Connector

Abstract

To stably equip a housing and a terminal of a connector to the other side.SOLUTION: In a connector 100 having a housing 10 fixed to the other case 50 with a first bolt 30 and a terminal 20 fastened to the other terminal 60 with a second bolt 40, the first bolt 30 is attached to the housing 10 not to slip from the housing 10, the housing 10 is fixed to the other case 50 before the terminal 20 is fastened to the other terminal 60, and the housing 10 has a guide target part 12G to be inserted into the other case 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a connector connected to a device such as an inverter. The connector described in Patent Document 1 has a housing fixed to the mating case with a first bolt and a terminal fastened to the mating terminal disposed in the mating case with a second bolt.

[0003] Here, the standard assembly procedure of the above connector is to fix the housing to the mating case with the first bolt and then fasten the terminal to the mating terminal with the second bolt. Also, the axial direction of the first bolt fixed to the mating case and the axial direction of the second bolt fastened to the mating terminal are in the same direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The connector described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems. (a) Even when the housing is not fixed to the mating case with the first bolt and the housing is not seated on the mating case, the terminal can be fastened to the mating terminal with the second bolt in a procedure reverse to the above-described standard assembly procedure.

[0006] (b) As described in (a) above, if the housing is fixed to the mating case with the first bolt after the terminal is fastened to the mating terminal with the second bolt, there is a risk that the fastening of the terminal will become loose due to loosening of the second bolt.

[0007] (c) When looseness of the terminal fastening occurs due to the above (b), there is a concern of foreign matter generation due to biting between the terminal and the mating terminal.

[0008] (d) When the housing is fixed to the mating case by the first bolt, the housing may be inserted while being inclined with respect to the assembly opening of the mating case. At this time, there is a concern of foreign matter generation due to the housing catching on the assembly opening of the mating case.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to stably assemble the housing and terminals of a connector to the mating side.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The invention according to claim 1 is a connector having a housing fixed to a mating case by a first bolt and a terminal fastened to a mating terminal by a second bolt, wherein the first bolt is attached to the housing in a state where it is prevented from falling out, and the housing can be fixed to the mating case before the timing of fastening the terminal to the mating terminal, and a guided portion to be inserted into the mating case is provided on the housing.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] (a) The first bolt is attached to the housing in a state where it is prevented from falling out, and the housing can be fixed to the mating case before the timing of fastening the terminal to the mating terminal. Therefore, the assembly procedure of the connector is necessarily such that the housing is fixed to the mating case by the first bolt and then the terminal is fastened to the mating terminal by the second bolt.

[0012] (b) According to the above (a), necessarily, after the housing is fixed to the mating case by the first bolt, the terminal is fastened to the mating terminal by the second bolt, and the possibility of the terminal fastening becoming loose due to loosening of the second bolt can be avoided.

[0013] (c) Since loosening of the terminal fastening can be prevented by the above (b), biting between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented, and the concern about foreign matter generation can be avoided.

[0014] (d) By providing the guided portion to be inserted into the mating case in the housing, when the housing is fixed to the mating case by the first bolt, the housing is not inserted while being inclined with respect to the assembly opening of the mating case. Therefore, in this process, the housing does not catch on the assembly opening of the mating case or the like, and the concern about foreign matter generation can be avoided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] The connector 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is connected to vehicle equipment such as an inverter. The connector 100 has a housing 10 and a plurality of terminals 20. The housing 10 is fixed to the mating case 50 by the first bolt 30, and the terminals 20 are fastened to the mating terminals 60 in the mating case 50 by the second bolt 40.

[0017] Hereinafter, the direction in which the plurality of terminals 20 are arranged is defined as the X-axis direction, the direction in which the electric wire 22 drawn out from the housing 10 extends is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is defined as the Z-axis direction.

[0018] The housing 10 is formed by overlapping a metal housing body 11 and a resin mold 12, and is fixed to the mating case 50 by a first bolt 30 inserted through bolt insertion holes 31A and 31B provided in the flange portions 12F of the housing body 11 and the resin mold 12.

[0019] The terminal 20 is formed of a metal material. With the base end side molded in the resin mold 12, the terminal connection portion 21 on the tip side protruding from the resin mold 12 in a bent shape is disposed inside the opening 12K (the same as the opening 10K of the housing 10) of the resin mold 12. Thereby, the terminal connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 is exposed at the opening 10K of the housing 10 (FIG. 1). An electric wire 22 is electrically connected to an electric wire connection portion (not shown) on the base end side of the terminal 20. The electric wire 22 extends outward from the housing 10 (housing body 11, resin mold 12). The terminal connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 is fastened to the mating terminal 60 on the resin terminal block 52 by a second bolt 40 screwed into a nut 53 provided on the resin terminal block 52 inside the mating case 50.

[0020] Here, in the connector 100, the axial direction of the first bolt 30 fixed to the above-described mating case 50 and the axial direction of the second bolt 40 fastened to the mating terminal 60 inside the mating case 50 are set in the same direction (Z-axis direction).

[0021] Also, the connector 100 has the first bolt 30 attached in a state of preventing it from falling out of the housing 10 from a stage before being fixed to the mating case 50. Specifically, a C-shaped cut washer 32 having an outer diameter larger than that of the bolt insertion hole 31A of the housing body 11 and smaller than that of the bolt insertion hole 31B of the resin mold 12 is engaged with the threaded portion of the first bolt 30 protruding from the bolt insertion hole 31A so as not to fall off freely. Thereby, the first bolt 30 forms the above-described state of preventing it from falling out by sandwiching the housing body 11 in the Z-axis direction with its head and the guide washer 32.

[0022] Also, the connector 100 enables the housing 10 to be fixed to the mating case 50 by the first bolt 30 before the fastening timing of the terminal 20 to the mating terminal 60 by the second bolt 40. Specifically, before the first bolt 30 is completely screwed into the mating case 50, the terminal connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 cannot yet be fastened to the mating terminal 60 on the mating case 50 side (there is still a gap between the terminal connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 and the mating terminal 60 on the mating case 50 side), and the length of the first bolt 30 is set accordingly.

[0023] Also, during the process of fixing the connector 100 to the mating case 50, the elliptical cylindrical portion 12L around the opening 12K of the resin mold 12 is inserted into the assembly opening 50K of the mating case 50 in a liquid-tight manner through the rubber seal ring 13 (Figure 2) adhered to its outer periphery. Further, when the connector 100 is fixed to the mating case 50, the housing 10 seats on the upper surface 51 of the mating case 50 without a gap, with the housing body 11 sandwiching the flange portion 12F of the resin mold 12. At this time, in order to ensure a large fastening area between the flange portion 12F of the resin mold 12 and the upper surface 51 of the mating case 50, the outer diameter of the guide washer 32 described above is made as small as possible.

[0024] In addition, the connector 100 projects two linear guided portions 12G in the Z-axis direction facing the tip surface of the cylindrical portion 12L of the resin mold 12. During the process of inserting the cylindrical portion 12L of the housing 10 into the assembly opening 50K of the mating case 50, the two linear guided portions 12G are inserted while being guided by the opposing planar inner surfaces of the assembly opening 50K, and the housing 10 (housing body 11, resin mold 12) can be inserted without tilting in the Z-axis direction.

[0025] That is, after the guided portion 12G of the resin mold 12 enters the assembly opening 50K of the mating case 50, the first bolt 30 starts to be screwed onto the mating case 50 (Fig. 3(A)). When the first bolt 30 is completely screwed onto the mating case 50, the flange portion 12F of the resin mold 12 comes to seat on the upper surface 51 of the mating case 50 (Fig. 3(B)).

[0026] Also, in the state where the first bolt 30 is completely screwed onto the mating case 50, the protruding portion 11F of the housing body 11 and the flange portion 12F of the receiving mold 12 are fastened to the upper surface 51 of the mating case 50 in a co-fastened state by the bolt 70, and the inclination of the connector 100 with respect to the mating case 50 is suppressed. In the state where the fixing of the connector 100 to the mating case 50 is completed (the state where it is completely seated on the upper surface 51 of the mating case 50), the terminal connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 is fastened to the mating terminal 60 on the mating case 50 side by the second bolt 40 inserted into the opening 10K of the housing 10 (Fig. 4).

[0027] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following operational effects are achieved. (a) The first bolt 30 is attached to the housing 10 in a state where it is prevented from falling off, and enables the housing 10 to be fixed to the mating case 50 before the fastening timing of the terminal 20 to the mating terminal 60. Therefore, the assembly procedure of the connector 100 is surely such that the housing 10 is fixed to the mating case 50 by the first bolt 30, and then the terminal 20 is fastened to the mating terminal 60 by the second bolt 40.

[0028] (b) Due to the above (a), surely, after the housing 10 is fixed to the mating case 50 by the first bolt 30, the terminal 20 is fastened to the mating terminal 60 by the second bolt 40, and it is possible to avoid the possibility of the fastening of the terminal 20 becoming loose due to the loosening of the second bolt 40.

[0029] (c) Due to the above (b), loosening of the fastening of the terminal 20 can be prevented, so that biting or the like between the terminal 20 and the mating terminal 60 can be prevented, and concerns about the generation of foreign matter can be avoided.

[0030] (d) By providing the guided portion 12G to be inserted into the mating case 50 in the housing 10, when the housing 10 is fixed to the mating case 50 by the first bolt 30, the housing 10 is not inserted while tilting with respect to the assembly opening 50K of the mating case 50. Therefore, in this process, the housing 10 does not catch on the assembly opening 50K of the mating case 50 or the like, and concerns about the generation of foreign matter can be avoided.

[0031] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0032] According to the present invention, the housing and terminals of the connector can be stably assembled to the mating side.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0033] 10 Housing 12G Guided Portion 20 Terminal 30 First Bolt 40 Second Bolt 50 Mating Case 60 Mating Terminal 100 Connector

Claims

【Claim 1】 In a connector having a housing fixed to a mating case with a first bolt and a terminal fastened to a mating terminal with a second bolt, the first bolt is attached to the housing in a state where it is prevented from falling out, and the housing can be fixed to the mating case before the timing of fastening the terminal to the mating terminal, and the connector includes a guided portion to be inserted into the mating case in the housing.

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