30 of the same shape is used as a terminal used for the power supply side connector 10, the kind of components can be reduced.

  In addition, since the electric wires W with the terminal fittings 30 are stacked in the vertical direction, both the connectors 10 and 51 can be prevented from being enlarged in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, since the electric wire W is pulled out backward by bending the connecting portion 33 of the terminal fitting 30 instead of bending the electric wire W, the bending R can be reduced, and both the connectors 10 and 51 can be reduced in size. Has contributed.

  In addition, since the drawing directions of the electric wires W are the same, the wiring space for the electric wires W can be reduced in size. In addition to these, since the guide protrusions 21C and 21C are fitted into the guide grooves 63 and 63 at the initial stage of the fitting of the connectors 10 and 51, the fitting operation of the connectors 10 and 51 is performed. It is possible to prevent the connectors 10 and 51 from being twisted.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention .

(5) Although the terminal accommodating part 21 and the partition 22 are connected via the hinge 23 in the said embodiment, according to this invention, you may form the terminal accommodating part 21 and the partition 22 separately.
(6) Although the guide rib 62 is provided inside the fitting recess 55 in addition to the guide groove 63 in the above embodiment, according to the present invention, the guide of the fitting is provided only by the guide groove 63 without providing the guide rib 62. You may go.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Power supply side connector 20 ... Housing 20C ... Step surface 20L ... Lower end side tip surface (fitting surface)
20U ... upper end surface (fitting surface)
21C ... Guide protrusion (guide part)
22 ... Bulkhead 23 ... Hinge 30 ... Terminal fitting 31 ... Connection part 32 ... Barrel part 51 ... Input side connector (mating side connector)
55... Fitting recess 55 B .. right and left wall parts (side wall parts connecting to the step surface)
55C ... Stepped surface 55L ... Lower back side (fitting surface)
55U ... Back surface (fitting surface) on the upper side
63 ... Guide groove (guide part)
C ... Cavity W ... Electric wire

Claims (3)

Fitting detection between the mating connector and the connector in which the electric wire is drawn out in the direction intersecting the mating direction provided in the mating recess provided in the mating connector from above. Structure,
An upper terminal fitting and a lower terminal fitting connected to the end of the wire;
A terminal housing portion having an upper cavity for housing the upper terminal fitting and a lower cavity for housing the lower terminal fitting; and the upper cavity and the lower cavity And a housing provided with a partition wall that partitions the cavity ,
When the surfaces of the fitting recess and the housing that are opposite to each other in the fitting direction are the fitting surfaces, the fitting surface is divided into two upper and lower stages with a step surface extending in the fitting direction as a boundary. and,
Each of the pair of upper and lower terminal fittings has the same shape,
The terminal fitting is L-shaped as a whole, and is an L-shaped terminal composed of a connection portion extending in the fitting direction and a barrel portion extending in the drawing direction of the electric wire,
The drawing direction of each electric wire drawn from the pair of upper and lower terminal fittings is the same direction,
The pair of upper and lower terminal fittings are accommodated in the pair of upper and lower cavities so that the electric wires are stacked in the fitting direction.
The upper-side cavity is configured to open upward, and a plate-like cover for closing the opening is attached, and a pair of side walls constituting the upper-side cavity are formed from both side edges of the partition wall. A fitting detection structure characterized in that it rises upward . Before Ki隔 wall fitting detection structure according to claim 1, characterized in that it is connected to the terminal accommodating portion via a hinge. Wherein the fitting recess and the side wall portion continuous to the stepped surface in the housing, according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that guide portions for performing guidance of the fitting in the fitting initial are provided, respectively Fitting detection structure.

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