JPH0982418A - Engaging structure of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To engage a mating connector regularly with a connector on the receiving side. SOLUTION: A connector mounting board 8 is attached to the rear side of an instrument panel 1. A female connector 9 on receiving side is set in an engaging hole 10, and a lock piece 13 capable of flexible deformation is locked by the peripheral protrusion wall 16, whereby it is retained in the work position before the regular setup position. A through hole 18 is made in the protrusion wall 16, and also an entry part 20 is projected at the tip end of the male connector 5 provided at electric equipment 2. When the electric equipment 2 is inserted into an opening 3 for mounting, both connectors 5 and 9 are engaged with each other while the entry part 20 is getting inward of the lock piece 13 through the through hole 18. When they are engaged regularly, the mating taper faces 21 and 17 of the entry part 21 and the salient wall 16 are coordinated with each other, and the lock is released, and when a user pushes in the electric equipment 2 further, the female connector 9 is pushed into the setup position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector fitting structure in which one of a pair of male and female connectors is placed in a standby state and the other connector is fitted from the front.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a structure and an assembling procedure of a portion for connecting various electric components such as meters and switches mounted on an instrument panel to a wire harness are as follows. The instrument panel has openings for mounting various electrical components at predetermined positions, while a wire harness is accommodated on the back side of the instrument panel. Corresponding to each opening from the wire harness. Thus, the connector is pulled out. The instrument panel is fixed to the body with the wire harness stored therein. When connecting electrical components to a wire harness, first insert your hand or finger through the opening and pull out the corresponding connector to the front of the instrument panel. After fitting, the electrical components are attached to the opening together with the connector, and this is repeated for each electrical component to assemble. This method has a problem that it takes time and effort to assemble electrical components, resulting in inefficiency.

Therefore, in recent years, in order to improve work efficiency, instrument panels adopting a plug-in type connection structure are being developed one after another. As shown in FIG. 9, this one is provided with a connector mounting plate d in addition to an instrument panel b having an opening c for mounting various electric components a. On the connector mounting plate d, a plurality of connectors e which can be fitted to the connectors provided in each electrical component a are respectively drawn out from the wire harness f and supported at predetermined positions. This connector e is a so-called standby connector. Then, the connector mounting plate d supporting the connector e is attached to the back side of the instrument panel b in advance, and the instrument panel b is fixed to the body in this state. After that, each electrical component a is sequentially inserted into the opening c, and the connector of the electrical component a is fitted with the corresponding connector e on the connector mounting plate d, thereby connecting each electrical component a. is there.

[0004]

In adopting the plug-in structure, when the connector mounting plate d is mounted on the instrument panel b as described above, it is difficult to obtain the mounting accuracy because both are large molded products. As a result, the distance from the opening c to the connector e on the standby side may vary. for that reason,
For example, if the standby side connector e is retracted too far back, the connector of the other electrical component a cannot be fitted to the normal amount, and conversely, if the standby side connector e is too far forward, the electrical component a side There is a problem that the electrical component a cannot be pushed to a predetermined position in the opening c because the pushing of the connector is restricted. The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to enable a mating connector to be properly fitted to a connector on a standby side.

[0005]

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that one connector of a pair of male and female connectors is provided on a connector mounting plate in a standby state, and one of them is provided. In the connector fitting structure in which the other connector is fitted from the front of the connector, the connector mounting plate is provided with an opening into which the one connector is movably fitted in the front-rear direction, One of the connectors has a lock receiving portion provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof locked by an elastically bendable and deformable locking piece projecting from the connector mounting plate, so that the connector is installed at a position more than the regular mounting position. The connector is held at a work position that projects forward and can be fitted to the other connector at the work position, and the other connector is fitted to the front of the locking piece when fitted to the one connector. An entry portion is provided that can enter toward a hooking portion with the lock receiving portion, and the entry portion is a hook of the locking piece when the both connectors are properly fitted in the working position. A part is configured to be flexibly deformed in a direction to release the engagement, thereby releasing the lock with respect to the lock receiving part and allowing the one connector to be pushed into the assembly position. It is characterized by

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the locking receiving portion is formed by projecting a projecting wall on the outer peripheral surface of the one connector, and the locking piece is engaged on the rear end surface thereof. And a through hole is formed from the front end face toward the rear end face, and a taper surface having an upward slope is formed on the outer surface from the rear end face toward the front end face side. When the connector is fitted with one of the connectors, an entry portion that extends into the through hole extends in the front-rear direction, and the entry portion is formed when the both connectors are properly fitted at the working position. The tapered surface formed through the through hole and formed at the tip of the through hole is continuous with the tapered surface, so that when the other connector is further displaced forward, the locking piece is moved to the tapered surface on the protruding wall side. By inducing, Characterized in place has a configuration which enables pushing into the assembly position the other connector while releasing the engagement with the protruding wall of the stop piece.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a pair of male and female connectors to be fitted to each other, an electrical component provided with the one connector, an electrical component mounting plate for mounting the electrical component at a predetermined position, and an electrical component. With a connector mounting plate that can be attached to the product mounting plate and supports the other connector in a standby state,
By attaching the connector mounting plate to the electrical component mounting plate in advance, fixing the electrical component mounting plate to the body, and then mounting the electrical component, the connector on the electrical component side is fitted with the connector on the standby side on the connector mounting plate. The connector mounting plate is provided with an opening into which the connector on the stand-by side is movably fitted in the front-rear direction, and the connector on the stand-by side is provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof. Since the stopper portion is locked to the elastically bendable and deformable locking piece projecting from the connector mounting plate, it is held at the work position projecting forward from the normal assembly position, The connector on the electrical component side can be fitted in the position, and the connector on the electrical component side is caught by the locking piece and the locking receiving portion when the connector on the standby side is fitted. part An approaching portion that is capable of approaching is provided, and the approaching portion is a direction that releases the engagement of the hooking portion of the locking piece when the both connectors are properly fitted in the working position. The present invention is characterized in that the lock of the lock receiving portion is released by flexing and deforming to allow the connector on the standby side to be pushed into the assembly position.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the connector on the standby side has the lock receiving portion provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof locked by the lock piece, so that the working position in front of the regular assembly position can be achieved. Held in. The mating connector is fitted to the connector on the standby side at the working position while the entry part provided there is inserted into the hooking part of the locking piece, and when both connectors are fitted properly, the entry part By bending and deforming the locking piece,
The lock on the lock receiving portion is released. When the mating connector is subsequently pushed to the predetermined position, the standby connector is pushed to the regular assembling position together with the mating connector.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the connector on the standby side is held at the working position by locking the locking piece to the rear end surface of the projecting wall provided on the outer peripheral surface. The mating connector is fitted with the connector on the standby side at the working position while the entry portion penetrates the projecting wall, and the locking piece flexes and deforms along the tapered surface at the tip of the entry portion. When both connectors are properly fitted, the entrance portion and the tapered surfaces of the projecting wall are continuous with each other, and the locking of the locking piece with the projecting wall is released. When the mating connector is subsequently pushed to a predetermined position, the locking piece crosses the projecting wall, and the connector on the standby side is pushed to the regular assembling position together with the mating connector.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the connector on the standby side has the locking receiving portion provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof locked by the locking piece, so that the working position in front of the regular assembling position. Held in. The connector on the electrical component side is fitted with the connector on the standby side at the working position while the entry portion provided therein is advanced into the hooking portion of the locking piece, and when both connectors are fitted properly, The entry portion flexes and deforms the locking piece to release the locking with respect to the locking receiving portion. When the electrical component is subsequently pushed to a predetermined position, the connector on the standby side is pushed to the regular assembly position together with the connector on the electrical component side.

[0011]

According to the first and second aspects of the invention, the mating connector is fitted in a state in which the connector on the standby side is locked in advance at the working position in front of the regular assembling position, and then the mating connector is assembled. Since the connector can be pushed to the attaching position, there is an effect that both connectors are properly fitted and that the mating connector can be surely pushed to the predetermined position and mounted.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, even when the connector mounting plate is attached to the electrical component mounting plate in the front-rear direction, the connectors on the electrical component side corresponding to the standby side are properly fitted to each other. In addition, there is an effect that the electric component can be surely pushed into a predetermined position and mounted.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a connecting portion of an electric component in an instrument panel will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is an instrument panel similar to that described with reference to FIG. 9, which is integrally molded from synthetic resin. The instrument panel 1 is formed with a plurality of mounting openings 3 for inserting and mounting various electric components 2 from the front side. The mounting opening 3 is formed so as to project like a rectangular tube on the back surface side. On the front side in the insertion direction of the electrical component 2, a hood-like male connector 5 (hereinafter,
A male connector) is integrally provided, and a tab-shaped male terminal metal fitting 6 is projected inside thereof.

On the rear side of the instrument panel 1,
Similarly, a connector mounting plate 8 integrally formed of synthetic resin can be attached. The connector mounting plate 8 has a female connector 9 on the standby side.
A fitting hole 10 into which (hereinafter, referred to as a female connector) can be fitted is formed. Each fitting hole 10 is formed at a position corresponding to each mounting opening 3 when the connector mounting plate 8 is mounted on the instrument panel 1, and the corresponding female connector 9 is formed in each fitting hole 10. It has a clearance so that it can be freely moved in the front-rear direction.

The female connector 9 can be fitted at its front end side into the male connector 5 provided in the electrical component 2 described above,
Inside it, the electric wire 1 pulled out from the wire harness
A female terminal fitting (not shown) connected to one terminal is accommodated. The wire harness is integrally attached to the connector mounting plate 8.

4 in the fitting hole 10 of the connector mounting plate 8
On the front side of the edge of the book, as shown in FIG. 7, a locking piece 13 is projected. Each locking piece 13 is formed so as to project obliquely inward at the center position of each edge in the width direction. The tip surface 13a of each locking piece 13 is
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a tapered surface 21 of an entrance portion 20 described later is formed in a tapered shape so as to be easily scooped, and a tip end side thereof can be flexibly deformed outward.

A flange 15 is formed on the rear end surface of the female connector 9 over the entire circumference thereof, and a thick protruding wall 16 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the female connector 9 at a position a predetermined distance ahead of the flange 15. Are formed over the entire four surfaces. The protruding end surface of each protruding wall 16 has a taper surface 17 that has a downward slope at a predetermined inclination angle from the front surface side to the rear surface side.
Are formed. In addition, at the root of each protruding wall 16,
A through hole 18 penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface is formed at the center position in the width direction. The through hole 18 has a height from the outer peripheral surface of the female connector 9 to the lower edge of the tapered surface 17, and is formed to be slightly narrower than the locking piece 13 described above.

The female connector 9 is inserted into the insertion hole 10 from the rear surface side (right side in FIG. 1) while flexibly deforming the locking piece 13, and the tip of the restored and deformed locking piece 13 is the root of each projecting wall 16. By locking to a part, it is held in a state of preventing backward slipping. This position is a work position where the fitting work with the male connector 5 on the electrical component 2 side is performed, and this work position is
As shown in FIG. 4, the female connector 9 is projected forward in advance from the assembled position where the female connector 9 is finally pushed and stored.
By locking the locking piece 13 to the collar 15, it is possible to prevent the female connector 9 from moving forward more than necessary.

On the other hand, at the tip edge of the male connector 5 on the electrical component 2 side, as shown in detail in FIG.
Four entry parts 20 that can enter the inside are formed. A taper surface 21 is formed at the tip of each of the entrance portions 20 and is tapered downward from the outer surface to the inner surface. The tapered surface 21 is inclined at the same angle as the tapered surface 17 of the projecting wall 16 described above.

Therefore, when both connectors 5 and 9 are fitted, the tip of the entry portion 20 is penetrated through the through hole 18 of the projecting wall 16 from the front surface to the rear surface side, and the both connectors 5 and 9 are fitted properly. At the combined position, the entrance portion 20 is adapted to enter a position where the taper surface 21 thereof forms the same plane as the taper surface 17 of the projecting wall 16.

Both connectors 5 and 9 are provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) for locking each other when they are properly fitted. A pair of lock pieces 23 for locking the electric component 2 in the mounting opening 3 are provided on both upper and lower surfaces on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the electric component 2. The lock piece 23 is formed so as to be flexibly deformable and extends forward in the insertion direction, and a fitting projection 24 is formed at the extension end. On the other hand, on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the mounting opening 3, there are formed lock recesses 25 into which the fitting protrusions 24 can be fitted. That is, the electrical component 2 is inserted into the mounting opening 3 while flexibly deforming the lock piece 23, and is pushed to a predetermined position (for example, the position where the rear end face in the insertion direction is flush with the surface of the instrument panel 1). The lock piece 23 is restored and deformed so that the fitting projection 24 fits into the lock recess 25, and the lock piece 23 is locked in a state in which movement in the pushing-in and pull-out directions is restricted.

This embodiment has the above-described structure,
Subsequently, the procedure of the assembling will be described. A female terminal fitting drawn from the wire harness is mounted on the female connector 9, and the female connector 9 is fitted into the fitting hole 1 of the connector mounting plate 8.
When the female connector 9 is inserted into the 0 from the rear surface side, as shown in FIG. 5, the front ends of the respective locking pieces 13 are locked to the root portions of the rear surface of the projecting wall 16, so that the female connector 9 works as shown in FIG. Supported in position. The connector mounting plate 8 supporting the female connector 9 in this manner is attached to the back side of the instrument panel 1. Next, the instrument panel 1 to which the connector mounting plate 8 is attached in advance is fixed to the body.

Subsequently, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, the electrical component 2 is pushed into the mounting opening 3 of the instrument panel 1. As described above, since the female connector 9 on the standby side is held in the working position in a state where the backward movement is restricted by being locked by the locking piece 13, the female connector 9 of the electrical component 2 is attached to the female connector 9. 5 is gradually fitted.

As the fitting progresses, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the respective entrance portions 20 provided in the male connector 5 pass through the through holes 18 of the corresponding projecting wall 16 of the female connector 9 and the rear surface thereof. Side, and the tapered surface 21 at the tip thereof scoops the tip of the locking piece 13, and the tip side of the locking piece 13 is flexed and deformed outward along the tapered surface 21.

When the electrical component 2 is pushed in until both connectors 5 and 9 are properly fitted, as shown in FIG.
The taper surface 21 of 0 and the taper surface 17 of the projecting wall 16 are aligned so that the tip of the locking piece 13 can be moved from the taper surface 21 of the entrance portion 20 to the lower edge of the taper surface 17 of the projecting wall 16. Become.

Then, when the electrical component 2 is further pushed in, the locking piece 13 is flexed and deformed outward, and the tapered surface 17 of the projecting wall 16 is deformed.
Go over it along the line, and when you get over it, lock piece 1
3 is deformed in the backward direction and slidably contacts the outer peripheral surface of the male connector 5,
The female connector 9 is pushed inward together with the male connector 5.

During this time, the electric component 2 is pushed in while flexibly deforming the lock piece 23, and when pushed to a predetermined position, the fitting projection 24 of the lock piece 23 is inserted into the lock recess 25 as shown in FIG. By fitting elastically, electrical components 2
Is installed in a predetermined position with the pushing and locking prevention restricted. As a result, the female connector 9 is accommodated in the regular assembling position while being normally fitted to the male connector 5.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the female connector 9 on the stand-by side is held in the connector mounting plate 8 in a state in which the female connector 9 on the stand-by side is locked in advance at the work position in front of the regular assembly position, and is in that work position. Since the male connector 5 on the electrical component 2 side is fitted to the female connector 9 and then pushed to the assembly position, when the connector mounting plate 8 is attached to the instrument panel 1, there are variations in the front-back direction. Even in this case, the connectors 9 and 5 on the side of the electrical component 2 corresponding to the standby side can be properly fitted together, and the electrical component 2 can be securely pushed to a predetermined position for mounting.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the above-described embodiment, four locking pieces are used to hold the female connector in the working position, but the female connector is locked from four directions. Good. (2) The present invention is not limited to the connection portion of the electrical component in the instrument panel, but one connector of a pair of male and female connectors is provided on the connector mounting plate in a standby state, and the connector from the front side to the other side of the connector mounting plate is provided. It can be widely applied to all connector fitting structures in which the connector is fitted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a female connector on a standby side is held at a working position of a connector mounting plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where both connectors are in the middle of fitting.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where both connectors are properly fitted.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the female connector is pushed into a regular assembling position.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a state in which the female connector is held at the working position.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state where both connectors are in the middle of fitting.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a female connector holding structure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an electrical component provided with a male connector.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure of electrical components in a plug-in format.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Instrument panel (electrical equipment mounting plate) 2 ... Electrical equipment 3 ... Mounting opening 5 ... Male connector 8 ... Connector mounting plate 9 ... Female connector (standby connector) 10 ... Fitting hole (opening) 13 ... Locking piece 16 ... Projection wall (locking receiving part) 17 ... Tapered surface 18 ... Through hole 20 ... Entry part 21 ... Tapered surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A connector fitting structure in which one connector of a pair of male and female connectors is provided on a connector mounting plate in a standby state, and the other connector is fitted from the front of the one connector. The connector mounting plate is provided with an opening into which the one connector is movably fitted in the front-rear direction, and the one connector has a lock receiving portion provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof protruding from the connector mounting plate. By being locked to the provided elastically deformable locking piece, it is held at the work position that projects forward from the normal assembly position, and can be fitted to the other connector at that work position In addition, the other connector is provided with an entrance portion that can enter toward the hooking portion between the locking piece and the locking receiving portion when the connector is fitted to the one connector. Department When the both connectors are properly fitted at the working position, the hooking portion of the locking piece is bent and deformed in a direction to release the engagement, thereby locking the locking receiving portion. A connector fitting structure characterized in that the connector is released to allow the one connector to be pushed into the assembling position. 2. The lock receiving portion according to claim 1, wherein the locking receiving portion is formed by projecting a projecting wall on an outer peripheral surface of the one connector, and the locking piece is engageable at a rear end surface thereof. In addition, a through hole is formed from the front end face toward the rear end face, and a taper surface is formed on the outer surface as an upward slope from the rear end face toward the front end face side, while the other connector is An entry portion that enters the through hole when fitted to the one connector is extended along the front-rear direction, and the entry portion is formed through the through hole when the both connectors are properly fitted at the working position. The tapered surface formed at the tip through the
As a result, when the other connector is displaced further forward, by guiding the locking piece to the tapered surface on the protruding wall side, the other connector is released while releasing the engagement of the locking piece with the protruding wall. A connector fitting structure characterized in that it can be pushed into the assembly position. 3. A pair of male and female connectors to be fitted to each other, an electrical component provided with the one connector, an electrical component mounting plate capable of mounting the electrical component at a predetermined position, and an electrical component mounting plate. A connector mounting plate that supports the other connector in a standby state is possible, and by previously mounting the connector mounting plate on the electrical component mounting plate, fixing the electrical component mounting plate to the body, and then mounting the electrical component, In the connector in which the electrical component side is fitted with the connector on the standby side on the connector mounting plate, the connector mounting plate has an opening into which the connector on the standby side is movable in the front-rear direction. And a lock receiving portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the connector on the standby side is locked to a resiliently deformable locking piece projecting from the connector mounting plate. And is held at a work position projecting forward from the regular assembly position, and can be fitted with the connector on the electrical component side at the work position, and the standby on the connector on the electrical component side. Is provided with an entry portion that can enter toward the hooking portion of the locking piece and the locking receiving portion when the connector is fitted to the connector on the side of the connector. When fitted, the hooking portion of the locking piece is flexibly deformed in a direction to release the engagement, thereby releasing the locking with respect to the locking receiving portion, and the connector on the standby side is connected to the assembly. A connector fitting structure characterized in that it is configured to be pushed into the attaching position.