JPH10319081A - Inspecting part for connector inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent inspection error from occurring, by avoiding problems caused by bending of a lance inspecting member. SOLUTION: In a connector 1 to be inspected, opening width W1 of a connecting window 5 in a terminal fitting 3 is set narrower than opening width W2 of an opening part 6 which is connected with the connecting window 5. A probe pin 22 which inspects the terminal fitting 3 by contacting with the terminal fitting 3 through the connecting window 5 is placed. Moreover, an inspecting member 23 which is fixed to the probe pin 22 integrally and can be contacted through the opening part 6 with a lance 7 which fails to be fixed. The inspecting member 23 has outside width W3 necessary and sufficient to be inserted into the opening part 6. Therefore, the lance inspecting member 23 is not bent easily, even if it is bent, it is not contacted with the terminal fitting 3 through the terminal connecting window 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an inspection section of a connector inspection apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a connector used for an electric wiring system such as a wire harness and a subassembly (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a "wire assembly") constituting the wire harness has a plurality of cavities in a resin housing. A terminal fitting connected to the electric wire is inserted into the cavity. The terminal fitting and the cavity are fixed by a so-called lance method. In this lance system, the tongue-shaped lance formed on one (mainly a connector) is locked in a locking hole formed on the other, thereby preventing the terminal fitting from coming out of the cavity. .

In the manufacturing process of the above-mentioned wire assembly, continuity inspection of the electrical wiring state and connection state of the connector, and inspection of the stationary state of the terminal fitting and the housing are strictly performed. Various inspection units of a connector inspection device capable of simultaneously performing such a continuity inspection and a stationary state inspection have been proposed. The inspection unit of the connector inspection device usually has a connector holder for holding the connector and a relatively close / closed connector.
The inspection unit includes a block body serving as a main body member, and a probe pin that is provided in the block body, enters a cavity of the connector, and can be electrically connected to the terminal fitting. ing. In order to inspect the stationary state between the terminal fitting and the housing, various improvements have been proposed for the probe pin and the block body.

For example, in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H7-113836, the block body and the probe pin are connected by a spring so as to be elastically approachable / separable from the terminal fitting. A lance inspection member is provided at the tip of the probe pin, the lance inspection member being capable of abutting against a lance incompletely locked from the cavity. According to this prior art, in the case of a regular connector, the probe pin and the terminal fitting come into contact with each other, thereby electrically closing the circuit of the inspection unit and performing a continuity inspection. In the complete case, the spring is compressed by the contact of the lance inspection member with the lance, so that the probe pin does not reach the terminal fitting, and the continuity inspection is disabled, so that a defect in the fixed state of the lance can be detected. It has become.

[0005]

In order to detectably insert the above-mentioned lance inspection member into the connector, it is necessary to make the lance thinner in accordance with the thickness of the lance. Therefore, when the lance inspection member is integrally formed with the conventional probe pin, there is a problem that the lance inspection member is easily curved. In addition, when the lance inspection member is curved, not only the incomplete insertion of the lance cannot be detected, but also the tip portion easily comes into contact with the terminal fitting, which causes an erroneous inspection.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an inspection section of a connector inspection apparatus capable of avoiding problems due to bending of a lance inspection member and thereby preventing erroneous inspections. That is the task.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a connector inspection apparatus for inspecting a connector in which a plurality of terminal fittings are fixed in a cavity by a lance method. A block body that is relatively displaceable, and connected to the block body so as to be elastically displaceable relative to the block body, and that conduction of terminal fittings is performed through a terminal contact window formed in a connector held by the connector inspection device. And a lance inspection member capable of inspecting incomplete locking of a lance fixing a terminal fitting corresponding to the probe pin through an opening continuous with the terminal contact window, wherein the connector In the inspection section of the connector inspection apparatus for inspecting a connector in which the opening width of the terminal contact window is set narrower than the opening, The lance testing member, an inspection portion of a connector testing device, characterized in that set to necessary and sufficient external dimensions to cause insertion openings.

In the invention including the specific matter, when inspecting the connector in which the opening width of the terminal contact window of the connector is set smaller than the opening, the lance inspection member is required to insert and remove the opening. Since the outer dimensions are set to be sufficient, the width of the lance inspection member is relatively larger than that of the terminal contact window. For this reason, not only does the lance inspection member hardly bend, but also in the event that it is bent, it will not be inserted into the terminal contact window.

In a preferred embodiment, the lance inspection member is a metal part integrally formed with the probe pin. In the invention including this specific matter, the mechanical strength of the lance inspection member is improved. In addition, the lance inspection member protrudes from the distal end surface of the probe pin to the connector side by a length necessary and sufficient to detect a lance fitting failure, and the probe pin causes a fitting failure. It is preferable that the terminal fitting is formed in a two-probe type capable of elastically pushing out the terminal fitting.

[0010] In the invention including this specific matter, since the projection length of the lance inspection member can be set as short as possible, the engagement of the terminal fitting may be performed in a state where the lance itself is in a normal posture. In the case where a stop failure occurs, it is possible to push out the terminal fitting which has failed in engagement by the pushing load by the probe pin of the two-probe type.

[0011]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of an inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic view of FIG.

In the embodiment shown in these figures, a connector 1 to be inspected has a cavity 4 for accommodating a terminal fitting 3 in a resin housing 2. The cavity 4 is open at one end face of the housing 2, and the other end face is provided with a terminal contact window 5 and the terminal contact window 5.
And an opening 6 which is continuous with the opening. Then, by inserting the terminal fitting 3 connected to the insulated wire E from the opening on the one end surface, the terminal fitting 3 is accommodated in the cavity 4 and the lance 7 formed in the cavity 4 is inserted.
The locking claw 7A is locked to the bottom of the inserted terminal fitting 3 to prevent it from falling off. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opening width W1 of the terminal contact window 5 formed in the housing 2 is equal to the opening width W2 of the opening 6 with the lance 7 in the cavity 4 facing the outside. Narrower than.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a connector inspection apparatus 10 employing the inspection unit according to the embodiment of FIG.
Referring to FIG. 1, a connector inspection device 10 is provided with a connector holding portion 12 and an inspection portion 20 on a plate-like base 11 formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the two are relatively moved by a toggle lever 13. It is configured to be able to come and go. The connector holding portion 12 is fixed to one end of a rail 14 formed on the base 11 along the longitudinal direction, and the inspection portion 20 approaches / separates from the connector holding portion 12 along the rail 14. And is urged in a direction away from the connector holding portion 12 by a coil spring (not shown).

The toggle lever 13 is pivotally supported by a pin P on an upright portion 15 erected at the other end of the base 11, and the toggle lever 13 is turned around the pin P in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. By rotating, the inspection unit 20 is brought close to the connector holding unit 12, and by rotating the inspection unit 20 in the clockwise direction, the connector holding unit 12 is biased by the coil spring.
It is allowed to depart from.

The inspection section 20 includes a resin block 2.
1 and a plurality of probe pins 22 disposed in the block body 21. Each probe pin 22 is provided corresponding to the terminal fitting 3 of the connector 1 to be inspected, and is provided for each terminal fitting 3 corresponding to the product number of the connector 1. And, like the prior art,
By being relatively displaceably connected to the block body 21 via the rod 24 in the direction facing the connector holding section 12, the coil body 25 is elastically urged toward the connector holding section 12 by the coil spring 25. , Regular terminal fitting 3
It is configured to be connected only to be able to conduct.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the probe pin 22 in the illustrated embodiment is formed in a so-called two-probe type which faces the contact 24A with a space S therebetween, and is usually provided with a spring 24B. The spring 24B is urged toward the connector 1 by the force and contacts the regular terminal fitting 3 at the time of inspection.
Electrical contact with the contact 24A against the urging force of
The continuity test is configured to be performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a projection plate 23 as a lance inspection member for inspecting the lance 7 through the opening 6 of the connector 1 is integrally formed with each probe pin 22. The protrusion plate 23 is set to have an outer dimension necessary and sufficient to be inserted into and removed from the opening 6. As a result, the width W3 of the projection plate 23 is equal to the opening width W1 of the terminal contact window 5.
Is relatively larger than For this reason, the projection plate 2
Not only is it hard to bend, but also in the event that it is curved, it will not be inserted into the terminal contact window 5.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the length L of the projection plate 23 protruding from the tip end surface 22A of the probe pin 22 is set to a size necessary and sufficient to detect a fitting failure of the lance 7. It is set as short as possible. Therefore, from this point as well, the projection plate 23 is less likely to bend, and as described later, it is also possible to detect a poor fitting of the terminal fitting 3 with the probe pin 22.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7
3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of the inspection unit 20 of FIG. 1 at the time of inspection. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the connector 1 to be inspected is connected to the connector holding unit 1 of the connector inspection device 10.
2, the inspection unit 20 previously retracted by operating the toggle lever 13 is brought close to the connector holding unit 12, so that the corresponding probe pin 22 is brought into contact with the terminal fitting 3 in the connector 1, A continuity test can be performed.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the lance 7 normally holds the terminal fitting 3, the projection plate 23 is
(See FIG. 2) from the connector 1 to the proper position to allow the probe pin 22 to come into contact with the terminal fitting 3 in a continuity test. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when the terminal fitting 3 and the lance 7
3 abuts on the lance 7 so that the probe pin 22
Cannot come close to the terminal fitting 3 and does not come into contact therewith. Therefore, the continuity test of the terminal fitting 3 cannot be performed.
It becomes possible to detect the locking failure of the lance 7. In this case, the operator rotates the toggle lever 13 and
When the protruding plate 23 comes into contact with the lance 7, the probe pin 22 stops when the projection plate 23 abuts on the lance 7, and thereafter, only the block body 21 resists the urging force of the coil spring 25. When the lance 7 is relatively close to the connector holding portion 12, it is possible to detect a defect of the lance 7 without damaging the lance 7 and the projection plate 23.

Here, the projecting plate 23 is configured to be hard to bend by the above-mentioned dimension setting. However, even in the event that the bending occurs during continued use, and the tip end faces the terminal contact window 5, as shown in FIG.
Due to the setting of the width W3 of the projection plate 23 (see FIG. 2), the projection plate 23 stops at the opening of the terminal contact window 5 and cannot enter the inside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an erroneous inspection due to the projection plate 23 entering the terminal contact window 5 beforehand.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when a two-probe type probe pin 22 having a switch function is employed, for example, the locking claw 7A of the lance 7 is lost, so that the lance 7 itself assumes a normal posture. In spite of the above, even when the terminal fitting 3 has a locking failure, the probe pin 22 causes the terminal fitting 3 to move with the virtual line 3A in FIG. While the probe pin 22 is pushed out from the position shown to the position shown by the solid line, the probe pin 22 cannot electrically contact the contact 24A, so that it is also possible to detect an improper engagement of the terminal fitting 3.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, not only is the protruding plate 23 difficult to bend, but also if it is bent, it will not be inserted into the terminal contact window 5, so that an erroneous inspection will be performed. This has a remarkable effect that it can be prevented beforehand. Each of the above embodiments is merely an example of a preferred specific example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. It goes without saying that various design changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In addition to the fact that the lance inspection member is not easily bent, even if it is bent, the lance inspection member is not inserted into the terminal contact window, so that an erroneous inspection can be prevented beforehand.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a main configuration of an inspection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged schematic view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a connector inspection device employing the inspection unit according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of the inspection unit of FIG. 1 at the time of inspection.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing a main part of the inspection unit of FIG. 1 at the time of inspection.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a main part of the inspection unit of FIG. 1 at the time of inspection.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing a main part of the inspection unit of FIG. 1 at the time of inspection.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 3 Terminal fitting 4 Cavity 5 Terminal contact window 6 Opening 7 Lance 10 Connector inspection device 20 Inspection part 22 Probe pin 23 Projection plate (Lance inspection member)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A connector inspection device for inspecting a connector, wherein a plurality of terminal fittings are fixed in a cavity by a lance method, and a block body displaceable relative to the connector; A probe pin that is elastically connected so as to be relatively displaceable and that inspects the continuity of terminal fittings through a terminal contact window formed in the connector held by the connector inspection device; and an opening that is continuous with the terminal contact window. A lance inspection member capable of inspecting incomplete locking of a lance fixing a terminal fitting corresponding to the probe pin through the lance, and an opening width of the terminal contact window of the connector is set to be narrower than the opening. In the inspection section of the connector inspection apparatus for inspecting the connector, the lance inspection member is required to insert and remove the opening. An inspection unit of a connector inspection device, which is set to an appropriate external size. 2. The inspection section of the connector inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lance inspection member is a metal part integrally formed with a probe pin. 3. The inspection section of the connector inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lance inspection member has a length sufficient for detecting a lance fitting failure from a tip end surface of the probe pin. Side, and the probe pin is
An inspection unit of a connector inspection device formed of a two-probe type capable of elastically pushing out a terminal fitting having a poor fitting.