JP4494165B2 - Joint connector for wire harness - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint connector for a wire harness that is wound and fixed around a wire harness routed in an automobile or the like and electrically connects electric wires included in the wire harness.

  Conventionally, for a joint connector that electrically interconnects electric wires included in a wire harness, an adhesive tape is wound around the connector and the body portion of the wire harness to fix the connector to the wire harness body portion. Is often performed (Patent Document 1).

For example, in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 of Patent Document 1 below, female terminals are respectively fixed to ends of a plurality of electric wires included in the wire harness, and these female terminals are male terminals for interconnection provided on the joint connector. And the joint connector is fixed to the main body portion of the wire harness by tape winding.
JP-A-8-79948 (pages 2 and 3, FIG. 6)

  As the number of wires to be interconnected as described above increases, the joint connector also increases in size, and it becomes difficult to tape the wire harness body. Even if the tape is wound, the joint connector may greatly protrude in the radial direction from the wire harness main body, which may hinder wiring or the like.

  In FIGS. 1 to 4 of Patent Document 1, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers are arranged on the outer periphery of a band wound around a wire harness, and one electric wire side terminal can be inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber. In such a configuration, the inserted terminals are electrically connected to each other via a conductive thin plate included in the band. However, even in such a configuration, the number of electric wires that can be connected is limited. Circuit design is also significantly restricted. In addition, since each wire-side terminal is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber at the site with the wire harness already assembled, the work is extremely troublesome when the number of wires is large. Become. Moreover, since the terminal accommodating chamber is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the band that is bent with the same curvature as the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness body, the terminal insertion operation into the terminal accommodating chamber is also a terminal to the normal connector housing. It becomes more difficult than insertion.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention makes it possible to electrically interconnect a plurality of electric wires included in a wire harness without increasing the size of the connector itself, and in addition, the main body of the wire harness. It aims at providing the joint connector for wire harnesses which can be fixed in the stable state on an outer peripheral surface.

As means for solving the above problems, the present invention includes a plurality of unit connectors having a plurality of connector terminals and an insulating housing for holding these connector terminals, and the connector terminals of different unit connectors are electrically connected to each other. And a joint connector for a wire harness in which at least some of the unit connectors are coupled to a connector included in a specific wire harness, and the insulating housing of each unit connector includes the A housing connecting portion for connecting adjacent insulating housings in a state of being arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector terminals is formed integrally with the insulating housing, and each housing connecting portion is arranged in the arrangement direction of the insulating housings. And bend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the connector terminal. Further, the connector terminals of different unit connectors are electrically connected to each other by a flexible wiring material that can be bent and deformed in the same direction as the housing connecting portion. The respective insulating housings can be wound around the wire harness in a posture aligned with the circumferential direction of the main body of the wire harness with bending deformation of the housing connecting portion, and the connector terminals extend in the axial direction. The flexible wiring material is composed of a flat wiring material integrated with an insulator covering a periphery of a plurality of flat conductors arranged in parallel with each other. The specific conductor and the wiring material connecting portion in a state where the wiring material connecting portion of the connector terminal in each unit connector intersects each other There are electrically connected.

  Here, “at least a part of the unit connectors among the unit connectors is coupled to a connector included in a specific wire harness” means that all unit connectors are not necessarily connected to a specific wire harness (a connector for a wire harness). This means that the connector does not have to be coupled to the connector included in the wound wire harness). For example, one unit connector coupled to a connector derived from a wire harness other than the specific wire harness is provided. It may be included in the part. In other words, it may have a circuit configuration in which a connector included in the specific wire harness and a connector guided from the other wire harness are electrically connected.

  In addition, “an attitude in which the wire harness body is arranged in the circumferential direction” means a wide attitude in which the insulating housings are arranged with their positions shifted in the circumferential direction, not only in the circumferential direction but also in the axial direction. The positions of the insulating housings may be shifted.

  According to the joint connector for a wire harness, since the plurality of unit connectors that can be coupled to the connector on the wire harness side are provided and the connector terminals of each unit connector are electrically interconnected via the flexible wiring material. While each unit connector has a small structure, it is easy to simply connect an appropriate connector on the wire harness side to these unit connectors. They can be interconnected via a configured joint circuit. In addition, while bending and deforming the housing connecting portion and the flexible wiring material, the insulating housing of each unit connector is wound around the wire harness body in a posture aligned in the circumferential direction of the wire harness body. The unit connector can be fixed in a stable state.

Furthermore, the flat wire member constituting the flexible wiring material in the present invention, since the one in which the conductor of the flat plurality are integrated by an insulator covering the periphery in a state aligned in parallel with each other, simple structure It is easy to handle.

  Such a flexible wiring material generally has a flat shape and a disadvantageous strength. However, in the present invention, in addition to the flexible wiring material, the insulating housings are connected together by a housing connecting portion. Therefore, the strength burden of the flexible wiring material can be remarkably reduced.

  Furthermore, if the flexible wiring material is wired so that the length dimension of the flexible wiring material between the insulating housings adjacent to each other is larger than the length dimension of the housing connecting portion that connects the insulating housings, the flexible wiring material It becomes possible to more reliably prevent a large tension from acting on the wiring material.

  In the structure in which the flexible wiring member and the housing connecting portion are arranged in a position aligned in the height direction of the insulating housing, when the housing connecting portion is bent and deformed in a convex direction toward the flexible wiring member. Although there is a possibility that a large tension is generated in the flexible wiring material, it is possible to more reliably protect the flexible wiring material by providing the insulating housing with a reverse bending deformation suppressing portion that suppresses such bending deformation. become.

  Specifically, at least one of the insulating housings interconnected by the housing connecting part is located on the same side as the housing connecting part with the flexible wiring member as a boundary and protrudes toward the other insulating housing. A bending deformation restraining protrusion is provided, and the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion abuts against the other insulating housing side, so that the housing connecting portion is bent in a direction toward the flexible wiring member. What is comprised so that a deformation | transformation may be suppressed is suitable.

  According to this configuration, the bending deformation in the wrong direction can be effectively suppressed with a simple structure in which the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion is protruded from a suitable insulating housing.

  The reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion may be provided on only one of the adjacent insulating housings, but the reverse direction in which both of the insulating housings interconnected by the housing connecting part protrude so as to face each other. Bending deformation restraining protrusions are provided, and when these reverse bending deformation restraining protrusions are in contact with each other, the housing connecting portion is restrained from being bent and deformed in a convex direction toward the flexible wiring member. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the amount of protrusion of the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion smaller than when the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion is provided only in one of the insulating housings adjacent to each other. When the harness joint connector is wound around the main body of the wire harness, the reverse bending deformation inhibiting protrusion is It is possible to effectively prevent the increase projecting scan radially.

  Further, the housing connecting portion is formed at a plurality of locations spaced in the axial direction of the connector terminal, and the flexible wiring member is covered from the same side as the housing connecting portion in the spaced region. When the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion is formed, the housing connecting portions are dispersed in the axial direction of the connector terminals to enable stable connection between the insulating housings while keeping the area small. By arranging the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion between the housing connecting portions, the flexible wiring existing between the insulating housings by the cooperation of the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion and the two housing connecting portions. The material can be effectively protected from the outside.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of unit connectors that can be coupled to the connector on the wire harness side are provided, and the connector terminals of each unit connector are electrically interconnected via the flexible wiring material. Therefore, while each unit connector has a small structure, the connector terminals and the flexible wiring material are connected to each other by a simple operation of simply connecting an appropriate connector on the wire harness side to these unit connectors. Can be interconnected via a joint circuit composed of In addition, while bending and deforming the housing connecting portion and the flexible wiring material, the insulating housing of each unit connector is wound around the wire harness body in a posture aligned in the circumferential direction of the wire harness body. The unit connector can be fixed in a stable state.

  Further, since the insulating housings are integrally connected to each other by the housing connecting portion separately from the flexible wiring material, the strength burden on the flexible wiring material can be remarkably reduced, and electrical connection by the flexible wiring material can be reduced. High reliability can be maintained.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The wire harness joint connector shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is configured as a joint connector for electrically connecting wires included in the wire harness 50 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Unit connectors C1, C2, and C3 are integrally connected and electrically connected to each other.

  Each of the unit connectors C1, C2, and C3 includes a plurality (five in the illustrated example) of pin-shaped connector terminals 10 and an insulating housing 20 that holds these connector terminals 10. The insulating housings 20 are also arranged in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector terminals 10 while being arranged in a direction (width direction) substantially orthogonal to the axial direction. The connector terminals 10 of the different unit connectors are electrically connected to each other via the flexible wiring member 30, and the insulating housings 20 of the adjacent unit connectors are integrally connected by the housing connecting portion 40. It has become.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axially front portion of each connector terminal 10 (the left portion in FIG. 3A and the lower portion in FIG. 4) can be fitted into the electrical connection portion of the mating female terminal. An electrical connection tab 12, and an axial rear side portion (the right side portion in FIG. 3A and the upper side portion in FIG. 4) is a wiring material connection portion 14 connected to the flexible wiring material 30, A wide flange portion 16 is formed at a boundary portion between the electrical connection tab 12 and the wiring material connection portion 14. These connector terminals 10 are held by the insulating housing 20 in a state of being arranged in a direction (connector width direction) orthogonal to the axial direction.

  In addition, what is necessary is just to select the connector terminal contained in the connector which concerns on this invention suitably according to the use location irrespective of male and female.

  A front portion of each insulating housing 20 in the axial direction is a hood 22 into which the insulating housing of the mating connector can be inserted, and a rear portion in the axial direction is a plate-like wiring member holding portion 24 extending rearward from the rear wall of the hood 22. It has become. As shown in FIG. 3A, the electrical connection tab 12 of each connector terminal 10 projects into the hood 22, and the wiring material connection portion 14 is positioned immediately below the wiring material holding portion 24. Thus, the connector terminal 10 is held in a press-fitted state in a terminal holding portion 25 which is a boundary portion between the hood 22 and the wiring material holding portion 24.

  In the illustrated example, the flexible wiring member 30 is formed of a thin flat wiring member including a plurality of (in the illustrated example, six) conductors 32 and an insulating layer 34 covering these conductors 32. Each of the conductors 32 has a flat and thin shape (for example, a flat shape), and the conductors 32 are arranged in parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the insulating layer is covered so as to cover them. By molding 34, the whole is integrated and can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction.

  Furthermore, windows 34 a are formed on the front and back surfaces of the insulating layer 34 of the flexible wiring member 30 at positions where the conductors 32 intersect with the wiring member connecting portions 14 of the connector terminals 10 to be connected to the conductors 32. The conductor 32 is partially exposed to the outside of the insulating layer 34 through the window 34a.

  In the present invention, the specific structure of the flexible wiring material is not limited. For example, the flexible wiring material may be constituted by a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a ribbon electric wire, or a simple arrangement of a plurality of insulated electric wires. Is possible. However, a flat wiring material as shown in the figure has a simple structure and is easy to handle.

  On the other hand, a gap is secured between the wiring material holding portion 24 and the wiring material connecting portion 14 so that the flexible wiring material 30 can be inserted in the width direction. By being inserted, the conductor 32 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 corresponding to the conductor 32 intersect each other at the position where the window 34a of the insulating layer 34 is formed. Furthermore, a through hole 24a extending in the width direction is formed in the wiring material holding portion 24 so as to open the intersecting portion upward, and the through long hole 24a and the flexible wiring material 30 are disposed above the flexible wiring material 30. One of the welding electrodes is applied to the conductor 32 through the window 34a, and the other of the welding electrodes is applied to the wiring member connecting portion 14 at the intersecting portion, whereby the conductor 32 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 are welded at the intersecting portion. Both can be electrically connected.

  Further, a cover 26 can be attached to the wiring material holding portion 24 from below, and the wiring material connecting portion 14 of the connector terminal 10 is interposed between the cover 26 and the wiring material holding portion 24. A connection portion with the flexible wiring member 30 is sandwiched from above and below.

  Specifically, the cover 26 is formed with a groove 26d into which the wiring member connecting portion 14 of each connector terminal 10 can be fitted, and the cover 26 and the wiring member holding portion 24 are respectively engaged with the other party at appropriate positions. Engageable engagement portions 26c and 24c are formed, and the cover 26 is locked to the wiring material holding portion 24 by the engagement.

  Further, both end portions in the width direction of the cover 26 (both end portions in the left-right direction in FIG. 3B) and both end portions in the connector front-rear direction (direction parallel to the axial direction of the connector terminal 10) (FIG. 3A). A total of four wiring material holding pins 26b protrude upward at both ends of the wiring material holding pin 26b, and pin insertion holes 24b into which the wiring material holding pins 26b can be fitted are provided in the wiring material holding portion 24. Of the conductors 32 of the flexible wiring member 30, the conductors 32 on both outer sides in the wiring member width direction are provided with through holes 36 (FIG. 4) through which the pin insertion holes 24b can be inserted. The relative position of the flexible wiring member 30 with respect to the wiring member holding portion 24 and the cover 26 is fixed by inserting the wiring member holding pin 26 b into the through hole 36, whereby the flexible wiring member 30 is tensioned. Even if this occurs, the tension is prevented from acting on the connecting portion between the conductor 32 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 of the connector terminal 10.

  The housing connecting portion 40 has a thin plate shape and is integrally formed with the insulating housing 20 so as to connect the two insulating housings 20 between the insulating housings 20 of adjacent unit connectors. In the illustrated example, the position is on the upper side of the flexible wiring member 30 (the outer side of the flexible wiring member 30 in the winding state to be described later) and on both sides of the connector in the longitudinal direction of the connector. A housing connecting portion 40 is formed.

  The housing connecting portion 40 can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the insulating housings 20 and perpendicular to the axial direction of the connector terminals 10 (vertical direction in FIG. 1B). It has become. Specifically, a plurality of locations arranged in the arrangement direction of the insulating housing 20 on the lower surface of the housing connecting portion 40 (in the illustrated example, locations on both sides of the intermediate position in the arrangement direction) are parallel to the axial direction of the connector terminal. A notch extending in a certain direction is formed, and a hinge part 42 having a thickness smaller than that of the other part is formed by the notch. Therefore, in the housing connecting portion 40, bending deformation at the hinge portion 42 is promoted more than other portions.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, a reverse bending deformation restraining plate 28 that protrudes from each insulating housing 20 toward the insulating housing 20 adjacent to the insulating housing 20 is formed at a position between the housing connecting portions 40. The tip portions of the reverse bending deformation suppression plates 28 are close to each other with a minute gap. As will be described in detail later, these reverse-direction bending deformation restraining plates 28 protrude downward in the direction in which the flexible wiring member 30 is outside of the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40 (FIG. 1B). In this embodiment, the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40 cooperate with the housing connecting portions 40 to prevent the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40 from being bent and deformed. It also has a function of protecting the flexible wiring member 30 by covering 30 from the outside.

  Next, an example of the assembly procedure and use procedure of this wire harness joint connector will be described.

  1) The three insulating housings 20 including the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusions 28 and the housing connecting portion 40 for connecting these insulating housings 20 are integrally formed of an appropriate resin material.

  2) The connector terminal 10 is press-fitted and held in the terminal holding portion 25 of each insulating housing 20, thereby completing the unit connectors C1, C2, and C3.

  3) In the flexible wiring member 30, an appropriate portion of the insulating layer 34 is removed to form a window 34a.

  4) Insert the flexible wiring member 30 into the gap between the wiring member holding portion 24 of each insulating housing 20 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 of each connector terminal 10. The insertion position is a position where the conductor 32 of the flexible wiring member 30 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 to be connected to the conductor 32 intersect at the position where the window 34a is formed.

  5) An electrode is applied from above to the conductor 32 in the intersecting portion through the through long hole 24a and the upper window 34a of the wiring member holding portion 24, and the electrode paired with the electrode on the wiring member connecting portion 14 in the intersecting portion. Is applied from the lower side and a voltage is applied between the electrodes, so that the conductor 32 and the wiring member connecting portion 14 are welded and electrically connected at the intersection. In the present invention, the assembly procedure of the wire harness joint connector is not particularly limited. For example, the connector terminal and the flexible wiring member may be connected in advance before the connector terminal is set in the insulating housing.

  6) Insert the wiring material holding pins 26b of the cover 26 into the respective through holes 36 of the flexible wiring material 30 from below, and further insert the wiring material holding pins 26b into the pin insertion holes 24b of the wiring material holding portion 24. By attaching to the wiring material holding part 24, the wire harness joint connector is completed. When the cover 26 is attached, an intersection portion, that is, a connection portion between the connector terminal 10 and the flexible wiring member 30 is sandwiched from above and below by the cover 26 and the wiring member holding portion 24, and the cover 26 and the flexible wiring member 30 are The relative position of the flexible wiring member 30 with respect to the wiring member holding portion 24 is fixed.

  7) Wrap the wire harness joint connector around the outer peripheral surface of the wire harness 50 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the unit connectors C1, C2, C3 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the body of the wire harness 50 while bending and deforming the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40 in a direction in which the housing connecting portion 40 is radially outward. Wrap the wire harness joint connector around the wire harness body in an aligned position. Then, for example, an adhesive tape 60 as shown in FIG. 6 is wrapped around the wire harness joint connector to fix the wire harness joint connector to the main body of the wire harness 50.

  Here, in the case where the housing connecting portion 40 and the flexible wiring member 30 are arranged so as to be aligned in the height direction of the insulating housing 20 as shown in the figure, the insulating housing 20 is the reverse bending deformation inhibiting protruding plate. 7, the housing connecting portion 40 and the flexible wiring member 30 are opposite to the normal orientation (that is, the housing connecting portion 40 faces the flexible wiring member 30) as shown in FIG. In this case, the flexible wiring member 30 is located on the outer side of the housing connecting portion 40 in the radius direction of curvature, so that the flexible wiring member 30 is excessively large. Although there is a risk of tension, the insulating housing 20 has a reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion 2 as shown in FIG. 8, since the bending deformation in the reverse direction is suppressed by the collision of the tips of the reverse bending deformation suppression protrusions 28 as shown in FIG. 8, the flexible wiring member 30 is more effective. It will be protected.

  8) As shown in FIG. 6, the corresponding connector 54 of the connectors 54 provided at the end of the electric wire 52 included in the wire harness 50 is coupled to each unit connector C1, C2, C3. By such a simple connector coupling operation, appropriate wires of the wires 52 are electrically connected to each other via a joint circuit constituted by the connector terminal 10 and the conductor 32 of the flexible wiring member 30. can do.

  According to such a wire harness joint connector, the electric wires 52 can be electrically connected to each other by a simple operation without increasing the size of each of the unit connectors C1, C2, and C3. In addition, the unit connectors C1 to C3 can be stably fixed by winding the housing connecting portion 40 and the flexible wiring member 30 around the body of the wire harness 50 while bending the housing connecting portion 40 and the flexible wiring member 30.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the bending deformation directions of the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40 are set to the normal directions, that is, the housing connecting portion 40 due to the presence of the respective reverse bending deformation inhibiting protruding plates 28. However, the flexible wiring member 30 can be effectively protected by restricting the protrusion to the opposite direction to the flexible wiring member 30. Further, the effect of protecting the flexible wiring member 30 can be further enhanced by devising the shape of the reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion plate 28.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), the protrusion 28a is further protruded from the tip of at least one reverse bending deformation restraining projection plate 28 to close the gap with the other reverse bending deformation restraining projection plate 28, Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the tip portions of the reverse bending deformation restraining projection plates 28 are connected to each other via a thin portion 29, and the thin portion 29 is folded and divided during use. Thus, it is possible to further reduce the amount of bending deformation in the opposite direction of the flexible wiring member 30 and the housing connecting portion 40.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, on one or both of the front side and the back side of one reverse bending deformation restraining projection plate 28, the other reverse bending deformation restraining projection plate 28 is A hook-like relative displacement restricting portion 28b close to the thickness direction is formed, and the insulating housing 20 has a height direction (a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector terminal 10 and a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the insulating housing 20). By restricting the relative displacement of the flexible wiring member 30, it is possible to effectively prevent the shearing force from acting on the flexible wiring member 30 due to the relative displacement.

  However, in the present invention, when the reverse bending deformation suppressing portion is provided, the specific shape is not limited, and the plate shape is not necessarily required. Further, only one of the insulating housings 20 adjacent to each other may be provided with a reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusion that protrudes to a position close to the other insulating housing 20. However, in this case, the amount of protrusion of the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion increases, and the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion may protrude greatly in the radial direction of the wire harness, particularly when the wire harness is wound. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, if the opposite bending deformation suppressing protrusions are provided on both of the insulating housings 20 adjacent to each other, the protrusion amount of each protrusion can be effectively reduced.

  Further, as a means for protecting the flexible wiring member 30 more effectively, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the length dimension of the flexible wiring member 30 between the adjacent insulating housings 20 is the insulating housing 20. If the flexible wiring material 30 is wired so as to be larger than the length dimension of the housing connecting portion 40 that connects the two, and the flexible wiring material 30 is loosened between the insulating housings 20, the flexible wiring material 30 is large. It becomes possible to prevent the tension from acting more reliably.

  In the present invention, not all unit connectors are necessarily coupled to connectors included in a specific wire harness (in the illustrated example, the wire harness 50 around which the wire harness connector is wound). For example, a unit connector coupled to a connector led from a wire harness other than the specific wire harness 50 may be included in part. In other words, the circuit configuration may be such that the connector 54 included in the specific wire harness 50 is electrically connected to the connector guided from the other wire harness.

  Further, “an attitude in which the wire harness main body is arranged in the circumferential direction” in claim 1 of the present application broadly means an attitude in which the insulating housings are arranged with their positions shifted in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, the positions of the insulating housings may be shifted in the axial direction. For example, a plurality of unit connectors may be wound around the main body of the wire harness 50 in a state where the unit connectors are arranged in a spiral shape. Also, the specific number of unit connectors can be selected as appropriate according to the specifications.

(A) is a top view of the joint connector for wire harnesses which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the front view. It is a bottom view of the joint connector for wire harnesses. (A) is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG.1 (b), (b) is the sectional view on the BB line of (a). It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the connector terminal contained in the said joint connector for wire harnesses, and the flexible wiring material connected to this. (A) is the cross-sectional front view which shows the state which wound the said wire harness joint connector around the wire harness main body periphery, (b) is the side view. It is a side view which shows the state which fixed the joint connector for wire harnesses wound around the said wire harness main body with the adhesive tape, and couple | bonded the wire harness side connector with the said connector. It is a front view which shows the state which the flexible wiring material and housing connection part of the joint connector for wire harnesses bent and deformed in the wrong direction. It is a front view which shows the state by which the bending deformation to the wrong direction is suppressed by the reverse direction bending deformation suppression protrusion board provided in the joint connector for wire harnesses. (A)-(d) is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the said reverse direction bending deformation suppression protrusion board. (A) is a top view which shows embodiment which loosened and wired the flexible wiring material between insulation housings, (b) is the front view.

Explanation of symbols

C1, C2, C3 Unit connector 10 Connector terminal 20 Insulating housing 28 Reverse direction bending deformation restraining projection plate 30 Flexible wiring material 32 Conductor 34 Insulating layer 40 Housing connecting part 50 Wire harness 52 Electric wire included in wire harness 54 Wire harness side connector

Claims (6)

A plurality of unit connectors having a plurality of connector terminals and an insulating housing for holding these connector terminals are provided, and connector terminals of different unit connectors are electrically connected to each other, and at least of the unit connectors. A wire harness joint connector in which some unit connectors are coupled to connectors included in a specific wire harness,
A housing connecting portion for connecting adjacent insulating housings in a state where the insulating housings of the unit connectors are arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector terminals is formed integrally with the insulating housing,
Each housing connecting portion has a shape that can be bent and deformed in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the insulating housings and perpendicular to the axial direction of the connector terminals,
Furthermore, the connector terminals of different unit connectors are electrically connected by a flexible wiring material that can be bent and deformed in the same direction as the housing connecting portion,
Each of the insulating housings can be wound around the wire harness in a posture aligned with the circumferential direction of the main body of the wire harness while bending deformation of the flexible wiring material and the housing connecting portion ,
Each of the connector terminals has a wiring member connecting portion extending in the axial direction thereof,
The flexible wiring material is composed of a flat wiring material integrated by an insulator covering a plurality of flat conductors arranged in parallel to each other, and the conductor terminals of the connector terminals in the unit connectors. A joint connector for a wire harness , wherein a specific conductor and a wiring material connection portion are electrically connected in a state where the wiring material connection portion intersects each other . The wire harness joint connector according to claim 1 , wherein the length dimension of the flexible wiring member between adjacent insulating housings is larger than the length dimension of a housing connecting portion that connects the insulating housings. A joint connector for a wire harness, wherein a flexible wiring material is wired. The joint connector for a wire harness according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the flexible wiring member and the housing connecting portion are arranged at a position aligned in a height direction of the insulating housing, and the housing connecting portion is connected to the flexible wiring member. A joint connector for a wire harness, comprising: a reverse bending deformation suppressing portion that suppresses bending deformation in a convex direction. 4. The joint connector for a wire harness according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the insulating housings interconnected by the housing connecting portion is located on the same side as the housing connecting portion with the flexible wiring material as a boundary. A reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion projecting toward the opposite side, and the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion abuts against the other insulating housing side so that the housing connecting portion faces the flexible wiring member. The wire harness joint connector is configured to be restrained from being bent and deformed in a convex direction. 5. The joint connector for a wire harness according to claim 4 , wherein both of the insulating housings interconnected by the housing connecting portion have reverse bending deformation suppressing protrusions protruding so as to face each other. For the wire harness, wherein the housing connecting portion is prevented from being bent and deformed in a convex direction toward the flexible wiring member when the deformation suppressing protrusions are in contact with each other. Joint connector. 6. The joint connector for a wire harness according to claim 4 , wherein the housing connecting portion is formed at a plurality of locations spaced in the axial direction of the connector terminal, and the housing connecting portion is formed in the spaced region. The joint connector for wire harnesses characterized in that the reverse bending deformation restraining protrusion is formed so as to cover the flexible wiring material from the same side.

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