JP2022023227A - Adapter for on-vehicle equipment connection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an adapter for on-vehicle equipment connection which holds a connection terminal part on a case body.

SOLUTION: An adapter for on-vehicle equipment connection comprises: a connection terminal part 13 to be mounted on a vehicle; a case body 2 comprising the connection terminal part on one surface side; a board located in the case body; and a connection cable 15 which outputs information according to processing by a circuit of the board. The case body includes a first case and a second case of which tip edge parts are mutually butted and connected. When the first case and the second case are connected to each other, front walls 10a, 11a of the first case and the second case sandwich and hold an outer circumference of the connection terminal part. On a rear side of the connection terminal part, a portion, which can contact an inner surface of the front wall when the first case and the second case are connected to each other, is provided.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device connection adapter for connecting to a connector provided in a vehicle for outputting vehicle information.

The vehicle is provided with various electronic control units such as engine control, and the electronic control units are connected to each other via a multiple transmission line (vehicle LAN) so as to be able to transmit and receive various vehicle information. Recent vehicles use OBD-II (II is the Roman numeral "2", hereinafter "OBD-II" is referred to as "OBD2") for providing this vehicle information to an external device (portable failure diagnosis device, etc.). Some have a connector.

Normally, the failure diagnostic device is connected to the OBD2 connector via a connection cable. That is, an adapter to be attached to the OBD2 connector is attached to the tip of the connection cable connected to the failure diagnosis device. Then, at the time of use, by connecting the adapter attached to the connection cable to the OBD2 connector on the vehicle side, the failure diagnosis device acquires various vehicle information and performs a predetermined diagnostic process. This type of failure diagnostic device and adapter is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-359127

The vehicle information output from the OBD2 connector includes a wide variety of information such as the vehicle speed, injection injection time, and intake air amount, and there is useful information that can be used in addition to failure diagnosis. By incorporating this vehicle information into a navigation device, a fuel consumption meter, a drive recorder, a GPS logger, and various other in-vehicle devices, the performance and functions of the in-vehicle devices can be improved.

As shown by reference numeral 5 in FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1, one end surface side (front surface for convenience) of the rectangular case body is opened to form a connector portion connected to the OBD2 connector of the vehicle, and the opposite side thereof. A cable is connected to the back side, and the cable is arranged so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the back side.

The OBD2 connector of the vehicle is set at various positions such as the right side, the left side, and the center near the foot of the driver's seat, and various positions such as the steering right side panel, and is located in a relatively deep place. When temporarily connecting to the OBD2 connector of a vehicle and using it like a failure diagnosis device, connect the above adapter to the OBD2 connector in such a recessed place and connect it to the back of the adapter. By pulling out the cable toward the driver's seat side, the failure diagnosis device can be brought into a wide space inside the vehicle, so there is no problem. However, as described above, when considering a usage mode in which vehicle information output from the OBD2 connector is taken into an in-vehicle device, the conventional structure shown in Patent Document 1 and the like causes the following problems.

That is, since many in-vehicle devices are used during operation, the in-vehicle device and the OBD2 connector are connected by a connection cable for operation. As described above, since the OBD2 connector is arranged near the undercarriage of the driver's seat, there is a problem that it is necessary to prevent the OBD2 connector from being caught by the driver's foot during driving. Further, the connection cable extending straight from the back surface of the adapter mounted in the deep part on the front side of the driver's seat has a problem that a preferable wiring layout cannot be easily taken.

Further, the installation position of the OBD2 connector differs depending on the vehicle model, and the installation position of the in-vehicle device linked to the OBD2 connector also differs in the vehicle interior depending on the model, the user's preference, and the like. As a result, the relative installation positional relationship between the OBD2 connector (adapter) and the in-vehicle device also becomes various. There is also a problem that it is desired to easily wire the connection cable for such various patterns.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the in-vehicle device connection adapter according to the present invention includes (1) a case main body, a connection terminal portion provided on one surface of the case main body for mounting on a vehicle, and the above-mentioned one surface. A connection cable that is pulled out from the opposite surface, a rotation mechanism that allows the connection cable to rotate forward and backward within a set angle range in a plane parallel to the opposite surface of the case body, and the above. It is built in the case main body, and is configured to include the connection terminal portion and a circuit portion for electrically connecting the connection cable.

One side of the case body corresponds to the front side in the embodiment, and the opposite side corresponds to the back side. The connection terminal portion is mounted on a vehicle, and in the embodiment, is for connecting to an OBD2 connector. The connection cable is linked to the in-vehicle device directly or via a predetermined cable. The in-vehicle device receives power from the vehicle and acquires vehicle information via the in-vehicle device connection adapter. The connection cable is pulled out from the surface opposite to the connection terminal portion, and is further rotatable in a plane parallel to the opposite surface. Therefore, when the connection terminal is connected to the connector provided on the vehicle, it is not pulled out toward the front side in the same direction as the insertion direction as in the conventional case, but is pulled out in the direction intersecting the insertion direction. Wiring does not protrude toward the front side toward the side and get in the way, and does not get caught in the driver's feet while driving, making it easier to crawl on the wall surface of the vehicle interior. In particular, the connection terminal portion is a failure diagnosis connector, and the connection cable exhibits an excellent effect when it is configured to supply power or a signal to an in-vehicle device while the vehicle is driving. Further, since the connection cable is rotatable in a plane parallel to the opposite surface, the connection cable is appropriately positioned based on the relative positional relationship between the in-vehicle device connection adapter (connection terminal portion) and the in-vehicle device. Can be pulled out to. Further, since the connection cable is designed to rotate forward and backward within a predetermined rotation angle range, the connection cable is not cut by rotating in the same direction many times.

(2) The surface of the case body may be provided with a stopper member that regulates the rotation angle of the connection bush by contacting the side surface of the rotating connection bush and preventing further rotation. The rotation angle can be specified with a simple configuration.

(3) The rotation mechanism may include a holding mechanism for holding the pull-out direction of the connection cable at a desired position, and the holding mechanism may be fixed at least in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal portion. By fixing it, the wiring does not shake and move during use, so there is no risk of people getting caught.

(4) The rotation mechanism includes a connection bush that is rotatably attached to the case body, and the connection cable is guided to the inside of the case body through a through hole provided in the connection bush. The holding mechanism is such that a protrusion provided on the surface of the case body comes into contact with the side surface of the connection bush to regulate the rotation of the connection bush, and a certain force or more is applied in the rotation direction of the connection bush. In this case, the connecting bush may be made rotatable over the protrusion. By doing so, it is possible to fix the angle of the connection bush (the direction in which the connection cable is pulled out) and to allow rotation with a simple configuration.

(5) The holding mechanism may include a mechanism in which the protrusion contacts and holds the connecting bush at an intermediate position where the connecting bush moves while overcoming the protrusion. The intermediate position is, in the embodiment, an arrangement in which the connection cable is pulled out in the vertical direction (upward). By holding it in more multi-stage positions, it is possible to handle appropriate wiring routing.

(6) The case body may be provided with a fuse insertion portion for mounting a flat fuse. When a fuse is provided, it can be mounted in the middle of the connection cable, but since the connection cable is usually fixed at an appropriate position in the vehicle interior, a flat fuse should be mounted on the case body as in the present invention. By setting, the fuse can be easily replaced.

(7) On the premise of the invention of (6) above, the mounting port of the fuse insertion portion may be provided on the opposite surface of the case body. By doing so, it is possible to easily replace the flat fuse with the in-vehicle device connection adapter attached to the vehicle. Further, for example, it is possible to take a large area of the internal substrate as compared with the case where the fuse insertion portion is provided on the side surface side. In particular, it is preferable to configure it as shown in (8) below.

(8) On the premise of the invention of (7) above, a first substrate to which the connection terminal portion is connected and a second substrate arranged so as to be overlapped with the first substrate and connected to the first substrate. The second board may be arranged so as to avoid the flat fuse insertion portion, and the connector of the flat fuse insertion portion may be connected to the first substrate. By doing so, each component can be efficiently arranged in the space of the small case body. Further, since the power supply line from the vehicle side is guided to the circuit in the case main body via the connection terminal portion, the flat fuse can be arranged at a place close to the power supply line.

(9) The circuit unit may include at least one of a power supply circuit and a signal processing circuit. As the power supply circuit alone, it may be used for power supply, or it may be provided with both a power supply circuit and a signal processing circuit. Further, the power supply is supplied from the internal battery of the in-vehicle device or other devices, and it does not hinder the mounting of only the signal processing circuit.

(10) It is preferable to provide a connection portion for connecting to an external device on the opposite surface of the case body. By doing so, another in-vehicle device can be connected, and the expandability and versatility are improved.

(11) The case body may be provided with an opening in which the switch operating portion is exposed, and if the switch operating portion is not provided, the opening may be covered with a seal. By doing so, it is possible to use both the type with and without the switch operation part, and when there is no switch operation part, it looks beautiful and dust can be suppressed from entering by covering it with a seal. In this type of in-vehicle device connection adapter, a seal such as a rated name plate is attached, so by providing this opening on the surface to which the rated name plate is attached, in the case of a type without a switch operation part, the rated name plate seal can be used. Can be hidden.

The connection cable can be pulled out in a desired direction, and a preferable wiring layout based on the relative positional relationship between the in-vehicle device connection adapter and the in-vehicle device can be easily taken.

It is a perspective view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is an exploded perspective view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is an exploded perspective view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is an exploded perspective view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which omits the upper case which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which omitted the upper case which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a rear view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a bottom view which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connection relationship of the upper case, a connection cable, and a connection bush which shows a preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connection relationship of the upper case, a connection cable, and a connection bush which shows a preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connection relationship of the circuit part, the connection cable, the connection bush, and the connection terminal part which shows a preferable embodiment of the vehicle-mounted device connection adapter which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the connection relationship of the circuit part and the connection terminal part which shows one preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is an exploded plan view which shows the connection relationship of the upper case, a connection cable, and a connection bush which shows a preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is an exploded rear view which shows the connection relationship of the upper case, a connection cable, and a connection bush which shows a preferable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which omitted the upper case which shows the other suitable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a top view which omits the upper case which shows the other suitable embodiment of the adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state. It is a figure explaining the usage state.

As shown in the figure, the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 includes a rectangular case body 2, a connection terminal portion 13 attached to the front side of the case body 2, and a connection cable pulled out from the back side of the case body 2. A connection bush 14 for rotatably connecting the 15 and the connection cable 15 within a plane parallel to the back surface of the case body 2 within an angle range of 180 degrees, and a circuit unit 16 built in the case body 2 are provided. ing. Although not shown, the end of the connection cable 15 on the in-vehicle device side may be directly connected to the in-vehicle device, or a connector may be provided at the end of the main body of the in-vehicle device or the end of the connection cable pulled out from the in-vehicle device. It may be detachably attached to the provided connector.

The case body 2 connects the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 which are divided into upper and lower parts by abutting the tip edges of each other. In the present embodiment, the lower case 11 is a dish-shaped case with a shallow bottom, the upper case 10 has a large opening at the bottom and the front, and the height (thickness) is set to be larger than that of the lower case 11. There is. The upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are preferably made of a material called a hard resin having a hardness of 110 degrees or more, which is formed of ABS or other resin.

The front wall 10a of the upper case 10 is formed with a concave notch portion 10a'notched in a large concave shape (substantially trapezoidal shape) from the lower end side thereof. Further, on the front wall 10a side of the lower surface of the top plate 10b, a support column 10c extending downward is integrally formed. The length of the support column 10c is longer than the height of the wall portion of the upper case 10, and the lower end of the support column 10c projects downward from the lower end of the front wall 10a. A hole portion 10c'is formed in the axial direction at the lower end of the support column 10c to form a screw hole.

A recess 10a ″ is formed at the center of the upper end of the concave notch 10a ′ provided on the front wall 10a of the upper case 10. Further, a strip-shaped plate on the front wall 10a side of the lower surface of the top plate 10b. The projecting piece 10d is formed. The projecting piece 10d and the front wall 10a are arranged at a predetermined distance, and a predetermined space is formed between the projecting pieces 10d and 10a.

In the rear wall 10e of the upper case 10, a vertically long rectangular window hole 10e'is formed along one side wall (left side wall) 10f, and is cut upward from the lower end along the other side wall (right side wall) 10g. An elongated concave notch 10e ″ is formed. The window hole 10e ′ is an opening for arranging the connection connector portion 21 for connecting an external device. When the USB or other connection connector portion 21 is provided, the connection connector portion 21 is provided. By arranging the terminal portion in the window hole 10e', the terminal portion is exposed to the outside through the window hole 10e' so that it can be connected to an external device, and a connector portion connected to the external device. When 21 is not provided, the window hole 10e'is closed by attaching a blinding member 17. Further, as the blinding member 17, various materials such as a plate material made of resin or the like and a seal can be used. By doing so, the upper case 10 can be shared with and without a connector portion for connecting to an external device. The elongated concave notch portion 10 ″ is a part of the mounting port for attaching and detaching the flat fuse 18. To configure.

Further, a pedestal 10h projecting rearward is provided at the lower central portion of the rear wall 10e. The pedestal 10h is provided with a semicircular recess 10h'in the center of the lower end, and two protrusions 10h "are provided above the surface of the pedestal 10h. Further, on the inner surface side of the rear wall 10e, from the lower end thereof. The claw piece 10i is provided so as to project downward.

On the other hand, the front wall 11a of the lower case 11 is formed with a concave notch 11a'notched concavely from the upper end side thereof. When the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are joined together, the concave notches 10a'and 11a' together form a front opening of the case body 2.

Further, on the front wall 11a side of the upper surface of the bottom plate 11b of the lower case 11, a hole portion 11c is formed at a position facing the support column 10c. Further, a strip-shaped projecting piece 11d is formed on the front wall 11a side of the upper surface of the bottom plate 11b of the lower case 11. The projecting pieces 11d and the front wall 11a are arranged at a predetermined distance, and a predetermined space is formed between the projecting pieces 11d and 11a. The distance between the projecting pieces 11d and the front wall 11a is equal to the distance between the projecting pieces 10d and the front wall 10a of the upper case 10. Furthermore, a small window hole 11b'is formed in the center of the rear side of the bottom plate 11b.

The rear wall 11e of the lower case 11 is formed with a concave notch 11e ″ cut downward from the upper end along the right side wall 11g. The width of the concave notch 11e ″ is the width of the concave notch 11e ″. The width of the elongated concave notch 10e ″ formed in 10e is equal to that of the elongated concave notch 10e ″, and when the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are joined, the elongated concave notch 10e ″ and the concave notch 11e ″ are installed at the same installation position. They are set to face each other. Both 10e ″ and 11e ″ together form an elongated rectangular opening extending vertically. An opening composed of these elongated concave notch portions 10e ″ and concave notch portions 11e ″. The unit constitutes a mounting port for the flat fuse 18. In this way, by providing the mounting port for the flat fuse 18 on the rear wall 10e side which is the back surface of the case body 2, the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 is provided in the vehicle. The flat fuse 18 can be easily replaced in the state of being mounted on the flat type. Further, the area of the internal substrate can be increased as compared with the case where the fuse insertion portion is provided on the side surface side, for example. When the fuse 18 is mounted, the flat fuse 18 is exposed from the mounting port.

Further, a pedestal 11h projecting rearward is provided at the upper center portion of the rear wall 11e. The pedestal 11h is provided with a semicircular recess 11h'in the center of the upper end, and further below the surface (outer surface) of the pedestal 11h is provided with a plate-shaped stopper portion 11h "protruding rearward. Is equal to the recess 10h'provided in the pedestal 10h of the upper case 10, and when the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are joined, both recesses 10h'and 11h' are combined to form a circular hole. Further, at a predetermined position on the inner surface (front side of the case body 2) of the rear wall 11e of the lower case 11, a ridge that fits with a claw piece 10i provided on the inner surface side of the rear wall 10e of the upper case 10. It is equipped with 11i.

When the lower end of the upper case 10 and the upper end of the lower case 11 are butted against each other, the lower end of the support column 10c comes into contact with the periphery of the hole portion 11c of the lower case 11. Further, at this time, since the claw piece 10i of the upper case 10 gets over the ridge 11i of the lower case and moves downward, both 10i and 11i are linked and positioned, and at the same time, on the back side of the case body 2. The upper claw 10 and the lower case 11 are temporarily fixed. Therefore, by inserting the screw 19 from the hole 11c and tightening the screw 19, the screw 19 is fastened to the hole 10c'(screw hole) provided at the lower end of the support column 10c, and the upper case 10 and the lower case 11 are separated. Connected and fixed.

The small window hole 11b'provided in the bottom plate 11b of the lower case 11 is an opening for a switch. That is, when the built-in circuit unit 16 includes a switch 25 (slide switch or the like) for setting switching, the circuit unit 16 is set so that the switch 25 comes to a position facing the small window hole 11b'. When mounted on the case body 2, the switch 25 is exposed to the outside through the small window hole 11b'(see FIG. 12 and the like). Therefore, the user can operate the exposed switch 25 to switch various settings and the like.

Further, the rated name plate seal 20 is attached to the lower surface (outer surface) of the bottom plate 11b. When the above switch is mounted, the portion of the rated name plate seal 20 facing the small window hole 11b'is an opening 20a so that the switch 25 is exposed. Further, in the case of a type in which a switch exposed from the small window hole 11b'is not provided, the rated name plate seal attached to the bottom plate 11b has no opening, so that the small window hole 11b'is formed by the rated name plate seal. Can be obscured. Therefore, by changing the rating plate seal to be attached, the lower case 11 can be used for both the "with switch" type and the "without switch" type.

The connection terminal portion 13 includes a frame body 13b provided so as to project toward the front side of the rectangular base 13a, a flange portion 13c provided so as to project from the outer periphery of the frame body 13b on the base 13a side, and the base 13a. It is provided with a terminal pin 13d provided so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction. The connection terminal portion 13 is also made of ABS or other resin like the case main body 2.

The frame body 13b has an inner shape having a substantially trapezoidal cross section that matches the outer shape of the OBD2 connector of the vehicle, and a strip 13e having a claw portion 13e'at the tip thereof is formed in the center of the upper side of the frame body 13b. Slits are provided on both sides of the strip 13e, and the strip 13e is separated from the upper side of the frame 13b so that it can be elastically deformed. Since the strip 13e has elasticity, when the connection terminal portion 13 (frame body 13b) is attached to the OBD2 connector of a vehicle (not shown), the strip 13e elastically deforms (the tip moves upward) and the OBD2 connector. Overcoming the protrusions provided on the surface of the surface, the claw portion 13e'and the protrusions are engaged with each other, and the connection terminal portion 13 is connected to the OBD2 connector to prevent inadvertent disconnection. Further, with this attachment, the tip of the terminal pin 13d is inserted into the OBD2 connector and electrically conducted with the OBD2 connector. The OBD2 connector outputs vehicle information, but power is also supplied from the vehicle. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the terminal pin 13d is arranged to be connected to each of the signal line in which the vehicle information is output in the OBD2 connector and the power supply line.

On the other hand, the connection terminal portion 13 is attached to the case body 2 by sandwiching the connection terminal portion 13 from above and below between the upper case 10 and the lower case 11. At this time, the flange portion 13c enters the gap between the projecting piece 10d and the front wall 11a of the upper case 10 and the gap between the projecting piece 11d and the front wall 11a of the lower case 11 and is positioned and fixed.

In the present embodiment, the circuit unit 16 is configured by arranging two printed wiring boards 16a and 16b on top of each other in the front-rear direction. The terminal pin 13d is directly connected to the first printed wiring board 16a on the connection terminal portion 13 side, and a power supply circuit and a part of a processing circuit for acquiring vehicle information are installed. Further, the first printed wiring board 16a is held and positioned by the support column portions 13f which are vertically arranged at the four corners of the base 13a. The second printed wiring board 16b is provided with a part of a processing circuit for acquiring vehicle information. The first printed wiring board 16a and the second printed wiring board 16b are electrically and mechanically connected by the connection pin 16c. That is, the circuits formed on both printed wiring boards 16a and 16b are conducted by the connection pins 16c. Further, by providing a plurality of connection pins 16c on different sides (a pair of long sides in this embodiment), the second printed wiring board 16b is supported and integrated on the first printed wiring board 16a. The processing circuit may be one that inquires and acquires the information necessary for the in-vehicle device from the vehicle side, or specific control / arithmetic processing such as a signal line (extension cable) connecting the in-vehicle device and the OBD2 connector of the vehicle. It may be possible to communicate data (transmission frame) or the like in a through state without performing. In the latter case, simple processing for normal communication such as waveform shaping and noise reduction may be performed.

Further, the connection connector portion 21 that serves as an interface with the outside is mounted on the second printed wiring board 16b, and the fuse insertion portion 24 for mounting the flat fuse 18 is mounted on the first printed wiring board 16a. There is. The fuse insertion portion 24 includes a connector for inserting the two terminals of the flat fuse 18 on the back side of the box-shaped main body, and the other end side of the connector, that is, the outside of the main body is the first as shown in FIG. It is soldered and fixed to the printed wiring board 16a. One pin 24a on the other end side is electrically connected to a terminal of the terminal pins 13d to which power is supplied from the vehicle battery by a wiring pattern on the first printed wiring board 16a. The other pin 24b on the other end side is connected to a power supply circuit provided on the first printed wiring board 16a, and power is supplied from the power supply circuit to each part on the printed wiring boards 16a and 16b and the power supply line of the connection cable 15. ing. By doing so, each component can be efficiently arranged in the space of the small case body 10. Further, since the power supply line from the vehicle side is guided to the circuit in the case body 10 via the connection terminal portion 13, the flat fuse 18 can be arranged in a place close to the power supply line, and each circuit element can be arranged. Can be properly protected.

Further, in the present embodiment, the connection cable 15 has four cores (not shown) of two power lines (+, ground) and two signal lines (for transmission and reception). Further, two signal lines are used for transmission and two for reception as twisted lines, and a total of 6 cores can be used, or other forms are also possible. The outer periphery of the four cores drawn out to the outside of the case body 2 is covered with a protective tube 15a to protect it from disconnection or the like. The tips of the four cores penetrate the connection bush 14 and are guided into the case body 2 and connected to the connector portion 22. The connector portion 22 connects its terminal pins (not shown) to four terminal hole portions 16b'(see FIG. 16) formed at predetermined positions on the second printed wiring board 16b. As a result, the processing circuit / power supply circuit provided in the circuit unit 16 is electrically conducted to the four cores. Further, in the case body 2, since the four cores are exposed without being covered by the protective tube 15a and the connecting bush 14, they can be easily bent.

The connection bush 14 includes a bush body 14a made of a substantially rectangular block body, and a connection cable 15 (protective tube) is connected to one surface 14a'. Further, the surface adjacent to the surface 14a ′ to which the connection cable 15 (protective tube) is connected becomes the attachment surface 14a ″ to the case body 2. A cylindrical neck portion 14c is formed on the attachment surface 14a ″. Further, a disk-shaped flange portion 14d projecting outward is formed on the tip end side of the neck portion 14c. The outer diameter of the neck portion 14c is equal to or slightly smaller than the diameter of the recess 10h'provided in the pedestal 10h of the upper case 10 and the recess 11h'provided in the pedestal 11h of the lower case 11, and the length of the neck portion 14c is equal to or slightly smaller than that of the upper case. The thickness is set to be equal to or slightly longer than the thickness of the pedestals 10h and 11h of the 10 and the lower case 11. As a result, the neck portion 14c is sandwiched between the upper case 10 (pedestal 10h) and the lower case 11 (pedestal 11h) from above and below, so that the neck portion 14c can be accommodated in the circular opening formed by the recesses 10h'and 11h'. It becomes rotatable.

Further, in the bush main body 14a, an L-shaped through hole 14e is formed from one surface 14a ′ to which the connection cable 15 is attached to the attachment surface 14a ″ and thus to the neck portion 10c, and both ends of the through hole 10e are each surface 14a. It opens at ′, 14a ″. Then, the four cores constituting the connection cable 15 are inserted into the through hole 10e, and the tip is pulled out from the neck portion 10c side to the outside.

Further, the bush main body 14a is made of an elongated rectangular block body, and a lower step portion 14b is formed on the surface 14a'side of the mounting surface 14a ″. The depth of the lower step portion 14b is a protrusion. It is almost equal to the height of 10h ".

As a result, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, when the elongated bush body 14a is tilted in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the case body 2, the connection cable 15 also extends in the horizontal direction (here, the right side wall 10 g side). Become a posture. At this time, the side wall of the bush body 14a comes into contact with the protrusion 10h ″ provided on the pedestal 10h to prevent the bush body 14a from rotating in the vertical plane in the upright direction, and in the opposite direction of the bush body 14a. The rotation is blocked by the stopper member 11h ". Therefore, the posture shown in the figure is maintained.

On the other hand, when the bush body 14a is urged to rotate in a vertical plane so as to stand up, when the urging force exceeds a certain level, the bush body 14a (mounting surface 14a ″) rides on the protrusion 10h ″ and starts rotating. Then, when the bush body 14a is rotated 180 degrees, the bush body 14a is tilted in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the case body 2 in the direction opposite to the posture shown in the above drawing. In this state, the connection cable 15 also extends in the horizontal direction (here, the left side wall 10f side). At this time, the side wall of the bush body 14a comes into contact with the protrusion 10h ″ provided on the pedestal 10h to prevent the bush body 14a from rotating in the vertical plane in the upright direction, and in the opposite direction of the bush body 14a. The rotation is blocked by the stopper member 11h ". Therefore, the posture of lying down in the opposite direction is maintained.

That is, the connection cable 15 can be pulled out in two directions, one is to pull out the connection cable 15 to the left side wall 10f side of the case body 2 (upper case 10), and the other is to pull out the connection cable 15 to the right side wall 10h side. Moreover, by providing the stopper member 11h ", the connection bush 14 rotates forward and reverse within a rotation angle range of 180 degrees, and rotates many times in the same direction to form the connection cable 15. And the power line is suppressed from being cut off.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, when the connection bush 14 is rotated 90 degrees from the horizontally tilted state and the connection bush 14 is upright in the vertical direction, the connection cable 15 is arranged to extend above the case body 2. It becomes. At this time, the protrusion 10h ″ enters the lower step portion 10b of the bush main body 14a and lightly holds the posture. That is, in the present embodiment, the holding posture of the connection bush 14 (the pull-out direction of the connection cable 15) is as described above. In addition to the two horizontal directions on the left and right, it can be held in an upward posture, resulting in a total of three directions.

Further, the connecting bush 14 is made of a material softer than that of hard plastic. In this embodiment, a hardness of 97 ± 3 degrees is used. The case body 2 is made of a hard resin (plastic) having a hardness of 110 degrees or more. When the connection bush 14 is rotated, the bush body 14a rides on the protrusion 10h ″, but by using a material whose hardness of the connection bush 14 is softer than that of the case body 2 (projection 10h ″), the protrusion may be worn or damaged. Prevent it from happening. Then, by making the hardness of the connection bush 14 to some extent, when the connection bush 14 is urged to rotate, it withstands overcoming the protrusion 10h ″ until a force of a certain magnitude or more is applied, and finally. Since it gets over at once, a click feeling is obtained, and it is preferable because it is possible to intuitively understand that the connection bush 14 has been rotated or fixed. If the hardness of the connection bush 14 is up to about 90 degrees, a relatively preferable click feeling can be obtained. Comparing 90 degrees with 97 ± 3 degrees of the present embodiment, of course, the present embodiment is preferable.

On the other hand, when the hardness is less than 90 degrees, the bush body 14a is elastically deformed even with a relatively small force and can get over the protrusion 10h ″, and the click feeling is not felt so much. However, in the above three postures, Since it can be held, if it is not necessary to obtain a click feeling, it does not prevent the connection bush 14 from being made of a soft material having a small hardness.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the present invention may be configured by one printed wiring board 16'as the circuit unit 16 built in the case body 2. For example, when the adapter 1 for connecting an in-vehicle device is supplied with power only, the printed wiring board 16'can be configured with only one power supply circuit and the circuit configuration can be reduced.

When powering an in-vehicle device from a vehicle, it has been easy to connect it to a cigar socket. However, some recent vehicles do not have a cigar socket as standard equipment, and there are cases where the cigar socket is insufficient when multiple in-vehicle devices are installed. In such cases, it is possible to receive power supply in various ways such as connecting directly to the vehicle battery or using a fuse box, but all of them require some knowledge and technology for connection and cannot be easily done by the user. .. In such a case, the power supply of the in-vehicle device can be easily performed by simply attaching the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 to the OBD2 connector of the vehicle. Furthermore, once the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 is attached to the OBD2 connector, the OBD2 connector is in a recessed place, and the in-vehicle device connection adapter does not accidentally disconnect from the OBD2 connector during operation, ensuring that the in-vehicle device is connected. There is also the merit of being able to supply power to the connector.

21 and later show an example of how to use the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1. In this example, the in-vehicle device 30 is a GPS logger that records the operation locus (date and time, place, vehicle speed) of the vehicle using GPS. The in-vehicle device 30 has a predetermined circuit / device built in a flat body case. Further, a connection cable 31 is pulled out from the side surface of the case. As shown in FIG. 23, a female connector 32 is connected to the tip of the connection cable 31. On the other hand, the male type 27 is connected to the end of the connection cable 15 of the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1. Then, by connecting the female connector 32 and the male connector 27, the vehicle-mounted device connection adapter 1 and the vehicle-mounted device 30 are connected.

FIG. 24A shows an example of the installation position of the OBD2 connector, and FIG. 24B shows a front view of the OBD2 connector. As shown in FIG. 24 (a), the installation position varies depending on the vehicle type, and for example, (1) the side of the accelerator pedal, (2) the right side of the driver's seat, (3) the center of the driver's seat, and (4) the driver's seat. Left side of foot, (5) Right side of center console, (6) Right side of passenger seat foot, (7) Back side of steering right side panel, (8) Left side of passenger seat foot, (9) Left side of center console, (10) Under center console and so on.

On the other hand, FIGS. 25 to 27 show an example of the mounting state of the in-vehicle device 30. As shown in FIG. 25 (a), first, the first surface fastener (for example, a male type) 35 is attached to the back surface of the in-vehicle device 30. Further, as shown in FIG. 25 (b), a second hook-and-loop fastener (for example, a female type) 36 paired with the first hook-and-loop fastener 35 is attached to the installation position of the dashboard 37. Then, as shown in FIG. 25 (c), the in-vehicle device 30 can be fixed at a desired position on the dashboard by laminating the double-sided fasteners 35 and 36. In the figure, the longitudinal direction of the in-vehicle device 30 faces the front in the traveling direction, and the power cable 31 is pulled out to the right.

Then, as shown in FIG. 26, any of the four surfaces of the rectangular in-vehicle device 30 may be arranged so as to face the traveling direction. Then, as is clear from the figure, the pull-out direction of the connection cable 31 is also four directions.

Further, as shown in FIG. 27, it can be attached to the rearview mirror 38. Here, as shown in FIG. 27 (a), the first surface fastener 35 is attached to the back surface of the in-vehicle device 30, and as shown in FIG. 27 (b), the second surface is installed at the installation position on the back surface of the rearview mirror 38. Attach the hook-and-loop fastener 36. Then, by laminating the double-sided fasteners 35 and 36, the in-vehicle device 30 can be fixed at a desired position of the rearview mirror 38 (FIG. 27 (c)).

As described above, since there are many installation positions and postures of the in-vehicle device 30 and further, as shown in FIG. 24, there are many installation positions of the OBD2 connector, the in-vehicle device 30 and the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 Relative positional relationships are diverse. Further, the connection cables 15 and 31 crawl on the panel, the inner wall surface, etc. in the vehicle interior, and the connection cables are fixed at appropriate positions with a cord clip or the like so as not to interfere with driving. At this time, the orientation of the case body 2 of the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 is uniquely specified by the position of the OBD2 connector, but the pull-out direction of the connection cable 15 with respect to the case body 2 can be switched and fixed in three directions, so that the vehicle can be fixed. The connection cable 15 can be pulled out in an appropriate direction in the positional relationship between the device installation position and posture and the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1.

Further, if the pull-out direction of the connection cable 15 is as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the connection cable 15 is in a state of overlapping the flat fuse 18. Therefore, when the flat fuse 18 is blown and replaced, the connection cable 15 becomes an obstacle and the flat fuse 18 cannot be pulled out as it is. In this case, when the connection bush 14 is rotated 90 degrees, the connection cable 15 disappears from the pull-out direction of the flat fuse 18, and when the connection bush 14 is rotated 90 degrees, the connection bush 14 is maintained in its posture. 18 can be easily replaced.

Further, the fuse is not limited to the one mounted on the case main body 2 as the flat fuse 18 as in the present embodiment, and can be incorporated in the middle of the connection cable or the like. However, in the case of the connection cable 15 of the in-vehicle device connection adapter 1 as in the present invention, the connection cable is attached along the wall surface or the like in the vehicle interior by using a cord clip or the like as described above. Therefore, if the fuse is mounted in the middle of the connection cable, it is necessary to remove the connection cable from the cord clip, and complicated processing such as rewiring after replacing the fuse is required. Therefore, it is preferable to incorporate it into the case body 2 as in the present embodiment because it can be easily replaced.

1 In-vehicle device connection adapter 2 Case body 10 Upper case 10h ″ Protrusion 11 Lower case 11h ″ Stopper part 13 Connection terminal part 14 Connection bush 15 Connection cable 16 Circuit part 17 Blindfold member 18 Flat fuse 21 Connection connector part 22 Connector part 24 Fuse insertion part 25 switch

Claims (7)

The connection terminal for mounting on the vehicle,
A case body having the connection terminal on one side,
The board arranged in the case body and
A connection cable that outputs information according to the processing by the circuit on the board, and
Equipped with
The case body includes a first case and a second case in which the tip edges of each other are abutted and connected to each other.
For in-vehicle device connection configured so that when the first case and the second case are connected, the front walls of the first case and the second case each sandwich and hold the connection terminal portion. adapter. The adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein the front wall sandwiches the connection terminal portion over the entire circumference. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a portion that can come into contact with the inner surface of the front wall when the first case and the second case are connected is provided on the rear side of the connection terminal portion. Connection adapter. The adapter for connecting an in-vehicle device according to claim 3, wherein the portion has a rectangular outer periphery thereof. A first protrusion is provided on the front wall side of the inner surface of the first case, and a first space is provided between the front wall and the first protrusion.
A second protrusion is provided on the front wall side of the inner surface of the second case, and a second space is provided between the front wall and the first protrusion.
One of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connection terminal portion includes a portion inserted into the first space and the second space when the first case and the second case are connected to each other. Adapter for connecting in-vehicle devices as described in the section. When the first case and the second case are connected, the frame body protruding to the outside of the connection terminal portion has a cross-sectional trapezoidal shape, and is a portion located in the case main body on the rear side of the connection terminal portion. Is provided with a plate-shaped part with a rectangular outer circumference.
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the plate-shaped portion is larger than the inner peripheral surface of the opening formed in the front wall of the first case and the second case. Adapter for connecting in-vehicle devices. A hole for inserting a screw from the outside is provided at a predetermined position of the second case, a screw hole for the screw inserted from the hole is provided at a predetermined position of the first case, and the screw is inserted. Fasten it to the screw hole so that the first case and the second case are connected and fixed.
The vehicle-mounted device connection according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the predetermined position is the front wall side located on the side holding the connection terminal portion of each of the first case and the second case. Adapter for.

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