JPH0945441A - Joint connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a joint connector from being an obstacle when the same is used for a wire harness or the like by mutually conducting terminal metal fittings contained in housing cavities through joint metal fittings. SOLUTION: Slits 12a, 12b are formed in the opening end of a cylindrical housing 10 containing a terminal metal fitting 30. In a joint metal fitting 20, in a state that a fitting metal portion 21 is contained in a cavity 11 of the housing 10 a coupling piece portion 22 passes through the slits 12b to go out, passes through the slit 12a of another housing 10 to enter another cavity 11, and conducts to the joint metal fitting 20 of the other housing 10 so as to couple both housings 10, 10. Therefore, the housings 10, 10 are mutually connected by the flexible coupling pieces 22, can be wound on the periphery of a wire harness to lie parallel therewith, and it is possible to prevent only a joint connector from protruding to be an obstacle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joint connector, and more particularly to a joint connector suitable for use in branch connection of a wire harness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a joint connector of this type, a plurality of cavities capable of accommodating terminal fittings have been formed in a generally rectangular connector housing, and the joint fittings are accommodated so as to extend over the plurality of cavities. What you have done is known. In this structure, when the terminal fittings are housed in the respective cavities, the terminal fittings are fitted and connected to the joint fittings, and are electrically connected to each other through the joint fittings.

[0003]

The conventional joint connector described above is housed in a rectangular box-shaped connector housing having a plurality of cavities. For example, branch lines branched from a wire harness may be joined together. In such a case, the terminal fittings are connected to the ends of the respective branch lines and housed in a rectangular box-shaped connector housing, and the wire bundle of the wire harness and the connector housing are taped and fixed. Therefore, there is a problem that the connector housing is largely projected, which is an obstacle and is caught when the wire harness is routed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a joint connector which can be kept out of the way when it is used in a wire harness or the like.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is such that the terminal fittings housed in the cavities of the housing are electrically connected to each other by joint fittings mounted across the cavities. A joint connector to be connected, wherein the joint metal fitting is formed in a strip-shaped piece having flexibility with a metal fitting portion that is connected to the terminal metal fitting in the cavity, and is electrically connected to the metal fitting portion, and is provided outside the housing. A connecting piece portion that is connected to another housing and is conductively connected to a metal fitting portion of the other housing, and the housing has a connecting piece of the joint metal fitting while accommodating the metal fitting portion of the joint metal fitting in the cavity. It is led out to the outside, and while connecting with the end of the connecting piece that is drawn out from another housing, connect that end to the metal part inside the cavity. There as Mel configuration.

The invention according to claim 2 is the same as claim 1.
In the joint connector described in (1) above, the housing is formed in a tubular shape with both ends open, and one end side wall is formed with the slit-like connecting piece outlet and connecting piece inlet on the wall surfaces facing each other. , The joint metal fitting is oriented in the metal fitting portion toward the axis of the cavity in the tubular housing, and the connecting piece is provided in the metal fitting portion so that the connecting piece can be led out to the outside through the connecting piece lead-out port. It is extended from the rear end portion in the insertion direction to the side orthogonal to the axis, and its tip is bent so as to connect the housings when it is introduced into the cavity of the housing through the connection piece introduction port. It has a different structure.

Further, the invention according to claim 3 is the joint connector according to claim 2, wherein the joint fitting is press-fitted and fixed to the housing. Further, the invention according to claim 4 is the joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a wire for wiring is connected to the joint fitting. Further, the invention according to claim 5 is the joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting piece is insulation-coated.

[0008]

In the invention according to claim 1 configured as described above, the joint is composed of a metal fitting portion which is connected to the terminal metal fitting in the cavity, and a connecting piece portion which is formed into a strip-shaped strip having flexibility. Attach the metal fittings to the housing. Here, the metal fitting portion of the joint metal fitting is housed in the cavity of the housing, but the connecting piece connected to the metal fitting portion is connected to another housing outside the cavity and is electrically connected to the metal fitting portion inside the cavity of the same housing. To do.
Therefore, the plurality of housings are connected by the connecting piece,
Further, the metal fittings in each housing are also electrically connected to each other via the connecting piece. The connected housings flex freely due to the flexibility of the connecting piece, and do not significantly project when wound around the wire harness.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, one end side wall of the cylindrical housing having both ends opened is provided with a slit-shaped connecting piece on a wall surface facing each other. An outlet and a connecting piece inlet are formed, and the metal fitting part of the joint metal fitting is oriented toward the axis of the cavity in this tubular housing, and the connecting piece part is rearward in the inserting direction of the metal fitting part. It extends from the end portion to the side orthogonal to the axis. That is, when the metal fittings of the joint metal fittings are accommodated from the end of the tubular housing, the connecting piece extending laterally from the rear end of the metal fittings has a slit shape formed on the end side wall of the housing. Is inserted into the connection piece outlet of and is led out from the inside of the cavity to the outside. In this state, the connecting piece is led out from the end side wall of the housing, and the plurality of housings are arranged side by side, and the end of the bent tip of the connecting piece is formed in the slit end side wall of the other housing. As it is inserted from the connecting piece introduction port, the bent tip engages with the side wall of the housing and cannot be pulled out, and the housings are connected to each other.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, when the joint fitting is inserted from the end of the housing, the joint fitting is press-fitted and fixed to the housing at the same time. Further, in the invention according to claim 4 configured as described above, the electric wire for wiring is connected to the joint metal fitting, and the terminal metal fittings are connected to each other and also to the electric wire for wiring. Further, in the invention according to claim 5 configured as described above, the connecting piece for connecting the housings is covered with an insulating material so that it is not short-circuited with another conductor or the like outside.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the terminal fittings inside the housing are electrically connected to each other via the connecting piece, and the housings are connected to each other via the connecting piece to branch and connect from the wire harness. In such a case, it is possible to provide a joint connector that can be wound around this wire harness and that can be prevented from largely protruding from the periphery of the wire harness by being wound in this way.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the housing can be accommodated by simply inserting the joint fitting from the end of the cylindrical housing, and can be easily connected to another housing. Further, according to the invention of claim 3, the joint metal fitting can be inserted and fixed at the same time by slidingly pressing the joint metal fitting, and further, according to the invention of claim 4, By connecting the electric wire for wiring to the metal fitting, each terminal metal fitting can be connected to the electric wire for wiring. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, since the connecting piece for connecting the housings is covered with the insulating material, it is possible to prevent the exposed connecting piece from being short-circuited when wound around the wire harness or the like.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. One joint fitting 20 for one housing 10
The joint fitting 20 is connected to the female terminal fitting 30 housed in the housing 10 and connects the housing 10 and another housing 10 outside the housing 10. In the figure, the housing 10 is
It is formed in a generally rectangular tube shape having one cavity 11 having both ends open, and has a lance for holding the female-side terminal fitting 30 therein. In the present embodiment, the housing has only one cavity 11, but it may be any one that can accommodate the terminal fitting 30, and is not necessarily one and has a shape such as two chambers arranged side by side. May be. However, as the number of the cavities 11 increases, the overall shape also increases, so that the size may be set to an appropriate size according to the size of the harness to be used.

Slits 12a and 12b as connecting piece lead-out ports and connecting piece introduction ports are formed on both side wall surfaces of the housing 10 facing each other at one opening end. As shown in FIG. 1, the slits 12a and 12b are formed so as to communicate with the outer surface along one surface 11a on the inner peripheral surface of the rectangular tube, and one slit 12a is simply formed on the outer surface and inside the cavity 11. The slit 12b is formed in a groove shape for communicating with and, but the other slit 12b is formed with a locking groove 12b1 which is bent at a right angle in the middle of the wall of the housing 10. The joint fitting 20 mounted on the housing 10 is formed by bending a substantially T-shaped metal flat plate, and includes a fitting part 21 protruding from the middle and a connecting piece part 22 extending in the lateral direction. The metal fitting 21 is formed in a male tab shape, is supported by the connecting piece 22 and is inserted into the cavity 11 of the housing 10. On the other hand, the connecting piece 22 has a strip-like shape having the same width that can be inserted into the slits 12a and 12b, and one end of the connecting piece 22 has the slit 12b.
The engaging end 22a is bent so that it can be engaged with the engaging groove 12b1. Further, in the cavity 11, the male tab-shaped metal fitting 21 is bent in a convex shape so that it can be held horizontally in the middle of the cavity 11, and can be led out of the cavity 11 through the slit 12a. Then, the other end can be inserted into the cavity 11 again through the slit 12b in the other housing 10, and the end portion inserted into the cavity 11 is locked in the cavity 11 to prevent it from coming off. The retaining end 22b is appropriately bent in a direction perpendicular to the slit 12b, and is formed into a lance shape so as to overlap with the end of the joint fitting 20 held in the other housing 10 and to conduct electricity. It is formed by cutting and raising the claw piece 22c.

In this embodiment, the housing 10 has a slit 12 for communicating the cavity 11 with the outside.
a and 12b are formed, and the joint fitting 20 is led out from the cavity 11 through the slits 12a and 12b to the outside, and is again introduced into the cavity 11 from the outside. 22 and the metal fitting portion 21 held by the connecting piece portion 22 in the cavity 11 are formed, but these may be any as long as they satisfy the following requirements. That is, the metal fitting portion 21 of the joint metal fitting 20 can be connected to the terminal metal fitting 30 inserted in the cavity 11, and the connecting piece portion 22 is electrically connected to the metal fitting portion 21 and is held by the one housing 10 while being held. Extended from the housing 10 to the outside,
Further, the extended end portion is connected to another housing 10 and is electrically connected to the joint fitting 20 held by the housing 10. This allows the two housings 1
While 0 and 10 are connected via the connecting piece 22, the metal fittings 21 and 21 inserted inside are electrically connected to each other.

Therefore, any modifications can be made as long as they satisfy the above requirements. For example, in this embodiment, the connecting piece portion 22 has a locking end 22a at one end, is bent in a convex shape in the middle, and has a retaining end 22b at the other end. The direction can be changed according to the formation positions of the slits 12a and 12b and the locking groove 12b1. As an example, as shown in FIG.
The bending directions of 2a and the retaining end 22b may be opposite to each other. Further, the shape of bending in a convex shape changes depending on the position where the metal fitting 21 is held, and further, the metal fitting 21 having a male tab shape can be formed in a box shape like a female side terminal metal fitting. In this case, the locking end 22a may be omitted, and the joint fittings 20 may be electrically connected only by the retaining end 22b. In these cases, the metal fitting portion 21 and the connecting piece portion 22 do not necessarily have to be integrated, and it is sufficient that the metal fitting portion 21 and the connecting piece portion 22 can be brought into contact with each other in the cavity 11 to establish electrical conduction.

The connecting piece 22 passes through the slits 12a and 12b into and out of the cavity 11, but the metal fitting 21 and the connecting piece 22 pass through the opening at the end of the housing 10. It may be configured to conduct electricity. For example, as shown in FIG.
The connecting piece portion 22 is formed in a cap shape capable of covering the end portion of the housing 10 and arm-like connecting pieces 22d and 22d are extended left and right, and the metal fitting portion 21 is formed so as to project from the inner bottom surface thereof. . When the joint fitting 20 is attached to the end of the housing 10, the fitting 21
Is inserted into the cavity 11 of the housing 10, and the connecting pieces 22d and 22d are connecting pieces 22 of joint fittings mounted on another housing 10 outside the housing 10.
d and 22d are engaged and connected. It should be noted that the housing 10 does not necessarily have to be directly connected to the end portion of the connecting piece portion 22 as in this example, and that the connecting mechanism between the connecting pieces 22d and 22d is not limited to that shown in the drawings. It can be changed. However, the structure of the present embodiment in which the strip-shaped connecting piece portion 22 is passed through the slits 12a and 12b can be manufactured simply by stamping out and bending the joint metal fitting 20 into a T-shape. Can be Further, the joint fitting 20 can be easily prevented from coming off by pressing the slits 12a and 12b and fixing the same. Although the connecting piece 22 is exposed in the present embodiment, the exposed portion may be covered with an insulating material such as a resin mold so as to prevent it from coming into contact with an external metal portion to cause a short circuit. Further, it is possible to connect another electric wire for wiring to the joint fitting 20, and by doing so, the electric wire can be electrically connected to each terminal fitting 30.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above structure will be described. The joint fitting 20 is attached to each of the housings 10 from the end side where the slits 12a and 12b are formed. That is, the metal fitting 21 is attached to the cavity 1
1 while inserting the connecting piece 22 into the slits 12a, 1
Insert into 2b. Here, the locking end 22a is inserted into the locking groove 12b1 in the slit 12b. A plurality of housings 10 are arranged side by side, and the ends of the connecting piece portions 22 projecting from one of the housings 10 are inserted into the slits 12b. At this time, by inserting the retaining end 22b into the cavity 11, the connecting piece portions 22 are overlapped with each other in the slit 12b, and conduction is achieved through the claw piece 22c at the overlapping portion. Furthermore, since the retaining end 22b is bent in the direction orthogonal to the slit 12b, the housings 10, 10 cannot be separated from each other and are connected to each other. The required number of housings 10 are wound around the wire harness in a connected state. Since the housing 10 is connected by the strip-shaped connecting piece portion 22, it can be wound along the outer peripheral shape of the wire harness, and unlike the conventional case, only the connector housing protrudes and becomes an obstacle. Absent. Before and after this, when the terminal fitting 30 is inserted into the cavity 11 in the housing 10, the terminal fitting 30 is connected in the cavity 11 and the terminal fittings 30 inserted in the respective housings 10 are connected to each other by the connecting piece 22.
Conducts through. Then, if necessary, the tape is wound to complete the joint work.

In this way, the slits 12a, 12 are formed at the open end of the cylindrical housing 10 capable of accommodating the terminal fitting 30.
b, the joint fitting 20 has the fitting piece 21 housed in the cavity 11 of the housing 10, the connecting piece portion 22 is led to the outside through the slit 12b, and the slit 12a in the other housing 10 is formed. Is introduced into the cavity 11 via the housing 1
Both housings 1 while conducting with the joint fitting 20 of 0
Since 0 and 10 are connected, the housing 10,
The ten members are connected to each other via a flexible connecting piece portion 22, and can be wound around the wire harness and run along the wire harness, and only the joint connector can be prevented from projecting.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a joint connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a joint connector according to a modification.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a joint connector according to another modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing 11 ... Cavities 12a, 12b ... Slit 20 ... Joint metal fitting 21 ... Metal fitting part 22 ... Coupling piece part 22b ... Retaining end 22d, 22d ... Coupling piece 30 ... Terminal metal fitting

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A joint connector, wherein terminal fittings housed in a cavity of a housing are electrically connected to each other by joint fittings mounted across the cavities, wherein the joint fitting is a terminal fitting in the cavity. A metal fitting part to be connected and a flexible strip-shaped piece that is electrically connected to the metal fitting part and is connected to another housing outside the housing while being conductively connected to the metal fitting part in the other housing. The housing includes a metal fitting part of the joint fitting in the cavity and allows the connecting piece of the joint fitting to be led to the outside, and is connected to an end of the connecting piece drawn from another housing. A joint connector characterized in that the same end is electrically connected to the metal fitting inside the cavity. 2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed in a tubular shape with both ends open, and one end side wall has a slit-shaped connecting piece outlet on a wall surface facing each other. A joint piece introduction port is formed, and the joint metal piece is oriented so that the metal piece portion is directed toward the axis of the cavity in the tubular housing, and the connection piece can be led out to the outside through the connection piece outlet port. So that the housing is extended from the rear end portion in the insertion direction of the metal fitting portion to the side orthogonal to the axis, and the tip thereof is introduced into the cavity of the housing through the connection piece introduction port. A joint connector characterized by being bent so as to connect them to each other. 3. The joint connector according to claim 2, wherein the joint fitting is press-fitted and fixed to the housing. 4. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein an electric wire for wiring is connected to the joint fitting. 5. The joint connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the connecting piece is covered with an insulating material.