JPH11214060A - Male connector, female connector and electrical connection box - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate striking processing of a male tab terminal, and prevent the buckling deformation of the male tub terminal due to the reduction of a tab width. SOLUTION: A housing recess part 40 is provided on a peripheral wall 34 of a connector holder 33. A male tab terminal 38 is bent and formed at one end of a bus bar 37, the male tab terminal 38 is housed in the housing recess part 40, and a male connector 35 is constituted. A female terminal 46 with a elastically deformable connection terminal 47 is arranged in an internal housing 44 of a female connector 41. The connection terminal 47 is protruded from a through-hole 44a of the internal housing 44 to the outside of the housing 44. When the female connector 41 is engaged in the connector 33, the a connector terminal 47 of the female terminal 46 is connected to a male tab terminal 38 of the bus bar 37 with the terminal being elastically deformed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a male connector and a female connector which are electrically connected, and an electric connection box provided with the male connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a conventional electric connection box used for connecting electric circuits in an automobile.

[0003] A connector holder 13 is integrally formed with a case (only a part of which is shown) 12 of the electric connection box 11, and an outer end of the connector holder 13 projects from an outer surface of the case 12. A plurality of bus bars 14 are provided in the case 12.
A male tab terminal 15 is bent at one end of each bus bar 14, and each male tab terminal 15 passes through the insertion hole 16 of the case 12 and is disposed at an intermediate portion in the connector holder 13.
The connector holder 13 and the male tab terminals 15 constitute a male connector 17.

A female connector 20 is detachably fitted in the connector holder 13. In the housing 20a of the female connector 20, a plurality of female terminals 21 connected to the plurality of male tab terminals 15 are provided. A plurality of insertion holes 23 into which a plurality of male tab terminals 15 can be inserted are provided on the distal end surface of the housing 20a. Multiple female terminals 2
A plurality of wire harnesses 22 extending from one end of the female connector 20 are electrically connected to 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the male tab terminal 15 has a central portion in the width direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 5).
By projecting over substantially the entire projecting direction of the male tab terminal 15, a projecting portion 15 b projecting from the base 15 a is formed, the dimension of the male tab terminal 15 in the thickness direction is increased, and the strength of the male tab terminal 15 is improved. Thus, the thickness of the bus bar 14 having the male tab terminals 15 is reduced, so that the electric connection box 11 is reduced in weight and cost. Female connector 2
The zero female terminal 21 includes a contact portion 21a and a pair of holding pieces 21b formed on both sides of the contact portion 21a. In a state where the male connector 17 and the female connector 20 are fitted,
The contact portion 21a of the female terminal 21 is connected to both base portions 1 of the male tab terminal 15.
5a, the pair of sandwiching pieces 21b abut on the protruding portion 15b, and the male tab terminal 15 is sandwiched by the female terminal 21.

[0006]

However, in order to reduce the weight and cost of the electric junction box 11, the busbar 1
If the thickness of the sheet 4 is further reduced, the following problem occurs.

The thickness of the bus bar 14 is, for example, 0.64 mm.
If it is thinner, it is necessary to perform tapping even on a male tab terminal having a tab width smaller than about 2.3 mm, but in this case, the tab width is too narrow to perform tapping.

Further, since the male tab terminal 15 of the male connector 17 protrudes to an intermediate portion in the connector holder 14, the male tab terminal 15 having a tab width smaller than about 2.3 mm is not provided.
When the female connector 20 is fitted to the connector holder 14 and an external force is applied, not only the male tab terminal 15 is easily buckled but also the bus bar is hardly aligned during press molding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to obviate the need for punching out a male tab terminal and to reduce the buckling deformation of the male tab terminal accompanying a reduction in tab width. It is an object of the present invention to provide a male connector, a female connector, and an electric connection box, which can prevent the occurrence of an electric shock.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is a male connector having a male tab terminal protruding in a connector holder, wherein the male tab terminal is connected to the connector holder. The gist is that it protrudes along the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the male connector according to the first aspect, the male tab terminal is disposed in a receiving recess formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the connector holder.

[0012] The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2.
Wherein the male tab terminal has at least one engaging portion, and the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the connector holder has an accommodating portion for accommodating the engaging portion and preventing the male tab terminal from being separated from the inner surface of the peripheral wall. That is the gist.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a female terminal exposed from a housing fitted in the connector holder of the male connector according to the first aspect and slidably connected to the male tab terminal is provided. The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the female connector according to claim 4, the female terminal includes a connection terminal that is in elastic contact with the male tab terminal. I do.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical junction box provided with the male connector according to the first aspect.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) An electric junction box according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
A connector holder 33 is integrally formed with the case 32 (only part of which is shown), and an outer end of the connector holder 33 projects from an outer surface of the case 32. Peripheral wall 34 of connector holder 33
The case 32 is provided with a rectangular annular through hole 36 so as to surround the case. In one peripheral wall 34 of the connector holder 33, a plurality of housing recesses 40 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2)
Is provided.

A plurality of bus bars 37 (only one is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) are provided in the case 32.
A male tab terminal 38 is formed at one end of the bus bar 37 by bending. The male tab terminal 38 penetrates the insertion hole 39 of the case 32, projects into the connector holder 33, and is housed in the housing recess 40. I have. In this embodiment,
A male connector 35 is configured by the connector holder 33 and the male tab terminal 38.

A female connector 41 is detachably fitted in the connector holder 33. The housing 42 of the female connector 41 has a holder portion 43 that is fitted onto the connector holder 33.

The housing 42 is provided with an inner housing 44 inside the holder 43. A plurality of female terminals 46 connected to the plurality of male tab terminals 38 are provided in the inner housing 44. A plurality of wire harnesses 49 extending from one end of the female connector 41 are electrically connected to the plurality of female terminals 46.

The female terminal 46 comprises a crimping portion 48 for crimping the conductor of the wire harness 49 and a connection terminal 47 integrally formed at the tip of the crimping portion 48.
The connection terminal 47 is formed in an inverted U shape and is elastically deformable. The outer surface of the distal end of the connection terminal 47 is formed through a through hole 44a formed in the inner housing
It protrudes outside.

When the female connector 41 is fitted into the connector holder 33 in the electric connection box 31 configured as described above, the male tab of the bus bar 37 is held in a state where the connection terminals 47 of the female terminals 46 are elastically deformed. It is connected to the terminal 38 and is electrically connected.

The effects that can be found from the present embodiment will be described below. In the connector holder 33, the male tab terminal 38 is housed in a housing recess 40 provided on the peripheral wall 34 of the connector holder 33, and the male tab terminal 38 is
Inside, it protrudes along the inner surface of the peripheral wall 34.
Therefore, buckling deformation of the male tab terminal 38 can be prevented while eliminating the need for beating out the male tab terminal 38. In particular, even if the tab width of the male tab terminal 38 is reduced or the thickness of the male tab terminal 38 (bus bar 37) is reduced, buckling of the male tab terminal 38 can be prevented. As a result, the weight and cost of the electric connection box 31 can be reduced.

In the connector holder 33, since the male tab terminals 38 are housed in the housing recesses 40, it is possible to prevent the male tab terminals 38 from falling down in the tab width direction when the female connector 41 is fitted. it can.

Since the connection terminal 47 of the female terminal 46 can be elastically brought into contact with the male tab terminal 38, poor contact can be reliably prevented. (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a male connector 50 of the present embodiment. A male tab terminal 52 is bent at one end of the bus bar 51, and a pair of engaging pieces 53 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) as an engaging portion is bent at both sides in the width direction of the male tab terminal 52. Is formed. A housing recess 56 corresponding to the male tab terminal 52 is provided on one peripheral wall 55 of the connector holder.
Are formed. A pair of engagement grooves 57 is provided inside the accommodation recess 56 as an accommodation part for slidably accommodating the pair of engagement pieces 53.

The male tab terminal 52 is accommodated in the accommodating recess 56 by inserting the male tab terminal 52 into the pair of engaging pieces 53 of the male tab terminal 52 and inserting the male tab terminal 52 therein. Thus, the male connector 50 is configured.

The male connector 50 of the present embodiment is
6, the male tab terminal 52 can be prevented from falling down in the tab width direction when the female connector is fitted, and the pair of engaging pieces 53 and the pair of engaging grooves 57 Based on the engagement, separation of the male tab terminal 52 from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 55 can be prevented.

The above embodiment may be modified as follows. In the above embodiments, the male tab terminals 38 and 52 are formed by bending the bus bars 37 and 51. However, the present invention is applied to an electric connection box of a type in which the male tab terminals are fixed through a wiring board housed in the case 32. Is also good.

The female connector 41 is configured to be unremovable from the male connector 35. The connection terminal 47 of the female connector 41 is formed in a shape that does not elastically deform, for example, in a plate shape.

In the second embodiment, the male tab terminal 52
May be provided only on one side in the width direction, and only one engagement groove 57 may be provided on one peripheral wall 55 of the connector holder in correspondence with the engagement piece 53.

[0031]

According to the first and fourth aspects of the present invention, the buckling deformation of the male tab terminal can be prevented while the beating process of the male tab terminal is not required.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the male tab terminal can be prevented from falling in the tab width direction. According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the male tab terminal from being separated from the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the connector holder.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the male tab terminal and the female terminal can be reliably connected. Claim 6
According to the invention described in (1), since buckling deformation of the male tab terminal can be prevented, the tab width of the male tab terminal can be reduced or the thickness of the male tab terminal can be reduced. Is possible, and the weight and cost of the electric junction box can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial front sectional view showing a separated state of a male connector and a female connector of an electric connection box of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing a fitting state between the male connector and the female connector.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the male connector of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing a state where a conventional male connector and a female connector are fitted to each other.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing a connection state between a conventional male tab terminal and a connection terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

33: connector holder, 34: peripheral wall, 35: male connector, 38, 52: male tab terminal, 40, 56: accommodation recess,
44: internal housing as a housing; 46, female terminal; 47, connection terminal; 53, engagement piece as an engagement portion;
7 ... engaging groove as a housing portion.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A male connector having a male tab terminal protruding from a connector holder, wherein the male tab terminal protrudes along an inner surface of a peripheral wall of the connector holder. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein said male tab terminal is provided in a receiving recess formed on an inner surface of a peripheral wall of said connector holder.
Male connector as described in. 3. The male tab terminal has at least one engaging portion, and a housing portion for housing the engaging portion and preventing the male tab terminal from being separated from the inner surface of the peripheral wall is provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the connector holder. The male connector according to claim 1. 4. A female connector having a female terminal exposed from a housing fitted in a connector holder of the male connector according to claim 1, and slidably connected to the male tab terminal. 5. The female connector according to claim 4, wherein the female terminal includes a connection terminal that is in elastic contact with the male tab terminal. 6. An electric connection box provided with the male connector according to claim 1.