Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can easily connect connection terminals to each other. [Solution] The connector 100 is a component for connecting round terminals 70 (connection terminals) having through holes 74 at their tips. The connector 100 is inserted into the through holes 74 of overlapping round terminals 70 with the through holes 74 aligned, and includes a round terminal fixing portion 20 (fixing portion) for fixing the round terminals 70 together, a slip-out prevention portion 30 for fixing the round terminal fixing portion 20 to prevent it from slipping out of the through holes 74, a groove 40 (first mounting portion) for mounting a portion of a cable band (winding member) that wraps around and secures the round terminal fixing portion 20 to prevent it from slipping out of the through holes 74, and a cutout 50 (second mounting portion) for mounting another portion of the cable band. The slip-out prevention portion 30 is formed so that it can be inserted into the through holes 74 of the round terminals 70, and includes a V-shaped return portion 32 that opens outward before insertion, closes inward during insertion, and opens outward after insertion.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] As conventional techniques, techniques such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 have been disclosed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-025646 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-021680 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-028742 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-311171 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although various techniques have been proposed in the prior art, there is a demand for a connector that can easily connect connection terminals to each other.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can easily connect connection terminals to each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following solutions. Note that the solutions below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. The present invention can be an invention that includes at least one of the invention-specifying matters shown in the solutions below. Furthermore, each invention-specifying matter shown in the solutions below can be made into a subordinate concept by adding an element that limits the invention-specifying matter, or can be made into a superordinate concept by removing an element that limits the invention-specifying matter.

[0007] The connecting device of the solution is, for example, a connecting device that connects connection terminals having through holes at their tips, and is a connecting device that includes: a fixing portion that is inserted into the through holes of the connection terminals that are aligned and stacked together to fix the connection terminals together; a slip-out prevention portion that fixes the fixing portion so that it does not slip out of the through hole; a first mounting portion that attaches a part of a winding member that is wrapped around and fixed to prevent the fixing portion from slipping out of the through hole; and a second mounting portion that attaches another part of the winding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can easily connect connection terminals to each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a connector 100 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image of connection of a round terminal 70. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram showing details of the connection image of the round terminal 70. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing details of the connection image of the round terminal 70. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a cable binding band 60 is wrapped around the connector 100. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of connection of the round terminal 70. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a method of connecting a round terminal 70 of a comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is shown as a preferred example of a connector, and the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a connector 100. Figure 1(A) shows a plan view of the connector 100, Figure 1(B) shows a front view of the connector 100, and Figure 1(C) shows a right side view of the connector 100.

[0012] The connector 100 (connecting part) is a member that connects round terminals 70 (connecting terminals, see FIG. 2) having through holes 74 (terminal holes, see FIG. 2) at their tips. The round terminals 70 are used, for example, as components of a harness. The connector 100 is a member used for relay connection of the round terminals 70.

[0013] 1, the connector 100 includes a wide portion 10, a round terminal fixing portion 20 (fixing portion), a slip-out prevention portion 30, a groove 40 (first mounting portion), and a cutout hole 50 (second mounting portion). The connector 100 is made of resin.

[0014] The wide portion 10 is disposed above the round terminal fixing portion 20 and is a member that is wider in the left-right direction than the round terminal fixing portion 20 (see FIG. 1(B)). The wide portion 10 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. Eight protrusions 11 that come into contact with the surface of the round terminal 70 (see FIG. 2) are formed on the underside of the wide portion 10. The eight protrusions 11 are preferably disposed at equal positions (at the four corners and midpoints of the four sides) on the outer periphery of the underside of the wide portion 10. The underside of the wide portion 10 (tips of the protrusions 11) comes into contact with the surface surrounding the through-hole 74 (see FIG. 2) of the round terminal 70.

[0015] The round terminal fixing portion 20 is a member that is inserted into the through-holes 74 (see FIG. 2) of overlapping round terminals 70 (see FIG. 2) with the through-holes 74 aligned, and fixes the round terminals 70 together. The round terminal fixing portion 20 has a flat cylindrical shape. The round terminal fixing portion 20 is formed to a size that allows it to be inserted into the through-holes 74 of the two overlapping round terminals 70.

[0016] The slip-out prevention portion 30 is disposed below the round terminal fixing portion 20, and is a member that fixes the round terminal fixing portion 20 so that it does not slip out of the through-hole 74 (see FIG. 2).

[0017] The slip-out prevention portion 30 includes a pillar portion 31 and a return portion 32. The pillar portion 31 is a member that connects the round terminal fixing portion 20 and the return portion 32, and has a cutout 50 formed therein.

[0018] The barb portion 32 is formed so as to be insertable into the through-hole 74 (see FIG. 2) of the round terminal 70, and is a member that opens outward before insertion, closes inward during insertion, and opens outward after insertion. After insertion into the through-hole 74, the barb portion 32 catches on the underside of the round terminal 70.

[0019] The return portion 32 also has two engagement pieces 33 that engage with the surface of the round terminal 70 after insertion. The two engagement pieces 33 are formed to a length that allows them to contact the round terminal fixing portion 20 when closed inward (see FIG. 3(B)).

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the groove 40 is a portion for attaching a portion (upper portion of the cable binding band 60) of the cable binding band 60 (winding member, see Fig. 5) that is wound around and fixed to prevent the round terminal fixing portion 20 from slipping out of the through-hole 74 (see Fig. 2). As shown in Fig. 1(B), the groove 40 is formed in the wide portion 10 that is disposed above the round terminal fixing portion 20. Also, as shown in Fig. 1(A), the groove 40 is formed on the top surface of the wide portion 10, extending from the upper end to the lower end in the figure.

[0021] The cutout 50 is a portion where another portion (the lower portion of the cable tie 60) of the cable tie 60 (see FIG. 5) is attached. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the cutout 50 is formed in the return portion 32 arranged below the round terminal fixing portion 20. Specifically, the cutout 50 is formed between the upper end of the side surface of the pillar portion 31 and a portion slightly below the center (near the center of the pillar portion 31).

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of how the round terminals 70 are connected. The round terminal 70 comprises a hollow cylindrical portion 72 into which a wire 71 such as an electric wire is inserted and fixed, a flat plate portion 73 which is round in plan view and is integrated with the cylindrical portion 72, and a through hole 74 formed near the center of the flat plate portion 73.

[0023] When connecting two round terminals 70, first, the two round terminals 70 are overlapped (two terminals are overlapped) with the through holes 74 aligned. Then, the connector 100 is inserted from above the through holes 74. This connects the two round terminals 70.

[0024] 3 and 4 are diagrams showing details of the connection image of the round terminal 70. FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 3(A), a connector 100 and two round terminals 70 are prepared. At this time, the two round terminals 70 are overlapped with their through holes 74 aligned. In this case, the connection is such that the wire 71 extends to the left and right.

[0025] Next, as shown in Figure 3 (B), the barbed portions 32 (V-shaped, engaging pieces 33) of the coupler 100 are inserted into the through-holes 74 of the two overlapping round terminals 70. When the coupler 100 is inserted, the barbed portions 32 (V-shaped, engaging pieces 33) close inward due to the elastic force of the resin. When the two engaging pieces 33 close inward, the upper end portions come into contact with the round terminal fixing portion 20.

[0026] 4(C), when the return portion 32 of the connector 100 passes through the through-hole 74, the return portion 32 of the connector 100 opens outward (returns to its original state). At this time, the upper end portions of the left and right engagement pieces 33 come into contact with the surface of the round terminal 70, and the engagement pieces 33 are warped due to this contact.

[0027] In this way, the round terminals 70 connected by the connector 100 are sandwiched and fixed from above and below by the wide portion 10 arranged above the round terminal fixing portion 20 and the slip-out prevention portion 30 arranged below the round terminal fixing portion 20. Furthermore, the connector 100 can sandwich the two round terminals 70 from above and below between the lower surface of the wide portion 10 and the upper surface of the engagement piece 33, making it possible to easily connect the two round terminals 70 (no screws required).

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4(D), in top view, the connector 100 is fitted inside the outer periphery of the round terminals 70, and can connect two round terminals 70 in a space-saving manner.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state in which the cable binding band 60 is wrapped around the connector 100. As shown in FIG. After the two round terminals 70 are connected with the connector 100, the cable binding band 60 can be wound around the connector 100. This makes it easy to connect the two round terminals 70.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5(A), the cable band 60 can be attached to (hooked into) the groove 40 formed on the upper surface of the wide portion 10 while being attached to (passed through) the cutout 50 formed in the column portion 31.

[0031] Also, as shown in Figure 5(B), when viewed from above, the cable band 60 is attached to the groove 40 and is wrapped around the upper end and lower end of the round terminal 70 in the figure.

[0032] FIG. 6 shows another example of connecting the round terminal 70. In FIG. As shown in Fig. 6(A), the connector 100 can also be used to connect two round terminals 70 back to back. Back to back connection is effective when, due to mounting space limitations or the like, it is desired to have the wire 71 come out from only one side, rather than from both the left and right sides.

[0033] In this case, as in Figure 5(A), the cable band 60 can be attached to (hooked into) the groove 40 formed on the upper surface of the wide portion 10 while being attached to (passed through) the cutout 50 formed in the column portion 31.

[0034] 6(B), in top view, the cable band 60 is attached to the groove 40 and wound around the upper and lower ends of the round terminal 70. In this case, since the terminals are connected back to back, the wire 71 protrudes only from the left side.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a method of connecting a round terminal 70 of a comparative example. As shown in FIG. 7(A), in the connection method of the comparative example (Example 1), two round terminals 70 are connected using a relay terminal block 200. As shown in FIG. 7(B), in the connecting method of the comparative example (Example 2), a spacer 300 is used to connect two round terminals 70.

[0036] In this way, in the comparative example, relaying is performed using the relay terminal block 200 and the spacer 300. However, the connecting methods of the comparative examples all have the following problems. (1) It is necessary to secure an area for mounting relay components such as the relay terminal block 200 and the spacer 300. (2) The round terminal 70 is fixed by screwing using the screw 80, which requires additional screwing steps.

[0037] In contrast, with the configuration of this embodiment, it is not necessary to reserve a mounting area for relay components, so more mounting area can be reserved for other components. Furthermore, with the configuration of this embodiment, no screw fastening work is required, so the number of work steps can be reduced.

[0038] As described above, this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) According to this embodiment, the round terminal fixing portion 20 is fixed not only by the fall-off prevention portion 30 but also by the cable band 60, so that the round terminals 70 can be easily connected to each other (for example, the connection can be strengthened). Also, in the relay method for the round terminals 70, by using the connection structure of the coupler 100 described above, it is not necessary to secure a mounting area for the relay component, and screwing work is not required, so it is possible to reduce the screwing labor and material costs (screws). Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the fall-off prevention portion 30, the groove 40 (first mounting portion), and the cutout 50 (second mounting portion) are provided in a single coupler 100, so that the coupler 100 can be made to have many functions while saving space.

[0039] (2) According to this embodiment, the connected round terminals 70 are clamped and fixed from above and below by the wide portion 10 located above the round terminal fixing portion 20 and the anti-slip portion 30 located below the round terminal fixing portion 20, so that the round terminals 70 can be easily connected to each other by being clamped from above and below.

[0040] (3) According to this embodiment, the slip-out prevention portion 30 includes the V-shaped barb portion 32, which makes it easy to insert the connector 100 and also makes it easy to connect the round terminals 70 together.

[0041] (4) According to this embodiment, the two engaging pieces 33 are formed with a length that allows them to contact the round terminal fixing portion 20 when closed inward, so the length of the two engaging pieces 33 can be maximized. Then, after insertion into the through-hole 74 is complete, the engaging pieces 33, which have been maximized, come into contact with the surface of the round terminal 70, and this contact causes the engaging pieces 33 to warp, making it even easier to connect the round terminals 70 to each other.

[0042] (5) According to this embodiment, the connector 100 is provided with the grooves 40 and the cutouts 50 for fastening the cable tie 60, and therefore, when used in combination with a commercially available cable tie 60, it is possible to more reliably connect the round terminal 70. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the grooves 40 improve the attachability of the cable tie 60, while the cutouts 50 improve the holding strength of the engaging pieces 33.

[0043] (6) According to this embodiment, eight protrusions 11 that contact the surface of the round terminal 70 are formed on the underside of the wide portion 10, and the eight protrusions 11 press into the round terminal 70, thereby increasing the contact force between the round terminals 70 (e.g., making it easier to connect them).

[0044] [Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be practiced in various modified forms. (1) The connecting terminals have been described using the example of round terminals 70, but they may be non-round terminals, or may be other terminals, such as crimp terminals. (2) Although the slip-out prevention portion 30 has been described as having the barbed portion 32, it may have other mechanisms instead of the barbed portion 32. The other mechanisms may be any mechanism that prevents the round terminal fixing portion 20 from slipping out of the through-hole 74, and may be, for example, a conical member with a pointed bottom that catches on the underside of the round terminal 70, a blade member, or the like.

[0045] (3) The first attachment portion has been described as the groove 40, but may be a cut hole. (4) The second attachment portion has been described as an example of the cutout 50, but may also be a groove. (5) The shape of the wide portion 10 is arbitrary. The wide portion 10 does not have to be provided. When the wide portion 10 is not provided, the length of the round terminal fixing portion 20 in the vertical direction can be made longer than that of the embodiment, and a first attachment portion can be formed above the round terminal fixing portion 20. When the wide portion 10 is not provided, the shape of the round terminal fixing portion 20 can be modified, for example, to have a T-shaped cross section, a conical shape pointed downward, or a cylindrical shape that is slightly wider than the through hole 74 and can be inserted into the through hole 74.

[0046] (6) The length of the engaging piece 33 can be set arbitrarily. (7) The protrusion 11 does not have to be formed. The number of protrusions 11 is optional. Although the example of eight protrusions 11 has been described, there may be four protrusions at the four corners. The protrusion 11 may also be a single protrusion formed in a ring shape.

[0047] (8) The winding member has been described as an example of the cable binding band 60, but it may also be a string or a circular rubber band. (9) The shape of the return portion 32 is arbitrary. The return portion 32 may be U-shaped or inverted T-shaped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Wide section 11 Convex part 20 Round terminal fixing part 30 Anti-slip part 31 Column section 32 Return part 33 Engagement piece 40 grooves 50 cut holes 60 Wire binding band 70 Ring terminal 71 Wire rod 72 Cylindrical part 73 Flat plate part 74 Through Hole 80 screws 100 Connector 200 Junction terminal block 300 spacer

Claims

1. A connector for connecting connection terminals having through holes at their tips, a fixing portion that is inserted into the through-hole of the connection terminals that are aligned with each other and overlapped with each other, and that fixes the connection terminals to each other; a slip-out prevention portion that fixes the fixing portion so that it does not slip out of the through hole; a first attachment portion for attaching a part of a winding member that is wound around and fixes the fixing portion so that the fixing portion does not slip out of the through hole; a second attachment portion to which another portion of the winding member is attached; A connector comprising:

2. The connector according to claim 1, a wide portion disposed above the fixed portion and having a width greater than that of the fixed portion; A connector characterized in that the connection terminals connected by the connector are clamped and fixed from above and below by the wide portion arranged above the fixing portion and the anti-slip portion arranged below the fixing portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, The connector is characterized in that the anti-slip portion is formed so as to be insertable into the through hole of the connection terminal, and has a V-shaped return portion that opens outward before insertion, closes inward during insertion, and opens outward after insertion.

4. The connector according to claim 3, the return portion includes two engaging pieces that engage with the surface of the connection terminal after insertion; The connector is characterized in that the two engagement pieces are formed to a length that allows them to contact the fixing portion when closed inward.

5. The connector according to claim 1, the first attachment portion is a groove formed above the fixed portion, The connector, wherein the second attachment portion is a cutout formed below the fixed portion.

6. The connector according to claim 2, A connector characterized in that one or more protrusions that come into contact with the surface of the connection terminal are formed on the underside of the wide portion.

Images