JP4209786B2 - Connector structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector structure , for example, a connector structure that can prevent foreign matter from entering a female connector in a non-connected state in a female connector used to connect a wire harness routed in an automobile.

Conventionally, there has been known a connector structure as shown in FIG. 3 for preventing foreign matter from entering the connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In this connector structure 100, the female connector 101 is provided with an exterior cover 103 having an insertion port 102 for inserting the male connector 120 in the center. On the inner side of the outer cover 103, vertical slide inner covers 104 and 105 that move up and down along the back surface 103 a of the outer cover 103, and horizontal slide inner covers 106 and 107 that move in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 4). Is provided.
When the vertical slide interior covers 104 and 105 are close to each other, the opposing end surfaces come into contact with each other, and inclined surfaces 104a and 105a are provided on the respective end surfaces. Similarly, the laterally sliding interior covers 106 and 107 are also provided so as to be able to approach and separate from each other, and although not shown, inclined surfaces are also provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, a guide rib 108 for guiding the movement of each of the interior covers 104, 105, 106, 107 is attached to the back surface 103 a of the exterior cover 103, and the guide rib 108 is inserted into the insertion slot 102. It has a wide cross shape with the center. Each of the interior covers 104, 105, 106, and 107 is movably guided inside the guide rib 108 and is constantly urged toward the center by springs 109 a and 109 b.
Accordingly, the insertion slot 102 is normally double-covered by the vertical slide interior covers 104 and 105 and the horizontal slide interior covers 106 and 107.

In such a connector structure 100, when the male connector 120 is inserted into the insertion slot 102 of the female connector 101, the front end of the male connector 120 first pushes the inclined surfaces 104a and 105a of the vertical slide interior covers 104 and 105, thereby causing the vertical slide interior. Covers 104 and 105 are pushed up and down.
Next, similarly, the laterally sliding interior covers 106 and 107 are pushed left and right to be connected to the internal device side connector 110.
JP 2001-203032 A (FIG. 2)

  By the way, in the connector structure 100 as described above, the lid opening / closing mechanism is complicated, and the parts such as the interior covers 104, 105, 106, 107 and springs 109a, 109b constituting the lid are small. There is a problem that it is not reliable because it may be damaged during insertion or malfunction. In addition, since the number of parts is large, there is an inconvenience that the cost is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector structure that can improve reliability and reduce costs with a simple structure.

1) In order to achieve the above-described object, a connector structure according to the present invention is a connector structure including a female connector and a mounting base to which the female connector is attached, the female connector including a lid, And an opening means for opening the lid by attaching the female connector to the mounting base, the opening means being a protrusion for positioning the connector housing of the female connector provided on the female connector mounting surface of the mounting base And a receiving rib that engages with the positioning projection at a position that does not interfere with the opening of the lid and opens the lid, and the lid is a double folding door that is folded near the center, and the female connector is By the operation of attaching to the mounting base, the lid is folded so as to contact a part of the mounting base and face the direction orthogonal to the mounting direction .

  In the female connector configured as described above, the opening that is the male connector insertion port is covered with the lid that is a double-folded door, and therefore, foreign matters can be prevented from entering the female connector with a simple structure.

  2) The female connector according to the present invention is characterized in that the lid is provided integrally with a connector housing of the female connector.

  In the female connector configured as described above, a two-fold cover that covers the opening is provided integrally with the connector housing, so that the reliability of the opening / closing operation is improved with a simple structure and the number of parts is reduced. Cost can be reduced.

  In the connector structure thus configured, the lid of the female connector is opened by the opening means.

Further, in the connector structure configured as described above, when the connector housing of the female connector is attached to the positioning projection position of the mounting base, the projection hits the receiving rib provided on the lid that covers the opening of the female connector. Therefore, the lid can be opened simultaneously with the attachment of the female connector to the mounting base.

Further , the connector structure according to the present invention is characterized in that the lid is a double folding door that is folded near the center.
In the connector structure configured as described above, since the lid is a two-fold door that bends in the vicinity of the center, the opening radius of the lid can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, since there are a large number of parts as in the prior art, it is possible to solve the problem of inconvenience that there is a risk of cost increase or malfunction and there is a lack of reliability. The effect that mixing of can be prevented is acquired.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment according to the connector structure of the present invention , FIG. 2A is a side view showing a state before the female connector is attached to the mounting base, and FIG. 1B is a state after being attached to the mounting base. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a connector structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a female connector 20 and a mounting base 30 for mounting the female connector 20.
The female connector 20 has a rectangular box-shaped connector housing 22 having an opening 21 which is a male connector insertion port on the front surface. Terminals accommodated inside the connector housing 22 are provided on a bottom plate 22a of the connector housing 22. An electric wire introduction portion 24 connected to (not shown) is provided.

The opening 21 is provided with a bi-fold lid 23 that can completely cover the opening 21 and that is folded near the center. For example, a thin-walled hinge portion 23c is provided at the upper end of the lid 23, and is integrally provided with the connector housing 22 via the hinge portion 23c.
The central portion 23a of the lid 23 is also provided with a thinned hinge portion, for example, and the central portion 23a is bent inside the connector housing 22 and opened in two.
When closed, the central portion 23 a of the lid 23 is bent so as to enter the connector housing 22. Thereby, when the lower part of the lid | cover 23 is lifted, the lid | cover 23 can be smoothly opened and opened.

A receiving rib 23 b is provided at the lower end portion of the lid 23 so as to protrude outward in the left and right sides at a position where it does not interfere with the opening 21.
Therefore, when the lid 23 opens and closes, the receiving rib 23 b moves up and down along the front end surface 22 b of the connector housing 22, so that the lower end portion of the lid 23 does not enter the connector housing 22. For this reason, it can be easily closed by pulling down the lower part of the lid 23.

At the mounting position of the female connector 20 on the mounting base 30, a pair of left and right positioning projections 31L and 31R serving as opening means for positioning the female connector 20 are provided protruding upward from the female connector mounting surface 33. The upper ends of the positioning protrusions 31L and 31R are bent to provide a horizontal portion 31a.
The positioning protrusions 31L and 31R can be provided by cutting and raising, but can also be prepared separately and attached to the attachment surface 30a. Further, a notch 32 is provided corresponding to the electric wire introduction part 24 of the female connector 20.

Next, an operation when the female connector 20 is attached to the attachment base 30 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2A, in the female connector 20 before being attached to the mounting base 30, the lid 23 is lowered to cover the opening 21. In this state, when the female connector 20 is positioned between the left and right positioning protrusions 31L and 31R and the female connector 20 is lowered, the left and right opening means are provided as projecting left and right from the lid 23 of the female connector 20. The receiving rib 23b contacts the horizontal portion 31a at the upper end of the positioning projections 31L and 31R. Accordingly, the lower end of the lid 23 stops descending, so that the lower end of the lid 23 relatively rises as the female connector 20 descends. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, the central portion 23a of the lid 23 is folded inside the connector housing 22, and the lid 23 is opened. In addition, the electric wire introduction part 24 of the female connector 20 is fitted into the notch 32 of the mounting base 30.

  As described above, according to the female connector 20 and the connector structure 10 described above, the lid 23 covers the opening 21 of the female connector 20 before the female connector 20 is attached to the mounting base 30, so that the female connector 20 can be surely secured with a simple structure. 20 can prevent foreign matter from entering the inside. Further, when the female connector 20 is attached to the mounting base 30, the lid 23 is simultaneously opened and the opening 21 is exposed, so that the reliability of the opening / closing operation of the lid 23 can be enhanced. Further, the male connector can be easily inserted and the number of parts can be reduced, so that the cost can be reduced.

The connector structure of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and appropriate modifications and improvements can be made.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the positioning protrusions 31L and 31R serving as the opening means and the receiving ribs 23b serving as the opening means of the lid 23 are provided on the left and right, respectively. is there.
Further, the shape of the positioning protrusions 31L and 31R and the shape of the receiving rib 23b are not particularly limited. When the female connector 20 is attached to the mounting base 30, any shape may be used as long as the receiving rib 23b can be reliably locked and the lower end of the lid 23 can be stopped.

It is a perspective view which shows the female connector and connector structure which concern on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a side view which shows the state before attaching a female connector to a mounting base, (B) is a side view which shows the state after attaching. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional connector structure. It is a front view which shows the motion of the lid | cover in the connector structure of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Connector structure 10a Mounting surface 20 Female connector 21 Opening 22 Connector housing 23 Lid 23b Receiving rib (opening means)
30 Mounting base 31L, 31R Positioning protrusion (opening means)

Claims (1)

A connector structure comprising a female connector and a mounting base for mounting the female connector,
  The female connector includes a lid, and the connector structure has an opening means for opening the lid by attaching the female connector to the mounting base.
  The opening means includes a projection for positioning the connector housing of the female connector provided on the female connector mounting surface of the mounting base;
  It comprises a receiving rib that opens the lid by engaging the positioning projection at a position that does not interfere with the opening of the lid,
  The lid is a two-fold door that folds in the vicinity of the center, and the lid is folded so as to be in contact with a part of the mounting base and face the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction by the operation of mounting the female connector to the mounting base. Characteristic connector structure.

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