JPH05276636A - Coupling device for flat wire harness - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a coupling device for flat wire harness capable of enhancing the workability and productivity by attaching a terminal opening of coupling connector to one end of a relay circuit body with said terminal opening directed toward the opposite side to a counterpart structural body to be coupled. CONSTITUTION:In a lower case of each relay circuit body 11 constituting a flat wire harness F, a coupling connector A is provided with a terminal opening 14a directed opposite to a structure S and installed in a connector housing. The coupling connector A is introduced into a connector receiver of a connector B attached to the structure S. Whole of the flat wire harness F is slid in the direction of separating from the structure S and then a connector terminal 16 is connected to a terminal 20 at the structure side. By this operation, no torsion will be created in the flat wire harness, positional deviation can be easily corrected, a fitting force required for connecting the connector can be also reduced and the productivity of assembly work can be greatly improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat wire harness coupling device for assembling a flat wire harness used for electric wiring of a vehicle with a structure such as a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The applicant has replaced the conventional wire harness with a flat wire harness as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in order to reduce the thickness and weight of the wire harness, improve the assemblability to a vehicle body, and automate the production. Japanese Patent Application No. 2-115827).

In FIG. 6, a plurality of relay circuit boards 2, 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ ... Are fixed at predetermined intervals as relay circuit boards on a long insulating board 1 formed along the arrangement route in the vehicle. Has been done. Each relay circuit board is formed by press-fitting and fixing a junction bar 4 as an internal circuit conductor in a plurality of slits 3a arranged in parallel on a circuit board 3, as represented by reference numeral 2 in FIG. The junction bar 4 has tabs 4a formed at both ends or one end, and a pressure contact terminal portion 4b having a slot 4c at one side edge thereof is provided in a protruding manner. Reference numerals 5 and 5'indicate connectors to be mounted on the tab 4a, which are constructed by inserting female-female relay terminals 6 into the terminal accommodating chambers 5b in the connector housing 5a.

The electrical connection between the relay circuit boards is carried out by a known automatic wiring machine 10 so that one end of the covered electric wire 7 is inserted into the slot 4c ₁ of the pressure contact terminal portion indicated by the reference numeral 4b ₁ of the relay circuit board 2 _1. after pressing, then routed toward the relay circuit board 2 ₂ adjacent, pressed into slot 4c ₂ there the pressure contact terminal section 4b _2, wherein cutting or, next without cutting the relay circuit board 2 ₃ To be routed to. Thereafter, this wiring is repeated in sequence to form a circuit that is electrically connected to the connectors 5 and 5 '.

In order to assemble such a flat wire harness into the vehicle body, it is necessary to match the positions of the mating connector provided on the vehicle body and the connector 5 on the side of the flat wire harness. Therefore, as shown in FIG. , The knock pin 8 formed on the vehicle body C side and the pin receiving hole 9 provided on the rigid circuit body H side as a flat wire harness are positioned to connect the connectors to each other (JP-A-3-203122). Publication).

However, when assembling, the flat wire harness side connector is pressed against the vehicle body side connector, so that not only a large coupling force is required for a connector having a large number of terminals, but also The flat wire harness is apt to be twisted, and it becomes difficult to fit the knock pin into the predetermined pin receiving hole, and it takes time for adjustment. Especially, in the case of a flat wire harness equipped with many connectors, the assembling work becomes difficult and the productivity is improved. Has a problem that it significantly decreases.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the workability of the assembling process for a structure such as a vehicle body is good and the productivity can be remarkably improved. An object of the present invention is to provide a flat wire harness coupling device.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a long insulating plate having a plurality of circuit conductors therein, and at least one end of which is provided with a connector electrically connected to the circuit conductors. A plurality of relay circuit bodies are formed at a predetermined interval,
A flat wire harness for connecting to a structure a flat wire harness comprising a circuit for connecting a desired circuit conductor and the connector by laying electric wires between the relay circuit bodies, the flat wire harness At one end of the relay circuit body, which comprises a connecting connector attached with the terminal opening in the direction opposite to the structure, and a connecting connector provided in the structure. , Arranging a connector terminal electrically connected to the circuit conductor in the relay circuit body,
In the connector for connection, side walls having guide slopes are formed opposite to each other on both sides of the connector receiving portion, and at one end of the connector receiving portion, a connector connecting portion opening toward the structural body is provided. By disposing a plurality of structural body side terminals in the connector connecting portion and introducing the coupling connector into the connector receiving portion and sliding it in a direction away from the structural body, the coupling connector and the coupling connector are formed. Is characterized in that they are combined.

[0009]

The terminal opening of the connector for connection provided on the flat wire harness side is connected to the connector for connection on the structure side in the direction opposite to the structure, and
Since the side wall of the connecting connector is provided with a guide slope, the connecting connector is introduced into the connector receiving portion of the connecting connector and the flat wire harness is operated so that the entire flat wire harness is separated from the structure. The flat wire harness can be easily connected, unnecessary twisting does not occur in the flat wire harness, position misalignment can be easily corrected, and positioning members such as knock pins are not required. The property is improved.

[0010]

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a flat wire harness joining apparatus according to the present invention, showing a joining connector A mounted on a flat wire harness F and a mating side for joining the flat wire harness F. The connector B for connection provided in the structure S such as a vehicle body is shown. Figure 2
It is the perspective view which looked at connector A for connection from the lower part.

1 and 2, the lower case 12 of each relay circuit body 11 constituting the flat wire harness F is shown.
At one end of the connector housing 14 with the terminal opening 14a provided in the connector housing 14 in the opposite direction of the structure S.
Is provided. At one end of the connector housing 14, an engaging recess 14b for locking and fixing the mating connector B is provided, and when the flat wire harness F is attached to the structure S, the connector A for coupling is provided. However, in order to prevent direct contact with the structure S, a stopper 15 formed of an elastic material such as rubber is fixed.

In the connector A for coupling, a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 14c are provided in the connector housing 14, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure contact terminal 17 as a circuit conductor disposed in the lower case 12 of the relay circuit body 11 that accommodates the connector terminal 16 is connected to the covered electric wire 7.

In the connector terminal 16, an electric contact portion 16b for the mating terminal is provided at one end of the board portion 16a, while a wire press-fitting slot 16d is formed at the end of the electric wire pressure contact portion 16c which is formed by bending the board portion 16a. And the electric contact portion 16b is connected to the terminal housing chamber 14c of the connector housing 14.
The housing is locked by known means.

The pressure contact terminal 17 includes an inner wire pressure contact portion 17a formed by pressing a conductive metal plate such as brass.
The outer wire pressure contact portion 17b and the inner wire pressure contact portion 17b
a and the external wire press-contact portion 17b have wire press-fitting slots 17c, 1 having open ends in opposite directions, respectively.
7d is provided.

Then, the external wire pressure contact portion 17b of the pressure contact terminal 17 is inserted and fixed in the terminal insertion hole 12b provided in the bottom wall 12a of the lower case 12, and the slot 16d of the inner wire pressure contact portion 16c of the connector terminal 16 is formed. By press-fitting the covered electric wire 7 into the slot 17c of the press contact terminal 17, the press contact terminal 17 and the connector 16 are electrically connected.

The lower case 12 forming a circuit of the connector 16 and the pressure contact terminal 17 is covered with the upper case 13 and fixed by screws or the like to form the relay circuit body 11. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the connector B for connection includes a case 18 for connection and a lower cover 19, and the guide slope 1 is provided on both sides of the connector receiving portion 18a of the case 18 for connection.
The side walls 18b having 8b ₁ and formed opposite to one end of the connector receiving portion 18a, is provided with a female connector connecting portion 18c which is open toward the inside between the side walls 18b each other.
The connector receiving portion 18a has a locking claw 21 for locking.
Is provided to engage and lock the engaging recess 14c of the coupling connector A.

Inside the connector connecting portion 18c, a plurality of structure side terminals 20 are provided which are electrically connected to the electrical components mounted on the structure. Although not shown, one end of the structure-side terminal 20 is configured to be electrically connected to the electrical equipment on the structure side through a conductor guide groove 22 provided at a joint between the connection case 18 and the lower cover 19.

The connection between the connection connector A and the connection connector B is carried out by introducing the connection connector into the connector receiving portion 18a of the connection connector B attached to the structure S as shown by the arrow in FIG. The entire wire harness is the structure S
The terminal opening 14a of the coupling connector A is fitted into the connector connecting portion 18c of the connecting connector B by connecting the connector terminal 16 and the structure side terminal 20 to each other by sliding in a direction away from The lock claw 21 and the engaging recess 14b of the connector A for coupling are engaged with each other to be locked. At this time, the guide slope 18b of the side wall 18b
By the action of ₁ , the coupling connector A is introduced to an appropriate position, so that the positional deviation can be easily corrected and the connectors can be easily coupled to each other by a simple operation of pulling the entire flat wire harness F away from the structure S. Can be combined with.

[0019]

According to the present invention, the connecting connector is slid by introducing the connecting connector into the connector receiving portion of the connecting connector and operating the flat wire harness so that the entire flat wire harness is separated from the structure. Since the connectors are connected to each other, unnecessary twisting does not occur in the flat wire harness, it is easy to correct the positional deviation, and the fitting force required for connector connection is also reduced.
The productivity of the flat wire harness assembly work is significantly improved. In addition, it is not necessary to attach a positioning member such as a knock pin which has been conventionally used to the flat wire harness, and there is an advantage that handling such as storage and transportation of the flat wire harness becomes easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flat wire harness equipped with a coupling connector that constitutes a flat wire harness coupling device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a connection connector provided in a structure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coupling connector of FIG. 1 seen from below.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection state between a pressure contact terminal arranged in the relay circuit body of FIG. 1 and a connector terminal of a coupling connector.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the connection connector of FIG.

5 is an explanatory view of a step of connecting the connecting connector of FIG. 2 to the connecting connector of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional flat wire harness.

7 is an explanatory view of the relay circuit board of FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a process of assembling a conventional flat wire harness to a structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

A connector for connection B connector for connection F flat wire harness S structure 1 insulating plate 14 connector housing 14a terminal opening 16 connector terminal 18a connector receiving part 18b side wall 18b ₁ guide slope 18c connector connecting part 20 structure side terminal

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H01R 13/639 Z 9173-5E

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A long insulating plate having a plurality of circuit conductors therein, and a plurality of relay circuit bodies each having a connector electrically connected to the circuit conductors at at least one end thereof are provided at predetermined intervals.
A flat wire harness for attaching to a structure a flat wire harness formed by arranging the relay circuit bodies with electric wires to form a circuit for conducting a desired circuit conductor and the connector, the flat wire harness At one end of the relay circuit body, which comprises a connecting connector attached with the terminal opening in the direction opposite to the structure, and a connecting connector provided in the structure. Connector terminals that are electrically connected to the circuit conductor in the relay circuit body are disposed, and the connection connector is formed with side walls having guide slopes on both sides of the connector receiving portion so as to face each other, and one end of the connector receiving portion is formed. Is provided with a connector connecting portion opening toward the structure, a plurality of structure side terminals are provided in the connector connecting portion, and the coupling connector is introduced into the connector receiving portion to introduce the connecting body into the structure. A connecting device for a flat wire harness, characterized in that the connecting connector and the connecting connector are connected by sliding in a direction away from the connecting connector.