JP5003144B2 - Connector holding structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector holding structure, and more particularly to a connector holding structure capable of holding a connector on the outer surface of a resin molded product.

  Conventionally, a belt winding device for winding a seat belt is fixed to a lower part of a center pillar (B pillar) of an automobile. The seat belt pulled out from the belt take-up device is passed through a shoulder anchor disposed in an upper portion of the center pillar, and a tip is fastened to a base anchor fixed to the floor portion of the vehicle body. Further, a tongue plate that is detachably inserted and locked in a buckle fixed to the side of the seat is disposed so as to be movable to an appropriate position of the seat belt. The lower part of the center pillar is provided with a wire harness protector that accommodates various harnesses and is routed to a predetermined location. The resin pillar is provided so as to cover the wire harness protector and the passenger compartment side of the center pillar. A garnish is attached to the center pillar.

  In recent years, an increasing number of vehicles are provided with a belt take-up device that includes a pretensioner for preventing the passenger from being thrown out of the vehicle by instantaneously pulling the seat belt toward the seat in the event of a frontal collision. In this pretensioner, the sensor fixed at a predetermined position on the car body senses the impact, so that the belt take-up device can be rotated in the take-up direction and the belt can be forcibly and instantly tightened. The occupant restraint can be strengthened. A vehicle equipped with such a pretensioner requires a sensor for detecting an impact at the time of a collision, but the sensor position varies depending on various vehicles.

  For example, a vehicle in which a sensor is fixed to a base anchor is known. In the case of this type of vehicle, the sensor side connector connected to the terminal of the harness of the sensor fixed to the base anchor is connected to the body side connector connected to the terminal of the harness pulled out from the inside of the wire harness protector. Work is required. This connection work is performed through a hole provided in the lower part of the pillar garnish. However, since the wire harness protector is provided in the lower part of the center pillar, the space inside the pillar garnish is narrow. In other words, since the connectors must be connected in a narrow space through the holes of the pillar garnish, there is a problem that it is very difficult for an operator. Furthermore, if the connectors after the connection work are simply pushed into the inner space of the pillar garnish as they are, the connectors vibrate due to the vibration of the vehicle body, and there is a problem that abnormal noise or the like is generated during traveling.

Therefore, as a solution to the former problem, for example, a method is conceivable in which the body-side connector is pulled out from the hole of the pillar garnish, and then the sensor-side connector is connected in a large vehicle interior and returned to the inside of the pillar garnish again. On the other hand, as a measure for solving the latter problem, for example, a resin holding product is provided with a connector holding portion on the outer periphery of a resin molded product (wire harness protector), and the connector is fitted to the connector holding portion to hold the connector on the resin molded product It is conceivable to employ a connector holding structure (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this structure, the connector after the connection can be securely held on the outer surface of the wire harness protector that is a resin molded product, so that it is considered that abnormal noise during traveling can be prevented.
JP 2000-215950 A

  However, even if the connector holding structure described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, the space inside the pillar garnish is narrow and the connector after connection through the hole in the pillar garnish is fitted into the connector holding portion of the resin molded product. Must be matched. Therefore, there is a problem that it is very difficult to accurately position and fit the connector to the connector holding portion.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector holding structure capable of easily positioning a connector at a holding position of a resin molded product even in a narrow space.

To achieve the above object, the connector holding structure of the invention according to claim 1 is for holding the second connector to which the first connector is connected to the connector holder provided on the outer surface of the resin molded product. The connector holder has a holder main body that surrounds the second connector, and an insertion opening that is provided on the side of the holder main body where the second connector is inserted and opens in a trumpet shape. And an outlet for pulling out the electric wire connected to the second connector to the outside of the holder main body, and a longitudinal section provided between the insertion port and the outlet, and from the outside of the connector holder A slit for routing the electric wire inside the connector holder, the electric wire is routed from the slit to the inside of the connector holder, and the first connector is connected to the second connector. Connect the connector by inserting the second connector from the insertion port into the holder body, the second connector is held inside the connector holder, the side walls facing each other of the holder body Are provided with through holes for passing fastening belts, the belt is passed through the through holes, and the electric wires are routed inside the connector holder through the slits. Is fastened outside the holder body so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the connector holding structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a locked portion provided in the second connector is engaged inside the connector holder. A locking portion for stopping is provided.

In the connector holding structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the insertion opening is open in a trumpet shape, even if the second connector is slightly displaced from the insertion opening, the second connector with respect to the insertion opening. Can be inserted reliably and easily. For example, even when the space around the connector holder is narrow and positioning of the second connector with respect to the insertion port is difficult, the second connector can be reliably and easily inserted into the holder body. The second connector can be easily positioned with respect to the holding position. Moreover, the electric wire connected to the 2nd connector can be easily penetrated in a connector holder through the slit of a connector holder. In addition, since the fastening belt is passed through the through hole and the electric wire is routed inside the connector holder through the slit, the belt is fastened outside the holder body so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit. Further, it is possible to prevent the electric wire from coming out from the slit of the connector holder.

  In addition, in the connector holding structure of the invention according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1, the locked portion provided in the second connector is used as the locking portion inside the connector holder. Since it can be made to latch, a 2nd connector can be reliably hold | maintained in a connector holder.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connector holding structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of the lower side of the garnish 5 fixed to the center pillar 2, FIG. 2 is a front view of the wire harness protector 20, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the connector holder 40. 4 is a perspective view of the connector holder 40 as viewed from above, FIG. 5 is a front view of the connector holder 40, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the connector holder 40, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a method of connecting the sensor-side connector 70 to the body-side connector 60, and FIG. 9 shows the sensor-side connector 70 and the body-side connector 60 inside the connector holder 40. 10 is a front view of the state where the sensor side connector 70 and the body side connector 60 are held in the connected state inside the connector holder 40. FIG. A rear view, FIG. 11 is an A-A direction indicated by the arrow cross-sectional view shown in FIG.

  First, the lower structure of the center pillar 2 of the automobile will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a columnar center pillar 2 extending in the vertical direction is provided between a front door (not shown) and a rear door (not shown), and the center pillar 2 has a passenger compartment side. A winding device (not shown) for winding the seat belt 6 is attached to the lower part. Further, the seat belt 6 drawn upward from the winding device is passed through a shoulder anchor (not shown) disposed in the upper part of the center pillar 2 and fixed to the lower part of the center pillar 2 on the passenger compartment side. The tip of the base anchor 8 is fastened. Further, the winding device is provided with a tensioner device (not shown) for instantaneously winding the seat belt 6 in the event of a collision, and the base anchor 8 has an impact sensor for detecting an impact at the time of the collision. 12 is attached. Further, a wiring 13 is connected to the impact sensor 12, and a sensor-side connector 70 is fixed to the tip of the wiring 13.

  A cylindrical wire harness protector 20 that stores various wire harnesses is fixed substantially horizontally on the upper surface of the floor 3 in the vicinity of the lower part of the center pillar 2 on the passenger compartment side. A trumpet-shaped connector holder 40 that is a feature of the present invention is provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20 facing the vehicle compartment (the outer surface of a cover 31 described later). Further, a resin garnish 5 is fixed to the vehicle interior side of the center pillar 2 so as to cover the inner surface of the center pillar 2. The garnish 5 is formed in a column shape extending in the vertical direction in accordance with the shape of the center pillar 2, and its lower part is formed so as to extend toward the end along the upper surface of the floor 3. And the above-mentioned wire harness protector 20 is located inside the lower part of the garnish 5.

  A rectangular work hole 10 is provided in the lower part of the garnish 5, and the connector holder 40 provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20 is exposed to the outside of the garnish 5 through the work hole 10. Furthermore, the wiring 81 is drawn out from a drawing hole 28b described later of the wire harness protector 20, and the body side connector 60 is fixed to the tip of the wiring 81. Then, the sensor-side connector 70 is connected to the body-side connector 60, and the body-side connector 60 and the sensor-side connector 70 are connected to each other inside the connector holder 40 provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20. It is securely held.

  Next, the schematic structure of the wire harness protector 20 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the wire harness protector 20 is a resin cylinder formed in a “Ω” shape when viewed from the front. The wire harness protector 20 includes a case 21 formed in a U-shaped groove shape and a cover 31 having a U-shaped cross section that closes the opening on the front side of the case 21. Further, the wire harness protector 20 is provided with a right harness port 24 that opens to the right side, a left harness port 25 that opens to the left side, and an upper harness port 26 that opens to the upper side. And by pulling out various wire harnesses from these harness openings 24 to 26, it is possible to route various wire harnesses to desired places.

  Next, the case 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of engagement frames 29 (see FIG. 3) are integrally formed in the vicinity of the opening ends of the outer surfaces of the opposite side walls of the case 21 along the opening ends with a gap therebetween. Is provided. The positions of the engagement frames 29 correspond to the positions of a plurality of engagement claws 39, which will be described later, provided along the opening end of the cover 31, respectively. Further, clips 27a, 27b, and 27c are respectively provided on the outer central portion, the right side portion, and the left side portion of the lower side wall of the case 21 so as to protrude downward. Then, by pushing these clips 27a, 27b, 27c into three fitting holes (not shown) provided in the floor portion 3 and fitting them, the bottom surface of the case 21 of the wire harness protector 20 is attached to the floor portion 3. It is supposed to be fixed.

  Next, the cover 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the cover 31 is formed so as to be opposed to the front shape of the case 21 and has a U-shaped cross section. The cover 31 has a central horizontal portion 31a that extends substantially in the horizontal direction, and extends downward from the right end of the central horizontal portion 31a, and the front end is folded back to the right and extends substantially horizontally. An L-shaped right direction portion 31b and a left direction portion 31c extending slightly diagonally to the left from the left end portion of the central horizontal portion 31a and extending substantially horizontally with the tip folded back to the left side. ing. In the upper left of the central horizontal portion 31a, a semi-elliptical lead hole 28a for pulling out a desired wire harness that passes through the inside of the wire harness protector 20 is provided, and the right direction portion 31b and the left direction portion 31c are also provided. Semi-circular extraction holes 28b and 28c similar to the extraction hole 28a are provided, respectively.

  Further, a plurality of engagement claws 39 are provided at both ends in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cover 31 so as to face the plurality of engagement frames 29 provided in the vicinity of the opening end of the case 21. ing. The cover 31 is attached to the case 21 by the engagement claws 39 engaging with the engagement frames 29 of the case 21. And the connector holder 40 which is the characteristic of this invention for hold | maintaining the body side connector 60 to which the sensor side connector 70 was connected to the outer surface of the cover 31 on the left outer surface of the right direction part 31b of such a cover 31. Are provided integrally.

  Next, the structure of the connector holder 40 that is a feature of the present invention will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the connector holder 40 includes a cylindrical portion 41 having a substantially rectangular cross section, and a trumpet insertion port 54 that is provided on the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 41 and opens upward in a trumpet shape. It is comprised from the insertion part 42 which has. A rectangular outlet 55 for pulling out the wiring 81 inserted into the connector holder 40 downward is provided below the cylindrical portion 41. Further, a slit 43 having a predetermined width that vertically cuts between the trumpet insertion port 54 and the outlet 55 is provided on the front surface of the connector holder 40 (the front surface of the tube portion 41 and the front surface of the insertion portion 42). Yes. The slit 43 is for allowing the wiring 81 to be easily inserted into the connector holder 40 from the outside. In addition, in the right and left side walls of the cylinder portion 41 facing each other, a portion close to the cover 31 side is orthogonal to a shaft hole penetrating the fastening belt 50 (see FIG. 4) in the vertical direction of the connector holder 40. Belt through holes 58 and 58 (see FIG. 3: only the belt through hole 58 on the left side wall is shown in FIG. 3) are provided. The fastening belt 50 is a well-known resin belt, and can be bundled with, for example, a plurality of wires by being looped back and fixed to the fixing portion 51 provided in the middle thereof through the tip. .

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the inner surface of the connector holder 40 includes a right inner surface 44 on the right side of the slit 43, a left inner surface 45 on the left side of the slit 43, and a rear inner surface on the cover 31 side. 46. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the right inner surface 44 and the left inner surface 45 that is close to the rear inner surface 46 in the connecting portion between the cylindrical portion 41 and the insertion portion 42 has a left side or a right side. Projections 47 and 47 projecting in the respective directions are provided, and a predetermined gap 48 (see FIG. 4) is provided between the projections 47 and 47. The gap 48 is a gap for allowing an engaging member 62 (see FIG. 7) of the body side connector 60 described later to pass from above. Further, shelf portions 49, 49 that protrude substantially horizontally toward the inside of the gap 48 are respectively provided at the middle positions of the opposing surfaces of the protrusions 47, 47 that face the gap 48. These shelves 49, 49 are members for placing and positioning the bottom of the engaging member 62 of the body-side connector 60.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the rear inner surface 46 of the connector holder 40 is provided with a through hole 35 having a vertically long rectangular shape that penetrates the inside of the wire harness protector 20. And the upper end part of the substantially triangular prism-shaped latching claw 36 is connected with the upper surface of the inner surface surrounding the through-hole 35. And this latching claw 36 is supported in the state which protruded from the inner surface by the side of the cover 31 of the connector holder 40, and can be withdrawn in the thickness direction of the cover 31 by external biasing.

  Next, the shape of the body side connector 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the body-side connector 60 is formed in an elliptical column shape extending in the up-down direction, the tip of the wiring 81 is connected to the lower end surface thereof, and the sensor-side connector 70 (FIG. 8, FIG. An insertion port 61 is provided for inserting and connecting the device (see FIG. 10). Further, an engaging member 62 for engaging with a locking claw 36 provided inside the connector holder 40 is provided below the outer surface of the body-side connector 60. The engaging member 62 is formed in an “H” shape in a front view having a predetermined thickness in a direction orthogonal to the outer surface of the body-side connector 60, and an engaging groove 63 recessed downward is provided in a central portion of the upper surface. ing. On the other hand, an insertion groove 64 that is recessed upward is provided in the central portion of the lower surface of the engaging member 62. A horizontal shelf 65 extending substantially horizontally is provided between the engagement groove 63 and the insertion groove 64, and a projection 66 (see FIG. 5) projects downward in a bowl shape at the center of the lower surface of the horizontal shelf 65. 11).

  Next, a method for holding the body-side connector 60 using the connector holder 40 having the above configuration will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4, as a preparation stage, the front end of the fastening belt 50 is moved from the right side to the left side of the connector holder 40 with respect to the pair of belt through holes 58, 58 (see FIG. 3) of the connector holder 40. Pass through. Before the fastening belt 50 is fixed, the wiring 81 is pulled out from the lead hole 28 b of the wire harness protector 20, and the wiring 81 is inserted into the connector holder 40 through the slit 43 of the connector holder 40. By using the slit 43 in this manner, only the wiring 81 can be easily inserted even if the body-side connector 60 fixed to the distal end of the wiring 81 cannot be inserted through the cylindrical portion 41 of the connector holder 40. Can do. Then, in a state where the wiring 81 is inserted inside the connector holder 40, the fastening belt 50 is folded back in a loop shape, and the tip thereof is inserted into the fixing portion 51 and fastened. At this time, the fastening belt 50 is fastened so that the fastening belt 50 is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit 43. Thereby, even if the wiring 81 moves inside the connector holder 40, it is possible to prevent the wiring 81 from coming out through the slit 43.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, in a state where the wiring 81 is inserted inside the connector holder 40, the body side connector 60 is pulled upward from the trumpet insertion port 54 of the connector holder 40, and further from the work hole 10 of the garnish 5. Pull it out. Even when the body-side connector 60 is pulled out, the fastening belt 50 is disposed orthogonally in the slit 43 of the connector holder 40, so that the wiring 81 does not come out of the slit 43. Next, the sensor-side connector 70 connected to the tip of the wiring 13 is inserted into and connected to the insertion port 61 of the body-side connector 60 drawn to the outside of the garnish 5. Thereby, the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 are connected to form one composite.

  Next, the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 are inserted into the inside of the trumpet insertion port 54 of the connector holder 40 provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20 through the work hole 10 of the garnish 5. Here, the space inside the garnish 5 is very narrow, but the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 can be easily moved from the upper side by the trumpet insertion port 54 of the connector holder 40 without requiring accurate positioning. Can be inserted into. And the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 are smoothly guided inside the cylinder part 41 by inserting the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 along the inner surface of the insertion part 42. When the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 are inserted into the insertion portion 42, the engagement member 62 of the body side connector 60 is inserted so as to face the rear inner surface 46 of the connector holder 40.

  Next, the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 are inserted along the rear inner surface 46 of the connector holder 40. Then, by passing the engaging member 62 inside the gap 48 of the connector holder 40, the locking claw 36 enters the inside of the insertion groove 64 of the engaging member 62, and the distal end portion of the protruding portion 66 is the locking claw. 36 abuts. When the body side connector 60 is further pushed in and inserted, the locking claw 36 is pushed down by the protrusion 66 of the engaging member 62. Further, after the locking claw 36 slides in a state of being in contact with the horizontal shelf 65 of the engaging member 62, the locking claw 36 falls into the engaging groove 63 of the engaging member 62 and returns to its original shape by elastic force.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the bottom surface of the engaging member 62 is placed on the top surfaces of the shelf portions 49, 49 inside the connector holder 40, and the bottom surface of the locking claw 36 is the horizontal shelf of the engaging member 62. Located on the upper surface of the portion 65. That is, the locking claw 36 is engaged with the horizontal shelf 65 of the engaging member 62. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the body side connector 60 is in a state of being fitted inside the cylindrical portion 41 of the connector holder 40, so that the connected body side connector 60 and sensor side connector 70 are connected to the connector holder. It is held in a state where it is reliably positioned inside 40. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11, the body-side connector 60 and the sensor-side connector 70 can be held in a connected state inside the connector holder 40, and are fixed to the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20. be able to. Therefore, even if the vehicle body vibrates, the connected body-side connector 60 and sensor-side connector 70 are securely held inside the connector holder 40 provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20. It is not vibrated in the inner space, and it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise.

  In the above description, the sensor-side connector 70 corresponds to the “first connector” of the present invention, the body-side connector 60 corresponds to the “second connector” of the present invention, and the wire harness protector 20 of the present invention. Corresponds to "resin molded product". Further, the cylindrical portion 41 and the insertion portion 42 of the connector holder 40 correspond to the “holder body” of the present invention, the locking claw 36 corresponds to the “locking portion” of the present invention, and the engaging member 62 of the present invention. The belt through hole 58 corresponds to the “locked portion” and the “through hole” of the present invention.

  As described above, in the connector holding structure of this embodiment, the body-side connector 60 and the sensor-side connector 70 are held in a connected state inside the cylindrical connector holder 40 provided on the outer surface of the wire harness protector 20. Can be made. Since the trumpet insertion port 54 opening in a trumpet shape is provided on the upper side of the connector holder 40, the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 can be easily inserted into the connector holder 40 even in a narrow space. be able to. In addition, a slit 43 having a predetermined width that vertically cuts between the trumpet insertion port 54 and the outlet 55 is provided on the front surface of the connector holder 40. Through the slit 43, the wiring 81 to which the body-side connector 60 is fixed can be easily inserted into the connector holder 40. Further, a locking claw 36 is provided on the rear inner surface 46 of the connector holder 40 so as to be movable in and out in the thickness direction of the cover 31, and the engagement claw 36 is provided on the outer surface of the body side connector 60. The member 62 is engaged. As a result, the body side connector 60 can be securely held inside the connector holder 40, so that even if the vehicle vibrates, the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 vibrate inside the garnish 5. Generation of sound or the like can be effectively prevented.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, the shape of the wire harness protector 20 and the position of the connector holder 40 are not limited to the above embodiment. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the body side connector 60 and the sensor side connector 70 which are in a mutually connected state were hold | maintained inside the connector holder 40, you may hold | maintain a single connector. Furthermore, although the connector holder 40 is opened upward in a trumpet shape, it may be opened in any direction.

  Moreover, although the cylinder part 41 of the connector holder 40 is linearly extended in the up-down direction, you may make it bend in L shape, for example.

  The connector holding structure of the present invention is not limited to an automobile, and can be applied to a case where the connector can be pushed into a predetermined space.

It is a perspective view of the lower side of the garnish 5 fixed to the center pillar 2. 3 is a front view of the wire harness protector 20. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector holder 40. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the connector holder 40 as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a front view of a connector holder 40. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a connector holder 40. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a body side connector 60. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of connecting the sensor side connector 70 to the body side connector 60. FIG. It is a front view of the state where the sensor side connector 70 and the body side connector 60 are held in a connected state inside the connector holder 40. FIG. 6 is a left side view of a state in which a sensor side connector and a body side connector 60 are held in a connected state inside the connector holder. It is AA arrow direction sectional drawing shown in FIG.

2 Center pillar 5 Garnish 13 Wiring 20 Wire harness protector 36 Engagement claw 40 Connector holder 41 Tube part 42 Insertion part 43 Slit 50 Fastening belt 54 Trumpet insertion port 55 Drawer outlet 58 Belt through hole 60 Body side connector 62 Engagement member 70 Sensor side connector 81 Wiring

Claims (2)

A connector holding structure for holding the second connector to which the first connector is connected to the connector holder provided on the outer surface of the resin molded product,
The connector holder is
A holder body surrounding the second connector;
An insertion port provided on a side where the second connector of the holder body is inserted, and opening in a trumpet shape;
An outlet for pulling out the electric wire connected to the second connector to the outside of the holder body;
Provided vertically cut between the insertion port and the outlet, and provided with a slit for routing the electric wire from the outside of the connector holder to the inside of the connector holder,
By routing the electric wire from the slit to the inside of the connector holder, connecting the first connector to the second connector, and inserting the second connector into the holder body from the insertion port The second connector is held inside the connector holder ;
On both side walls of the holder body facing each other, through holes for passing a fastening belt are provided, respectively.
After the belt is passed through the through hole and the electric wire is routed inside the connector holder through the slit, the belt is placed outside the holder body so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the slit. A connector holding structure that is fastened .   The connector holding structure according to claim 1, wherein a locking portion for locking a locked portion provided in the second connector is provided inside the connector holder. .

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