Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2001-11-27
Arbes, Carl J. (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S868000, C029S869000, C029S881000, C439S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321446
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of fitting connectors and the connectors for use in the method, for easily ascertaining whether the connectors have been completely or incompletely fitted to each other. The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei. 9-185589 and Hei. 9-236014 which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called mount-on-panel type connector is such that a mating connector is fitted into the other connector retained in a through-hole of a vehicle body. A connector of the sort disclosed in, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-91628 will be described with reference to
FIGS. 18
,
19
and
20
.
FIG. 18
is an exploded perspective view of a door illustrative of a wiring method;
FIG. 19
is, an exploded perspective view of a connector supporting structure on a trim side; and
FIG. 20
is, an exploded perspective view of a connector supporting structure on a frame side. A connector
5
on a trim side is provided in one end portion of a harness
3
on the trim side, the harness
3
being wired to the side of a door trim
1
. A pair of U-shaped connector supports
7
projecting toward a door frame
9
are provided on the lower side of the intermediate portion of the door trim
1
in such a manner that the open sides of the connector supports
7
face each other. A rubber ring
11
is mounted on the connector
5
on the trim side. The connector
5
on the trim side is press-fitted in between the pair of connector supports
7
in such a state that projections
13
projecting from the outer surface of the connector
5
are retained in engaging holes
15
bored in the rubber ring
11
in a manner free from slipping off. The connector
5
on the trim side is so postured that it is allowed to slightly move vertically and horizontally and held within a plane perpendicularly intersecting the direction of the door frame
9
because of the elastic deformation of the rubber ring
11
.
On the other hand; a connector-supporting recessed portion
17
is provided on the side of the door frame
9
facing the connector
5
on the trim side. Further, a connector
21
on the frame side is provided in an end portion branching off the mid-portion of a harness
19
on the frame side wired to the side of the door frame
9
. The connector
21
on the frame side is fitted into the connector-supporting recessed portion
17
and mounted therein in such a state that flexible retaining protrusions
23
provided on the outer side surfaces of the connector
21
on the frame side have been retained in retaining holes
25
provided in the inner peripheral surface of the connector-supporting recessed portion
17
, respectively. The connector
21
on the frame side in this case is so postured and held that it is allowed to slightly move in one direction because of the flexibility of the retaining protrusions
23
.
When the door trim
1
with the harness
3
thus wired is incorporated into the door frame
9
with the harness
19
on the frame side thus wired as shown in
FIG. 18
, the connector
5
on the trim side is automatically connected to the connector
21
on the frame side. The slight shifting of both connectors
5
,
21
from each other at this time is absorbed by the freedom of the rubber ring
11
and the retaining protrusions
23
, whereby both connectors are precisely connected to each other.
The aforesaid method is effective when there exists the necessity of connecting circuits for electric equipment on the side of the door frame
9
and what is on the side of the door trim
1
and besides these circuits become readily connectable.
In addition, a rubber grommet is mounted on a panel as a mount-on-panel type connector of the sort described above and this grommet is brought into intimate contact with the panel so that it has a waterproof sealing function as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 8-330019. This connector will subsequently be described with reference to
FIG. 21
, which is an exploded perspective view of a conventional waterproof connector.
A waterproof connector
31
in this example comprises an inside connector
37
mounted from the inside with respect to a panel
35
which has a mounting hole
33
and used to partition the environment into the inside and the outside, and an outside connector
39
mounted from the outside. The outside connector
39
comprises a connector housing
41
for accommodating terminal metal fittings (not shown) pressure-welded to the tip of an electric wire, a panel sealing grommet
43
for covering one side of the connector housing
41
from which the electric wire is drawn, tying up the electric wire thus drawn in a bundle and guiding the bundle to one side, and a grommet cover
45
for covering the grommet
43
and press-holding the peripheral edge of the grommet
43
toward the panel
35
. The inside and outside connectors
37
,
39
are coupled to each other by tightly screwing a bolt
47
passed through from the side of the aforesaid grommet cover
45
into the inside connector
37
.
In the case of the waterproof connector
31
thus constructed, the grommet
43
is put on the connector housing
41
while retaining projections
51
,
53
of covers
41
b
,
41
c
for covering a base body
41
a
are being inserted into the through-hole
49
of the grommet
43
, and the leading end sides of the respective retaining projections
51
,
53
are projected out of the through-hole
49
. Subsequently, the grommet cover
45
is put on the grommet
43
. While the grommet cover
45
is being slid along the surface without the retaining projections
51
,
53
and moved to a proper fit-in position with respect to the grommet
43
, the mounting of the grommet
43
is completed in a state in which the grommet
43
is kept in intimate contact with the panel
35
.
In the conventional connector shown in
FIGS. 18
,
19
and
20
, however, since it has been arranged that the connector
5
on the trim side and the connector
21
on the frame side are indirectly positioned and fitted to each other by incorporating the door trim
1
into the door frame
9
, the problem is that the (incompletely and completely) fitted condition of both connectors
5
,
21
remains hardly easily confirmable.
In the conventional connector shown in
FIG. 21
, since the fit-in portions of the inside and outside connectors
37
,
39
are hidden by the grommet
43
, the fit-in work becomes difficult to do. Further, since the base body
41
a
and the pair of covers
41
b
,
41
c
for covering the rear surface side of the base body
41
a
are used for forming the outside connector
39
and since the grommet cover
45
for press-fitting and holding the grommet
43
is required, the problem is that the number of parts tends to increase and this results in lowering fitting workability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of fitting connectors by which their fitted condition is made readily confirmable, and connectors for use in this method; and another object of the present invention is to provide a method of fitting connectors by which confirmation of their fitted condition, fitting work and waterproof treatment are readily made and connectors for use in this method.
In order to accomplish the above objects, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fitting connectors comprising the steps of:
providing a first connector, a second connector fittable into the first connector and a joint body having a mounting hole;
inserting the first connector into the mounting hole from one side face of the joint body;
temporarily retaining the first connector in the mounting hole;
inserting the second connector into the first connector from the other side face of the joint body;
releasing the temporary retaining condition of the first connector in the mounting hole simultaneously with fitting the first and second connecto
Iwata Yoshifumi
Suzuki Takahiko
Watanabe Hiroshi
Arbes Carl J.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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