JPH07226279A - Terminal metal fitting inspecting method and inspecting tool for multipolar connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To inspect electric communication by installing a group of electric communication inspecting pins, which correspond to respective terminal storage chambers, in distinguishing additive parts formed at mutually different positions of a plurality of types of respective terminal metal fittings. CONSTITUTION:In a multipolar connector, female type terminal metal fittings C1 and C2 coated with gold and tin are stored in two terminal chambers in respective upper and lower steps. Distinguishing additive parts 2a, 2b projected toward the lower left and the lower right of the front of a female type electric contact part 2 are formed in these metal fittings C1 and C2. An inspecting tool D has four pairs of electric communication inspecting pins d1, d2 which correspond to the metal fittings C1, C2 and are put in an inspecting chamber 4 in the way they can slide freely in a supporting hole 5 and the tool D is pressed forward by a built-in spring. When a multipolar connector is inserted into the inspection chamber 4, the additive parts 2a, 2b of the metal fittings C1, C2 are brought into contact with the pins d1, d2 but not with the pins d2, d1. Consequently, electric communication and error insertion can be inspected simultaneously.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multipolar connector used for connecting a wire harness or the like, and in the case of accommodating a plurality of types of terminal fittings based on the difference in constituent metal materials in the terminal accommodating chamber of the multipolar connector. The present invention relates to a method for inspecting whether or not a terminal fitting made of a specific metal material is accommodated in a specific terminal accommodating chamber, and an inspection tool therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wire harness for an automobile contains a safety circuit electric wire in addition to an ordinary electric wire for a signal circuit. In a connector for connecting these electric wires together, a signal circuit electric wire is used. For this, a terminal metal plate having a tin material plated on the surface of a copper material is used, and for a safety circuit wire, a terminal metal plate plated with gold for electrical connection with excellent reliability is used.

By the way, since the tin-plated terminal and the gold-plated terminal in this case usually have the same shape, it is impossible to detect erroneous insertion by the continuity test. Therefore, the visual inspection is used for identification, but the reliability is lacking. .

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has substantially the same shape accommodated in a multipolar connector and has different constituent metal materials. It is designed to reliably identify a plurality of terminal fittings.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, in the method of the present invention, a method for inspecting a plurality of types of terminal fittings accommodated in a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers of a multipolar connector is provided. An identification additional portion is provided at a position different from each other for each terminal fitting, and a plurality of inspection conducting pin groups corresponding to the plurality of identification additional portions are provided corresponding to the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers in the inspection tool. Each inspection conducting pin is connected to the inspection circuit, and at the time of inspection, any one of the plurality of inspection conducting pin groups is brought into contact with the identification additional portion of the terminal fitting.

Further, in the method of the present invention, in the method for inspecting two kinds of terminal fittings accommodated in a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers of a multipolar connector, an identification addition portion is provided on one of the two kinds of terminal fittings. The inspection tool is provided with two kinds of inspection conduction pins in an inspection circuit corresponding to the two types of terminal fittings, and two types of inspection conduction pins are individually provided corresponding to a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers. The two types of inspection conducting pins are different from each other in the amount of protrusion in the axial direction, and only one of the inspection conducting pins comes into contact with the identifying additional portion during inspection.

Further, in the inspection tool of the present invention, a plurality of inspection conduction pin groups are provided corresponding to each terminal accommodating chamber of the connector to be inspected, and the plurality of inspection conduction pins are respectively connected to the inspection circuit. During the inspection, one of the plurality of inspection conductive pin groups comes into contact with the terminal fitting of the connector to be inspected.

Further, in the inspection tool of the present invention, one of the two types of inspection conduction pins is provided corresponding to each terminal accommodating chamber of the connector to be inspected, and each of the inspection conduction pins is used for inspection. The two types of inspection conducting pins are connected to a circuit, and the protruding amounts in the axial direction are different from each other.

[0009]

In the plurality of inspection conducting pin groups provided corresponding to the plurality of identifying additional portions, at the time of inspection, only the inspecting conducting pin facing the identifying additional portion of the terminal fitting to be inspected is the inspection circuit. Operate.

Of the two types of inspection conducting pins having different axial protrusion amounts, the inspection conducting pin with a large protrusion amount is always in contact with the terminal fitting to be inspected, and the inspection conducting pin with a small protrusion amount corresponds to this. Only contact the special terminal fittings that are installed.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, a multipolar connector A has four terminal accommodating chambers 1 in a connector housing B made of synthetic resin, and the upper two terminal accommodating chambers 1 are plated with gold for a safety circuit. The female terminal metal fitting C ₁ thus formed is accommodated, and the two terminal accommodating chambers 1 in the lower stage accommodate the tin-plated female terminal metal fitting C ₂ for the signal circuit.

As shown in FIG. 2, both female type terminal metal fittings C
₁ and C ₂ have substantially the same shape in which the electric wire connecting portion 3 is connected to the female type electric contact portion 2 and the conducting wire W is connected to the electric wire connecting portion 3, and the constituent metals are made of different kinds of plating. Only the material is different, but the gold-plated female terminal metal fitting C ₁ is provided with an identification additional portion 2a protruding to the lower left of the front of the female electric contact portion 2, and a tin-plated female terminal metal fitting is provided. the C ₂ identifying additional portion 2b is provided with forwardly projecting lower right of the female electrical contact portion 2.

Reference numeral D denotes an inspection tool. In the inspection chamber 4 that receives the multipolar connector A, a pair of inspection conduction pins d ₁ and d ₂ correspond to each terminal accommodating chamber 1 of the multipolar connector A. A set is provided. Each of the conduction pins d ₁ and d ₂ is slidable in the support hole 5 and is biased forward by a built-in spring (not shown), and abuts on the terminal fitting at the time of inspection and slightly retracts. The inspection conduction pin d ₁ is for detecting the gold-plated female terminal metal fitting C ₁ and is connected to the electric wire W _{1 of the} inspection circuit, and the inspection conduction pin d ₂ is a tin-plated female terminal metal fitting C 1. ₂ for detection and connected to the electric wire W _{2 of the} inspection circuit.

At the time of inspection, the connector A to be inspected is inserted into the inspection chamber 4 of the inspection tool D as shown in FIG.
Then, the inspection conducting pin d ₁ comes into contact with the identifying additional portion 2a of the gold-plated female terminal fitting C ₁ and the electric wire W
_The inspection circuit according to ₁ is operated, and at this time, the inspection conduction pin d ₂ does not come into contact with the terminal fitting C ₁ (see FIG. 5A). On the other hand, the inspection conduction pin d ₂ comes into contact with the identification additional portion 2b of the tin-plated female terminal fitting C ₂ to activate the inspection circuit by the electric wire W ₂ , and at this time, the inspection conduction pin d 2 ₁ does not contact the terminal fitting C ₂ (see FIG. 5 (B)).

Therefore, the inspection circuit by the electric wire W ₁ or the electric wire W ₂ to be operated is set in advance corresponding to the gold-plated or tin-plated terminal fittings C ₁ and C ₂ accommodated in the specific terminal accommodating chamber 1. The determination means E displays the continuity or the error individually to detect the erroneous insertion at the same time as the continuity test.

In the structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the normal tin-plated female terminal metal fitting C ₂ ′ is folded back into the female electric contact portion 2 whose front end is opened via the front folded base portion 6a. A piece 6 is provided (see FIG. 7), and a folded elastic contact piece 6 is also provided in the female electric contact portion 2 of the gold-plated female terminal fitting C ₁ ′ via a folded base portion 6a and a female elastic piece 6 is provided. An identification additional portion 2c is provided at the lower portion of the front end of the mold electric contact portion 2 by bending the side portion inward from the side wall.

The female terminal fitting C ₁ ', C _2' 'the inspection device D' connector housing B multipolar connector A accommodated in the 'terminal accommodating chambers 1' at the same time gold continuity test and inserted into the The presence or absence of the terminal fitting C ₁ ′ having been subjected to the inspection is inspected. That is, the inspection instrument 'is in each terminal accommodating chambers 1' D 'continuity inspection pin d _1' female terminal fitting C ₁ plated with gold so as to correspond to or female terminal fitting C ₂ subjected to tin plating The inspection conducting pin d ₂ ′ is provided, and the inspection conducting pins d ₁ ′ and d ₂ ′ are slidably urged to a predetermined forward projecting position, and the inspection conducting pin d _{2 is provided.} The tip of ′ is dimension l (about 1.5 mm) more than the tip of the conducting pin d ₁ ′ for inspection.
It is located axially forward only (see FIG. 8).

Therefore, at the time of inspection, the inspection conduction pin d ₂ ′ contacts the folded base portion 6a of the elastic contact piece 6 in the tin-plated female electric contact portion 2, and
The inspection conduction pin d ₁ ′ comes into contact with the identification additional portion 2c provided at the inlet of the gold-plated female type electrical contact portion 2 and displays the determination of conduction in each inspection circuit.

In the case where the tin-plated terminal fitting C ₂ ′ is erroneously inserted in place of the gold-plated terminal fitting C ₁ ′ in the predetermined terminal accommodating chamber 1 ′, the inspection conduction pin d ₁ Since ′ cannot conduct the inspection circuit, it indicates that the gold-plated metal terminal C ₁ ′ is missing.

In the structure shown in FIG. 9, the male tab-shaped male terminal fitting C ₂ ″ is plated with gold, whereas the male tab-shaped electrical contact portion 2 ′ of the male terminal fitting C ₁ ″ is plated with gold. In the same manner as in the case of FIG. 8, the identification additional portion 2a ′ is provided, and the presence or absence of the gold-plated male terminal fitting using the two types of inspection conducting pins having different axial protrusion amounts. Conduct a continuity check on the terminal fittings.

[0021]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to inspect a plurality of terminal fittings through the additional identification portion provided on the terminal fittings, and at the same time, conduct a continuity test of each terminal fitting. I can.

According to the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to inspect two kinds of terminal fittings by providing the identifying additional portion only on one of them, and at the same time, it is possible to conduct the continuity test of each terminal fitting.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a connector to be inspected.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of two types of terminal fittings to be inspected.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inspection tool.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an inspection state.

5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of inspection states.

6 (A) is a perspective view, FIG. 6 (B) is a front view, and FIG. 6 (C) is a cross-sectional view of one of the other tested terminal fittings.

7 (A) is a perspective view, FIG. 7 (B) is a front view, and FIG. 7 (C) is a sectional view of the other of the other tested terminal fittings.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an inspection state of the connector.

9A and 9B are side views of still another terminal fitting to be inspected.

[Explanation of symbols]

A, A 'multipolar connector _{C 1, C 2, C 1} ', C 2 ', C 1 ", C 2" terminal fittings D, D' test instrument _{d 1, d 2, d 1} ', d 2' test Conduction pin 1,1 'Terminal accommodating chamber 2a, 2b, 2c, 2a' Identification additional part

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method for inspecting a plurality of types of terminal fittings accommodated in a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers of a multi-pole connector, wherein additional identifying portions are provided at positions different from each other for each of the plurality of types of terminal fittings. The inspection tool is provided with a plurality of inspection conduction pin groups corresponding to the plurality of identification addition portions corresponding to the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers, and each inspection conduction pin is connected to an inspection circuit, and at the time of inspection, A terminal metal fitting inspection method for a multipolar connector, wherein any one of a plurality of inspection conduction pin groups is brought into contact with an identification additional portion of the terminal metal fitting. 2. A method for inspecting two kinds of terminal fittings housed in a plurality of terminal housing chambers of a multipolar connector, wherein one of the two kinds of terminal fittings is provided with an identification addition part, and
Two types of inspection conduction pins in the inspection circuit are provided corresponding to the types of terminal fittings, and two types of inspection conduction pins are individually provided corresponding to a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers. A method for inspecting a terminal fitting for a multipolar connector, wherein the conductive pins have different axial protrusion amounts, and only one of the conductive pins for inspection contacts the additional portion for identification during inspection. 3. The method of inspecting a terminal metal fitting for a multipolar connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of terminal metal fittings have substantially the same shape and different constituent metal materials. 4. The method of inspecting a terminal metal fitting for a multipolar connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of types of terminal metal fittings are made of different plated metals. 5. The terminal fitting inspection of a multi-pole connector according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the plurality of types of terminal fittings are gold-plated terminal fittings and tin-plated terminal fittings. Method. 6. A plurality of inspection conducting pin groups are provided corresponding to the respective terminal accommodating chambers of the connector to be inspected, and the plurality of inspection conducting pins are respectively connected to an inspection circuit, and the plurality of inspections are performed at the time of inspection. A terminal metal fitting inspection tool for a multipolar connector, wherein one of the conductive pin groups contacts the terminal metal fitting of the connector to be inspected. 7. One of two types of inspection conducting pins is provided corresponding to each terminal accommodating chamber of the connector to be inspected, and each of the inspection conducting pins is connected to an inspection circuit,
The terminal metal fitting inspection tool for a multipolar connector, wherein the two types of inspection conducting pins have mutually different axial protrusion amounts.