Attachment

Abstract

To provide an attachment that can reliably electrically connect a connector to a device side connection portion.SOLUTION: An attachment 30 includes a device side housing 51 that is provided on a device main body 20 and connected to a device side connector 21 that has a built-in female terminal, and a harness side housing 41 that is provided at the end of a wire harness 11 and connected to a harness side connector 12 that has a male terminal 121, the device side housing 51 is provided with a female terminal accommodating portion 46 that is electrically connected to the device-mounted terminal, and the harness side housing 41 is provided with a conductive shaft portion 56 that is electrically connected to the male terminal 121, and the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 are electrically connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment for electrically connecting, for example, a connector and a device-side connection portion. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a long wire harness that electrically connects electrical devices mounted on a vehicle is routed in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional complex routing path that combines straight and curved parts to fit the uneven shape of the vehicle. A connector is connected to the end of such a wire harness, and is connected to a device-side connection part provided on the electrical devices (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In recent years, partial standardization of wire harnesses has been promoted among vehicles of different models and grades. However, since the mounting positions of electrical devices differ depending on the model, etc., when a part of a wire harness is standardized, a gap is generated between the connector connected to the end of the wire harness and the device-side connection part, which may make it difficult to connect the device-side connection part and the connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-220391 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that can reliably electrically connect a connector and a device-side connection portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This invention is characterized in that it is an attachment comprising an equipment side housing provided on an electrical device and connected to an equipment side connection portion having an equipment-mounted terminal, and a connector side housing provided at the end of a wire harness and connected to a connector having a connector-mounted terminal, wherein the equipment side housing is provided with an equipment side terminal electrically connected to the equipment-mounted terminal, the connector side housing is provided with a connector side terminal electrically connected to the connector-mounted terminal, and the equipment side terminal and the connector side terminal are electrically connected.

[0007] According to this invention, by connecting the equipment-side housing to the equipment-side connection part so that the equipment-mounted terminal is electrically connected to the equipment-side terminal, and by connecting the connector-side housing to the connector so that the connector-mounted terminal is electrically connected to the connector-side terminal, the equipment-mounted terminal and the connector-mounted terminal can be electrically connected via the electrically connected equipment-side terminal and connector-side terminal, and the equipment-side connection part and the connector can be connected via the attachment. Therefore, even if a gap occurs between the connector and the equipment-side connection part, the connector and the equipment-side connection part can be reliably electrically connected.

[0008] In addition, by connecting the equipment side housing and the connector side housing to the equipment side connection portion and the connector, respectively, the gap between the connector and the equipment side connection portion can be filled without putting a strain on the wire harness, thereby maintaining a stable connection state between the equipment-mounted terminal and the connector-mounted terminal.

[0009] As an aspect of the present invention, the device side housing and the connector side housing may be configured to be relatively movable along a predetermined direction, and the device side terminal and the connector side terminal which are electrically connected to each other may be configured to be relatively movable along the predetermined direction. The predetermined direction includes not only the connection direction in which the connector-mounted terminals are connected to the connector-side terminals, but also a direction intersecting the connection direction.

[0010] According to this invention, the device-side housing and the connector-side housing can be moved relative to each other in accordance with the gap between the connector and the device-side connecting portion, and the device-side terminals and the connector-side terminals can be moved relative to each other, thereby making it possible to connect the wire harness and electrical devices in accordance with various gaps between the connector and the device-side connecting portion while maintaining a stable connection state between the device-mounted terminals and the connector-mounted terminals.

[0011] Furthermore, when connecting the device-side housing to the device-side connection portion, the position of the device-side housing relative to the connector-side housing can be determined in accordance with the distance between the connector connected to the connector-side housing and the device-side connection portion. In other words, since the position of the device-side housing relative to the connector-side housing can be determined in a state in which the connector and the connector-side housing are connected, the connector and the device-side connection portion can be connected easily and reliably.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, a slide connector may be provided between the device side housing and the connector side housing, the device side housing and the connector side housing may be connected via the slide connector, and at least one of the device side housing and the connector side housing may be configured to be movable relative to the slide connector in the specified direction.

[0013] According to this invention, the device housing and the connector housing can be moved relative to each other in a predetermined direction via the slide connector. That is, the distance of relative movement in the predetermined direction can be made larger than when the device housing and the connector housing are directly connected to each other so as to be movable relative to each other in the predetermined direction. Therefore, the versatility of the attachment can be improved.

[0014] In addition, as an aspect of the present invention, a position regulating part may be provided which regulates the relative position between the slide connector and at least one of the device side housing and the connector side housing which are configured to be movable relative to the slide connector along the specified direction.

[0015] According to the present invention, the position of at least one of the device housing and the connector housing relative to the slide connecting body can be restricted, so that the connector housing can be restricted from moving unintentionally relative to the device housing, thereby making it possible to more stably connect the device-mounted terminals and the connector-mounted terminals.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, a conductive member is provided between the device side terminal and the connector side terminal, the device side terminal and the conductive member, and the connector side terminal and the conductive member are electrically connected to each other, and at least one of the device side terminal and the connector side terminal is configured to be movable relative to the conductive member along the specified direction. The conductive member may be provided in either the device-side housing or the connector-side housing, in the slide connector, or in both.

[0017] According to this invention, at least one of the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal can be moved relative to the device-side housing and the connector-side housing in a state where the terminal is electrically connected to the conductive member, thereby ensuring stable conductivity between the device-mounted terminal and the connector-mounted terminal.

[0018] In addition, when both the device terminal and the connector terminal can be moved relative to the conductive member, the distance between the device terminal and the connector terminal can be extended compared to when the connector terminal is directly connected to the device terminal so as to be movable relative to the conductive member, thereby further improving the versatility of the attachment.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, one of the device side terminal and the connector side terminal may be configured to be movable relative to the conductive member along the specified direction, and the other of the device side terminal and the connector side terminal may be configured to be freely rotatable relative to the conductive member with a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the specified direction.

[0020] According to this invention, one of the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal can be moved relative to one another, and the other can be rotated with respect to the conductive member. Therefore, for example, even if the connection portion to the device-side connection part is narrow, the other can be rotated with respect to the conductive member, and the device-side connection part and the connector spaced apart by a predetermined distance can be connected while reducing the length in a predetermined direction. In this way, the connector and the device-side connection portion can be reliably electrically connected to each other depending on the surrounding environment of the device-side connection portion, and the connection state can be stabilized. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an attachment that can reliably electrically connect a connector and a device-side connection portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a harness-side conductive portion and a harness-side main body. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a device-side conductive portion and a device-side main body. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conductive member and a connector operating portion. [Figure 14]FIG. [Figure 15] 6 is an explanatory diagram of an assembled state of the harness side housing and the connector body. FIG. [Figure 16] 5 is an explanatory diagram of an assembled state of a harness-side conductive portion and a conductive member. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an assembled state between the device side housing and the connecting body. [Figure 18] 5 is an explanatory diagram of an assembled state of a device-side conductive portion and a conductive member. FIG. [Figure 19] An explanatory diagram of the attachment. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 shows a schematic front view of an electrical connection structure 1 in which a connector-equipped harness 10 and an equipment main body 20 are electrically connected via an attachment 30, Fig. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the electrical connection structure 1, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the attachment 30. Fig. 4 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of a harness-side main body 40, Fig. 5 shows an explanatory diagram of a harness-side housing 41, and Fig. 6 shows an explanatory diagram of a harness-side conductive portion 42 and the harness-side main body 40.

[0024] Fig. 7 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the device side main body 50, Figs. 8 and 9 show explanatory diagrams of the device side housing 51, and Fig. 10 shows an explanatory diagram of the device side conductive part 52 and the device side main body 50. Fig. 11 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the connector 60, Fig. 12 shows an explanatory diagram of the connector main body 61, Fig. 13 shows an explanatory diagram of the conductive member 62 and the connector operating part 70, and Fig. 14 shows an explanatory diagram of the connector 60.

[0025] Figure 15 shows an explanatory diagram of the assembled state between the harness side housing 41 and the connecting body main body 61, Figure 16 shows an explanatory diagram of the assembled state between the harness side conductive portion 42 and the conductive member 62, Figure 17 shows an explanatory diagram of the assembled state between the equipment side housing 51 and the connecting body main body 61, Figure 18 shows an explanatory diagram of the assembled state between the equipment side conductive portion 52 and the conductive member 62, Figure 19 shows an explanatory diagram of the attachment 30, and Figure 20 shows an explanatory diagram of the electrical connection structure 1 in a state where the equipment side main body 50 is rotated relative to the connecting body 60.

[0026] 2, 5, 6, 8 to 10, and 12 to 20 will be described in detail. Fig. 2(a) shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the electrical connection structure 1 as viewed from the upper side Hu and the front side Lf, and Fig. 2(b) shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the electrical connection structure 1 as viewed from the upper side Hu and the rear side Lb. Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic front view of the harness side housing 41, Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic plan view of the harness side housing 41, and Fig. 5(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5(b). Fig. 6(a) shows a plan view of the harness side conductive portion 42, Fig. 6(b) shows a schematic perspective view of the harness side conductive portion 42 held by the harness side clamping portion 415, and Fig. 6(c) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the harness side conductive portion 42 held by the harness side clamping portion 415 as viewed along line AA. In FIG. 6(b), in order to clarify the structure of the harness-side conductive portion 42, the outer shape of the harness-side housing 41 is shown by dotted lines and in a transparent state.

[0027] Fig. 8(a) shows a schematic front view of the device side housing 51, Fig. 8(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of part a in Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 8(a) shows a schematic plan view of the device side housing 51. Fig. 9(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 8(a). Fig. 10(a) shows a schematic plan view of the device side conductive section 52, Fig. 10(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the device side main body 50, and Fig. 10(c) shows a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B.

[0028] Fig. 12(a) shows a schematic front view of the connector 60, Fig. 12(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in Fig. 12(a), and Fig. 12(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in Fig. 12(a). Fig. 13(a) shows a schematic plan view of the conductive member 62, and Fig. 13(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the conductive member 62 cut along the line L and the line W at the center of the height direction H. Fig. 13(c) shows a schematic side view of the connector operating section 70, and Fig. 13(d) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector operating section 70 cut along the line W and the line H at the center of the length direction L. Fig. 14(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector 60 taken along the line D-D, and Fig. 14(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector 60 taken along the line E-E.

[0029] Figures 15(a) and 15(b) show schematic cross-sectional views of the assembled harness side housing 41 and connector main body 61 in a state where the central protrusion 64 is positioned approximately in the center of the slide rail 44 and in a state where the central protrusion 64 is positioned at the end of the rear side Lb of the slide rail 44, and Figures 16(a) and 16(b) show schematic plan views of the assembled harness side conductive portion 42 and conductive member 62 in a state corresponding to Figures 15(a) and 15(b). Figures 17(a) and 17(b) show schematic cross-sectional views of the assembled equipment side housing 51 and connector main body 61 in a state in which the insertion shaft 532 is engaged with the third through-hole 65 from the rear side Lb and in a state in which the insertion shaft 532 is in a position corresponding to the through-hole 65 at the end of the rear side Lb, and Figures 18(a) and 18(b) show schematic plan views of the assembled equipment side conductive part 52 and conductive member 62 in a state corresponding to Figures 17(a) and 17(b).

[0030] Note that Figures 15(a) and 15(b) show schematic cross-sectional views of a section cut along the longitudinal direction L and width direction W at a position corresponding to the central protrusion 64 along the height direction H, viewed from the upper side Hu, and Figures 17(a) and 17(b) show schematic cross-sectional views of a section cut along the longitudinal direction L and width direction W at the central part in the height direction H, viewed from the upper side Hu.

[0031] Fig. 19(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the attachment 30 in a state in which the harness side main body 40 and the connecting body 60 are housed in the equipment side main body 50, and Fig. 19(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the attachment 30 in a state in which the harness side main body 40 and the equipment side main body 50 are furthest apart. Fig. 20(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical connection structure 1 in a state in which the equipment side main body 50 is rotated relative to the connecting body 60, cut along the longitudinal direction L and the width direction W at the center of the width direction W, and Fig. 20(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical connection structure 1 in a state in which the equipment side main body 50 is rotated relative to the connecting body 60, cut along the width direction W and the height direction H at a position corresponding to the guide groove 625.

[0032] 1, the up-down direction is the height direction H, and the left-right direction is the longitudinal direction L. The direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H is the width direction W. The upper side along the height direction H is the upper side Hu, and the lower side along the height direction H is the lower side Hd. Similarly, the left side along the longitudinal direction L is the front side Lf, and the right side along the longitudinal direction L is the rear side Lb. The above-mentioned directions are the same as the corresponding directions in FIGS. 2 to 20.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the electrical connection structure 1 is composed of a connector-equipped harness 10 arranged in a vehicle, an equipment main body 20 mounted on the vehicle, and an attachment 30 arranged between the equipment main body 20 and the connector-equipped harness 10 and capable of electrically connecting the connector-equipped harness 10 and the equipment main body 20.

[0034] The connector-equipped harness 10 is composed of a wire harness 11 which is a bundle of insulated electric wires whose conductors are surrounded by an insulating coating, a harness side connector 12 which is provided at one end of the wire harness 11 so as to be connectable to the device main body 20, and a connection connector (not shown) at the other end of the wire harness 11 which is connected to other electrical devices which are electrically connected to the device main body 20.

[0035] The harness side connector 12 is a so-called male connector. More specifically, the harness side connector 12 is connected to the conductors constituting the wire harness 11, and has two male terminals 121 arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval along the width direction W, and a connector housing 122 incorporating the male terminals 121. The connector housing 122 is a rectangular housing, and a terminal opening 123 through which the tip of the incorporated male terminal 121 is exposed is provided on the end surface on the rear side Lb (see FIG. 2(b)).

[0036] The device main body 20 is an electrical component mounted on a vehicle, such as an electrical junction box or an air conditioning unit, and as shown in FIG. 2, is provided with an external device-side connector 21 electrically connected to an electrical circuit housed inside.

[0037] The device-side connector 21 is a so-called female connector configured to be connectable to the harness-side connector 12. In detail, the device-side connector 21 has a connector portion 211 incorporating a female terminal (not shown) electrically connected to an electric circuit housed therein, and a connector holding portion 212 holding a base end of the connector portion 211.

[0038] The connector part 211 is a rectangular parallelepiped case that is one size smaller than the connector housing 122 so that it can be inserted into the terminal opening 123, and accommodates two female terminals arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval along the width direction W. In addition, a terminal insertion opening 213 is provided on the surface of the front side Lf of the connector part 211 at a position corresponding to the female terminal. The connector holding portion 212 is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped case that is slightly larger than the connector housing 122, and protrudes in the longitudinal direction L from the outer wall of the device body 20.

[0039] The connector-equipped harness 10 and the device body 20 thus configured are configured so that the connector portion 211 can be inserted into the terminal opening 123. If the connector portion 211 is inserted into the terminal opening 123, the male terminal 121 is inserted into the terminal insertion opening 213, and the wire harness 11 and the device body 20 can be electrically connected.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the attachment 30 is composed of a harness side main body 40 that can be connected to the connector-equipped harness 10, an equipment side main body 50 that can be connected to the equipment main body 20, and a connecting body 60 that connects the harness side main body 40 and the equipment side main body 50.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the harness side main body 40 is composed of a harness side housing 41 that is configured to allow the harness side connector 12 to be attached and detached to the end of the front side Lf, and a harness side conductive portion 42 that is held inside the harness side housing 41.

[0042] The harness-side housing 41 is a cylindrical housing provided with a through hole along the longitudinal direction L. In detail, the harness-side housing 41 is composed of a pair of harness-side side walls 411 facing each other along the width direction W, a harness-side upper surface 412 connecting ends of the pair of harness-side side walls 411 on the upper side Hu, a harness-side lower surface 413 connecting ends of the pair of harness-side side walls 411 on the lower side Hd, and a pair of opening forming surfaces 414 which are end surfaces on the rear side Lb, and has a harness-side clamping portion 415 therein that clamps the harness-side conductive portion 42 along the height direction H (see FIG. 5(c)).

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 and 5(a), the harness side side wall 411 is a rectangular flat plate having a long side along the longitudinal direction L and a short side along the height direction H, and is provided with a guide rail 43 that penetrates the central part in the height direction H in the plate thickness direction, and slide rails 44 that penetrate the guide rail 43 in the plate thickness direction on both sides in the height direction H.

[0044] The guide rail 43 is a long and narrow through hole provided from the end of the rear side Lb to the vicinity of the end of the front side Lf in the harness side side wall 411. That is, an opening communicating with the outside along the longitudinal direction L is formed in the center part in the height direction H in the end of the rear side Lb in the harness side side wall 411.

[0045] The slide rail 44 is a long and narrow through hole that penetrates the upper side Hu and the lower side Hd of the guide rail 43 in the plate thickness direction, and is provided along the longitudinal direction L from the vicinity of the end of the rear side Lb to a position slightly forward Lf from the center of the longitudinal direction L. The widths of the guide rail 43 and the slide rail 44 are approximately equal.

[0046] The harness-side side walls 411 thus equipped with the guide rails 43 and the slide rails 44 are provided in pairs facing each other in the width direction W (see FIG. 5(c)). The distance between the harness-side side walls 411 is slightly longer than the width of the male terminals 121 (the length along the width direction W).

[0047] The harness-side upper surface 412 is a generally rectangular flat plate connecting the ends of the upper sides Hu of the pair of facing harness-side side walls 411 from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction L, and has a locked portion 45 provided in the center in the width direction W as shown in Fig. 5(b). On the other hand, the harness-side lower surface 413 is a generally rectangular flat plate connecting the ends of the lower sides Hd of the pair of facing harness-side side walls 411 from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction L. The distance between the harness-side upper surface 412 and the harness-side lower surface 413 is equal to the height of the male terminal 121.

[0048] Also, at the end of the front side Lf of the harness-side sidewall 411, a pair of opening forming surfaces 414 are provided, which extend inward in the width direction W over the entire length in the height direction H (see FIG. 5(c)). That is, the opening forming surfaces 414 connect the ends of the front sides Lf of the harness-side upper surface 412 and the harness-side lower surface 413 in the height direction H. The distance between the opening forming surfaces 414 is equal to the width of the male terminals 121. Therefore, the male terminals 121 can be inserted into the openings formed on the front side Lf of the harness-side housing 41.

[0049] As shown in Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the engaged portion 45 is composed of a pair of insertion portions 451 arranged along the longitudinal direction L, and a plurality of engagement grooves 452 recessed along the width direction W between the pair of insertion portions 451.

[0050] The pair of insertion parts 451 are formed by penetrating in the plate thickness direction slightly outside both sides in the width direction W of the harness-side upper surface 412 from the center in the width direction W. That is, the insertion parts 451 are provided in pairs at a predetermined interval along the width direction W. Both ends of the insertion parts 451 in the longitudinal direction L are disposed at positions corresponding to both ends of the slide rail 44 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0051] The locking groove 452 is a groove formed by recessing the harness-side upper surface 412 between the insertion portions 451 spaced apart in the width direction W by a predetermined depth in the plate thickness direction, and connects the insertion portions 451 along the width direction W. A circular hole 453 having a circular shape in a plan view and penetrating in the plate thickness direction is provided in the center of the locking groove 452.

[0052] Five locking grooves 452 thus configured are provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction L. Specifically, the locking grooves 452 are provided at the center and both ends in the longitudinal direction L of the insertion portion 451, and between them.

[0053] The harness side clamping portion 415 provided inside the harness side housing 41 is a plate-like body extending a predetermined length inward in the height direction H from the harness side upper surface 412 and the harness side lower surface 413, as shown in Figure 5 (c). More specifically, the harness side clamping portions 415 extend inward in the height direction H so as to face each other from the harness side upper surface 412 and the harness side lower surface 413 at positions corresponding to the end of the front side Lf of the slide rail 44 and at positions that are inward in the width direction W from the inner end of the opening forming surface 414 in the width direction W by a length equal to the plate thickness of the harness side sidewall 411. That is, a total of four harness side clamping portions 415 are provided, two on the harness side upper surface 412 and two on the harness side lower surface 413.

[0054] The length of the harness side clamping portion 415 in the height direction H is approximately one third of the length of the harness side wall 411 in the height direction H. In other words, the end faces of the harness side clamping portion 415 facing each other in the height direction H are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the height direction H.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6(a), the harness side conductive portion 42 is composed of a pair of female terminal accommodating portions 46 that are electrically connected to the male terminals 121, and a harness side terminal holding portion 47 that holds the ends of the front side Lf of the pair of female terminal accommodating portions 46.

[0056] The female terminal accommodating section 46 is a hollow housing formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape along the longitudinal direction L, and has an insertion opening 461 for inserting the male terminal 121 on the front side Lf (see FIG. 6(b)). The female terminal accommodating section 46 also has a terminal (not shown) built in that is capable of electrical connection with the male terminal 121, similar to the female terminal built in the connector section 211. Two female terminal accommodating sections 46 thus configured are arranged at a predetermined interval in correspondence with the two male terminals 121 arranged in parallel along the width direction W.

[0057] As shown in Figure 6(a), the harness side terminal holding portion 47 is integrally formed with a harness side connecting portion 471 that holds two female terminal accommodating portions 46, and a pair of harness side extension portions 472 extending from both ends of the harness side connecting portion 471 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0058] The harness side connecting portion 471 is a rectangular plate-like body having the same shape as the terminal opening 123 provided in the connector housing 122 in a side view seen from the front side Lf along the longitudinal direction L, and a pair of harness side extension portions 472 are connected to both ends in the width direction W. The female terminal accommodating portions 46 spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the width direction W penetrate the harness side connecting portion 471 so that the surface of the front side Lf of the harness side connecting portion 471 is flush with each other.

[0059] The harness side extending portion 472 is a rectangular plate-like body having a long side along the longitudinal direction L and a short side along the height direction H, and has a plate thickness (length along the width direction W) equal to the plate thickness of the harness side clamping portion 415. The harness side extending portions 472 thus configured are arranged in pairs at a distance equal to the distance along the width direction W of the harness side clamping portions 415 extending from the harness side upper surface 412 toward the downward side Hd.

[0060] In addition, a first conductive member 473 that is conductive and electrically connected to the female terminal built into the female terminal accommodating portion 46 is attached to the portion of the rear side Lb surface of the harness side connecting portion 471 that is outer in the width direction W than the harness side conductive portion 42, and to the inner surface side in the width direction W of the harness side extension portion 472 (see Figure 6 (a)).

[0061] The harness side conductive portion 42, which is composed of such a female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the harness side terminal holding portion 47, is formed in a concave shape that is plane-symmetrical with the center in the width direction W as viewed in a plane along the longitudinal direction L and height direction H, similar to the harness side housing 41, and is built into the harness side housing 41 as shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c).

[0062] In detail, the harness side connecting portion 471 is disposed near the end portion of the front side Lf of the harness side housing 41 so as to face the opening of the front side Lf of the harness side housing 41, and the pair of harness side extending portions 472 are sandwiched between the harness side clamping portions 415 extending from the harness side upper surface 412 and the harness side lower surface 413. That is, between the harness side extending portions 472 and the opening forming surface 414, a gap having a width equal to the plate thickness of the harness side side wall 411 in the width direction W is provided. Note that the tip end of the harness side extending portion 472 is disposed at a position corresponding to the end portion of the locked portion 45 on the rear side Lb.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7 , the device side main body 50 is composed of an device side housing 51 configured to be able to mate with the device side connector 21, an device side conductive section 52 accommodated inside the device side housing 51 and configured to be able to be conductive with a female terminal built into the device side connector 21, and an device side regulating body 53 that is detachable from the device side housing 51.

[0064] The device-side housing 51 is a generally annular housing having a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is one size larger than the harness-side housing 41, and is configured to be able to house the harness-side main body 40 and the connector 60. In addition, the front side Lf of the device-side housing 51 is provided with an opening through which the harness-side main body 40 and the connector 60 can be inserted, and the rear side Lb is provided with a rectangular opening that fits onto the end of the harness-side connector 12 (see FIG. 2(b)).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 7, the device side housing 51 is composed of a pair of device side walls 511 spaced a predetermined distance apart along the width direction W, a pair of device side bottom surfaces 512 connecting both ends of the pair of device side walls 511 in the height direction H, and a pivot portion 513 provided at the ends of the front side Lf of the pair of device side bottom surfaces 512, and has an device side holding portion 54 therein that holds the device side conductive portion 52 (see FIG. 9).

[0066] The equipment side sidewall 511 is a rectangular flat plate having a long side longer than the length of the harness side sidewall 411 in the longitudinal direction L and a short side slightly longer than the length along the height direction H of the harness side sidewall 411, and as shown in Figure 8 (a), a mounting portion 55 for mounting the equipment side regulator 53 is provided near the end of the front side Lf.

[0067] As shown in Figure 8 (b), the mounting portion 55 is composed of a rectangular groove portion 551 formed by recessing the device-side side wall 511 into a rectangular shape, a groove-shaped tip groove portion 552 extending from the end of the front side Lf of the rectangular groove portion 551 to the tip of the device-side side wall 511, and an erect portion 553 erected from the outer edge of the rectangular groove portion 551.

[0068] The rectangular groove portion 551 is a groove-shaped recess formed by recessing the equipment side side wall 511 into a rectangular shape on the rear side Lb by a predetermined length from the end of the front side Lf of the equipment side side wall 511, and a through hole portion 554 is provided in the central portion, which penetrates the equipment side side wall 511 in a regular octagonal shape along the thickness direction of the plate.

[0069] The tip groove portion 552 is a rectangular groove recessed from the end of the front side Lf to the rectangular groove portion 551 at the center portion in the height direction H of the device side housing 51 by the same depth as the rectangular groove portion 551, and is configured integrally with the rectangular groove portion 551. The length of the tip groove portion 552 in the height direction H is set to be shorter than the length of the rectangular groove portion 551 in the height direction H.

[0070] The erected portion 553 stands a predetermined height from the outer edge of the rectangular groove portion 551 toward the outside in the width direction W, forming a frame that surrounds only the outer edge of the rectangular groove portion 551. In other words, the erected portion 553 is not provided at a location corresponding to the connecting portion between the rectangular groove portion 551 and the tip groove portion 552, and the front side Lf is open.

[0071] The device-side bottom surface 512 is a rectangular flat plate whose length in the longitudinal direction L is shorter than that of the device-side sidewall 511, and connects both ends in the height direction H of the paired device-side sidewall 511 with respect to the width direction W. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the end of the rear side Lb of the device-side sidewall 511 is flush with the end of the rear side Lb of the device-side bottom surface 512. Also, the end of the front side Lf of the device-side bottom surface 512 is disposed at a position corresponding to the end of the rear side Lb of the mounting portion 55. That is, the device-side bottom surface 512 connects the rear sides Lb of the pair of device-side sidewalls 511.

[0072] The pivot part 513 is a rectangular flat plate provided on the front side Lf of the device side bottom surface 512, and only an end part on the rear side Lb of the pivot part 513 is pivotally connected to the pair of device side walls 511. That is, the pivot part 513 is configured to be pivotable in the height direction H around the boundary part with the device side bottom surface 512 as a pivot axis. When the pivot part 513 and the device side bottom surface 512 are flush with each other, an end part on the front side Lf of the pivot part 513 coincides with an end part on the front side Lf of the device side housing 51.

[0073] The device-side holding portion 54 is configured to be able to clamp the device-side conductive portion 52 inside the device-side housing 51 and to be able to attach the device-side connector 21 to the tip portion of the rear side Lb of the device-side housing 51. In detail, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the equipment side holding portion 54 is composed of an opening forming portion 541 that forms an opening into which the connector holding portion 212 can be attached near the end portion of the rear side Lb of the equipment side housing 51, an insertion forming portion 542 that forms an opening into which the connector portion 211 can be attached on the rear side Lb of the opening forming portion 541, a pair of extended holding portions 543 extending from the upper side Hu and lower side Hd of the insertion forming portion 542, and a plurality of clamping portions 544 extending from the extended holding portion 543.

[0074] The opening forming portion 541 extends inward from near the end of the rear side Lb of the equipment side wall 511 and the equipment side bottom surface 512 by a length longer than the thickness of the harness side wall 411, and is a roughly annular body that protrudes from the inner edge of the extending portion toward the front side Lf along the equipment side wall 511 and the equipment side bottom surface 512, forming an opening into which the connector holding portion 212 can be externally fitted on the rear side Lb of the equipment side housing 51.

[0075] More specifically, the opening forming portion 541 is connected only to the tip portions (near the ends on the rear side Lb) of the device-side sidewall 511 and the device-side bottom surface 512, and at the front side Lf of the connection portion, a gap equal to the plate thickness of the harness-side sidewall 411 is provided between the device-side sidewall 511 and the device-side bottom surface 512. The length of the opening forming portion 541 in the longitudinal direction L is approximately the same as the length of the connector holding portion 212 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0076] The through-forming portion 542 is an annular body having a rectangular inner edge that is slightly smaller than the opening provided in the opening forming portion 541, and protrudes from the tip of the opening forming portion 541 toward the front side Lf. That is, a gap equal to the plate thickness of the harness side side wall 411 is provided between the device side side wall 511 and the device side bottom surface 512 and the through-forming portion 542. Also, an insertion hole that can attach the connector portion 211 is provided in the center part of the through-forming portion 542 along the longitudinal direction L. The length of the through-forming portion 542 along the longitudinal direction L is approximately half the length of the connector portion 211 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0077] The extended holding portion 543 is a rectangular flat plate extending a predetermined length from the insertion forming portion 542 toward the front side Lf so as to be flush with the inner edge of the insertion forming portion 542 having a rectangular cross section. The length of the extended holding portion 543 along the width direction W is equal to the distance between the pair of harness side extending portions 472, and the distance between the pair of extended holding portions 543 provided on the upper side Hu and the lower side Hd is equal to the plate thickness of the harness side extending portion 472.

[0078] The clamping portion 544 is a columnar body protruding from the tip of the pair of extended holding portions 543 toward the front side Lf, and three of them are provided at a predetermined interval along the width direction W. In detail, the clamping portion 544 is a columnar body having a rectangular bottom surface formed with one side having a width (length in the width direction W) one size larger than the length in the width direction W of the harness side extended portion 472 and one side having the same length as the height (length in the height direction H) of the tip portion of the extended holding portion 543, and extends from the end of the forward side Lf of the extended holding portion 543 to a position corresponding to the end of the forward side Lf of the device side bottom surface 512. The clamping portion 544 thus configured is provided with one at the center of the extended holding portion 543 in the width direction W, and two on the outside of the width direction W so as to be spaced apart from the extended holding portion 543 provided at the center by a predetermined interval.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 10(a), the device side conductive portion 52 is integrally formed with a pair of conductive shaft portions 56 electrically connected to the female terminals housed inside the connector portion 211, and a conductor connecting portion 57 connected to the rear side Lb ends of the pair of conductive shaft portions 56.

[0080] The conductive shaft portions 56 are generally rod-shaped bodies having electrical conductivity, arranged in parallel in the width direction W, and have a shape that allows them to be inserted into the terminal insertion opening 213 provided in the connector portion 211. The conductive shaft portions 56 thus configured are configured so as to be electrically connected to the female terminals built into the connector portion 211. The conductive shaft portions 56 have generally the same configuration as the male terminals 121.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 10(a), the conductor connecting portion 57 is integrally formed with a connecting plate portion 571 connected to the conductive shaft portion 56 and three conductive support portions 572 extending along the longitudinal direction L. The connecting plate portion 571 has a generally flat plate shape in a side view seen from the rear side Lb along the longitudinal direction L, which is generally the same shape as the opening formed by the insertion forming portion 542. Specifically, the connecting plate portion 571 is a generally rectangular plate-like body in a side view, having a long side with a length equal to the distance between the clamping portions 544 arranged at both ends in the width direction W, and a short side with a length equal to the distance between the pair of extended holding portions 543 in the height direction H. The conductive shaft portion 56 is inserted into the connecting plate portion 571 such that the base end of the conductive shaft portion 56 is flush with the end face of the front side Lf.

[0082] The conductive support portion 572 is a rectangular columnar protruding piece extending along the longitudinal direction L from the main surface of the front side Lf of the connecting plate portion 571. In detail, the conductive support portion 572 is a columnar body having a bottom surface formed by a long side having the same width (length along the width direction W) as the clamping portion 544 and a short side having the same length as the short side of the connecting plate portion 571, and a pair of cylindrical protrusions 573 protruding outward in the width direction W from a central portion in the height direction H are provided on the slightly forward side Lf of the center in the longitudinal direction L.

[0083] 10(a), three conductive support parts 572 configured in this manner are arranged in parallel at equal intervals along the width direction W. Here, the conductive support part 572 extending from the center of the connecting plate part 571 in the width direction W is referred to as a central support part 572a, and the conductive support parts 572 extending from both ends of the connecting plate part 571 in the width direction W are referred to as end support parts 572b. The conductive shaft part 56 extends toward the rear side Lb from a middle part between the central support part 572a and the end support parts 572b arranged in parallel along the width direction W.

[0084] In addition, a second conductive member 574 having electrical conductivity is attached to both end faces in the width direction W and the front side Lf face of the end support portion 572b, and to the faces of the front side Lf of the connecting plate portion 571 that are sandwiched between the central support portion 572a and the end support portion 572b, and is electrically connected to the conductive shaft portion 56 that passes through the connecting plate portion 571.

[0085] The device-side conductive portion 52, which is composed of such a conductive shaft portion 56 and a conductor connecting portion 57, is formed in a concave shape that is symmetrical with respect to a plane along the longitudinal direction L and height direction H at the center of the width direction W in a planar view, similar to the device-side housing 51, and is built into the device-side housing 51 which is configured to be hollow, as shown in Figure 10(b).

[0086] More specifically, the connecting plate portion 571 is sandwiched between the pair of extended holding portions 543 at a boundary between the insertion forming portion 542 and the extended holding portion 543. In addition, the conductive support portion 572 extending from the connecting plate portion 571 toward the front side Lf is sandwiched between the pair of extended holding portions 543 and the sandwiching portion 544 along the height direction H.

[0087] In this manner, in the device-side main body 50 in which the device-side conductive portion 52 is built into the device-side housing 51, the convex portion 573 is disposed at a position corresponding to the through-hole portion 554. In addition, the front-side Lf end portion of the conductive support portion 572 is disposed slightly further forward Lf than the front-side Lf end portion of the device-side side wall 511.

[0088] The equipment side regulating body 53 has an approximately square shaped cover portion 531 formed in the same shape as the rectangular groove portion 551, and an insertion shaft 532 extending from the central portion of the main surface of the cover portion 531, and is configured to be attachable and detachable to the mounting portion 55 (see Figure 7).

[0089] The cover portion 531 is a square plate-like body having a plate thickness equal to the groove depth of the rectangular groove portion 551 . The insertion shaft 532 is a columnar body having a regular octagonal cross section protruding from the main surface of the cover portion 531. The length of the insertion shaft 532 in the width direction W is approximately three times the plate thickness of the device-side side wall 511.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 11 , the connector 60 is composed of a hollow connector main body 61 that connects the harness side housing 41 and the equipment side housing 51, and a conductive member 62 that is held by the connector main body 61 and connects the harness side conductive portion 42 and the equipment side conductive portion 52 to each other.

[0091] The connector body 61 includes a pair of central side wall portions 611 facing each other in the width direction W, and a central connecting surface 612 connecting both ends in the height direction H of the pair of central side wall portions 611. The central sidewall portion 611 is a flat plate-like body having the same thickness as the harness-side sidewall 411 and a height equal to the distance between the harness-side upper surface 412 and the harness-side lower surface 413. The length of the central sidewall portion 611 along the longitudinal direction L is approximately two-thirds of the length of the harness-side sidewall 411.

[0092] 12(a), a connecting rail 63 penetrating the central side wall 611 in the plate thickness direction is provided along the longitudinal direction L in a central portion in the height direction H of the flat central side wall 611. In addition, a pair of central protrusions 64 protruding outward in the width direction W are provided on the central side wall 611 on the upper side Hu and the lower side Hd of the rear side Lb of the central portion in the longitudinal direction L of the connecting rail 63.

[0093] The connecting rail 63 is a slit having a width slightly longer than the distance between opposing vertices of the insertion shaft 532 that is formed to have an octagonal cross section, and is configured so that the insertion shaft 532 can be inserted therethrough. The central protrusion 64 is a generally hemispherical protrusion having an outer diameter generally equal to the width of the slide rail 44, and is provided at a distance from the connecting rail 63 equal to the distance between the guide rail 43 and the slide rail 44. The height of the central protrusion 64 toward the outside in the width direction W is generally equal to the plate thickness of the harness-side side wall 411.

[0094] Furthermore, a veneer 613 is provided at the center in the height direction H on the inner surface of the central side wall portion 611, from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction L, protruding inward in the width direction W by an amount equal to the plate thickness of the central side wall portion 611. The veneer 613 thus configured is provided with six equally spaced through-holes 65 along the longitudinal direction L, which are connected to the connecting rail 63 and penetrate the veneer 613 in an octagonal shape.

[0095] The central connecting surface 612 is a flat plate connecting both ends of the pair of central side wall portions 611 in the height direction H from the end portion on the rear side Lb to the center portion in the longitudinal direction L. At the end portion on the rear side Lb of this central connecting surface 612, three base end recesses 66 having a groove width the same as the width length of the conductor connecting portion 57 are provided side by side along the width direction W at intervals equal to the intervals between adjacent conductive support portions 572.

[0096] Meanwhile, at the end of the front side Lf of the central connecting surface 612, a tip recess 67 having a groove width the same as the plate thickness of the harness-side sidewall 411 is provided at both end portions in the width direction W. Note that the tip recess 67 is provided inside the protruding plate 613 by the plate thickness of the central sidewall portion 611, as shown in FIG.

[0097] 12(b) and 12(c), a pair of central holding parts 68 are provided on the central connecting surface 612 configured inward in the width direction W from the tip recess 67. In detail, the central holding parts 68 are composed of a width plate part 681 extending along the end face of the front side Lf of the central connecting surface 612, and a vertical plate part 682 extending from an inner edge part in the width direction W of the tip recess 67. The distance between the central holding parts 68 in the height direction H is equal to the height of the harness side connecting part 471.

[0098] 11 and 13, the conductive member 62 is composed of three conductive parts 621 arranged side by side along the width direction W, and a conductive connecting part 622 connecting adjacent conductive parts 621 in the width direction W. In addition, a connecting body operating part 70 is detachably provided on the conductive part 621 arranged in the center.

[0099] 13(a), the conductive portion 621 is formed in a concave shape in plan view with an opening on the rear side Lb. In more detail, the conductive portion 621 is composed of a pair of conductive plate portions 623 arranged at a predetermined interval along the width direction W, and a connecting plate 624 connecting the ends of the pair of conductive plate portions 623 on the front side Lf.

[0100] The conductive plate portion 623 is a plate-like body that has the same plate thickness and height as the harness side connecting portion 471 and extends in the longitudinal direction L by a length substantially equal to the length in the longitudinal direction L of the female terminal accommodating portion 46. Such plate-like conductive plate portions 623 are arranged in pairs at a distance equal to the width of the conductive support portion 572, and their ends on the front side Lf are connected by a connecting plate 624.

[0101] In addition, on the inside of the width direction W of the conductive plate portions 623 arranged in pairs, as shown in Figure 13 (b), an elongated guide groove 625 is provided extending from one end side to the other end side in the longitudinal direction L, so that the protrusion portion 573 can be inserted therein.

[0102] The conductive portions 621 configured in this manner are arranged in a row of three along the width direction W at intervals equal to the width of the female terminal accommodating portion 46, and among the conductive portions 621 adjacent to each other along the width direction W, the ends of the rear side Lb of the adjacent conductive plate portions 623 are connected by conductive connecting portions 622.

[0103] Among the three conductive parts 621 arranged side by side along the width direction W, a pair of conductive plate parts 623 arranged in the center in the width direction W has a cylindrical shaft part 626 on the upper surface thereof extending from the center part in the longitudinal direction L toward the upper side Hu. The length of the cylindrical shaft part 626 in the height direction H is approximately one-third of the height of the central side wall part 611. That is, the upper end of the conductive plate part 623 is arranged on the inside in the height direction H of the central coupling surface 612.

[0104] 13(c) and 13(d), the connector operating part 70 has a U-shape in a side view that can be fitted onto the cylindrical shaft part 626. In detail, the connector operating part 70 is composed of a pair of extending shaft parts 71 extending along the height direction H, and a shaft connecting part 72 connecting the upper ends of the pair of extending shaft parts 71.

[0105] The extending shaft portion 71 is a rod-like body having a substantially square bottom surface with one side having the same length as the width of the insertion portion 451, and is provided on the lower side Hd with a cylindrical shaft recess 73 into which the cylindrical shaft portion 626 can be inserted. The length in the height direction H of the extending shaft portion 71 is the sum of the length in the height direction H of the harness side clamping portion 415 and the plate thickness length of the harness side upper surface 412.

[0106] The shaft connecting part 72 is formed in a plate shape having the same height as the groove depth of the locking groove 452 provided in the harness-side upper surface 412 in a plan view, and a hemispherical spherical protrusion 74 protruding toward the downward side Hd is provided in the center in the width direction W. The shaft connecting part 72 thus configured is configured to be able to fit into the locking groove 452 when the pair of extending shaft parts 71 are inserted into the insertion parts 451, respectively, and the cylindrical shaft part 626 is fitted into the shaft recess 73.

[0107] The conductive member 62 thus configured is formed, in a plan view, in the same manner as the connector main body 61, into a concave shape that is plane-symmetrical with respect to a plane along the longitudinal direction L and height direction H that is the center of the width direction W, and is held by the connector main body 61 as shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b). In detail, the conductive plate portions 623 arranged on the outside in the width direction W are held by the vertical plate portions 682 that face each other in the height direction H, and the three conductive portions 621 arranged side by side along the width direction W are held by the width plate portions 681 that face each other in the height direction H.

[0108] Next, the attachment 30 in which the harness side main body 40, the device side main body 50 and the connecting body 60 configured as described above are assembled will be described with reference to Figs. First, an assembly state of the harness side main body 40 and the connector 60 will be described. The opening on the rear side Lb of the harness side housing 41 constituting the harness side main body 40 has a rectangular shape in a side view seen from the longitudinal direction L, the opening being the same size as the outer shape of the connector main body 61. That is, the outer surfaces of the central side wall portion 611 and the central connector surface 612 are disposed inside the harness side housing 41 so as to abut against the inner surfaces of the harness side side wall 411 and the harness side upper surface 412, as shown in Fig. 15(a).

[0109] With the central sidewall portion 611 and the harness-side sidewall 411 in contact with each other in this manner, the central protrusion 64 protruding from the central sidewall portion 611 toward the outside in the width direction W is inserted into the slide rail 44 on the harness-side sidewall 411, as shown in Fig. 15(a) . By moving the central protrusion 64 along the slide rail 44 formed in this manner along the longitudinal direction L, the harness-side housing 41 and the connector main body 61 can be moved along the longitudinal direction L (see Fig. 15(b) ).

[0110] Moreover, the conductive member 62 held by the connecting body 61 which is movable in the longitudinal direction L relative to the harness side housing 41 can move in the longitudinal direction L relative to the harness side conductive portion 42 held by the harness side housing 41. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 16(a) and Fig. 16(b), the conductive plate portions 623 arranged at both ends in the width direction W are arranged so as to abut on the inner side in the width direction W of the harness side extension portion 472 at both ends in the width direction W of the harness side terminal holding portion 47, and the conductive member 62 moves in the longitudinal direction L relative to the harness side terminal holding portion 47 while abutting against the harness side terminal holding portion 47. Moreover, since the interval between the adjacent conductive portions 621 is equal to the width (length along the width direction W) of the female terminal accommodating portion 46, the female terminal accommodating portion 46 can move along the longitudinal direction L so as to fit into the adjacent conductive portion 621. As a result, by moving the connector main body 61 relatively to the front side Lf of the harness side housing 41, the harness side conductive portion 42 and the conductive member 62 can be moved relatively along the longitudinal direction L without interfering with each other. In this manner, the harness side main body 40 and the connector 60 are configured to be movable relatively along the longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, since the conductive plate portion 623, which has conductivity, abuts the harness side extension portion 472, the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive plate portion 623 can be electrically connected via the first conductive member 473 provided on the harness side extension portion 472.

[0111] Furthermore, the relative movement between the harness side main body 40 and the connector 60 can be operated by the connector operating part 70. More specifically, the extending shaft part 71 is inserted into the insertion part 451 from the upper side Hu, and the cylindrical shaft part 626 is inserted into the shaft recess 73. Then, by assembling the connector operating part 70 into the locking groove 452 so that the circular hole part 453 and the shaft recess 73 fit together, the harness side main body 40 and the connector 60 are locked together, and the relative movement in the longitudinal direction L can be restricted at a predetermined position.

[0112] By lifting the connector operating part 70 engaged in the locking groove 452 to the upper side Hu, the engagement between the circular hole 453 and the spherical protrusion 74 can be released. With the engagement between the connector operating part 70 and the locked part 45 released in this manner, an external force along the longitudinal direction L is applied to the connector operating part 70, thereby moving the connector 60 along the longitudinal direction L relative to the harness side main body 40. Furthermore, by moving the connector operating part 70 to the lower side Hd at a predetermined position, the spherical protrusion 74 is engaged in the locking groove 452, so that the connector 60 can be locked to the harness side main body 40.

[0113] Next, the assembled state of the device side main body 50 and the connecting body 60 will be described. The opening on the front side Lf of the device side housing 51 is an opening that is one size larger than the connecting body main body 61 in a side view seen from the longitudinal direction L. More specifically, the opening on the front side Lf of the device side housing 51 is rectangular in a side view with the same size as the outer shape of the harness side housing 41. That is, the outer surfaces of the central side wall portion 611 and the central connecting surface 612 are disposed inward from the inner surfaces of the device side side wall 511 and the device side bottom surface 512 by the plate thickness of the device side wall 511, as shown in FIG. 17(a).

[0114] In this manner, in a state where the central side wall portion 611 is disposed inside the device-side side wall 511, the insertion shaft 532, which is about three times as long as the thickness of the device-side side wall 511, is fitted into the through-hole portion 65 when the device-side restricting body 53 is attached to the mounting portion 55 (see FIG. 17(a)). This makes it possible to restrict movement of the connecting body main body 61 in the longitudinal direction L relative to the device-side housing 51.

[0115] In this state in which the insertion shaft 532 is fitted in the through-hole 65, the device-side restricting body 53 is moved outward in the width direction W, so that the tip of the insertion shaft 532 is placed on the connecting rail 63, and the fitting between the insertion shaft 532 and the through-hole 65 is released. By placing the tip of the insertion shaft 532 on the connecting rail 63 in this manner, the connector main body 61 can be moved in the longitudinal direction L with respect to the device-side housing 51 (see FIG. 17(b)). Then, after the connector main body 61 is moved in the longitudinal direction L relative to the device-side housing 51, the device-side restricting body 53 is pushed inward in the width direction W, so that the insertion shaft 532 can be fitted in the through-hole 65. This restricts the relative movement between the device-side main body 50 and the connector 60 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0116] 18(a) and 18(b), the conductive member 62 held by the connecting body 61 which is movable in the longitudinal direction L relative to the device-side housing 51 can move in the longitudinal direction L relative to the device-side conductive part 52 held by the device-side housing 51. Specifically, the conductive support part 572 extending from the connecting plate part 571 to the front side Lf is disposed so as to abut between the conductive plate parts 623 which constitute the conductive part 621.

[0117] At this time, the convex portion 573 provided on the conductive support portion 572 is loosely fitted into the guide groove 625 provided on the conductive plate portion 623. Therefore, by moving the device side housing 51 and the connector main body 61 relatively, the convex portion 573 can move along the guide groove 625 in the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, the device side conductive portion 52 held by the device side housing 51 and the conductive member 62 held by the connector main body 61 can be moved relatively along the longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, the position where the equipment side regulating body 53 is located, i.e., the distance from the end of the front side Lf of the equipment side housing 51 to the equipment side holding portion 54, is configured to be longer than half the distance between the central connecting surfaces 612.

[0118] Here, since the end support portion 572b abuts against the conductive portion 621 having conductivity, the conductive portion 621 and the end support portion 572b are electrically connected via the second conductive member 574. As a result, the conductive shaft portion 56, which is in electrical conductivity with the second conductive member 574, and the conductive plate portion 623 are electrically connected.

[0119] In this way, the harness side main body 40 and the connecting body 60, and the connecting body 60 and the device side main body 50 are configured to be relatively movable along the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, the device side main body 50 and the harness side main body 40 can be moved relative to each other stepwise along the longitudinal direction L so that the harness side main body 40 approaches or moves away from the device side main body 50. In other words, by moving only the harness side main body 40 or the device side main body 50 relative to the connecting body 60, or by moving the harness side main body 40 and the device side main body 50 relative to the connecting body 60, the overall length of the attachment 30 can be appropriately changed.

[0120] Next, a detailed description will be given of a case where the harness side main body 40, the device side main body 50, and the connector 60 are moved relative to each other so that the harness side main body 40 and the device side main body 50 are brought closer to each other. Since the opening on the front side Lf of the device side housing 51 has a rectangular shape in a side view and has the same size as the outer shape of the harness side housing 41, by bringing the harness side main body 40 closer to the device side main body 50, the outer surfaces of the harness side sidewall 411 and the harness side top surface 412 are arranged inside so as to abut against the inner surfaces of the device sidewall 511 and the device side bottom surface 512 (see FIG. 19(a)).

[0121] Here, since an opening is provided at the end of the rear side Lb of the guide rail 43, the insertion shaft 532 inserted through the connecting rail 63 can be inserted through the guide rail 43. This allows the harness side housing 41 and the device side housing 51 to move relative to each other so that the harness side housing 41 is inserted inside the device side housing 51. Therefore, the connector 60 and the harness side main body 40 can be stored inside the device side main body 50, and the attachment 30 can be made the shortest along the longitudinal direction L. That is, since the harness side main body 40 with the connector 60 stored therein is stored inside the device side main body 50, the length of the attachment 30 along the longitudinal direction L is approximately the same as the length of the device side main body 50.

[0122] On the other hand, the harness side main body 40 is moved forwardly relative to the connector 60 so that the central protrusion 64 is disposed at the end of the rear side Lb of the slide rail 44, and the device side main body 50 is moved relative to the connector 60 so that the insertion shaft 532 is engaged with the through-hole 65 at the rearmost side Lb, thereby making it possible to maximize the length of the attachment 30 along the longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 19(b)). At this time, since the connector 60 is disposed between the end of the harness side main body 40 on the rear side Lb and the front side Lf of the device side main body 50, the length of the attachment 30 along the longitudinal direction L can be increased compared to a case in which the harness side main body 40 and the device side main body 50 are simply configured to be movable relative to each other.

[0123] The device side main body 50 can move relative to the connecting body 60 by operating and locking the device side restricting body 53, and the harness side main body 40 can move relative to the connecting body 60 by operating and locking the connecting body operating unit 70. That is, the device side main body 50 can move relative to the connecting body 60 by operating and locking the device side restricting body 53, and the harness side main body 40 can move relative to the connecting body 60 independently, so that the length from the front side Lf end of the harness side main body 40 to the rear side Lb end of the device side main body 50 can be changed in stages.

[0124] In this way, the attachment 30, whose length along the longitudinal direction L can be adjusted in stages, can insert the male terminal 121 into the insertion opening 461 by mounting the connector-equipped harness 10 to the opening on the front side Lf of the harness-side main body 40. This allows electrical continuity between the wire harness 11 and the female terminal accommodating portion 46. Also, by mounting the device-side connector 21 to the opening on the rear side Lb of the device-side main body 50, the conductive shaft portion 56 can be inserted into the terminal insertion opening 213. This allows electrical continuity between the electric circuit inside the device-side connector 21 and the conductive shaft portion 56 via the female terminal built into the connector portion 211.

[0125] Here, since the harness side conductive portion 42 and the device side conductive portion 52 are electrically connected via the first conductive member 473, the conductive member 62, and the second conductive member 574, the connector harness 10 and the device body 20 can be electrically connected to each other by connecting the connector harness 10 and the device body 20 to the attachment 30. Therefore, even if there is a gap between the connector harness 10 and the device body 20, the connector harness 10 and the device body 20 can be electrically connected to each other via the attachment 30 (see FIG. 1).

[0126] In addition, the device-side main body 50 can be rotated with respect to the connector 60. In detail, by moving the insertion shaft 532 attached to the attachment portion 55 outward in the width direction W, the engagement between the insertion shaft 532 having an octagonal cross section and the through portion 65 is released.

[0127] In this state where the engagement is released, the device side main body 50 can be rotated with respect to the connecting body 60 around the protruding portion 573 loosely fitted in the guide groove 625 as a rotation axis by tilting the device side main body 50 to one side in the height direction H with respect to the connecting body 60 (see FIG. 20(a)). At this time, since the base end recess 66 is provided at the rear side Lb end of the central connecting surface 612, interference between the conductive support portion 572 and the central connecting surface 612 can be prevented (see FIG. 20(b)). Therefore, the device side main body 50 can be rotated up to ±90 degrees with respect to the connecting body 60 around the protruding portion 573 as a rotation axis. In this state where the device side main body 50 is rotated with respect to the connecting body 60, the insertion shaft 532 is fitted into the through portion 65, so that the device side main body 50 can be locked to the connecting body 60.

[0128] Here, since the insertion shaft 532 is rod-shaped with an octagonal cross section, and the through-hole 65 is also formed in an octagonal shape corresponding to the insertion shaft 532, it is possible to restrict the rotation of the device side main body 50 with the connecting body 60 in a state in which the insertion shaft 532 is fitted into the through-hole 65. That is, by making the insertion shaft 532 have a polygonal cross section, it is possible to restrict and release not only the relative movement in the longitudinal direction L but also the rotational movement of the connecting body 60 with respect to the device side main body 50.

[0129] The distance in the longitudinal direction L between the end of the front side Lf of the device side housing 51 and the device side holding part 54, and the length in the longitudinal direction L of the pivot part 513 are configured to be at least about half the length of the distance between the central connecting surfaces 612. Therefore, when the device side main body 50 is rotated with respect to the connecting body 60, the pivot part 513 pivots to the lower side Hd and can close the opening formed between the device side main body 50 and the connecting body 60 (see FIG. 20(b)).

[0130] In this way, the attachment 30 has an equipment side housing 51 that is provided on the equipment main body 20 and connected to an equipment side connector 21 having a built-in female terminal, and a harness side housing 41 that is provided at the end of the wire harness 11 and connected to a harness side connector 12 having a male terminal 121, the equipment side housing 51 is provided with a conductive shaft portion 56 that is electrically connected to the equipment-mounted terminal, and the harness side housing 41 is provided with a female terminal accommodating portion 46 that is electrically connected to the male terminal 121, and the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 are electrically connected.

[0131] The attachment 30 configured in this manner can connect the device-side housing 51 to the device-side connector 21 so that the female terminal built into the device-side connector 21 is electrically connected to the conductive shaft portion 56, and can connect the harness-side housing 41 to the harness-side connector 12 so that the male terminal 121 is electrically connected to the female terminal accommodating portion 46. This allows the female terminal and the male terminal 121 to be electrically connected via the electrically connected female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56, and allows the device-side connector 21 and the harness-side connector 12 to be connected via the attachment 30. Therefore, even if a gap occurs between the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21, the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21 can be reliably electrically connected to each other.

[0132] Furthermore, by connecting the equipment side connector 21 and the harness side connector 12 to the equipment side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41, respectively, it is possible to fill the gap between the harness side connector 12 and the equipment side connector 21 without putting a strain on the wire harness 11, for example by applying a tensile force to the wire harness 11 to connect the equipment side connector 21 and the harness side connector 12, and therefore it is possible to maintain a stable connection state between the female terminals and the male terminals 121.

[0133] In addition, the device side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 are configured to be able to move relative to each other along the longitudinal direction L, and the electrically connected female terminal accommodating portion 46 and conductive shaft portion 56 are configured to be able to move relative to each other along the longitudinal direction L.

[0134] This allows the device-side housing 51 and the harness-side housing 41 to move relative to each other in accordance with the gap between the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21, and also allows the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 to move relative to each other. This allows the wire harness 11 and the device main body 20 to be connected in accordance with various gaps between the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21 while maintaining a stable connection state between the female terminals and the male terminals 121.

[0135] Furthermore, when connecting the device-side connector 21 to the device-side housing 51, the position of the device-side housing 51 relative to the harness-side housing 41 can be determined in accordance with the distance between the harness-side connector 12 connected to the harness-side housing 41 and the device-side connector 21. In other words, since the position of the device-side housing 51 relative to the harness-side housing 41 can be determined in a state in which the harness-side connector 12 and the harness-side housing 41 are connected, the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21 can be connected easily and reliably.

[0136] Furthermore, a connecting body main body 61 is provided between the equipment side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41, the equipment side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 are connected via the connecting body main body 61, and at least one of the equipment side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 is configured to be movable relative to the connecting body main body 61 along a predetermined direction.

[0137] This allows the device side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 to move relatively in the longitudinal direction L via the connecting body main body 61. That is, the distance of relative movement in the longitudinal direction L can be made larger than when the device side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 are directly connected to each other so as to be relatively movable in the longitudinal direction L. This improves the versatility of the attachment 30.

[0138] In addition, a slide rail 44 and a central convex portion 64 are provided to regulate the relative position between the harness side housing 41 and the connector body 61, which are configured to be movable relative to the connector body 61 along the longitudinal direction L, and an equipment side regulating body 53 and a through portion 65 are provided to regulate the relative position between the equipment side housing 51 and the connector body 61.

[0139] This makes it possible to regulate the positions of the device side housing 51 and the harness side housing 41 relative to the connector body 61, thereby restricting unintentional movement of the harness side housing 41 relative to the device side housing 51. This makes it possible to further stabilize the connection state between the female terminals and the male terminals 121.

[0140] Furthermore, a conductive member 62 is provided between the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56, and the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive member 62 are electrically connected to each other, and at least one of the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 is configured to be movable relative to the conductive member 62 in a predetermined direction.

[0141] This allows the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 to move relative to each other in accordance with the relative movement of the harness side housing 41 and the device side housing 51 while being electrically connected to the conductive member 62. This ensures stable conductivity between the female terminals and the male terminals 121 built into the device side connector 21.

[0142] In addition, since both the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 can be moved relative to the conductive member 62, the distance between the female terminal accommodating portion 46 and the conductive shaft portion 56 can be extended compared to the case where the conductive shaft portion 56 is directly connected to the female terminal accommodating portion 46 so as to be capable of relative movement. Therefore, the versatility of the attachment 30 can be further improved.

[0143] In addition, the female terminal accommodating portion 46 is configured to be movable relative to the conductive member 62 along the longitudinal direction L, and the conductive shaft portion 56 is configured to be freely rotatable relative to the conductive member 62 with the height direction H perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L as the rotation axis.

[0144] This allows the conductive shaft portion 56 to move relative to the female terminal accommodating portion 46, and allows the conductive shaft portion 56 to rotate relative to the conductive member 62. Therefore, for example, even if the connection portion to the device-side connector 21 is narrow, the conductive shaft portion 56 can be rotated relative to the conductive member 62 to reduce the length in a predetermined direction and connect the device-side connector 21 and the harness-side connector 12, which are spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other. In this way, the harness-side connector 12 and the device-side connector 21 can be reliably electrically connected to each other according to the surrounding environment of the device-side connector 21, and the connection state can be stabilized.

[0145] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment, the electric devices of the present invention correspond to the device body 20, and similarly, The device side connection part corresponds to the device side connector 21, The device side housing corresponds to the device side housing 51, The wire harness is compatible with wire harness 11. The connector terminal corresponds to the male terminal 121. The connector corresponds to the harness side connector 12, The connector side housing corresponds to the harness side housing 41, The device side terminal corresponds to the conductive shaft portion 56, The connector terminal corresponds to the female terminal accommodating portion 46, The attachment is compatible with attachment 30. The predetermined direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction L, The slide connector corresponds to the connector body 61, The position restriction portion corresponds to the slide rail 44 and the central protrusion 64, and the device side restriction body 53 and the through portion 65. The conductive member corresponds to the conductive member 62. The orthogonal direction corresponds to the height direction H, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0146] For example, in the present embodiment, the female terminal accommodating portion 46 is movable relative to the conductive member 62 along the longitudinal direction L, and the conductive shaft portion 56 is configured to be freely rotatable relative to the conductive member 62 in the height direction H; however, the conductive shaft portion 56 may be configured to be movable relative to the conductive member 62 along the longitudinal direction L, and the female terminal accommodating portion 46 may be configured to be freely rotatable relative to the conductive member 62 with the height direction H as the rotation axis.

[0147] For example, in this embodiment, the harness side main body 40, the equipment side main body 50 and the connecting body 60 are each configured to be able to move relative to one another along the longitudinal direction L, but they do not necessarily have to be configured to be able to move relative to one another only along the longitudinal direction L, and may also be able to move relative to one another, for example in the width direction W or height direction H.

[0148] In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the insertion shaft 532 and the shape of the through-hole 65 that fits into the insertion shaft 532 are regular octagonal, but are not limited to this shape and may be, for example, a regular polygonal cross-sectional shape that fits into each other, or a shape that forms projections and recesses along the circumferential direction in the cross section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 11...Wire harness 12…Harness side connector 20…Device body 21...Device side connector 30…Attachment 41…Harness side housing 44…Slide rail 46...Female terminal housing 51...Device side housing 53...Equipment side regulator 56…Conductive shaft 61...Central connector 62...Conductive member 64…Central protrusion 65…Penetration 121...Male terminal L…Longitudinal direction H: Height direction

Claims

1. a device-side housing provided in the electrical device and connected to a device-side connection part having a device-mounted terminal; a connector-side housing provided at a tip of the wire harness and connected to a connector having a connector-equipped terminal; the device-side housing is provided with a device-side terminal electrically connected to the device-mounted terminal, the connector housing is provided with a connector terminal electrically connected to the connector-equipped terminal, The device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal are electrically connected attachment.

2. The device-side housing and the connector-side housing are configured to be relatively movable along a predetermined direction, The device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal, which are electrically connected to each other, are configured to be relatively movable along the predetermined direction.

2. The attachment of claim 1.

3. a slide connector is provided between the device-side housing and the connector-side housing, and the device-side housing and the connector-side housing are connected to each other via the slide connector; At least one of the device side housing and the connector side housing is configured to be movable relative to the slide connecting body along the predetermined direction.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2.

4. A position restricting portion is provided which restricts a relative position between the slide connecting body and at least one of the device side housing and the connector side housing which are configured to be relatively movable in the predetermined direction with respect to the slide connecting body.

4. An attachment as claimed in claim 3.

5. a conductive member is provided between the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal, and the device-side terminal and the conductive member are electrically connected to each other, and the connector-side terminal and the conductive member are electrically connected to each other, At least one of the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal is configured to be movable relative to the conductive member along the predetermined direction.

5. An attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. one of the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal is configured to be movable relative to the conductive member along the predetermined direction, The other of the device-side terminal and the connector-side terminal is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction with respect to the conductive member.

6. An attachment as claimed in claim 5.

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