JP2656871B2 - Protector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a protector to which an electrical connector capable of easily connecting male and female electrical connectors is fixed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of a protector to which an electric connector is fixed. In these figures, the protector 10 includes a protector body 20 in which a plurality of female electrical connectors 40 are fixed, and a cover 30 detachably coupled to the protector body 20 and covering the outer peripheral surface of the female electrical connector 40. Made up of In the protector 10, the female electrical connectors 40 are arranged in parallel on one surface of the protector body 20, and one side of the female electrical connector 40 is fixed. The cover 30 is coupled to the protector body 20 so as to cover one side of the protector body 20 and the other side of the female electrical connector 40. The female electrical connector 2
0 is accommodated between the protector body 20 and the cover 30 on the rear end side of the female electrical connector 40,
A connection surface 41 with the mating connector opens in the same direction as the opening 22 formed by the protector body 20 and the cover 30.

The protector body 20 protrudes from an inner surface 21 of the protector 1 with a predetermined gap X from the inner surface 21.
0 has a support member 23 extending toward the opening 22 (that is, in a direction opposite to the connection direction of the electrical connectors 40 and 50 indicated by the arrow P).
The outer peripheral surface 42 projects from the outer peripheral surface 42 and a predetermined gap Y
Toward the electric wire connection portion 44 of the female electrical connector 40 (that is, in the connection direction P of the electrical connectors 40 and 50).
It has an extended support member 43. When the female electrical connector 40 is inserted into the opening 22 of the protector 10, the support member 43 of the female electrical connector 40 can be fitted and locked while sliding in the gap X of the protector 10, or the support of the protector 10 can be supported. The member 23 can be fitted and locked while sliding in the gap Y of the female electrical connector 40, forming a so-called cassette through mechanism.

In such a configuration, the side of the electric wire connection portion 44 of the female electrical connector 40 is connected to the opening 2 of the protector 10.
2, the female connector 40 can be fixed to the protector 10 by the cassette through mechanism described above.

[0005]

However, as shown in FIG. 6, when the male electrical connector 50 is fitted and connected to the female electrical connector 40 fixed to the protector 10, the fitting is tight. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a force toward the female electrical connector 40 to insert the male electrical connector 50. In particular, as the number of poles of the connector 50 increases, the insertion force also increases. The female electrical connector 40 is fixed and supported at one position by the protector main body 20 and the cassette through mechanism, and the insertion force F acts on the protector main body 20 above the support member 23 as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the male electrical connector 50 abuts on the female electrical connector 40 and is fitted with the insertion force F, a clockwise rotational moment M acts on the support member 23 of the protector body 20. At this time, since there is a gap S on the inner surface of the cover 30 facing the support member 23 of the protector body 20, the support member 2
3 is bent upward, the connection surface 41 of the female electrical connector 40 moves upward, and the female electrical connector 40 is inclined. For this reason, it is difficult to fit and connect the electrical connectors 40 and 50, and even if they can be fitted, they may be incompletely fitted, or the support member 23 of the protector body 20 or the support member 43 of the female electrical connector 40 may not be connected. There was a risk of damage.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
An object of the present invention is to provide a protector capable of restricting the movement of an electric connector when inserting and connecting a mating electric connector to an electric connector fixed to the protector, thereby facilitating connection of the electric connector.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a protector-side support member for fixing a connector by fitting / locking with a connector-side support member protruded from one side of an outer periphery of the connector. A protector body protruding from one side, and a flat cover that is detachably coupled to the protector body and connected to the protector body to cover one side of the protector body and cover the other side of the connector. A protector, which is in contact with the other side of the connector and which controls movement of the connector at the time of insertion / mating with the mating connector with the protector-side support member, and in a direction of insertion / mating of the mating connector into the connector. And a reinforcing rib provided in a long shape along the cover.

[0008]

When the mating connector is pressed and fitted into the connector fixed to the protector body by the protector side support member and the connector side support member, the connector moves because the projection of the cover is in contact with the other side surface of the connector. Without this, the mating connector can be easily inserted into the connector. Further, even if a force other than the fitting direction is applied to the connector from the mating connector, the connector is not deformed and does not move because the cover is reinforced by the reinforcing ribs. This also makes it possible to easily insert the mating connector into the connector.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a protector for an electrical connector according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the same or equivalent parts and members as those of the above-described conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention differs from the above-mentioned conventional example in the following points.

From the inner surface of the cover 70, the protector body 20
That is, a protrusion 71 is provided as a contact portion protruding toward the outer surface of the electric connector 40.

The other parts are not particularly different from the above-mentioned conventional example, and the description thereof is omitted.

In such a configuration, when the male electrical connector 50 is advanced in the connection direction of the connector indicated by the arrow P in FIG. 2 and fitted into the female electrical connector 40 while applying a pressure F as shown in FIG. A rotational moment acts on the support member 23 of the main body 20 in a clockwise direction, whereby the support member 23 is bent and the female electrical connector 40 tends to tilt toward the cover 70. However, since the outer peripheral surface of the female electrical connector 40 is in contact with the contact portion 71 of the cover 70, the reinforcing rib 72 extending in the longitudinal direction is further provided on the inner surface of the cover 70.
And cannot be easily deformed (that is, the opening 61 of the protector 60 cannot be easily opened).
The support member 23 cannot be bent, and the female electrical connector 40 can be always held in the connection direction P of the connector. Therefore, the male electrical connector 50 is replaced with the female electrical connector 40.
Can be easily fitted and connected.

As shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the structure of the protector 60 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, a protruding piece 91 as an abutting portion is provided upright from the inner surface of the cover 90 toward the protector body 20. The outer peripheral surface of the mold electrical connector 40 can also be clamped.

In this manner, the movement of the female electrical connector 40 can be restricted even on a plane orthogonal to the plane on which the above-mentioned rotational moment M acts, and the male electrical connector 50 can be connected to the female electrical connector as compared with the embodiment of FIG. The electric connector 40 can be more easily fitted and connected.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the female electrical connector 40 is fixed to the protector main body 20, and the male electrical connector 50 is fitted and connected to the female electrical connector 40. Conversely, male electrical connector 50
Is fixed to the protector body 20, and the female electrical connector 40
Can be fitted and connected to the male electrical connector 50.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the mating electric connector is inserted into the electric connector fixed to the protector body, the contact portion of the cover is in contact with the electric connector. Since the connector cannot be inclined with respect to the connection direction of the connector and the electric connector can always be held in the connection direction of the connector, the mating electric connector can be easily inserted and connected to the electric connector.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a protector according to the present invention and showing a state where a female electrical connector is fixed to the protector.

FIG. 2 shows a state before fitting and connecting a male electrical connector to a female electrical connector fixed to a protector.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of a main part of the protector of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of a main part of the protector of FIG. 1, showing a state in which a male electrical connector is fitted and connected to a female electrical connector fixed to the protector.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the protector according to the present invention,
It is a perspective view showing the state where the female type electrical connector was fixed to the protector.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional protector and showing a state where a female electrical connector is fixed to the protector.

FIG. 6 shows a state before fitting and connecting the male electrical connector to the female electrical connector fixed to the protector.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the protector of FIG.

7 shows the main part of the protector of FIG. 5, showing a state in which the female electrical connector moves and the protector is deformed when the male electrical connector is pressed into the female electrical connector fixed to the protector. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 protector body 40 electric connector 60, 80 protector 70, 90 cover 71 projection (contact portion) 72 reinforcing rib 91 projecting piece (contact portion)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A protector body having a protector-side support member, which is fitted and locked to a connector-side support member protruding from one side of an outer periphery of a connector to fix the connector, protrudes from one surface, and the protector body. A protector that is detachably connected to the protector body and is connected to the protector body to cover one side of the protector body, and a flat cover that covers the other side of the connector. A projection that abuts on the protector-side support member to regulate the movement of the connector at the time of insertion / mating with the mating connector, and is provided in an elongated shape along the insertion / mating direction of the mating connector to the connector. And a reinforcing rib provided on the cover.