Connector coupling structure

Details Connector coupling structure Connector coupling structure

2000-04-19

2001-05-15

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With guiding means for mating of coupling part

For constrained pivotal or plural movement coupling

C439S342000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231372

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to connectors for performing the electrical connection between vehiclebody side wiring and vehicle parts having electric devices and, in particular, relates to a connector coupling structure which, at the time of assembling the vehicle parts to a vehicle body, introduces the connectors to a fitting position and corrects the position thereby to surely perform the connection of the connectors as well as the assembling of the vehicle parts to the vehicle.
FIG. 12
shows the connector coupling structure described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-310316A. This connector coupling structure is arranged in a manner that, when a bolt
91
for fixing an instrument panel
85
to a vehicle body
79
is fastened. by a not-shown nut from the vehicle body
79
side, a female connector
83
connected to a vehicle-body side wire harness
81
to be wired in the vehicle body
79
is connected to a male connector
89
of an instrument-panel side wire harness
87
to be wired within the instrument panel
85
and simultaneously the instrument panel
85
is fixed to the vehicle body.
The concrete arrangement of such a related connector coupling structure and the assembling operation thereof will be explained below. The fixing portion
93
of the vehicle body
79
for fixing the instrument panel
85
is provided with a projection portion
97
which is formed protrusively therefrom and has a not-shown bolt hole and a bolt insertion hole
95
communicating with the bolt hole. In contrast, the instrument panel
85
is provided with a fixing portion
99
which is extended from the left and right end portions of the instrument panel. The fixing portion is also provided with a bolt hole
101
and a projection portion
103
which is formed protrusively therefrom and has a not-shown bolt insertion hole communicating with the bolt hole
101
. The both projection portions
97
,
103
are provided on their outer peripheral faces with engagement projections
105
,
107
for engaging with the connector, respectively. The housing
109
of the female connector
83
is provided with a fitting portion
111
which one side fitting with a male connector
89
is enlarged so as to fit with the housing
113
of the male connector
89
. The housing
109
of the female connector
83
and the housing
113
of the male connector
89
have insertion holes
115
,
117
for inserting the projections
97
,
103
therein, respectively.
The assembling of the related connector coupling structure is performed in a manner that, first, the projection portion
97
of the vehicle-body
79
side is inserted into the insertion hole
115
of the female connector
83
and the projection portion
103
of the instrument panel
85
side is inserted into the insertion hole
117
of the male connector
89
. Thereafter, the vehicle body
79
and the female connector
83
are provisionally assembled and also the instrument panel
85
and the male connector
89
are provisionally assembled while they are positioned so that the male terminal and the female terminal of the connector can be fitted. Then, the bolt
91
inserted from the bolt hole
101
of the fixing portion
99
of the instrument panel
85
is fastened by the not-shown nut from the fixing portion
93
side of the vehicle body
79
.
However, in order to prevent the deformation of the connector housing and the breakage of the connector terminal occurred upon assembling, when provisionally assembling the female connector and the male connector, it is necessary to surely align the widths of the fitting portions of both the connectors and to position so that the both connector terminals are surely fitted.
Further, even after the both connector terminals are adjusted in their positions so that they are fitted surely, when the bolt is fastened excessively upon fastening the bolt by the nut, the connector housings and the connector terminals may be broken.
In this manner, the related technique has a problem that the workability at the time of assembling the vehicle parts such as the instrument panel etc. to the vehicle body is not good and so the assembling time increases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector coupling structure which can improve the workability of the assembling operation between vehicle parts on which connectors are mounted and a vehicle body etc.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a connector coupling structure comprising:
a first connector frame including:
a fitting groove, a first end portion thereof being opened, opposing side walls thereof having a first width at a second end portion thereof and being wider toward the first end portion, and bottom face thereof being slanted so as to be deeper at the first end portion;
a first fitting hole formed on the bottom face of the first end portion of the fitting groove, the first fitting hole extending in a direction perpendicular to the fitting groove, the first fitting hole having a bottom;
a first connector provided in the first fitting hole; and
a second fitting hole formed on the bottom face of an intermediate portion of the fitting groove, the second fitting hole extending parallel with the first fitting hole; and
a second connector frame including:
a base plate having a width substantially identical with the first width of the fitting groove;
a second connector provided on a first face of the base plate; and
a fitting projection provided on the first face of the base plate, the longitudinal dimension thereof being longer than a longitudinal dimension of the second connector,
the second connector frame inserted into the fitting groove from the opened first end portion thereof, slid along the fitting groove while the tip end of the fitting projection is abutted against the bottom face of the fitting groove to respectively fit the second connector and the fitting projection with the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole in order to couple the second connector with the first connector.
Preferably, a comer portion of the tip end of the fitting projection is tapered.
According to the above configuration, when the second connector frame is inserted into the fitting groove of the first connector frame from the opening of the first end portion, the second connector is introduced to the position to be fit with the first connector and corrected in its position by means of the slant side walls and the bottom face. When the fitting projection of the second connector frame is inserted into the second fitting hole of the first connector frame, the connectors are positioned at the fitting positions. Further, when the fitting projection is pushed into the second fitting hole, the first and second connectors are naturally coupled. In this manner, when the second connector frame is inserted from the opening of the first end portion of the fitting groove and slid therein, the second connector can be surely introduced to the fitting position and corrected in its position, whereby the connectors can be surely and quickly coupled.
Preferably, the second end portion of the fitting groove is closed wall face so that the second connector and the fitting projection respectively, faces to the first fitting hole and the second fitting hole when the side face of the base plate is abutted against the closed wall face.
Preferably, the first connector frame includes a bolt inserted from an opening formed on the bottom of the second fitting hole. The second connector frame includes a through hole piercing the fitting projection into which the bolt is inserted, and a nut buried in the fitting projection coaxially with the through hole, with which the bolt is fitted. The tightening operation of the bolt and the nut moves the second connector toward the first connector.
Preferably, the bolt includes a thread portion positioned so as to disengage from the nut when the first connector and the second connector are completely coupled after the tightening operation.
Preferably,

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