Connector structure

Details Connector structure Connector structure

2004-02-18

2004-11-02

Gushi, Ross (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling separator

Including retainer or joiner

Reexamination Certificate

active

06811417

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector structure for conducting electrically harnesses provided in front and back spaces of a panel, particularly, to a connector structure suitable for a dash panel of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, there is known a connector
50
for a vehicle as shown in
FIG. 15
as the connector of the kind as described, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-2414 (see pages 4 to 5 on the specification, and
FIGS. 5
to
8
).
The connector
50
for the vehicle is provided on a dash panel
1
for the vehicle, for defining an engine room A
1
and an occupant room A
2
and includes a connector member
60
fixed in an opening
1
a
of the dash panel
1
and disposed within the occupant room A
2
, and a connector member
70
disposed within the engine room A
1
for being fitted to the connector member
60
from the engine room A
1
.
The connector member
60
in the occupant room A
2
includes a housing
61
which is disposed in the occupant room A
2
and which has a food
61
a
facing the engine room A
1
and cavities
62
provided in a portion of the housing
61
within the occupant room A
2
. The food
61
a
is provided to fit a portion of the connector member
60
, disposed in the engine room A
1
and includes cam follower portions
61
b
projected inwardly of the food on opposite sides in an inner surface of the food.
Housed in the cavities
62
are terminals in the occupant room, which are connected electrically with a electric box
64
. The electric box is provided with terminals
65
disposed in the occupant room A
2
. Harnesses
63
disposed in the occupant room A
2
are connected with the terminals
65
in the occupant room.
On the other hand, the connector member
70
disposed in the engine room A
1
includes an introducing portion
71
through which a harness
74
disposed in the engine room A
1
is passed, a casing
72
provided at a leading end of the introducing portion
71
, and a lever
73
attached rotatable on a supporting shaft
72
a
. provided at an outer side surface of the casing
72
. Housed in the casing
72
are terminals disposed in the engine room, which are nut shown and are connected with the harness
74
disposed in the engine room.
The lever
73
is provided with involution-shaped cam grooves
73
a
which have base circles centering on the supporting shaft
72
a
. The cam grooves have at a side of the occupant room A
2
thereof openings
73
b
for receiving the cam follower portions
61
b.
In the connector
50
for the vehicle, having the structure as described above, the casing
72
is inserted in the food
61
a
and then the connector member in the engine room is disposed adjacent the connector member
60
in the occupant room until the cam follower portions
61
b
are inserted through the openings
73
b
in the cam grooves
73
a.
Subsequently, as shown in
FIG. 16
, the connector
70
is fitted in the connector member
60
by rotating upwardly the lever
73
about the supporting shaft
72
a
. to conduct electrically the terminals in the engine and occupant rooms, thus conducting electrically the harnesses
74
and
63
in the engine and occupant rooms.
However, because the lever
73
is rotated upwardly about the supporting shaft
72
a
. in the conventional connector
50
for vehicle, an orbit that the lever passes, becomes large when the connector member
70
is fitted in the connector member
60
.
Therefore, there is a problem that a large space must be kept in the engine room A
1
to fit the connector member
70
in the connector member
60
.
In particular, when the connector member
70
cannot be fitted in the connector member
60
unless a large pressed force is operated, there is a problem in the conventional connector
50
that a further large space must be kept in engine room A
1
, because the lever
73
is required to set in a large size.
In the connector
50
, because the plurality of harnesses
63
in the occupant room must be connected with the terminals
65
disposed in the occupant room A
2
, from the occupant room, it is necessary to provide spaces for the installation of the terminals
65
and for the connection of the terminals and harnesses in the vicinity of the dash panel
1
.
In other words, the connector
50
has a configuration that all of harnesses within the occupant room, such as a harness for acceleration, a door harness and so on which are not required to connect in the vicinity of the dash panel
1
are connected with the terminals
65
within the occupant room. Therefore, there is a problem that a space capable of using effectively within the occupant room is reduced in the vicinity of the dash panel
1
.
Moreover, because the harness
63
which is within the occupant room and is not required to be connected in the vicinity of the dash panel
1
, must be also connected with the terminals
65
, in the connector
50
, it is necessary to cut the entire lines of the harness
74
within the engine room, in a side of a power source, in the vicinity of the dash panel
1
.
Accordingly, there are problems that the numbers of processes for cutting the harness
74
within the engine room and for connecting with the connector
50
are increased and a great deal of harness material is required, thereby increasing a manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made in consideration of the problems as described above, it is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a connector structure capable of minimizing a space for connecting harnesses disposed in first and second spaces in opposite sides of a dash panel.
It is also another object of the present invention to provide a connector structure in which portions for connecting the harnesses are eliminated and a manufacturing cost can be reduced.
To attain the aforementioned objects, a connector structure according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises:
a first connector member having a peripheral edge portion abutted with a peripheral edge of an opening provided in a panel defining a first space and a second space, from the first space; and
a second connector member fitted to the first connector member, from the second space and having a peripheral edge portion abutted with the peripheral edge of the opening to hold the peripheral edge of the opening by the peripheral edge portions of the first and second connector members.
A first harness, which is connected with the first connector member, from the first space and a second harness, which is connected with the second connector member, from the second space, are connected electrically.
At least one of the first and second connector members is provided with a communication path configured to communicate the first and second spaces
A connector structure according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises:
a first connector member having a peripheral edge portion abutted with a peripheral edge of an opening provided in a panel defining a first space and a second space, from the first space and having a lever inserting hole;
a second connector member fitted to the first connector member, from the second space and having a peripheral edge portion abutted with the peripheral edge of the opening to hold the peripheral edge of the opening by the peripheral edge portions of the first and second connector members and having a lever inserting hole;
a first harness connected with the first connector member, from the first space;
a second harness connected with the second connector member, from the second space and connected electrically with the first harness; and
a lever member having an operating portion and a shaft portion extending from the operating portion for being inserted through the lever inserting hole of the first connector member
20
in the lever inserting opening of the second connector member, from the first space.
Furthermore, a mechanism for engaging the first and second connector members is provided between the shaft

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