Protective cover

Abstract

To provide a protective cover that is easy to use. [Solution] When a plug is not inserted into the insertion slot, the shutter 50 is in the closed position, covering the insertion slot. This prevents the possibility of a short circuit occurring due to contact between a conductive material such as metal and the insertion slot. On the other hand, when inserting a plug into the insertion slot, the shutter 50 can be pressed to move it to the open position, allowing for easy insertion of the plug and thus providing an easy-to-use protective cover.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cover.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a protective cover that can be used even when the hinge part is broken, and can be used regardless of whether a sufficient rotation space for the movable cover part can be secured or not, and can be selectively used according to the application. For example, in Patent Document 1, there is a protective cover that integrally has a fixed cover part, a movable cover part, and a hinge part, the movable cover part can rotate in the vertical direction with the hinge part as a fulcrum, and by cutting the hinge part, the movable cover part can slide in the vertical direction with respect to the fixed cover part, and rotation operation locking means and slide operation locking means are provided at the opposing parts of the fixed cover part and the movable cover part. This protective cover can be used even when the hinge part is broken, and can be used regardless of whether a sufficient rotation space for the movable cover part can be secured or not.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the protective cover described in Patent Document 1, when using it, it is necessary to rotate the operating cover part in the vertical direction, and two steps of rotating the cover and inserting the plug are required, so there is a problem that it takes time and effort to install. Especially when a large number of plugs are to be installed, there is a problem that it becomes a great deal of trouble.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these problems, and its main objective is to provide a protective cover that can be easily used by opening and closing a shutter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] A first embodiment of the protective cover according to the present invention is: A protective cover for a connector having an insertion opening into which a plug is inserted, A connector through-hole into which at least a portion of the aforementioned connector is inserted, A plug through-hole located opposite the aforementioned connector through-hole, into which at least a portion of the plug is inserted, A shutter that moves between a closed position covering the insertion opening of the connector inserted into the through-hole of the connector, and an open position exposing the insertion opening, The purpose is to provide for this.

[0008] This protective cover is used by inserting a portion of the connector into the connector's through-hole and fixing it in a position that covers the connector's insertion opening. When inserting a plug into the connector, the shutter, which is in the closed position covering the insertion opening, is moved to the open position to expose the opening, and the plug is inserted into the insertion opening through the plug through-hole. This prevents the insertion opening from being exposed when no plug is inserted, as the shutter remains in the closed position. In the case of a connector with multiple insertion openings, there is a possibility of a short circuit if a conductive material such as metal comes into contact with multiple insertion openings or plugs inserted into the insertion openings during use of the connector. However, by surrounding the insertion openings and the tips of the plugs with the protective cover, the possibility of a short circuit can be reduced. Furthermore, it can be easily used by opening and closing the shutter that covers the insertion openings.

[0009] A protective cover according to a second aspect of the present invention may be a protective cover according to the first aspect, further comprising: a support portion for supporting the shutter; a biasing portion for biasing the shutter toward the closed position; and a guide groove through which the biasing portion expands and contracts. In this way, when the plug is not inserted and the cover is not in use, the shutter is biased to the closed position by the biasing portion, and the insertion opening is not exposed, thereby reducing the possibility of a short circuit.

[0010] A third aspect of the protective cover of the present invention is the protective cover of the second aspect, wherein the shutter is a plate-shaped member and has a recess on the side opposite to the biasing portion. In this way, when inserting a plug, the shutter can be moved to the open position while the side of the plug is in contact with the recess, so that the plug can be easily attached as the shutter can be moved to the open position in the series of operations for inserting the plug.

[0011] A protective cover according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a protective cover according to any of the first to third aspects, wherein the connecting connector has a width on the insertion side that is wider than the width on the other end side, and the length of the narrowest part of the connecting connector through hole is longer than the width on the other end side and shorter than the width on the insertion side. In this way, when the connecting connector is inserted into the connecting connector through hole from the other end side, the connecting connector catches on the connecting connector through hole at a predetermined point, preventing the connecting connector from being inserted further into the connecting connector through hole. For this reason, the protective cover can be attached to the connecting connector with a simple operation of inserting the connecting connector into the connecting connector through hole from the other end side. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the protective cover 20. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the protective cover 20 attached to the connection connector 12. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the connection connector 12. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the opening and closing of the shutter 50, with Figure 4(A) showing the shutter 50 in the closed position and Figure 4(B) showing the shutter 50 in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Next, as an example of an embodiment of the present invention, the protective cover 20 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, by describing how to use the protective cover 20, an example of how to use the protective cover of the present invention will also be clarified.

[0014] The embodiments and drawings described below illustrate examples of embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the novel embodiments described below can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Moreover, the embodiments and their variations described below are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. In each figure, corresponding components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, a protective cover 20, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, is made up of a base portion 30 and a cover portion 40. This protective cover 20 is attached by inserting a part of the connection connector 12 into a connection connector through hole 32 provided in the base portion 30 (see Figure 2). In this way, the insertion opening 14 of the connection connector 12 (see Figure 3) is housed inside the protective cover 20, and the insertion opening 14 is not exposed to the outside. Therefore, when multiple connection connectors 12 are provided, the possibility of a conductive material such as metal coming into contact with the multiple insertion openings 14 can be prevented, thereby preventing the possibility of a short circuit.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the connection connector 12 is a known connection connector in which an insertion opening 14 is provided on one end of the conductor 16, and the conductor 16 and the plug 18 are electrically connected when the plug 18 is inserted into the insertion opening 14. The width of this connection connector 12 on the side with the insertion opening 14 (B in Figure 3) is wider than the width on the side that communicates with the conductor 16 (C in Figure 3).

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the base portion 30 is a resin member provided with a connector through-hole 32 into which at least a portion of the connector 12 is inserted, and a support portion 34 that protrudes upward to the side of the connector through-hole 32. The support portion 34 has a guide groove 36 which is a groove into which a biasing portion 38 can extend and retract, and a shutter 50 is positioned on the upper surface of the support portion 34. In this way, the shutter 50 moves when pressed towards the connector through-hole 32 by the biasing portion 38, and when the plug 18 (see Figure 4(B)) described later is not inserted into the insertion opening 14 and it is not in use, the shutter 50 is in a closed position (see Figure 4(A)) which covers the connector through-hole 32. Therefore, when a portion of the connector 12 is inserted into the connector through-hole 32 and installed, the insertion opening 14 is covered by the shutter 50. In this way, the possibility of a conductive material such as metal coming into contact with the insertion opening 14 can be prevented, thereby preventing the possibility of a short circuit.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the connection connector through-hole 32 is a through-hole formed in a substantially oblong hole shape. The length of the position where the width of the connection connector through-hole 32 is the narrowest (A in FIG. 1) is shorter than the width on the insertion port 14 side of the connection connector 12 (B in FIG. 3) and longer than the width on the other end side of the connection connector 12 (C in FIG. 3). By doing so, when the connection connector 12 is inserted into the connection connector through-hole 32 from the side communicating with the conducting wire 16, the connection connector 12 gets caught in the connection connector through-hole 32 at a predetermined location of the connection connector 12, and the connection connector 12 cannot be inserted further into the connection connector through-hole 32. For this reason, the protective cover 20 can be attached to the connection connector 12 by a simple operation of inserting the connection connector 12 into the connection connector through-hole 32 from the other end side. Here, the "other end side of the connection connector 12" means the side of the connection connector 12 that communicates with the conducting wire 16.

[0019] The support portion 34 is a convex portion provided on the side of the connection connector through-hole 32 and protruding in the direction of the cover portion 40. An induction groove 36 penetrating from the connection connector through-hole 32 side of the support portion 34 toward the opposite side is provided at a substantially central portion of the top surface of the support portion 34. The biasing portion 38 is disposed in the induction groove 36. At this time, the depth of the induction groove 36 is designed to be a depth capable of accommodating at least a part of the biasing portion 38. By doing so, when the biasing portion 38 biases the shutter 50 and expands and contracts, the possibility that the direction of the biasing portion 38 changes can be reduced in advance, and the biasing portion 38 can bias the shutter 50 in the moving direction.

[0020] The biasing portion 38 is a known elastic body, and for example, various elastic bodies such as a compression coil spring and rubber can be used. When the biasing portion 38 is disposed in the induction groove 36, the cover portion 40 is located at one end side of the induction groove 36 and the shutter 50 is located at the other end side, so that the biasing portion 38 is located between the cover portion 40 and the shutter 50. By doing so, the biasing portion 38 biases the shutter 50 in the direction of the connection connector through-hole 32.

[0021] The cover part 40 is a resin member that covers the upper surface side and the side surface side of the base part 30. When the cover part 40 is attached to the base part 30, a plug through-hole 42 is provided at a position facing the connection connector through-hole 32. Therefore, when the shutter 50 is biased by the biasing part 38 and is in the closed position (see Fig. 4(A)) covering the connection connector through-hole 32, the plug through-hole 42 is also covered simultaneously. Also, a second engaging part 44 is provided on the inner side surface of the cover part 40, and the base part 30 and the cover part 40 are engaged with each other by engaging with the first engaging part 39 provided on the side surface of the support part 34 of the base part 30.

[0022] At this time, as shown in Fig. 4(B), since the shutter 50 is positioned between the upper surface of the support base 34 of the base part 30 and the back side of the upper surface 41 of the cover part 40, when the shutter 50 moves, its upward and downward movement is restricted, and the possibility that the shutter 50 moves in the up and down direction unintentionally can be reduced beforehand. At this time, when the side surface of the shutter 50 abuts against the inner side surface of the side surface of the cover part 40, the left and right movement of the shutter 50 is restricted when the shutter 50 moves, and the possibility that the shutter 50 moves in the left and right direction unintentionally can be reduced beforehand. By doing so, when the shutter 50 moves, it will move along the space between the support base 34 and the cover part 40, and the shutter 50 can move between the open position and the closed position without separately providing a guiding member for the shutter 50.

[0023] Also, at one end side of the cover part 40, at a position above the guiding groove 36 when it is attached to the base part 30, a fixing convex part 35 protruding in the direction of the guiding groove 36 is provided. This fixing convex part 35 is engaged with one end side of the biasing part 38 and fixes the biasing part 38 to the side of the fixing convex part 35. By doing so, since the position of the biasing part 38 is positioned by the fixing convex part 35 and the guiding groove 36, the shutter 50 can be positioned in a predetermined position and in a predetermined direction.

[0024] The shutter 50 is a plate-shaped member, and when placed on the upper surface of the support portion 34, a recess 52 is provided on the side of the connection connector through hole 32. Furthermore, the inside of this recess 52 is approximately arc-shaped. This makes it easier to press the shutter 50 when pressing it toward the support portion 34 and opening the plug through hole 42. In particular, since most known plugs have an arc-shaped cross-section, when inserting the plug 18 (see Figure 4(B)) described later into the plug through hole 42, the recess 52 can be pressed along the arc-shaped side surface, making it easy to perform the two operations of moving the shutter 50 and inserting the plug 18 into the plug through hole 42 in a single continuous operation.

[0025] In addition, when the plug 18 is inserted into the insertion opening 14, the shutter 50 is biased toward the plug 18 by the biasing part 38. At this time, since the shutter 50 is provided with an arc-shaped recess 52, the recess 52 is positioned along the side surface of the plug 18, and the gap between the plug through hole 42 and the plug 18 can be reduced compared to the case where there is no recess 52. In other words, the possibility of a conductor such as metal passing through the gap between the plug through hole 42 and the plug 18 and coming into contact with the insertion opening 14, which could cause a short circuit, can be reduced.

[0026] Next, the operation of inserting the plug 18 into the connection connector 12 to which the protective cover 20 is attached will be explained in detail using Figure 4. Here, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view to explain the opening and closing of the shutter 50, with Figure 4(A) showing the shutter 50 in the closed position and Figure 4(B) showing the shutter 50 in the open position.

[0027] When the plug 18 is not connected to the connector 12 (unused state), the shutter 50 is biased by the biasing part 38 toward the connector through hole 32 and is positioned in the closed position (see Figure 4(A)). In this state, the insertion opening 14 of the connector 12 is not exposed by the shutter 50 and is protected by the protective cover 20, preventing conductive materials such as metal from coming into contact with the insertion opening 14 and thus preventing short circuits.

[0028] When inserting the plug 18 into the insertion opening 14 provided in the connection connector 12, the recess 52 or the side of the shutter 50 on the recess 52 side is pressed toward the support part 34. As it is pressed toward the support part 34, the shutter 50 moves to the open position (see Figure 4(B)), and the insertion opening 14 is exposed. In this way, the plug 18 can be inserted into the insertion opening 14 and electrically connected to the connection connector 12.

[0029] Furthermore, because the inner surface of the recess 52 is curved, when the side of the plug 18 presses against the shutter 50, it fits into the surface of the recess 52, making it easy to press. In addition, after pressing the shutter 50 with the side of the plug 18 and moving the shutter 50 to the open position, the plug 18 can be inserted directly into the insertion opening 14, making it easy to insert the plug 18 into the insertion opening 14.

[0030] When the plug 18 is inserted into the insertion opening 14, the shutter 50 is biased toward the plug 18 by the biasing part 38, so that the plug 18 is in contact with the recess 52 of the shutter 50. At this time, because the inner surface of the recess 52 is curved, the gap between the plug 18 and the recess 52 is smaller than when there is no recess 52, and the possibility of a conductive material such as metal passing through this gap and coming into contact with the insertion opening 14, thereby reducing the possibility of a short circuit.

[0031] On the other hand, when detaching the plug 18 from the connection connector 12, the plug 18 is moved away from the insertion opening 14. When the plug 18 is detached from the plug through hole 42, the shutter 50 is pressed by the biasing part 38 and moves to the closed position (see Figure 4(A)). In this way, the insertion opening 14 is covered by the shutter 50, and the possibility of a short circuit occurring due to contact between a conductive material such as metal and the insertion opening 14 can be reduced.

[0032] According to the protective cover 20 of the embodiment described above, when the plug 18 is not inserted into the insertion opening 14, the shutter 50 is in the closed position, covering the insertion opening 14. This prevents the possibility of a short circuit occurring due to contact between a conductive material such as metal and the insertion opening 14. On the other hand, when inserting the plug 18 into the insertion opening 14, the plug 18 can be easily inserted into the insertion opening 14 by pressing the shutter 50 to move it to the open position. At this time, the tip of the plug 18 and the insertion opening 14 are covered by the shutter 50 which is biased in the lateral direction of the plug 18, thus preventing the possibility of a short circuit occurring due to contact between a conductive material such as metal and the insertion opening 14.

[0033] Furthermore, since the shutter 50 is biased by a biasing part 38 that extends and retracts in a guide groove 36 provided on the top surface of the support part 34, when the plug 18 is not inserted and the shutter 50 is biased to the closed position by the biasing part 38, the insertion opening 14 is not exposed, thus reducing the possibility of a short circuit caused by a conductive material such as metal coming into contact with the insertion opening 14.

[0034] Furthermore, since the shutter 50 is a plate-shaped member and has a recess 52 on the side opposite to the biasing portion 38, when inserting the plug 18, the side of the plug 18 can press against the shutter 50 to move the shutter 50 to the open position and then insert it into the insertion opening 14, making it easy to attach the plug 18.

[0035] Furthermore, the length (A) of the narrowest part of the connector through-hole 32 is longer than the width of the other end that communicates with the conductor 16, and shorter than the insertion opening 14 side. Therefore, when the connector 12 is inserted into the connector through-hole 32 from the other end, it catches on the connector through-hole 32 at a predetermined point, preventing the connector 12 from being inserted any further. For this reason, the protective cover 20 can be attached to the connector 12 with a simple operation of inserting the connector 12 into the connector through-hole 32 from the other end.

[0036] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0037] For example, in the embodiment described above, the protective cover 20 is assembled by the engagement of the first engaging portion 39 of the base portion 30 and the second engaging portion 44 of the cover portion 40 with each other. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the base portion 30 and the cover portion 40 may be assembled by screwing or the like, or they may be integrally molded. In any case, the same effects as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the base portion 30 and the cover portion 40 are made of resin, but are not limited to this. Various known materials can be used as long as they have properties that make them difficult to conduct electricity, such as insulators and nonconductors, or their surfaces are treated to provide insulation. In any case, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained. [Industrial applicability]

[0039] As shown in the embodiments described above, it can be used as a protective cover to protect the connection connector. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 12...connection connector, 14...insertion opening, 16...conductor, 18...plug, 20...protective cover, 30...base part, 32...connection connector through hole, 34...support part, 35...fixing protrusion, 36...guide groove, 38...biasing part, 39...first engagement part, 40...cover part, 41...top surface, 42...plug through hole, 44...second engagement part, 50...shutter, 52...recess.

Claims

1. A protective cover for a connector having an insertion opening into which a plug is inserted, A connector through-hole into which at least a portion of the aforementioned connector is inserted, A plug through-hole located opposite the aforementioned connector through-hole, into which at least a portion of the plug is inserted, A shutter that moves between a closed position covering the insertion opening of the connector inserted into the through-hole of the connector, and an open position exposing the insertion opening, A feature comprising: Protective cover.

2. A protective cover according to claim 1, A support portion that supports the shutter, A biasing unit that biases the shutter in the closed position, The biasing portion includes a guide groove that expands and contracts, Equipped with, Protective cover.

3. The shutter is a plate-shaped member and has a recess on the side opposite to the biasing portion. The protective cover according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned connector has a width on the insertion side that is wider than the width on the other end side. The length of the narrowest part of the connector through-hole is longer than the width on the other end and shorter than the width on the insertion side. A protective cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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