JP6329020B2 - Relay connector unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay connector unit that is interposed in an electrical wiring system of an automobile or the like and used for electrical connection between a pair of connectors.

  As this type of relay connector unit, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.

  The relay connector unit described in Patent Document 1 is assumed to be applied to, for example, an automatic transmission of an automobile. The connector unit has a cylindrical shape, and mating connectors are respectively fitted from the opening portions at both ends. A relay connector main body for electrically connecting the connectors to each other, and a substantially channel-shaped mounting bracket seated on one end surface of the relay connector main body.

  The relay connector body is elastically supported so as to be swingable in the front-rear and left-right directions by the first bracket receiver and the second bracket receiver provided at two positions displaced by 90 degrees with respect to the mounting bracket. It is attached so that it can slide up and down. As a result, the relay connector main body and the mounting bracket are connected and held while preventing mutual detachment while having a floating degree of freedom in the three-dimensional directions of X, Y, and Z. The mounting bracket is fixed in advance to an electronic control device such as a control valve unit incorporated in an automatic transmission of an automobile, and when the electronic control device is assembled to a transmission mission case, the relay connector body is a transmission case partition wall or the like. It will be inserted into the mounting hole formed in.

Japanese Patent No. 5149066

  In the relay connector unit described in Patent Document 1, the mating connector is fitted in advance to one opening side of the relay connector body that faces the mounting bracket side. If it sees as the whole connector unit, the harness (bundle of electric wires) connected to the said other party connector will be attached. On the other hand, the relay connector unit described in Patent Document 1 focuses on providing a three-dimensional floating degree of freedom between the relay connector body and the mounting bracket. The restraining force for maintaining the posture of the connector main body is not always sufficient.

  Therefore, when assembling an electronic control device with a relay connector unit attached in advance to the transmission mission case, the relay connector body is attached to the mounting bracket under the tension of the harness routed or routed on the electronic control device side. It may be greatly inclined with respect to the angle or may be detached from the mounting bracket in an extreme case. As a result, the relay connector main body excessively interferes with the transmission case, and the relay connector main body cannot be correctly inserted into the mating mounting hole, resulting in extreme deterioration in assembly workability.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a problem, and solves the problems of the conventional relay connector unit and provides a floating connector body in particular for the bracket while providing a three-dimensional floating degree of freedom. A relay connector unit that has sufficient restraining force to maintain its posture and prevents the relay connector body from being greatly tilted or detached from the mounting bracket even when harness tension is applied. It is to provide.

  The relay connector unit according to the present invention has a tubular connector body, a mating connector is fitted into each of the openings from both ends, and the connectors are electrically connected to each other, and the relay connector body. A pair of support legs parallel to the axis of the pair and intermediate legs located between the pair of support legs are formed in a channel shape, and the relay connector main body is formed on the seating surface of the end face of each leg. A bracket on which one end surface is seated, and the bracket and the relay connector main body inserted between the bracket-like bracket body and the bracket by being inserted into the channel-shaped space of the bracket from the open side of the channel-shaped bracket. And a holder for movably connecting and holding both of them while preventing mutual detachment.

  Then, a flange portion formed at a position corresponding to each leg portion on the bracket side of one end surface of the relay connector main body, and a position corresponding to a pair of support leg portions on the bracket side among the flange portions. A locking groove formed, a notch groove formed at a position corresponding to the locking groove in the bracket, and a notch groove formed at a position corresponding to each notch groove on the bracket side of the holder. And a latching claw that controls the relay connector main body and the bracket from being separated from each other by being latched in the latching groove on the flange portion side.

  The axial direction of the relay connector main body is the Z direction, and one of the two directions orthogonal to the Z direction is the X direction, and the other direction is the Y direction. In this case, there is a degree of freedom in the X direction between the locking flange on the holder side and the notch groove on the bracket side, which is locked in the locking groove on the flange side, between the seating flange portion and the bracket. The free freedom in the Y direction is set such that the free freedom in the Z direction is set between the bracket and the holder.

  In this case, in order to make the restraining force sufficient for maintaining the posture of the relay connector main body with respect to the bracket by the locking of the locking groove and the locking claw, as described in claim 2, A pair of ribs that face each other in the X direction protrude from the flange portion where the locking groove is formed, and a space between the pair of ribs serves as the locking groove. It is desirable that the movement of the locking claw locked in the groove in the X direction is restricted by the pair of ribs.

  Further, in consideration of the ease of insertion of the holder in which the locking claw is formed into the bracket, as described in claim 3, the notch groove has an L-shape in which the Z-direction groove portion and the X-direction groove portion are continuous. Preferably, the X-direction groove is open to the outside from the end of the support leg.

  Therefore, in the structure of the relay connector unit according to the present invention, while having freedom of movement in each of the X, Y, and Z directions between the bracket connected via the holder and the relay connector body, The retaining claw on the holder side inserted into the bracket and the retaining groove on the relay connector body side prevent the both from coming off, and suppresses excessive inclination of the relay connector body relative to the bracket. Has been. Thereby, sufficient restraining force for maintaining the posture of the relay connector main body with respect to the bracket is applied.

  According to the present invention, the holding claw on the holder side and the locking on the relay connector main body side are provided between the bracket and the relay connector main body while having the respective degrees of freedom of movement in the X, Y, and Z directions. Since the relay connector body is restrained against the bracket by locking with the groove, the relay connector body can fully counter this even when a harness tension is applied to the relay connector body. Thus, it is possible to prevent the bracket from coming off from the bracket while suppressing an excessive inclination. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as interference between the relay connector body and other parts and the inability to insert the relay connector body into the mounting hole on the mating side, thereby greatly contributing to the improvement of assembly workability. Become.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the locking of the locking groove and the locking claw, the locking claw locked in the locking groove is regulated by the pair of ribs. The posture retention of the relay connector main body with respect to the bracket is further improved.

The perspective view which shows 1st Embodiment of the connector unit for relay based on this invention. The perspective view which looked at the connector unit for relay shown in FIG. 1 from the arrow a direction. The disassembled perspective view of the connector unit for relay shown in FIG. The figure which looked at the connector unit for relay shown in FIG. 1 from the arrow b direction. The figure which looked at the connector unit for relay shown in FIG. 1 from the arrow c direction. Sectional drawing along the dd line of FIG.

  1 to 6 show a more specific form for carrying out the relay connector unit according to the present invention. In particular, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the relay connector unit in an assembled state, and FIG. The perspective view which looked at the connector unit for relay from the arrow a direction is shown, respectively. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the relay connector unit in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3 in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, the relay connector unit 1 is schematically composed of a cylindrical relay connector body 2 formed of a resin material and having both end faces open to the outside. The bracket 3 is formed by bending a metal plate into a channel shape, and the relay connector main body 2 is seated on the upper surface, and is formed of a predetermined resin material in the same manner as the relay connector main body 2 to form a channel shape. The bracket 4 is inserted into the bracket 3 from the open side of the bracket 3 so that the bracket 3 has a degree of freedom of movement of the relay connector body 2 and has a function of preventing the mutual separation between the bracket 3 and the bracket 3. The female connector 8 is fitted from the lower end surface side of the relay connector main body 2 through the inside.

  Here, the axial direction of the relay connector main body 2 is defined as the Z direction, and the insertion direction of the holder 4 with respect to the bracket 3 is defined as the X direction and the direction orthogonal to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. It shall be.

  The bracket 3 is formed in a channel shape or a U-shape with three sides of a pair of left and right support leg portions 3a facing each other and an intermediate leg portion 3b located between the support leg portions 3a. In addition, inner flange portions 5a and 5b serving as seating surfaces for the relay connector main body 2 are formed by bending the upper end portions of the support leg portion 3a and the intermediate leg portion 3b inward. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the inner flange portions 5a and 5b are formed to be one step higher than the upper end surface 5c of the bracket 3 itself. Further, the width dimension that effectively functions as the seating surface for the relay connector main body 2 in the inner flange portions 5a and 5b is larger than the plate thickness of the bracket 3 itself, as is apparent from FIG. Has been.

  A male connector in which terminal pins 6 protrude toward both open end faces is accommodated and arranged inside the relay connector body 2, and a wire with a crimp terminal is provided from the lower surface side of the relay connector body 2 in FIG. 3. The female connector 8 connected to the harness 7 that is a bundle is fitted and connected. Further, from the upper surface side of the relay connector main body 2 in FIG. 3, a female connector (not shown) which is the other side similar to the female connector 8 is subsequently fitted and connected. It has the function to electrically connect the female side connectors fitted from the open end face.

  An annular seal member 9 such as an O-ring is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the relay connector main body 2, and a plurality of spiral groove cams 10 are formed on the upper end side. As will be described later, the seal member 9 has a function of sealing the portion by pressing against the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole when the relay connector main body 2 is inserted into the mounting hole on the transmission case side, for example. Further, a fastening member (not shown) having a convex portion that can be engaged with the groove cam 10 is coupled to the upper end portion of the relay connector body 2 in which the plurality of groove cams 10 are formed. As described above, after the female connector as the mating side is fitted from the upper end surface side of the relay connector main body 2, the fastening member is tightened with the groove cam 10 as the meshing portion, so that from the relay connector main body 2 The female connector, which is the other party, is prevented from coming off.

  At the lower end portion of the relay connector main body 2, the seating flange portions 11 and 12 protrude outwardly at positions corresponding to the support leg portion 3a and the intermediate leg portion 3b on the three sides on the bracket 3 side. Is formed. Of these three seating flange portions 11 and 12, the seating flange portion 12 at the position corresponding to the intermediate leg portion 3b is simple so as to seat on the inner flange portion 5b on the bracket 3 side, as is apparent from FIG. It is formed as a thick plate. On the other hand, the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11 at positions corresponding to the pair of support leg portions 3a are formed as thick plates so as to be seated on the inner flange portion 5a on the bracket 3 side. A pair of ribs 13 that are opposed to each other at a predetermined distance in the X direction protrude or stand upright on the seating flange portion 5a. A space between a pair of ribs 13 attached to each seating flange portion 11 serves as a locking groove 14 in which a locking claw 18 on the holder 4 side described later is locked.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, guide protrusions that fit into the inner side of the inner flange portion 5a on the bracket 3 side where the seating flange portions 11 are seated on the lower surfaces of the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11. 15 is formed so as to protrude in the X direction. Further, another guide protrusion 16 that protrudes into the stepped portion at the back of the inner flange portion 5a on the bracket 3 side is formed to protrude on the back side of the lower surface of the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11.

  The bracket 3 has inner flange portions 5a and 5b on which the seating flange portions 11 and 12 on the relay connector main body 2 side are seated on the upper ends of the support leg portion 3a and the intermediate leg portion 3b which are the three sides. As described above, an L-shaped notch groove 17 is formed in a pair of support legs 3a facing each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the cutout groove 17 includes a longitudinal groove portion 17 a as a Z-direction groove portion extending in the axial direction (Z direction) of the relay connector main body 2, and an insertion direction (X direction) of the holder 4 with respect to the bracket 3. The lateral groove portion 17b as the X-direction groove portion extending in the direction is a shape that is continuous at a right angle, and the lateral groove portion 17b of the cutout groove 17 is open to the outside from the end portion of the support leg portion 3a.

  Similarly to the bracket 3, the holder 4 is formed in a channel shape or a U-shape, as shown in FIG. 3, and the inner side formed at the upper ends of the pair of support legs 3 a of the bracket 3. Under the flange portion 5a, the holder 4 is inserted inward so that it overlaps with the guide projection 15 of the seating flange portion 11 with the open side of the channel shape as the insertion start end (see FIG. 4). Further, at the position corresponding to the longitudinal groove portion 17a of the notch groove 17 on the bracket 3 side of the holder 4, an upward locking claw 18 is integrally formed so as to protrude outward by a predetermined amount. The locking claw 18 has a relatively large width dimension in the X direction of FIG. 3 so as to fit into the vertical groove portion 17 a of the notch groove 17, and a claw having an inclined inner surface at the upper end of the locking claw 18. A piece 18a is formed to protrude.

  In order to make the relay connector unit 1 composed of such components as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the female connector 8 to which the harness 7 is attached is first connected to the lower end opening of the relay connector body 2. Are inserted and connected to a male connector (not shown) accommodated and disposed inside the relay connector main body 2.

  Subsequently, the seating flange portion 12 on the relay connector body 2 side is the inner flange portion 5b on the bracket 3 side, and the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11 on the relay connector body 2 side is the pair of left and right inner flange portions on the bracket 3 side. The seating flange portions 11 and 12 of the relay connector main body 2 are seated on the bracket 3 so as to match with 5a. The harness 7 attached to the female connector 8 is pulled out so as to be bent from the open side other than the three sides of the bracket 3 having a channel shape.

  In this state, the locking claw 18 of the holder 4 is made to follow the lateral groove portion 17b of the notch groove 17 on the bracket 3 side so as to avoid the interference between the locking claw 18 and the rib 13 and the channel-shaped space of the bracket 3. The holder 4 is inserted into. With the insertion of the holder 4, when the locking claw 18 on the holder 4 side matches the vertical groove portion 17 a of the notch groove 17, no further insertion of the holder 4 becomes possible, and the locking claw 18 is connected to the relay connector body 2. That is, it is located below each of the seating flange portions 11 on the side, more specifically, below the locking groove 14 in each seating flange portion 11.

  Therefore, when the holder 4 is pushed up slightly while the relay connector main body 2 is seated on the bracket 3, the locking claw 18 is elastically deformed to overcome the thickness of the seating flange portion 11, and the engagement The claw piece 18 a at the tip of the pawl 18 is locked to the upper edge portion of each seating flange portion 11 in the locking groove 14. Unnecessary movement in the X direction of the locking claw 18 is restricted by the ribs 13 on both sides forming the locking claw 14. As a result, the relay connector main body 2 can be pressed against the bracket 3 side while being seated in the upright posture on the three relatively wide inner flange portions 5a and 5b on the bracket 3 side. Originally, the two members are prevented from being separated from each other and are connected and held. As a result, the relay connector unit 1 is in the assembled state as shown in FIGS.

  The relay connector unit 1 in such an assembled state is fixedly supported in advance with the bracket 3 as a fixing portion on the upper surface of an electronic control device such as a control valve unit incorporated in an automatic transmission of an automobile, for example. The electronic control device will be assembled in the transmission case of the automatic transmission. At that time, the relay connector main body 2 is inserted into a mounting hole (not shown) formed in the transmission case side partition wall or the like. From the upper opening side of the relay connector main body 2, another similar to the female connector 4 is provided. The female connector is fitted and connected. When assembling the electronic control device, the transmission case of the automatic transmission may be set down, and the electronic control device including the relay connector unit 1 may be assembled upside down.

  Here, FIG. 4 shows a view in the direction of arrow b in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 shows a view in the direction of arrow c in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line dd in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, there is a gap between the tip surfaces of the pair of left and right inner flange portions 5a in the bracket 3 and the guide protrusions 15 on the lower surface of the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11 in the relay connector body 2. A clearance α is secured as the degree of freedom of floating or floating.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the width dimension W of the locking claw 18 is the width of the locking groove 14 on the side of the pair of left and right seating flange portions 11 (the pair of ribs 13 and 13 forming the locking groove 14). (Distance between them) is set to be equal, while the width dimension W of the locking claw 18 is set to be smaller than the groove width of the vertical groove portion 17a in the notch groove 17 on the bracket 3 side. A gap β is secured between the notch groove 17 and the longitudinal groove portion 17a as a degree of freedom in the X direction or a degree of freedom in floating.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, between the pair of left and right inner flange portions 5a of the bracket 3 and the upper and lower seating flange portions 11 and the holder 4, the holder 4 itself or the self-elasticity of the locking claw 18 attached thereto is provided. Due to the force, a gap of γ is secured as the degree of freedom in the Z direction or the degree of freedom in floating.

  Accordingly, when the relay connector unit 1 in the assembled state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is inserted into the mounting hole on the transmission case side (not shown) as the counterpart, Insertion into the mounting hole is possible because it can be inserted while centering so as to follow the mounting hole while absorbing the relative position error of the two under the floating degree of freedom in the X, Y, and Z directions. Is very good. The relay connector body 2 and the bracket 3 basically have three relatively wide inner flange portions 5a and 5b in the bracket 3 while having the above-described degree of freedom of floating in the Z direction. Since the relay connector main body 2 is seated, the relay connector main body 2 is prevented from being tilted excessively so as to hinder the insertion work into the mounting hole, and the relay connector main body 2 toward the bracket 3 is prevented. Excessive indentation can also be prevented.

  In addition, when a tension is applied to the relay connector unit 1 in the assembled state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the harness 7, the relay connector main body 2 has the tertiary in the X, Y, and Z directions as described above. Since the pair of relatively wide left and right locking claws 18 attached to the holder 4 are locked in the locking grooves 14 on the relay connector body 2 side while having the original degree of floating freedom, The relay connector body 2 can sufficiently resist the tension caused by the harness 7. Therefore, even if the tension by the harness 7 is applied, the relay connector main body 2 can maintain a normal seating state in a substantially upright posture with respect to the bracket 3, and the relay connector main body 2 does not tilt excessively. .

  Therefore, as described above, the bracket 3 combined with the relay connector body 2 in the relay connector unit 1 is fixed in advance to an electronic control device (not shown), and then the electronic control device is assembled to the mission case. In particular, when the relay connector body 2 is inserted into a mounting hole (not shown) on the other side, the influence of the tension caused by the harness is avoided, and the relative position error between the two is absorbed as described above. Of course, it can be inserted while being centered so as to follow the above, and the excessive inclination of the relay connector body 2, the detachment from the bracket 3, and the interference with the transmission case can be suppressed. The workability when inserting the connector body 2 for relay into a mounting hole (not shown) on the other side is also very good. The things.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Relay connector unit 2 ... Relay connector main body 3 ... Bracket 3a ... Supporting leg part 3b ... Intermediate leg part 4 ... Holder 5a ... Inner flange part (seat surface)
5b ... Inner flange (sitting surface)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 ... Female connector 11, 12 ... Seating flange part 13 ... Rib 14 ... Locking groove | channel 15, 16 ... Guide protrusion part 17 ... Notch groove 17a ... Vertical groove part (Z direction groove part)
17b ... Horizontal groove (X-direction groove)
18 ... Claws α, β, γ ... Clearance (freedom of freedom)

Claims (3)

A connector body for relay that forms a tubular shape and is electrically connected to each other by mating the mating connectors from the openings at both ends,
It is formed in a channel shape with a pair of support legs parallel to the axis of the relay connector main body and an intermediate leg located between the pair of support legs, and on the seating surface of the end face of each leg A bracket on which one end surface of the relay connector body is seated;
Both are inserted into the channel-shaped space of the bracket from the open side of the channel-shaped bracket and interposed between the relay connector body and the bracket, while preventing the bracket and the relay connector body from being separated from each other. A holder that is movably connected and held,
A relay connector unit comprising:
A flange portion formed at a position corresponding to each leg portion on the bracket side of one end face of the relay connector main body,
A locking groove formed at a position corresponding to the pair of support legs on the bracket side of the flange portion,
A notch groove formed at a position corresponding to the locking groove of the bracket;
The holder is formed at a position corresponding to each notch groove on the bracket side of the holder, and is received in the notch groove and locked in the locking groove on the flange portion side, whereby the relay connector body and the bracket are separated from each other. A locking claw that controls the prevention,
Is further provided,
When the axial direction of the relay connector body is the Z direction, and one of the two directions orthogonal to the Z direction is the X direction and the other direction is the Y direction. The degree of freedom of movement in the X direction is between the retaining claw on the holder side and the notch groove on the bracket side, which is locked in the locking groove on the flange side, and the Y direction is between the flange portion and the bracket. A relay connector unit, wherein the degree of freedom of freedom is set in the Z direction between the bracket and the holder.   A pair of ribs that face each other in the X direction protrude from the flange portion where the locking groove is formed, and a space between the pair of ribs serves as the locking groove. The relay connector unit according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the locking claw locked in the groove in the X direction is restricted by a pair of ribs.   3. The cutout groove is an L-shape in which a Z-direction groove portion and an X-direction groove portion are continuous, and the X-direction groove portion is opened to the outside from an end portion of a support leg portion. Connector unit for relay described in 1.

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