connector

Abstract

To provide a connector of which an insertion workability against a connection target is improved.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: a bus bar 2 having a band-like base part 21 and a plurality of tub terminals 20 that is extended from the base part; and a housing 3 that includes a bus bar housing chamber 30 into which the bus bar is housed. The bus bar housing chamber includes a pair of plate parts 46A and 46B that is provided so as to be opposite to a plate thickness direction Z of the bus bar, and holds the base part while nipping. In the plate part 46A of the pair of plate parts, a first projection 47A projected toward the other direction is provided. In the other one 46B of the pair of plate parts, a second projection 47B projected to one side is provided. The first and second projections are provided so as to be deviated to a direction X where each tub terminal is extended. Each tub terminal is housed in the bus bar housing chamber in a state where each tub terminal is separated from one side as progressing to a direction where each tub terminal is extended.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A wide variety of electronic devices are installed in automobiles, and wire harnesses are arranged to transmit power, control signals, etc. to the electronic devices. The wire harnesses include multiple electric wires and connectors, and are connected to the electronic devices and other wire harnesses by fitting the connectors to the connectors of the electronic devices or the connectors of other wire harnesses.

[0003] A joint connector used in such a wire harness is configured to include a substantially flat bus bar having a structure in which a plurality of (two in this example) tongue-shaped tab terminals extend from a flat band-shaped base plate, and a connector housing that accommodates and holds the bus bar (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The connector housing has two rows of flat, narrow bus bar locking grooves on its rear end surface for fitting and locking the bus bars, and an opening on its front surface through which the tab terminals of the bus bars fitted into the bus bar locking grooves protrude.The connector housing also has a jig guide groove on its rear end surface that is perpendicular to the bus bar locking grooves and allows the bus bars to be inserted into the bus bar locking grooves.

[0005] When assembling such a joint connector, the tab terminals of the bus bar are inserted close to the bus bar locking grooves, and the bus bar insertion jig is brought close to the jig guide grooves to press the base portion of the bus bar, so that the bus bar is fitted and locked into the bus bar locking grooves and is housed and held in the connector housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-17531 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In such conventional joint connectors, when each tab terminal of the bus bar is inserted into the female connection terminal, there is a concern that each tab terminal may strike the female connection terminal (connection target), making it difficult to insert each tab terminal into the connection target.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that improves the ease of insertion into a connection target. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 provides a bus bar having a strip-shaped base and a plurality of tab terminals extending from predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction of the base, and a bus bar accommodating chamber in which the bus bar is accommodated. a female terminal accommodating chamber for accommodating a female terminal to be connected to the tab terminal; a housing having 、 The bus bar accommodating chamber has a pair of plate portions that are provided opposite to each other in a plate thickness direction of the bus bar and that sandwich and hold the base portion, one of the pair of plate portions is provided with a first protrusion that protrudes toward the other plate portion and is capable of abutting against the bus bar, and the other of the pair of plate portions is provided with a second protrusion that protrudes toward the one of the pair of plate portions and is capable of abutting against the bus bar, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are provided at positions offset from each other in a direction in which the tab terminal extends, and the tab terminal is accommodated in the bus bar accommodating chamber in a state inclined so as to move away from the one of the plate portions as it advances in the direction in which the tab terminal extends. A lance for locking the female terminal is provided on the other side of the female terminal accommodating chamber, and the female terminal is accommodated on the one side of the lance. The connector is characterized by the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the workability of inserting into a connection target can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connector as seen from the front. [Figure 3] 2, and (B) is an enlarged view of a main part of (A). [Figure 4] 1A is a plan view of a housing constituting the connector as seen from the rear, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 5] 5A is a perspective view showing a partial cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5A. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an assembly jig for assembling the connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 2A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a problem of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] 1 to 3, connector 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of bus bars 2 each having a plurality of tab terminals 20, and housing 3 having bus bar accommodating chambers 30 (shown in FIG. 3) that accommodate the plurality of bus bars 2. As shown in FIG. 1, connector 1 is configured so that, with bus bars 2 accommodated in bus bar accommodating chambers 30, each tab terminal 20 is inserted into and connected to a female terminal fitting 10 (shown in FIG. 1, hereinafter referred to as female terminal 10) that is to be connected.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the busbar 2 is integrally formed by a rectangular plate-shaped base 21 and a plurality of tab terminals 20 extending forward X1 from predetermined positions on the base 21 in the left-right direction Y (the longitudinal direction of the base 21).

[0015] The base 21 includes a plurality of first bases 21A located at the rear X2 of each tab terminal 20, and a second base 21B located between a pair of adjacent first bases 21A. The dashed lines in Figures 1 and 3 indicate the boundaries between the first bases 21A and the second bases 21B.

[0016] 1 and 3, each tab terminal 20 is provided with a pair of extending pieces 22, 22 extending from both sides in the width direction Y. The pair of extending pieces 22, 22 are formed so that the amount of protrusion in the width direction Y gradually decreases toward the front X1. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, each tab terminal 20 is configured to abut against a displacement restricting portion 44 of the accommodation space forming portion 4, which will be described later, when the bus bar 2 is accommodated in the bus bar accommodating chamber 30, thereby restricting the displacement of each tab terminal 20 in the width direction Y.

[0017] In this embodiment, the direction in which each tab terminal 20 extends is referred to as the front-rear direction X, and two directions perpendicular to the front-rear direction X are referred to as the direction Y and the direction Z, respectively. In the front-rear direction X, the tip end side of each tab terminal 20 may be referred to as the "front X1," and the base end side opposite thereto may be referred to as the "rear X2." The direction Y is the width direction Y of the tab terminal 20 (sometimes referred to as the left-right direction Y), and the direction Z is the plate thickness direction Z of each tab terminal 20 (sometimes referred to as the up-down direction). One of the plate thickness directions Z may be referred to as the "upper direction Z1," and the other may be referred to as the "lower direction Z2."

[0018] 4 and 5, the housing 3 includes a rectangular cylindrical housing main body 31 extending in the front-rear direction X (axial direction of the cylinder), an accommodation space forming portion 4 that divides the internal space of the housing main body 31, a plurality of bus bar accommodating chambers 30 formed by the accommodation space forming portion 4, and a plurality of female terminal accommodating chambers 5 (shown in FIG. 5).

[0019] As shown in Figure 4(A), the housing main body 31 is configured to include an upper wall 31A, a lower wall 31B facing the lower side Z2 of the upper wall 31A, and a pair of side walls 31C, 31C that are continuous with the upper wall 31A and the lower wall 31B and face each other in the left-right direction Y.

[0020] As shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), the storage space configuration portion 4 includes upper and lower partition walls 41 (shown in Figure 4(A)) that divide the housing main body 31 in the vertical direction Z, partition walls 42 (shown in Figure 4(A)) that insulate the bus bars 2 from each other in the space partitioned by the upper and lower partition walls 41, left and right partition walls 43 that separate the multiple tab terminal accommodating chambers 33 (described later) provided in each bus bar accommodating chamber 30 from each other in the space partitioned by the partition walls 42, a displacement control portion 44 that controls the displacement of the bus bars 2 provided in each bus bar accommodating chamber 30, and an inclination control portion 45 that controls the inclination of the bus bars 2 provided in each bus bar accommodating chamber 30.

[0021] 4(A), two upper and lower partition walls 41 are provided in this embodiment, and the housing main body 31 is divided into three spaces in the vertical direction Z by the upper and lower partition walls 41. Each upper and lower partition wall 41 is provided extending on a plane including the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5(A), the upper and lower partition walls 41 (and the lower wall 31B of the housing main body 31) are provided with lances 410 for locking the female terminals 10 accommodated in the female terminal accommodating chambers 5. One lance 410 is provided for each female terminal accommodating chamber 5. In a natural state, the lances 410 extend obliquely upward Z1 as they proceed toward the rear X2 of each female terminal accommodating chamber 5. Such lances 410 are provided on the downward Z2 side (the other side) of the female terminal accommodating chamber 5 and press the female terminals 10 upward Z1 (one side).

[0023] 5(A), the partition wall 42 is provided contiguous to the lower side Z2 of the upper wall 31A (or the upper and lower partition wall 41) of the housing main body 31, and extends in a plane including the front-rear direction X and the up-down direction Z. The rear end of the partition wall 42 is configured to be located rearward X2 from the rear end of the bus bar 2 when the bus bar 2 is accommodated in a bus bar accommodating chamber 30 (described later). In other words, the rear end of the partition wall 42 is configured to protrude rearward X2 from the rear end of the bus bar 2.

[0024] 4 and 5, the left and right partition walls 43 are provided contiguous to the lower side Z2 of the upper wall 31A (or the upper and lower partition walls 41) of the housing main body 31, and extend in a plane including the front-rear direction X and the up-down direction Z. The rear ends of the left and right partition walls 43 are configured to be located forward X1 of the front end of the base 21 and rearward X2 of the front ends of the tab terminals 20 when the busbars 2 are accommodated in busbar accommodating chambers 30, which will be described later.

[0025] 3(B), the displacement restricting portion 44 is provided on the partition wall 42 and the left-right partition walls 43, and is provided at a position where it comes into contact with a pair of extending pieces 22, 22 provided on each tab terminal 20 when each bus bar 2 is accommodated in a bus bar accommodating chamber 30, which will be described later. The displacement restricting portion 44 is formed so that the amount of protrusion increases toward the front X1 in the left-right direction Y, and is configured to restrict displacement of each tab terminal 20 in the left-right direction Y when the pair of extending pieces 22, 22 come into contact with each other, thereby positioning each tab terminal 20 at a predetermined position in the left-right direction Y.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4(B), the tilt control portion 45 includes a clamping portion 46 that clamps and holds at least the second base portion 21B of the busbar 2 between itself, and a tilt control protrusion 47 that is provided on the clamping portion 46 and that controls the tilt of each tab terminal 20.

[0027] 4(A) and 4(B), a plurality of clamping sections 46 (the same number as the left and right partition walls 43) are provided. The clamping sections 46 are provided at intervals (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as jig guide grooves 34) in the left-right direction Y.

[0028] Each clamping portion 46 is formed in a flat plate shape and includes a pair of plate portions 46A, 46B. The pair of plate portions 46A, 46B are provided opposite each other in the up-down direction Z. Each plate portion 46A, 46B is provided extending on a plane including the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y.

[0029] 7(A) and 7(B), the dimension of each of the plate portions 46A, 46B in the front-rear direction X is larger than the dimension of the base 21 of the bus bar 2 in the front-rear direction X, and when each bus bar 2 is accommodated in each bus bar accommodating chamber 30, the front end of each of the plate portions 46A, 46B is located forward (X1) of the rear end of each of the tab terminals 20, and the rear end of each of the plate portions 46A, 46B is located rearward (X2) of the rear end of the base 21. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the dimension of each of the plate portions 46A, 46B in the left-right direction Y is larger than the distance between adjacent tab terminals 20 on the bus bar 2, and each pair of adjacent plate portions 46A, 46B is configured to contact an edge of each of the tab terminals 20.

[0030] Hereinafter, one of the pair of plate portions 46A, 46B on the upper Z1 side may be referred to as the “first plate portion 46A,” and the other of the pair of plate portions 46A, 46B on the lower Z2 side may be referred to as the “second plate portion 46B.” The first plate portion 46A is provided between the upper wall 31A of the housing main body 31 (or the upper and lower partition walls 41) and the left and right partition walls 43, and the second plate portion 46B is provided continuous with a standing wall 49 that rises from the partition wall 42 (or the lower wall 31B of the housing main body 31).

[0031] As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the tilt restriction protrusions 47 include a pair of first protrusions 47A, 47A provided on the first plate portion 46A and a pair of second protrusions 47B, 47B provided on the second plate portion 46B. As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B) and 4(B), the pair of first protrusions 47A, 47A are provided at each end in the left-right direction Y at the front end of the first plate portion 46A, and the pair of second protrusions 47B, 47B are provided at each end in the left-right direction Y at the rear end of the second plate portion 46B.

[0032] 7(B), the first protrusion 47A is provided to protrude downward Z2 from the lower surface of the first plate portion 46A, and the second protrusion 47B is provided to protrude upward Z1 from the upper surface of the second plate portion 46B. In this embodiment, the second protrusion 47B is configured to protrude more (to be higher) than the first protrusion 47A. By providing such tilt-regulating protrusion 47, the tab terminal 20 is configured to be accommodated in the busbar accommodating chamber 30 in a state in which it moves away from the upper Z1 (one side) as it advances in the extension direction (forward X1), i.e., inclined downward Z2.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 5, each of the bus bar accommodating chambers 30 is configured to accommodate a bus bar 2. As shown in Fig. 5, each bus bar accommodating chamber 30 includes a base accommodating chamber 32 that accommodates the base 21, and a plurality of tab terminal accommodating chambers 33 that accommodate the tab terminals 20. The base accommodating chambers 32 are provided on the rear X2 side of each tab terminal accommodating chamber 33, and are provided continuously in the left-right direction Y.

[0034] Each tab terminal accommodating chamber 33 is provided continuously from a predetermined position in the left-right direction Y of the base accommodating chamber 32 to the front X1. Each tab terminal accommodating chamber 33 is also provided extending in the front-rear direction X so as to be able to accommodate each tab terminal 20.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 5, the multiple female terminal accommodating chambers 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction Y. Each female terminal accommodating chamber 5 is also arranged extending in the front-rear direction X so as to be able to accommodate each female terminal 10. That is, each female terminal accommodating chamber 5 and each tab terminal accommodating chamber 33 are arranged side by side on a straight line, and each female terminal accommodating chamber 5 is arranged on the front X1 side of each tab terminal accommodating chamber 33.

[0036] When the female terminal 10 is inserted into such a female terminal accommodating chamber 5, the female terminal 10 abuts against the lance 410, causing it to bend temporarily, and as the insertion progresses and the female terminal 10 reaches the appropriate position, the lance 410 returns to its original position, locking the female terminal 10 and causing the female terminal 10 to be accommodated in the female terminal accommodating chamber 5. With the female terminal 10 accommodated in each female terminal accommodating chamber 5, the bus bars 2 are accommodated in the bus bar accommodating chambers 30, and the tab terminals 20 are inserted into the tab terminal accommodating chambers 33, thereby electrically connecting the female terminals 10 and the tab terminals 20.

[0037] 4, the housing 3 is further provided with a jig guide groove 34 into which a push-in portion 61 of an assembly jig 6, which will be described later, is inserted. The jig guide groove 34 is located between adjacent clamping portions 46 in the left-right direction Y, and is formed as a space into which the push-in portion 61 of the assembly jig 6, which will be described later, is inserted.

[0038] 6 , the connector 1 further includes an assembly jig 6 for assembling the connector 1 by pressing the bus bars 2 into the bus bar accommodating chambers 30. The assembly jig 6 includes a rectangular parallelepiped jig main body 60 and a pressing portion 61 provided to protrude forward X1 from the jig main body 60. The pressing portion 61 is provided on a protrusion extending in the up-down direction Z, and is provided at an interval in the left-right direction Y to correspond to the jig guide groove 34 provided in the housing 3.

[0039] When assembling such a connector 1, with the female terminals 10 accommodated in the female terminal accommodating chambers 5 in advance, the leading ends of the tab terminals 20 of each bus bar 2 are inserted close to the rear ends of the bus bar accommodating chambers 30. Then, the pushing portion 61 of the assembly jig 6 is brought close to the jig guide groove 34, and the assembly jig 6 is pressed against the housing 3. As the insertion progresses further, each tab terminal 20 contacts the second protrusion 47B and then the first protrusion 47A, and the bus bar 2 is in a state in which the leading ends of each tab terminal 20 are tilted downward Z2. As the insertion progresses further, each extension piece 22 of each tab terminal 20 abuts against the displacement restricting portion 44 of the bus bar accommodating chamber 30, restricting displacement of each bus bar 2 in the left-right direction Y. Furthermore, each tab terminal 20 is inserted into the female terminal 10 with the leading ends of the tab terminals 20 tilted downward Z2, and the female terminal 10 and each tab terminal 20 are electrically connected. As a result, the bus bar 2 is accommodated in the bus bar accommodating chamber 30. In this manner, the connector 1 is assembled.

[0040] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7(A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 7(B) is an enlarged view of a main portion of FIG. 7(A). FIG. 8 is a view showing a connector 100 that does not employ the tilt-restricting projection 47 of this embodiment. The connector 100 shown in FIG. 8 does not have the first projection 47A or the second projection 47B. Therefore, inside each busbar accommodating chamber 30 of the housing 13, the busbar 2, i.e., the tab terminal 20, may abut (strike) against the edge of the female terminal 10 with the tip of the tab terminal 20 tilted upward Z1, preventing the tab terminal 20 from being inserted into the female terminal 10. However, in this embodiment, the tab terminal 20 is accommodated in the busbar accommodating chamber 30 in a state in which it tilts away from the first plate portion 46A (one side) as it moves forward X1 (the direction in which the tab terminal 20 extends).

[0041] Here, inside the female terminal accommodating chamber 5, the female terminal 10 is pressed upward Z1 (to one side) by the lance 410, and therefore the tip of each bus bar 2, i.e., the tab terminal 20, is held in a position tilted downward Z2, thereby reducing the likelihood of each tab terminal 20 being struck inside the female terminal 10 during insertion. This ensures safety when inserting each tab terminal 20 into the female terminal 10, and improves the ease of insertion.

[0042] Furthermore, the first protrusion 47A is provided closer to the tip of the tab terminal 20 than the second protrusion 47B. This achieves a configuration in which the tip of each bus bar 2, i.e., the tab terminal 20, is held in a position tilted downward Z2.

[0043] The pair of plate portions 46A, 46B are provided on both sides of the tab terminal 20 in the left-right direction Y (the longitudinal direction of the base 21), and the first protrusion 47A and the second protrusion 47B are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X (the direction in which the tab terminal 20 extends), with the first protrusion 47A contacting the tab terminal 20 and the second protrusion 47B contacting the base 21. This allows the first protrusion 47A and the second protrusion 47B to more stably hold the tip of each bus bar 2, i.e., the tab terminal 20, in a position tilted downward Z2. This further reduces the likelihood of each tab terminal 20 hitting the inside of the female terminal 10 during insertion, further improving the ease of insertion.

[0044] The housing 3 also has female terminals 10 to be connected to the tab terminals 20, and has female terminal accommodating chambers 5 in which the female terminals 10 are accommodated, and a lance 410 for locking the female terminals 10 is provided on the downward Z2 side (the other side) of the female terminal accommodating chambers 5, and the female terminals 10 are accommodated on the upward Z1 side (one side) of the lance 410. With this, the tips of the bus bars 2, i.e., the tab terminals 20, are held in a position tilted downward Z2, and thus the tab terminals 20 are inserted while being reduced from hitting the inside of the female terminals 10.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modifications are also included in the present invention.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the second protrusion 47B is configured to protrude more (to be higher) than the first protrusion 47A, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first protrusion 47A may be configured to protrude more (to be higher) than the second protrusion 47B. In this case, the first plate portion 46A and the second plate portion 46B may be configured to have a tapered shape, and the tab terminal 20 may be accommodated in the busbar accommodating chamber 30 in a state in which it is inclined so as to move away from the first plate portion 46A (one side) as it proceeds forward X1 (the direction in which the tab terminal 20 extends).

[0047] In the above embodiment, the first protrusion 47A is configured to be provided closer to the tip end of the tab terminal 20 than the second protrusion 47B, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first protrusion 47A may be provided closer to the base end of the tab terminal 20 than the second protrusion 47B.

[0048] Although the best configurations and methods for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described mainly with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. Therefore, the above-disclosed descriptions limiting the shape, material, etc. are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using names of components that are free from some or all of the limitations on shape, material, etc. are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 connector 2 Busbar 20 Multiple tab terminals 21 Base 3. Housing 30 Busbar Containment Room 46A, 46B Pair of plates 46A First plate portion (one of a pair of plate portions) 46B Second plate portion (the other of the pair of plate portions) 47A 1st protrusion 47B 2nd protrusion 410 Lance 5 Female terminal housing 10 female terminal Arrow X: Tab terminal extension direction Arrow Y: Longitudinal direction of base Arrow Z: Busbar thickness direction Arrow Z1 upward (one side) Arrow Z2 downward (other side)

Claims

1. a bus bar having a strip-shaped base and a plurality of tab terminals extending from predetermined positions in the longitudinal direction of the base; a housing having a bus bar accommodating chamber for accommodating the bus bar and a female terminal accommodating chamber for accommodating a female terminal to be connected to the tab terminal, the bus bar accommodating chambers are provided opposite to each other in a thickness direction of the bus bar and have a pair of plate portions for sandwiching and holding the base portion, a first protrusion that protrudes toward the other plate portion and is capable of contacting the bus bar is provided on one of the pair of plate portions; a second protrusion provided on the other of the pair of plate portions, the second protrusion protruding toward the one of the pair of plate portions and capable of contacting the bus bar; the first protrusion and the second protrusion are provided at positions offset from each other in an extending direction of the tab terminal, The tab terminal is accommodated in the bus bar accommodating chamber in a state in which the tab terminal is inclined so as to move away from the one side as the tab terminal advances in an extending direction, A lance for locking the female terminal is provided on the other side of the female terminal accommodating chamber, The female terminal is received on the one side of the lance. A connector characterized by:

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first projection is provided closer to the tip of the tab terminal than the second projection.

3. the pair of plate portions are provided on both sides of the base portion of the tab terminal in the longitudinal direction, the first protrusion and the second protrusion are arranged side by side in a direction in which the tab terminal extends, the first protrusion abuts against the tab terminal; 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second protrusion is configured to abut against the base portion.

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