Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of improving assemblability.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: a first housing 3; a second housing 5 which can be fitted to the first housing 3; a first conduction member 7, housed in the first housing 3, which has a first through-hole 45; a second conduction member 9, housed in the second housing 5, which has a second through-hole 53 that is located at a position corresponding to the first through-hole 45 when the first housing 3 is fitted to the second housing 5; and a bolt 11 which electrically connects the first conduction member 7 to the second conduction member 9 by being fastened after being inserted through the first through-hole 45 and the second through-hole 53. The second through-hole 53 is provided with an insertion opening 63 which is opened in a fitting direction of the first housing 3 and the second housing 5, and into which the bolt 11 can be inserted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A conventional connector includes a first housing, a second housing that can be mated with the first housing, and a first conductive member that is housed in the first housing and has a first through hole. The connector also includes a second conductive member that is housed in the second housing and has a second through hole that is positioned to coincide with the first through hole when the first and second housings are mated. A known connector also includes a bolt that is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole and fastened to electrically connect the first conductive member and the second conductive member (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this connector, by fitting the first housing and the second housing together, the first through hole of the first conductive member and the second through hole of the second conductive member are aligned with each other, and a bolt is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole to fasten them together, electrically connecting the first conductive member and the second conductive member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-213048 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a connector such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, a bolt is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole. Therefore, for example, even if an attempt is made to mate the first housing and the second housing with the bolt temporarily held in the first through hole, the bolt cannot be inserted through the second through hole, and the two housings cannot be mated. On the other hand, even if an attempt is made to release the mating between the first housing and the second housing by loosening the bolt with the bolt inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole, the bolt gets caught in the first through hole and the second through hole, and the mating cannot be released. Therefore, when mating or releasing the mating between the first housing and the second housing, it is necessary to remove the bolt, which requires the bolt to be stored separately from the connector, thereby reducing ease of assembly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The connector of this embodiment comprises a first housing, a second housing that can be mated with the first housing, a first conductive member that is accommodated in the first housing and has a first through hole, a second conductive member that is accommodated in the second housing and has a second through hole that is positioned at a position that coincides with the first through hole when the first housing and the second housing are mated, and a bolt that is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole and fastened to electrically connect the first conductive member and the second conductive member, and one of the first through hole and the second through hole has an insertion opening that opens toward the mating direction of the first housing and the second housing and through which the bolt can be inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can be easily assembled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is an enlarged top view of a main part of the connector according to the embodiment, showing a state in which a bolt is placed from the insertion opening of the second conductive member to the second through hole. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first conductive member of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a perspective view of a second conductive member of the connector according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is an enlarged top view of a main portion of a second conductive member of the connector according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The connector according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, a connector 1 according to this embodiment electrically connects two electrical components (not shown), such as a power source and a device, or two devices. The connector 1 has a first housing 3 that houses a first conductive member 7 (see FIG. 2) electrically connected to one of the electrical components, and a second housing 5 that houses a second conductive member 9 (see FIG. 2) electrically connected to the other electrical component and is engageable with the first housing 3. When the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are engaged with each other, the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9 are arranged so that they overlap each other. The overlapping first conductive member 7 and second conductive member 9 are electrically connected by fastening a bolt 11 (see FIG. 2), thereby electrically connecting the two electrical components.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the connector 1 includes a first housing 3, a second housing 5, a first conductive member 7, a second conductive member 9, a bolt 11, and a cover 13.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first housing 3 is made of a conductive material such as a metal material. The first housing 3 may also be made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin. The first housing 3 is formed in an L-shape so that it can accommodate a first conductive member 7 and fit the second housing 5 therein. The first housing 3 has a plurality of (here, two) first housing portions 15 in which the first conductive members 7 are accommodated, and a fitting portion 17 in which the second housing 5 is fitted. The first housing portions 15 and the fitting portions 17 extend cylindrically in directions perpendicular to each other and are internally connected. The first housing 3 has a plurality of fixing portions 19 on its exterior that are fixed to one of the electrical components via a plurality of bolts. A first seal member 21 is arranged on the outer periphery of one end of the first housing portion 15. The first seal member 21 is in close contact with the electrical component and seals the gap between the first housing 3 and the electrical component. The first seal member 21 is held in its position relative to the first housing 3 by a seal holder 23 that is assembled to close the opening of the first accommodating portion 15. The seal holder 23 is provided with an opening that exposes the first conductive member 7. The other end of the first accommodating portion 15 is provided with a plurality of (here, two) openings 25 into which bolts 11 that electrically connect the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9 are inserted.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the second housing 5 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The second housing 5 can accommodate the second conductive member 9 therein and is formed in a housing shape that can fit into the fitting portion 17 of the first housing 3. The exterior of the second housing 5 is provided with a locking portion (not shown) that can engage with a locked portion (not shown) provided on the fitting portion 17 of the first housing 3. The engagement between the locking portion and the locked portion maintains the fitted state between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5. The second housing 5 has multiple (here, two) second accommodating portions 27 that accommodate the second conductive member 9 therein. Both ends of the second accommodating portions 27 in the longitudinal direction are opened to expose a portion of the second conductive member 9 and allow the electric wire 29 electrically connected to the second conductive member 9 to be drawn out. The end of the electric wire 29 drawn out from the second housing 5 is electrically connected to the other electric component. An electric wire seal member 31 is disposed on the outer periphery of the electric wire 29 located inside the second accommodating portion 27, and the electric wire seal member 31 is in close contact with the second housing 5 to seal between the second housing 5 and the electric wire 29. The electric wire seal member 31 is held in position relative to the second housing 5 by an electric wire seal holder 33 that is assembled to close the opening of the second accommodating portion 27 on the side where the electric wire 29 is drawn out. A second seal member 35 is disposed on the outer periphery of the opening side of the second accommodating portion 27, from which a portion of the second conductive member 9 is exposed, and the second seal member 35 is in close contact with the first housing 3 to seal between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5. A housing shield member 37 is attached to the outer periphery of the second housing 5 on the first housing 3 side, and is electrically connected to the first housing 3 when the second housing 5 is mated with the mating portion 17 of the first housing 3 to form a shielded circuit. An electric wire shielding member 39 is attached to the outer periphery of the second housing 5 on the electric wire 29 side, and is electrically connected to a shielding member (not shown) that covers the outer periphery of the electric wire 29 drawn out from the second housing 5, forming a shielding circuit. By forming a shielding circuit with the housing shielding member 37 and the electric wire shielding member 39, it is possible to prevent noise and the like from entering the connector 1 and noise and the like from leaking out from the connector 1.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the first conductive member 7 is made of a conductive material such as a metal material and is formed in a plate shape like a bus bar. A plurality of first conductive members 7 (two in this example) are used. Each first conductive member 7 is formed into a U-shape with both ends bent in the same direction. One end of the first conductive member 7 serves as a component connection portion 41 that is electrically connected to one of the electric components. When the first conductive member 7 is accommodated in the first accommodation portion 15 of the first housing 3, the component connection portion 41 is exposed to the outside of the first housing 3 through the opening of the seal holder 23. A through hole is formed in the component connection portion 41, and a nut is fixed to the first housing 3 at a position corresponding to the through hole. When a conductive member (not shown) of one of the electric components is arranged in the component connection portion 41, a bolt (not shown) is inserted into the through hole and fastened to the nut, thereby electrically connecting the first conductive member 7 and the one of the electric components. The other end of the first conductive member 7 forms a first connection portion 43 electrically connected to the second conductive member 9. A first through hole 45 is formed in the first connection portion 43, and a nut 47 to which the bolt 11 is fastened is fixed at a position inside the first housing 3 corresponding to the first through hole 45. By fixing the nut 47 at a position corresponding to the first through hole 45, it is not necessary to provide a fastening portion, such as a terminal block, to which the bolt 11 is fastened in the first housing 3 or the second housing 5. This makes it possible to simplify the structure of the first housing 3 and the second housing 5. When the first conductive member 7 is accommodated in the first accommodation portion 15 of the first housing 3, the first connection portion 43 is arranged at a position inside the first housing 3 corresponding to the opening 25 of the first accommodation portion 15.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2, 3, 5, and 6, the second conductive member 9 is made of a conductive material such as a metal material and is formed in a plate shape like a bus bar. A plurality of second conductive members 9 (two in this example) are used corresponding to the first conductive members 7. The second conductive members 9 are formed linearly and extend in a direction perpendicular to the linear portion of the first conductive member 7. One end of the second conductive member 9 forms an electric wire connection portion 49 that is electrically connected to the end portion of the electric wire 29. The electric wire connection portion 49 is joined to the end portion of the electric wire 29 by crimping or the like, and electrically connects the second conductive member 9 and the electric wire 29. The other end of the second conductive member 9 forms a second connection portion 51 that is electrically connected to the first connection portion 43 of the first conductive member 7. A second through-hole 53 is formed in the second connection portion 51. When the second conductive member 9 is accommodated in the second accommodating portion 27 of the second housing 5, the second connecting portion 51 is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the second housing 5 through the opening of the second accommodating portion 27. When the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are fitted together, the second connecting portion 51 is arranged so as to overlap the first connecting portion 43 of the first conductive member 7 inside the first housing 3. The overlapping first connecting portion 43 and second connecting portion 51 are arranged so as to coincide with each other so that the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53 are in communication with each other, and are arranged at a position corresponding to the opening 25 of the first housing 3. The overlapping first connecting portion 43 and second connecting portion 51 are electrically connected by inserting a bolt 11 through the opening 25, passing the bolt 11 through the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53, and fastening the bolt 11 with a nut 47.

[0017] 2 and 3, a plurality (two in this case) of bolts 11 are used corresponding to a plurality (two in this case) of first conductive members 7 and second conductive members 9. The bolt 11 includes a fastening portion 55, a resin portion 57, a collar 59, and a locking portion 61.

[0018] The fastening portion 55 is made of, for example, a metal material. The fastening portion 55 is formed in the shape of a shaft extending along the extension direction of the first accommodating portion 15 of the first housing 3. The outer periphery of the fastening portion 55 is formed in a threaded shape so that it can be fastened to the nut 47 fixed to the first connecting portion 43.

[0019] Resin portion 57 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is disposed on one end side of fastening portion 55. The inner surface of resin portion 57 is formed in a screw shape that can be fastened to fastening portion 55. Note that resin portion 57 may be insert molded integrally with fastening portion 55 so that fastening portion 55 is located inside. The outer surface of resin portion 57 is formed in a polygonal shape such as a hexagonal shape that can be fastened using a jig or the like.

[0020] Collar 59 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is disposed on the second connection portion 51 side of resin portion 57 in fastening portion 55. Collar 59 is formed in an annular shape so that fastening portion 55 is inserted therethrough. An O-ring is disposed inside collar 59 as a sealing member that seals between fastening portion 55 and collar 59. An O-ring is disposed on the outer periphery of collar 59 and is in close contact with first housing 3 to seal between first housing 3 and collar 59.

[0021] Locking portion 61 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is arranged across resin portion 57 and collar 59 in fastening portion 55. The annular portion of locking portion 61 is engaged with the outer periphery of resin portion 57, and multiple elastic pieces extending from the annular portion toward collar 59 are engaged with the outer surface of collar 59. By engaging locking portion 61 with resin portion 57 and collar 59, bolt 11 can be handled as a single member.

[0022] The bolt 11 is inserted into the first housing 3 through the opening 25 of the first housing 3 and passes through the second through-hole 53 of the second connecting portion 51 and the first through-hole 45 of the first connecting portion 43, and the fastening portion 55 is disposed in the nut 47. With the fastening portion 55 disposed in the nut 47, the resin portion 57 is rotated using a jig or the like to fasten the fastening portion 55 to the nut 47. By fastening the fastening portion 55 to the nut 47, the first connecting portion 43 and the second connecting portion 51 are brought into contact with each other so as to be sandwiched between the nut 47 and the collar 59, electrically connecting the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9, and electrically connecting the two electrical components. Meanwhile, the fastening portion 55 is released from the nut 47 by rotating the resin portion 57 in the opposite direction using a jig or the like. The second housing 5 can be detached from the first housing 3 by pulling the bolt 11, from which the fastening portion 55 and the nut 47 have been released, out of the first housing 3 through the opening 25. By releasing the engagement between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5, the electrical connection between the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9 is released, and the electrical connection between the two electrical components is also released.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover 13 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The cover 13 has a pair of side walls and a connecting wall connecting the pair of side walls, and is formed in a U-shape. The cover 13 is attached to the first housing 3 via an engaging portion (not shown) outside the first housing 3 so as to be rotatable so as to be openable and closable relative to the opening 25 and movable toward and away from the opening 25. The cover 13 is disposed in an opening position (see FIG. 2) that opens the opening 25 when fastening or unfastening the bolt 11. When the fastening of the bolt 11 is completed, the cover 13 is rotated from the opening position and disposed in a standby position (not shown) facing the opening 25 and away from the opening 25. The cover 13 is moved from the standby position toward the opening 25 and disposed in an assembly position (not shown) that closes the opening 25. When cover 13 is in the assembled position, a locking portion (not shown) provided between first housing 3 and cover 13 engages, thereby maintaining the assembled state of cover 13 to first housing 3. By closing opening 25 with cover 13, bolt 11 is not exposed to the outside, thereby maintaining safety. If bolt 11 is not fully fastened when cover 13 moves from the standby position to the assembled position, cover 13 abuts against bolt 11, preventing cover 13 from moving and making it impossible to assemble cover 13 to first housing 3. Therefore, the fastening state of bolt 11 can be detected from the assembled state of cover 13 to first housing 3, and the reliability of the electrical connection between first conductive member 7 and second conductive member 9 can be maintained.

[0024] If the bolt 11 is inserted or pulled out through the opening 25 each time the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are mated or disengaged, the bolt 11 must be stored or managed separately from the connector 1. Therefore, by temporarily retaining the fastening portion 55 of the bolt 11 by fastening it to a certain extent with the nut 47, it becomes unnecessary to manage the bolt 11 separately from the connector 1. However, if the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53 are annular, the bolt 11 cannot be inserted into or removed from the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53. Therefore, the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 cannot be mated or disengaged while the bolt 11 is temporarily retained.

[0025] Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 , 5 , and 6 , the second through hole 53 is provided with an insertion opening 63 into which the bolt 11 can be inserted. The insertion opening 63 is open from the tip of the second conductive member 9 to communicate with the second through hole 53 along the fitting direction of the first housing 3 and the second housing 5. The width of the insertion opening 63 is set wider than the diameter of the fastening portion 55 of the bolt 11 so that the fastening portion 55 can be inserted, and is constant from the tip of the second conductive member 9 to the second through hole 53. By providing the insertion opening 63 in the second through hole 53, the fastening portion 55 of the bolt 11 can be inserted or removed through the insertion opening 63 while the bolt 11 is temporarily held in the first through hole 45 of the first conductive member 7. Therefore, when fitting the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 together, the fastening portion 55 of the bolt 11 can be inserted into the second through hole 53 through the insertion opening 63, and the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 can be fitted together. On the other hand, when releasing the engagement between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5, the fastening portion 55 of the bolt 11 located in the second through hole 53 can be removed from the insertion opening 63, thereby releasing the engagement between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5. This eliminates the need to manage the bolt 11 separately from the connector 1, improving assembly ease. The outer edge of the second conductive member 9 provided with the insertion opening 63 is covered with an insulating member 65 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Covering the outer wire of the second conductive member 9 with the insulating member 65 prevents contact with the outer edge of the second conductive member 9 when inserting or removing the bolt 11 into or from the insertion opening 63, thereby maintaining safety.

[0026] Such a connector 1 includes a first housing 3, a second housing 5 that can be fitted with the first housing 3, and a first conductive member 7 that is accommodated in the first housing 3 and has a first through hole 45. The connector also includes a second conductive member 9 that is accommodated in the second housing 5 and has a second through hole 53 that is positioned at a position that coincides with the first through hole 45 when the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are fitted together. The connector also includes a bolt 11 that is inserted through the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53 and fastened to electrically connect the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9. One of the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53 (here, the second through hole 53) is provided with an insertion opening 63 that opens toward the fitting direction of the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 and through which the bolt 11 can be inserted.

[0027] By providing the insertion opening 63 in the second through hole 53, the bolt 11 can be inserted into or removed from the insertion opening 63 while the bolt 11 is temporarily held in the first through hole 45 of the first conductive member 7. Therefore, when fitting the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 together, the bolt 11 can be inserted into the second through hole 53 from the insertion opening 63, and the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 can be fitted together. On the other hand, when releasing the fitting between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5, the bolt 11 located in the second through hole 53 can be removed from the insertion opening 63, and the fitting between the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 can be released.

[0028] Therefore, in such a connector 1, the bolt 11 can be temporarily held, eliminating the need to manage the bolt 11 separately from the connector 1, thereby improving ease of assembly.

[0029] Furthermore, the outer edge of one of the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9 (here, the second conductive member 9) where the insertion opening 63 is provided is covered with an insulating member 65.

[0030] Therefore, when inserting or removing the bolt 11 into or from the insertion opening 63, contact with the outer edge of the second conductive member 9 can be prevented, and safety can be maintained.

[0031] In addition, a nut 47 is fixed to the other of the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53 (here, the first through hole 45) to fasten the bolt 11 inserted through the first through hole 45 and the second through hole 53.

[0032] Therefore, there is no need to provide a fastening portion, such as a terminal block, on the first housing 3 or the second housing 5 to which the bolt 11 is fastened, and the structure of the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 can be simplified.

[0033] Furthermore, bolt 11 is fastened through an opening 25 provided in one of first housing 3 and second housing 5 (here, first housing 3). Furthermore, opening 25 is closed by cover 13 which is attached to one of first housing 3 and second housing 5 (here, first housing 3). Then, with bolt 11 fully fastened, cover 13 can be attached to one of first housing 3 and second housing 5 (here, first housing 3).

[0034] Therefore, the fastening state of the bolt 11 can be detected based on the assembled state of the cover 13 to the first housing 3, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the first conductive member 7 and the second conductive member 9 can be maintained.

[0035] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment.

[0036] For example, there are two first conductive members and two second conductive members (two pairs), but this is not limited to this, and there may be one first conductive member and one second conductive member (one pair), or three or more first conductive members (three pairs).

[0037] Furthermore, although the insertion opening is provided in the second through hole, this is not limiting and the insertion opening may be provided in the first through hole, in which case the nut may be fixed to the second through hole.

[0038] In addition, in the first housing, the first accommodating portion and the fitting portion extend in directions perpendicular to each other, but the first accommodating portion and the fitting portion may extend in parallel directions. In this case, the first conductive member may be formed in a linear plate shape, similar to the second conductive member.

[0039] Furthermore, although the opening is provided in the first housing, this is not limiting, and if the first through-hole and the second through-hole are located inside the second housing, the opening may be provided in the second housing. In this case, a cover may be attached to the second housing. Note that, if the opening can be closed, the cover may be attached to either the first housing or the second housing.

[0040] Furthermore, although the cover is assembled integrally with the first housing via the engagement portion, this is not limited thereto, and the cover may be prepared separately from the first housing without the engagement portion and assembled to the first housing so as to close the opening. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 connector 3. First Housing 5 Second Housing 7 First conductive member 9 Second conductive member 11 volts 13 Cover 45 First through hole 53 Second through hole 63 Insertion opening 65 Insulating material

Claims

1. A first housing; a second housing that can be fitted to the first housing; a first conductive member accommodated in the first housing and having a first through hole; a second conductive member that is accommodated in the second housing and has a second through hole that is arranged at a position that coincides with the first through hole when the first housing and the second housing are fitted together; a bolt that is inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole and fastened to electrically connect the first conductive member and the second conductive member; Equipped with A connector in which one of the first through hole and the second through hole is provided with an insertion opening that opens toward the mating direction of the first housing and the second housing and into which the bolt can be inserted.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein an outer edge of one of the first and second conductive members, where the insertion opening is provided, is covered with an insulating member.

3. A connector as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a nut is fixed to the other of the first through hole and the second through hole to fasten the bolt inserted through the first through hole and the second through hole.

4. The bolt is fastened through an opening provided in one of the first housing and the second housing, the opening is closed by a cover attached to one of the first housing and the second housing, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover can be assembled to one of the first housing and the second housing when the bolts are fully fastened.

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