JP2000040559A - Connector fitting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely make both a function for preventing a connector housing from comming off out of a fitting hole and a function for absorbing a positional shift with respect to a mating side connector housing exhibited with a high level. SOLUTION: This structure is provided with a strongly elastic flexible piece 14 which generates elastic deflection in a midway of insertion of a fitting side connector housing 20 (connector housing), elastically restored in a normally inserted condition to regulate slipping-off of the connector housing 20, and which allows displacement to an opening face direction of an attaching hole 11 for the connector housing 20, and a weakly elastic flexible piece 15 which has elasticity weaker than that of the flexible piece 14, allows elastic deflection independent of the flexible piece 14, biases the connector housing 20 toward a prescribed fitting direction inside the hole 11, and which allows displacement of the connector housing 20 to the opening face direction of the hole 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a connector to a mounting member such as a panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a structure for mounting a connector to a mounting member such as a panel, there is a structure disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-20578. As shown in FIG. 6, the connector housing c is inserted into the mounting hole b of the mounting member a, and the elastic bending piece d of the mounting hole b is connected to the connector housing c.
The connector housing c is prevented from coming off by being axially locked to the projection e of the connector housing c, and the connector housing c is elastically brought into contact with the outer periphery of the connector housing c so that the connector housing c is positioned at a predetermined position in the mounting hole b. It is urged toward. When the connector housing c is fitted to the mating connector housing f, the connector housing c is positioned at a predetermined position by the elastic bending piece d, so that the two connector housings c and f can be fitted smoothly without collision. Also,
Even if there is a displacement between the mating connector housing f and the mounting member a due to dimensional tolerances or assembly tolerances, the tapered guide surfaces g, h provided at the tips of both connector housings c, f provide a connector housing. By displacing c in the mounting hole b against the bias of the elastic bending piece d, the displacement between the connector housings c and f is absorbed, and smooth fitting is performed.

[0003]

In this mounting structure,
Considering the function of retaining the connector housing c, the elastic flexible piece d is required to have high rigidity, whereas the function of absorbing the displacement between the connector housings c and f is considered to have a high elasticity. Ease is required. Therefore, if the bending rigidity of the elastic bending piece d is increased to give priority to the detachment prevention function, twisting occurs between the tapered guide surfaces g and h, and the misalignment absorbing function is impaired, and the connector housing c cannot be fitted smoothly. There is a fear. Conversely, the elastic bending piece d
If the misalignment absorbing function is prioritized by easily bending the connector housing c, the mechanism for preventing detachment is reduced, and the connector housing c is easily detached from the mounting hole b. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to surely exhibit both a function of preventing a connector housing from slipping out of a mounting hole and a function of absorbing a displacement from a mating connector housing at a high level.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a connector housing is inserted into a mounting hole formed in a mounting member to prevent the connector housing from being pulled out of the mounting hole and to prevent the connector housing from being removed from the mounting hole. A connector configured to bias the connector housing toward a predetermined fitting position in the mounting hole while permitting displacement of the connector housing for absorbing a positional deviation from a mating connector housing in an opening surface direction. Wherein the connector housing is elastically deformed during the insertion thereof, and is elastically restored in a normal insertion state to restrict the connector housing from coming off and to suppress displacement of the connector housing in the opening surface direction of the mounting hole. A ferroelastic bending piece to allow;
The elasticity is weaker than the strong elastic bending piece, and elastic elasticity independent of the strong elastic bending piece is enabled, and the connector housing is urged toward a predetermined fitting position in the mounting hole. In addition, the connector housing includes a weak elastic bending piece that allows the connector housing to be displaced in the opening surface direction of the mounting hole.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece have a common base end from one of the connector housing and the mounting hole. And protrude in a cantilever shape,
The branched distal ends of the strong elastic flexure and the weak elastic flexure are independently brought into contact with the other of the connector housing and the mounting hole.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a strong elastic bending piece for preventing the connector housing from coming off from the mounting hole and a weak elastic bending for urging the connector housing to a predetermined fitting position. Since the pieces and the pieces are provided so as to be elastically deformed independently from each other and independently, both the function of preventing the connector housing from coming off and the function of absorbing the displacement can be reliably exerted at a high level.

[0007] Since the strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece have a common base end, space saving can be achieved as compared with a case where the base is protruded separately from the base end. It is possible.

[0008]

[First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. In the present embodiment, the fitting-side connector housing 2 for a mounting member 10 such as an instrument panel of an automobile is provided.
The mounting structure of the connector housing 0 (a connector housing which is a component of the present invention) is described. The fitting-side connector housing 20 is fitted to a receiving-side connector housing 30 (a mating connector housing that is a constituent feature of the present invention) integrally formed with a device 31 such as a meter main body of an automobile. The receiving-side connector housing 30 has a rectangular fitting recess 32 that opens downward in FIG. 1, and the fitting-side connector housing 20 is fitted therein. Although not shown, a male tab (not shown) protrudes into the fitting concave portion 32. When the male tab is fitted to the fitting side connector housing 20, the female terminal fitting (not shown) and the male tab are fitted and connected. A tapered guide surface 33 that expands toward the opening side is formed at the opening edge of the fitting concave portion 32, and the guide surface 33 cooperates with the guide surface 23 of the fitting-side connector housing 20 to form both ends. The displacement of the connector housings 20 and 30 is corrected.

The fitting-side connector housing 20 accommodates therein female terminal fittings (not shown) that are fitted and connected to the male tabs, and the upper and lower sides of the outer peripheral surface thereof (to the receiving-side connector housing 30). A flange 21 is formed over the entire circumference at a substantially central position in the fitting direction (a fitting direction of the flange), and one projection 22 is formed on each surface at a rear end (a lower end in FIG. 1) of the outer peripheral surface. I have. The front surface of the projection 22 is a locking surface 22A orthogonal to the direction of insertion of the fitting-side connector housing 20 into the mounting hole 11, and the rear surface is a tapered guiding slope 22B. In addition, a tapered guide surface 23 is formed on the entire outer periphery of the distal end portion of the fitting-side connector housing 20. The guide surface 23 cooperates with the guide surface 33 of the receiving-side connector housing 30 to absorb a positional shift between the device 31 and the mounting member 10 with the fitting operation of the two connector housings 20 and 30.

The mounting member 10 has a rectangular mounting hole 11 for mounting the fitting-side connector housing 20, and a receiving-side connector housing 30 is formed at the edge of the mounting hole 11.
A cylindrical portion 12 protruding to the side is formed. The fitting-side connector housing 20 is attached to the attachment hole 11 in the tubular portion 12 by being inserted from the front side (upward in FIG. 1). The distal end surface of the tubular portion 12 serves as a stopper 13 that engages with the flange 21 of the fitting-side connector housing 20 to restrict play in the mounting direction of the fitting-side connector housing 20. On the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion 12, a strong elastic bending piece 14 extending obliquely rearward in a cantilever manner is integrally formed. The ferroelastic bending piece 14 is provided on each of four sides of the cylindrical portion 12, and the fitting side connector housing 20 is attached to the mounting hole 11.
In the process of inserting into the projection 22, the projection 22 is engaged with the guiding slope 22 </ b> B and elastically bent outward. Then, when the fitting side connector housing 20 reaches a regular mounting state and the flange 21 comes into contact with the stopper 13, the ferroelastic bending piece 14 elastically returns inward, and faces the locking surface 22 </ b> A of the projection 22 from the front. I do. If the fitting side connector housing 20
When it is attempted to displace in the direction in which it comes out of the mounting hole 11, the tip of the ferroelastic bending piece 14
At the same time, the slightly elastically resilient bending piece 14 elastically bends inwardly and comes into contact with the outer periphery of the fitting side connector housing 20.
Zero is regulated. In addition, in the regular installation state,
A gap S is provided between the tip of the ferroelastic bending piece 14 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting-side connector housing 20.
Thereby, the fitting-side connector housing 20 can be displaced in the mounting hole 11 in the direction of the opening surface thereof (the surface direction orthogonal to the mounting direction to the mounting hole 11).

On the inner wall surface of the tubular portion 12, a weak elastic bending piece 15 extending obliquely rearward in a cantilever manner, like the strong elastic bending piece 14, is integrally formed. This weak elastic bending piece 1
Numerals 5 are provided one by one on each of the four sides of the cylindrical portion 12, and are arranged adjacent to the ferroelastic bending pieces 14. This weak elastic bending piece 15 is elastically bent outward in the process of inserting the fitting-side connector housing 20 into the mounting hole 11,
When it gets over the protrusion 22, it returns elastically, and all the four weakly elastic bending pieces 15 elastically contact the outer peripheral surface of the fitting-side connector housing 20. Due to the elastic pressures of the weak elastic bending pieces 15 from four sides, the fitting side connector housing 20 is positioned at a predetermined fitting position (the mounting member 1) in the opening surface direction of the mounting hole 11.
0 and the device 31 are opposed to each other in a predetermined positional relationship, and are urged toward the fitting concave portion 32 of the receiving side connector housing 30), and are always held at the same fitting position by the urging force. ing.

The above-described strongly elastic bending piece 14 and weak elastic bending piece 15 cantileverly project from separate positions, so that they can be elastically bent independently of each other. In addition, the ferroelastic bending piece 14 is connected to the fitting side
Has the high flexural rigidity required to prevent
It does not easily bend. On the other hand, the elasticity of the weak elastic bending piece 15 is weaker than that of the strong elastic bending piece 14, and the fitting side connector housing 20 is set so as to be easily displaced in the opening surface direction of the mounting hole 11.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the two connector housings 20, 30 approach each other in a state where the device 31 and the mounting member 10 are displaced in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction, the guide surfaces 23, 33 are engaged with each other to reduce the taper. Therefore, the two connector housings 20 and 30 are moved in a direction in which a proper positional relationship is established, so that a positional shift between the device 31 and the mounting member 10 is absorbed. At this time, the weak elastic bending piece 15 is elastically bent outward to the side where the insertion-side connector housing 20 moves, and the elastic restoring force acts as a return force on the insertion-side connector housing 20. Since the urging force of the weak elastic bending piece 15 is small, the fitting-side connector housing 20 can move smoothly. Therefore, there is no possibility that "twisting" will occur in the engagement portion between the guide surfaces 23 and 33. Note that a gap S is provided between the ferroelastic flexure 14 and the outer periphery of the fit-side connector housing 20 so as to allow the fitting-side connector housing 20 to move. The movement of the plug-side connector housing 20 is not hindered.

When an external force acts on the fitting-side connector housing 20 in a direction to pull out from the mounting hole 11,
The distal end of the ferroelastic bending piece 14 is inserted into the connector housing 2.
It is stopped by engaging with the projection 22 of 0,
At this time, since the strong elastic bending piece 14 has a strong bending rigidity that is not defeated by the pull-out force, it is securely prevented from being pulled out. As described above, in the present embodiment, the ferroelastic bending piece 14 for restricting the fitting-side connector housing 20 from coming out of the mounting hole 11 and the fitting-side connector housing 20 are attached to a predetermined fitting position. The weak elastic bending pieces 15 for biasing are provided so as to be able to elastically bend independently with different elasticities suitable for the respective functions. Therefore, the function of preventing the insertion side connector housing 20 from coming off and the function of absorbing the displacement are provided. Can be reliably exerted at a high level.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece are used in the first embodiment.
The configuration is different from that of FIG. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and description of the structures, operations, and effects will be omitted. The strong elastic bending piece 41 and the weak elastic bending piece 42 of the second embodiment protrude obliquely rearward from the inner wall surface of the tubular portion 12 with the base end 40 in common.
Two of the two ends of the zero-branched portion function as the highly elastic bending piece 41, and one central piece functions as the weak elastic bending piece 42. The ferroelastic bending piece 41 extends from the distal end of the base end portion 40 to be flush with substantially the same thickness, and has high bending rigidity. On the other hand, the weak elastic bending piece 42 is formed to be thinner than the base end portion 40 and narrower than the strong elastic bending piece 41, and is set to have a lower bending rigidity than the strong elastic bending piece 41. Also in the second embodiment, since the strong elastic bending piece 41 and the weak elastic bending piece 42 that individually function are provided, the function of preventing the fitting side connector housing 20 from coming off by the strong elastic bending piece 41 and the function of the weak elastic bending piece 4 are provided.
2 can reliably exhibit both of the functions of absorbing the positional deviation at a high level.

Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment,
The strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece are configured differently from the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical portion 12
A strong elastic bending piece 45 projects diagonally rearward from the inner wall surface in a cantilever manner, and a weak elastic bending piece 46 is formed integrally from the rear end of the strong elastic bending piece 45 diagonally forward. The strong elastic bending piece 45 is thick and has high bending rigidity, and the weak elastic bending piece 46 is thinner than the strong elastic bending piece 45 and has a lower bending rigidity. In this embodiment, since the size of the elastic resilient bending pieces 45 and 46 protruding inward from the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion 12 is increased, a large area of the guide slope 22B of the projection 22 is secured. There is a need. Therefore, an inner area of the guide slope 22 </ b> B where the weak elastic bending piece 46 is slidably contacted is secured by forming a notch 47 in a peripheral edge of a rear end portion of the fitting-side connector housing 20.

[Other Embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above with reference to the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the strong elastic flexure and the weak elastic flexure are provided only in the mounting hole. However, according to the present invention, the strong elastic flexure and the weak elastic flexure may be provided only in the connector housing. Both the mounting hole and the connector housing may be provided with both strong and weak elastic bending pieces, or one of the mounting hole and the connector housing may be provided with a strong elastic bending piece and the other may be provided with a weak elastic bending piece. Good.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mounting member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a strong elastic bending piece and a weak elastic bending piece according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged plan view showing a strong elastic bending piece and a weak elastic bending piece according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a strong elastic bending piece and a weak elastic bending piece according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mounting member 11 ... Mounting hole 14 ... Strong elastic bending piece 15 ... Weak elastic bending piece 20 ... Fitting side connector housing (connector housing) 30 ... Receiving side connector housing (other party connector housing) 41, 45 ... Strong elastic bending Pieces 42, 46 ... weak elastic bending piece 40 ... base end

Claims (2)

[Claims] A connector housing is inserted into a mounting hole formed in a mounting member to prevent the connector housing from being pulled out of the mounting hole, and the position of the connector housing with respect to a mating connector housing in an opening surface direction of the mounting hole. A connector mounting structure in which the connector housing is biased toward a predetermined fitting position in the mounting hole while permitting displacement of the connector housing for absorbing the displacement, A resilient flexure that occurs during insertion, resiliently returns in a normal insertion state, restricts the connector housing from coming off, and allows displacement of the connector housing toward the opening surface of the mounting hole; The elastic piece has lower elasticity than the flexible piece and is capable of elastic bending independent of the strong elastic flexible piece. A weakly elastic flexure that urges the connector housing toward a predetermined fitting position in the mounting hole and allows the connector housing to be displaced in the direction of the opening surface of the mounting hole. Connector mounting structure. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece protrude from one of the connector housing and the mounting hole in a cantilever shape with a common base end. 2. A connector mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the branched end portions of the strong elastic bending piece and the weak elastic bending piece are independently brought into contact with the other of the housing and the mounting hole. .