Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-21
2003-05-06
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Coupling part or mating part extending into panel opening
C439S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06558193
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fitting structure for fixing an auxiliary component connected to a connector to another connector by interconnecting the two connectors. More particularly, this invention relates to a structure for fitting a sunvisor to a vehicle body provided with a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle interior, sunvisors for a driver and a passenger seat occupant are provided above a front window. Some sorts of sunvisors are provided with vanity mirrors and/or illumination lamps for nighttime.
FIG. 1
shows such a sunvisor with a lamp provided with a bracket at the distal end of a fixing shaft for fixing the sunvisor to the interior of a vehicle. The bracket is screwed to an inner panel in the vehicle interior.
With reference to
FIGS. 1
to
4
, a conventional connection structure for fixing a sunvisor to an inner panel will be described. An inner panel has a hole provided above a front window, through which a wiring harness is drawn out into the interior of a vehicle. A connector attached to the front end of the harness is mated with a connector attached to the front end of a wire drawn out from the bracket. The mating of those two connectors requires manual work by a skilled person.
Then, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the mated connectors and the wiring harness are inserted through the hole formed in the inner panel into a space between the inner panel and an outer panel so as to mount the sunvisor. Specifically, as shown in
FIG. 3
, with the mated connectors and the harness accommodated in the space, a grommet screw formed in the bracket is inserted into a bracket mounting hole formed in the inner panel as shown in
FIG. 3
, thereby to push the bracket into the inner panel.
Then, as shown in
FIG. 4
, a screw is inserted into a central hole of the grommet screw in a cylindrical shape for fastening. The grommet screw has slits at the front end so that it is pushed and expanded by the screw inserted. A plurality of expanded portions of the grommet screw is pressed against an opening periphery of the bracket mounting hole, whereby the bracket is fixed to the inner panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the above conventional fixing structure, however, it can inadvertently occur that the sunvisor is fixed to the inner panel with incomplete engagement between the connector for the wiring harness and the connector for the sunvisor unnoted. Further, it is necessary to confirm that connection terminals not shown are properly fitted into the respective connectors. Incomplete fitting of the terminals prevents power supply to the lamp. If that is the case, all parts mounted should be demounted and checked to repeat a series of mounting steps. This significantly reduces work efficiency.
According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a connector fitting structure for an auxiliary component, which comprises: a first connector held by a first bracket fixed to a panel; a second connector mated with the first connector, the second connector comprising a pair of rails; and a second bracket for supporting the auxiliary component, engaged with the first bracket, the second bracket having a pair of slots engaged with the rails. The rails and the slots extend orthogonal to a mating direction of the first and second connectors, and are brought into sliding engagement with one another. The engagement of the second bracket with the first bracket leads to the fitting of the second connector to the first connector, resulting in the auxiliary component fixed to the panel.
The above structure facilitates the fixing of the second connector to the second bracket, merely requiring lateral slide, and also securely retains the connection between the second connector and the second bracket during mating and demating operations of the connectors.
According to a second aspect of this invention, the second connector further comprises: a body for housing a plurality of connection terminals connected to the auxiliary component; a lid connected to the body via a hinge; an engagement member for engaging the lid with the body; and a connector hood fitted to the first connector. The lid is engaged with the body after the connection terminals are housed in the body, preventing the connection terminals from being pulled out.
The above structure closes the lid to prevent the connection terminals from being pulled out, thereby securely retaining the terminals during mating operation of the connectors. It can be checked whether the connection terminals are retained inside the connector by checking the lid and the engagement member of the body. Further, the above structure secures the connection between the second connector and the second bracket and the retaining of the connection terminals by the second connector during mating and demating operations of the connectors.
According to a third aspect of this invention, the panel constitutes an inner panel of a vehicle passenger compartment; and the first connector and the second connector are mated with one another through an opening provided in a trim fixed to the inner panel. This eliminates the need for introducing wires of the auxiliary component into the inside of the inner panel, thus eliminating difficulties in wiring, and thereby preventing the wires from being caught on the inner panel or other components and damaged.
According to a fourth embodiment of this invention, the auxiliary component constitutes a sunvisor; the second bracket supports an end of a fixing shaft attached to the sunvisor; and the connection terminals are connected to ends of wires led out from the fixing shaft.
This structure applied to such a large auxiliary component as the sunvisor facilitates electrically connecting the sunvisor to the panel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3878099 (1975-04-01), Ogle
patent: 5056853 (1991-10-01), Van Order
patent: 5752853 (1998-05-01), Curtindale
patent: 6398173 (2002-06-01), Sawayanagi
patent: 6406087 (2002-06-01), Sawayanagi
patent: 1 010 556 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 2000272343 (2000-10-01), None
Search Report issued in the European counterpart application.
Sawayanagi Masahiro
Takahashi Goro
Yoneyama Isao
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Harvey James R.
Ta Tho D.
Yazaki -Corporation
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