JPH11144815A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply and reliably fix a connector to a device without requiring to make a hole for a flange and a bolt and fastening work of the bolt by using shape memory alloy for a fixing means of the connector. SOLUTION: A connector body 10 which is inserted and fixed in a through hole 3 bored in a wall part 2 of a device 1 and connects an internal circuit and an external electric circuit of the device 1 and a fixing member 20 mounted by rolling in a groove part 12 on the circumference of the connector body 10 are equipped. The fixing member 20 memorize a shape to pressurize an inner periphery of the through hole 3, and it is also made of shape memory alloy deformed plastically to a shape which can be inserted through the through hole 3. The connector body 10 is fixed to the wall part 2 of the device 1 by restoring the fixing member 20 to the memorized shape in the through hole 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for inserting and fixing a wall portion of an apparatus having an electric circuit device or the like therein and for electrically connecting an internal circuit of the apparatus to an external electric circuit or the like. In particular, the use of a shape memory alloy as a means for fixing the connector and the device wall eliminates the need for forming flanges and bolt holes, aligning the flanges and bolts and bolt holes, fastening work, and the like. To a connector that can be attached to the device side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a device or the like having an internal circuit such as an electric circuit device, a connector is attached to a wall of the device to electrically connect a circuit inside the device to an external electric circuit. ing.

Here, a conventional connector of this type will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector attached to an apparatus wall, and FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of a main part of the connector shown in FIG.

As shown in these figures, a conventional connector of this kind includes a connector body 110 formed in a tubular shape,
The connector body 110 has a flange 120 formed at an axially intermediate portion on the outer periphery. One side of the connector body 110 is connected to the wall 10 of the device 101.
2 and the flange 120 is bolted to the wall portion 102 of the device 101 by the bolt 121.
Is to be fixed.

The connector shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a coaxial connector in which a center conductor 111 is provided at the center of a connector main body 110 along the axial direction. (Device 101 side) is connector body 1
10 and is connected to an internal circuit of the device 101 (not shown) via a conductor such as a nickel foil. A pin contact (not shown) is inserted and connected to the other side of the center conductor 111.

Here, the flange 120 formed on the outer periphery of the connector main body 110 is shown in FIG. 6 so that one side of the connector main body 110 is inserted into the inside of the apparatus and the other side of the connector main body 110 projects outside the apparatus. Thus, it is formed at the axially intermediate portion of the connector main body 110.

A plurality of bolts 121 (four bolts in the connector shown in FIG. 5) are inserted into the flange 120 from the outside of the apparatus, and the plurality of bolts 121 are respectively formed in screw holes formed in the apparatus wall 102. By screwing into the 104, the flange 120 is fixed to the wall portion 102, whereby the connector is attached to the device 101.

[0008]

However, in such a conventional connector, since a flange and a plurality of bolts are used as means for attaching to the device side, a flange is formed on the outer periphery of the connector main body, and the flange is formed. It was necessary to drill a through hole for bolt insertion in the flange, and further, it was necessary to form a screw hole on the device side for screwing the bolt.

In addition, since a plurality of fixing bolts are required, it is necessary to form a plurality of through holes on the flange side and screw holes on the apparatus side, and these must be formed with high positional accuracy. For this reason, the formation of such a flange and a hole becomes complicated, and the number of components such as the flange and a plurality of bolts increases, and there is a problem that the cost of the connector as a whole increases.

Further, in the connector using the flange and the bolt as the fixing means, when mounting the connector, a plurality of bolts are passed through while aligning the flange with the screw hole on the apparatus side. In this case, the work of tightening the bolts is required, and the work of attaching the connector is extremely complicated, the management of the bolts and the like is required, and the work efficiency is deteriorated, and the cost is increased.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-74493, a shape memory alloy is provided on the female side of the connector so as to engage with the outer periphery of the male pin. A technology of an electronic device for facilitation has been proposed.

However, in the connector described in this publication, the male and female pins are fitted with each other by using a shape memory alloy. However, as in the conventional connector shown in FIG. 5, the connection is performed by a combination of a flange and a bolt, and the conventional problem described above cannot be solved.

The present invention has been proposed to solve such problems of the prior art. The use of a shape memory alloy as a means for fixing a connector and an apparatus wall enables the formation of a flange or a bolt hole. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can easily and surely attach a connector to an apparatus side without forming, aligning a flange with a bolt and a bolt hole, fastening work, and the like.

[0014]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus having an internal circuit and an external electric circuit which are inserted through a through hole in a wall of an apparatus and fixed to the wall. A connector body for connecting a circuit, and a fixing member wound around the outer periphery of the connector body, wherein the fixing member is
The shape memory is formed into a shape that presses the inner periphery of the through hole, and the shape member is made of a shape memory alloy deformed into a shape that can be inserted into the through hole, and the fixing member restores the memory shape in the through hole. Thereby, the connector main body is fixed to the device wall.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, the fixing member made of the shape memory alloy is wound around the outer periphery of the connector body in a state of being plastically deformed, and is heated while being inserted into the through hole on the apparatus side. By restoring the connector body to a shape that presses the through hole, the connector body can be attached to the device.

Thus, the connector can be easily and reliably attached to the apparatus side without requiring any conventional flanges, bolts, and the like, thereby reducing the number of parts and improving the work efficiency of the attachment. Thus, the cost of the connector can be reduced.

Further, the connector according to the second aspect is configured such that the fixing member is wound around the entire outer periphery of the connector main body.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, the fixing member made of the shape memory alloy can be formed in an annular shape over the entire circumference of the connector main body, and when the shape is restored, the entire circumference of the inner wall of the through hole on the apparatus side is pressed. The connector can be more firmly attached to the device side. Further, the annularly formed fixing member can be wound in a press-fit state from the end of the connector main body, and the connector can be easily assembled.

Further, in the connector according to the third aspect, the fixing member is wound around a part of an outer periphery of the connector main body.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, for example, by forming a notch or the like in a part of the fixing member made of an annular shape memory alloy, the fixing member can be attached to the connector body. Can be easier.

Further, the fixing member can be independently provided at several positions on the outer periphery of the connector main body within a sufficient range for fixing the connector main body to the apparatus side.
The amount of the shape memory alloy itself forming the fixing member is reduced, the number of materials and the like can be reduced, the connector can be manufactured at lower cost, and the weight of the connector can be reduced.

The connector according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is configured such that a groove having a shape corresponding to the fixing member with which the fixing member is engaged is formed on the outer periphery of the connector main body.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, the fixing member can be easily attached to the connector main body side by engaging the fixing member with the groove of the connector main body, and the fixing member can be detached. Therefore, the connector assembling work and the attaching work to the device side can be performed more efficiently.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the connector has a configuration in which the shape of the fixing member is memorized in a U-shaped cross section which clamps both side walls of the through hole of the device.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a structure, when the shape memory alloy forming the fixing member is restored, both sides of the device wall of the through-hole are clamped by the shape memory alloy, so that the connector is more firm. The connector is fixed to the device side, and the connector does not fall off at all.

Further, in the connector according to the sixth aspect, the fixing member may be deformed into an L-shaped cross section in which the outside of the device is erected, and the L-shaped erected portion may be a device outer wall portion of the through hole. It is configured to abut.

According to the connector of the present invention having such a configuration, the connector body is plastically deformed into an L-shape and the upright portion of the fixing member comes into contact with the outside of the device wall of the through hole. When the connector is inserted into the connector, the standing portion functions as a positioning stopper, so that the operation of attaching the connector can be performed more easily and accurately.

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the connector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition,
The connector of the present embodiment shown in the following figures is characterized in that the flange of the conventional connector is eliminated and the connector is attached to the device side with a fixing member formed of a shape memory alloy, and other configurations are provided. For the part,
Some parts are common to the conventional connector shown in FIGS.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention before the connector is mounted on a device wall, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector mounted on the device wall. is there. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the connector of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a main part showing a shape memory alloy forming a fixing member of the connector of the present embodiment shown in FIG. In the enlarged view, (a) is a state of plastic deformation,
(B) shows a state at the time of shape restoration.

As shown in these figures, the connector of the present embodiment comprises a connector body 10 formed in a tubular shape and a shape memory alloy 20 wound around an axially intermediate portion of the outer periphery of the connector body 110. It has a complete configuration.

One side of the connector body 10 is inserted into a through hole 3 formed in the wall 2 of the device 1 and, as will be described later, the shape memory alloy constituting the fixing member 20 is restored, and Is pressed, the connector body 10 is fixed to the device wall 2.

The connector of the present embodiment also has a connector body 1 similar to the conventional connector shown in FIGS.
A coaxial connector in which a central conductor 11 is disposed in the center of 0 along the axial direction is formed. One side of the central conductor 11 (apparatus 1 side) protrudes from the connector main body 10 and the The internal circuit is connected via a conductor such as a nickel foil. A pin contact (not shown) is inserted and connected to the other side of the center conductor 11.

The fixing member 20 attached to the connector main body 10 is formed of a shape memory alloy, and in this embodiment, is formed in an annular shape wound around the entire outer periphery of the connector main body 10.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a groove 12 is formed on the outer periphery of the connector main body 10 so that a fixing member 20 made of an annular shape memory alloy can be engaged therewith. And
An annular fixing member 20 is fitted in a press-fit state from one end side of the connector main body 10, in this embodiment, from the device insertion side, and engages with the groove 12.

Here, the groove 12 is fixed to the fixing member 20.
However, in order that one side of the connector body 10 is inserted into the inside of the device and the other side of the connector body 10 is fixed to the through hole 3 at a position where it can protrude outside the device, as shown in FIG. 10 is formed at the axially intermediate portion.

By forming the groove 12 in this manner, by engaging the annular fixing member 20 with the groove 12, the fixing member 20 can be easily attached to the connector main body 10 side, and Also, the connector is prevented from falling off, and the assembling work of the connector and the attaching work to the device side can be performed more efficiently.

Further, by forming the fixing member 20 in an annular shape, the entire circumference of the inner wall of the through hole 3 on the apparatus side can be pressed evenly for shape restoration as described later, and the connector is firmly attached to the apparatus side. be able to. Moreover, since the annular fixing member 20 can be wound in a press-fit state from the end of the connector main body 10, the connector assembling operation is also easy.

In the present embodiment, the fixing member 20 wound around the connector body 10 is made of a shape memory alloy whose shape is stored so as to restore the shape of pressing the inner periphery of the through hole 3 during heating. The connector body 10 is plastically deformed into a shape that can be inserted into the through hole 3 of the device wall 2, and the connector main body 10 is fixed to the device wall 2 when the shape memory alloy is restored.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4B, the shape memory alloy forming the fixing member 20 presses the inner periphery of the through hole 3 and simultaneously Shapes are stored in advance so that the cross section that can hold both sides of the device wall has a U-shape.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 (a), this shape memory alloy is plastically deformed into an L-shaped cross section with the outside of the device standing upright, and the device insertion side is at least flush with the groove 12. And can be inserted into the through hole 3 of the device. As shown in FIG. 4A, the upright portion deformed into the L-shape has a height at which the through hole 3 comes into contact with the outer wall of the device.

The fixing member 20 having the shape memory thus stored is
When heated by a heat gun or a heater, the shape is restored to a U-shaped cross section, and the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 3 is pressed and clamped by the U-shaped fixing member 20, so that the connector is firmly fixed and the connector falls off. There is no such thing at all.

Also, when the fixing member 20 is plastically deformed into an L-shape at the time of insertion into the through hole 3, the upright portion of the fixing member 20 comes into contact with the outside of the wall of the device 1. At this time, the standing portion functions as a stopper for positioning, and the operation of mounting the connector can be performed easily and accurately. In addition, as a material of the shape memory alloy constituting the fixing member 20 of the present embodiment, a general shape memory alloy such as a nickel titanium-based alloy is used.

Next, the operation of the connector according to the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described. First, FIG.
2, the fixing member 20 is press-fitted from one side end of the connector main body 10, engaged with the groove 12, and wound around the connector main body 10. At this time, the fixing member 20 is in a state of being plastically deformed into an L-shaped cross section (a state shown in FIG. 4A).

Next, the connector body 10 around which the fixing member 20 is wound is inserted into the through hole 3 of the device wall 2 from one side (the side where the center conductor 11 protrudes). At this time, the fixing member 2
4 has an L-shaped cross section with the outside of the device standing upright as shown in FIG. 4A, so that the device insertion side is flush with the groove 12 and is inserted into the through hole 3 of the device. be able to.

When the connector body 10 is further inserted, the L-shaped upright portion of the fixing member 20 comes into contact with the outer wall of the through hole 3. It can be seen that the insertion has been positioned.

In this state, when the fixing member 20 is heated by a heat gun, a heater, or the like (not shown), the shape memory alloy is restored to a memory shape, and becomes a U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. As a result, the inner peripheral edge of the through hole 3 is pressed by the U-shaped shape memory alloy 20, and both sides of the device wall of the through hole 3 are clamped, so that the connector body 10 is firmly fixed to the wall portion 2. .

Since the operation of attaching the connector body 10 to the device 1 is completed, a conductor such as a nickel foil is soldered to the center conductor 11 protruding from the connector body 10, and the connector is provided inside the device 1. It can be connected to an internal circuit (not shown).

As described above, according to the connector of the present embodiment, the fixing member 20 made of a shape memory alloy is wound around the outer periphery of the connector main body 10, and the fixing member 20 is plastically deformed and the through hole of the device 1 is formed. The connector body 10 can be attached to the device 1 by being inserted into the connector 3 and restored to a shape that presses the through hole 3 by heating.

As a result, the connector can be easily and reliably mounted on the device side without requiring any conventional flanges, bolts, etc., thereby reducing the number of parts and improving the work efficiency of the mounting. Thus, the cost of the connector can be reduced.

The connector of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. That is, the fixing member may be configured to be wound around a part of the outer periphery of the connector main body, instead of the whole.

For example, by forming a notch or the like in a part of the annular fixing member, the fixing member can be more easily attached to the connector body. Also, in a range sufficient to fix the fixing member to the connector body on the device side,
It can be independently disposed at several locations on the outer periphery of the connector body. In this case, the shape memory alloy itself forming the fixing member is reduced, the material and the like are reduced, and the cost of the connector is further reduced. In addition, it is possible to contribute to weight reduction of the connector.

In the above embodiment, the case where the connector of the present invention is a coaxial connector has been described as an example.
The fixing member is not particularly limited to the coaxial connector as long as the fixing member made of the shape memory alloy is wound around the outer periphery of the connector main body and presses the through hole on the device side, and may be, for example, a multi-pin connector. .

[0053]

As described above, according to the connector of the present invention, the use of a shape memory alloy as a means for fixing the connector and the device wall allows the formation of flanges and bolt holes,
This eliminates the need for the positioning of the flange, the bolt and the bolt hole, the fastening work, and the like, and allows the connector to be easily and reliably attached to the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state before being attached to an apparatus wall.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is attached to an apparatus wall.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a main part of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a shape memory alloy forming a fixing member of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3;
(A) shows a state of plastic deformation, and (b) shows a state at the time of shape restoration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector attached to an apparatus wall.

FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of a main part of the conventional connector shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Device 2 Wall part 3 Through-hole 10 Connector main body 11 Center conductor 12 Groove part 20 Fixing member

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A connector body which is inserted into a through hole of a device wall portion and is fixed to the wall portion and connects an internal circuit of the device to an external electric circuit, and a fixing member wound around the outer periphery of the connector body. The fixing member is made of a shape memory alloy deformed into a shape that can be inserted into the through hole, while the shape of the fixing member is stored in a shape that presses the inner periphery of the through hole. The connector is characterized in that the connector main body is fixed to the device wall by restoring the connector body to the memory shape in the through hole. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is wound around the entire outer periphery of the connector main body. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is wound around a part of an outer periphery of the connector main body. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a groove having a shape corresponding to the fixing member with which the fixing member engages is formed on an outer periphery of the connector main body. 5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein said fixing member is memorized in a U-shaped cross section for sandwiching both side walls of a through hole of said device. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixing member is deformed into an L-shaped cross section in which said outside of said device stands upright, and said upright portion of said L-shape contacts said outside wall of said through hole. , 3,
The connector according to 4 or 5.