Connector harness assembly
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TSB LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
Smart Images
Figure 2026120960000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a connector harness assembly.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a harness in which a plurality of electric wires are bundled and a connector as a connection terminal is attached to an end portion. By using such a harness, it is possible to easily make electrical connections of a plurality of electric wires to an attachment destination or equipment only by fitting and connecting a connector provided at the tip to a mating connector of the equipment to be attached.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
[0004] In recent years, the number of electric wires constituting a harness has been increasing, and the electric wires tend to be thinner, and the connector portion also tends to be miniaturized. When inserting and removing such a harness into and from a mating connector, an operator holds the connector portion of the harness to perform the work. However, it is difficult to hold the miniaturized connector portion with fingers, and there is a problem that the burden on the fingertips increases when performing the work for a long time. Although the work of holding the connector portion with a robot hand and fitting and connecting the connector portion to a mating connector is also increasing, there is also a problem that it is difficult to hold the miniaturized connector portion with a robot hand.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector harness assembly that reduces the burden on the fingertips of an operator for holding a connector and can also cope with holding by a robot hand.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objective, the connector harness assembly according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a connector harness (connector harness 50 in the embodiment) having a plurality of contacts (contacts 51 in the embodiment), a harness holding member (harness holding member 52 in the embodiment) that holds the plurality of contacts side by side with their mating side (contacts 51a in the embodiment) facing forward, and a plurality of electric wires (electric wires E in the embodiment) connected to each of the plurality of contacts and extending backward; a receptor holding part (receptor holding part 11 in the embodiment) that holds the harness holding member with the plurality of contacts facing forward with their mating side and the plurality of electric wires extending backward; and a connector harness (connector harness 50 in the embodiment) integrally connected to the receptor holding part and extending backward along the plurality of electric wires. The device comprises a receptor member (receptor member 10 in the embodiment) having a receptor guide portion (receptor guide portion 12 in the embodiment) extending in a certain direction, and a cover member (cover member 30 in the embodiment) that covers the receptor guide portion and is attached to the receptor member by engaging with it, wherein a recess (recess 13 in the embodiment) that opens to the rear is formed at the rear of the receptor guide portion, and the plurality of wires extending to the rear from the harness holding member can be bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion, and the cover member is attached to the receptor member by covering the receptor guide portion together with the plurality of wires and engaging with it, with the plurality of wires bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion (second surface 12B in the embodiment).
[0007] This configuration allows the connector harness to be covered by the receptor and cover members, increasing the surface area of the connector harness. This increased surface area allows for a larger gripping area, thereby reducing the strain on the operator's fingertips when gripping the connector. Furthermore, it enables compatibility with robotic hands, allowing for more efficient work.
[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the connector harness assembly according to the second aspect of the present invention is a connector harness (connector harness 50 in the embodiment) having a plurality of contacts (contacts 51 in the embodiment), a harness holding member (harness holding member 52 in the embodiment) that holds the plurality of contacts side by side with the connection side to the mating mat facing forward, and a plurality of electric wires (electric wires E in the embodiment) that are connected to each of the plurality of contacts and extend to the rear, and the plurality of contacts with the connection side to the mating mating mat A receptor member (receptor member 210 in the embodiment) having a receptor holding portion (receptor holding portion 211 in the embodiment) that holds the harness holding member with the contact 51a (in the embodiment) facing forward and the plurality of wires extending to the rear, and a receptor guide portion (receptor guide portion 212 in the embodiment) integrally connected to the receptor holding portion and extending to the rear along the plurality of wires, and a cover member (cover in the embodiment) that covers the receptor guide portion and is attached to the receptor member by engaging with it. The component 230) is configured to have a recess opening to the rear (recess 213 in the embodiment) at the rear of the receptor guide portion, and an end cutout portion (end cutout portion 223 in the embodiment) formed by cutting out the end of the rear portion, and the plurality of wires extending to the rear from the harness holding member can be bundled and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion (second surface 212B in the embodiment), and with the plurality of wires bundled and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion, the cover member is front The cover member is attached to the receptor member by engaging with it, covering the receptor guide portion together with the multiple electric wires, and has openings (cover side openings 237 and electric wire outlets 239 in the embodiment) formed in the cover member, characterized in that when the cover member is attached to the receptor member by engaging with it, covering the receptor guide portion together with the multiple electric wires, the multiple electric wires that have been guided to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion through the recess can be arranged to extend to the outside through the opening using the space formed by the end cutouts.
[0009] This configuration increases the surface area of the connector harness. This reduces the strain on the fingertips of workers gripping the connector and makes it compatible with gripping by robotic hands. Furthermore, because the end cutouts are provided, the internal space of the cover member is not partitioned, allowing the wires to be routed to the outside of the connector harness assembly. As a result, the height of the connector harness assembly can be designed to be lower.
[0010] In the connector harness assembly with the above configuration, when the cover member is engaged with and attached to the receptacle member, the inner surface of the cover member may cover the recess and press and hold the plurality of wires that pass through the recess in bundles.
[0011] With this configuration, when an external force is applied to the wires of the connector harness in a direction that would cause them to separate from the harness holding member, the part pressing on the wires can absorb that external force, preventing the wires from separating from the harness holding member. This makes it easier to accommodate automation by robots.
[0012] In the connector harness assembly with the above configuration, the cross-sectional area of the recess may be equal to the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of wires (sum of cross-sectional areas S in the embodiment), or it may be greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of wires.
[0013] With this configuration, the wires protruding from the recess are pressed down by the cover member, causing elastic deformation, and the pressure and frictional force during pressing keep the wires inside the recess.
[0014] Furthermore, in the connector harness assembly having the above configuration, a protrusion (pressing protrusion 40, pressing protrusion 240 in the embodiment) is formed on the inner surface of the cover member, which enters into the recess when the cover member is engaged and attached to the receptor member, and when the cover member is engaged and attached to the receptor member, the protrusion enters into the recess and presses and holds the plurality of electric wires that pass through the recess in a bundle.
[0015] With this configuration, when the cover member presses the electric wire while elastically deforming it within the recess, the protrusions enter the recess and press against the electric wire, allowing them to withstand external forces.
[0016] In the connector harness assembly with the above configuration, the cross-sectional area of the space separated by the recess and the protrusion of the cover member may be smaller than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of electric wires.
[0017] With this configuration, even when the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the wires is small relative to the recess, the wires protruding from the space separated by the recess and the protrusion are pressed and elastically deformed by the cover member, and the wires can be kept inside the recess by the pressure and frictional force during pressing.
[0018] In the connector harness assembly having the above configuration, the plurality of electric wires in the portion extending rearward from the harness holding member and bundled to the recess may be provided without slack, and when the harness holding member held by the receptor member is subjected to an external force acting in a direction away from the receptor member, the plurality of electric wires in the portion extending from the harness holding member to the recess may be configured to receive the external force and prevent the harness holding member from separating from the receptor member.
[0019] This configuration allows the harness holding member to be securely fixed to the receptor holding part without any slack, even with a simple structure that lacks fixing members, enabling stable attachment of the connector harness to other devices.
[0020] In the connector harness assembly having the above-described configuration, an opening (cover side surface opening 37 and wire outlet 39 in the embodiment) is formed in the cover member, and when the cover member covers the receptacle guide portion together with the plurality of wires and is engaged with and attached to the receptacle member, the plurality of wires guided to the opposite side of the receptacle guide portion through the recess can extend to the outside through the opening.
[0021] With such a configuration, the direction in which the wires exit to the outside of the connector harness assembly can be the direction in which the opening is provided. As a result, the wires can be guided in a direction that does not interfere with the work, making it easier to automate the work with a robot.
[0022] In the connector harness assembly having the above-described configuration, the opening may be formed on the side surface of the cover member, and the plurality of wires guided to the opposite side of the receptacle guide portion through the recess may extend to the side of the cover member through the opening.
[0023] With such a configuration, when the connection side of the connector harness is in the front, when performing an operation of gripping the connector harness assembly from the rear by a robot and fitting and connecting it to another device, the wires can be guided to the side where they do not interfere with gripping the wires, making it easier to grip with a robot hand.
[0024] In the connector harness assembly having the above-described configuration, the outer side surfaces of the cover member that face each other may be formed in a planar shape, and a pair of the outer side surfaces that face each other may be grippable.
[0025] With such a configuration, when an operator grips it by hand and fits and connects it to another device, the burden on the fingertips for gripping the connector can be reduced. Also, a shape that is easy to grip with a robot hand can be configured.
[0026] In the connector harness assembly having the above-described configuration, when the cover member covers the receptacle guide portion together with the plurality of electric wires and is engaged and attached to the receptacle member, it has a shape that covers the plurality of electric wires led to the opposite side of the receptacle guide portion through the concave portion, and the free end side of the cover member and the receptacle member may have an engaging portion (insertion hole 22 and anti-lifting projection 41 in the embodiment) that can be engaged with each other.
[0027] With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the cover member from floating due to the thickness of the electric wire. As a result, an operator and a robot can stably grasp the connector harness assembly and perform operations.
Advantages of the Invention
[0028] By using the connector harness assembly according to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to reduce the burden on the fingertips of an operator who grips the connector. In addition, it becomes possible to cope with gripping by a robot hand, and a connector harness assembly that can perform operations more efficiently can be provided.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0029] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of a connector harness assembly according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the connector harness assembly according to the first embodiment as viewed from the front side. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the connector harness assembly according to the first embodiment as viewed from the right side. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line B - B in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line C - C in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is an exploded perspective view of a connector harness assembly according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing the first surface side of a receptacle member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This is a front view of the cover member as seen from the front according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the connector harness assembly according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a front view of the connector harness assembly according to the second embodiment, as seen from the front. [Figure 11] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector harness assembly according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a side view of the receptor member according to the second embodiment, as seen from the right side. [Figure 13] This is a front view of the cover member as seen from the front according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of electric wires in the first embodiment, in a cross-sectional view at AA. [Figure 15] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of electric wires in the first embodiment, in a cross-sectional view at CC. [Figure 16] Figure 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view at BB illustrating the arrangement of electric wires in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] Figure 10 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of electric wires in the second embodiment, in a cross-sectional view at AA. [Figure 18] This is a schematic perspective view showing the arrangement of power lines in the second implementation. [Figure 19A] This is a schematic diagram showing a recess in the connector harness assembly according to the present invention and a part of the cover member. [Figure 19B] This is a schematic diagram showing some of the recesses and protrusions of the connector harness assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 20] This is a plan view of the connector harness according to the present invention, as seen from above. [Figure 21] This is a side view of the connector harness according to the present invention, seen from the right side. [Figure 22] This is a flowchart showing the assembly method of a connector harness assembly according to the first embodiment. [Figure 23]This flowchart shows the assembly method for a connector harness assembly according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0030] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to them alone. Furthermore, the shapes of the connector harnesses described in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope to those shown in the drawings.
[0031] [First Embodiment] A connector harness assembly 100 as a first embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 1 to 8, 14 to 16, and 20 to 21. As shown in Figure 1, the connector harness assembly 100 consists of a receptor member 10, a cover member 30, and a connector harness 50. In the following description, as indicated by the direction of the arrows in the side view of Figure 1, the height direction of the connector harness assembly 100 will be referred to as the "up and down direction," the depth direction with the front of the paper as the front side will be referred to as the "front and back direction," and the width direction, which is the left and right direction of the paper, will be referred to as the "left and right direction." These directions are described as front and back, left and right, and up and down for the sake of explanation, but they are only to indicate the directional relationship between them and do not define absolute directions. Note that the wires E of the connector harness 50 are omitted in Figures 2 to 5. Also, Figures 6 to 8 are diagrams showing the receptor member 10 and cover member 30 disassembled, with the connector harness 50 omitted. Furthermore, Figures 1 and 14 to 16 schematically show the arrangement of the wires E in the connector harness assembly 100.
[0032] First, the connector harness 50 will be explained with reference to Figures 20 and 21. Figures 20 and 21 show an example of the connector harness 50. The connector harness 50 combines multiple electric wires E into a single connector, enabling one-touch connection to other devices and equipment.
[0033] The connector harness 50 comprises a plurality of contacts 51, a harness holding member 52 that holds the plurality of contacts 51, and a plurality of wires E connected to each of the plurality of contacts 51. The contacts 51 are held on the harness holding member 52 in a left-right orientation as shown in the figure, and the plurality of wires E are connected to each of the plurality of contacts 51. The contacts 51 are made of a conductive material, and the wires E are connected to the contacts 51 by conventional bonding methods such as crimping or pressure bonding, thereby enabling electrical connection with other devices. The front connection side 51a of the contact 51 is configured to be connectable to a connector (not shown) on the other side. The wires E connected to the contacts 51 extend backward from the rear wire side 51b of the contact 51 along the harness holding member 52 that holds the contacts 51. Such a connector harness 50 is configured to enable electrical connection to other devices on its own. Note that the connector harness 50 used in this embodiment is not limited to either a female or male shape. That is, it may be either a male or female type.
[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 6, etc., the receptor member 10 is configured to have a receptor holding portion 11 that holds the harness holding member 52 and a receptor guide portion 12 that is integrally connected to the receptor holding portion 11. The receptor member 10 holds the harness holding member 52 and engages with the cover member 30 together with a plurality of electric wires E extending behind the harness holding member 52. Hereafter, the surface on the receptor guide portion 12 through which the plurality of electric wires E extending behind the harness holding member 52 first pass on the receptor member 10 will be referred to as the first surface 12A, and the surface on the opposite side will be referred to as the second surface 12B. In Figures 1 to 8, the lower side of the receptor guide portion 12 in the direction of the arrow in the figure is the first surface 12A.
[0035] As shown in Figures 2, 6, and 7, the receptor holding portion 11 consists of side walls 14 on the left and right sides of the first surface 12A of the receptor guide portion 12, and a front wall 15 that extends from the side walls 14 to the front and has a holding opening 16 into which the harness holding member 52 can be fitted. The receptor holding portion 11 holds the harness holding member 52 fitted into the holding opening 16 with the connection sides 51a of the multiple contacts 51 facing forward and the multiple electric wires E extending to the rear of the receptor member 10.
[0036] As shown in Figure 6 and other figures, the retaining opening 16 is equipped with auxiliary parts 17 that protrude from the left and right side walls 14 toward the center. This structure makes it possible to fit the harness retaining member 52 into the retaining opening 16 while the wire E is extended to the rear by utilizing the space between the left auxiliary part 17 and the right auxiliary part 17 when assembling the connector harness assembly 100. It also makes it easier to bundle multiple wires E while the wire E is extended. This makes the assembly work of the connector harness assembly 100 easier. In the figure, the wire E extending to the rear of the harness retaining member 52 held by the retaining opening 16 is configured to first pass through the first surface 12A, which is the lower surface of the receptor guide part 12 in the figure, but it may also be configured to first pass through the upper surface of the receptor guide part 12.
[0037] Grooves 18 are formed on the inner surfaces of the retaining opening 16 and the auxiliary portion 17 to match the shape of the harness retaining member 52. The presence of grooves 18 makes it easier to position the harness retaining member 52 when fitting it into the receptacle member 10 during the assembly of the connector harness assembly 100. In addition, unnecessary movement of the harness retaining member 52 in the left-right direction can be suppressed after assembly.
[0038] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the side wall 14 is provided with a locking projection 19 for locking it in an engaged state with the cover member 30. The locking projection 19 is fitted into the locking hole 36 of the cover member 30 to engage the receptor member 10 and the cover member 30. Details of the locking mechanism will be described later along with the description of the cover member 30.
[0039] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the second surface 12B of the receptor guide portion 12 has a rear wall 21, leaving a portion with a recess 13 on the rear side, and no side walls on the left and right sides. With this structure, when engaged with the cover member 30, multiple electric wires E guided to the second surface 12B can be brought out to the outside of the connector harness assembly 100 from the side where there is no wall.
[0040] The recess 13 is provided as a recess that opens to the rear at the rear of the receptor guide portion 12. The positional relationship with the electric wires E will be explained with reference to Figures 14 to 16. Multiple electric wires E extending from the rear of the harness holding member 52 fitted into the receptor member 10 are bundled together without slack from the harness holding member 52 along the first surface 12A, which is the lower surface of the receptor guide portion 12, and are hooked into the recess 13 (see Figure 15). Multiple electric wires E hooked into the recess 13 are led from the first surface 12A to the opposite upper surface, the second surface 12B (see Figure 16). It is desirable that the recess 13 be provided at the center position with respect to the left-right direction of the harness holding member 52, or at the center position with respect to the portion of the harness holding member 52 where the electric wires E are arranged. This minimizes the degree to which multiple wires E overlap unevenly within the recess 13 when bundled together and hooked into the recess 13, thereby increasing the stability of the wires E held in a compressed state. The shape of the recess 13 is U-shaped in the figure, but it is not limited to a U-shape. It may also be rectangular, polygonal, or V-shaped.
[0041] Next, the cover member 30 will be described using Figures 2, 6, and 8. The cover member 30 has a box-like shape with its opposing outer sides formed in a planar shape, and the front surface in the figure is an open surface 31 without walls. The cover member 30 engages with the receptor member 10 with the receptor member 10 housed inside through the open surface 31.
[0042] The cover member 30 is composed of left and right cover sides 32, a cover rear surface 33, a cover top surface 34, and a cover bottom surface 35. The cover member 30 has a flat cover top surface 34 and a cover bottom surface 35 that are facing each other and are grippable. The outer sides may be substantially flat or curved. It is desirable that the shape be easy for an operator to grip, or a shape that is easy to grip in accordance with a robot hand. A flat shape makes it easier to manufacture the cover member 30.
[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the side surface 32 of the cover is provided with a locking hole 36 into which the locking projection 19 of the receptor member 10 can be fitted and locked, a guide portion 38 provided on the inner surface in front of the locking hole 36, and a side opening 37 of the cover for bringing multiple electric wires E guided to the second surface 12B of the receptor guide portion 12 out of the connector harness assembly 100.
[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the locking hole 36 is a hole into which the locking projection 19 fits and locks when the receptor member 10 and the cover member 30 are engaged. The inner surface of the cover side surface 32 in front of the locking hole 36 has a guide portion 38 formed therein, where the inner wall narrows from the opening surface 31 towards the locking hole 36 at the rear. Due to the guide portion 38, when the receptor member 10 is inserted during assembly up to the point where the inner wall narrows, the cover member 30 elastically deforms outward, and when the locking projection 19 fits into the locking hole 36, the elastic deformation returns to its original state, and the engaged state of the receptor member 10 and the cover member 30 is locked. Once the locking projection 19 is fitted into the locking hole 36, it cannot be easily removed because the opening surface 31 side at the front narrows inward. This locking mechanism prevents the receptor member 10 and the cover member 30 from coming apart when inserting or removing the connector harness 50 from the connector of other equipment. If the material of the cover member 30 allows for sufficient elastic deformation while also possessing sufficient strength to prevent it from easily coming off, the guide portion 38 does not necessarily need to be provided.
[0045] The cover side opening 37 is formed as a rectangular notch with the opening surface 31 side of the cover side 32 open. When engaged with the receptor member 10, it forms a wire outlet 39 surrounded by the front wall 15 of the receptor member 10 and the cover side opening 37. Multiple wires E can be brought out to the outside of the connector harness assembly 100 from this wire outlet 39. Because the cover side opening 37 is formed as a rectangular notch with the opening surface 31 side open, when assembling the connector harness assembly 100, the wires E can be engaged with the receptor member 10 while remaining extended towards the cover side opening 37. In addition, when engaged with the receptor member 10, the position of the wires E can be stabilized by surrounding the multiple wires E as a wire outlet 39 surrounded by the front wall 15 and the cover side opening 37. Because the position of the wires E is stable, when automating the assembly work with a robot, the movement of the robot is less likely to be hindered by the wires E. The cover side opening 37 may be provided on only one of the left and right cover sides 32. Providing it on both sides allows the direction in which the electric wire E exits to be changed as needed, enabling flexible arrangement of the electric wire E in robot automation. By forming the electric wire outlet 39 on the side of the connector harness assembly 100, which is in the left-right direction in the figure, the fitting direction of the connector harness assembly 100 is in the front-back direction in the figure. When a robot grasps and fits the connector harness assembly 100 from the rear, the electric wire E can be configured to extend in the left-right direction rather than the rear, thus reducing the likelihood of the electric wire E interfering with the robot hand's grasp. The method of grasping by the robot hand is not limited to this, so the position of the electric wire outlet 39 formed by the receptor member 10 and the cover member 30 in the engaged state does not necessarily have to be located in the left-right direction in the figure of the connector harness assembly 100. It is desirable to form it in a position that is less likely to be interfered with by the electric wire E when the robot moves or grasps.
[0046] Although the cover member 30 has been described as having a box-like shape, the cover member 30 may also have a structure that allows it to be disassembled into multiple parts. For example, it may have a structure that sandwiches the receptor member 10 from the left and right, or from above and below. Having a box-like, integrated structure for the cover member 30 makes it less likely for the connector harness 50, the receptor member 10, and the cover member 30 to come apart or disassemble from each other when inserting or removing the connector harness 50 from the connector of other equipment.
[0047] When the cover member 30 is engaged with the receptor member 10, the inner surface of the cover member 30 covers the recess 13, and is configured to press and hold the multiple electric wires E that are bundled together and hooked into the recess 13. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8, the inner surface of the cover member 30 may have a pressing projection 40 that engages with the receptor member 10 and enters into the recess 13, thereby pressing down on multiple electric wires E.
[0048] Here, the relationship between the size of the recess 13 and the rear surface 33 of the cover, or between the recess 13 and the pressing projection 40, will be explained using Figures 19A and 19B. Figures 19A and 19B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the receptor guide portion 12 and the rear cover surface 33, taken in a direction parallel to the first surface 12A or the second surface B of the receptor guide portion 12. They schematically show how the electric wire E is pressed and held by the rear cover surface 33 of the cover member 30 (Figure 19A) and how it is pressed and held by the pressing projection 40 (Figure 19B). In Figures 19A and 19B, the area enclosed by the dashed line virtually represents the sum S of the cross-sectional areas of multiple electric wires E, and in Figure 19B, the dashed line virtually represents the size of the pressing projection 40. The area of the recess 13 on the receptor guide portion 12 is preferably equal to the sum S of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple wires E, or slightly less than the sum S of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple wires E. However, because the pressing projection 40 is formed, even if the area of the recess 13 is larger than the sum S of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple wires E, the pressing projection 40 can enter the recess 13 and press the multiple wires E. In this case, the cross-sectional area of the space separated by the recess 13 and the pressing projection 40 of the cover member 30 is slightly less than the sum S of the cross-sectional areas of the multiple wires E. This makes it possible to maintain a state in which the multiple wires E are held without slack from the harness holding member 52 to the recess 13. This prevents the harness holding member 52 from coming out forward.
[0049] As shown in Figure 6, the opening surface 31 side of the upper surface 34 of the cover member 30 may be provided with a float prevention projection 41 that can engage with the receptor member 10. In this case, the receptor member 10 is provided with an insertion hole 22 into which the float prevention projection 41 is inserted while engaged with the receptor member 10. When the float prevention projection 41 is inserted into the insertion hole 22, the upper surface 34 of the cover and the receptor member 10 are engaged. This prevents the opening surface 31 side, which is the free end of the upper surface 34 of the box-shaped cover member 30, from floating upward due to the thickness of the multiple electric wires E.
[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the inner surface of the bottom surface 35 of the cover member 30 may be provided with a cover projection 42 for holding down the electric wires E. This allows the multiple electric wires E that extend behind the harness holding member 52 and are bundled together to be held down and stabilized in position. This prevents the electric wires E on the first surface 12A side from becoming loose and prevents the connector harness 50 from coming loose.
[0051] Next, the assembly method of the connector harness assembly 100 will be explained with additional reference to Figure 22. Figure 22 is a flowchart illustrating the assembly method. The harness holding member 52 of the connector harness 50 is fitted into the receptor holding portion 11 of the receptor member 10 (step ST11), and the multiple wires E extending from the rear of the harness holding member 52 are bundled on the first surface 12A of the receptor guide portion 12 and guided without slack through the recess 13 to the opposite second surface 12B (step ST12). The multiple wires E guided on the second surface 12B are extended to the cover side opening 37 of the receptor guide portion 12 and engaged with the cover member 30, and then brought out to the outside from the wire outlet 39 to assemble the connector harness assembly 100 (step ST13).
[0052] Using the connector harness assembly 100 described above reduces the strain on the fingertips of workers gripping the connectors. Furthermore, it becomes possible to accommodate gripping by robotic hands, allowing for more efficient work.
[0053] [Second Embodiment] Next, a connector harness assembly 1000 as a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 9 to 13, 17 to 18, and 20 to 21. In the following description, as indicated by the direction of the arrows in Figure 9, the height direction of the connector harness assembly 1000 will be referred to as the "up and down direction," the depth direction (with the front of the page facing forward) as the "front and back direction," and the width direction (left and right direction) as the "left and right direction." Similar to the first embodiment, these are used to show the relative directions of each other and do not define absolute directions. Note that in Figure 10, the wires E of the connector harness 50 are omitted, and Figures 11 to 13 are exploded views of the connector harness assembly 1000, with the connector harness 50 omitted. Also, Figures 17 to 18 schematically show the arrangement of the wires E in the connector harness assembly 1000.
[0054] The connector harness assembly 1000 of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that, in addition to the recess 13 at the rear of the receptor guide portion 12 of the receptor member 10, an end cutout portion 223 is provided at the end, and there is no partition by the receptor guide portion 12 near the wire exit 39. This structure makes it possible to design the connector harness assembly 1000 to be lower in height compared to the first embodiment. Details of this embodiment will be described below, but explanations that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted as necessary.
[0055] As shown in Figure 9, the connector harness assembly 1000 consists of a receptor member 210, a cover member 230, and a connector harness 50. The structure of the connector harness 50 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore its description is omitted.
[0056] As shown in Figure 11, the receptor member 210 is configured to have a receptor holding portion 211 that holds the harness holding member 52 and a receptor guide portion 212 that is integrally connected to the receptor holding portion 211. The receptor member 210 holds the harness holding member 52 and engages with the cover member 230 together with a plurality of electric wires E extending behind the harness holding member 52.
[0057] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the receptor holding portion 211 is configured to have a front wall 215 into which a holding opening 216 into which the harness holding member 52 can be fitted, and a locking projection 219 that engages with the cover member 230 and locks it in the engaged state. The receptor holding section 211 holds the multiple contacts 51 in Figures 20 and 21 with their connection sides 51a facing forward, and the harness holding member 52 fitted into the holding opening 216, with multiple electric wires E extending to the rear of the receptor member 210.
[0058] The opening of the retaining opening 216 is partially open, and it has a structure that includes auxiliary parts 217 that protrude from the left and right sides of the front wall 215 toward the center, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, similar to the first embodiment, grooves 218 are formed on the inner surfaces of the retaining opening 216 and the auxiliary portion 217 to match the shape of the harness retaining member 52.
[0059] As shown in Figure 12, the locking projections 219 are provided on the left and right sides behind the front wall 215, and are located above and below the receptor guide portion 212. The locking projections 219 may have a shape that is higher at the front and lower towards the back. This shape makes it easier to engage the cover member 230 from the rear to the front during assembly, as the engagement is performed from the lower part of the locking projection 219 towards the higher part, and once the locking projection 219 is fitted into the locking hole 236, it becomes difficult to remove.
[0060] As shown in Figure 11, the receptor guide portion 212 is integrally connected to the rear of the receptor holding portion 211, and has a recess 213 that opens to the rear and an end notch 223 formed at the rear end, with no side walls. Hereafter, the surface of the receptor guide portion 212 that the electric wire E extending to the rear of the harness holding member 52 first passes over will be referred to as the first surface 212A, and the surface on the opposite side will be referred to as the second surface 212B. Note that in Figures 9 to 13, the upper side in the direction of the arrow in the figure of the receptor guide portion 12 is the first surface 212A and the lower side is the second surface 212B, but it may also be configured so that the wire first passes over the lower surface of the receptor guide portion 212.
[0061] The positional relationship between the electric wires E and the receptor guide section 212 will be explained with reference to Figures 9, 17, and 18. In the receptor guide section 212, multiple electric wires E are bundled together without slack from the harness holding member 52 along the upper surface of the receptor guide section 212, which is the first surface 212A, and hooked into the recess 213. Figure 17 shows a configuration in which the multiple electric wires E hooked into the recess 213 are guided from the first surface 212A to the opposite second surface 212B.
[0062] Next, the cover member 230 will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. The cover member 230 engages with the receptor member 210 when the receptor member 210 is housed inside it. As shown in Figure 11, the cover member 230 consists of a rear cover surface 233, and an upper cover surface 234 and a bottom cover surface 235 connected to the rear cover surface 233, with the front and left and right sides open.
[0063] The cover member 230 has two opposing outer sides (cover top surface 234 and cover bottom surface 235) which are formed in a planar shape, and the pair of opposing outer sides can be gripped.
[0064] The upper surface 234 and lower surface 235 of the cover are provided with locking holes 236 at positions that can engage with the locking projection 219 of the receptor member 210. When assembling the receptor member 210 and the cover member 230 by engaging them, the cover member 230 is engaged with the locking projection 219 of the receptor member 210 from the lower part at the rear towards the higher part at the front, making it easier to fit together. During engagement, the cover member 230 elastically deforms outward at the higher part, and when the locking projection 219 fits into the locking hole 236, the elastic deformation returns to its original state, and the engaged state of the receptor member 210 and the cover member 230 is locked. In addition, by locking the front side, which is the free end of the upper surface 234 and the lower surface 235 of the cover, it is possible to prevent the cover from lifting up due to the thickness of the electric wire E.
[0065] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the receptor holding portion 211, the cover upper surface 234, and the cover bottom surface 235 are configured to allow the wires E of the connector harness 50 to exit the connector harness assembly 1000 through the wire exit 239, which is an opening formed by the cover side opening 237 when the receptor member 210 and the cover member 230 are engaged. Figure 18 schematically shows the arrangement of the electric wire E with a dashed line, the electric wire outlet 239 with a dashed line, and the arrangement of the electric wire E exiting from the recess 213 of the receptor member 210 through the end notch 223 to the outside of the electric wire outlet 239. Unlike the first embodiment, the space in front of where the electric wire E exits the electric wire outlet 239 is not divided vertically by the end notch 223 of the receptor guide 212. This allows the electric wire E to be brought out to the outside from the electric wire outlet 239 by utilizing the space formed by the end notch 223. Therefore, it is possible to design the height of the connector harness assembly 1000 to be lower than a structure in which the electric wire exit is configured to be brought out to the outside using only the upper or lower space divided by the receptor guide 212.
[0066] Similar to the first embodiment, the cover member 230 is configured such that, when engaged with the receptor member 210, its inner surface covers the recess 213, pressing and holding the bundled wires E that are hooked into the recess 213. Similar to the first embodiment, the inner surface of the rear surface 233 of the cover may have a pressing projection 240 (see Figure 13) that engages with the receptor member 210 and enters into the recess 213, thereby pressing down on multiple electric wires E.
[0067] Next, the assembly method of the connector harness assembly 1000 will be explained with additional reference to Figure 23. The harness holding member 52 of the connector harness 50 is fitted into the receptor holding portion 211 of the receptor member 210 (step ST21), and the multiple wires E extending from the rear of the harness holding member 52 are bundled on the first surface 212A of the receptor guide portion 212 and guided without slack through the recess 213 to the opposite second surface 212B (step ST22). The multiple wires E guided onto the second surface 212B are engaged with the cover member 230 in an extended state and brought out to the outside from the wire outlet 239 of the receptor guide portion 212 to assemble the connector harness assembly 1000 (step ST23).
[0068] Using the connector harness assembly 1000 described above reduces the strain on the fingertips of workers gripping the connectors and also makes it possible to grip them using a robotic hand.
[0069] Although the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be appropriately improved without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0070] 100, 1000 Connector Harness Assembly 10, 210 Receptor components 30, 230 Cover components 50 Connector Harness
Claims
1. A connector harness having multiple contacts, a harness holding member that holds the multiple contacts side by side with their connection sides facing forward, and multiple wires that are connected to each of the multiple contacts and extend to the rear, A receptor member having: a receptor holding portion that holds the harness holding member with the plurality of contacts facing forward with the connection side to the mating It is configured to include a cover member that covers the receptor guide portion and is attached by engaging with the receptor member, A recess opening to the rear is formed at the rear of the receptor guide portion, allowing the multiple wires extending rearward from the harness holding member to be bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion. A connector harness assembly characterized in that, with the plurality of electric wires bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion, the cover member covers the receptor guide portion together with the plurality of electric wires and is attached by engaging with the receptor member.
2. A connector harness having multiple contacts, a harness holding member that holds the multiple contacts side by side with their connection sides facing forward, and multiple wires that are connected to each of the multiple contacts and extend to the rear, A receptor member having: a receptor holding portion that holds the harness holding member with the plurality of contacts facing forward with the connection side to the mating It is configured to include a cover member that covers the receptor guide portion and is attached by engaging with the receptor member, The rear of the receptor guide portion has a recess that opens to the rear and the end of the rear portion is cut out to form an end notch. The multiple wires extending rearward from the harness holding member can be bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide. With the multiple electric wires bundled together and guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide, the cover member is attached to the receptor member by covering the receptor guide together with the multiple electric wires and engaging with the receptor member. An opening is formed in the cover member, A connector harness assembly characterized in that, when the cover member is attached to the receptor member by covering the receptor guide portion together with the plurality of electric wires and engaging with the receptor member, the plurality of electric wires, which have been guided to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion through the recess, can be arranged to extend to the outside through the opening using the space formed by the end cutout portion.
3. The connector harness assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the cover member is engaged with and attached to the receptor member, the inner surface of the cover member covers the recess and presses and holds the plurality of electric wires that pass through the recess in a bundle.
4. The connector harness assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the recess is equal to or greater than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of electric wires.
5. A protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the cover member, which enters into the recess when the cover member is engaged with and attached to the receptor member. The connector harness assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that when the cover member is engaged with and attached to the receptor member, the protrusion enters into the recess and presses and holds the plurality of electric wires that pass through the recess in a bundle.
6. The connector harness assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the space separated by the recess and the protrusion of the cover member is smaller than the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of electric wires.
7. The multiple electric wires in the portion extending rearward from the harness holding member and bundled together to the recess are provided without slack. The connector harness assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the harness holding member held by the receptor member is subjected to an external force acting in a direction away from the receptor member, the plurality of electric wires in the portion extending from the harness holding member to the recess receive the external force and prevent the harness holding member from separating from the receptor member.
8. An opening is formed in the cover member, The connector harness assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that when the cover member is attached to the receptor member by covering the receptor guide portion together with the plurality of electric wires and engaging with the receptor member, the plurality of electric wires that have been guided to the opposite side of the receptor guide portion through the recess can extend to the outside through the opening.
9. The connector harness assembly according to claim 2 or 8, characterized in that the opening is formed on the side surface of the cover member, and the plurality of electric wires, which are guided through the recess to the opposite side of the receptor guide, extend to the side of the cover member through the opening.
10. The connector harness assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer surfaces of the cover member that are facing each other are formed in a planar shape, and a pair of the outer surfaces that are facing each other can be gripped.
11. The connector harness assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover member has a shape that covers the plurality of electric wires that are guided to the opposite side of the receptor guide through the recess when the cover member is attached to the receptor guide by covering the receptor guide together with the plurality of electric wires, and the cover member has an engaging portion on the free end side that can engage with the receptor member.