JPH0117827Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a device for attaching a connector to an opening in a panel or the like.

For example, the connector that connects to an automobile meter is
A method is used in which the instrument panel is fitted and fixed from the back side, and the hole in the panel fitting part is made sufficiently large, and the connector itself has flexibility in vertical, horizontal, etc., to prevent errors in assembly to the meter. It has a structure that absorbs

To explain this in detail with reference to the drawings, in Fig. 7 A and B, a indicates an automobile meter, b indicates an instrument panel, and c indicates a connector.
Panel b has a fitting opening d that is sufficiently larger than connector c. In the case of A, the fitting opening d
A receiving seat f is provided for the flange e of the connector c, and a flexible locking piece g that engages with the back surface of the flange e is provided to prevent the connector c from coming off in the front-rear direction. Connector C with protruding claw h
This structure prevents shaking in the vertical or horizontal direction. In the case of (b), a flange e' larger than the fitting opening d is provided around the rear end of the connector c, and a flexible locking arm extends rearwardly on the outer peripheral wall of the flange e'.
g' is provided to fit the connector c, and a pawl h' is provided protruding from the meter side of panel b to prevent rattling by engaging with the locking arm g'.

According to the above configuration, the fitting opening d of panel b
Since connector c is sufficiently large compared to connector c, there is a degree of freedom to absorb errors when assembling the connector. It is not possible to provide sufficient elastic holding force by increasing the size of the locking piece g and locking arm g' that maintain the fitted state of c.
As a result, it is difficult to hold the connector c in a predetermined position (center) of the fitting opening d, and it takes time to align and assemble the meter, and the electric wire i connected to the connector c is subjected to tension. When the meter is pressed from the front surface of the panel and fitted, force is applied in the direction of the arrow P, causing the locking piece g to break and the connector c to fall off.

The present invention was developed by focusing on the above-mentioned drawbacks, and when a car meter is attached to an instrument panel with a single touch, there is a problem of pick-up and connector assembly errors when fitting the meter and connector. The purpose is to provide a device that can be installed reliably.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5, 1 is a meter connector, 2 is a bracket for the connector, 3 is a meter body, and 4 is an instrument panel.

In the illustrated example, the connector 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a flange 12 is provided in the middle of the outer peripheral wall of the housing 11.
A meter fitting part 13 is formed in the front half, and a wire connection part 14 is formed in the rear half. In the meter fitting part 13, a window 16 is provided on both the upper and lower surfaces thereof, and the terminal 5, which is inserted and locked in the accommodation chamber 15, is inserted into the accommodation chamber 15 through this window 16. It is designed to come into contact with a circuit arranged on the back side of the main body 3. Also,
A stopper 17 having a tapered surface 17a at the front and a vertical surface 17b at the rear projects from the rear half of the outer circumferential wall of the housing 11, that is, the wire connection section 14.

Bracket 2 has a substrate 21. A fitting opening 22 for the connector 1 is provided in the center of the board 21, and a frame 23 that surrounds the fitting opening 22 is provided in a protruding manner. A flexible locking arm 24 is provided in a protruding manner and extends in an inclined manner facing 22. The fitting opening 22 is connected to the housing 1
1, for example, a cylindrical shape, and is formed to be sufficiently larger than the external dimension. In addition, the frame body 23
In the example shown, it is formed as a trapezoid whose diameter narrows toward the tip, but the key point is the groove dimension D between the opposing flexible locking arms 24, 24 protruding from the side wall 23a. is sufficiently narrower than the outer dimensions of the housing 11 so as to be able to engage with the outer peripheral wall of the housing and elastically clamp it.

On the other hand, clips 25 are provided protruding from both ends of the substrate 21 on opposite sides of the frame 23. The clip 25 is for locking the bracket 2 to the panel 4, and a pair of flexible locking pieces 27 are provided at the tip of the support column 26.
27 is provided protrudingly in a hook shape, and a stepped portion 27a is provided at the tip of the locking piece 27.

There is a bracket 2 on the instrument panel 4.
A rectangular opening 41 is provided for attaching. The vertical width of the opening 41 is large enough for the substrate 21 of the bracket 2 to pass through, and its width W is slightly larger than the length L in the diagonal direction of the frame 23 of the bracket 2, so that the bracket 2 can be inserted into the opening. 41 so that it can rotate freely. and panel 4
A fitting recess 42 for the base plate 21 of the bracket 2 is provided on the inner surface thereof so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the opening 41, and a locking hole 43 for the clip 25 is provided in the recess 42.

Next, attachment of the connector to a panel or the like will be explained.

First, the connector 1 is fitted onto the bracket 2.
In other words, when the wire connecting portion 14 of the housing 11 is inserted from the frame 23 side of the bracket 2 toward the fitting opening 22, the four stoppers 17 protruding from the outer periphery of the connecting portion 14 engage the flexible engagement around the four peripheries. It comes into contact with the stop arm 24 and bends inward against its elasticity, and when further pressure is applied, the flange 12 of the housing 11 moves against the frame 2.
3, the stopper 17 rides over the flexible locking arm 24, and the locking arm 24 elastically returns to press against the outer peripheral wall of the housing, that is, the wire connection portion 14, while the locking The tip of the arm 24 faces the rear vertical surface 17b of the stopper 17. As a result, the connector 1 is prevented from being pulled out in either direction of the arrows P and Q, and is elastically supported by the flexible locking arms 24 that are in pressure contact with the four circumferences of the connector 1.
The locking arm 24 is fitted and supported on the panel 4 with a degree of freedom for displacement in the front, rear, left and right directions by a distance corresponding to the amount of deflection X of the locking arm 24.

In fact, the bracket 2 is inserted into the wire harness W in advance, and the terminal 5 connected to the wire end of the wire harness W is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 15, and then the connector 1 of the bracket 2 is inserted.
When it is pulled to the side, the bracket 2 is attached to the connector 1 in the same manner as described above.

In this way, when the bracket 2 with the connector 1 fitted thereon is inserted into the opening 41 from the back side of the panel 4, rotated 90 degrees and pulled backward, the clip 25 will enter the locking hole 43. The stepped portion 27a of the flexible locking piece 27 engages with the inner edge of the hole 43, the board 21 is fitted into the fitting recess 42, and the connector 1 is locked to the panel 4 via the bracket 2.

Finally, by pushing the meter body 3 from the front side of the panel 4, the meter fitting part 13 of the connector 1
can be connected with.

When connecting the meter body 3, the connector 1 is supported at the center of the bracket 2 by the four flexible locking arms 24 around the circumference as described above, and is movable in the front, back, left and right directions with a degree of freedom X left. , errors in assembling the meter body 3 can be sufficiently absorbed, and the connector 1 can be installed with one touch without coming off backwards or taking time to connect as in the conventional case.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the means for locking the bracket to the panel is changed.

That is, the bracket 2' has the fitting opening 22 for the connector on the board 21 as described above, but the frame 23 and the clip 25 are omitted, and four wires are provided directly along the edge of the fitting opening 22. Flexible locking arm 2
4 are provided protrudingly, screw insertion holes 28 are provided in place of clips at both ends of the board 21, and the board 21 is fixed to the panel 4 with screw nuts 6.

In this case, not only is the structure of the bracket 2' itself simple, but the omission of clips allows it to be attached from both the front and back sides of the panel 4.
3 is omitted, the depth at which the connector 1 is installed inside the panel 4 can be shallow, and the panel can be made smaller.

As described above, the present invention includes a connector having a terminal housing chamber formed inside the housing and a flange protruding from the middle of the outer peripheral wall, and a means for mounting facing an opening of a panel, etc., and fitting to the housing. The fitting opening is formed to correspond to the outer circumference of the housing and is sufficiently larger than the outer shape of the housing, and the fitting opening has a bracket located on the four peripheries of the inner edge of the fitting opening, and a bracket that is formed on the outer peripheral wall of the housing. A plurality of flexible locking arms that engage are provided in a protruding manner, and a stopper that engages with the locking arms is provided in a protruding manner on the outer peripheral wall of the housing on the wire connection side. It is possible to provide a device that absorbs pickups and connector assembly errors when fitting connectors, and allows reliable attachment with a single touch.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the connector constituting the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bracket, Fig. 4 is a front view thereof, and Fig. 5 is the device of the present invention. 6th sectional view showing the assembled state of
The figure is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIGS. 7A and 7B are sectional views showing a conventional example, respectively. 1...Connector, 11...Housing, 12...
...Flame, 15...Terminal housing chamber, 17...Stopper, 2...Bracket, 22...Fitting opening, 24...
...Flexible locking arm, 3...Meter body, 4...Instrument panel.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Consisting of a connector with a terminal receiving chamber formed inside the housing and a flange projecting from the middle of the outer peripheral wall, and a bracket having means for mounting facing an opening in a panel or the like and having a fitting opening for the housing. The fitting opening is formed to correspond to the outer periphery of the housing and is sufficiently larger than the outer shape thereof, and the inner edge of the fitting opening has a plurality of flexible holes located around the four peripheries thereof and engaging with the outer peripheral wall of the housing. A device for attaching a connector to a panel or the like, characterized in that a locking arm is provided protrudingly provided, and a stopper that engages with the locking arm is further provided protrudingly provided on the wire connection side of the outer peripheral wall of the housing.