JP2016062699A - Tentacle-prevention connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector that is downsized while improving tentacle prevention of a terminal.SOLUTION: A connector structure includes a connector terminal 2 provided with an insulating member 23, formed of an insulating resin, at at lest the tip, and connected with a mating terminal, a housing 3 formed of a cylindrical body extending while surrounding the connector terminal, and being fitted to the counterpart housing, and a tentacle prevention member extending in the cylindrical body of the housing, along the connector terminal at set intervals, and formed to project farther in the axial direction of the cylindrical body than the tip of the connector terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for connecting terminals to each other, and more particularly to a connector designed to prevent tentacles against the terminals.

  A connector that engages housings that hold terminals and conducts between the terminals is exposed because the terminals are exposed to the outside when the paired housings are detached (not mated). Conventionally, various safety measures have been taken to prevent the operator's fingers from coming into contact with the terminals.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a countermeasure for a connector used in an in-vehicle device such as an electric vehicle. In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, an insulating coating (resin cap) is molded at the tip of a male terminal, and the male terminal is surrounded by a male terminal housing. The surrounding interval is an interval that allows the female terminal to enter the opposing gap between the male terminal and the male terminal housing, while the finger touches the conduction part of the male terminal by making the interval that the finger cannot enter. To prevent that.

JP 2011-48983 A

  Since the connector of Patent Document 1 is used in in-vehicle devices such as an electric vehicle, the periphery of the live part between the terminals is shielded by a shield shell. However, since the shield shell is assembled so as to surround the outer periphery of the male terminal housing, the outer shape (physique) of the connector is increased by the amount of the assembled shield shell.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that is miniaturized while preventing the tentacles of a terminal.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the anti-tentacle connector of the present invention is provided with an insulating member formed of an insulating resin at least at the tip, and extends around the connector terminal connected to the mating terminal. And a housing formed with a cylindrical body to be fitted with the mating housing, and the connector terminal extending inside the cylindrical body of the housing at a set interval along the connector terminal. And a tentacle-preventing member formed so as to protrude in the axial direction of the cylindrical body from the front end portion thereof.

  According to this, by disposing the tentacle prevention member and the connector terminal so as to face each other at a set interval that is smaller than the thickness of the finger and the finger cannot enter the connector terminal, the finger is directed toward the connector terminal when the counterpart housing is detached. Even when the finger enters, it is possible to prevent the finger from touching the connector terminal by restricting the entry of the finger by the tentacle prevention member and the insulating member provided at the tip of the connector terminal. Further, since the tentacle prevention member is disposed inside the housing, it is not necessary to increase the outer shape (physique) of the tentacle prevention connector, and the size can be reduced.

  In this case, a shield shell that shields the periphery of the connector terminal can be used as the tentacle prevention member. As a result, the shield shell can have a function as a tentacle prevention member, so there is no need to provide a dedicated member for preventing a tentacle to the connector terminal, and parts can be reduced. Cost can be reduced.

  Further, when the tentacle prevention connector includes a plurality of connector terminals, the housing is provided with a partition wall that separates the plurality of connector terminals, the partition wall is extended from the connector terminal with an interval equal to or less than the set interval, It can be formed to protrude in the axial direction of the tubular body of the housing from the tip of the connector terminal. Thereby, it can prevent reliably that a finger contacts a connector terminal by a shield shell and a partition, aiming at size reduction of a tentacle prevention connector.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the connector which aimed at size reduction can be provided, aiming at the tentacle prevention of a terminal.

It is a figure which shows the tentacle prevention connector of one Embodiment of this invention from the fitting side of a housing. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the tentacle prevention connector in the arrow A1 part of FIG. 1 from an arrow direction. It is a figure which shows the aspect by which the contact of the finger to a connector terminal is suppressed.

  Hereinafter, the connector of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show a configuration of a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing the connector 1 from the fitting side of the housing, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section taken along the arrow A1 in FIG. In the following description, the arrow X direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is referred to as the left-right direction, the arrow Y direction is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the arrow Z direction is referred to as the up-down direction. Of these, in the front-rear direction, the arrow Y1 direction is the front side (front), and the arrow Y2 direction is the rear side (rear).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 1 includes a connector terminal 2 connected to a counterpart terminal (not shown), and a housing 3 that surrounds and holds the connector terminal 2.

  The connector terminal 2 is a male terminal formed of a metal having conductivity, and an electric wire connection portion 21 connected to an internal conductor exposed by peeling off an insulating coating at a terminal portion of the electric wire 10, and an electric wire connection portion 21. It has an electrical contact portion 22 that is connected to and conducts in contact with the counterpart terminal. The electrical contact portion 22 is formed in a longitudinal cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction, and an insulating member 23 is provided at the tip (front end).

  The insulating member 23 is formed of insulating resin in a columnar shape having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction and different outer diameters on both the front and rear sides, and the insertion portion 23a on the small-diameter side is inserted into the cylindrical electrical contact portion 22 and is large. A diameter-side crowned portion 23 b is crowned at the tip of the electrical contact portion 22. The insertion portion 23a is smaller than the inner diameter of the electrical contact portion 22, and the crowned portion 23b is substantially the same size as the outer diameter of the electrical contact portion 22 at the boundary with the insertion portion 23a, and the tip is slightly constricted. It has a tapered shape. By inserting the insertion portion 23a into the cylinder of the electrical contact portion 22, the tip of the electrical contact portion 22 is insulated so as to cover the crown portion 23b. On the other hand, even if the insulating member 23 is provided at the tip of the electrical contact portion 22 as described above, the connector terminal 2 including the insulating member 23 is inserted into the mating female terminal (not shown), and the electrical contact portion 22 Since the outer periphery can be brought into contact with the female terminal, the electrical continuity between the terminals is not hindered.

  The housing 3 is formed of an insulating resin or the like in a cylindrical shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and has a terminal accommodating chamber 31 that surrounds and accommodates the connector terminal 2 inside the cylindrical body. Yes. In the present embodiment, the housing 3 is provided with two terminal accommodating chambers 31 separated from each other by a partition wall 32 extending in the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and one connector terminal is provided in each terminal accommodating chamber 31. 2 is housed. The connector terminal 2 is inserted through an opening 33 at the rear of the housing 3 and is formed so as to protrude in a radial direction from the cylindrical body and the partition wall 32 of the housing 3, and a supporting member fitted inside the cylindrical body 4 is supported. The electric wire 10 to which the connector terminal 2 is attached is drawn out from the opening 33 of the housing 3, and the opening 33 is fitted with a rubber plug 5 that tightly seals the inner periphery and the outer periphery of each electric wire 10. Yes. A rear holder 6 that is locked at the rear end of the outer periphery of the housing 3 is assembled behind the rubber plug 5 to prevent the rubber plug 5 from falling off.

  The front portion of the housing 3 extends so as to surround the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 housed in the terminal housing chamber 31, and is fitted to a mating housing (not shown) that holds the mating terminal. It has become. The front end 3a of the housing 3 is positioned in front of the tip end portion of the connector terminal 2, specifically, the crowned portion 23b of the insulating member 23 provided in the electrical contact portion 22, and the crowned portion 23b of the insulating member 23 is The opening 35 is exposed to the outside.

  In a state where the housing 3 is fitted with the mating housing, the opening 35 of the housing 3 is closed by the mating mating housing. A gap S that leads to the portion 22 is generated inside the cylindrical body (housing front portion) of the housing 3 that extends around the electrical contact portion 22. For this reason, the connector 1 includes a tentacle prevention member that prevents the operator's fingers from coming into contact with the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 through the opening 35 and the gap S. Hereinafter, the tentacle prevention member that is a feature of the present invention will be described.

  In the present embodiment, a shield shell 7 that shields the periphery of the connector terminal 2 is provided in the connector 1 having a function as a tentacle prevention member. The shield shell 7 is formed of a conductive metal so as to extend in the front-rear direction so as to extend along the connector terminal 2, and is fitted into the mounting groove 36 provided in the housing 3 from the rear, so that the housing 3 It is assembled to. The rear part from the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the shield shell 7 is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the electric wire connection part 21 and the electric contact part 22 of the connector terminal 2, but the front part has a vertical cross section cut out vertically. The shape is a substantially U-shaped curve so as to face the electrical contact portion 22.

  The shield shell 7 assembled to the housing 3 extends to face the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 with a desired set interval from the connector terminal 2, and its front end 7 a is the tip portion of the connector terminal 2. The insulating member 23 provided in the electrical contact portion 22 is positioned so as to protrude forward from the crowned portion 23 b of the insulating member 23. In this case, since the shield shell 7 protrudes along the insertion direction of the connector terminal 2 into the mating female terminal, the forward projecting dimension with respect to the crowned portion 23b is such that the electrical contact portion 22 contacts the female terminal. It is adjusted to a range that does not hinder reaching the position. Moreover, the front end 7a of the shield shell 7 is positioned behind the front end 3a of the housing 3, so that the fitting between the housing 3 and the counterpart housing is not hindered.

  The spacing between the shield shell 7 and the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2, specifically, the crowned portion 23 b of the insulating member 23, is set to be greater than the spacing allowing the mating female terminal to enter. As shown in FIG. 3, the test finger 8 corresponding to the operator's finger is set to an interval at which the test finger 8 cannot enter the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2, that is, an interval smaller than the thickness of the operator's finger (test finger 8). Yes.

  For this reason, electrical connection between the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 and the mating female terminal can be prevented without interfering with the terminals, and the operator's fingers enter the opening 35 and the gap S of the housing 3. Even in this case, since it is restricted by hitting the vicinity of the front end 7a of the shield shell 7 and the crowned portion 23b of the insulating member 23, it is possible to prevent further intrusion of fingers. That is, it is possible to ensure the finger entry restriction region over the crowned portion 23b and the portion where the shield shell 7 with respect to the crowned portion 23b protrudes forward, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent the finger from entering. It has become. Therefore, even when the housing 3 and the counterpart housing (not shown) are separated, it is possible to prevent the operator's fingers from touching the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2.

  Further, since the shield shell 7 is assembled inside the housing 3, for example, compared to a case where the shield shell 7 is assembled so as to surround the outer periphery of the housing 3, it is not necessary to increase the outer shape (physique) of the connector 1. Miniaturization can be achieved.

  In addition, since the shield shell 7 also has a function as a tentacle prevention member, there is no need to provide a dedicated member for preventing a tentacle to the connector terminal 2 and the number of parts can be reduced. Reduction can be achieved.

  Moreover, as described above, the housing 3 is provided with the partition wall 32 that separates the pair of connector terminals 2. In this embodiment, the partition wall 32 is formed to protrude forward from the crowned portion 23 b of the insulating member 23. The front end 32a of the partition wall 32 is positioned in front of the crowned portion 23b. The distance between the partition wall 32 and the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2, specifically, the crown portion 23 b of the insulating member 23, is such that the test finger 8 corresponding to the operator's finger is connected to the electrical contact portion of the connector terminal 2. It is set to an interval that cannot enter up to 22, that is, an interval smaller than the thickness of the operator's finger (test finger 8).

  Thereby, the partition wall 32 also has a function as a tentacle prevention member similarly to the shield shell 7. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operator's fingers from touching the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 by the partition wall 32 as well as the shield shell 7.

  In the present embodiment, the partition wall 32 and the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2 are opposed to each other at an interval that is narrower than the interval between the shield shell 7 and the crowned portion 23 b of the insulating member 23. However, the interval between the partition wall 32 and the electrical contact portion 22 (the crowned portion 23b of the insulating member 23) is set to be greater than the interval allowing the mating female terminal to enter the electrical contact portion 22 and the electrical contact portion 22 Contact with the female terminal is not disturbed. In addition, the forward projecting dimension of the partition wall 32 with respect to the crowned portion 23b is set in a range that does not hinder the contact between the electrical contact portion 22 and the female terminal when the connector terminal 2 is inserted into the mating female terminal. Has been.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, the insulating member 23, the shield shell 7, and the partition wall 32 reliably prevent the operator's fingers from coming into contact with the electrical contact portion 22 of the connector terminal 2, while the small size of the connector 1. Can be achieved.

  As described above, the present invention has been described based on one embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but the above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Absent.

  In this embodiment, the housing 3 is configured to hold the two connector terminals 2, but the number of connector terminals held by the housing is not particularly limited. For example, if there is only one connector terminal, there is no need to provide a partition wall in the housing as in the present embodiment. Therefore, the shield shell is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the connector terminal with a desired set interval. What is necessary is just to make it arrange | position a front end ahead rather than the front-end | tip part of a connector terminal.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the insulating member 23 formed in the stepped columnar shape is inserted into the tip of the connector terminal 2 (male round pin terminal) in which the electrical contact portion 22 is cylindrical, and the tip of the connector terminal 2 is inserted. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the connector terminal is a male contact terminal having a cylindrical electrical contact portion and an insulating member is covered on the tip of the terminal, or a molded configuration.

1 Connector 2 Connector Terminal 3 Housing 7 Shield Shell 23 Insulating Member 32 Bulkhead

Claims (3)

An insulating member formed of an insulating resin at least at the tip is provided, and a connector terminal connected to the mating terminal;
A housing that extends around the connector terminal and is formed with a tubular body that is fitted to the mating housing;
A tentacle prevention member formed inside the cylindrical body of the housing with a set interval extending along the connector terminal and projecting in the axial direction of the cylindrical body from the tip of the connector terminal; A tentacle-preventing connector comprising:   The tentacle prevention connector according to claim 1, wherein the tentacle prevention member is a shield shell that shields the periphery of the connector terminal. With multiple connector terminals,
The housing is provided with a partition that separates the plurality of connector terminals,
The partition wall extends from the connector terminal at an interval equal to or less than the set interval, and is formed so as to protrude in the axial direction of the cylindrical body of the housing from the distal end portion of the connector terminal. The tentacle prevention connector according to claim 1 or 2.

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