Dummy Coupler

Abstract

To provide a dummy coupler capable of properly locking and storing unused couplers having different shapes.SOLUTION: A dummy coupler 5 includes: a substrate 50 having a base surface 51; a peripheral wall 6 that creates a coupler storage space between itself and the base surface 51; a regulating portion 60 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 6; a first locking hole 63 formed in the peripheral wall 6 for locking a first coupler; and a second locking hole 64 formed in the peripheral wall 6 for locking a second coupler. The lateral side surface of the regulating portion 60 facing the center of the coupler storage space functions as a lateral regulating surface that regulates the lateral movement of the first coupler in the coupler storage space, and the vertical side surface of the regulating portion 60 facing the opening of the coupler storage space functions as a vertical regulating surface that regulates the movement of the second coupler in the base surface direction in the coupler storage space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dummy coupler that connects with and holds unused couplers left behind on the back side of an instrument panel or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] If an unused coupler is left behind the instrument panel during vehicle assembly, movement of the wire harness or the like can cause the unused coupler to come into contact with the instrument panel, resulting in problems such as abnormal noise and damage. To avoid this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector fixing structure in which a switch mounting hole cover is fitted into a switch mounting hole in a panel. In this connector fixing structure, the connector (coupler) can be held in a connector holding portion provided in a lid portion of the mounting hole cover. In other words, in this connector fixing structure, the unused connector (coupler) can be held in the connector holding portion provided in the switch mounting hole cover fitted into the switch mounting hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-319460 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the connector fixing structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, a stepwise narrowing notch is formed in the insertion opening of the connector holding portion so that connectors (couplers) of different sizes can be inserted and held in the same connector holding portion. However, this structure is premised on the shape of the main body of the inserted coupler being substantially the same as the storage space of the connector holding portion, making it difficult to accommodate connectors (couplers) of various shapes.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dummy coupler that can be fixed to an instrument panel or the like and that can securely store unused couplers having different shapes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The dummy coupler according to the present invention comprises a substrate having a base surface for retaining and storing at least a first coupler or a second coupler of different shapes, a peripheral wall erected on the base surface and creating a coupler storage space between the substrate and the base surface, a regulating portion formed on the inner surface of the peripheral wall, a first locking hole formed in the peripheral wall for retaining the first coupler, and a second locking hole formed in the peripheral wall for retaining the second coupler, wherein the horizontal side of the regulating portion facing the center of the coupler storage space functions as a horizontal regulating surface that restricts lateral movement of the first coupler in the coupler storage space, and the vertical side of the regulating portion facing the opening of the coupler storage space functions as a vertical regulating surface that restricts movement of the second coupler in the base surface direction in the coupler storage space.

[0007] According to this configuration, a first coupler having a first shape is locked and stored in the coupler storage space within the peripheral wall by the first locking hole, and a second coupler having a second shape is locked and stored in the coupler storage space within the peripheral wall by the second locking hole. In this case, if the coupler to be locked and stored is the first coupler, its lateral movement is restricted by the lateral side surface of the restricting part facing the center of the coupler storage space. If the coupler to be locked and stored is the second coupler, its movement toward the base surface is restricted by the vertical side surface of the restricting part facing the opening of the coupler storage space. Therefore, whether the coupler to be locked and stored in the coupler storage space within the peripheral wall is the first coupler or the second coupler, it is stored in the coupler storage space accurately and stably. Note that the "first shape" here refers to a common shape of various first couplers having partially different shapes. Therefore, multiple types of first couplers having the first shape (i.e., similar first couplers) may exist. Similarly, the second shape does not indicate a shape that perfectly matches the second coupler, but rather refers to a common shape of multiple types of second couplers, so there may be multiple types of second couplers (i.e., similar second couplers) that have the second shape.

[0008] Because the restricting portion functions as a lateral restricting surface and a vertical restricting surface, providing the restricting portion in multiple locations increases the number of lateral restricting surfaces or vertical restricting surfaces, which is advantageous for the first coupler or the second coupler that is locked and stored in the coupler storage space. For this reason, in the present invention, the restricting portion includes at least a first restricting portion and a second restricting portion, and the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion are located in different locations. Furthermore, if multiple first restricting portions and multiple second restricting portions are formed, the restricting effect is further improved.

[0009] In the present invention, the perpendicular line to the lateral side surface of the first restricting portion and the perpendicular line to the lateral side surface of the second restricting portion are configured to intersect (intersecting state including perpendicularity). With this configuration, the first coupler locked and stored in the coupler storage space is restricted from lateral movement in two different directions (for example, directions perpendicular to each other), and the storage state of the first coupler is stabilized.

[0010] In the present invention, the height of the vertical side surface of the first restricting portion from the base surface is configured to be the same as the height of the vertical side surface of the second restricting portion from the base surface. Considering that the bottom surface of a coupler is generally flat, this configuration contributes to the second coupler having such a flat bottom surface being stored in the coupler storage space in an accurate posture.

[0011] In a vehicle, the dummy coupler is removably fixed to a plate such as an instrument panel. To easily and removably fix the dummy coupler to such a plate, a clamping arm method that is inserted into a through-hole formed in the plate is advantageous. For this reason, in the present invention, a pair of clamping arms with locking portions are provided on the base surface, sandwiching the peripheral wall, as fixing portions for fixing the dummy coupler.

[0012] In order to securely store the first coupler or the second coupler within the peripheral wall of the dummy coupler, it is preferable that the first coupler or the second coupler has a member that is engaged and held in the locking hole in the peripheral wall using some kind of biasing force. Therefore, in the present invention, a locking protrusion formed on a bendable locking arm of the first coupler engages with the first locking hole when the horizontal side surface and the first coupler are in contact with each other, and a locking protrusion formed on a bendable locking arm of the second coupler engages with the second locking hole when the vertical side surface and the second coupler are in contact with each other. In this configuration, the restoring force of the bendable locking arm serves as a biasing force that prevents the bendable locking arm from disengaging from the locking hole in the peripheral wall. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a left side view of a tractor as an example of a vehicle in which a dummy coupler is used. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a switch panel provided on a side instrument panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between dummy couplers and unused couplers. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dummy coupler. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a dummy coupler. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a first coupler. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a second coupler. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a third coupler. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the first coupler is locked and housed in the dummy coupler. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a second coupler is locked and housed in a dummy coupler. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a third coupler is locked and housed in the dummy coupler. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in the drawings will be defined as "front," the direction of arrow B as "rear," the direction of arrow L as "left," and the direction of arrow R as "right." The direction of arrow U in the drawings will be defined as "up," and the direction of arrow D as "down."

[0015] [Overall configuration of the tractor] The following describes a tractor as an example of a vehicle that uses a dummy coupler according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the tractor has left and right front wheels 10, left and right rear wheels 11, and an engine hood 12.

[0016] The tractor is equipped with an engine 1 and travels using the driving force of the engine 1. The tractor includes a machine frame 2 and a driving section 3. The machine frame 2 is supported by left and right front wheels 10 and left and right rear wheels 11. The front wheels 10 and rear wheels 11 are driven by the engine 1, and an engine bonnet 12 is located at the front of the machine. The driving section 3 is provided behind the engine bonnet 12. Power from the engine 1 is transmitted to the front wheels 10 and rear wheels 11 via a transmission 13. Although not shown here, a working implement such as a tiller can be attached to the rear end of the machine. Power from the engine 1 can also be transmitted to the working implement.

[0017] The driver's section 3 has a cabin 30, a driver's seat 31, and a steering wheel 32. The steering wheel 32 is provided so as to be operable by a driver who boards the driver's section 3 and sits in the driver's seat 31. The left and right front wheels 10 are steered by operating the steering wheel 32. The driver can perform various driving operations in the driver's section 3.

[0018] 2, a front instrument panel 14 on which various instruments are mounted is formed in front of the steering wheel 32, and a console box-shaped side instrument panel 15 on which various operating devices are mounted is formed on the side of the driver's seat 31. A right armrest 16 is attached to the side instrument panel 15.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a switch panel 40 provided on the side instrument panel 15. This switch panel 40 is provided with a switch group 41 consisting of various switches 41a to 41j, a dial group 42 consisting of various dials, and a control switch 43. Of the switch group 41, switches 41f to 41j in particular are optional. In the example of FIG. 3, switches 41g and 41j are not selected, and dummy couplers 5, which will be described below, are fitted in place of switches 41g and 41j.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, a dummy coupler 5 according to the present invention is fixed to a panel such as the front instrument panel 14 or the side instrument panel 15, in this embodiment, to a switch panel 40. In this embodiment, the first coupler 7, the second coupler 8, and the third coupler 9 are unused. The dummy coupler 5 locks and houses any of the first coupler 7, the second coupler 8, and the third coupler 9. The first coupler 7, the second coupler 8, and the third coupler 9 have different shapes, but can be locked and housed in the dummy coupler 5. In the following description, the term "coupler" will be used to collectively refer to the first coupler 7, the second coupler 8, and the third coupler 9.

[0021] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the dummy coupler 5 includes a substrate 50. A peripheral wall 6 is erected on a base surface 51, which is the surface of the substrate 50. The peripheral wall 6 is a substantially rectangular tube, and is made up of a first wall portion 6a, a second wall portion 6b, a third wall portion 6c, and a fourth wall portion 6d. The peripheral wall 6 is combined with the base surface 51 to create a coupler storage space CS between the peripheral wall 6 and the base surface 51, with the base surface 51 serving as the bottom.

[0022] The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 6 is provided with a restricting portion 60 that restricts the movement of the coupler stored in the coupler storage space CS. Furthermore, a locking hole for locking the coupler stored in the coupler storage space CS is formed in the peripheral wall 6. In this embodiment, a first locking hole 63 is formed in the fourth wall portion 6d, and a second locking hole 64 is formed in the third wall portion 6c.

[0023] A restricting portion 60 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 6 and the base surface 51 of the substrate 50. The restricting portion 60 restricts the movement of the coupler stored in the coupler storage space CS. The restricting portion 60 is a polyhedral piece, and in this embodiment, the restricting portion 60 is a rectangular parallelepiped piece. One side of the restricting portion 60 is connected to the base surface 51, and the other side is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 6. The side of the restricting portion 60 facing the center of the coupler storage space CS (horizontal side) can function as a horizontal restricting surface that restricts the lateral movement of the coupler stored in the coupler storage space CS, and the side of the restricting portion 60 facing the opening of the coupler storage space CS (vertical side) can function as a vertical restricting surface that restricts the movement of the coupler stored in the coupler storage space CS toward the base surface.

[0024] In this embodiment, three first restricting portions 61 are formed as restricting portions 60 at intervals between the inner circumferential surface of the first wall portion 6a and the base surface 51. Furthermore, two second restricting portions 62 are formed as restricting portions 60 at intervals between the inner circumferential surface of the second wall portion 6b and the base surface 51. The lateral sides of the first restricting portions 61 and the second restricting portions 62 facing the center of the coupler storage space CS function as lateral restricting surfaces that restrict lateral movement of the first coupler 7 and the third coupler 9 in the coupler storage space CS. A perpendicular line to the lateral side surface of the first restricting portion 61 and a perpendicular line to the lateral side surface of the second restricting portion 62 intersect with each other, and preferably, the perpendicular lines intersect at right angles, so that a coupler having a rectangular cross section can be restricted from two directions that form 90 degrees with each other.

[0025] The first restricting portion 61 and the second restricting portion 62 have the same height from the base surface 51. Therefore, the vertical side surfaces of the first restricting portion 61 and the second restricting portion 62 facing the opening of the coupler storage space CS function as vertical restricting surfaces that restrict movement of the second coupler 8 toward the base surface. Note that the restricting portion 60 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped piece, and may be, for example, a cylinder, a rectangular prism, or a deformed body.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 7, a bendable locking arm 71 is provided on the outer surface of the main body 70 of the first coupler 7, and a locking protrusion 72 is formed in the middle of this locking arm 71. As shown in Fig. 8, a bendable locking arm 81 is provided on the outer surface of the main body 80 of the second coupler 8, and a locking protrusion 82 is formed at the tip of this locking arm 81. The third coupler 9 has a similar shape to the first coupler 7, and as shown in Fig. 9, a bendable locking arm 91 is provided on the outer surface of the main body 90 of the third coupler 9, and a locking protrusion 92 is formed in the middle of this locking arm 91. The first coupler 7, second coupler 8, and third coupler 9 have a common structure in that the main body 70, main body 80, and main body 90 are each roughly rectangular parallelepiped, with a connector member disposed on the surface that is inserted into the coupler storage space CS of the dummy coupler 5 (hereinafter referred to as the mounting surface), and a cable extending from the surface on the opposite side. The main body 70 and main body 90 have roughly the same cross section, and the main body 80 has a smaller cross section than the main body 70 and main body 90.

[0027] 10 , when the first coupler 7 is locked and housed in the dummy coupler 5, when the main body 70 is inserted into the coupler housing space CS, the locking protrusion 72 of the locking arm 71 is locked into the first locking hole 63. In this locked state, the mounting surface of the main body 70 abuts against the base surface 51 of the circuit board 50 (a type of abutting state), and the lower side surfaces of the main body 70 abut against the lateral side surfaces of the first restricting portion 61 and the second restricting portion 62 (a type of abutting state). Furthermore, the side surfaces of the main body 70 are almost locked against at least the third wall 6c and the fourth wall 6d (a type of abutting state). As a result, the first coupler 7 is locked and housed in the dummy coupler 5 in the correct position and posture.

[0028] 11, when the second coupler 8 is locked and stored in the dummy coupler 5, when the main body 80 is inserted into the coupler storage space CS, the locking protrusion 82 of the locking arm 81 is locked into the second locking hole 64. In this locked state, the mounting surface of the main body 80 abuts against the vertical side surfaces of the first restricting portion 61 and the second restricting portion 62 (a type of abutting state), and the three side surfaces of the main body 80 substantially abut against the first wall 6a, the second wall 6b, and the fourth wall 6d, respectively (a type of abutting state). As a result, the second coupler 8 is locked and stored in the dummy coupler 5 in the correct position and orientation.

[0029] 12, when the third coupler 9 is locked and housed in the dummy coupler 5, when the main body 90 is inserted into the coupler housing space CS, the locking protrusion 92 of the locking arm 91 engages with the first locking hole 63. In this locked state, the mounting surface of the main body 90 abuts against the base surface 51 of the circuit board 50, and the lower side surfaces of the main body 90 abut against the lateral sides of the first restricting portion 61 and the second restricting portion 62 (a type of abutting state). Furthermore, the side surfaces of the main body 90 substantially abut against at least the third wall 6c and the fourth wall 6d (a type of abutting state). As a result, the third coupler 9 is locked and housed in the dummy coupler 5 in the correct position and posture.

[0030] In order to easily and removably fix the dummy coupler 5 to the switch panel 40, the dummy coupler 5 is provided with a pair of clamping arms 54 as fixing parts to the switch panel 40. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pair of clamping arms 54 are erected from the base surface 51 of the board 50 so as to sandwich the peripheral wall 6 therebetween with a gap therebetween. A locking part 54a is formed at the tip of the clamping arm 54, which is fitted into a panel locking hole formed in the switch panel 40 when fixed.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, the cross section of the peripheral wall 6 is a substantially rectangular shape with the first wall portion 6a and the third wall portion 6c as short sides and the second wall portion 6b and the fourth wall portion 6d as long sides. The second wall portion 6b has a step that extends inward at its middle, dividing it into a first portion that is farther from the fourth wall portion 6d and a second portion that is closer to the fourth wall portion 6d. The second restricting portion 62 is formed on the first portion of the second wall portion 6b. Furthermore, two ribs 52 are formed on the outer surface of the first portion of the second wall portion 6b, two ribs 52 are formed on the outer surface of the second portion of the second wall portion 6b, and four ribs 52 are formed on the outer surface of the fourth wall portion 6d.

[0032] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the dummy coupler 5 has a structure for locking and storing the first coupler 7, the second coupler 8, and the third coupler 9. Any coupler can be locked and stored in the dummy coupler 5 as long as it can be stored in the coupler storage space CS, has a shape that can be restricted by the restricting portion 60, and has a member that can be locked into the first locking hole 63 or the second locking hole 64. (2) In order to be able to lock and accommodate more couplers, the dummy coupler 5 may be formed with additional locking holes and restricting portions 60 . (3) In the above-described embodiment, the dummy coupler 5 is fastened through a fastening hole formed in a panel such as the side instrument panel 15 or the front instrument panel 14, which includes the switch panel 40. Alternatively, the dummy coupler 5 can be fastened to the panel or to other members by other fastening methods, such as screw fastening or adhesive fastening. (4) In the above-described embodiment, the wiring space of an electric tractor was cited as an application of the dummy coupler 5, but the dummy coupler 5 of the present invention can be applied to the wiring space of other vehicles and even to the wiring space of general equipment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 5: Dummy coupler 50: Circuit board 51: Base 52: Rib 54: Clamping arm 54a: Locking part 6: Peripheral wall 6a: 1st wall part 6b: 2nd wall part 6c: 3rd wall part 6d: Fourth wall 60: Regulation Department 61: First Regulatory Section 62: Second Regulatory Section 63: First locking hole 64: Second locking hole 14: Front instrument panel 15: Side instrument panel 40: Switch panel 7: First coupler 70: Main body 71: Locking arm 72: Locking protrusion 8: Second coupler 80: Main body 81: Locking arm 82: Locking protrusion 9: 3rd coupler 90: Main body 91: Locking arm 92: Locking protrusion CS: Coupler storage space

Claims

1. A dummy coupler that engages and houses at least a first coupler or a second coupler having a different shape, the coupler housing includes a substrate having a base surface, a peripheral wall erected on the base surface and defining a coupler storage space between the substrate and the peripheral wall, a restricting portion formed on an inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall, a first locking hole formed in the peripheral wall for locking the first coupler, and a second locking hole formed in the peripheral wall for locking the second coupler, A dummy coupler in which the horizontal side surface of the regulating part facing the center of the coupler storage space functions as a horizontal regulating surface that regulates the lateral movement of the first coupler in the coupler storage space, and the vertical side surface of the regulating part facing the opening of the coupler storage space functions as a vertical regulating surface that regulates the base surface direction movement of the second coupler in the coupler storage space.

2. 2. The dummy coupler according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion includes at least a first restricting portion and a second restricting portion, and the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion are disposed at different locations.

3. The dummy coupler according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the first restricting portions and a plurality of the second restricting portions are formed.

4. 3. The dummy coupler according to claim 2, wherein a perpendicular to the lateral side surface of the first restricting portion and a perpendicular to the lateral side surface of the second restricting portion intersect with each other.

5. 3. The dummy coupler according to claim 2, wherein the height of the vertical side surface of the first restricting portion from the base surface is the same as the height of the vertical side surface of the second restricting portion from the base surface.

6. 2. The dummy coupler according to claim 1, wherein a pair of clamping arms with locking portions are provided on the base surface with the peripheral wall interposed therebetween as fixing portions for fixing the dummy coupler.

7. A dummy coupler as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a locking protrusion formed on a bendable locking arm of the first coupler engages with the first locking hole when the lateral side surface and the first coupler are in contact, and a locking protrusion formed on a bendable locking arm of the second coupler engages with the second locking hole when the vertical side surface and the second coupler are in contact.

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