AU2003203426B2 - Cover for connector insertion - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S):: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Cover for connector insertion The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5102 FPO2-414AU This invention relates to a cover for connector insertion and more particularly relates to a connector insertion cover for improving a work of coupling connectors in a narrow space.

There is a work of coupling a connector connected to an end of a wire harness to an instrument disposed in a vehicle body of an automobile vehicle upon arranging a wire harness on the vehicle body. In this coupling work, a worker holds a connector connected to an end of a wire harness and inserts the connector into a mating connector disposed in an instrument to couple both connectors to each other.

For convenience of explanation, a conventional coupling work will be described below by referring to Figure 6. Figure 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional coupling work of connectors. For example, as shown in Figure 6, there is a case where an instrument 2 to be coupled to a connector 1 connected to an end of a wire harness W/H is disposed in an inner part of a narrow space 5 defined between a central console section 3 and a floor central section 4. Under such condition, a worker had to insert a worker's hand into the narrow space while holding the connector 1 and had to couple the connector 1 to a mating connector 2a in the instrument 2.

In this case, since the hand of the worker who holds the la Q \OPERGCPI 2 1 1740 resp 066,00.7/31/2027 -2connector 1 will hide the mating connector 2a, the worker may hardly confirm a position of the mating connector 2a.

Since the worker had to forcedly insert the worker's hand into the narrow space 5, it was very difficult for the worker to couple the connector 1 to the mating connector 2a.

This lowered efficiency of working.

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cover for connector insertion that can enhance a working of coupling connectors in a narrow space.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cover for connector insertion that is mounted on a terminal insertion surface of a connector coupled to an end of a wire harness and is used for coupling the connector to a mating connector, characterized in that: said cover is elongated in a coupling direction of said connector and includes in the interior a hollow chamber for containing a bundle of electric wires inserted in said connector; said cover is provided on an end with a mounting section to be mounted on said terminal insertion surface and on the other end with a grip section for pushing said connector through said cover; an opening is formed in an end surface of said mounting section and a groove is formed in a sidewall of said cover to be communicated with said opening; and said bundle of electric wires is inserted laterally through said opening and groove into said cover.

According to the above structure, when the mounting FPO2-414AU section of the cover is attached to the terminal insertion surface of the connector, the cover is mounted on the connector. Then, a worker can handle the connector through the cover while holding the grip section provided on the other end of the cover without directly holding the connector. Accordingly, when a connector connected to an end of a wire harness is coupled to the mating connector in an instrument disposed in a narrow space, it is possible for a worker to hold an elongated grip section to push the cover in a coupling direction of connectors, thereby enhancing efficiency in working by operating a cover on which the connector is mounted.

Since the cover can be mounted laterally through the opening and groove on the electric wire bundle inserted in the connector, it is possible to easily attach the cover to the connector without inserting the electric wire bundle into the cover beforehand.

In more particular, the cover is made of a synthetic resin material. The mounting section is detachably connected to the connector by locking means. The locking means may be a combination of engaging protrusions and engaging holes provided on the connector and mounting section, or a combination of engaging pawls and engaging slots. A rear end surface of the grip section may be open or closed. The rear end surface may serve as a pushing surface for pushing the cover to the connector. In this case, since the electric wire bundle is drawn from the hollow chamber through the groove to the exterior, there 3 FPO2-414AU is no electric wire bundle on the rear end surface of the grip section. Consequently, the electric wire bundle does not interfere with an operation of pushing the cover, thereby enhancing efficiency in working.

Preferably, the groove may be provided in an end with a holding piece extending outwardly and a fastening member may secure the bundle of electric wires to the holding piece. According to this structure, since the cover can be secured to the electric wire bundle, it is possible to attach the cover to the terminal insertion surface of the connector in more stable condition, thereby preventing the cover from shifting out of the terminal insertion surface upon coupling the connectors. The fastening member for securing the electric wire bundle to the holding piece may be a tape or a resin belt. The resin belt may be integrated with the holding piece.

Preferably, an outer diameter of the grip section is set to be smaller than that of the mounting section. This can reduce a volume of a worker's hand when the worker holds the grip section of the cover, thereby facilitating a work in a narrow space.

Moreover, the groove preferably extends to a front end of the grip section. This structure disposes no electric wire bundle on the grip section to be held by a worker. Consequently, the electric wire bundle does not interfere with holding the grip section and the grip section itself can be made in a smaller diameter.

FP02-414AU Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure lA is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cover for connector insertion in accordance with the present invention; Figure IB is a longitudinal section view taken along with line X-X in Figure 1A; Figures 2A and 2B are perspective views of a cover for connector insertion, illustrating an operation in which a connector is coupled to a mating connector by using the cover; Figures 3A and 3B are explanatory views, illustrating an operation in which a connector is coupled to a mating connector by using the cover; Figure 4A is an enlarged perspective view of a second embodiment of a main part of a cover for connector insertion in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4B is an enlarged perspective view similar to Figure 4A, illustrating a bundle of electric wires being fixed to the cover by a holding belt; Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a third embodiment of a main part of a cover for connector insertion in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional coupling work of connectors.

Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of a FP02-414AU cover for connector insertion in accordance with the present invention will be described below.

Figures 1A and lB show a first embodiment of a cover for connector insertion 10 in accordance with the present invention. The cover 10 is made of a synthetic resin material and is formed into a substantially square tube.

The cover 10 is adapted to be attached to a terminal insertion surface 21 of a connector The cover 10 is elongated in compliance with a coupling direction of the connector 20. The cover 10 is provided in the interior with a hollow chamber 10a that contains a bundle of electric wires or an electric wire bundle W inserted in the connector 20. The cover 10 is provided on an end with a mounting section 11 adapted to be opposed to the connector 20 and on the other end with a grip section 12 adapted to be held by a worker. The mounting section 11 is formed into a hood-like configuration suitable for surrounding the terminal insertion surface 21 of the connector 20. The mounting section 11 is provided on a sidewall with an opening lla communicated with the hollow chamber 10a. Each of opposite sidewalls of the mounting section 11 includes an engaging piece llc having an engaging hole blb and extending forwardly as means for locking the connector Each engaging hole blb engages an engaging protrusion provided on each of opposite sidewalls of the connector (see Figures 2A and 2B).

The grip section 12 has a length enough to be held FP02-414AU by a worker. An outer diameter of the grip section 11 is set to be smaller than an outer diameter of the mounting section 11. The mounting section 11 and grip section 12 are connected to each other by a tapered peripheral wall 10b, an outer diameter of which gradually decreases from the mounting section 11 to the grip section 12. A rear end of the grip section 12 is closed, as shown in Figure lB. The closed end surface of the grip section 12 serves as a pushing surface 12a that is adapted to be pushed in a longitudinal direction by a worker. The pushing surface 12a may be open, if a worker can push the grip section 12 in the longitudinal direction.

The cover 10 is provided in a sidewall with a groove 13 that is communicated with the opening 1la and hollow chamber 10a and extends to a front end of the grip section 12. The cover 10 is mounted laterally on the electric wire bundle W through the groove 13 and opening 12. A holding piece 14 extends outwardly through a hinge 14a from a rear end of the groove 13. The electric wire bundle W drawn from the groove 13 is secured to the holding piece 14 by a tape T (see Figure 2B). The holding piece 14 is provided on each of opposite sides of a distal end with protrusion 14b that serves to prevent the tape T from coming out of the holding piece 14.

Next, an operation for coupling the cover 10 to the connector 20 will be described below.

As shown in Figure 2A, the cover 10 is mounted laterally on the electric wire bundle W that is connected 7 FP02-414AU to an end of a wire harness W/H at the rear end and is inserted into the connector 20 at the front end. The cover 10 contains the electric wire bundle W through the opening Ila and groove 13 in the hollow chamber to cover the outer periphery of the bundle W.

Then, as shown in Figure 2B, the engaging pieces llc provided on the opposite sidewalls of the mounting section 11 of the cover 10 engage the engaging protrusions 20a on the connector 20 to bring the mounting section 11 into close contact with the terminal insertion surface 21 of the connector 20. Thus, it is possible to mount the cover on the electric wire bundle W after inserting the bundle W into the connector 20 without containing the bundle W in the cover 10 beforehand.

After attaching the cover 10 to the connector the electric wire bundle W drawn from the groove 13 is disposed along the holding piece 14. The tape T is wound about the bundle W and holding piece 14 to fix the bundle W on the piece 14. Thus, the wire harness W/H on which the cover 10 is mounted from the terminal insertion surface 21 to a rear side can be operated in a narrow space 30 (see Figure 3A) to couple the connectors to each other. For example, as shown in Figure 3 an instrument 33 is disposed on an inner part in the narrow space 30 defined between a central console section 31 of an instrument panel and a raised floor central portion 32.

The cover 10 is suitable for coupling the connector 20 to a mating connector 33a provided in the instrument 33.

8 FP02-414AU Under this condition, in order to couple the connector 20 to the mating connector 33a, a worker holds the grip section 12 of the cover 10 that supports the connector 20 at the front end and inserts the connector into the narrow space 30. Then, the connector 20 is coupled to the mating connector 33a and both connectors and 33a are locked by conventional locking mechanisms (not shown) provided on both connectors. In the case where the narrow space 30 is too deep for the worker to further advance the connector 20 in the narrow space 30 while holding the grip section 12, the worker can push the pushing end surface 12a of the grip section 12 by a worker's finger, as shown in Figure 3B, thereby surely coupling the connector 20 to the mating connector 33a.

In the above process, since the outer diameter of the grip section 12 is set to be smaller than that of the mounting section 11, a worker can easily insert a worker's hand into the narrow space 30 while holding the grip section 12. Since the electric wire bundle W extends outwardly not from the rear end of the grip section 12 but from the groove 13 at the front end of the grip section 12, the bundle W does not interfere with insertion of the connector 20 while holding the grip section 12.

Figures 4A and 4B show a second embodiment of a cover for connector insertion 40 in accordance with the present invention. A belt 41 is integrally formed with a holding piece 44 as a fastening member that serves to fix the electric wire bundle W to the holding piece 44.

9 FP02-414AU The belt 41 is a conventional fastening member that is used for fastening the wire harness W/H. The belt includes an engaging section 41b having a latch mechanism 41a in an inner surface and a band section 41c suspending from the engaging section 41b.

When the band section 41c is inserted into the engaging section 41b, a successively serrated portion 41d formed on a side of the band section 41c engages the latch mechanism 41a to prevent the band section 41c from coming out of the engaging section 41b.

Figure 4B shows an operation of securing the electric wire bundle W to the holding piece 44 by using the belt 41. This construction can simplify an operation of securing the electric wire bundle W to the holding piece 44 by using another member such as a tape or the like.

Since the other elements in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, an explanation of the elements is omitted here by merely giving the same signs to the elements.

Figure 5 shows a third embodiment of a cover for connector insertion 50 in accordance with the present invention. The groove 53 is provided on each of the opposite side edges with a tongue 53a to narrow a width of the groove 53 in order to fix the electric wire bundle W to a holding piece 55. An end space defined by the tongues 53a in the groove 53 serves as a holding section 53b for the electric wire bundle W.

FP02-414AU In the above construction, when the electric wire bundle W drawn from the groove 53 is forcedly displaced into the holding section 53b so that the bundle W overrides the tongues 53a, the bundle W is secured in the holding section 53a. Accordingly, the third embodiment does not require any fastening member and the holding pieces 14 and 44 in the first and second embodiments.

Since the other elements in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, an explanation of the elements is omitted here by merely giving the same signs to the elements.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

Claims (5)

1. A cover for connector insertion that is mounted on a terminal insertion surface of a connector coupled to an end of a wire harness and is used for coupling the connector to a mating connector, characterized in that: said cover is elongated in a coupling direction of said connector and includes in the interior a hollow chamber for containing a bundle of electric wires inserted in said connector; said cover is provided on an end with a mounting section to be mounted on said terminal insertion surface and on the other end with a grip section for pushing said connector through said cover; an opening is formed in an end surface of said mounting section and a groove is formed in a sidewall of said cover to be communicated with said opening; and said bundle of electric wires is inserted laterally through said opening and groove into said cover.

2. A cover for connector insertion according to Claim 1, wherein said groove is provided on an end with a holding piece extending outwardly and said bundle of electric wires is secured to said holding piece by a fastening member.

3. A cover for connector insertion according to 12 FP02-414AU Claim 1 or 2, wherein an outer diameter of said grip section is set to be smaller than that of said mounting section.

4. A cover for connector insertion according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said groove extends to a front end of said grip section. Q WEMCN21n774D resp W dom.703/207

14- A cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings and/or examples.