JP7007149B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector that is attached to a panel while being inserted into a through hole provided in the plate-shaped panel.

Conventionally, a connector has been proposed which is inserted into a through hole provided in a plate-shaped panel constituting a vehicle body (for example, a pillar portion) and locked. For example, one of the conventional connectors is provided with a hood portion having a specific shape so as to surround the connector main body portion, and using this specific shape, the connector is moved while the outer surface of the hood portion is along the through hole. As a result, the connector is attached to the panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2002-151210.

In the conventional connector described above, the connector can be easily attached to the panel by utilizing the specific shape of the hood portion that surrounds the connector main body portion. Although this hood portion is necessary to assist the attachment of the connector to the panel, it is not always necessary for the original function as a connector (for example, electrical connection with the mating connector). It is desirable to avoid increasing the size of the connector due to members that are not originally required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of easily attaching a connector to a through hole provided in a panel and reducing the size of the connector. There is something in it.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (3).
(1)
A connector that is attached to the panel while being inserted into a through hole provided in the plate-shaped panel.
A locking portion provided at the front end portion in the mating direction between the connector main body portion and the mating connector of the connector main body portion and capable of locking the connector main body portion to the peripheral edge portion of the through hole, and the connector main body portion. It is provided at a position on the rear side of the locking portion in the fitting direction independently of the locking portion, and is opposite to each other from the outer surface of the connector main body along the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the fitting direction. With a pair of convex parts protruding in the direction,
The connector body is
The pair of convex portions hit the peripheral edge of the through hole in a state where a part of the front portion of the connector main body portion on the front side in the fitting direction with respect to the pair of convex portions has passed through the through hole. By rotating the connector main body portion around an axis extending in the orthogonal direction and passing through the contact points between the pair of convex portions and the peripheral edge portion, the entire front portion of the connector main body portion is brought into contact with the connector main body portion. It has a shape that passes through the through hole.
Must be a connector.
(2)
The connector according to (1) above.
A rotatable range when the connector main body is rotated around the axis and is provided independently of the locking portion at a position rearward of the locking portion of the connector main body in the fitting direction. Further equipped with a regulatory department to regulate,
Must be a connector.
(3)
In the connector described in (2) above,
The pair of convex portions
It has a ridge shape extending in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, and has a ridge shape.
The regulatory department
At least a part of the pair of protrusions other than the contact point.
Must be a connector.

According to the connector having the configuration of (1) above, when the connector is attached to the panel, a pair of convex portions protruding from the outer surface of the connector main body are brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the through hole, and the pair of convex portions and the peripheral edge thereof are brought into contact with each other. The shape of the connector main body is designed so that the entire front portion of the connector main body can pass through the through hole by rotating the connector main body around the contact point with the portion. In other words, the shape of the connector body and the pair of protrusions are designed to be suitable for the rotation-based mounting method described above.

Therefore, when attaching the connector to the panel, the operator inserts a part of the front portion of the connector main body into the through hole so as to press the pair of convex portions against the peripheral edge of the through hole, and then inserts the connector main body into the pair. By rotating around the convex portion (actually, the contact point), the connector main body portion can be easily inserted into the through hole. Further, since the connector main body portion is provided with only a pair of convex portions, the connector can be miniaturized as a whole as compared with the case where a hood portion is required as in a conventional connector.

Therefore, according to the connector having this configuration, it is possible to easily attach the connector to the through hole provided in the panel and to reduce the size of the connector at the same time.

According to the connector having the configuration of (2) above, the connector main body is provided with a restricting portion that regulates the rotatable range when the connector main body is rotated around the contact portion. Therefore, when the connector is attached to the panel, it is possible to prevent the connector from rotating excessively and the posture of the connector from becoming an inappropriate state for attachment even if the operator is not particularly conscious of it. Therefore, according to the connector of this configuration, the connector can be more easily attached to the through hole provided in the panel.

According to the connector having the configuration of (3) above, the pair of convex portions have a ridge shape extending in a direction intersecting in the fitting direction, and at least a part other than the contact portion of the pair of convex portions is used as a restricting portion. Be done. Therefore, the structure of the connector can be simplified and the connector can be easily manufactured as compared with the case where the pair of convex portions and the restricting portion are provided as separate members in the connector main body portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector capable of easily attaching a connector to a through hole provided in a panel and reducing the size of the connector.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. ..

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention and a panel to which the connector is attached. 2A and 2B are views showing a first step in a series of procedures for attaching a connector to a panel, FIG. 2A is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 2B is a side view thereof. FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a second step in a series of procedures for attaching a connector to a panel. FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a third step in a series of procedures for attaching a connector to a panel. FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a fourth step in a series of procedures for attaching a connector to a panel. FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, showing a state in which the attachment of the connector to the panel is completed. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the connector for explaining the function of the regulation portion provided in the connector main body portion. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a modified example of the pair of convex portions of the connector, FIG. 8A shows the first modified example thereof, and FIG. 8B shows the second modified example thereof. An example is shown. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a connector according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the connector according to the reference example.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 is attached to the panel P in a state of being inserted into the through hole Pa provided in the plate-shaped panel P (see also FIG. 6), and is a mating connector (not shown). ) Is used in a mated state. As the panel P, a plate-shaped body constituting the vehicle body (for example, a pillar portion) of the vehicle is typically assumed. In this example, the male terminal is housed in the connector 1, and the female terminal is housed in the mating connector.

Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 1, "fitting direction", "width direction", "vertical direction", "front", "rear", "upper" and "lower" are defined. The "fitting direction", "width direction" and "vertical direction" are orthogonal to each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 has a resin connector main body 10. The connector main body portion 10 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped terminal accommodating block portion 20 and a box-shaped hollow portion 30 integrally projecting upward and forward from the terminal accommodating block portion 20 and opening forward (FIG. 2 and FIG. See also Fig. 7 etc.).

A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 21 are formed through the terminal accommodating block portion 20 along the fitting direction (see FIG. 7). A plurality of male terminals (not shown) to which electric wires are connected to the rear are accommodated and fixed in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 21. Each of the tab portions extending forward in the plurality of male terminals accommodated and fixed in the terminal accommodating block portion 20 is located (exposed) in the internal space 31 of the hollow portion 30. The terminal accommodating block portion (not shown) of the mating side connector is accommodated (interpolated) in the internal space 31 of the hollow portion 30, so that the connector 1 and the mating side connector are fitted. As a result, electrical conduction between the plurality of male terminals housed in the connector 1 and the plurality of female terminals housed in the mating connector is achieved.

A pair of convex portions 23 and a pair of restricting portions 24 have widths at the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the side walls 22 extending in the vertical direction and along the fitting direction of the terminal accommodating block portion 20 at the intermediate positions in the fitting direction, respectively. It is integrally provided so as to project outward in the direction. In this example, the convex portion 23 and the restricting portion 24 are each a rectangular parallelepiped protruding portion. Hereinafter, in the connector main body portion 10, the portion on the front side from the intermediate position in the fitting direction provided with the convex portion 23 and the restricting portion 24 is referred to as “front portion 11”, and the portion on the rear side from the intermediate position in the fitting direction. May be referred to as "rear portion 12".

The front end of the hollow portion 30 is locked to the through hole Pa of the panel P (see also FIG. 6). Therefore, when viewed from the front, the contour shape of the hollow portion 30 (excluding the locking claw 36 and the lock beak 37 described later) generally has a similar shape obtained by slightly reducing the shape of the through hole Pa (long hole shape). ing.

The side wall 32 extending in the vertical direction and the fitting direction of the hollow portion 30 is located outside in the width direction as compared with the side wall 22 of the terminal accommodating block portion 20. Therefore, a step 13 extending in the vertical direction is formed at the boundary between the corresponding sides of the side walls 32 and the side walls 22.

A plurality of ribs 33 projecting outward in the width direction and extending in the fitting direction are provided on both side walls 32 at intervals in the vertical direction. A tapered portion 33a is formed at the rear end portion of each rib 33 so that the top surface of the rib 33 moves inward in the width direction as the rib 33 moves to the rear side. The tapered portion 33a is provided to facilitate centering of the connector main body portion 10 in the width direction with respect to the through hole Pa when the connector main body portion 10 is attached to the panel P.

A pair of guide ribs 34 projecting rearward are provided at both ends in the width direction on the rear end surface of the portion of the hollow portion 30 projecting upward from the terminal accommodating block portion 20. The top surface of the pair of guide ribs 34 is rearward so as to connect both ends in the width direction at the upper end of the rear end surface of the hollow portion 30 and the upper portion of the root portion of the pair of convex portions 23 of the terminal accommodating block portion 20. It is tilted to move downward as it moves. The pair of guide ribs 34 facilitates guiding of the connector main body 10 to the through hole Pa, which will be described later, and vertical centering of the connector main body 10 with respect to the through hole Pa when the connector main body 10 is attached to the panel P. It is provided for the purpose.

The upper wall and the rear end of the lower wall of the hollow portion 30 are also formed with tapered portions 35 that are inclined so as to move inward in the vertical direction as they move to the rear side, respectively. The pair of upper and lower tapered portions 35 are also provided to facilitate the vertical centering of the connector main body portion 10 with respect to the above-mentioned through hole Pa.

A pair of locking claws 36 projecting outward in the vertical direction are provided on the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the front end portion of the hollow portion 30, respectively, and a pair of locking claws are provided on the upper wall and the lower wall of the hollow portion 30, respectively. A lock beak 37 that protrudes outward in the vertical direction is provided at a position on the rear side of the panel P by the thickness of the panel P from 36. The locking claw 36 and the lock beak 37 function to lock the connector main body portion 10 (more specifically, the hollow portion 30) to the panel P.

Next, a series of procedures for attaching the connector main body 10 to the panel P will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. Although not shown, in reality, a plurality of male terminals are accommodated in the terminal accommodating block portion 20, and a plurality of electric wires connected to the rear end sides of the plurality of male terminals are accommodated in the terminal accommodating block. It extends rearward from the part 20.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of convex portions 23 hit the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P in a state where the connector main body portion 10 is tilted in the vertical direction so that the upper portion is located on the front side from the lower portion. The front portion 11 of the connector main body 10 is inserted into the through hole Pa of the panel P until it touches (the front portion 11 is slid forward with respect to the panel P). In the state shown in FIG. 2 (a state in which the pair of convex portions 23 are in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P), substantially the upper half of the front portion 11 passes through the through hole Pa of the panel P.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, while maintaining the state in which the pair of convex portions 23 are in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P (that is, the pair of convex portions 23 are pressed forward toward the panel P). However, the lower end of the front end surface of the connector main body 10 is a through hole around the axis extending in the width direction around the contact point A between the pair of convex portions 23 and the peripheral edge of the through hole Pa. Rotate until it passes Pa. As described above, the shape of the connector main body 10 is designed so that the entire front portion 11 of the connector main body 10 can pass through the through hole Pa.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, while further rotating the connector main body 10 in the same direction, the inclined top surfaces of the pair of guide ribs 34 are brought into contact with the edges of the through holes Pa while being brought into contact with each other. The portion B is slanted upward and forward from the position near the pair of convex portions 23. In other words, while further rotating the connector main body 10 in the same direction, the top surface of the pair of guide ribs 34 is slid with respect to the edge of the through hole Pa, and the front portion 11 is slid downward and backward with respect to the through hole Pa. Let me do it.

The rotation of the connector main body 10 is continued until the vertical inclination of the connector main body 10 is eliminated (that is, until the fitting direction of the connector main body 10 coincides with the normal direction with respect to the plane of the panel P), and the front portion. The downward and backward slide of 11 is continued until the contact point B reaches the vicinity of the upper end of the top surface of the guide rib 34.

After the connector main body 10 is not tilted in the vertical direction and the contact portion B reaches the vicinity of the upper end of the top surface of the guide rib 34, the pair of upper and lower tapered portions 35 and the plurality of ribs 33 on both sides in the width direction are formed. The connector main body 10 is slightly slid backward so that the tapered portion 33a of the above is brought into contact with the edge of the through hole Pa and slid, if necessary, in the vertical direction of the connector main body 10 with respect to the through hole Pa. Center in the width direction.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the connector main body 10 is not tilted in the vertical direction of the connector main body 10, the pair of upper and lower tapered portions 35 and all the tapered portions 33a pass through the through holes Pa, and Centering of the connector main body 10 with respect to the through hole Pa in the vertical direction and the width direction is completed.

Then, from the state shown in FIG. 5, the connector main body 10 is slid backward. As a result, first, the upper and lower edges of the through hole Pa come into contact with the pair of upper and lower lock beaks 37 and ride on. Along with this, the pair of upper and lower lock beaks 37 are elastically deformed inward in the vertical direction, and the upper and lower edges of the through hole Pa are elastically deformed to get over the pair of upper and lower lock beaks 37.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the pair of upper and lower lock beaks 37 are elastically restored, and the two pairs of locking claws 36 (four in total) are peripheral portions (four places) of the through holes Pa of the panel P. Contact with. That is, the connector main body portion 10 (more specifically, the hollow portion 30) so that the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P is sandwiched between the two pairs of locking claws 36 and the pair of upper and lower lock beaks 37. ) Is locked to the panel P. This completes the attachment of the connector main body 10 to the panel P.

Hereinafter, the functions of the pair of restricting portions 24 provided in the connector main body portion 10 (more specifically, the terminal accommodating block portion 20) will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

From the state shown in FIG. 3 described above (a state in which the pair of convex portions 23 abut on the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P and the connector main body portion 10 is inclined in the vertical direction), the front as shown in FIG. Without sliding downward and backward of the portion 11 (while maintaining a state in which the pair of convex portions 23 are in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P), the connector main body portion 10 is oriented in the same direction. As the rotation is continued, as shown in FIG. 7, the pair of restricting portions 24 abut on the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P, and the connector main body portion 10 cannot rotate in the same direction any more. In other words, the pair of restricting portions 24 regulate the rotatable range of the connector main body portion 10, so that the connector main body portion 10 rotates excessively and the posture of the connector main body portion 10 is inappropriate for attachment to the panel P. It functions to prevent the condition from becoming a state.

As described above, according to the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the connectors are oriented in opposite directions from the outer surface of the connector main body 10 along the axis orthogonal to the fitting direction of the connector 1 (axis along the width direction). A pair of protruding protrusions 23 are provided on the connector main body 10. Then, when the connector 1 is attached to the panel P, the pair of convex portions 23 are brought into contact with the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa, and the contact portion A between the pair of convex portions 23 and the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa (FIG. The shape of the connector body 10 is designed so that the entire front portion 11 of the connector body 10 passes through the through hole Pa by rotating the connector body 10 around the axis (see 3). There is.

Therefore, when attaching the connector 1 to the panel P, the operator uses only one hand to insert the connector 1 into the through hole Pa so as to press the pair of convex portions 23 against the peripheral edge of the through hole Pa, while inserting the connector. By rotating 1, the connector 1 can be easily inserted into the through hole Pa. Further, since only a pair of convex portions 23 are provided on the connector main body portion 10, the connector 1 can be miniaturized as a whole as compared with the conventional connector.

Therefore, according to the connector 1 having this configuration, it is possible to easily attach the connector 1 to the through hole Pa provided in the panel P and to reduce the size of the connector 1.

Further, the connector main body 10 is provided with a pair of restricting portions 24 that regulate the rotatable range when the connector main body 10 is rotated around the axis around the contact portion A. Therefore, when the connector 1 is attached to the panel P, it is possible to prevent the connector 1 from being excessively rotated and the posture of the connector 1 becoming inappropriate for attachment even if the operator is not aware of it. Therefore, according to the connector 1 having this configuration, it is possible to further facilitate the attachment of the connector 1 to the through hole Pa provided in the panel P.

<Other aspects>
The present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified, improved, and the like. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

For example, in the above embodiment, the connector main body portion 10 has both a convex portion 23 and a regulating portion 24. However, the connector main body portion 10 may be configured to have only the convex portion 23.

Further, in the above embodiment, the convex portion 23 is a rectangular parallelepiped protruding portion (see FIGS. 1 and 2 and the like). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8A, the front surface 23a of the convex portion 23 is a plane (a plane extending in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction) as in the above embodiment, and the upper surface 23b projects upward. It may be a curved surface shape (curved surface shape corresponding to a part of the side surface of the cylinder in the circumferential direction), and may be a protruding portion that is smoothly inclined so as to move backward as the rear surface 23c moves downward.

As a result, since the front surface 23a is a flat surface, the front surface 23a can be brought into close contact with the panel P when the pair of convex portions 23 is finally brought into contact with the panel P as shown in FIG. Further, since the upper surface 23b has a curved surface shape, the contact portion A (see FIG. 3) when rotating the connector main body 10 in the mounting process smoothly moves the upper surface 23b along the curved surface. The connector main body 10 can be rotated smoothly. Further, since the rear surface 23c is inclined, the thickness of the convex portion 23 in the fitting direction is increased, and the strength of the convex portion 23 is improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the convex portion 23 may be a cylindrical protruding portion. As a result, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, the contact portion A (see FIG. 3) when rotating the connector main body portion 10 smoothly moves along the curved surface, and the connector main body portion 10 can be rotated smoothly.

Further, in the above embodiment, the convex portion 23 and the regulating portion 24 are individually provided. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, instead of the convex portion 23 and the restricting portion 24, a ridge-shaped convex portion 25 extending in the vertical direction so as to connect the convex portion 23 and the restricting portion 24 in the vertical direction is provided. You may. In this case, the upper end portion of the convex portion 25 performs the same function as the convex portion 23 shown in FIG. 1, and the remaining portion (for example, the lower end portion) of the convex portion 25 has the same function as the restricting portion 24 shown in FIG. Fulfill.

According to this, as compared with the case where the pair of convex portions 23 and the restricting portion 24 are provided as separate members in the connector main body portion 10 (see FIG. 1), the structure of the connector can be simplified and the manufacturing of the connector is facilitated. can.

Further, in the above embodiment, a pair of guide ribs 34 are provided on the upper portion of the rear end surface of the hollow portion 30. On the other hand, a pair of guide ribs 34 may be provided on the lower portion of the rear end surface of the hollow portion 30.

Hereinafter, the connector 1 according to the reference example will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the connector main body 10 of the connector 1 according to the reference example corresponds to the connector main body 10 according to the above embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which the convex portion 23 and the restricting portion 24 are omitted.

In the connector main body 10 according to the above embodiment, the connector main body 10 is rotated while the pair of convex portions 23 are pressed forward against the peripheral edge portion of the through hole Pa of the panel P with the pair of convex portions 23 as fulcrums. On the other hand, in the connector main body portion 10 according to the reference example, the lower end edge 34a of the inclined top surface of the pair of guide ribs 34 (the point where the top surface of the guide rib 34 and the upper wall of the terminal accommodating block portion 20 intersect) is a fulcrum. As a result, the connector main body 10 can be rotated while pressing the pair of lower end edges 34a upward against the peripheral edge of the through hole Pa of the panel P. In this way, even if the connector main body 10 is rotated with the pair of lower end edges 34a as fulcrums instead of the pair of convex portions 23, the connector main body 10 can be attached to the panel P by the same procedure as in the above embodiment. ..

Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the connector 1 according to the present invention are briefly summarized and listed below (1) to (3).
(1)
A connector (1) that is attached to the panel (P) in a state of being inserted into a through hole (Pa) provided in the plate-shaped panel (P).
The connector main body (10) that can be locked to the panel (P) and the connector main body (10) project in opposite directions from the outer surface of the connector main body (10) along an axis orthogonal to the mating direction with the mating connector. With a pair of convex portions (23),
The connector main body (10) is
The pair of convex portions (23) in a state where a part of the front portion (11) of the connector main body portion on the front side in the fitting direction with respect to the pair of convex portions has passed through the through hole (Pa). To the peripheral edge portion of the through hole (Pa), and the connector main body portion (10) around the axis around the contact portion (A) between the pair of convex portions (23) and the peripheral edge portion. Has a shape in which the entire front portion (11) of the connector main body portion (10) passes through the through hole (Pa) by rotating the connector body portion (10).
connector.
(2)
The connector (1) according to the above (1).
Further, a regulating portion (24) for restricting a rotatable range when the connector main body portion (10) is rotated around the abutting portion (A) around the contact portion (A) is further provided.
connector.
(3)
In the connector (1) described in (2) above,
The pair of convex portions (25)
It has a ridge shape extending in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, and has a ridge shape.
The regulatory department
It is at least a part of the pair of convex portions (25) other than the contact portion (A).
connector.

1 Connector 10 Connector body 11 Front part 12 Rear part 23 Convex part 24 Restriction part 25 Convex part A Contact point P panel Pa Through hole

Claims (3)

A connector that is attached to the panel while being inserted into a through hole provided in the plate-shaped panel.
A locking portion provided at the front end portion in the mating direction between the connector main body portion and the mating connector of the connector main body portion and capable of locking the connector main body portion to the peripheral edge portion of the through hole, and the connector main body portion. It is provided at a position on the rear side of the locking portion in the fitting direction independently of the locking portion, and is opposite to each other from the outer surface of the connector main body along the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the fitting direction. With a pair of convex parts protruding in the direction,
The connector body is
The pair of convex portions hit the peripheral edge of the through hole in a state where a part of the front portion of the connector main body portion on the front side in the fitting direction with respect to the pair of convex portions has passed through the through hole. By rotating the connector main body portion around an axis extending in the orthogonal direction and passing through the contact points between the pair of convex portions and the peripheral edge portion, the entire front portion of the connector main body portion is brought into contact with the connector main body portion. It has a shape that passes through the through hole.
connector. The connector according to claim 1.
A rotatable range when the connector main body is rotated around the axis and is provided independently of the locking portion at a position rearward of the locking portion of the connector main body in the fitting direction. Further equipped with a regulatory department to regulate,
connector. In the connector according to claim 2,
The pair of convex portions
It has a ridge shape extending in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, and has a ridge shape.
The regulatory department
At least a part of the pair of protrusions other than the contact point.
connector.

Images