JP2005123100A - Joint connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a joint connector to be manufactured at a low cost as to one for a wire harness loaded on an automobile or the like. <P>SOLUTION: The joint connector 1 is structured of a plurality of connection terminals 10 connected to a plurality of wires 50, a housing 20 to house them, and a bus bar 30 fitted to the housing 20. The connection terminals 10 are of a shape of a plurality of fork parts 15 with tips of connecting parts 11 bifurcated, into which connecting parts 81 of counterpart connector terminals 81 and branched terminal parts 31 of the bus bar 30 are inserted into be pinched and connected at the branched parts. The connection terminals 10 can be manufactured at the low cost by a pressing process or the like, and components such as gap members for clamping the bus bar loaded in the housing inside the housing are unnecessary, so that the joint connector can be manufactured at the low cost. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint connector for a wire harness mounted on an automobile or the like, and particularly to a joint connector that can be manufactured at low cost.

  Conventionally, as a joint connector used for connecting a wire harness of an automobile or the like, a large number of connection terminals connected to each wire of the wire harness are accommodated in a housing, and these connection terminals are short-circuited by a bus bar or the like. One that interconnects to form a branch circuit is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 30675570 (page 3-4, FIG. 1-6)

  However, in the joint connector described in Patent Document 1, since the contact piece for connecting to the bus bar is formed by folding the tip of the terminal, the structure of the terminal becomes complicated, the number of manufacturing steps of the terminal increases, and the cost of the terminal increases. As a result, the cost of the joint connector may increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a joint connector that can be manufactured at low cost.

  In the joint connector according to the present invention, the connecting portion connected to the counterpart connection terminal and the short-circuit member is formed on the distal end side, and the electric wire connecting portion connected to the core wire of the electric wire and the electric wire fixing portion for fixing and holding the electric wire on the proximal end side. A plurality of connection terminals formed, a housing having a plurality of terminal accommodation chambers for accommodating the plurality of connection terminals in a predetermined arrangement state, and the plurality of connections mounted on the housing and accommodated in the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers A short-circuit member that short-circuits between the terminals, and the plurality of connection terminals include a fork portion that sandwiches and connects at least one of the counterpart connection terminal and the short-circuit member at the branch portion where the connection portion is bifurcated at the tip. The housing includes a plurality of formed structures, and the housing includes a plurality of fork portions, each of which is a connection portion receiving portion of the connection terminal in the plurality of terminal receiving chambers. A connecting space is formed to form a connecting portion storage chamber and to connect the connecting portion receiving chambers. The short-circuit member includes a main body portion accommodated in the communication space portion, and the main body portion. And an insertion portion that is inserted into a branch portion of a predetermined fork portion.

  The connection portions of the connection terminals of the joint connector may be, for example, (1) a shape in which a plurality of fork portions are arranged in a straight line in a direction connecting the branch portions, or (2) a plurality of fork portions. However, it is preferable that the direction connecting the branched portions is L-shaped.

  In this joint connector, in the case of (2), the short-circuit member is, for example, a plate-shaped main body portion accommodated in the communication space portion, and a plate-shaped insertion portion erected with respect to the plate surface of the main body portion. It would be nice to have

According to the present invention, the connection portions of the plurality of connection terminals accommodated in the housing are bifurcated at the tip, and a plurality of fork portions are formed to sandwich and connect the counterpart connection terminal and the short-circuit member at the branch portion. Therefore, the joint connector can be manufactured at a low cost by using the connection terminal.
In addition, since the short-circuit member is directly attached to the communication space portion of the connection portion accommodation chamber of the housing, a conventional short-circuit member such as a cap member is not required and a part for fastening to the housing is unnecessary, and the joint connector can be manufactured at low cost. it can.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint connector and another connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view showing how these connectors are fitted, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the connector, and FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing connection terminals of the joint connector.
As shown in FIG. 1, the joint connector 1 includes, for example, a plurality of metal connection terminals 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) connected to a plurality of electric wires 50 and a resin in which the plurality of connection terminals 10 are accommodated. The housing 20 is formed of a molded member and the bus bar 30 as a metal short-circuit member housed in the housing 20. The bus bar 30 is configured to be fitted to the mating connector 90.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the plurality of connection terminals 10 are connected to the plate-like connection portion 81 of the counterpart connection terminal 80 accommodated in the counterpart connector 90 or the branch terminal portion 31 of the bus bar 30 in this example. And the wire connection portion 12 connected by crimping or the like to the core wire 51 of the electric wire 50 in which the core wire 51 is exposed (leaded) in the terminal portion, and further, the electric wire 50 is fixed and held by caulking or the like. An electric wire fixing portion 13 and a band plate-shaped band plate portion 14 for connecting the connecting portion 11, the electric wire connecting portion 12, and the electric wire fixing portion 13 are provided. For example, the connecting portions 11 of the plurality of connecting terminals 10 are bifurcated at their tips, and at least one of the connecting portion 81 of the counterpart connecting terminal 80 and the branch terminal portion 31 of the bus bar 30 is sandwiched between the forks. 15 has a shape arranged in a straight line in a direction connecting the branched portions with the slit portion 17 interposed therebetween.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 20 includes, for example, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 21 formed in a row shape that respectively accommodates the plurality of connecting terminals 10, and connection of the connecting terminals 10 of the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 21 is performed. Each of the portion 11 accommodating portions is formed with a connecting portion accommodating chamber 22 for accommodating the fork portion 15 of the connecting portion 11. The housing 20 is formed with, for example, two upper and lower connection portion accommodation chambers 22 in accordance with the shape of the fork portion 15 of the connection portion 11 of the connection terminal 10. It is formed in the shape provided with the communication space part 22a which at least one part of the connection part storage chamber 22 communicates. A wall portion 26 that fits into the slit portion 17 of the connection portion 11 of the connection terminal 10 is formed between the connection portion storage chambers 22 of the terminal storage chambers 21.

  The bus bar 30 is made of, for example, a flat metal piece, and is formed with a plurality of branch terminal portions 31 connected to the fork portion 15 of the connection portion 11 of the connection terminal 10 extending to the insertion side to the housing 20 by punching or the like. The plurality of branch terminal portions 31 have a shape in which a main body portion 32 is formed on the proximal end side.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, terminal insertion for inserting the connection portion 81 of the counterpart connection terminal 80 into the housing 20 is provided on the opening side of each connection portion storage chamber 22 in each connection portion storage chamber 22. A port 23 is formed, and a bus bar insertion port 24 for inserting the bus bar 30 into the housing 20 is formed on the opening side of each connection portion accommodation chamber 22 in the lower stage. The bus bar insertion port 24 is continuous with a communication space portion 22 a that communicates with the lower connection portion accommodation chambers 22.

  Further, in each terminal accommodating chamber 21 of the housing 20, for example, a terminal lance portion 25 (see FIG. 2) made of an elastic piece for locking and fixing each of the accommodated connecting terminals 10 in the terminal accommodating chamber 21. Each connection terminal 10 is formed with a terminal hole portion 16 that engages with the terminal lance portion 25. The terminal lance portion 25 and the terminal hole portion 16 allow the connecting terminal 10 to be securely locked and fixed to the housing 20 in the terminal accommodating chamber 21, so that the mating member accommodated in the mating connector 90 as shown in FIG. The connection terminal 10 can be prevented from being detached from the terminal accommodating chamber 21 when the connection terminal 80 is connected to the connection portion 81.

  The mating state between the mating connector 90 and the joint connector 1 is related to, for example, the elastic engagement piece 27 having the projecting portion 28 formed on the housing 20 of the joint connector 1 and the projecting portion 28 formed on the mating connector 90. It is held by engaging the engaging frame portion 91 having the end to be mated.

  In the joint connector 1 configured as described above, the connection terminal 10 connected to the electric wire 50 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 21 from the proximal end side of the housing 20, and the bus bar 30 is inserted from the bus bar insertion port 24 on the distal end side of the housing 20. The branch terminal portion 31 of the bus bar 30 is inserted into the branch portion of the fork portion 15 of the connection portion 11 of the connection terminal 10 in the lower connection portion accommodating chamber 22 simply by inserting the main body portion 32 into the communication space portion 22a. Therefore, the connection terminals 10 accommodated in the housing 20 can be short-circuited. If the mating connector 90 is fitted to the joint connector 1 in this state, the connection portion 81 of the mating connection terminal 80 is inserted from the terminal insertion port 23 and the connection terminal 10 is connected in the upper connection portion accommodating chamber 22. It can be inserted and connected to the branch portion of the fork portion 15 of the portion 11, and the bus bar insertion port 24 is blocked by the end face of the mating connector 90, thereby preventing the bus bar 30 from being detached from the housing 20. Can do. Since the connection terminal 10 of the joint connector 1 is not a special shape like the conventional one but has a structure that can be manufactured at low cost by press working or the like, the manufacturing cost of the joint connector 1 can be reduced. it can. In addition, since the bus bar 30 is directly attached to the communication space 22a of the connection portion accommodating chamber 22 of the housing 20, a part for covering the bus bar 30 such as a conventional cap becomes unnecessary, and the joint connector 1 can be manufactured at low cost.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint connector and another connector according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing how these connectors are fitted, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an external perspective view showing a connection terminal of the joint connector. In the following, the description of the parts overlapping with the already described parts is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, the joint connector 1A includes a plurality of connection terminals 10A (see FIGS. 6 and 8), a housing 20A in which the plurality of connection terminals 10A are accommodated, and the housing. Although the point comprised from the bus bar 30A accommodated in 20A is common, the shape of the connection part 11 of each connection terminal 10A, the shape of the terminal accommodating chamber 21 which accommodates these connection terminals 10A, and the shape of the bus bar 30A Etc. are different.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the plurality of connection terminals 10 </ b> A are such that in this example, the connection portion 11 sandwiches and connects at least one of the connection portion 81 of the counterpart connection terminal 80 and the branch terminal portion 31 of the bus bar 30 </ b> A. The fork portion 15 has a shape formed in an L shape in which the direction connecting the branch portions with the slit portion 17 interposed therebetween is orthogonal.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 20 </ b> A is formed such that the connecting portion receiving chambers 22 of the plurality of terminal receiving chambers 21 are formed in accordance with the shape of the fork portion 15 of the connecting portion 11 of the connecting terminal 10 </ b> A. The shape of the bus bar insertion port 24 is different from that of the housing 20. The bus bar insertion port 24 is formed in a shape that is continuous with the communication space 22a.

  In the joint connector 1A, the bus bar 30A includes, for example, a plate-shaped main body portion 32 accommodated in the communication space portion 22a, and a plurality of plate-shaped plurality of plates erected by pressing or the like on the plate surface of the main body portion 32. Each branch terminal portion 31 is accommodated in the housing 20A in a state as shown in FIG.

  In the joint connector 1A configured as described above, similarly to the joint connector 1, the connection terminal 10A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 21 from the proximal end side of the housing 20A, and the bus bar 30A is accommodated in the bus bar insertion opening on the distal end side of the housing 20A. By inserting the main body part 32 into the communication space part 22a by inserting from 24, the branch terminal part 31 of the bus bar 30A can be inserted into the fork part 15 of the connection terminal 10A, and the connection terminals 10A can be short-circuited. The connection portion 81 of the counterpart connection terminal 80 can be inserted into the fork portion 15 for connection. Since this connection terminal 10A can be manufactured at low cost, the manufacturing cost of the joint connector 1A is reduced, and parts such as a cap for holding the bus bar 30A so as not to be detached from the communication space portion 22a are unnecessary. The joint connector 1A can be manufactured at a low cost.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint connector and another connector according to still another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view showing how these connectors are fitted, and FIG. It is a front view of this joint connector.
The joint connector 1B of this example is different from the joint connector 1A of the previous example in the form of the bus bar insertion port 24, the communication space 22a and the connection part accommodating chamber 22 in the housing 20B and the way of inserting the bus bar 30A into the housing 20B. It is different. That is, the bus bar 30A is inserted into the bus bar insertion port 24 of the housing 20B so that the front end surfaces of the plurality of branch terminal portions 31 face the insertion direction, and the main body 32 is fitted and accommodated on the opening side of the bus bar insertion port 24. A communication space 22a is formed.

  In this joint connector 1B, similarly to the joint connector 1A, the connection terminal 10A is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 21 from the proximal end side of the housing 20B, and the bus bar 30A is inserted from the bus bar insertion port 24 on the distal end side of the housing 20B. By accommodating the main body portion 32 in the communication space portion 22a, the branch terminal portion 31 of the bus bar 30A can be inserted into the fork portion 15 of the connection terminal 10A, and the connection terminals 10A can be short-circuited. The connection portion 81 of the connection terminal 80 can be inserted for connection. Since this connection terminal 10A can be manufactured at low cost, the manufacturing cost of the joint connector 1B is reduced, and parts such as a cap for holding the bus bar 30A so as not to be detached from the communication space 22a or the like become unnecessary. The joint connector 1B can be manufactured at a low cost.

  Instead of the bus bar 30A having the branch terminal portion 31 and the main body portion 32, a bus bar 30B having a shape having the branch terminal portion 31 and the main body portion 32 formed by bending or the like as shown in FIG. Alternatively, a bus bar 30C formed by pressing or the like as shown in FIG. 13 may be used.

  The present invention can be used for various applications for electrical connection including branch connection.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the joint connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and another connector. It is a partial cross section figure which shows a mode that both the connectors of FIG. 1 were fitted. It is a front view of the joint connector. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the connecting terminal of the joint connector. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the joint connector which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and another connector. It is a partial cross section figure which shows a mode that both the connectors of FIG. 5 were fitted. It is a front view of the joint connector. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the connecting terminal of the joint connector. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the joint connector and other connector which concern on other embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section figure which shows a mode that both the connectors of FIG. 9 were fitted. It is a front view of the joint connector. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another bus bar of the joint connector of FIGS. 5 and 9. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another bus bar of the joint connector of FIGS. 5 and 9.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A, 1B ... Joint connector 10, 10A ... Connection terminal, 11, 81 ... Connection part, 12 ... Electric wire connection part, 13 ... Electric wire fixing part, 14 ... Band plate part, 15 ... Fork part, 16 ... Terminal hole Part, 17 ... slit part, 20, 20A, 20B ... housing, 21 ... terminal accommodation room, 22 ... connection part accommodation room, 22a ... communication space part, 23 ... terminal insertion port, 24 ... busbar insertion port, 25 ... terminal lance , 26 ... wall part, 27 ... elastic engagement piece, 28 ... projection part, 30, 30A, 30B, 30C ... bus bar, 31 ... branch terminal part, 32 ... body part, 50 ... electric wire, 51 ... core wire, 80 ... Counterpart connection terminal, 90... Counterpart connector, 91.

Claims (4)

A plurality of connection terminals in which a connection portion connected to the counterpart connection terminal and the short-circuit member is formed on the distal end side, and an electric wire connection portion connected to the core wire of the electric wire and an electric wire fixing portion for fixing and holding the electric wire are formed on the proximal end side; ,
A housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers for accommodating the plurality of connection terminals in a predetermined arrangement state;
A short-circuit member that is mounted on the housing and short-circuits between the plurality of connection terminals housed in the plurality of terminal housing chambers;
The plurality of connection terminals have a structure in which the connection portion is bifurcated at the tip, and a plurality of fork portions are formed to sandwich and connect at least one of the counterpart connection terminal and the short-circuit member at the branch portion.
The housing has a communication space portion in which the connection portion accommodation portions of the connection terminals in the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers each form a connection portion accommodation chamber that accommodates the plurality of fork portions, and the connection portion accommodation chambers communicate with each other. Is formed,
The short-circuit member includes a main body portion accommodated in the communication space portion, and an insertion portion that extends from the main body portion and is inserted into a branch portion of a predetermined fork portion. 2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the connection portions of the plurality of connection terminals have a shape in which the plurality of fork portions are linearly arranged in a direction connecting the branch portions. 2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the connection portions of the plurality of connection terminals have an L-shaped shape in which directions in which the plurality of fork portions connect the branch portions are orthogonal to each other. The short-circuit member includes a plate-like main body portion accommodated in the communication space portion, and a plate-like insertion portion erected with respect to the plate surface of the main body portion. 3. The joint connector according to 3.

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