Connector

Abstract

Provided is a connector that can be suitably fitted to a counterpart connector. A connector (1) is provided with: a housing member (10) having a fitting section (11A) to which a mating connector (110) is fitted; and a fixing member (20) fixed to the fixing wall surface (102) together with the housing member (10). The fixing member (20) has a through-hole (23) through which a fastening bolt (50) is inserted, and the fastening bolt is fastened to the fastening hole (104) of the fixing wall surface (102) and fixes the fixing member (20) together with the housing member (10) to the fixing wall surface (102). The housing member (10) has a positioning protrusion (33), which is positioned on the opposite side of a through-hole (23) provided in the fixing member (20) across the fitting section (11A) in the vertical direction (Z), and which is formed so as to protrude toward the fixing wall surface (102) side in the fitted state. The positioning protrusion (33) is inserted into a wall surface groove (105) formed in the fixed wall surface (102) in the insertion / extraction direction (X) in the fitted state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. Background Art

[0002] Devices such as inverters and motors mounted on electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are connected to each other via connectors attached to ends of electric wires. The connectors are electrically connected to the counterpart devices by fitting with counterpart connectors provided on the counterpart devices.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a connector comprising: a mating portion that accommodates a terminal and is mated with a mating connector provided on a connection object; and a shielding cover that accommodates the mating portion, and in the mating state where the mating portion is mated with the mating connector, the shielding cover is fixed to a fixed wall surface of the connection object by fastening bolts.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-102307 Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In the connector described in Patent Document 1, for example, if the connector tilts relative to the mating connector when the shield cover is fixed to the fixed wall surface of the connection object by means of fastening bolts, the terminal in the fitting portion may be pried relative to the mating connector, so there is room for improvement.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can be properly mated with a mating connector.

[0010] Technical solutions to the problem

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a storage component, the storage component stores the terminal and has a fitting portion that fits with a counterpart connector provided on a connection object; and a fixing component, in a fitting state in which the fitting portion and the counterpart connector are fitted, the fixing component is fixed to the fixing wall surface of the connection object together with the storage component, the fixing component through hole, in the fitting state, the through hole is connected to the fastening hole formed on the fixing wall surface along the fitting direction of the fitting portion relative to the counterpart connector, and the through hole is used to allow a fastening bolt fastened to the fastening hole to pass through the fixing component along the fitting direction, one of the storage component and the fixing component has a positioning protrusion, the positioning protrusion is located at a position on the opposite side of the through hole across the fitting portion in a cross direction intersecting the fitting direction, and is formed to protrude toward the fixing wall surface side in the fitting state, and the positioning protrusion is inserted into the groove formed on the fixing wall surface along the fitting direction in the fitting state.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the connector of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately fit with a mating connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a connector according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a connector according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a front view of the connector according to the embodiment as seen from the mating direction.

[0017] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic structure of a connector according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view showing the connector according to the embodiment when being fitted.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view showing the fitting operation of the connector according to the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing the fitting operation of the connector according to the embodiment.

[0021] Explanation of symbols

[0022] 1 Connector

[0023] 3 Connector terminals

[0024] 10 Storage components

[0025] 11 Housing

[0026] 11A Fitting part

[0027] 20 Fixed parts

[0028] 21. Cover body

[0029] 23 Through hole

[0030] 30 Shell body

[0031] 31 Opposite surface

[0032] 33 Positioning protrusion

[0033] 50 Fastening bolts

[0034] 100 Other device

[0035] 102 Fixed wall

[0036] 103 Connector insertion hole

[0037] 104 Fastening holes

[0038] 105 Wall groove

[0039] 110 Other connector

[0040] 111 Other terminal

[0041] WH Harness

[0042] W Wiring Materials DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include elements that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or substantially the same elements.

[0044] [Implementation Method]

[0045] Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The connector 1 of the present embodiment shown is assembled in a wire harness WH arranged in a vehicle such as an automobile, for example. The wire harness WH is a bundle of a plurality of wiring materials W used for power supply and signal communication, for example, for connection between various devices mounted on the vehicle, and the plurality of wiring materials W are connected to the various devices via the connector 1 or the like. The wire harness WH includes wiring materials W having conductivity and a connector 1 electrically connected to the wiring materials W.

[0046] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, an electric wire formed by covering the outer side of a conductor portion (core wire) including a plurality of conductive metal wires with an insulating coating, a wire bundle formed by bundling the electric wires, a metal rod formed by covering the outer side of a conductive rod-shaped member with an insulating coating, etc. The wire harness WH may also be configured to further include a grommet, a protector, a fixing, an electrical connection box, etc.

[0047] The connector 1 of this embodiment is physically and electrically connected to the other device 100 that is the connection object. The connector 1 is inserted into the connector insertion hole 103 formed in the frame 101 of the other device 100, thereby fitting with the other connector 110 and forming an electrical connection portion with the other device 100. When the connector 1 is fitted with the other connector 110, the connector 1 is fixed to the fixed wall 102 of the other device 100. Figure 3 As shown, the connector 1 of this embodiment is composed of a housing component 10 and a fixing component 20 fixed to a fixing wall surface 102, and the housing component 10 has a fitting portion 11A that fits with a counterpart connector 110. Here, the state in which the connector 1 and the counterpart connector 110 are fitted refers to a state in which the fitting portion 11A fits with the counterpart connector 110 and the fixing component 20 is fixed to the fixing wall surface 102. In addition, in this embodiment, the connector 1 is described as a male connector and the counterpart connector 110 is described as a female connector.

[0048] In the following description, among the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction shown in the figure, the X direction is set as the "plugging and unplugging direction X", the Y direction is set as the "width direction Y", and the Z direction is set as the "up-down direction Z". The plugging and unplugging direction X, the width direction Y, and the up-down direction Z are orthogonal to each other. In the present embodiment, the X1 direction among the plugging and unplugging direction X is set as the "insertion direction X1", and the X2 direction is set as the "extraction direction X2". The insertion direction X1 is a direction along the mating direction of the connector 1 relative to the other connector 110. In addition, among the up-down direction Z, the Z1 direction is set as the "upward direction Z1", and the Z2 direction is set as the "downward direction Z2". In addition, in the present embodiment, the up-down direction Z is a direction along the vertical direction, but is not limited thereto.

[0049] In the frame 101, the fixed wall 102 is the wall on the side of the pull-out direction X2 of the frame 101, and is the part where the connector 1 is installed and fixed. The fixed wall 102 is composed of a uniform flat surface and is provided with a plurality of holes. Specifically, a connector insertion hole 103, a fastening hole 104, a wall groove 105, and a pair of grooves 106 are provided on the fixed wall 102. The connector insertion hole 103, the fastening hole 104, the wall groove 105, and the pair of grooves 106 are all formed in a roughly straight line from the fixed wall 102 along the plug-in and pull-out direction X. The connector insertion hole 103, the fastening hole 104, the wall groove 105, and the pair of grooves 106 are arranged in a straight line along the up-down direction Z. These three holes (or grooves) are arranged in order from the upper direction Z1 toward the lower direction Z2 in the order of the fastening hole 104 , the connector insertion hole 103 , and the wall surface groove portion 105 .

[0050] like Figure 2 , Figure 5 to Figure 7 As shown, the connector insertion hole 103 accommodates the counterpart connector 110 inside, and the connector insertion hole 103 is a portion into which the fitting portion 11A is inserted when the connector 1 is fitted with the counterpart connector 110. The opening shape of the connector insertion hole 103 is formed to be consistent with the shape of the fitting portion 11A when the fitting portion 11A of the connector 1 is observed from the insertion direction X1. The opening shape of the connector insertion hole 103 when observed from the insertion direction X1 is formed to be approximately elliptical. The connector insertion hole 103 is located between the fastening hole 104 and the wall groove 105 among the fastening hole 104, the connector insertion hole 103, and the wall groove 105 arranged along the up-down direction Z.

[0051] The fastening hole 104 is a portion for screwing a fastening bolt 50 for fixing the connector 1 to the fixed wall surface 102 when the connector 1 is fitted with the mating connector 110. The fastening bolt 50 is composed of a head 51 and a shaft 52. The fastening hole 104 is a hole having a screw groove formed on the inner circumferential surface, and the shaft 52 of the fastening bolt 50 is screwed. The fastening hole 104 is located on the upper direction Z1 side of the connector insertion hole 103.

[0052] The fastening bolt 50 is a fastening component that fixes the connector 1 to the fixed wall surface 102. The head 51 is provided at one end of the extension direction of the shaft 52, and is the base of the fastening bolt 50. The shape of the head 51 when viewed from the extension direction of the shaft 52 is hexagonal. The shaft 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A spiral screw groove is formed on the surface of the shaft 52 along the extension direction of the shaft 52. Figure 2 As shown, the fastening bolt 50 is inserted into the through hole 23 provided in the fixing member 20 along the insertion and extraction direction X. The fastening bolt 50 is screwed into the fastening hole 104 in a state of being inserted into the through hole 23 and fastened to the fastening hole 104. Figure 2 As shown, the connector 1 is fixed to the fixing wall 102 by the fastening bolts 50 when the fixing member 20 is installed to cover the receiving member 10. With such a structure, the fixing member 20 is fixed to the fixing wall 102 together with the receiving member 10 when the fitting portion 11A is fitted with the mating connector 110.

[0053] The wall groove 105 is provided for the mating portion 11A to be mated with the mating connector 110. Figure 3 , Figure 4 The wall groove 105 is a portion into which the positioning protrusion 33 provided on the side of the connector 1 shown is inserted. The opening shape of the wall groove 105 is formed to be consistent with the shape of the positioning protrusion 33 when viewed from the insertion direction X1. The opening shape of the wall groove 105 of this embodiment is formed into a rectangular shape. The wall groove 105 is located on the lower direction Z2 side of the connector insertion hole 103. Figure 2 , Figure 5 to Figure 7 As shown, the wall groove portion 105 has a pair of first guide surfaces 105 a and second guide surfaces 105 b .

[0054] The paired first guide surface 105a and second guide surface 105b are provided across the opening in the up-down direction Z. The first guide surface 105a and the second guide surface 105b are inclined toward the inner side of the wall surface groove portion 105 from the fixed wall surface 102 toward the insertion direction X1.

[0055] The pair of grooves 106 accommodates bolt heads provided on the connector 1 side when the fitting portion 11A is fitted with the mating connector 110. The pair of grooves 106 are arranged at a certain interval along the width direction Y so as to sandwich the wall groove 105.

[0056] The receiving member 10 has a fitting portion 11A that receives the connector terminal 3 and fits with the mating connector 110. Figure 4 As shown, the storage component 10 is composed of a plurality of components. Specifically, the storage component 10 includes a housing 11, a rear cover 12, a front bracket 13, an inner housing 14, and a gasket 15. The housing 11, the rear cover 12, the front bracket 13, and the inner housing 14 are respectively formed of an insulating resin material. The fitting portion 11A of this embodiment is composed of a cylindrical portion 34 provided on the housing 11, a front bracket 13 assembled to the cylindrical portion 34, an inner housing 14, and a seal 15.

[0057] The housing 11 and the rear cover 12 are assembled together to form a box-shaped component and accommodate four connector terminals 3. The connector terminals 3 are metal fittings made of conductive metal materials. Figure 5As shown, the connector terminal 3 is a male terminal electrically connected to the female counterpart terminal 111. The connector terminal 3 is physically and electrically connected to the end of the wiring material W. In addition, the housing 11 and the rear cover 12 accommodate four connector terminals 3 in a state of being combined with each other, but this is not limited to this.

[0058] The housing 11 is formed with openings at both ends in the insertion and extraction direction X. When the housing 11 accommodates the connector terminal 3, the connector terminal 3 is exposed to the outside from the opening on the insertion direction X1 side, while the opening on the extraction direction X2 side is closed by the rear cover 12. The housing 11 is configured to include a housing body 30 and a wiring material insertion portion 32, which are formed integrally.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the shell body 30 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the insertion direction X1. The shell body 30 has: a facing surface 31, which faces the fixed wall surface 102 in the insertion and removal direction X when the mating portion 11A is mated with the mating connector 110; and a cylindrical portion 34, which protrudes from the facing surface 31 toward the mating connector 110 and is received inside the mating connector 110. Figure 3 to Figure 7 As shown, the facing surface 31 has a positioning protrusion 33 formed to protrude toward the fixed wall surface 102 when the fitting portion 11A is fitted with the mating connector 110. The cylindrical portion 34 accommodates the cylindrical inner housing 14 along the inner circumference and the rear cover 12 is attached along the outer circumference.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, the positioning protrusion 33 is located on the opposite side of the through hole 23 across the fitting portion 11A in the vertical direction Z that intersects the insertion direction X1. The cross-sectional shape of the positioning protrusion 33 when viewed from the plug-in direction X is rectangular. The positioning protrusion 33 is inserted into the wall groove 105 in the mating state where the fitting portion 11A is mated with the counterpart connector 110. The positioning protrusion 33 has: a front end portion 40, which is provided at the front end of the insertion direction X1 side; a first inclined surface 41, which is provided from the front end portion 40 to the upward direction Z1 side; and a second inclined surface 42, which is provided from the front end portion 40 to the downward direction Z2 side.

[0061] The front end portion 40 is located between the first inclined surface 41 and the second inclined surface 42 in the up-down direction Z. The first inclined surface 41 is inclined from the front end portion 40 toward the upper direction Z1 along the withdrawal direction X2. The second inclined surface 42 is an inclined surface inclined from the front end portion 40 toward the lower direction Z2 along the withdrawal direction X2. In the mating state where the mating portion 11A is mated with the counterpart connector 110 and the connector 1 is fixed to the fixed wall surface 102 by the fastening bolt 50, the front end portion 40 is located closer to the insertion direction X1 side than the front end of the cylindrical portion 34 on the insertion direction X1 side when viewed from the width direction Y, and is located closer to the withdrawal direction X2 side than the front end of the shaft portion 52 on the insertion direction X1 side.

[0062] The inner housing 14 is a member formed separately from the housing 11 , and is a member that accommodates and holds the connector terminals 3 along the insertion and extraction direction X in a state of being mounted on the housing body 30 .

[0063] The gasket 15 is formed in an annular shape and is a waterproof member attached to the housing 11. When the fitting portion 11A is fitted with the mating connector 110, the gasket 15 is interposed between the housing 11 and the mating connector 110 and contacts them to waterproof and ensure sealing.

[0064] The wiring material insertion portion 32 is a portion through which the wiring material W is inserted. The wiring material insertion portion 32 is formed to protrude from the end portion of the housing body 30 on the lower direction Z2 side along the lower direction Z2. The wiring material insertion portion 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the wiring material W is arranged inside the wiring material insertion portion 32 along the up-down direction Z. That is, the housing 11 holds the connector terminal 3 along the plugging and unplugging direction X, and the wiring material W is inserted along the up-down direction Z orthogonal to the plugging and unplugging direction X. Here, four wiring materials W are inserted into the wiring material insertion portion 32.

[0065] In the mating state where the mating portion 11A is mated with the mating connector 110, the lower fixing member 20 is fixed to the fixing wall surface 102 together with the storage member 10. Figure 4 As shown, the fixing member 20 includes a cover body 21 and a lower cover 25. The cover body 21 and the lower cover 25 are each formed of a conductive metal material.

[0066] The cover body 21 is formed in a barrel shape so as to cover the outer side of the housing 11, and a bracket portion 22 is provided at the end portion on the upper direction Z1 side. The cover body 21 is composed of a so-called shield cover, and is formed to cover the outer side of the storage component 10. The bracket portion 22 has a through hole 23 through which the fastening bolt 50 is inserted along the insertion and extraction direction X. The through hole 23 is a through hole that penetrates along the insertion and extraction direction X of the bracket portion 22, and the shaft portion 52 of the fastening bolt 50 is inserted. In this way, the cover body 21 can be said to be a shield cover provided with the through hole 23.

[0067] The lower cover 25 is fastened to the cover body 21 by bolts or the like to fix the storage component 10 to the fixing component 20. The lower cover 25 is fixed to the cover body 21 by two bolts in a state where the wiring material insertion portion 32 of the storage component 10 is sandwiched between the lower cover 25 and the cover body 21 in the insertion and extraction direction X.

[0068] Next, the operation of fitting the connector 1 having the above structure to the mating connector 110 and fixing it to the fixing wall 102 is described. First, the operator inserts the fastening bolt 50 into the fastening hole 104 of the fixing wall 102 and screws it in while the fastening bolt 50 is inserted through the through hole 23 of the fixing member 20 of the connector 1. At this time, the connector 1 may be as Figure 6 As shown, the end portion on the upper direction Z1 side is relatively closer to the fixed wall surface 102 than the end portion on the lower direction Z2 side, and does not directly face the fixed wall surface 102 .

[0069] When the operator further screws the fastening bolt 50 into the fastening hole 104, the positioning protrusion 33 contacts the wall groove 105 of the fixed wall 102. At this time, the front end 40 of the positioning protrusion 33, the second inclined surface 42, or the boundary between the front end 40 and the second inclined surface 42 contacts and slides with the second guide surface 105b of the wall groove 105. As a result, the positioning protrusion 33 is inserted toward the wall groove 105. As a result, the connector 1 is Figure 7 As shown, the inclination of the connector 1 relative to the fixed wall 102 disappears, and the connector 1 is directly opposite to the other connector 110 .

[0070] The operator further tightens the fastening bolt 50, whereby the fitting portion 11A fits with the mating connector 110, and the connector terminal 3 is connected to the mating terminal 111 of the mating connector 110 ( Figure 5 ).

[0071] In the conventional connector, when the fastening bolt 50 is inserted into the through hole 23 and the fastening bolt 50 is inserted into the fastening hole 104 and screwed, the connector may not be directly opposite to the fixing wall surface 102 along the insertion and extraction direction X. When the connector is fixed with one fastening bolt 50, for example Figure 6As shown, due to the tolerance of the outer diameter of the shaft portion 52 and the tolerance of the inner diameter of the through hole 23, the connector as a whole is easily tilted in a direction intersecting the plug-in direction X due to the size of the gap between the shaft portion 52 and the through hole 23. When the fastening bolt 50 is further screwed in when the connector 1 is not directly facing the fixed wall surface 102 along the plug-in direction X, the connector 1 as a whole may be fitted in a tilted state relative to the other connector 110. In this case, the connector terminal 3 contacts the other terminal 111 in a tilted state, and prying may occur between the terminals. Therefore, although the operator can also hold the connector 1 in a manner that it is directly facing the fixed wall surface 102 along the plug-in direction X to perform the fitting operation, the assembly operation may be very time-consuming.

[0072] As described above, the connector 1 of the present embodiment includes: the housing member 10 having the fitting portion 11A that fits with the mating connector 110; and the fixing member 20 that is fixed to the fixing wall surface 102 together with the housing member 10. The fixing member 20 has the through hole 23 through which the fastening bolt 50 passes, and the fastening bolt 50 is fastened to the fastening hole 104 of the fixing wall surface 102 to fix the fixing member 20 to the fixing wall surface 102 together with the housing member 10. The housing member 10 has the positioning protrusion 33 that is located on the side opposite to the through hole 23 provided in the fixing member 20 across the fitting portion 11A in the up-down direction Z, and is formed to protrude toward the fixing wall surface 102 side in the fitting state. The positioning protrusion 33 is inserted into the wall surface groove 105 formed in the fixing wall surface 102 along the insertion and extraction direction X in the fitting state.

[0073] With the above structure, when the connector 1 is fitted to the mating connector 110 and fixed to the fixed wall surface 102 by tightening the fastening bolt 50, the positioning protrusion 33 is inserted toward the wall surface groove 105. As a result, the connector 1 can correct the inclination of the connector 1 relative to the mating connector 110, so that the connector terminal 3 in the fitting portion 11A is directly opposite to the mating terminal 111 in the mating connector 110 along the insertion and extraction direction X. As a result, the connector 1 can suppress the prying between the connector terminal 3 and the mating terminal 111, and can be properly fitted with the mating connector.

[0074] In the connector 1 of this embodiment, the housing member 10 includes the resin housing 11, and the positioning protrusion 33 is formed integrally with the housing 11. Thus, the housing 11 of the connector 1 is made of resin, and thus the positioning protrusion 33 can be easily formed on the housing 11.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the positioning protrusion 33 when viewed from the insertion and removal direction X is rectangular, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cross-sectional shape of the positioning protrusion 33 when viewed from the insertion and removal direction X may be circular, elliptical, triangular, or a polygon with a pentagon or more.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning protrusion 33 is provided on the housing 11 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the positioning protrusion 33 may be provided on the cover body 21 as a shield cover.

[0077] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the positioning protrusion 33 is provided at one position relative to the connector 1, but it is not limited thereto and may be provided at multiple positions. In this case, the wall surface groove 105 provided on the fixed wall surface 102 may also be provided at multiple positions according to the position of the positioning protrusion 33. In addition, in the case where a plurality of positioning protrusions 33 are arranged at a certain interval along the width direction Y, the wall surface groove 105 may also be a groove extending in the width direction Y in a manner that allows a plurality of positioning protrusions 33 to be inserted simultaneously.

[0078] In addition, in the above embodiment, the positioning protrusion 33 is located on an imaginary line passing through the center of the through hole 23 and the center of the connector insertion hole 103 along the up-down direction Z in the mating state, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the positioning protrusion 33 may also be provided at a position offset from the above imaginary line. In this case, it is preferred that the positioning protrusion 33 is provided at a position on the Z2 side of the connector insertion hole 103 in the downward direction.

[0079] In the above embodiment, the connector 1 leads the wiring material W toward the downward direction Z2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connector 1 may lead the wiring material W toward at least one direction of the width direction Y or toward the extraction direction X2.

Claims

1. A connector, characterized in that: include: a receiving member that receives the terminal and has a mating portion that is mated with a mating connector provided on a connection target; as well as a fixing member, which is fixed to a fixing wall surface of the connection object together with the storage member when the fitting portion and the mating connector are in a fitting state, The fixing component has a through hole, which is connected to the fastening hole formed on the fixing wall surface along the fitting direction of the fitting portion relative to the other connector in the fitting state, and the through hole is used to allow the fastening bolt fastened to the fastening hole to pass through the fixing component along the fitting direction. One of the storage component and the fixing component has a positioning protrusion, which is located at a position opposite to the through hole across the fitting portion in a direction intersecting the fitting direction and is formed to protrude toward the fixing wall surface in the fitting state. The positioning protrusion is inserted into a groove formed on the fixing wall surface along the fitting direction in the fitting state.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: The storage member is configured to include a resin casing. The fixing member is configured to include a metal shielding cover covering the outer side of the housing. The through hole is formed integrally with the shielding cover, The positioning protrusion is formed integrally with the housing.

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