JP2016207472A - Connector structure and mounting method of connector structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connection structure aimed at compaction.SOLUTION: A temporary locking part 10 is provided on the outside of a female housing 9, so that when it is inserted from the in-car side of a mounting hole 30A, it abuts against the inner edge of the mounting hole 30A, and deflects inward to allow entry of the female housing 9 into the mounting hole 30A. When passing through the mounting hole 30A, it restores to project outward, and locks a pillar 30 temporarily so that the female housing 9 does not return back to the one side of the mounting hole 30A. The temporary locking part 10 is provided so as to abut against the inner surface of a male housing 4 and deflect inward, when the female housing 9 is inserted into the male housing 4 and fitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector structure and a method for attaching the connector structure, and more particularly to a connector structure that is attached to a mounting hole of a panel and a method for attaching the connector structure.

  Conventionally, as a connector structure attached to a panel, a first connector, a second connector inserted and fitted in the first connector, and a first connector and a second connector provided on the first connector by rotation. There is known a lever that is fitted to a mounting hole of a pillar (panel) in a state where the first connector and the second connector are fitted (Patent Document 1).

  In this connector structure, the lever interferes with the hole edge of the mounting hole of the panel when the connectors are in a fitted state, and interferes with the hole edge of the mounting hole when the connectors are in a semi-fitted state. One connector is provided so as not to pass through the mounting hole. Thereby, the connectors are not attached to the panel in a half-fitted state.

  The connector structure described above was attached to the pillar in the following procedure. The pillar separates the interior and exterior of the vehicle. First, the second connector attached to the end of the wire harness is pulled out of the vehicle through the pillar attachment hole from the inside of the vehicle. Thereafter, the second connector drawn out of the vehicle is inserted into the first connector and fitted. Next, the first connector inserted and fitted is inserted into the mounting hole and attached to the panel.

  However, in the connector structure described above, before the first connector and the second connector are fitted, there is a possibility that the second connector pulled out of the vehicle may fall out into the vehicle through the mounting hole. There was a concern about the loss of sex.

  Therefore, a temporary locking arm is provided on the second connector, and when the second connector is inserted into the mounting hole, it abuts against the inner edge of the mounting hole and bends inward to allow the second connector to enter the mounting hole. However, it has been proposed that when it passes through the mounting hole, it is restored and protrudes outward, and is temporarily locked with the panel to prevent the second connector from falling into the vehicle (Patent Document 2).

  However, in the conventional connector structure, when the first connector and the second connector are fitted to the outside of the first connector housing, the temporary locking arm is bent inward again to release the temporary locking with the panel. Since the stop releasing means is provided outside the housing, there is a problem that the connector structure is enlarged.

JP 2013-16298 A JP 2014-53206 A

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector structure that is miniaturized.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a first connector housing and a second connector housing which is inserted into and fitted into the first connector housing, and is provided on the panel. A connector structure that is inserted into an attachment hole and attached, and is provided outside the second connector housing, and when inserted from one side of the attachment hole, abuts against an inner edge of the attachment hole and bends inward. Allowing the second connector housing to enter the mounting hole, recovering after passing through the mounting hole, projecting outward, temporarily locking with the panel, and the second connector housing is one of the mounting holes A temporary locking portion that is prevented from returning to the side, and the temporary locking portion is inserted and fitted into the first connector housing in the first connector housing, Serial in contact with the inner surface of the first connector housing resides in the connector structure, characterized in that provided to deflect inwardly.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the temporary locking portion includes a panel portion that is stacked outside the second connector housing, and one end portion of the panel portion in the fitting direction of the first connector housing and the second connector housing. And a spring that urges the panel portion so that the other end portion of the panel portion in the fitting direction faces away from the second connector housing. It exists in the connector structure of Claim 1.

  The invention according to claim 3 is an attachment method for attaching the connector structure according to claim 1 or 2 to an attachment hole provided in the panel, the step of passing the second connector housing through the attachment hole, Inserting the second connector housing into the first connector housing and fitting them together; and inserting and attaching the first connector housing into which the second connector housing is inserted into the mounting hole. There exists in the attachment method of the connector structure characterized by performing sequentially.

  As described above, according to the first or third aspect of the invention, the temporary locking portion is formed on the inner surface of the first connector housing when the second connector housing is inserted and fitted into the first connector housing. It is provided so as to be in contact and bend inward. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a means for releasing the temporary locking portion of the temporary locking portion separately from the first connector housing, and the size can be reduced. In addition, since the temporary locking portion urges the first connector housing when the first connector housing and the second connector housing are fitted together, it is possible to suppress backlash between the first connector housing and the second connector housing.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the temporary locking portion includes the panel portion and the spring, the amount of bending of the temporary locking portion can be increased without increasing the temporary locking portion itself. it can.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the connector structure of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the male connector shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the female connector shown in FIG. (A) is a figure which shows the structure where a panel part returns to an original position with a spring, (B) is the X section partial enlarged view of (A). (A)-(C) are explanatory drawings for demonstrating the attachment method of the connector structure shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the female connector shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector structure shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, the connector structure of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The connector structure 1 shown in the figure is attached to a pillar 30 as a vehicle panel, for example. The pillar 30 is provided so as to partition between the inside of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector structure 1 includes a male connector 21 and a female connector 22 fitted to the male connector 21.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the male connector 21 includes a male terminal 3, a male housing 4 as a first connector housing, a lever 5, and a grommet 6. The male terminal 3 is composed of a conductive member, and a tab-shaped or pin-shaped electrical connection portion 31 connected to a female terminal, which will be described later, and a wire connection portion 32 connected to an electric wire (not shown). The connectors 22 are provided side by side along the fitting direction Y1.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the male housing 4 is made of synthetic resin or the like, and accommodates a terminal accommodating portion 41 in which the electric wire connecting portion 32 of the male terminal 3 is accommodated and an electrical connecting portion 31 of the male terminal 3. In addition, it has a cylindrical hood portion 42 into which a female connector 22 to be described later is inserted, and a flange portion 43 to be attached to the pillar 30 to be described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the terminal accommodating portion 41 is provided in a block shape, and protrudes toward the outside with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers (not shown) provided penetrating along the fitting direction Y1. A plurality of pillar locks 411 that are engaged with pillars 30 to be described later are provided. The electric wire connecting portion 32 of the male terminal 3 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber, and the electric connecting portion 31 protrudes into the hood portion 42.

  The hood part 42 protrudes from the terminal accommodating part 41 toward the female connector 22 side in the fitting direction Y1, and is provided so as to surround a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers. The hood portion 42 has a pair of rotating shaft portions 421 into which a later-described rotating hole 51A of the lever 5 is inserted and an engaging projection 422 that engages with an engaging hole 51C of the lever 5 described later from the outer surface thereof. It is installed. The rotating shaft portion 421 and the locking projection 422 are provided so as to protrude along the height direction Y2 orthogonal to the fitting direction Y1. The locking protrusion 422 is provided with an inclined surface that protrudes toward the male connector 21 side in the fitting direction Y1.

  The flange portion 43 is provided to project outward from the peripheral edge of the terminal connector 41 in the fitting direction Y1 on the male connector 21 side. When the male connector 21 is inserted into the mounting hole 30 </ b> A of the pillar 30, the male connector 21 is fixed to the pillar 30 with the pillar 30 interposed between the pillar lock 411 and a flange portion 43 covered with a grommet 6 described later.

  The lever 5 includes a pair of arm portions 51 that sandwich both sides of the male housing 4 in the height direction Y2 and an operation portion 52 that connects one end of the pair of arm portions 51. At the other end of the pair of arm portions 51, a rotation hole 51A into which a rotation shaft portion 421 provided in the male housing 4 is inserted, a cam groove 51B into which a cam follower 92 provided in the female housing 9 is inserted, Is provided. One of the pair of arm portions 51 is provided with a locking hole 51 </ b> C that is locked to the locking protrusion 422.

  The lever 5 is attached to the male housing 4 so as to be rotatable about the rotation hole 51A. When the operating portion 52 is rotated so as to approach the male housing 4 with the cam follower 92 of the female housing 9 inserted into the cam groove 51B, the cam follower 92 of the female housing 9 advances along the cam groove 51B and the female housing 9 is male. Moving to the housing 4 side, the male connector 21 and the female connector 22 are fitted.

  The grommet 6 is made of an elastic member such as rubber, and is attached to the end of the tubular wire protection part 7 that covers and protects the wire connected to the male terminal 3 and the flange part 43 of the male connector 21. The mounting hole 30A of the pillar 30 is waterproofed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the female connector 22 includes a female terminal 8, a female housing 9 as a second connector housing that houses the female terminal 8, and a temporary locking portion 10 that is temporarily locked to the pillar 30. It is equipped with. As shown in FIG. 3, the female terminal 8 is composed of a conductive member, and is connected to a cylindrical electrical connection portion 81 into which the electrical connection portion 31 of the male terminal 3 is inserted and electrically connected, and an electric wire (not shown). The electric wire connection portion 82 is provided side by side along the fitting direction Y1.

  The female housing 9 is provided in a block shape that can be inserted into the hood portion 42 of the male housing 4, and has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 91 provided so as to penetrate along the fitting direction Y 1, and the cam groove of the lever 5 described above. The cam follower 92 inserted into 51B, and the accommodation groove | channel 93 which each accommodates a pair of arm board 101A of the temporary latching | locking part 10 mentioned later.

  The terminal accommodating chamber 91 accommodates the electrical connection portion 81 and the wire connection portion 82 of the female terminal 8. The cam follower 92 is provided so as to protrude along the height direction Y <b> 2 toward the outside of the female housing 9. Each of the receiving grooves 93 is provided along the fitting direction Y1, extends to the end of the female housing 9 in the fitting direction Y1 on the female connector 22 side, and the female housing 9 has a male in the fitting direction Y1. It does not extend to the end on the connector 21 side. Further, a cam follower 92 is provided so as to protrude from between the accommodation groove 93 and the accommodation groove 93.

  The temporary locking portion 10 is attached to a pair of panel portions 101 stacked on the outside of the female housing 9 and an end portion (one end portion) on the male connector 21 side in the fitting direction Y1 of the panel portion 101. A spring 102 that biases the end (other end) of the mating direction Y1 on the side of the female connector 22 toward the side away from the female housing 9, and a pin 103 for attaching the spring 102 to the panel 101. It is configured.

  The panel portions 101 are provided on both sides of the female housing 9 in the height direction Y2. The panel unit 101 includes a pair of arm plates 101A along the fitting direction Y1, and a connecting plate 101B that couples the ends of the pair of arm plates 101A on the female connector 22 side in the fitting direction Y1. . A spring 102, which will be described later, is attached to the end portions of the pair of arm plates 101A, and the connecting plate 101B is urged toward the side away from the female housing 9 by the elastic force of the spring 102.

  The springs 102 are wound in a coil shape and attached to the ends of the pair of arm plates 101A by pins 103, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the spring 102 is attached to one end thereof in contact with the female housing 9 and the other end thereof in contact with the panel portion 101.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the female connector 22 has a width W1 in the height direction Y2 in a state in which the connecting plate 101B is urged toward the side away from the female housing 9, and the height of the mounting hole 30A. It is larger than the width W2 in the vertical direction Y2.

  According to the above configuration, when the female housing 9 is inserted from the vehicle inner side (one side) of the mounting hole 30A, the panel portion 101 of the temporary locking portion 10 abuts on the inner edge of the mounting hole 30A and bends inward. The female housing 9 is allowed to enter the mounting hole 30A, and when the female housing 9 passes through the mounting hole 30A, the female housing 9 is restored and protrudes outward, and is temporarily engaged with the pillar 30, so that the female housing 9 is located inside the mounting hole 30A. I try not to return. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the female housing 9 is inserted and fitted into the hood portion 42 of the male housing 4, the temporary locking portion 10 contacts the inner surface of the hood portion 42 and bends inward. Provided.

  A procedure for attaching the connector structure 1 having the above-described structure to the pillar 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The female connector 22 is attached to the end of the wire harness. More specifically, the wire connection portion 82 of the female terminal 8 is connected to the end of the wire harness, and the female terminal 8 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 91 in the female housing 9.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the female connector 22 attached to the end of the wire harness is inserted from the inside of the attachment hole 30A and pulled out of the vehicle. At this time, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4B, the connecting plate 101B of the panel portion 101 abuts against the inner edge of the mounting hole 30A and bends inward, allowing the female housing 9 to enter the mounting hole 30A. Is done. When the female housing 9 passes through the mounting hole 30A, the connecting plate 101B of the panel portion 101 protrudes outward due to the restoring force of the spring 102, and is temporarily engaged with the pillar 30, so that the female housing 9 is inside the mounting hole 30A. Will never return.

  Next, the cam follower 92 of the female connector 22 is inserted into the cam groove 51B of the lever 5 of the male connector 21, and the operation part 52 of the lever 5 is rotated so as to approach the male connector 21 side.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 7, the female housing 9 of the female connector 22 enters the hood portion 42 of the male connector 21, and the male connector 21 and the female connector 22 are fitted. At this time, the panel portion 101 of the temporary locking portion 10 contacts the inner surface of the hood portion 42 and bends inward, so that the arm plate 101A is accommodated in the accommodation groove 93 of the female housing 9. Thereafter, the male connector 21 into which the female connector 22 has been inserted is inserted from the outside of the mounting hole 30A and pushed in until the pillar lock 411 is positioned on the inside of the vehicle. Accordingly, the pillar 30 is sandwiched between the pillar lock 411 and the flange portion 43, and the connector structure 1 is attached to the pillar 30.

  According to the embodiment described above, the temporary locking portion 10 is provided so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the male housing 4 and bend inward when the female housing 9 is inserted and fitted into the male housing 4. . Thereby, it is not necessary to provide a means for releasing the temporary locking of the temporary locking portion 10 separately from the male housing 4, and the size can be reduced. In addition, since the temporary locking portion 10 urges the male housing 4 when the male housing 4 and the female housing 9 are fitted, play between the male housing 4 and the female housing 9 can be suppressed.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the temporary locking portion 10 includes the panel portion 101 and the spring 102, the amount of bending of the temporary locking portion 10 without increasing the temporary locking portion 10 itself. Can be increased.

  In addition, according to embodiment mentioned above, although the temporary latching | locking part 10 was comprised from the panel part 101 and the spring 102, it is not restricted to this. You may comprise from the temporary latching arm of the cantilever structure integrally provided in the female housing 9 like the past.

  Moreover, according to embodiment mentioned above, although the lever-type connector which has the lever 5 was used as the male connector 21, this invention is not limited to this. The lever 5 may not be provided.

  Further, the above-described embodiments are merely representative forms of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 Connector structure 4 Male housing (first connector housing)
9 Female housing (second connector housing)
10 Temporary locking part 30 Pillar (panel)
30A Mounting hole 101 Panel 102 Spring Y1 Fitting direction

Claims (3)

A connector structure that includes a first connector housing and a second connector housing that is inserted and fitted into the first connector housing, and is inserted into an attachment hole provided in the panel;
Provided outside the second connector housing, when inserted from one side of the mounting hole, abuts against the inner edge of the mounting hole and bends inward to allow the second connector housing to enter the mounting hole. And a temporary locking part which is restored when it passes through the mounting hole and protrudes outward and is temporarily locked with the panel so that the second connector housing does not return to one side of the mounting hole. ,
The temporary locking portion is provided so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the first connector housing and bend inward when the second connector housing is inserted and fitted into the first connector housing. Characteristic connector structure. The temporary locking portion is attached to a panel portion that is stacked outside the second connector housing, and one end portion of the panel portion in the fitting direction of the first connector housing and the second connector housing. The connector structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a spring that biases the panel portion so that the other end portion in the fitting direction is directed to a side away from the second connector housing. . An attachment method for attaching the connector structure according to claim 1 or 2 to an attachment hole provided in the panel,
Passing the second connector housing through the mounting hole;
Inserting the second connector housing into the first connector housing and fitting them together;
Inserting the first connector housing into which the second connector housing is inserted into the mounting hole and attaching the first connector housing;
A connector structure mounting method characterized by sequentially performing the steps.

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