JP3535654B2 - Connector and its mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a mounting surface of a mounting member provided with an opening and a mounting structure thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in electrical connection between electrical units (for example, electrical connection between a dashboard of a vehicle and an instrument panel), for example, a first unit and a second unit which are interconnected are connected to each other. If there is, first
The first connector to the second unit and the second connector to the second unit
The respective connectors are provided, and the connectors are connected to each other to electrically connect the two units.

Here, as a method for connecting the above connectors, the first connector is attached to the first unit and the second connector is attached to the second unit in advance, and both units are connected at the same time. The first unit to the first unit, so that the housings of both connectors fit together.
It is conceivable to set the arrangement position of the connector and the arrangement position of the second connector with respect to the second unit.
However, in this method, when the attachment position of each connector to each unit is completely fixed, if there is an error in the fixed position, the connection between the connectors may be adversely affected, which is not practical.

Therefore, conventionally, at least one of the connectors is attached so that it can be displaced minutely with respect to the unit so that the error in the arrangement position of each connector can be absorbed. The following is known as a connector mounting structure for this purpose.

A) A ring-shaped spring member that can be bent and deformed inward is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the connector body, while the panel to which the connector is attached is divided into an upper panel and a lower panel, and a groove is formed in each side panel. Is provided, and the above-mentioned connector is held by connecting both panels with the spring member inserted in this groove (see FIG. 1 of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 64-27982 ). According to this structure, the connector main body can be displaced in the deformation direction with the deformation of the spring member.

B) A connector holding member for holding the connector so that it can be displaced minutely is used, and the connector holding member is attached to a mounting portion of a predetermined unit. That is, the connector is attached to the unit side via the connector holding member ( Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-19150 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-2798).
( See FIG. 3 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2 ).

[0007]

In the structure of A), the panel must be divided into upper and lower parts for mounting the connector, and each divided panel must be formed with a groove for accommodating the spring member. There is an inconvenience that the structure becomes complicated and the cost becomes high.

In the structure of B), in addition to the connector and the mounting member to which the connector is mounted, a connector holding member having a special shape must be introduced, which results in an increase in the number of parts and a high cost. In particular, when the connector is large, the connector holding member needs to be correspondingly large, and the entire structure becomes very large.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention ensures a simple mounting method without introducing a special member for mounting a connector and without particularly complicating the structure of the mounting member side. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can be displaceably mounted on a mounting member, and a mounting structure for this connector.

[0010]

As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention provides a connector which is attached to a mounting member in a state where a connector body is inserted into a through hole provided in the mounting member. , Spring-provided portions are provided at both ends of the connector body in a predetermined direction, and each spring-provided portion has a spring support portion penetrating a portion of the through hole in the vicinity of its periphery, and a spring support portion from the spring support portion to the through hole. A plurality of members each having a shape capable of turning toward a peripheral edge and being bent and deformed in directions different from each other in a direction substantially parallel to the connector mounting surface and having a tip portion engageable with the peripheral edge of the through hole. A rolling spring part extending from the common spring supporting part to both sides in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction and a rolling spring part extending outward from the spring supporting part in the predetermined direction. Centrally and Connector body accompanied by bending deformation of the turning spring portion is obtained by allowing small displacement.

According to this structure, the connector main body can be appropriately displaced minutely by the bending deformation of the rolling spring portion provided on the connector side. Therefore, even if the relative position between this connector and the counterpart connector is slightly deviated, Due to the displacement, both connectors can be joined together without any inconvenience. Moreover, it is only necessary to provide a through hole for mounting the connector on the mounting member side, and it is not necessary to newly introduce a member for holding the connector.

Further, spring disposing portions are provided at both ends of the connector main body in a predetermined direction, and the spring supporting portions and a plurality of rolling spring portions which are flexibly deformed in mutually different directions are centrally disposed at each spring disposing portion. Therefore, since the shape of the through hole is not restricted except for the portion corresponding to the spring disposition portion, the shape of the entire through hole can be set large enough to allow the entire connector to pass therethrough. With such a setting, the connector can be mounted on the mounting member without any inconvenience while the electric wire is connected to the connector.

The rolling spring portion in each spring arrangement portion extends from the common spring support portion in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction and outward in the predetermined direction, and the bending deformation direction of the former rolling spring portion and the latter direction. Since the bending deformation directions of the rolling spring portions are substantially orthogonal to each other, the bending deformation of each rolling spring portion allows the connector body to be displaced in almost all directions.

The spring support portion and the rolling spring portion can be integrally formed with the connector body, which can simplify the structure on the connector side.

Further, the connector body is provided with a holding portion for holding the peripheral edge portion of the mounting hole together with the turning spring portion, and the holding portion is flexibly deformed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the mounting surface of the mounting member. If possible, the connector can be attached more stably than when the connector is attached only by the engagement between the rolling spring portion and the peripheral portion of the through hole, and rattling can be prevented. Moreover, the flexibility of displacement of the connector body is sufficiently ensured by the bending deformation of the holding portion.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a structure for attaching a connector C to a panel P such as an instrument panel of a vehicle will be described. However, in the present invention, the type of connector attaching member is not particularly limited, and the connector body is not particularly limited. It can be widely applied as long as it can be provided with a through hole into which is inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the connector C is
A connector body 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the left-right direction is provided, and spring disposing portions 12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are integrally formed with the connector body 10 at the left and right ends of the connector body 10 as shown in FIGS. Is molded into.

Specifically, the boards 14 are integrally extended outward from the left and right side walls of the connector body 10, and spring columns (spring support portions) are provided in a direction from each board 14 toward the panel P.
16 are projected. From the tip of the spring strut 16, a plurality of (here, three for each spring strut 16) rolling spring portions 18 extend in the direction opposite to the projecting direction. Of these rolling spring portions 18, one rolling spring portion 18 rolls upward from the spring support column 16 , another rolling spring portion 18 rolls downward, and the remaining rolling spring portion 18 rolls the two rolling springs 18 above. It is rotated in a direction orthogonal to the spring portion 18, that is, outward in the left-right direction. Further, the contact piece 20 is provided so as to project outward at a portion in the vicinity of the tip of each rolling spring portion 18.

In each drawing, 21 is a rib formed between the abutment piece 20 and the body of the rolling spring portion 18.
Reference numeral 2 is a punched hole formed for forming each rolling spring portion 18.

A substantially U-shaped slit 24 is formed in a portion of each substrate 14 outside the spring support column 16, and the portion outside the slit 24 can be flexibly deformed independently of the inside portion. It is a holding section 26. Both the left and right wing portions of the holding portion 26 are thin portions 27, which are orthogonal to the mounting surface of the panel P (vertical direction in FIG. 6).
The bending deformation of the holding portion 26 is facilitated. Further, a gripping projection 28 is provided at the tip of the gripping portion 26 in a direction toward the mounting surface of the panel P.

On the other hand, a through hole 30 as shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the panel P side. The overall shape of the through hole 30 is a rectangular hole 31 having a width dimension into which the connector body 10 can be fitted, and a substantially square shape provided on the left and right sides of the rectangular portion 31 at positions corresponding to the spring disposing portion 12. The spring mounting hole 32 is shaped like a unit.

Here, the height dimension of the rectangular portion 31 is set so large that the entire connector C can pass through the rectangular portion 31 at least in an oblique state. In addition, the opening shape of each spring mounting portion 32 is such that the spring support 16 penetrates the spring mounting portion 32 as shown in FIG.
The tip of each rolling spring portion 18 is the peripheral edge portion 3 of the spring mounting hole 32.
4, a shape in which the tip of the rolling spring portion 18 is fitted into the spring mounting hole 32, and each contact piece 20 contacts the peripheral edge portion 34 of the spring mounting hole 32 on the back surface of the panel P. Is set to.

Reference numeral 35 in FIG. 4 is a protective wall formed to protect each rolling spring portion 18 from the side and to regulate the lateral displacement of each rolling spring portion 18.
Reference numeral 36 denotes an electric wire connected to the connector C in large numbers.

Next, the procedure for mounting the connector C in this structure will be described.

First, while the electric wire 36 is still connected to the connector C, the connector C is passed from the back side (the back side in FIG. 1) of the panel 18 to the front side of the panel P through the through hole 30 (the state of FIG. 1). ). Next, as shown in FIG. 5A, the spring mounting portion 12 is opposed to each spring mounting hole 32 and is pushed into the spring mounting hole 32 as it is. At the time of this push-in, as shown in FIG. 2B, the end faces of the ribs 21 and the peripheral edge portions 34 of the spring mounting holes 32 are brought into sliding contact with each other while the inwardly bending deformation of each rolling spring portion 18 occurs, and the contact piece 20 After passing through the spring mounting hole 32, each of the rolling spring portions 18 returns to its original shape, and the tip end thereof is in a state of being engaged with the peripheral edge portion 34 of the spring mounting hole 32 (FIG. 7C).

On the other hand, the sandwiching portion 26 at the end of each substrate 14 is bent and elastically deformed, and the elastic force of the sandwiching portion 26 sandwiches the peripheral edge portion 34 from both the front and back sides of the panel together with each rolling spring portion 18.
As a result, the connector C is stably attached to the panel P.

In this mounted state, each rolling spring portion 18
Can be appropriately flexibly deformed. Therefore, the connector body 10
7B. As a result of the bending deformation, as shown in FIG. 7A, slide displacement is performed in any direction along the mounting surface of the panel P (direction substantially equivalent to the bending deformation), or as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 7B. It can be tilted as shown. Therefore, even if the relative position between the connector C and the mating connector (not shown) is slightly displaced, the small displacement of the connector C allows the two connectors to be joined together without any inconvenience.

Particularly, in this structure, the rolling spring portion 18 is
Together with a holding part 26 for holding the panel P, and
Since the holding portion 26 is flexibly deformable in the direction substantially orthogonal to the mounting surface, the elastic restoring force of the holding portion 26 can be used to fix the connector C to the panel P in a more stable state.
It is possible to sufficiently secure the degree of freedom of displacement of the connector body 10 (in particular, the degree of freedom in the direction in which the connector body 10 is inclined) by the elastic deformation of the holding portion 26 while preventing the rattling and the like. ing.

Moreover, in this structure, it is sufficient to provide the through hole 30 for attaching the connector C to the panel P,
The connector C can be easily attached without complicating the structure of the panel P and introducing a special connector holding member for holding the connector C displaceably as in the conventional case.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a flange portion 11 is provided all around the periphery of the connector body 10,
Even if the spring struts 16 project from the plurality of circumferentially aligned portions of the flange portion 11 toward the panel P and the rolling spring portion 18 is rotated outward from the spring struts 16, the connector C can be mounted. Yes, but in this case
Since the shape of the through hole 30 must be set so that the tip of each rolling spring portion 18 is engaged with the peripheral portion of the through hole 30, the opening area of the through hole 30 is significantly limited. The through hole 30 cannot be opened so large that the entire connector C can pass through. Therefore, it is inconvenient to first insert only the electric wire 36 into the through hole 30 from the back side of the panel P to the front side, connect these electric wires 36 to the connector C, and then attach the connector C.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, if the spring arranging portions 12 are provided at both end portions (left and right end portions in the illustrated example) of the connector body 10 and the total rotation spring portions 18 are concentratedly arranged. Since the entire shape of the through hole 30 is not restricted except that the spring mounting hole 32 corresponding to the turning spring portion 18 is provided, the opening area of the through hole 30 is sufficiently large and the entire connector C can pass through. It is possible to have a shape, which has an advantage that the connector C can be attached after the electric wire 36 is previously connected to the connector C at another location.

Further, as shown in the drawing, by extending a plurality of rolling spring portions 18 from the common spring column 16, there is an advantage that the shape on the connector C side can be simplified.

[0033]

As described above, the present invention is a connector which is attached to the mounting member in a state where it is inserted into the through hole provided in the mounting member, and springs are provided at both ends of the connector body in a predetermined direction. A spring supporting portion that penetrates a portion of the through hole in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the through hole, and that rotates from the spring supporting portion toward the peripheral edge of the through hole and is substantially parallel to the connector mounting surface. Different rolling directions that are different from each other and can be deformed flexibly in different directions, and the tip ends of the plurality of rolling spring portions are formed in a shape engageable with the peripheral edge of the through hole. Since the connector body can be minutely displaced while the part is flexed and deformed, a special member for complicating the structure of the mounting member side or holding the connector for minute displacement as in the past has been introduced. To do And no, there is an advantage of being able to mount the connector with a small simple structure of parts easily to the mounting member.

Further, spring disposing portions are provided at both ends of the connector main body in a predetermined direction, and the spring supporting portions and a plurality of rolling spring portions that are bent and deformed in different directions are centrally disposed in each spring disposing portion. Therefore, the shape of the entire through hole on the mounting member side can be set to be large enough to allow the entire connector to pass therethrough. With this setting, the connector can be attached to the attachment member without any inconvenience while the electric wire is connected to the connector, and the effect of improving the attachment workability can be obtained.

Further, in each spring arrangement portion, a spring support portion extending on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction and a spring support portion extending outward from the spring support portion in the predetermined direction are provided. The connectors are arranged centrally, and the bending deformation direction of the former rolling spring portion and the bending deformation direction of the latter rolling spring portion are made substantially orthogonal to each other, so that the connector main body can be displaced in almost all directions, making it more flexible. It is possible to obtain various attachment states.

The spring support portion and the rolling spring portion can be integrally formed with the connector body, and the structure on the connector side can be simplified.

Further, the connector body is provided with a holding portion for holding the periphery of the mounting hole together with the rolling spring portion, and the holding portion is bent and deformed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the mounting surface of the mounting member. If possible, the connector can be attached more stably than when the connector is attached only by the engagement between the rolling spring portion and the peripheral edge portion of the through hole, and moreover, the connector is deformed due to the bending deformation of the holding portion. The degree of freedom of displacement of the main body can be secured sufficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector of the present invention and its mounting structure.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the connector and its mounting structure.

3A is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is FIG.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spring arrangement portion provided in the connector.

5A is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the spring mounting portion is opposed to a spring mounting hole of a panel, and FIG. 5B is a state in which the spring mounting portion is being press-fitted into the spring mounting hole. Sectional drawing which shows a state, (c) is a sectional view which shows the state which the press-fitting of the said spring arrangement part was completed.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the spring arrangement portion.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connector main body is displaced in a direction parallel to the mounting surface due to the flexural deformation of the rolling spring portion in the spring arrangement portion, and FIG. 7B is an inclined view of the connector main body. It is sectional drawing which shows a mode that it does.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a connector in which a spring strut is provided so as to project from a plurality of locations lined up in a circumferential direction on a flange portion of a connector body, and a rolling spring portion is rotated outward from the spring strut.

[Explanation of symbols]

C connector P panel (mounting member) 10 Connector body 12 Spring arrangement part 14 board 16 Spring support (spring support) 18 Rolling spring part 26 Holding part 30 through holes 32 spring mounting hole 34 Peripheral part of spring mounting hole 35 Protective wall

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-9-45433 (JP, A) JP-A-6-124752 (JP, A) JP-A-4-332486 (JP, A) Actual Kaihei 6-62408 (JP , U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/73-13/74

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector which is attached to the mounting member in a state where the connector body is inserted into a through hole provided in the mounting member, wherein the connector body is provided at both ends in a predetermined direction.
A spring arranging portion is provided, each spring arranging portion penetrates a portion of the through hole near a peripheral edge of the through hole, and the spring supporting portion rolls toward the peripheral edge of the through hole and has a connector mounting surface. substantially a direction parallel to have a deformable shape bending in different directions <br/> each other, the leading end portion a plurality of turning spring portions der formed shape that can engage with the periphery of the through hole when
The common spring support is perpendicular to the predetermined direction.
The rolling spring and the spring support that extend on both sides in the direction
And the rolling spring part that extends outward in the specified direction
Arrangement, and a connector to which the connector body while involving flexural deformation of the turning spring portion is characterized in that to allow small displacements. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the spring support portion and the rolling spring portion are integrally formed with the connector main body. 3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector body is provided with a holding portion for holding the peripheral edge portion of the mounting hole together with the turning spring portion, and the holding portion mounts the mounting surface of the mounting member. A connector which is configured to be flexibly deformable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the connector. 4. The connector according to claim 1, and a through hole into which a connector body of the connector is inserted.
And a mounting member provided with.
With the connector body inserted, the rolling spring of this connector
Is engaged with the peripheral portion of the through hole, and the entire connector is
Change the shape of this through hole so that it can pass through the above through hole.
Connector mounting structure characterized by the setting.