JP2558741B2 - Marked connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to, for example, a male connector and a female connector that constitute a vehicle connector, and these male and female connectors are fitted in a predetermined positional relationship. The present invention relates to a connector with a mark that can be inspected for presence or absence.

(Problems to be Solved by Prior Art and Invention) For example, a vehicle connector is widely known as a connector used for connecting electrical components of a vehicle. This connector is generally composed of a male connector and a female connector, and the connection is made by fitting the male connector and the female connector to each other during a production process of a vehicle.

The process of fitting the male connector and the female connector to each other tends to be performed by robot work or the like in accordance with recent automation, and accordingly, due to this tendency, the process by the robot work or the like is not performed well. It is desired that the inspection as to whether or not the product has been obtained can be easily performed.

Therefore, the present invention provides an inspection as to whether or not a connector, such as a male connector or a female connector that constitutes a vehicle connector, which should be arranged in a predetermined positional relationship, is arranged in a predetermined positional relationship. It is an object to provide a marked connector that can be easily performed.

(Means and Actions for Solving Problems) The invention for solving this problem is to provide at least two or more marked connectors 2, 3, 21, 31, 22 arranged in a predetermined positional relationship. , 32, 23, 33, 24, 34 reflects the irradiated light and detects the reflected light to thereby provide at least two or more marked connectors 2, 3, 21, 31, 31, 22, 32, 2
Marks 4,5,41,51,44,54 of linear protrusions (convex) for judging by the judging means whether or not 3,33, 24,34 are arranged in a predetermined positional relationship , Or marks 42 and 52 in which reflective surfaces having different reflectances are linearly formed, or marks 43 and 53 in which reflective surfaces having different sizes are combined are provided. In a marked connector that is a male / female connector for connecting a unit such as a transmission product or an electronic control device, a mark provided on each of the male connector housing and the female connector housing that are arranged along a certain direction in a fitted state. May be a convex portion or a concave portion.

According to such a configuration, the marks 4,5, 41, 51, 42, 52, 4
By optically detecting 3,53,44,54, the marked connector is arranged with 2,3,21,31,22,32,23,33,24,34 in a predetermined positional relationship. It can be easily determined whether or not there is.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by taking a vehicle connector as an example.

1 is a mating state view of a male / female connector provided with a linear mark according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a state when a linear mark is detected.

1 is a vehicle connector, and this connector 1 comprises a female connector 2 and a male connector 3. The female connector 2 and the male connector 3 are used in a state of being fitted to each other, and each corresponds to a marked connector arranged in a predetermined positional relationship according to the present invention.

The female connector 2 includes a housing 2a having a substantially rectangular shape in a side view. Inside the housing 2a, a contact member 2b for connecting a cord (see FIG. 3) 7 of a vehicle electric component or a unit such as an electronic control device is connected. It is arranged. Further, a cantilever 2c forming a part of the locking mechanism is formed on the upper surface side of the housing 2a. The cantilever 2c has a tip 2d fixed to the center of the top of the housing 2a, and a rear end 2e of the cantilever 2c extending to approximately the center of the housing 2a with some distance from the top of the housing 2a. A protrusion 2f extending in the width direction is provided on the upper surface of the lever 2c at a substantially central portion thereof.

On the upper surface of the rear end portion 2e of the cantilever 2c, the type (for example, model name) of the female connector 2 and the male connector 3
On the other hand, a linear mark 4 is integrally formed which serves as a guide for inspecting the fitted state when the female connector 2 is fitted by an inspection device described later. It should be noted that this mark can be formed integrally with the connector so that the number of steps for attaching the mark can be saved. The linear marks 4 are evenly spaced in the longitudinal (front-back) direction of the cantilever 2c and cantilever 2c.
3c having the same length as the width of 2c 4a-1, 4a-2, 4a-
It is formed from three.

The male connector 3 is a housing 3c integrally formed with a connection portion accommodation portion 3a for accommodating the connection portion with the cord 8 and a rear portion of the connection portion accommodation portion 3a for accommodating the distal end portion of the female connector 2. It consists of A wire connecting portion 3d for connecting a cord (see FIG. 3) 8 of a unit such as the electric component or the electronic control device is provided inside the wire connecting portion housing portion 3a, and a tip portion of this wire connecting portion 3d (so-called terminal (Part) 3e projects into the female connector accommodating portion 3b. The female connector accommodating portion 3b
Has a tip end which is opened for accommodating the female connector 2 having the cantilever 2c, and a protrusion which constitutes a locking mechanism by engaging the protrusion 2f of the cantilever 2c on the inner surface of the opening. 3f is molded.

At the position near the tip of the upper surface of the female connector accommodating portion 3b of the male connector 3, the type (for example, model name) of the male connector 3 and the male / female connector 3, like the female connector 2 described above,
A linear mark 5 that serves as a pointer for inspecting the fitted state of 2 with an inspection device described later is integrally formed. The linear marks 5 are parallel to the linear marks 4 provided on the female connector 2 at equal intervals in the fitting direction of the male connector 3 and in the fitted state of the male and female connectors 3 and 2. Are equal to each other, and the upper end surface is composed of three convex portions 5a-1, 5a-2, 5a-3 having the same height as the convex upper end surface of the mark 4. However, the width of the convex portion 5a-3 is formed to be slightly larger than the width of the other convex portions 5a-1 and 5a-2.

Each convex portion 5a constituting the linear mark 5 of this male connector 3
And the upper surface of each convex portion 4a forming the linear mark 4 of the female connector 2 is polished, whereby each convex portion
The upper surfaces of 4a and 5a have different light reflectances from the other surfaces of the housings 2a and 3c.

On the other hand, an inspection device for inspecting the fitted state of the male and female connectors, that is, the positional relationship of the male and female connectors by detecting the linear marks 4 and 5 of the male and female connectors 3 and 2 is shown in FIG. .
This device 6 includes a light source (for example, an LED) that irradiates the linear marks 4,5 with light, and the linear marks 4,5 by the light sources.
An optical sensor that detects reflected light from a computer, a computer that is a determination unit that compares and determines the information from the optical sensor and the information stored therein, and a display unit that displays information based on the determination of the computer (for example, a CRT). ) 6c and 6c are provided in the case 6A, and when the device 6 is brought close to the upper surface of the connector 1 at the tip of the case 6A as shown by the arrow A in FIG.
A pair of left and right protrusions 6a are provided so as to extend from the left and right side walls of the case 6A in order to keep the distance between the tip of the device and the linear marks 4 and 5 in contact with the housing of the connector. ing.

The light source is provided on the inner wall of the bulging portion 6b at the tip of the case 6A, irradiates oblique light having an incident angle to the upper surfaces of the linear marks 4 and 5, and the optical sensor detects the reflected light. To do. When the mark is uneven as described above, the lightness and darkness of the mark becomes clearer, and its detection accuracy is also improved.

Based on the output signal of the optical sensor, the computer measures the distance from the rear end of the convex portion 4a-3 of the linear mark 4 on the female connector 2 side to the front end of the convex portion 5a-3 of the linear mark 5 on the male connector 3 side (second (See FIG. 3 and FIG. 3) t is calculated, and at the same time, the female side convex portions 4a-1, 4a-2, 4a-3 and the male side convex portions 5a-1, 5a-2, 5a are calculated.
A light contrast of -3 (brightness / darkness width) is obtained.

Then, the computer stores the previously stored distance data of the linear marks 4,5 in the completely fitted state of the vehicle connector 1 and the light contrast (brightness / darkness) by the convex portions 4a, 5a of the linear marks 4,5. Width) and the data based on the inspection result are compared and judged, and a command signal based on the judgment is output to the display means 6c.

The display means 6c converts the command signal according to the judgment of the computer into an image signal and displays "OK", "NG", and "impossible" as an image.

Then, when the detection data based on the distance t between the convex portions 4a and 5a forming the marks 4 and 5 and the width of the light and dark coincides with the respective data stored in advance in the memory of the computer, the display means 6c displays the data. “OK” is displayed, which allows, for example, an operator in the vehicle production process to confirm that the male and female connectors 3 and 2 have been selected and fitted properly.

Further, when the detected data and the data stored in the memory do not match, the display means 6c displays "NG", which allows, for example, an operator to select the male and female connectors 2 or 3 or to fit them properly. You can confirm that it was not done.

If some of the connectors are damaged, and the optical sensor in the detection device 6 does not detect any reflected light, the display means 6c displays "impossible".

Thus, according to the vehicle connector 1 of the present invention, the male and female connectors 3 and 2 are fitted to each other during the production process,
That is, it is possible to easily and promptly know whether or not the connection between the two has been made well, and it is possible to take immediate measures against it.

In the above, the embodiment of the present invention is taken as an example of a male and female connector of a vehicle connector, and the mark is formed by a plurality of convex portions, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, a bar code having a different reflectance may be attached. Further, although the mark surface is polished in the embodiment, the polishing can be omitted by changing the received light amount of the reflected light only by the unevenness, and various mark configurations can be applied. It

FIGS. 4 to 7 schematically show various structures of the marked connector and the marks, which will be briefly described below.

FIG. 4 shows marks 41 and 51 in which two linear protrusions 41a-1, 41a-2, 51a-1 and 51a-2 are formed on the upper surfaces 21a and 31a of the two members 21 and 31 by projection molding. It is a thing. Each protrusion 41a-
The upper end surfaces of 1,41a-2, 51a-1, 51a-2 are ground in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, and the upper end surfaces thereof are in the same plane, and the protrusions 51a-1, 51a of one member 31 are The distance between -2 is the other
Greater than that of 21. Then, the marked connectors 21, 31 between the outermost protrusions 41a-2, 51a-1 of both members 21, 31 are drawn.
By detecting the contrast of the marks 41, 51 above, it is appropriate to select the two marked connectors, and these two marked connectors 21, 3
It is possible to check whether 1 is arranged at a predetermined position.

FIG. 5 shows that the marks 42 and 52 are formed by making the entire upper end surfaces of the two members 22 and 32 at the same height and providing a means for polishing or making the reflectance different to the entire area or a part thereof. With such a configuration,
The same inspection as described above can be performed by detecting the distance t between the marks 42 and 52 and the width of each mark.

In FIG. 6, the entire upper surface 23a of one member 23 is ground to form a mark 43, and the other marked connector 33
A protrusion 33 that is flush with the mark 43 on the outer end of the
a-1 is provided, and only the top surface is polished to mark 5
The same inspection can be performed with such a combination of marks.

FIG. 7 shows the positional relationship between the two marked connectors 24 and 34. The male and female connectors 2 and 3 which are the two marked connectors in the above-described embodiment are in a mutually fitted positional relationship. However, as shown in Fig. 7, part of the connector 24 with one mark is connected to the connector with the other mark.
Even when the 34 is attached, the present invention can be applied by providing the marks 44 and 54 on the marked connectors 24 and 34, respectively.

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to change the amount of received light of the reflected light by providing unevenness on the light receiving surface and detect it, or even if unevenness is not provided, it is possible to form a flat surface of the same height. The marks may be formed by forming those having different reflectances, or may be combined with each other.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention,
It is extremely easy and quick to check whether or not the marked connector that should be arranged in a predetermined positional relationship is actually arranged in a predetermined position, and it is easy to automate the production process. Can be applied to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a fitting state diagram of a male and female connector provided with linear marks according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 to FIG. 7 are explanatory diagrams of states in which the other embodiments are simply shown. In the drawings, 1 is a vehicle connector, 2, 3, 21 to 24, 31 to 3
4 is at least 2 or more marked connectors, 4, 5, 41
~ 44 and 51-54 are linear marks.

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A marked connector having a mark for inspecting a fitted state of a pair of male connector and female connector, wherein the male connector and the female connector are fitted together and arranged along a certain direction. Each of the male connector housing and the female connector housing has a reflecting surface having a reflectance different from that of the housing, and is provided with a linear mark detected by light reflected by the reflectance. connector. 2. The connector with mark according to claim 1, wherein the linear mark comprises a convex portion or a concave portion. 3. The connector with mark according to claim 1, wherein the linear mark is provided in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which at least two members are fitted together. 4. The marked connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least two or more marked connectors are male and female connectors for connecting a unit such as an electrical component or an electronic control device. .