JPH10247549A - Connector cap - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector cap which is applicable to various kinds of connectors and is produced at low cost. SOLUTION: The connector cap 1 is removably engaged with a connector 20 and connected to a connector 20 through a connecting tool 30, and a cap body 2 of the connector cap 1 formed into the form of a connector housing of a mating connector which is engaged with the connector 20. The connecting tool is cables with terminals, one-side terminals 31 of the connecting tool and cables 22 with a terminal which are inserted into and locked the connector 20 are fixed together, and another-side terminals 32 of the connecting tool are inserted into and locked to a terminal storing room 3 in the cap body 2. There inserting places are terminal storing rooms 3a, 3b of a cap body 2 which corresponds to empty storing rooms.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector cap fitted to a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various types of connectors are connected to terminals of a wire harness provided in an automobile. Among them are connectors that are not normally used when a driver drives a car. The connector is a connector used by a dealer, a maintenance technician at a repair shop, or the like for “charging the battery from the outside” or “circuit diagnosis”. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, a connector cap 52 is fitted to the connector 51 to prevent dust and the like from entering the connector 51 and to prevent the connector 51 from being deformed. ing.

[0003] However, when a dealer or a mechanic uses the connector 51, the connector cap 52 is used.
Is removed, there is a risk that a dealer or a mechanic may lose the connector cap 52. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in FIG.
2 is connected by a connecting tool 53 such as a string or a hinge, so that a dealer or a mechanic does not lose the connector cap 52.

However, since it is necessary to manufacture the connector cap 52 and the connecting tool 53 in accordance with the shape of the connector 51, there is a problem in that the manufacturing cost of the connector cap 52 becomes high. Further, when the connector 51, the connector cap 52, and the connector 53 are manufactured by integral molding, since there are many types of shapes of the connector 51, many types of molding dies corresponding to the connector 51 are required, and a cap is provided. There has been a problem that the manufacturing cost of the connector is high.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the present invention provides a connector cap which can be fitted to various types of connectors which are not normally used when driving an automobile, and which can be manufactured at low cost. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a connector cap which is detachably fitted to a connector and is connected to the connector via a connector. Is basically a connector cap formed in a connector housing shape of a mating connector to be fitted to the connector (claim 1). The connector is an electric wire with a terminal,
One end of the connector is fixed to the terminal-equipped wire inserted and locked in the connector, and the other end of the connector is inserted and locked in the terminal receiving chamber of the cap body. A cap is used (claim 2). It is also effective to use a connector cap in which the other end of the connector is inserted into the terminal housing of the cap body corresponding to an empty terminal housing in the connector (claim 3).

According to the first aspect, since the shape of the cap body of the connector cap is the shape of the connector housing of the mating connector fitted to the connector, the cap body corresponds to an arbitrary shape of the connector. According to the second aspect, one end of the connector, which is an electric wire with a terminal, is fixed to the electric wire with the terminal, which is inserted and locked in the connector, and the other end of the connector is connected to the terminal accommodating chamber of the cap body. Since the cap body is inserted and locked, even when the cap body is detached from the connector, the cap body is bound by the coupling tool. Claim 3
According to this, since the place where the other end of the connector is inserted is the terminal accommodating chamber of the cap main body corresponding to the empty terminal accommodating chamber in the connector, after fitting of the cap main body and the connector,
Terminals in the connector and terminals in the cap body are not connected.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a female connector and a male connector are used as mating connectors according to claim 1, however, the reverse case is almost the same, so that the description will be omitted.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of a connector cap according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, this connector cap 1 is usually used for a connector housing of a female connector 20 which is not used during driving of an automobile (hereinafter, referred to as a connector housing).
It has a cap body 2 having the same shape as a connector housing (hereinafter, referred to as a male housing) fitted to a female housing 21. The cap body 2 and the female connector 20 are connected by a connector 30.

A locking arm 4 having a lock projection 4a is raised on the upper wall 2a of the cap body 2. The female housing 21 has a hood 21a for accommodating the cap body 2 and a lock hole 2 engaged with the lock projection 4a.
1b are formed respectively. Since the cap body 2 is formed in the shape of a male housing fitted into the female housing 21, there are more types of cap bodies 2 compared to the conventional example.
It is not necessary to make various kinds of molding dies in order to manufacture the dies. Further, the cap body 2 can correspond to various types of female housings 21.

The connector 30 is formed in the same shape as the electric wire with terminal. One end (electric wire portion) 31 of the coupling tool 30;
The terminal-attached electric wire 22 inserted and locked in the female connector 20 is fixed by being wound with a tape 23 together. The other end (terminal portion) 32 of the connector 30 is inserted and locked in the terminal storage chamber 3 of the cap body 2. As described above, since the cap body 2 and the female connector 20 are connected via the connector 30, the cap body 2 is prevented from being lost when the two cap bodies are removed from the female connector 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the place where the other end portion 32 of the connecting member 30 is inserted and locked is a terminal accommodation chamber (empty) among the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers 24 in the female connector 20. Terminal accommodating chamber in which electric wire 22 with terminal is not inserted and locked) 2
Terminal housing chamber 3 of cap body 2 corresponding to 4a, 24b
a and 3b. In this embodiment, the two connecting members 30, 3
Although 0 is inserted into each of the terminal receiving chambers 3a and 3b, a single connector 30 inserted into each of the terminal receiving chambers 3a and 3b is also possible.

As described above, the other end 32 of the connecting member 30 is
Since the female connector 20 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers 3a and 3b of the cap main body 2 corresponding to the empty room among the terminal accommodating chambers, the force required for fitting the female connector 20 and the cap main body 2 is small. A locking projection 4a provided on a locking arm 4 of the cap body 2;
Used to lock 1b. Thereby, the female connector 20 and the cap body 2 are fitted with a smaller force than when the female connector 20 and the male connector (not shown) are fitted and the terminals are electrically connected to each other. Can be.

Further, since the connector cap 1 is formed by the cap main body 2 formed in the shape of a male housing and the connector 30 formed in the shape of a wire with terminals, the manufacturing cost of the connector cap 1 is low. is there.

When the female connector 20 fitted to the connector cap 1 and the male connector 40 (see FIG. 4) from the outside are fitted together, as shown in FIG. The cap body 2 of the connector cap 1 is removed from the female connector 20. When the hand is released from the cap body 2 in the detached state, as shown in FIG. 4, the cap body 2 hangs down from the female connector 20 while being bound by the connecting member 30.

Then, when the male connector 40 and the female connector 20 from the outside are fitted, battery charging, circuit diagnosis, and the like are performed. After the battery charging, the circuit diagnosis, and the like are completed, the female connector 20 and the external male connector 40 are detached from each other. Then, the connector cap 1 is fitted to the female connector 20, and the female connector 20 is deformed. Intrusion of dust and the like into the female connector 20 is prevented.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the cap body of the connector cap is the connector housing of the mating connector to be fitted to the connector, it is possible to correspond to an arbitrary connector shape. . As a result, as compared with the conventional example, the labor for making a molding die for manufacturing the cap body is omitted, and various types of cap bodies are manufactured at low cost.

Further, the connecting member is an electric wire with a terminal, and one end and the electric wire with the terminal in the connector are fixed.
Since the other end is inserted and locked in the cap main body, even when the cap main body is detached from the connector, the cap main body is bound by the connecting tool. This prevents the cap body removed from the connector from being lost.

Furthermore, since the cap body of the connector cap is the connector housing of the mating connector into which the connector is fitted, and the connecting member is an electric wire with terminals,
The manufacturing cost of the connector cap can be kept low. In addition, since the insertion location of the other end of the coupling tool is the terminal housing chamber of the cap main body corresponding to the empty terminal housing chamber in the connector, after the cap main body and the connector are fitted, the terminal in the connector is not connected. The terminal in the cap body is not connected, and can be fitted with a weak fitting force. This reduces the burden on the worker performing the fitting operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing one embodiment of a connector cap according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A shows a terminal accommodating chamber of a female connector,
(B) shows the terminal accommodating chamber of the cap body.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where the connector cap is fitted to the female connector.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which a female connector from which a connector cap is removed and a male connector from the outside are fitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector cap 2 Cap main body 3 Terminal accommodating chamber 3a, 3b Terminal accommodating chamber corresponding to an empty terminal accommodating chamber 20 Female connector 24a, 24b Empty terminal accommodating chamber 30 Connector 31 One end 32 Other end

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A connector cap detachably fitted to a connector and connected to the connector via a connector, wherein a cap body of the connector cap is a connector of a mating connector fitted to the connector. A connector cap formed in a housing shape. 2. The connector is an electric wire with a terminal, one end of the connector and an electric wire with a terminal inserted and locked in the connector are fixed, and the other end of the connector is The connector cap according to claim 1, wherein the connector cap is inserted and locked in a terminal accommodating chamber of the cap body. 3. The connector for a connector according to claim 2, wherein an insertion place of the other end of the connector is a terminal accommodating chamber of the cap body corresponding to an empty terminal accommodating chamber in the connector. cap.