JP6018975B2 - Joint connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint connector for electrically connecting a plurality of electric wires.

  A joint connector for connecting a plurality of electric wires is used when a plurality of branch paths are obtained from one trunk line of a wire harness such as a vehicle. Conventionally, this type of joint connector includes the following. That is, by inserting a bus bar integrally formed with a plurality of terminals from the rear to the front in the housing and connecting the counterpart connection terminal from the front of the housing to each terminal protruding into the housing, the counterpart connection terminal What connects the arbitrary electric wires to connect through a bus-bar is known (refer patent document 1).

JP-A-8-17531

  By the way, in general, in a four-wheeled vehicle, a non-waterproof connector that is not waterproofed is not used in a wetted area that may be covered with water. However, in a two-wheeled vehicle, even though non-waterproof connectors are flooded and terminal corrosion frequently occurs, the design philosophy is that the function as a connector should last long. For this reason, a non-waterproof connector may be used in a flooded area. However, it is not preferable that water is accumulated in the connector housing, although there is a demand for ensuring a minimum waterproof property, although it may be covered with water. There is a similar demand for the joint connector having the non-waterproof structure of Patent Document 1 described above.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent the ingress of water into the contact portion of the terminal, reduce the corrosion of the contact portion, and reduce the risk of contact failure. To provide a connector.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the joint connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (6).
(1) a joint terminal fitting having a base portion located at the rear end and a plurality of terminal portions extending forward from the base portion;
A peripheral wall and a terminal receiving chamber provided on the inner side of the peripheral wall, a receiving recess provided in the rear end portion for receiving the base portion of the joint terminal fitting inserted from the rear toward the front, and provided in the front end surface A resin-made housing having a mating connection terminal insertion opening that is conductively connected to a terminal portion of the joint terminal fitting protruding into the terminal accommodating chamber,
A joint connector comprising:
A resin cap that closes the rear opening of the housing recess by removably fitting to the rear end outer periphery of the peripheral wall of the housing;
A flexible connecting piece made of resin that integrally connects the housing and the cap;
Further comprising
In the housing, on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the housing, when the cap is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall of the housing, an annular rib that protrudes in close proximity to the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is protruded.
about.
(2) A joint connector configured as described in (1) above,
The housing is provided with the terminal accommodating chamber penetrating from the front end to the rear end of the housing,
The cap is provided with a hole for water that has entered the housing.
about.
(3) A joint connector configured as described in (2) above,
In the housing, in each terminal receiving chamber, the mating connection terminal is inserted from the front into each terminal receiving chamber of the housing and protrudes into each terminal receiving chamber. When connected, a flexible lance is provided to lock the counterpart connection terminal.
about.
(4) The joint connector according to any one of (1) to (3) above,
The housing is provided with a recess in at least a part of the annular rib into which the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is inserted when the cap is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall of the housing.
about.
(5) In the joint connector configured as described in (4) above,
The peripheral wall of the housing and the peripheral wall of the cap are formed in a flat rectangular tube shape in which the circumferential width of one opposing wall is set wide, and the circumferential width of the other opposing wall is set narrower than that,
When one opposing wall with a wide width is the upper and lower opposing walls and the other opposing wall with a narrow width is the left and right opposing walls,
A base end of the flexible connecting piece formed in a strip shape on the protruding end of the annular rib formed on the outer periphery of the upper wall which is one of the upper and lower opposing walls constituting the peripheral wall of the housing Are connected to the rear end side of the upper wall, which is one of the upper and lower opposing walls constituting the peripheral wall of the cap,
The recess into which the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is inserted is provided at the base of the annular rib projecting from the outer periphery of the upper wall constituting the peripheral wall of the housing.
(6) In the joint connector configured as described in (5) above,
The left and right side edges of the base portion of the joint terminal fitting are press-fitted into the left and right inner walls of the housing recess of the housing.

According to the joint connector having the above configuration (1), by fitting the cap to the rear end portion of the housing, it is possible to prevent water or dust from entering the housing and to protect the inside of the housing. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from entering the contact conduction part (hereinafter referred to as “contact part”) between the terminal part of the joint terminal fitting and the mating connection terminal, avoiding corrosion of the contact part, The risk of poor contact can be reduced. In addition, the annular rib projecting on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the housing in the state in which the cap is fitted is close to and opposed to the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap. Thereby, when water splashes on the outer periphery of the housing, the water can be repelled outward, and water or dust can be prevented from entering the housing through the gap between the cap and the housing. The annular rib also serves to prevent the cap from coming off when an external force is applied. Further, by fitting the cap into the housing, it is possible to ensure insulation of the joint terminal fitting and prevent it from coming off. Further, since the cap is integrated with the housing via the flexible connecting piece, it is easy to handle and there is no risk of loss.
According to the joint connector having the configuration (2), even when water enters the housing, the water can escape from the hole of the cap. For this reason, water does not accumulate inside the housing, and corrosion of the contact portion can be reduced. Further, since the terminal accommodating chamber is provided so as to penetrate from the front end to the rear end of the housing, it is possible to improve the drainage of water even when used in a wet environment. That is, the risk of corrosion of the contact portion can be reduced by improving the passage of water without providing a waterproof structure at the front portion of the housing due to cost and the like. On the other hand, the cap fitted on the rear end of the housing can prevent water from entering from the rear end of the housing. The joint connector can be made to withstand long-term use. Therefore, it is possible to provide a joint connector suitable for application to a two-wheeled vehicle designed based on the idea that the function as a connector should last long even if terminal corrosion due to moisture occurs frequently.
According to the joint connector having the configuration of (3) above, since the lance for locking the mating connection terminal is provided inside each terminal accommodating chamber, it is possible to directly connect without using a connector housing fitted to the housing. The counterpart connection terminals can be electrically connected to each other using a joint connector. Thus, when the connector housing that accommodates the mating connection terminal is not used, it is difficult to make the front side of the housing into which the mating connection terminal is inserted a waterproof structure. is there. However, in such a case, when used in a wet environment, there is a possibility that water may enter from the front side of the housing (the opening for inserting the mating connection terminal). However, even if water enters the inside of the housing, the water can escape from the hole provided in the cap. Can be reduced.
According to the joint connector having the above configuration (4), by inserting the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap into the recess formed in the root portion of the annular rib, the water intrusion path can be bypassed, that is, the long infiltration Since a path can be secured, water can be retained in the infiltration path and the ingress of water can be delayed.
According to the joint connector having the configuration (5), when water is applied from the upper wall side of the housing and the cap, it is possible to effectively prevent water from entering the housing. That is, in addition to the strip-shaped flexible connecting piece covering the gap between the cap and the upper wall of the housing, the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is formed in the recess formed in the root portion of the annular rib on the outer periphery of the upper wall. By being inserted, the water intrusion path between the cap and the housing is bypassed, so that it is possible to effectively prevent water from entering the housing.
According to the joint connector having the configuration (6), since the joint terminal fitting is press-fitted into the rear part of the housing, it is possible to prevent the joint terminal fitting from coming off together with the cap.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent water from entering the housing as much as possible, thereby reducing the corrosion of the contact portion and reducing the risk of contact failure.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIGS. 1A and 1B are configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which a joint terminal fitting is about to be inserted into a housing, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where a cap is about to be fitted to the rear end of the housing. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are views showing a state in which a cap is fitted to the rear end of the housing, FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view seen from the rear, and FIG. 2 (b) is from the front. FIG. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are plan sectional views of FIG. 3 (a) in the state of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 (b) is an enlarged view of a portion IIIb in FIG. 3 (a). 4 (a) and 4 (b) are side sectional views of the state of FIG. 4 (a), and FIG. 4 (b) is an enlarged view of the IVb portion of FIG. 4 (a).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are configuration diagrams of the joint connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which the joint terminal fitting is about to be inserted into the housing, and FIG. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are views showing a state in which the cap is fitted to the rear end of the housing. 2A is a perspective view seen from the front, FIG. 3A is a plan sectional view of the state of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is FIG. 3A. Fig. 4 (a) is a side sectional view of the state of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 (b) is an enlarged view of the IVb portion of Fig. 4 (a).

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the joint connector 1 includes a housing 10, a cap 20 that is integrally connected to the housing 10 via a flexible connecting piece 30, and a joint terminal fitting that is accommodated in the housing 10. 50. The housing 10, the flexible connecting piece 30, and the cap 20 are formed as an integral resin molded product.

  The joint terminal metal fitting 50 is constituted by a bus bar having a base portion 51 located at the rear end and a plurality of tab terminals (terminal portions) extending from the base portion 51 forward in parallel to each other. A convex portion 53 is provided at the rear end edge of the base portion 51, and press-fitting dowels (press-fit locking projections) 54 are provided at the left and right side edges of the base portion 51.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A to 4B, the housing 10 has a peripheral wall 11 and a terminal accommodating chamber 15 provided inside the peripheral wall 11. An accommodation recess 14 is provided at the rear end of the housing 10 to accommodate the base portion 51 of the joint terminal fitting 50 that is inserted from the rear toward the front. An opening 16 for insertion of a mating connection terminal (not shown) that is conductively connected to the tab terminal 52 of the joint terminal fitting 50 protruding into the terminal accommodating chamber 15 is provided on the front end surface of the housing 10.

  The terminal accommodating chamber 15 is provided so as to penetrate from the front end to the rear end of the housing 10, and adjacent ones are partitioned by a partition wall 118 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the mating connection terminal is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber 15 of the housing 10 from the front in each terminal accommodating chamber 15, the mating connection is established. A flexible lance 17 for locking the terminal is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b), 2 (a), and 2 (b), the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10 has a width in the circumferential direction of one opposing wall that is set wide. It is formed in the shape of a flat square cylinder in which the width in the circumferential direction of the opposing wall is set to be narrower than that. Here, one opposing wall having a wide width is called an upper wall 11A and a lower wall 11B, and the other opposing wall having a narrow width is called a left wall 11C and a right wall 11D. The plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 15 are arranged in a line in the left-right direction of the housing 10.

  The cap 20 detachably fits to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10 to close the rear opening of the housing 10. The cap 20 includes a peripheral wall 21 that is slightly larger than the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10 and a bottom wall 22 that closes the rear end of the peripheral wall 21.

  Similar to the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10, the peripheral wall 21 of the cap 20 is formed in a flat rectangular tube shape. For the cap 20, a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in a state where the cap 20 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is fitted to the housing 10 are defined. That is, one opposing wall having a wide width is called an upper wall 21A and a lower wall 21B, and the other opposing wall having a narrow width is called a left wall 21C and a right wall 21D.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A to 2B, when the cap 20 is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10 on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10. An annular rib 12 that protrudes in close proximity to the front end 21P of the peripheral wall is provided. The protruding height of the annular rib 12 is set to be approximately the same as the height in the vertical direction of the peripheral wall 21 of the cap 20.

  The flexible connecting piece 30 that connects the cap 20 to the housing 10 is formed in a thin strip shape having a width substantially the same as the width in the left-right direction of the housing 10. The flexible connecting piece 30 has a base end 31 connected to a protruding end of the annular rib 12 formed on the outer periphery of the upper wall 11 </ b> A of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10, and a distal end 32 constituting the peripheral wall 21 of the cap 20. The upper wall 21 </ b> A is connected to the joining portion of the rear wall 22 and the bottom wall 22.

  Further, when the cap 20 is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10, the front end 21 </ b> P of the peripheral wall of the cap 20 is inserted into the root portion of the annular rib 12 protruding from the upper wall 11 </ b> A of the housing 10. A recess 13 is formed above the receiving recess 14.

  In addition, the lower wall 21 </ b> B of the cap 20 is provided with a hole 23 for water that has entered the inside of the housing 10.

  When assembling the joint connector 1, the joint terminal fitting 50 is inserted into the housing 10 from the rear to the front as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). At this time, as shown in FIG. 3B, the press-fitting dowels 54 at the left and right side edges of the base portion 51 of the joint terminal fitting 50 are press-fitted into the left and right inner walls of the housing recess 14 of the housing 10. Then, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 4A, the base portion 51 of the joint terminal fitting 50 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 14, and the tab terminal 52 protrudes into the terminal accommodating chamber 15.

  In this state, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the cap 20 is fitted to the rear end of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, the bottom wall 22 of the cap 20 hits the convex portion 53 at the rear end edge of the joint terminal fitting 50. Further, the front end 21 </ b> P of the peripheral wall of the cap 20 is in close proximity to the annular rib 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the peripheral wall front end 21 </ b> P of the cap 20 is inserted into the recess 13 formed in the root portion of the annular rib 12.

  When the joint connector assembled in this way is used, the mating connection terminal attached to the terminal of the electric wire to be interconnected is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber 15 from the insertion opening 16 at the front of the housing 10. Then, the mating connection terminal is connected to each tab terminal 52 of the joint terminal fitting 50 protruding into each terminal accommodating chamber 15, and in this state, the mating connection terminal is locked by the lance 17, and the mating connection terminal is Electrically connected to each other.

  According to the joint connector 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the cap 20 is fitted into the rear end portion of the housing 10 so that water, dust, and the like can be prevented from entering the housing 10. 10 The inside can be protected. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent water from entering the contact conduction portion (hereinafter referred to as “contact portion”) between the tab terminal 52 of the joint terminal fitting 50 and the counterpart connection terminal, and to avoid the corrosion of the contact portion. The risk of poor contact of the parts can be reduced. Further, by fitting the cap 20 to the rear end of the housing 10, it is possible to secure insulation of the joint terminal fitting 50 and prevent it from coming off.

  Further, according to the joint connector 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the annular rib 12 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11 of the housing 10 with the cap 20 fitted is provided at the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap 20. Since the annular rib 12 acts as a ridge in the proximity of 21P, water can be repelled outward when water W is applied to the outer periphery of the housing 10, and water can be removed from the gap between the cap 20 and the housing 10. It is possible to prevent dust and dust from entering the housing 10.

  Further, according to the joint connector 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when water W is applied from the upper walls 11A and 21A of the housing 10 and the cap 20, Infiltration can be prevented. That is, in addition to the strip-shaped flexible connecting piece 30 covering the gap between the cap 20 and the upper walls 11A, 21A of the housing 10, as shown in FIG. The front end 21 </ b> P of the peripheral wall of the cap 20 is inserted into the recess 13 formed in the root portion of the annular rib 12. For this reason, since the water intrusion path between the cap 20 and the housing 10 is bypassed, a long intrusion path is ensured, and the water intrusion can be delayed. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent water from entering the housing 10. The annular rib 12 also serves to prevent the cap 20 from coming off when an external force is applied.

  Even when water enters the housing 10, the water can be removed from the hole 23 of the cap 20, so that water does not accumulate inside the housing 10, and corrosion of the contact portion can be reduced. .

  Furthermore, since the terminal accommodating chamber 15 is provided so as to penetrate from the front end to the rear end of the housing 10, it is possible to improve the drainage of water even when used in a wet environment. That is, even if a waterproof structure is not provided at the front portion of the housing 10 due to cost and the like, the risk of contact portion corrosion can be reduced by improving the passage of water. On the other hand, the cap 20 fitted to the rear end of the housing 10 can prevent water from entering from the rear end of the housing 10, so that water can enter even if the front and rear portions of the housing 10 are not completely waterproof. Therefore, it is possible to protect the contact portion as much as possible and to withstand long-term use. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a joint connector suitable for application to a two-wheeled vehicle designed based on the idea that the function of the connector only needs to last long even if terminal corrosion due to moisture occurs frequently.

  In addition, a lance 17 for locking the mating connection terminal is provided inside each terminal accommodating chamber 15. For this reason, the mating connection terminal can be directly electrically connected using the joint connector 1 without using a connector housing fitted to the housing 10. As described above, when the connector housing is not used, it is difficult to make the front side of the housing 10 into which the mating connection terminal is inserted into a waterproof structure. In this case, when used in a wet environment, there is a possibility that water may enter from the front side of the housing 10 (the opening 16 for inserting the mating connection terminal). However, even if water enters the inside of the housing 10, the water can be discharged from the through hole 23 provided in the cap 20. Corrosion risk can be reduced.

  Further, since the joint terminal fitting 50 is press-fitted into the rear portion of the housing 10, it is possible to prevent the joint terminal fitting 50 from coming off together with the cap 20. Moreover, since the cap 20 is integrated with the housing 10 via the flexible connecting piece 30, it is easy to handle and there is no risk of loss.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, and the like of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and are not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

Here, the features of the embodiment of the joint connector according to the present invention described above are summarized and listed in the following [1] to [6], respectively.
[1]
A joint terminal fitting (50) having a base portion (51) located at the rear end and a plurality of terminal portions (52) extending forward from the base portion (51);
A peripheral wall (11), a terminal accommodating chamber (15) provided inside the peripheral wall (11), and a base of the joint terminal fitting (50) provided at the rear end portion and inserted from the rear toward the front An accommodation recess (14) for accommodating the portion (51) and a terminal portion (52) of the joint terminal fitting (50) provided on the front end surface and projecting into the terminal accommodation chamber (15) are electrically connected. A resin housing (10) having an opening (16) for insertion of the mating connection terminal;
A joint connector comprising:
A resin cap (20) for closing the rear opening of the housing recess (14) by detachably fitting to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10);
A resin-made flexible connecting piece (30) for integrally connecting the housing (10) and the cap (20);
Further comprising
When the cap (20) is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10) and the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10), the housing (10) An annular rib (12) proximately opposed to the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap (20) is protruded.
A joint connector characterized by that.
[2]
The housing (10) is provided with the terminal accommodating chamber (15) penetrating from the front end to the rear end of the housing (10),
The cap (20) is provided with a hole (23) for water that has entered the housing (10).
The joint connector according to [1], wherein
[3]
In the housing (10), the mating connection terminal is inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber (15) of the housing (10) from the front in each terminal accommodating chamber (15). (15) A flexible lance (17) is provided for locking the mating connection terminal when connected to each terminal portion (52) of the joint terminal fitting (50) protruding into the inside. ,
The joint connector according to [2], wherein
[4]
In the housing (10), the cap (20) is fitted to at least a part of the annular rib (12) when the cap (20) is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10). ) Is provided with a recess (13) into which the front end of the peripheral wall is inserted.
The joint connector according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein:
[5]
The peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10) and the peripheral wall of the cap (20) are flat in which the width in the circumferential direction of one opposing wall is set wider and the width in the circumferential direction of the other opposing wall is set narrower. It is formed in a square cylinder shape,
When one opposing wall with a wide width is the upper and lower opposing walls and the other opposing wall with a narrow width is the left and right opposing walls,
Formed on the projecting end of the annular rib (12) formed on the outer periphery of the upper wall, which is one of the upper and lower opposing walls constituting the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10), is formed in a strip shape. Further, the base ends of the flexible connecting pieces (30) are connected, and the distal ends of the flexible connecting pieces (30) formed in a strip shape are the upper and lower opposing walls constituting the peripheral wall of the cap (20). Connected to the rear end of the upper wall, which is one of the walls,
The recess (13) into which the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap (20) is inserted into a root portion of the annular rib (12) protruding from the outer periphery of the upper wall constituting the peripheral wall (11) of the housing (10). ) Is provided, The joint connector according to [4].
[6]
The joint according to [5], wherein the left and right side edges of the base portion (51) of the joint terminal fitting (50) are press-fitted into the left and right inner walls of the housing recess (14) of the housing (10). connector.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Joint connector 10 Housing 11 Peripheral wall 11A Upper wall 12 Annular rib 13 Recessed part 14 Receiving recessed part 15 Terminal accommodating chamber 16 Insertion opening 17 Lance 20 Cap 21 Peripheral wall 21A Upper wall 21P Peripheral wall front end 23 Penetration hole 30 Flexible connection piece 31 Base end 32 Tip 50 Joint terminal bracket 51 Base part 52 Tab terminal (terminal part)
W Water

Claims (4)

A joint terminal fitting having a base portion located at the rear end and a plurality of terminal portions extending forward from the base portion;
A peripheral wall and a terminal receiving chamber provided on the inner side of the peripheral wall, a receiving recess provided in the rear end portion for receiving the base portion of the joint terminal fitting inserted from the rear toward the front, and provided in the front end surface A resin-made housing having a mating connection terminal insertion opening that is conductively connected to a terminal portion of the joint terminal fitting protruding into the terminal accommodating chamber,
A joint connector comprising:
A resin cap that closes the rear opening of the housing recess by removably fitting to the rear end outer periphery of the peripheral wall of the housing;
A flexible connecting piece made of resin that integrally connects the housing and the cap;
Further comprising
In the housing, on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the housing, when the cap is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall of the housing, an annular rib that protrudes in close proximity to the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is protruded.
A joint connector characterized by that. The housing is provided with the terminal accommodating chamber penetrating from the front end to the rear end of the housing,
The cap is provided with a hole for water that has entered the housing.
The joint connector according to claim 1. In the housing, in each terminal receiving chamber, the mating connection terminal is inserted from the front into each terminal receiving chamber of the housing and protrudes into each terminal receiving chamber. When connected, a flexible lance is provided to lock the counterpart connection terminal.
The joint connector according to claim 2. The housing is provided with a recess in at least a part of the annular rib into which the front end of the peripheral wall of the cap is inserted when the cap is fitted to the outer periphery of the rear end of the peripheral wall of the housing.
The joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

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