Connector with component

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector with a component in which efficiency of assembly work is improved.SOLUTION: A component-equipped connector (1) and a 1A are connected to a detection target (2) to detect a physical quantity of the detection target, and include a connecting component (5) connected to the detection target, the 5A, an electrical component (6) including an electrical component body (61) connected to the connecting component to detect the physical quantity and a pair of terminals (62, 62) connected to the electrical component body and extending in a direction away from the connecting component, a housing (7) holding the connecting component and the electrical component, and the 7A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, one example of a wire harness installed in a vehicle is one that is intended to detect the temperature of an electronic component and includes a bus bar that is bolted to the electronic component, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the electronic component via the bus bar, a housing that holds the bus bar and the temperature sensor, an electric wire that is connected to the temperature sensor and drawn out from the housing, and a connector portion that is provided at the end of the electric wire and that is fitted into another connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When such a conventional wire harness is installed in a vehicle, the bus bar is bolted to the electronic component with the temperature sensor and one end of the electric wire connected, and then the other end of the electric wire is installed while the connector is mated with another connector, and the other connector is fixed to the vehicle body. In this manner, the conventional wire harness is installed in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-158859 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, conventional wire harnesses require many steps for assembly, such as connecting one end of the electric wire to the temperature sensor and providing a connector at the other end of the electric wire.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector with components that improves the efficiency of assembly work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is a connector with components that is connected to a detection object and detects a physical quantity of the detection object, comprising: a connection component that is connected to the detection object; an electrical component main body that is connected to the connection component and detects the physical quantity; an electrical component that is connected to the electrical component main body and has a pair of terminal portions that are formed extending in a direction away from the connection component; and a housing that holds the connection component and the electrical component, wherein the pair of terminal portions are connector-connected to mating terminals of a mating connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the efficiency of the assembly work can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a component-attached connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is bolted to a detection target. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector with components. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector with components. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of a housing constituting the component-equipped connector. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a process for manufacturing the component-equipped connector. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a post-process step of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the component-attached connector. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are longitudinal cross-sectional views for explaining a process for manufacturing the component-equipped connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a component-equipped connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where it is bolted to a detection object. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the component-equipped connector 1. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the component-equipped connector 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of a housing 7 constituting the component-equipped connector 1 in a see-through manner. Figure 5 is a perspective view for explaining how the component-equipped connector 1 is manufactured. Figure 6 is a view showing a process subsequent to that shown in Figure 5.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the connector with parts 1 is connected to an electrical junction box 2 (detection target) mounted on a vehicle via a copper L-shaped bracket 3 to detect the temperature (physical quantity) of the electrical junction box 2, and is connected to a mating connector 4 to form a wire harness 10 that is routed in the vehicle.

[0012] 1, the electrical junction box 2 is mounted on the vehicle installation surface S of the vehicle and distributes power from the power source side to the load side, and the electrical junction box 2 in this embodiment is provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The electrical junction box 2 is fixed to the vehicle installation surface S by an L-shaped bracket 3, which will be described later.

[0013] In the following description, arrows X, Y, and Z are perpendicular to one another. Arrows X and Y indicate the direction in which the vehicle installation surface S extends, arrow Z indicates the direction in which the electrical junction box 2 is positioned relative to the vehicle installation surface S, and arrow X indicates the direction in which the electrical junction box 2, the component-equipped connector 1, and the L-shaped bracket 3 overlap.

[0014] 1, the L-shaped bracket 3 is formed in an L-shape and includes a rectangular first plate portion 31 and a rectangular second plate portion 32 formed by bending and extending at the boundary position of the first plate portion 31. The first plate portion 31 overlaps the side surface of the electrical junction box 2 and is bolted together with the lug terminals 5 of the component-equipped connector 1 using bolts B, and the second plate portion 32 is configured to be bolted to the vehicle installation surface S.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the connector with parts 1 comprises a lug terminal 5 (connection part) that is bolted to the electrical connection box 2 via an L-shaped bracket 3, a sensor part 6 (electrical part, shown in Figures 3 and 4) for detecting the temperature of the electrical connection box 2, and a housing 7 that holds the lug terminal 5 and the sensor part 6 and is connector-connected to the mating connector 4.

[0016] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lug terminal 5 is formed by punching and bending a metal plate, and includes a mounting portion 51 on which the sensor component 6 (described later) is mounted, a fastening portion 52 which is fastened to the electrical connection box 2 with a bolt, and a heat-dissipating portion 53 which dissipates heat from the sensor component 6.

[0017] 5, the mounting portion 51 is formed in the same rectangular shape as the lower surface 6b of the sensor component 6 described later, and is provided in contact with (connected to) the lower surface 6b of the sensor component 6 described later. The mounting portion 51 is provided extending in a plane including the arrows YZ.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, the fastening portion 52 is continuous with one side of the placement portion 51 in the direction of the arrow Z, and is configured to have a hole portion 5a through which the bolt B is inserted.

[0019] 5, the heat-drawing portion 53 integrally comprises a pair of heat-drawing portion bodies 531, 531 (curved pieces) continuing on both sides of the mounting portion 51 in the direction of arrow Y, a pair of extension pieces 532, 532 continuing on one side of the heat-drawing portion bodies 531 in the direction of arrow Z, and a pair of continuous pieces 533, 533 continuing on the other side of the heat-drawing portion bodies 531 in the direction of arrow Z. By providing such a heat-drawing portion 53, the heat-drawing portion 53 absorbs the heat of the thermistor element 61, suppressing a temperature rise of the thermistor element 61.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of heat-drawing portion bodies 531, 531 are formed so as to be bent relative to the mounting portion 51 and extend in a direction away from the mounting portion 51, and are provided in contact with the side surface 6s of the sensor component 6 described later.

[0021] 5, the pair of extension pieces 532, 532 are provided opposite each other in the direction of arrow Y, and are also provided extending in the direction of arrow Z on the opposite side of the fastening portion 52 across each heat-drawing portion main body 531. The pair of extension pieces 532, 532 are provided on both sides in the direction of arrow Y of a pair of terminal portions 62, 62 drawn out from the sensor component 6, which will be described later.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of continuous pieces 533, 533 are arranged side by side in the direction of arrow Y, and are bent relative to the respective heat-drawing portion bodies 531 to overlap a front surface 6f of a sensor component 6, which will be described later.

[0023] When manufacturing such a lug terminal 5, as shown in Figure 5, a punching process is performed on a conductive metal plate to produce a punched portion (not shown) having a hole portion 5a, and then each heat-drawing portion body 531 is bent toward the mounting portion 51 at the boundary portion 5b between the mounting portion 51 and each heat-drawing portion body 531, and each continuous piece 533 is bent toward each heat-drawing portion body 531 at the boundary portion 5c between each heat-drawing portion body 531 and each continuous piece 533, to manufacture the lug terminal 5.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the sensor component 6 includes a thermistor element 61 (electrical component body) placed on the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5, and a pair of terminal portions 62, 62 drawn out from the thermistor element 61.

[0025] The pair of terminal portions 62, 62 are arranged in parallel to each other in the direction of arrow Y. One end (base end) of each terminal portion 62 is electrically connected to the thermistor element 61, and the other end (tip end) is formed to extend in the opposite direction to the fastening portion 52 of the lug terminal 5 in the direction of arrow Z.

[0026] Each terminal portion 62 includes a terminal body 621 that can be fitted (connected) to a mating terminal (not shown) of the mating connector 4, and an element connection portion 622 that is continuous with the terminal body 621 and electrically connected to the thermistor element 61. The terminal body 621 and the element connection portion 622 are formed in a rod shape extending in the direction of arrow Z.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the housing 7 integrally comprises a mounting portion 51 for the lug terminal 5 and a holding portion 71 for embedding and holding the sensor component 6, and a connector housing 72 that can be fitted (connected) to the mating connector housing 40 of the mating connector 4.

[0028] 2 to 4, the holding portion 71 has an external shape formed in a rectangular parallelepiped. This holding portion 71 is formed by embedding the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5, the heat-drawing portion main bodies 531, the extension pieces 532, and the continuous pieces 533, the thermistor element 61 of the sensor component 6, and the element connection portions 622 of the pair of terminal portions 62, 62. This holding portion 71 has a hole 71h formed when the component-equipped connector 1 is manufactured. This hole 71h is a trace left by inserting a rod member (not shown) to press the thermistor element 61 against the mounting portion 51 so that the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5 and the thermistor element 61 are maintained in contact with each other during the process of manufacturing the component-equipped connector 1.

[0029] 2 to 4, the connector housing 72 is continuous with the holding portion 71 and is configured in a cylindrical shape that opens on the side opposite to the fastening portion 52 of the lug terminal 5. The connector housing 72 is configured to surround each terminal body 621 of the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 so as to be able to fit into the mating connector housing 40. Inside the connector housing 72, the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 are provided extending in the same direction (arrow Z) as the axial direction of the connector housing 72. Hereinafter, the portion that has the connector housing 72 and each terminal body 621 of the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 and is connected to the mating connector 4 may be referred to as the "connector portion 11."

[0030] When manufacturing such a component-attached connector 1, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the sensor component 6 is placed with the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 extending in a direction away from the fastening portion 52 of the lug terminal 5, and the underside 6b of the thermistor element 61 placed close to the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5. The underside 6b of the thermistor element 61 is in contact with the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5, the side surface 6s of the thermistor element 61 is in contact with each heat-drawing portion main body 531, and the front surface 6f of the thermistor element 61 is in contact with each continuous piece 533. The lug terminal 5 and sensor component 6 in this state may be referred to as the "metal component 12 (shown in Figure 6)."

[0031] Next, the metal part 12 is inserted into a mold (not shown), and a rod (not shown) is used to press the thermistor element 61 against the mounting portion 51 while injecting molten resin into the mold. The molten resin is then hardened, and the rod (not shown) is removed. In this way, the manufacture of the component-attached connector 1, in which the metal part 12 and the housing 7 are integrated, is completed by insert molding.

[0032] When assembling the connector with parts 1 manufactured in this manner to the electrical connection box 2, the first plate portion 31 of the L-shaped bracket 3 is overlapped on the electrical connection box 2, and the shank of the bolt B is inserted into the hole portion 5a of the fastening portion 52 and bolted together with the first plate portion 31 to the electrical connection box 2, thereby connecting the lug terminal 5 to the electrical connection box 2 and assembling the connector with parts 1 to the electrical connection box 2.

[0033] Thereafter, the connector housing 72 constituting the connector portion 11 of the component-equipped connector 1 is fitted into the mating connector housing 40, and each terminal body 621 of the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 is fitted into the mating terminal, and the connector portion 11 is connected to the mating connector 4. That is, the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 are connected to the mating terminal of the mating connector 4.

[0034] In this way, the wire harness 10 to be routed in the vehicle is configured. At this time, the sensor component 6 is in a state where it can detect the heat of the electric junction box 2 through the L-shaped bracket 3 and the lug terminal 5.

[0035] According to the above-described embodiment, the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 and the mating terminal of the mating connector 4 are directly connected to form the wire harness 10, which makes it possible to omit the work steps required for assembling the wire harness, such as the work of connecting one end of the electric wire to the sensor component and the work of providing a connector portion at the other end of the electric wire, as in the prior art, and thereby makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0036] The thermistor element 61 (electrical component body) is configured by a thermistor element 61 capable of detecting the temperature (physical quantity) of the electrical junction box 2 (detection target), and the lug terminal 5 (connection part) includes a plate-shaped mounting portion 51 on which the thermistor element 61 is placed, and a heat-removal portion body 531 (bent piece) that is continuous with the mounting portion 51 and bends to come into contact with the side surface 6s of the thermistor element 61. This allows the heat from the thermistor element 61 to be absorbed by the heat-removal portion body 531, thereby suppressing a temperature rise in the thermistor element 61.

[0037] Furthermore, the lug terminal 5 (connection component) includes an extension piece 532 that is continuous with the heat-drawing portion main body 531 (bent piece) and extends in a direction away from the mounting portion 51. This allows the heat of the thermistor element 61 to be absorbed by the heat-drawing portion main body 531 and the extension piece 532, thereby further suppressing the temperature rise of the thermistor element 61.

[0038] 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 modifications are also included in the present invention.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the component-equipped connector 1 is manufactured by insert molding, in which the metal component 12 and the housing 7 are integrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A component-equipped connector 1A, which is a modification of the component-equipped connector 1, may be configured by applying a potting material 710A to the inside of the holding portion 71A, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The component-equipped connector 1A and the component-equipped connector 1 may have different shapes of lug terminals 5A (5). FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the component-equipped connector 1A according to the modification, and FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the manufacturing process of the component-equipped connector 1A. In FIGS. 7 and 8, parts having the same shape or configuration as the component-equipped connector 1 according to the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the component-equipped connector 1, and descriptions of those parts will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the connector with parts 1A comprises a lug terminal 5A (connection part) that is bolted to an electrical connection box 2 (shown in Figure 1) via an L-shaped bracket 3 (shown in Figure 1), a sensor part 6 for detecting the temperature of the electrical connection box 2, and a housing 7A that holds the lug terminal 5A and the sensor part 6 and is connector-connected to a mating connector 4 (shown in Figure 1).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, the lug terminal 5A is formed by punching and bending a metal plate, and includes a mounting portion 51 on which the sensor component 6 is placed, a fastening portion 52A that is bolted to the electrical connection box 2, and a heat-dissipating portion 53A that is bent from the fastening portion 52A and is in contact with the sensor component 6 to dissipate heat from the sensor component 6.

[0042] The fastening portion 52A is continuous with the mounting portion 51, extends to one side of the arrow Y, and is arranged alongside the mounting portion 51 on one side of the arrow Y. This fastening portion 52A is configured to have a hole 5a through which the bolt B is inserted. In this way, the shape of the fastening portion 52A only needs to be configured to match the shape of the object to be fastened, and it is possible to accommodate a variety of objects to be fastened simply by changing the shape of the fastening portion.

[0043] 8, the housing 7A integrally comprises a holding portion 71A that holds the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5 and the sensor component 6 and to which a potting material 710A is applied, and a connector housing 72 that can be fitted (connected) to the mating connector housing 40 of the mating connector 4. The holding portion 71A is configured to have a pair of insertion holes 71a, 71a (only one is shown in FIG. 8) at the boundary with the connector housing 72, into which a pair of terminal portions 62, 62 can be inserted.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this type of component-attached connector 1A, the thermistor element 61 of the sensor component 6 is mounted on the mounting portion 51 of the lug terminal 5A to form a metal component 12A. Then, a pair of terminal portions 62, 62 of the metal component 12A are inserted into the respective insertion holes 71a of the housing 7A, and a potting material 710A is applied to the inside of the holding portion 71A, thereby manufacturing the component-attached connector 1A in which the metal component 12A and the housing 7A are integrated. In this manner, the component-attached connector 1A may be configured by applying the potting material 710A to the inside of the holding portion 71A. Then, the component-attached connector 1A is connected to the mating connector 4. That is, the pair of terminal portions 62, 62 are connected to mating terminals of the mating connector 4. This achieves the same effects as the above-described embodiment.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the sensor component 6 that detects the temperature of the electrical junction box 2 is used as an example of an electrical component, but the present invention is not limited to this. The electrical component may be one that detects the voltage or current of the detection target, or one that detects other physical quantities.

[0046] Although the best configurations and methods for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described mainly with reference to specific embodiments, 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 above-disclosed descriptions limiting the shape, material, etc. are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using names of components that are free from some or all of the limitations on shape, material, etc. are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1, 1A part with connector 2 Electrical junction box (detection target) 5, 5A lug terminal (connecting part) 6 Sensor parts (electrical parts) 7, 7A housing 51 Placement section 531 Heat-drawing part body (bent piece) 532 Extended piece 61 Thermistor element (electrical component body) 62, 62 Pair of terminal parts

Claims

1. A connector with a component that is connected to a detection object and detects a physical quantity of the detection object, a connection part connected to the detection target; an electric component having an electric component body connected to the connection part and configured to detect the physical quantity, and a pair of terminal portions connected to the electric component body and formed to extend in a direction away from the connection part; a housing that holds the connection parts and the electrical parts, The component-equipped connector is characterized in that the pair of terminal portions are connector-connected to mating terminals of a mating connector.

2. the electrical component body is configured with a thermistor element capable of detecting temperature as the physical quantity, The connector with components as described in claim 1, characterized in that the connection component comprises a plate-shaped mounting portion on which the electrical component body is placed, and a bent piece that is continuous with the mounting portion and bends to contact the side of the electrical component body.

3. 3. The connector with components according to claim 2, wherein the connecting component includes an extension piece that is continuous with the bent piece and extends in a direction away from the mounting portion.

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