Connector structure

Abstract

To provide a connector structure which is miniaturized in a direction where a pair of first connectors is arranged.SOLUTION: A connector structure 1 comprises: a base 2; a pair of first connectors 3A and 3B standing from the base; and lever connectors 4A and 4B that can be fitted to each of the pair of first connectors, respectively. The first connector comprises: a first housing 30 standing from the base in a cylinder shape; and a pair of bosses 34 and 34 that is provided so as to be projected to an outer surface of the first housing. Each lever connector comprises: a lever housing 40 that can be fitted to the first housing; and a lever 10 that includes a boss groove 110 causing each of the pair of bosses to approach, and causes the first housing and each lever housing to approach each other by being rotated so as to be rotatably supported by each lever housing. The pair of bosses is provided so as to be back-to-back in an orthogonal direction Y orthogonal to a direction X where the pair of first connectors is arranged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a drive device is known that is incorporated into an electric power steering device to assist the steering operation of a vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The drive device disclosed in Patent Document 1 integrally includes a motor and a control unit that controls the motor.

[0003] The control unit includes a pair of circuit boards on which electronic components relating to communication control of a pair of motor windings that constitute the motor are mounted, and a connector portion.

[0004] The connector unit includes a hybrid connector having a power connector connected to a power source and a communication connector connected to a vehicle communication network, and a steering system connector for acquiring signals from an internal sensor of the electric power steering device. A pair of these hybrid connectors and steering system connectors are provided corresponding to each winding. The pair of hybrid connectors are arranged side by side in the left-right direction perpendicular to the axis of each winding, and the pair of steering system connectors are arranged side by side in the left-right direction in parallel with the pair of hybrid connectors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-144160 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the conventional drive device described in Patent Document 1, each hybrid connector has a pair of bosses that are engaged with the mating lever-fitting connector and protrude in the left-right direction (the direction in which the pair of hybrid connectors are lined up), making it difficult to narrow the distance between the pair of hybrid connectors, i.e., to bring the pair of hybrid connectors closer to each other.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector structure that is miniaturized in the direction in which a pair of first connectors are arranged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem and achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a connector structure comprising a base, a pair of first connectors standing from the base, and a lever connector that can be engaged with each of the pair of first connectors, wherein the first connector comprises a first housing that stands cylindrically from the base, and a pair of bosses protruding from the outer surface of the first housing, and the lever connector comprises a lever housing that can be engaged with the first housing, and a lever that has boss grooves into which each of the pair of bosses enters and is supported by the lever housing and rotated to bring the first housing and the lever housing closer to each other, and the pair of bosses are arranged back to back in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of first connectors are arranged. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the invention recited in claim 1, it is possible to achieve size reduction in the direction in which the pair of first connectors are arranged. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a first connector, a lever connector, a second connector, and a mating connector are mated with each other. [Diagram 2]2 is a perspective view showing a male connector body that constitutes the connector structure. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the male connector body. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the male connector body. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lever connector, illustrating a state in which the lever connector is in an initial position. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the lever connector, illustrating a state in which the lever connector is in a rotation completion position. [Figure 7] 13 is a perspective view showing another example of the lever connector, illustrating a state in which the lever connector is in a rotation completion position. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first connector and the lever connector are mated with each other. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the second connector and the mating connector in a mated state. FIG.

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a vehicle-system male connector 3 (first connector) and a vehicle-system female connector 4 (lever connector), a steering-system male connector 5 (second connector) and a steering-system female connector 6 (mating connector) are mated together. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a male connector body 20 constituting the connector structure 1. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the male connector body 20. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the male connector body 20.

[0012] The connector structure 1 of this embodiment is incorporated in an electric power steering device and constitutes a part of a control unit that controls a motor. The motor has a pair of motor windings. In the following, a circuit including one of the pair of motor windings may be referred to as a "first system," and a circuit including the other of the pair of motor windings may be referred to as a "second system." These first and second systems are configured to ensure redundancy and are configured to have the same functions.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the connector structure 1 comprises a base 2 which is part of the cover of the control unit, a pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B (3) (a pair of first connectors) standing upright from the base 2, vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B (4) (lever connectors) which can be mated with the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B, respectively, a pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B (5) (second connectors) standing upright from the base 2, and steering system female connectors 6A, 6B (6) (mating connectors) which can be mated with the pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B, respectively.

[0014] One of the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B (hereinafter sometimes referred to as first vehicle system male connector 3A (one side first connector)) and one of the pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B (hereinafter sometimes referred to as first vehicle system female connector 4A (one side lever connector)) are configured to be able to fit together. When the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the first vehicle system female connector 4A are fitted together, these first vehicle system male connector 3A and first vehicle system female connector 4A form part of the "first system."

[0015] The other of the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B (hereinafter sometimes referred to as second vehicle system male connector 3B (other-side first connector)) and the other of the pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B (hereinafter sometimes referred to as second vehicle system female connector 4B (other-side lever connector)) are configured to be mutually matable. These second vehicle system male connector 3B and second vehicle system female connector 4B form part of the "second system."

[0016] In this embodiment, the arrows X, Y, and Z are directions perpendicular to each other. The arrow X is the direction in which the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B are arranged, and may be referred to as the "left-right direction", the arrow Y is the direction in which each vehicle system male connector 3 and each steering system male connector 5 are arranged, and may be referred to as the "front-rear direction", and the arrow Z is the fitting direction in which the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 are fitted together, and may be referred to as the "up-down direction". In the front-rear direction Y, the side on which each steering system male connector 5 is located as viewed from the vehicle system male connector 3 may be referred to as the "forward Y1", and the opposite side may be referred to as the "rear Y2".

[0017] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the base 2 is configured to have a plane including the front-rear direction Y and the left-right direction X. A pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B and a pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B are provided upright on the base 2. The pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B are provided side by side in the left-right direction X. The pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B are provided side by side in the left-right direction X. The pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B and the pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B are provided side by side in the front-rear direction Y. The base 2, the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B, and the pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B shown in Fig. 2 constitute a "male connector body 20."

[0018] A pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B shown in Fig. 4 are hybrid connectors each integrally comprising a rectangular cylindrical vehicle-related male housing 30 (first housing), a power connector section 7M connected to a vehicle power source and ground, and a communication connector section 8M connected to a vehicle communication network. The power connector section 7M and the communication connector section 8M are provided in an area inside the vehicle-related male housing 30, separated by a partition wall 32 described below.

[0019] A pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B have a power connector portion 7M (excluding the partition wall 33 having a male side mis-mating prevention portion 332 described below) and a communication connector portion 8M arranged symmetrically about an imaginary line P (shown in Figure 4) extending in the fore-and-aft direction Y through the center of the base 2.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle male housing 30 comprises a square cylindrical vehicle male housing main body 31 erected above the base 2 Z1, a partition wall 32 that divides the interior of the vehicle male housing main body 31 in the left-right direction X, a partition wall 33 that divides the interior of the power connector portion 7M in the up-down direction Z to insulate a pair of connection portions 7A, 7A described below, a pair of bosses 34, 34 protruding from the outer surface of the vehicle male housing main body 31, and a restriction release portion 35 that releases the rotation restriction of the lever 10 described below.

[0021] 4, the partition 33 includes a partition main body 331 extending in the left-right direction X, and a male-side mis-mating restriction portion 332 provided on the partition main body 331. One end of the partition main body 331 is continuous with the partition 32, and the other end is continuous with the inner surface of the vehicle-related male housing main body 31.

[0022] The male-side erroneous mating prevention portion 332 is configured to have different shapes in the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B to prevent connection to an incorrect system. Hereinafter, the male-side erroneous mating prevention portion 332 provided in the first vehicle system male connector 3A may be referred to as the "male-side first erroneous mating prevention portion 332A (one-side mating prevention portion)," and the male-side erroneous mating prevention portion 332 provided in the second vehicle system male connector 3B may be referred to as the "male-side second erroneous mating prevention portion 332B (other-side mating prevention portion)."

[0023] 4, the male-side first erroneous fitting prevention portion 332A is configured to have a pair of first recesses 333A, 333A. The pair of first recesses 333A, 333A are provided on the rear Y2 surface of the partition main body 331 and are spaced apart from each other.

[0024] 4, the male-side second erroneous fitting prevention portion 332B is configured to have a pair of second recesses 333B, 333B. The pair of second recesses 333B, 333B are provided on the front Y1 surface of the partition main body 331 and are provided adjacent to each other.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the pair of bosses 34, 34 are provided convexly from the outer surface of the vehicle-related male housing main body 31 and are provided back-to-back in the front-rear direction Y. Each boss 34 is provided to protrude cylindrically from the outer surface of the vehicle-related male housing main body 31 and is configured to be able to enter a boss receiving portion 414 of the vehicle-related female connector 4 and a boss groove 110 of the lever 10, which will be described later. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the distance B from the tip of each boss 34 in the front-rear direction Y to the steering system male connector 5 must be set to be greater than three times the axial dimension A (dimension in the protruding direction) of each boss 34 (B ≥ A x 3). When the vehicle-related male housing 30 is formed by injection molding, the distance B is set to be (B ≥ A x 3) in order to ensure the strength of the mold while removing the mold in the front-rear direction Y.

[0026] 2, the restriction release portion 35 is provided obliquely above each boss 34 and has an inclined surface that protrudes more downward Z2. The restriction release portion 35 enters between a rotation restriction piece 112 provided on the lever 10 (described later) and a one-sided receiving portion 40A provided on the vehicle-related female housing 40, and releases the locking of the rotation restriction piece 112 to the one-sided receiving portion 40A (shown in FIG. 5). The locking of the rotation restriction piece 112 to the one-sided receiving portion 40A is released by the restriction release portion 35, so that the lever 10 becomes rotatable relative to the vehicle-related female housing 40.

[0027] The power connector section 7M is configured to have a pair of connection sections 7A, 7A, as shown in Fig. 4. One of the pair of connection sections 7A, 7A holds a power terminal 70 connected to a vehicle power source, and the other holds a power terminal 70 connected to ground. The pair of connection sections 7A, 7A are separated by a partition wall 33. The communication connector section 8M is configured to hold a signal terminal 80 connected to a vehicle communication network.

[0028] The vehicle-system female connectors 4A, 4B (4) shown in Figures 1 and 5 each include a pair of mating terminals (not shown) connected to a pair of power terminals 70, 70 of the power connector section 7M, a pair of mating fitting sections 71, 72 (shown in Figure 5) that hold the pair of mating terminals, a mating signal terminal (not shown) connected to a signal terminal 80 of the communication connector section 8M, a signal terminal holding section 81 (shown in Figure 2) that holds the mating signal terminal, a vehicle-system female housing 40 (lever housing) that includes the pair of mating fitting sections 71, 72 and the signal terminal holding section 81, and a lever 10 that is rotatably supported by the vehicle-system female housing 40. The pair of vehicle-system female connectors 4A, 4B differ in the configuration of a terminal holder 73 provided in the vehicle-system female housing 40, which will be described later.

[0029] The pair of mating terminals and the pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72 constitute a "mating power connector portion 7F" that can be fitted into the power connector portion 7M, and the mating signal terminal and the signal terminal holding portion 81 constitute a "mating communication connector portion 8F" that can be fitted into the communication connector portion 8M.

[0030] 5 and 6, the vehicle system female housing 40 includes a vehicle system female housing main body 41, a terminal holder 73 supported releasably inside the vehicle system female housing main body 41, and a signal terminal holding portion 81. The signal terminal holding portion 81 is provided integrally with the vehicle system female housing main body 41. Hereinafter, as the terminal holder 73, the terminal holder 73 that is a part of the first vehicle system female connector 4A may be referred to as a "first terminal holder 73A (front holder)" and the terminal holder 73 that is a part of the second vehicle system female connector 4B may be referred to as a "second terminal holder 73B (front holder)".

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle-related female housing main body 41 comprises a rectangular cylindrical portion 411 having a front wall 41F, a rear wall 41R, and left and right wall portions 41S, 41S, a flange 412 provided on the edge of the cylindrical portion 411 facing the vehicle-related male housing 30 in the mating direction Z and extending like a brim, an axle portion 413 for supporting the lever 10, boss receiving portions 414 for receiving each of a pair of bosses 34, 34 provided on the vehicle-related male housing 30, and a vehicle-related lock arm 415 (locking portion) capable of locking a lever lock 121 provided on the lever 10 described below.

[0032] The boss receiving portion 414 is formed by cutting out the flange 412 and the front and rear walls 41F, 41R of the cylindrical portion 411, respectively, and is provided extending in a direction away from the flange 412 in the fitting direction Z.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 , the vehicle locking arm 415 includes an arm body 416 whose base end is continuous with the wall portion 41S of the tubular portion 411 and extends toward the flange 412 in the fitting direction Z, and a connector protrusion 417 that is provided on the free end side of the arm body 416 and protrudes in a direction away from the wall portion 41S in the left-right direction X.

[0034] As shown in Figure 8, the connector protrusion 417 is provided with a connector abutment surface 417A that can abut against a lever abutment surface 121A of a lever lock 121 provided on a lever 10 described later, and a connector sliding surface 417B that is provided on the free end side of the connector abutment surface 417A and can slide against a lever sliding surface 121B of the lever lock 121.

[0035] Further, a pair of opposing walls 418, 418 are provided on both sides of the vehicle locking arm 415 in the front-rear direction Y. The pair of opposing walls 418, 418 are provided protruding from the wall portion 41S of the cylindrical portion 411, and are provided facing each other in the front-rear direction Y with the vehicle locking arm 415 in between.

[0036] 5 and 6, the first terminal holder 73A is integrally provided with a pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72 and a female side first erroneous fitting restricting portion 83A (one-side fitting restricting portion) provided between the pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72. The female side first erroneous fitting restricting portion 83A is configured to have a pair of first convex portions 831A, 831A provided to protrude from one 71 of the pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72 to the other 72. The pair of first convex portions 831A, 831A are configured to be engageable with a pair of first concave portions 333A, 333A provided in the male side first erroneous fitting restricting portion 332A.

[0037] 7, the second terminal holder 73B is integrally provided with a pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72 and a female side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 83B (received mating restricting portion) provided between the pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72. The female side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 83B is configured to have a pair of second convex portions 831B, 831B provided protruding from one 71 of the pair of mating fitting portions 71, 72 to the other 72. The pair of second convex portions 831B, 831B are configured to be engageable with a pair of second concave portions 333B, 333B provided in the male side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 332B.

[0038] 5 and 6, the lever 10 is configured to be displaced between an initial position (shown in FIG. 5) and a rotation complete position (shown in FIG. 6) when rotated while being pivotally supported by the vehicle-related female housing 40. When the lever 10 rotates from the initial position to reach the rotation complete position, the vehicle-related male housing 30 and the vehicle-related female housing 40 are attracted to each other and fitted together.

[0039] 1, in the present embodiment, when the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the first vehicle system female connector 4A are mated, the vehicle system lock arm 415 provided on the first vehicle system female connector 4A is located away from the second vehicle system male connector 3B in the left-right direction X. Similarly, the vehicle system lock arm 415 provided on the second vehicle system female connector 4B is located away from the first vehicle system male connector 3A in the left-right direction X.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lever 10 is made of, for example, resin, and is configured in a U-shape having a pair of arm plates 11, 11 and a connecting portion 12 that connects the pair of arm plates 11, 11 to each other.

[0041] The pair of arm plates 11, 11 are provided extending on a plane including the up-down direction Z and the left-right direction X, and sandwich the vehicle-related female housing 40 in the front-rear direction Y. Each arm plate 11 is provided with a boss groove 110 for engaging and guiding the boss 34, a shaft hole 111 for inserting a shaft portion 413 provided on the vehicle-related female housing 40, and a rotation restriction piece 112 for restricting rotation of the lever 10 relative to the vehicle-related female housing 40 when the lever 10 is in the initial position.

[0042] The boss groove 110 is provided as a concave groove on the inner surface of each arm plate 11. The open end of this boss groove 110 is aligned with the entrance of the boss receiving portion 414 provided on the vehicle-system female connector 4 in the mating direction Z when the lever 10 is in the initial position.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation restricting piece 112 is provided on the inner surface of each arm plate 11 so as to protrude from the edge of the boss groove 110 toward the vehicle-system female housing 40, and is configured to be able to be engaged with a stepped one-sided receiving portion 40A provided on the vehicle-system female housing 40. When the lever 10 is in the initial position, the rotation restricting piece 112 engages with the stepped one-sided receiving portion 40A provided on the vehicle-system female housing 40. This restricts the rotation of the lever 10 relative to the vehicle-system female housing 40. In addition, the restriction release portion 35 provided on the vehicle-system male housing 30 is inserted between the rotation restricting piece 112 and the stepped one-sided receiving portion 40A provided on the vehicle-system female housing 40, thereby releasing the engagement of the rotation restricting piece 112 with the one-sided receiving portion 40A.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the connecting portion 12 comprises a plate-shaped connecting portion main body 120 that connects a pair of arm plates 11, 11 together, and a lever lock 121 that protrudes from the connecting portion main body 120 toward the vehicle system female housing 40 and is engageable with the vehicle system lock arm 415 of the vehicle system female housing 40.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, the lever lock 121 has a lever abutment surface 121A that can abut against the connector abutment surface 417A, and a lever sliding surface 121B that is arranged opposite the lever abutment surface 121A and can slide on the connector sliding surface 417B.

[0046] When attaching such a lever 10 to the vehicle system female housing 40, the vehicle system female housing 40 is sandwiched between a pair of arm plates 11, 11. The shaft portion 413 is inserted into the shaft hole 111. As a result, the lever 10 is pivotally supported by the vehicle system female housing 40 so as to rotate about the shaft portion 413. Also, the rotation restricting piece 112 of the lever 10 engages the one-side receiving portion 40A of the vehicle system female housing 40. This restricts the rotation of the lever 10 and positions the lever 10 in the initial position. In this manner, attachment of the lever 10 to the vehicle system female housing 40 is completed.

[0047] Next, a mating procedure for mating the vehicle system male connector 3 with the vehicle system female connector 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] The entrance of each boss receiving portion 414 of the vehicle-related female connector 4, with the lever 10 in the initial position, is brought close to each boss 34 provided on the vehicle-related male connector 3. Each boss 34 passes through the entrance of the vehicle-related female housing 40 and enters each boss receiving portion 414. As each boss 34 moves and begins to enter the boss groove 110 provided on the lever 10, the restriction release portion 35 provided on the vehicle-related male connector 3 releases the lock of the rotation restriction piece 112 against the one-side receiving portion 40A, and the lever 10 becomes rotatable.

[0049] Thereafter, the lever 10 is rotated. As the rotation progresses, the lever lock 121 provided on the lever 10 is brought closer to the connector protrusion 417 of the vehicle-system lock arm 415 provided on the vehicle-system female housing 40. As the rotation of the lever 10 progresses, the lever sliding surface 121B of the lever lock 121 comes into contact with the connector sliding surface 417B of the connector protrusion 417. As the rotation progresses further, the lever sliding surface 121B slides on the connector sliding surface 417B, and the arm main body 416 of the vehicle-system lock arm 415 is pushed by the lever lock 121 to bend, and the lever lock 121 rides up the connector protrusion 417. As the rotation progresses further, the lever lock 121 rides up the connector protrusion 417, and the arm main body 416 returns to its natural state. 8, the lever abutment surface 121A of the lever lock 121 and the connector abutment surface 417A of the connector protrusion 417 face each other at a position where they can abut, and the lever lock 121 engages with the vehicle system lock arm 415. In this way, the lever 10 reaches the rotation completion position.

[0050] On the other hand, the vehicle system male housing 30 and the vehicle system female housing 40 are attracted to the vehicle system male housing 30 as the lever 10 rotates, and when the lever 10 reaches the rotation completion position, they are engaged with each other. At this time, the power connector portion 7M of the vehicle system male connector 3 is engaged with the mating power connector portion 7F of the vehicle system female connector 4, and the communication connector portion 8M of the vehicle system male connector 3 is engaged with the mating communication connector portion 8F of the vehicle system female connector 4. As a result, the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 are engaged with each other. At this time, the lever lock 121 engages with the vehicle system lock arm 415, thereby restricting the rotation of the lever 10 from the rotation completion position to the initial position, and thus the engaged state of the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 is maintained.

[0051] Here, when the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the first vehicle system female connector 4A are mated, the first male side erroneous mating prevention portion 332A of the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the first female side erroneous mating prevention portion 83A of the first vehicle system female connector 4A are engaged to allow the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the first vehicle system female connector 4A to be mated, but if the second vehicle system female connector 4B is brought close to the first vehicle system male connector 3A, the first male side erroneous mating prevention portion 332A of the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the second female side erroneous mating prevention portion 83B of the second vehicle system female connector 4B come into contact to regulate the mating of the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the second vehicle system female connector 4B. By regulating the mating of the first vehicle system male connector 3A and the second vehicle system female connector 4B in this way, connection to different systems (circuits) is regulated.

[0052] Similarly, when the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the second vehicle system female connector 4B are mated, the male side second mis-fitting prevention portion 332B of the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the female side second mis-fitting prevention portion 83B of the second vehicle system female connector 4B engage with each other to allow the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the second vehicle system female connector 4B to be mated, but if the first vehicle system female connector 4A is brought close to the second vehicle system male connector 3B, the male side second mis-fitting prevention portion 332B of the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the female side first mis-fitting prevention portion 83A of the first vehicle system female connector 4A come into contact with each other to restrict the mating of the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the first vehicle system female connector 4A. By restricting the mating of the second vehicle system male connector 3B and the first vehicle system female connector 4A in this way, connection to different systems (circuits) is restricted.

[0053] In this manner, the mating of the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 is completed.

[0054] 1 and 2, a pair of steering system male connectors 5A, 5B (5) are each provided on the base 2 and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction X. Each steering system male connector 5 is fitted with a steering system female connector 6A, 6B (6) described below to communicate a signal from a torque sensor, which is an internal sensor of the electric power steering device.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, the steering system male connector 5 comprises a rectangular cylindrical steering system male housing 50 provided upright above the base 2 Z1, and a male terminal portion (not shown) that is held inside the steering system male housing 50 and is used to communicate signals from the torque sensor.

[0056] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the steering system male housing 50 comprises a square cylindrical steering system male housing main body 51 (second housing), a pair of protrusions 52, 52 protruding in the left-right direction X from the steering system male housing main body 51 and extending in the up-down direction Z, and a steering system locked projection 53 (locking portion) and a rattle suppressing projection 54 protruding forward Y1 from the steering system male housing main body 51.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4, the steering system male housing body 51 has a front wall 51F and a rear wall 51R facing each other in the front-rear direction Y, and a pair of left and right wall portions 51S, 51S facing each other in the left-right direction X, and is configured in a rectangular cylindrical shape.

[0058] 3, the steering system locked projection 53 and the rattle suppressing projection 54 are provided on the front wall 51F of the steering system male housing main body 51. That is, the steering system locked projection 53 is provided at a position away from the vehicle system male connector 3 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0059] 3, the steering system locked projection 53 and the rattle suppressing projection 54 are arranged side by side in the up-down direction Z in the center of the front wall 51F in the left-right direction X, and the steering system locked projection 53 is located Z1 above the rattle suppressing projection 54. A gap is provided between the steering system locked projection 53 and the rattle suppressing projection 54 in the up-down direction Z to allow a steering system locking projection 631 of a steering system lock arm 63 provided on the steering system female connector 6, which will be described later, to enter therebetween.

[0060] Also, as shown in Figure 9, the steering system locked projection 53 has a projection sliding surface 53A for sliding the steering system locking projection 631 on the surface away from the rattle suppressing projection 54 in the vertical direction Z, and a projection abutment surface 53B capable of abutting against the steering system locking projection 631 on the surface on the rattle suppressing projection 54 side.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1, the steering system female connectors 6A, 6B (6) include a steering system female housing 60 that can be fitted into the steering system male housing 50, and a female terminal portion (not shown) that is held inside the steering system female housing 60 and connected to the male terminal portion of the steering system male connector 5.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1, the steering system female housing 60 integrally comprises a terminal holding portion 61 that holds a female terminal portion, a hood portion 62 that is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the terminal holding portion 61 and that receives the steering system male housing 50 of the steering system male connector 5, and a steering system locking arm 63 that is provided on the hood portion 62 and is engageable with the steering system locked protrusion 53 of the steering system male connector 5.

[0063] 9, the steering system lock arm 63 includes a pair of steering system lock arm bodies 630, 630 (only one is shown in FIG. 9) that are continuous with the outer surface of the terminal holding portion 61 and extend in the fitting direction Z, a steering system lock protrusion 631 that connects the pair of steering system lock arm bodies 630, 630 and is provided protruding toward the steering system locked projection 53 and engageable with the steering system locked projection 53 of the steering system male connector 5, and an operation portion 632 provided at the free end of the pair of steering system lock arm bodies 630, 630. The engagement between the steering system lock arm 63 and the steering system locked projection 53 of the steering system male connector 5 is released by pressing down the operation portion 632 to bend the steering system lock arm bodies 630, 630.

[0064] When the steering system male housing 50 and the steering system female housing 60 are mated, as shown in Fig. 9, the steering system locking protrusion 631 of the steering system locking arm 63 engages with the steering system locked protrusion 53 of the steering system male housing 50. This maintains the mated state of the steering system male housing 50 and the steering system female housing 60.

[0065] In addition, when the steering system locking projection 631 of the steering system lock arm 63 is engaged with the steering system locked projection 53, as shown in Fig. 9, the steering system locking projection 631 is positioned between the steering system locked projection 53 and the rattle suppressing projection 54. This suppresses rattle of the steering system female housing 60.

[0066] Next, a fitting procedure for fitting the steering system male connector 5 and the steering system female connector 6 together will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] First, the steering system female housing 60 is brought close to the steering system male housing 50 and inserted. As the insertion progresses, the steering system locking protrusion 631 of the steering system lock arm 63 in the steering system female housing 60 comes into contact with the steering system locked protrusion 53 of the steering system male housing 50. As the insertion progresses further, the steering system locking protrusion 631 slides on the protrusion sliding surface 53A of the steering system locked protrusion 53, and the steering system lock arm main body 630 bends, so that the steering system locking protrusion 631 rides up and clears the steering system locked protrusion 53, and the steering system lock arm main body 630 returns to its natural state. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the steering system locking protrusion 631 is positioned between the steering system locked protrusion 53 and the backlash suppressing protrusion 54, and comes into contact with the protrusion abutment surface 53B of the steering system locked protrusion 53. In this way, the steering system lock arm 63 engages with the steering system locked protrusion 53. At substantially the same time, the steering system male housing 50 and the steering system female housing 60 are fitted together. In this manner, the fitting of the steering system male connector 5 and the steering system female connector 6 is completed.

[0068] Next, a procedure for assembling such a connector structure 1 will be described. First, the steering system male connector 5A (5B) and the steering system female connector 6A (6B) are mated at the steering wheel manufacturer. After that, the steering wheel manufacturer transfers the steering wheel to the car manufacturer, where the vehicle system male connector 3A (3B) and the vehicle system female connector 4A (4B) are mated. In this manner, the assembly of the connector structure 1 is completed.

[0069] According to the above-described embodiment, the connector comprises a base 2, a pair of vehicle male connectors 3A, 3B (a pair of first connectors) standing upright from the base 2, and vehicle female connectors 4A, 4B (lever connectors) that can be fitted into the pair of vehicle male connectors 3A, 3B, respectively. The vehicle male connectors 3A, 3B comprise a vehicle male housing 30 (first housing) standing upright in a cylindrical shape from the base 2, and a pair of bosses 34, 34 protruding from the outer surface of the vehicle male housing 30, and the pair of bosses 34, 34 are arranged back-to-back in an orthogonal direction (front-to-back direction Y) perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of vehicle male connectors 3A, 3B are arranged (left-right direction X).

[0070] Here, as in the prior art, when a pair of bosses are provided in the direction in which the pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B are lined up, the pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B must be spaced apart by a predetermined dimension including the dimension required for die-cutting, but in this embodiment, the pair of bosses 34, 34 are provided back-to-back in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B are lined up, so that the pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B can be brought closer to each other. This allows for miniaturization in the direction in which the pair of vehicle-related male connectors 3A, 3B are lined up (the left-right direction X).

[0071] A pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B (lever connectors) are provided, and the rotation directions R1, R2 of the levers 10 provided on each of the pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B are opposite to each other. That is, the lever 10 of the first vehicle system female connector 4A and the lever 10 of the second vehicle system female connector 4B are rotated so as to fall in different directions R1, R2 in the left-right direction X. Here, if the pair of levers 10, 10 are rotated in the same direction, there is a concern that the levers 10, 10 of the pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B may be disengaged from the vehicle system female housing 40 when a load is applied to the male connector body 20. However, in this embodiment, the pair of levers 10, 10 are rotated in different directions R1, R2, thereby reducing the risk of disengagement and ensuring redundancy.

[0072] A pair of vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B (lever connectors) are provided, and the vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B have a vehicle system lock arm 415 (locking portion) capable of locking the lever 10 when the vehicle system male housing 30 (first housing) and the vehicle system female housing 40 (lever housing) are mated, and the vehicle system lock arm 415 is located at a position separated from one of the vehicle system female connectors 4A, 4B, sandwiching the other. This allows further miniaturization in the direction in which the pair of vehicle system male connectors 3A, 3B are lined up (left-right direction X).

[0073] Furthermore, the first vehicle male connector 3A is provided with a male first erroneous mating restriction portion 332A (one-side mating restriction portion) inside the vehicle male housing 30, and the second vehicle male connector 3B is provided with a male second erroneous mating restriction portion 332B (other-side mating restriction portion) inside the vehicle male housing 30. By providing the male erroneous mating restriction portion 332 inside the vehicle male housing 30, a structure for preventing erroneous mating can be obtained without increasing the size.

[0074] The first vehicle system female connector 4A (one-side lever connector) and the second vehicle system female connector 4B (the other-side lever connector) each include a vehicle system female housing 40 (lever housing) and a terminal holder 73 (front holder) that is provided so as to be engageable with and detachable from the vehicle system female housing 40. The first vehicle system female connector 4A includes a female side first mis-fitting prevention portion 332A (one-side fitting prevention portion) that corresponds to the male side first mis-fitting prevention portion 332A (one-side fitting prevention portion). The second vehicle-system female connector 4B has a female-side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 83A (one-side fitting restricting portion), which is provided on the first terminal holder 73A (first front holder), and the second vehicle-system female connector 4B has a female-side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 83B (other-side fitting restricting portion) corresponding to the male-side second erroneous fitting restricting portion 332B (other-side fitting restricting portion), which is provided on the second terminal holder 73B (second front holder). This allows the terminal holders 73A and 73B to be interchangeably attached to the vehicle-system female housing 40. As a result, for example, when the number of types of vehicle-system male housing 30 increases, a structure for preventing erroneous fitting can be obtained by manufacturing only the terminal holders 73A and 73B without changing the shape of the vehicle-system female housing 40.

[0075] The steering system male connector 5 also includes a steering system male connector 5 (second connector) standing from the base 2, and a steering system female connector 6 (mating connector) that can be fitted to the steering system male connector 5. The steering system male connector 5 includes a steering system male housing main body 51 (second housing) standing in a cylindrical shape from the base 2, and a steering system locked protrusion 53 (locking portion) that protrudes from the outer surface of the steering system male housing main body 51 and maintains a fitted state with the steering system female connector 6. The steering system locked protrusion 53 is provided at a position away from the vehicle system male connector 3 on the steering system male housing main body 51 in the orthogonal direction (front-rear direction Y). This allows the fitting operation of the steering system male connector 5 and the steering system female connector 6 to be performed with good workability while ensuring a working space.

[0076] Furthermore, when assembling the connector structure 1, first the steering system male connector 5 and the steering system female connector 6 are mated at the steering manufacturer, and then the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 are mated at the car manufacturer. Therefore, the vehicle system male connector 3 and the vehicle system female connector 4 can be mated without affecting the mating of the steering system male connector 5 and the steering system female connector 6, which are already mated.

[0077] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modified examples are also included in the present invention.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the lever 10 provided on the first vehicle system female connector 4A is configured to be rotated in a rotation direction R1 (clockwise) to reach a rotation completion position from an initial position, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lever 10 provided on the first vehicle system female connector 4A may be configured to be rotated counterclockwise to reach a rotation completion position from an initial position. Similarly, the lever 10 provided on the second vehicle system female connector 4B is configured to be rotated in a rotation direction R2 (counterclockwise) to reach a rotation completion position from an initial position, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lever 10 provided on the second vehicle system female connector 4B may be configured to be rotated clockwise to reach a rotation completion position from an initial position.

[0079] In addition, the best configurations and methods for implementing the present invention are disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention has been mainly illustrated and described with reference to specific embodiments, but those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. Therefore, the descriptions limiting the shapes, materials, etc. disclosed above are illustrative descriptions for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention, and therefore descriptions of the names of components that are free of some or all of the limitations on the shapes, materials, etc. are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 Connector structure 2. Bass 3A, 3B(3) Pair of first connectors 3A 1st vehicle male connector (1st connector on one side, 1st connector) 3B 2nd vehicle system male connector (other side 1st connector, 1st connector) 30 Vehicle Male Housing (First Housing) 332A Male side first mis-mating prevention part (one side mating prevention part) 332B Male side second mis-mating prevention part (other side mating prevention part) 34, 34 Pair of bosses 4A 1st vehicle system female connector (one side lever connector, lever connector) 4B 2nd vehicle system female connector (other side lever connector, lever connector) 40 Vehicle female housing (lever housing) 415 Vehicle lock arm (locking part) 5A 1st steering system male connector (2nd connector) 5B Second steering system male connector (second connector) 51 Steering system male housing body (second housing) 53 Steering system lock protrusion (lock part) 6A 1st steering system female connector (mating connector) 6B Second steering system female connector (mating connector) 73A 1st terminal holder (1st front holder) 73B 2nd terminal holder (2nd front holder) 83A Female side first incorrect mating regulation part (Mating regulation part on the other side) 83B Female side second incorrect mating regulating part (Mating regulating part on the other side) 10 Lever 110 Boss groove X Left / right direction (direction in which the pair of first connectors are lined up) Y Front-rear direction (orthogonal direction) Rotation direction of R1 and R2 levers

Claims

1. a base, a pair of first connectors standing on the base, and a lever connector that can be fitted into each of the pair of first connectors, the first connector includes a first housing extending from the base in a cylindrical shape, and a pair of bosses protruding from an outer surface of the first housing; the lever connector comprises: a lever housing that can be fitted into the first housing; and a lever that has boss grooves into which the pair of bosses enter, and is pivotally supported by the lever housing to bring the first housing and the lever housing closer to each other by being rotated; The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the pair of bosses are provided back-to-back in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the pair of first connectors are arranged.

2. A pair of the lever connectors is provided, 2. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the levers of the pair of lever connectors rotate in opposite directions.

3. A pair of the lever connectors is provided, the lever housing has a locking portion capable of locking the lever when the first housing and the lever housing are fitted together, 3. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is located at a position separated from one of the pair of lever connectors by sandwiching the other of the pair of lever connectors.

4. A pair of the lever connectors is provided, one of the pair of first connectors is provided to be able to fit into one of the pair of lever connectors, the other of the pair of first connectors is provided to be able to fit into the other of the pair of lever connectors, the one-side first connector has the first housing and a one-side fitting restriction portion that allows fitting with the one-side lever connector and restricts fitting with the other-side lever connector, the one-side fitting restriction portion being positioned inside the first housing, The connector structure described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the other-side first connector has the first housing and an other-side mating regulating portion that allows mating with the other-side lever connector and regulates mating with the one-side lever connector, and the other-side mating regulating portion is positioned inside the first housing.

5. the one-side lever connector includes the lever housing, a first front holder provided to be engageable with and detachable from the lever housing, and a one-side fitting restriction portion engageable with the one-side fitting restriction portion, the one-side fitting restriction portion being provided on the first front holder, The connector structure described in claim 4, characterized in that the other side lever connector has the lever housing, a second front holder that is releasably provided on the lever housing, and a other side mating regulating portion that is engageable with the other side mating regulating portion, and the other side mating regulating portion is provided on the second front holder.

6. a second connector standing on the base and a mating connector that can be mated with the second connector, the second connector includes a second housing that is cylindrically erected from the base, and a locking portion that is protruding from an outer surface of the second housing and is engageable with the mating connector, 3. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is provided at a position on the second housing away from the first connector in the orthogonal direction.

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