JP2008123748A - Standby connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a standby connector that can prevent intrusion of foreign substances and water, improve alignment accuracy, and improve reliability.
A standby connector includes a connector housing having a fitting port with a mating connector and a slide protector for holding a wire harness connected to the connector housing and routed in a floor. The connector housing 11 is housed in the floor 1 and is rotatably supported by the floor 1 without exposing the fitting port to the vehicle compartment, and is associated with the assembly of the assembly to the floor 1. The slide protector 12 is supported on the floor 1 so as to be slidable so as to approach and separate from the connector housing 11, and the slide protector 12 and the connector housing 11 are connected to each other. The slide protector responds to the rotation of the connector housing 11 so as to keep the harness length between them constant. 2 further comprising an interlocking mechanism 13 for sliding.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a standby connector that is automatically connected to a mating connector of an assembly such as a seat or a console box that is detachably assembled to a vehicle floor as the assembly is assembled to the floor.

  In recent years, in automobiles, particularly one-box cars, there is a tendency to enable walk-through between seat devices such as first seats and second seats provided on a floor, or by detachably attaching a console box. However, the seat device is provided with electrical components such as a seat slide mechanism and a seat reclining mechanism, and the console box contains, for example, a mobile phone hands-free wire and a portable audio device wire. Therefore, it is necessary to configure such that the electric wires are connected to the electric system on the vehicle body side together with the installation of the seat device and the console box.

  In view of such a background, as shown in FIG. 16, by mounting the sheet apparatus 100 on the floor 101, the sheet-side connector 102 pulled out below the sheet apparatus 100 is connected to the floor-side connector 103. There is a standby connector in which both connectors 102 and 103 are detached when the seat apparatus 100 is detached from the floor 101 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-T-2004-524206 (FIG. 1)

  However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the seat apparatus 100 is detached from the floor 101, the floor side connector 103 is exposed with the fitting port facing upward. There is a risk of foreign matter entering the side connector 103 or water intrusion, and the connection reliability is reduced.

  Further, when the seat device 100 is mounted on the floor 101, the seat-side connector 102 must be aligned with the floor-side connector 103 while supporting the seat device 100. Therefore, the alignment accuracy of both connectors 102 and 103 may be lowered.

  Furthermore, when the seat device 100 is mounted on the floor 101, the floor-side connector 103 is disposed on the same surface as the surface of the floor 101, so when water or the like spills on the floor 102, There is a risk that the water may enter.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent intrusion of foreign substances and water immersion, improve alignment accuracy, and improve reliability. It is to provide a standby connector that can be used.

  The above object is achieved by the following standby connectors (1) to (3) according to the present invention.

(1) A standby system that is automatically connected to the mating connector provided on the floor of the vehicle and detachably assembled to the floor as the assembly is assembled to the floor. A connector,
The standby connector includes a connector housing provided with a fitting port with the mating connector, and a slide protector for holding a wire harness connected to the connector housing and routed in the floor,
The connector housing is housed in the floor without exposing the fitting port to the interior of the vehicle and is rotatably supported by the floor. The connector housing rotates as the assembly body is assembled to the floor. The mating port is exposed in the passenger compartment,
The slide protector is supported on the floor so as to be slidable so as to approach and separate from the connector housing,
The standby connector further comprising an interlocking mechanism for sliding the slide protector in response to the rotation of the connector housing so as to keep the harness length between the slide protector and the connector housing constant. .
(2) The standby connector according to (1), wherein the interlocking mechanism is an elastic member passed between the connector housing and the slide protector.
(3) The interlocking mechanism is a gear that rotates together with the connector housing, a pinion gear that meshes with the gear, and a rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear, and the slide protector is fixed to the rack gear. The standby connector according to (1), characterized in that it is characterized in that:

  According to the present invention, when the assembly is removed, the connector housing is housed in the floor without exposing the fitting port to the vehicle interior, and the assembly is performed when the assembly is assembled. Accordingly, the fitting port is automatically exposed to prepare for connection with the mating connector. That is, if necessary, the fitting port is exposed, whereby foreign material intrusion and water immersion can be reduced, and alignment accuracy can be improved. In addition, the interlock mechanism can reduce the load acting on the wire harness as the connector housing rotates by keeping the length between the slide protector and the connector housing constant.

  Further, since the interlocking mechanism is an elastic member passed between the connector housing and the slide protector, it is possible to reduce a load acting on the wire harness with a simple structure without accompanying a complicated mechanism.

  Further, the interlocking mechanism includes a gear that rotates together with the connector housing, a pinion gear that meshes with the gear, and a rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear. With the gear mechanism consisting of the above, the operation of the connector housing and the slide protector can be reliably performed without error.

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

(First embodiment)
1 to 6 show a first embodiment of a standby connector according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view when the console box of the first embodiment of the standby connector of the present invention is attached, and FIG. FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 are partially cutaway side views for explaining a console box mounting procedure in the standby connector of FIG. In the following description, front, rear, left, and right are described according to the direction of the vehicle body, and the left front side in FIG. 1 is the front of the vehicle body.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the standby connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a connector housing 11, a slide protector 12, and an elastic member 13 that is an interlocking mechanism, and is an assembly. It is connected to a counterpart connector 15 provided in a console box (shown in FIG. 3) 14.

  On the floor 1 of the vehicle body, a storage portion 2 is formed that is recessed in the moving direction of the console box 14, and a floor wire harness 16 connected to the standby connector 10 is routed in the storage portion 2. Yes. A corrugated tube 17 is covered on a portion pulled out from the slide protector 12. The floor wire harness 16 is connected to a mobile phone hands-free circuit (not shown) or a circuit for a portable audio device.

  A cover member 3 is attached to the storage portion 2, and the cover member 3 is covered with a connector insertion hole 4 slightly larger than the outer shape of the connector housing 11 of the standby connector 10, and the connector insertion hole 4. A wire harness insertion hole 5 that is cut out in communication with the length direction of the member 3 is formed.

  The standby connector 10 has a fitting port 18 in the connector housing 11, and a pivot shaft 19 provided on the opposite side of the fitting port 18 is pivotally supported on the bracket 7 of the slider 6 slidably movable on the cover member 3. Has been. The slider 6 includes a pair of fixing holes 8 for assembling the console box 14.

  In the standby connector 10, a pressing portion 20 further protruding from the pivot shaft 19 is formed on the side of the connector housing 11 opposite to the fitting port 18.

  Since the slide protector 12 is supported by the guide rail 9 formed in the groove direction of the storage unit 2, the slide protector 12 is slid in the groove direction of the storage unit 2. The slide protector 12 is externally fitted and fixed to the floor wire harness 16 drawn into the housing portion 2 from the side opposite to the fitting port 18 of the connector housing 11.

  The elastic member 13 is a plate-like member having an elastic repulsive force. One end of the elastic member 13 is fixed to the anti-fitting port 18 side of the connector housing 11 and the other end is fixed to the slide protector 12.

  The mating connector 15 is incorporated on the front side of the console box 14, the fitting port 21 faces downward and is arranged in the same shape on the lower surface of the console box 14, and protrudes further downward from the fitting port 21. A pressing protrusion 22 is provided. The counterpart connector 15 is connected to a mobile phone hands-free circuit (not shown) in the console box 14 or a circuit for a portable audio device.

  The assembly and movement of the standby connector 10 configured as described above with the mating connector 15 will be sequentially described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 including FIG. 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, before the console box 14 is on the floor 1 and assembled to the floor 1, the standby connector 10 has the connector housing 11 accommodated in the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3. The fitting port 18 is arranged in the surface direction of the floor 1 without being covered with the cover member 3 and exposed to the vehicle interior. At this time, since the connector housing 11 has the fitting port 18 directed toward the floor 1, the slide protector 12 is arranged at a position away from the standby connector 10 and holds the floor wire harness 16 in a substantially straight line. Yes. The mating connector 15 is above the front side of the slider 6.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the console box 14 descends toward the fixing hole 8 of the slider 6, the pressing protrusion 22 of the mating connector 15 presses the pressing portion 20 of the standby connector 10 downward. Accordingly, the standby connector 10 starts to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 4 via the pivot shaft 19, and the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3 faces the fitting port 18 above the floor 1. Begin to protrude upward. At this time, the slide protector 12 slides to the left in FIG. 4 so that the end of the elastic member 13 moves away with the rotation of the connector housing 11 so that the slide protector 12 approaches the standby connector 10 following it. Is done. Thereby, the elastic member 13 is elastically deformed into a curved shape, so that the length (A) between the slide protector 12 and the connector housing 11 of the floor wire harness 16 is kept constant and acts on the floor wire harness 16. To reduce the load.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the console box 14 further descends toward the fixing hole 8 of the slider 6, the standby connector 10 directs the fitting port 18 upward of the floor 1 by the pressing protrusion 22 of the mating connector 15. The mating port 21 of the mating connector 15 is fitted to the standby connector 10 in which the waiting connector 10 is arranged to protrude on the floor 1 and the fitting port 18 is arranged upward. As a result, the floor wire harness 16 is connected to a mobile phone hands-free circuit or a portable audio device circuit in the console box 14. At this time, the slide protector 12 is further slid in the right direction in FIG. 5 so as to approach the standby connector 10 as the connector housing 11 rotates. Then, the console box 14 is assembled and fixed in the fixing hole 8 of the slide 6.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the standby connector 10 fitted to the mating connector 15 of the console box 14 has the floor wire harness 16 of the cover member 3 when the console box 14 moves backward or forward together with the slider 6. While being moved through the floor wire harness insertion hole 5, it is moved while being coupled to the console box 14.

  When the console box 14 reaches the foremost position shown in FIG. 3 and is removed from the slider 6, the movement shown in FIGS. 5 and 4 is performed in the opposite direction, as shown in FIG. Further, in the standby connector 10, the elastic member 13 is elastically restored, so that the connector housing 11 is accommodated in the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3, and the fitting port 18 is covered with the cover member 3 and exposed to the vehicle interior. Without being arranged in the surface direction of the floor 1.

  As described above, according to the standby connector 10 of the first embodiment, when the console box 14 is removed, the connector housing 11 can be disposed in the floor 1 without exposing the fitting port 18 to the vehicle interior. When the console box 14 is assembled, the fitting port 18 is automatically exposed in association with the assembly to prepare for connection with the mating connector 15. That is, if necessary, the fitting port 18 is exposed, whereby foreign material intrusion and water immersion can be reduced and alignment accuracy can be improved. Further, the elastic member 13 which is an interlocking mechanism reduces the load acting on the floor wire harness 16 as the connector housing 11 rotates by keeping the length between the slide protector 12 and the connector housing 11 constant. can do.

  Further, according to the standby connector 10 of the first embodiment, the elastic member 13 is passed between the connector housing 11 and the slide protector 12, so that the floor wire has a simple structure without any complicated mechanism. The load acting on the harness 16 can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the standby connector of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 is an external perspective view when the console box of the second embodiment of the standby connector of the present invention is attached, FIG. 8 is a front view of the standby connector of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the standby connector of FIG. 10, FIG. 12, FIG. 13 and FIG. 15 are partially broken side views for explaining the procedure for attaching the console box in the standby connector of FIG. 7, FIG. 11 is a bottom view of FIG. 10, and FIG. It is. Note that, in the following second embodiment, the same or equivalent components in the figure will be simplified or described by omitting the same components or functionally similar components as those in the first embodiment described above. Omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9, the standby connector 30 of the second embodiment is supported by a gear 31 that rotates together with the connector housing 11 and a bracket 7 of the slider 6 as an interlocking mechanism. A pinion gear 32 meshed with 31 and a rack gear 33 meshed with the pinion gear 32 are used, and the slide protector 12 is fixed to the rack gear 32.

  Next, assembly and movement of the standby connector 30 of the second embodiment with the mating connector 15 will be sequentially described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, before the console box 14 is on the floor 1 and assembled to the floor 1, the standby connector 30 is accommodated in the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3. Thus, the fitting port 18 is disposed in the surface direction of the floor 1 without being covered with the cover member 3 and exposed to the vehicle interior. At this time, since the connector housing 11 has the fitting port 18 directed toward the floor 1, the slide protector 12 is arranged at a position away from the standby connector 30 to hold the floor wire harness 16 substantially linearly. Yes. The mating connector 15 is above the front side of the slider 6.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the console box 14 descends toward the fixing hole 8 of the slider 6, the pressing protrusion 22 of the mating connector 15 presses the pressing portion 20 of the standby connector 30 downward. Accordingly, the standby connector 30 starts to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 12 via the pivot shaft 19, and the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3 faces the fitting port 18 upward on the floor 1. Begin to protrude upward. At this time, the slide protector 12 advances in a direction in which the rack gear 33 approaches the connector housing 11 via the pinion gear 32 that meshes with the gear 31 of the connector housing 11 as the connector housing 11 rotates. Slide to the left in the middle. Thereby, the length (A) between the slide protector 12 of the floor wire harness 16 and the connector housing 11 is kept constant, and the load acting on the floor wire harness 16 is reduced.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when the console box 14 further descends toward the fixing hole 8 of the slider 6, the standby connector 30 pushes the fitting port 18 into the floor 1 by the pressing protrusion 22 of the mating connector 15. The mating port 21 of the mating connector 15 is fitted into the waiting connector 30 which is arranged upward and the standby connector 10 is projected on the floor 1 and the fitting port 18 is arranged upward. As a result, the floor wire harness 16 is connected to a mobile phone hands-free circuit or a portable audio device circuit in the console box 14. At this time, the slide protector 12 advances in a direction in which the rack gear 33 further approaches the connector housing 11 via the pinion gear 32 that meshes with the gear 31 of the connector housing 11 as the connector housing 11 rotates. 13 is further slid in the left direction. Then, the console box 14 is assembled and fixed in the fixing hole 8 of the slide 6.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the standby connector 30 fitted to the mating connector 15 of the console box 14 has the floor wire harness 16 of the cover member 3 when the console box 14 moves backward or forward together with the slider 6. While being moved through the floor wire harness insertion hole 5, it is moved while being coupled to the console box 14.

  Then, when the console box 14 reaches the foremost position shown in FIG. 10 and is removed from the slider 6, the movement shown in FIGS. 13 and 12 is performed in the opposite direction, as shown in FIG. In addition, the rack gear 33 is moved back in the direction away from the connector housing 11 via the pinion gear 32 that meshes with the gear 31 of the connector housing 11, so that the rack connector 33 is slid rightward in FIG. The connector housing 11 is housed in the connector insertion hole 4 of the cover member 3, and the fitting port 18 is covered with the cover member 3 and is disposed in the surface direction of the floor 1 without being exposed to the vehicle interior.

  The standby connector 30 of the second embodiment has the same operational effects as the first embodiment. In particular, according to the standby connector 30 of the second embodiment, the gear 31 that rotates together with the connector housing 11 as an interlocking mechanism, The slide protector 12 is fixed to the rack gear 33 by using a pinion gear 32 that meshes with the gear 31 and a rack gear 33 that meshes with the pinion gear 32. By the mechanism, the operation of the connector housing 11 and the slide protector 12 can be reliably performed without error.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably. In addition, the material, shape, dimension, numerical value, form, number, arrangement location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and are not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

  For example, as an assembly, a seat device may be used instead of the illustrated console box, and in that case, it goes without saying that a pair of sliders are provided.

  As the interlocking mechanism, a mechatronic mechanism such as a power transmission mechanism using a pulley may be applied instead of the illustrated elastic member and gear mechanism.

It is an external appearance perspective view at the time of console box attachment of 1st Embodiment of the standby connector of this invention. It is a front view of the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 1st step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 2nd step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 2nd step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 3rd step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view at the time of console box attachment of 2nd Embodiment of the standby connector of this invention. It is a front view of the standby connector of FIG. It is a principal part disassembled perspective view of the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 1st step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is a bottom view of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 2nd step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is a partially broken side view of the 3rd step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. FIG. 14 is a bottom view of FIG. 13. It is a partially broken side view of the 4th step explaining the attachment procedure of the console box in the standby connector of FIG. It is the schematic of the conventional standby connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Floor 2 Storage part 10,30 Standby connector 11 Connector housing 12 Slide protector 13 Elastic member (interlocking mechanism)
14 Console box (assembly)
15 Mating connector 16 Floor wire harness (wire harness)
18 Mating port 31 Gear (interlocking mechanism)
32 Pinion gear (interlocking member)
33 Rack gear (interlocking member)

Claims (3)

This is a standby connector that is automatically connected to the mating connector provided on the floor of the vehicle and detachably assembled to the floor as the assembly is assembled to the floor. And
The standby connector includes a connector housing provided with a fitting port with the mating connector, and a slide protector for holding a wire harness connected to the connector housing and routed in the floor,
The connector housing is housed in the floor without exposing the fitting port to the interior of the vehicle and is rotatably supported by the floor. The connector housing rotates as the assembly body is assembled to the floor. The mating port is exposed in the passenger compartment,
The slide protector is supported on the floor so as to be slidable so as to approach and separate from the connector housing,
The standby connector further comprising an interlocking mechanism for sliding the slide protector in response to the rotation of the connector housing so as to keep the harness length between the slide protector and the connector housing constant. .   The standby connector according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking mechanism is an elastic member passed between the connector housing and the slide protector.   The interlock mechanism includes a gear that rotates together with the connector housing, a pinion gear that meshes with the gear, and a rack gear that meshes with the pinion gear, and the slide protector is fixed to the rack gear. The standby connector according to claim 1.

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