JP2011014491A - Connector unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for absorbing dimensional errors in fitting a connector.SOLUTION: A female connector includes an outer housing 50, an inner housing 60, and a female terminal fitting 90. An external shape of the outer housing 50 is an approximate rectangular parallelepiped, two housing storage chambers 55 are provided inside the outer housing, and the inner housings 60 are respectively stored in the housing storage chambers 55. Further, an upper flexible arm 58a is arranged on an upper surface of each housing storage chamber, and a lower flexible arm 58b is arranged on a lower surface of each housing storage chamber. The upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b absorb gaps when generating the position gaps to male tabs.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector unit, and more particularly to a connector unit that can absorb a position error of a terminal fitting or the like when a male connector and a female connector are fitted.

  In an electrical connector composed of a male connector and a female connector in electrical wiring, a fitting position is determined, and there is a case where a demand for a dimensional error between terminal fittings is severe. FIG. 1 shows a motor unit 210 according to the prior art. The motor unit 210 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) unit 212 and a motor 214. ECU unit 212 and motor 214 are electrically connected by female connector 220 and male connector 280.

  FIG. 2 shows a female connector 220 and a male connector 280. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, the female connector 220 accommodates the female terminal fitting 290 in the terminal accommodating chamber 224 and fixes the female terminal fitting 290 with a lance 226. Further, as shown in FIG. 2D, in the male connector 280, the male tab 242 protrudes from the front surface 282 of the connector main body 281.

  When the ECU unit 212 is attached to the motor 214, the female terminal fitting 290 of the female connector 220 and the male tab 242 of the male connector 230 are connected. That is, the male tab 242 is inserted from the terminal insertion opening 223 formed in the front surface 222 of the connector main body 221 of the female connector 220 and is fitted to the female terminal fitting 290 accommodated in the female connector 220. Moreover, since the female connector 220 is accommodated in the fitting opening 216, the degree of freedom of the fitting position between the male tab 242 and the female terminal fitting 290 is very small in principle.

  By the way, normally, the dimensions of each element are designed with a predetermined clearance so that a certain error is allowed. FIG. 3 shows the female connector 220 when the male tab 242 is inserted, paying attention to the clearance. As shown in the figure, when a predetermined clearance b with respect to the entire lateral opening dimension of the terminal insertion opening 223 is provided, a design standard is a state in which the male tab 242 has a half b / 2 on each of the left and right sides. Further, in the vertical direction, a half of a / 2 is a design standard with respect to a predetermined clearance a with respect to the entire longitudinal opening dimension of the terminal insertion opening 223.

  Various techniques have been proposed that can absorb even when a positional deviation occurs between both connectors due to a dimensional error. For example, there is a technique in which the housing is moved by bending of a flexible arm provided in the housing of the female connector (see Patent Document 1). According to this technique, even if a positional deviation occurs in both connectors due to a dimensional error, it can be absorbed.

JP-A-9-139250

  By the way, in the case of the male tab 242 as shown in FIG. 2D, when the male tab 242 is fixed to the unit by processing such as welding or bonding, the vertical direction of the male tab 242 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. There is a tendency that the displacement becomes large. In addition, in the case of a connector having a plurality of poles, the positional deviation in manufacturing in each male tab 242 is not constant, and thus there may be a positional deviation between the male tabs 242.

  Further, when a displacement occurs between the male tabs 242, in the conventional structure, the displacement can be absorbed only by the clearance (one side a / 2) between the terminal accommodating chamber (cavity) 224 and the female connector. At this time, if the displacement amount of the male tab 242 is kept below the error a, the displacement can be absorbed by the displacement amount of the flexible arm. Generally, from the viewpoint of fixing the female terminal fitting 290, the vertical clearance a is relatively smaller than the horizontal clearance b (b> a).

  Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since force is required for the reaction force of the flexible arm of the housing and the bending of the connected electric wire, there is a concern that the alignment function due to the movement of the housing is impaired by the resultant force. .

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a condition, and it aims at providing the technique which can solve the said subject.

  The connector unit of the present invention is a connector unit comprising a male connector to which a male terminal is attached, and a female connector to which a female terminal into which the male terminal is inserted is attached. One of them includes an outer housing and an inner housing accommodated in the outer housing, and the male terminal or the female terminal is accommodated in the inner housing, and the outer housing is accommodated when the inner housing is accommodated. And a bending means for absorbing misalignment of the fitting between the male terminal and the female terminal.

  The male terminal is formed in a flat plate shape, the female terminal is formed so that the flat male terminal can be inserted, and the bending means is inserted into the female terminal. When this is done, it may be configured to be able to absorb a positional deviation in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when fitting a connector, the technique which can absorb a dimensional error is realizable.

It is a perspective view which shows the external shape of the motor unit based on a prior art. It is the figure which showed the female connector and male connector based on a prior art. It is the figure which showed the female connector of the state in which the male tab was inserted based on a prior art. It is a perspective view showing a motor unit in the state where an ECU unit and a motor separated according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the female connector and male connector based on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the female connector based on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the assembly | attachment of the outer housing and inner housing of a female connector based on embodiment of this invention, and is the figure which showed the state before insertion of an inner housing. It is a figure explaining the assembly | attachment of the outer housing and inner housing of a female connector based on embodiment of this invention, and the figure which showed the state inserted until the inner housing contact | abutted to the flexible arm. It is a figure explaining the assembly | attachment of the outer housing and inner housing of a female connector based on embodiment of this invention, and the figure which showed the state in which the inner housing was inserted completely. It is a figure explaining the assembly | attachment of the outer housing and inner housing of a female connector based on embodiment of this invention, and the figure which showed the state in which the inner housing was biased and inserted in either the up-down direction.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the motor unit 10 according to the present embodiment in a state where the motor unit 10 is separated into the ECU unit 12 and the motor 14. The difference from the configuration of the motor unit 210 shown in FIG. 1B is the shape and structure of the female connector 20 of the ECU unit 12. When the ECU unit 12 and the motor 14 are assembled, the female connector 20 is accommodated in the fitting opening 16 of the motor 14.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the female connector 20 and the male connector 30. The male connector 30 has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 2D, and two male tabs 40 protrude horizontally from the front surface 32 of the connector main body 31. On the other hand, the female connector 20 is in a state in which the inner housing 60 is accommodated inside the outer housing 50. Further, a female terminal fitting 90 is accommodated in the inner housing 60.

  FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the female connector 20 disassembled into an outer housing 50, an inner housing 60, and a female terminal fitting 90, and FIG. It is a perspective view. FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the assembly of the outer housing 50 and the inner housing 60 of the female connector 20 and shows a state before the inner housing is inserted. 7A is a plan view, FIG. 7B is a front view, and FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along A1-A1 and B1-B1 in FIG. As shown in the figure, the outer housing 50 of the female connector 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes two housing housing chambers 55 therein, and is configured to be able to accommodate the inner housing 60 therein. Specifically, a front opening 51 a that communicates with the housing housing chamber 55 is formed on the front surface 51 of the outer housing 50, and similarly, an opening is formed on the back surface 52.

  The front opening 51a is substantially cross-shaped, and the male tab 40 can be properly inserted into the female terminal fitting 90 when the inner housing 60 provided with the female terminal fitting 90 is inserted. The terminal fitting 90 is configured to be operable. Further, when the inner housing 60 is inserted, the inner wall 60 comes into contact with the inner housing 60 (see FIG. 9C described later).

  Further, in each housing accommodating chamber 55, an upper flexible arm 58a is provided on the upper surface, and a lower flexible arm 58b is provided on the lower surface. Specifically, as shown mainly in FIG. 7C, the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b are recessed from the upper surface and the lower surface to the inside of the housing accommodating chamber 55. That is, the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b have a substantially trapezoidal cross section and are horizontally bridged from both ends. The interval between the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b is slightly narrower than the height of the inner housing 60, and is bent outward when the inner housing 60 is inserted. At this time, the insertion direction of the inner housing 60 is the same as the insertion axis direction, that is, the inner housing 60 remains horizontal in the drawing.

  In addition, two rims 57 extending in the front-rear direction are formed in parallel in the vertical direction on both side walls of the inner surface of the housing accommodating chamber 55. Further, a locking piece 56 is formed at a position sandwiched between the rims 57 in the vicinity of the back surface 52 of the inner side wall of the housing accommodating chamber 55. The locking piece 56 fixes the inner housing 60 to the housing accommodating chamber 55 of the outer housing 50 when the inner housing 60 is inserted into the outer housing 50.

  The inner housing 60 has an internal structure similar to that shown in FIG. 2C. The inner housing 60 accommodates the female terminal fitting 90, and a lance formed on the lower inner wall of the accommodation chamber fixes the female terminal fitting 90.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which the inner housing 60 is inserted partway through the housing accommodating chamber 55 of the outer housing 50. Specifically, the front surface 61 of the inner housing 60 is shown inserted up to the rear end portions (broken circles in the figure) of the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the inner housing 60 is completely inserted until it contacts the inner wall surface of the front surface 51 of the outer housing 50. As illustrated, the upper and lower surfaces of the inner housing 60 are sandwiched between the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b. At this time, the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b are bent outward, and the inner housing 60 is urged inward by the bent elastic force. The upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b are configured to be able to bend further outward based on this state.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which the inner housing 60 is completely inserted but is biased upward or downward. FIG.10 (c) has shown the A4-A4 cross section of (b), and the inner housing 60 has become the state biased upward. Accordingly, the upper flexible arm 58a is bent outward (upward in the drawing) as compared with FIG. FIG. 10D shows a B4-B4 cross section in which the inner housing 60 is biased downward. Accordingly, the lower flexible arm 58b is bent outward (downward in the drawing) as compared with FIG. Such bending occurs, for example, due to misalignment of the male tab 40 of the male connector 30.

  As described above, the male connector 30 (male tab 40) that is the mating partner of the female connector 20 is directly fixed to the motor 14. When the positional deviation error in the Y direction is large due to processing accuracy such as welding in the male tab 40, it is difficult to absorb the error with the conventional technique. However, since the inner housing 60 has a vertically movable structure, such an error can be absorbed by the inner housing 60 being moved by the upper flexible arm 58a and the lower flexible arm 58b.

  The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to each of those components and combinations thereof, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the female connector 20 has a double structure of the inner housing 60 and the outer housing 50, but the male connector 40 may be movable with the male connector 30 having a double structure. Further, the flexible arm may be either the upper flexible arm 58a or the lower flexible arm 58b.

10 motor unit 12 ECU unit 14 motor 20 female connector 30 male connector 40 male tab 50 outer housing 56 locking piece 57 rim 58a upper flexible arm 58b lower flexible arm 60 inner housing 90 female terminal fitting

Claims (2)

A connector unit comprising a male connector to which a male terminal is attached, and a female connector to which a female terminal into which the male terminal is inserted is attached,
Either the male connector or the female connector comprises an outer housing and an inner housing accommodated in the outer housing,
The male terminal or the female terminal is accommodated in the inner housing,
The outer housing includes a bending unit that absorbs misalignment of the fitting between the male terminal and the female terminal when the inner housing is accommodated. The male terminal is formed in a flat plate shape,
The female terminal is formed so that the flat male terminal can be inserted,
The said bending | flexion means is comprised so that a position shift of the orthogonal | vertical direction with respect to the said flat plate surface can be absorbed when the said male terminal is inserted in the said female terminal. Connector unit.

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