JP2017091640A - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique relating to a connector that is suppressed in erroneous fitting.SOLUTION: A female connector 10 includes a connector housing 13 having a shape-memory portion 23 comprising a shape-memory resin. A legitimate shape allowing the connector housing 13 to fit with a legitimate male connector 19 is memorized in the shape-memory portion 23. The shape-memory portion 23 is deformable into a protective shape wherewith the male connector 19 cannot fit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a connector.

  Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-141937 describes a cover that protects a connector. This connector is a connector mounted on a vehicle, for example, and is connected to a computer system of the vehicle.

  When attempting unauthorized access to the computer system of a vehicle, it is conceivable to prepare an unauthorized connector having a shape that can be fitted to the connector, and to fit the unauthorized connector to the connector.

  Therefore, in the prior art, an unauthorized access to the computer system of the vehicle is suppressed by providing a cover for protecting the entire connector and locking the cover.

JP 2013-141937 A

  However, according to the above configuration, since a cover that covers the entire connector is required, the entire connector including the cover is increased in size.

  In addition, since a key is always required, troublesome key management such as prevention of key theft is necessary.

  The technology disclosed in the present specification has been completed based on the above circumstances, and provides a technology for improving the security of a connector by a simple method while suppressing an increase in the size of the connector. Objective.

  The technology disclosed in this specification is a connector, and includes a connector housing having a shape memory portion made of a shape memory resin, and the connector housing can be fitted to a normal mating connector in the shape memory portion. A normal shape is stored, and the shape storage unit can be deformed into a protective shape in which the mating connector cannot be fitted.

  According to the technology disclosed in the present specification, when it is desired to suppress unauthorized fitting to the connector, the connector is deformed into a protective shape. Thereby, it can suppress that the other party connector is fitted in the connector illegally.

  On the other hand, when the fitting with the normal mating connector is allowed, the shape memory unit is restored to the normal shape. Thereby, fitting with a connector and a regular other party connector can be permitted.

  Thus, according to the technique disclosed in this specification, it is possible to suppress an increase in size of the connector as compared with the case where the connector is protected by a cover that covers the entire connector.

  Further, as compared with the case where the cover that covers the entire connector is locked, a key is not required, so that the management of the key is not required. As a result, labor for maintaining the security of the connector can be saved.

  As embodiments of the present invention, the following embodiments are preferable.

  Preferably, the connector housing has a cavity in which a terminal is accommodated, and at least a wall portion of the connector housing constituting the cavity is the shape memory portion.

  According to the above aspect, the cavity in which the wall portion is formed by the shape memory portion is deformed into a protective shape so that the mating terminal cannot enter the cavity. Yes. Thereby, it can suppress that the other party connector fits into a connector illegally.

  The connector housing may be the shape memory unit.

  According to said structure, connector housing itself can be deform | transformed into a protection shape. Thereby, the illegal fitting with the other party connector can be suppressed reliably.

  According to the technique disclosed in this specification, the security of the connector can be improved by a simple method while suppressing an increase in size of the connector.

The front view which shows the female connector which concerns on Embodiment 1. Front view showing a step of irradiating a female connector with an electron beam Side view showing process of pressing heated plate to female connector Side view showing process of deforming female connector into protective shape Sectional drawing which shows process of restoring female connector Sectional drawing which shows the state which fitted the female connector and the male connector The front view which shows the protection shape of the female connector which concerns on Embodiment 2. The front view which shows the protection shape of the female connector which concerns on Embodiment 3.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. A female connector 10 (corresponding to a connector) according to this embodiment includes a connector housing 13 having a cavity 12 that accommodates female terminals 11 (corresponding to terminals). In the following description, the left side in FIG. 1 is the left side, and the right side is the right side. Further, the upper side in FIG. 1 is the upper side, and the lower side is the lower side. Also, the right side in FIG. 3 is the front and the left side is the rear.

(Connector housing 13)
The connector housing 13 is made of a synthetic resin and is elongated in the front-rear direction and flat in the up-down direction. The connector housing 13 includes a plurality of cavities 12 that are arranged in a row in the left-right direction (four in this embodiment) and arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction (two in this embodiment). The cavity 12 is opened for each of the front and rear of the connector housing 13. A female terminal 11 is accommodated in the cavity 12 from behind. The female terminal 11 is prevented from coming out backward by a lance (not shown) formed on the inner wall of the cavity 12.

  The cavity 12 has a substantially rectangular shape elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The plurality of cavities 12 are formed in the same shape. The shape of the cavity 12 can be formed in an arbitrary shape as necessary.

(Female terminal 11)
The female terminal 11 is formed by pressing a metal plate material into a predetermined shape. As a metal which comprises the female terminal 11, arbitrary metals, such as copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, can be selected suitably as needed. A plated layer may be formed on the surface of the female terminal 11. As a metal for forming the plating layer, any metal such as tin, nickel, zinc and the like can be appropriately selected as necessary.

  An electric wire 14 is connected to the rear end portion of the female terminal 11. The electric wire 14 is formed by surrounding an outer periphery of a core wire 15 in which fine metal wires are twisted together with an insulating coating 16.

  An insulation barrel 17 is formed at the rear end of the female terminal 11 so as to be crimped around the outer periphery of the insulating coating 16. In front of the insulation barrel 17, a wire barrel 18 that is crimped so as to be wound around the outer periphery of the core wire 15 exposed from the end of the insulating coating 16 is formed.

  In the front of the wire barrel 18, a connecting cylinder portion 20 is formed that is connected to the male terminal 22 of the male connector 19 (corresponding to the mating connector). An elastic contact piece (not shown) is formed inside the connecting tube portion 20. When the elastic contact piece and the male terminal 22 are in elastic contact, the female terminal 11 and the male terminal 22 are electrically connected.

(Male connector 19)
The male connector 19 is made of a synthetic resin and includes a hood portion 21 into which the female connector 10 is fitted. A male terminal 22 connected to the female terminal 11 is accommodated in the hood portion 21.

(Shape memory resin)
The connector housing 13 has a shape memory portion 23 at least partially made of shape memory resin. As the shape memory resin, any shape memory resin such as polyamide resin, modified polyolefin, polyurethane resin, polynorbornene, styrene-butadiene copolymer, fluorine resin, and the like can be appropriately selected as necessary.

  The connector housing 13 is formed in a regular shape that can be fitted to at least a regular male connector 19. The regular shape is stored in the shape storage unit 23. The shape memory part 23 can be deformed into a protective shape that cannot be fitted to the male connector 19. That is, the shape memory | storage part 23 may be formed in the regular shape, and may be formed in the protection shape.

  The regular male connector 19 refers to the male connector 19 when, for example, a regular dealer fits the female connector 10 and the normally formed male connector 19 together. On the other hand, even in the case of the male connector 19, a male connector illegally created by an unauthorized person stealing the shape of the female connector 10 is an unauthorized male connector, and the unauthorized male connector is fitted to the female connector 10. Matching is regarded as an incorrect fitting.

  The external dimensions of the connector housing 13 formed in a regular shape are set so as to be fitted to the hood portion 21 of the male connector 19. Specifically, the vertical dimension (height dimension) of the connector housing 13 is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the vertical dimension of the inner surface of the hood portion 21. The outer dimension (width dimension) of the connector housing 13 in the left-right direction is set to be the same as or slightly smaller than the width dimension in the left-right direction on the inner surface of the hood portion 21.

  In the connector housing 13 formed in a regular shape, the plurality of cavities 12 are formed at positions corresponding to the male terminals 22 arranged on the male connector 19, and the female connector 10 and the male connector 19 are fitted. When mated, the male terminal 22 enters the cavity 12 from the front.

  In the present embodiment, the connector housing 13 is a shape memory portion 23 in which all portions are formed of shape memory resin. In the present embodiment, at least the front end portion of the connector housing 13 may be a shape memory portion formed of a shape memory resin. Alternatively, the front half of the connector housing 13 may be formed of a shape memory resin, and the rear half of the connector housing 13 may be formed of a thermoplastic resin. When the front half of the connector housing 13 is formed of a shape memory resin and the rear half is formed of a thermoplastic resin, it can be formed by, for example, a known two-color molding.

(Example of description of action and effect of embodiment)
Then, the effect | action and effect of the connector which concern on this embodiment are demonstrated. First, an example of the manufacturing process of the female connector 10 will be described. In addition, the manufacturing process of the female connector 10 is not limited to the following description.

  First, the connector housing 13 is formed into a regular shape by a known method using a shape memory resin (molding process). An example of the molding method is injection molding.

  The connector housing 13 formed into a regular shape is irradiated with an electron beam from the electron beam irradiation device 24. Thus, the regular shape is stored in the shape storage unit 23 (storage step). Specifically, when the shape memory unit 23 is irradiated with an electron beam, the molecules constituting the shape memory resin are cross-linked. As a result, the regular shape is stored in the shape memory resin. The means for storing the normal shape in the shape memory unit 23 is not limited to an electron beam, and any method can be appropriately selected as long as a cross-linked structure is formed between molecules constituting the shape memory resin. The processing time, processing temperature, and the like for storing the regular shape in the shape memory unit 23 can be appropriately changed depending on the shape memory resin used.

  In the cavity 12 of the connector housing 13, the female terminal 11 connected to the end of the electric wire 14 is accommodated from the rear. The female terminal 11 is prevented from falling backward in the cavity 12 by a lance.

  Subsequently, the plate 25 heated to a predetermined temperature is pressed from the front onto the front end of the connector housing 13. The temperature of the plate 25 is set higher than the glass transition point of the shape memory resin. Then, the shape memory resin softens and is deformed by being pressed by the plate 25 (deformation process). About heating temperature and heating time, it can change suitably with the shape memory resin to be used.

  The deformed connector housing 13 is rapidly cooled by a known method. As a method for rapidly cooling the connector housing 13, any method such as ice cooling, water cooling, air cooling, or the like can be appropriately selected. The cooling temperature, the cooling time, and the like can be appropriately changed depending on the shape memory resin to be used.

  When the front end portion of the connector housing 13 is pressed from the front, the front end portion of the cavity 12 is closed. Further, the front end portion of the connector housing 13 extends in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. As a result, the male connector 19 cannot be fitted to the female connector 10. The shape of the connector housing 13 in this state is a protective shape.

  The above protective shape refers to the shape of the connector housing 13 in the following state. That is, the protective shape means that when the female connector 10 and the male connector 19 are to be fitted together, the portion of the connector housing 13 of the female connector 10 in which the shape memory resin is deformed interferes with the male connector 19. By doing so, it means the shape of the connector housing 13 in which the female connector 10 and the male connector 19 cannot be fitted.

  The front end of the cavity 12 may be completely closed or may not be completely closed. When the male terminal 22 is about to enter the cavity 12, it is sufficient that the female terminal 11 and the male terminal 22 do not come into contact with each other by interfering with the front end portion of the deformed cavity 12.

  Further, the front end portions of all the cavities 12 may be closed, or only a part of the plurality of cavities 12 may be closed. Also in this case, the front end portion of each cavity 12 may be completely blocked or may not be completely blocked.

  Next, a process of fitting the female connector 10 with the male connector 19 will be described. The female connector 10 is heated by the heating device 26. As the heating device 26, any heating device 26 such as a heat gun or an infrared heater can be appropriately selected as necessary. The heating device 26 raises the temperature of the connector housing 13 to a temperature higher than the glass transition point of the shape memory resin. Then, the shape memory resin is deformed and restored to a normal shape (restoration step). About heating temperature, heating time, etc., it can change suitably with shape memory resin to be used.

  The female connector 10 restored to the normal shape is fitted with the male connector 19. Thereby, the female connector 10 and the male connector 19 are physically and electrically connected.

  According to the present embodiment, the female connector 10 includes the connector housing 13 having the shape memory portion 23 made of shape memory resin, and the connector housing 13 can be fitted to the regular male connector 19 in the shape memory portion 23. The normal shape is stored, and the shape storage unit 23 can be transformed into a protective shape that cannot be fitted to the male connector 19.

  According to the present embodiment, when it is desired to suppress unauthorized fitting to the female connector 10, the female connector 10 is deformed into a protective shape. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the unauthorized male connector 19 from being illegally fitted to the female connector 10. In this state, fitting of the normal male connector 19 to the female connector 10 is also suppressed.

  On the other hand, when the fitting with the normal male connector 19 is allowed, the shape memory unit 23 is restored to the normal shape. Thereby, fitting with the female connector 10 and the regular male connector 19 can be permitted.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the female connector 10 from becoming larger than when the connector is protected by the cover that covers the entire connector.

  Further, as compared with the case where the cover that covers the entire connector is locked, a key is not required, so that the management of the key is not required. As a result, labor for maintaining the security of the female connector 10 can be saved.

  In the female connector 10 according to this embodiment, the front end portion of the cavity 12 is deformed in a protective shape. In the case where the front end portions of all the cavities 12 formed in the female connector 10 are closed, it is possible to reliably prevent the male connector 19 from being improperly fitted.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In the female connector 30 according to the present embodiment, at least a part of the wall portion constituting the cavity 32 of the connector housing 31 is a shape memory portion 33 made of a shape memory resin. Thereby, in the state in which the connector housing 31 is in a protective shape, the wall portion of one cavity 32A among the plurality of cavities 32 can be shaped to be deformed inward of the cavity 32A.

  In the present embodiment, in FIG. 7, the upper wall of the cavity 32 </ b> A located at the upper right end is depressed downward. This prevents the male terminal 22 from entering the cavity 32A located at the upper right end.

  In the present embodiment, when the connector housing 31 is deformed into a protective shape, the upper wall of the cavity 32A located at the upper right end is heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition point and is lowered from above by a jig (not shown). Press on. Subsequently, the connector housing 31 is cooled to a temperature lower than the glass transition point.

  Since the configuration other than the above is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  According to the present embodiment, the male terminal 22 cannot enter the cavity 32A located at the upper right end. Thereby, it can suppress that the male connector 19 fits into the female connector 10 illegally.

  In the present embodiment, the wall portion of the cavity 32A at the upper right end of the connector housing 31 is deformed. However, if necessary, the wall portion of the cavity 32 at an arbitrary position can be used as the shape memory portion 33, so that The wall portion of the cavity 32 can be deformed.

  On the other hand, when the connector housing 31 is heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition point, the connector housing 31 is restored to a normal shape. Then, the female connector 30 can be fitted with the regular male connector 19.

  Furthermore, when the entire connector housing 31 is used as the shape memory portion 33, the cavity 32 at a position different from the cavity 32A at the upper right end can be deformed.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In the female connector 40 according to the present embodiment, the connector housing 41 is a shape memory portion 42 made of a shape memory resin. The side wall of the connector housing 41 is deformed into a protective shape inclined rightward in FIG. Thereby, the female connector 40 and the male connector 19 cannot be fitted.

  In this embodiment, when the connector housing 41 is deformed into a protective shape, the entire connector housing 41 is heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition point. Thereafter, the upper portion of the connector housing 41 is pressed rightward, whereby the connector housing 41 is deformed into a posture inclined rightward as a whole. Subsequently, the connector housing 41 is cooled to a temperature lower than the glass transition point.

  Since the configuration other than the above is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  According to the present embodiment, since the connector housing 41 itself can be deformed into a protective shape, it is possible to reliably suppress the male connector 19 from being illegally fitted.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  (1) Although the female connector 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to accommodate the female terminal 11 connected to the end of the electric wire 14, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the connector may be applied to a board connector. It may be applied to a connector for equipment.

  (2) In the present embodiment, the female connector 10 is used as the connector. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the male connector 19 may be used.

  (3) In the present embodiment, the connector housing 13 is configured so that the four cavities 12 are formed on the left and right in two stages, but the present invention is not limited to this. Steps, or three or more cavities 12 may be formed, and two to three, or five or more cavities 12 may be formed in the left-right direction.

  (4) In the third embodiment, the connector housing 41 is deformed into a protective shape slightly inclined to the right side in FIG. 8, but is not limited thereto, and may be deformed to a protective shape slightly inclined to the left side in FIG. 8. Alternatively, the protective shape may be slightly inclined toward the front side or the rear side.

  (5) As a method for heating the female connector 10, the female connector 10 may be heated in a heating furnace set to a predetermined temperature.

10, 30, 40: Female connector 11: Female terminal 12, 32, 32A: Cavity 13, 31, 41: Connector housing 19: Male connector 23, 33, 42: Shape memory

Claims (3)

A connector housing having a shape memory portion made of shape memory resin;
The shape memory unit stores a normal shape that allows the connector housing to be fitted with a normal mating connector,
The shape memory part is a connector that can be deformed into a protective shape in which the mating connector cannot be fitted. The connector housing has a cavity in which a terminal is accommodated;
The connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a wall portion of the connector housing constituting the cavity is the shape memory portion.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector housing is the shape memory portion.

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