Electrical connectors – With vehicle structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2002-04-09
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With vehicle structure
C362S144000, C439S248000, C439S545000, C439S926000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06368114
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wiring structure for a sunvisor.
In general, a sunvisor is, as shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16
, structured such that a horizontal shaft portion
3
b
of an L-shape pipe stay
3
having a vertical shaft portion
3
a
supported rotatively around the vertical shaft by a stay holder
2
joined to a roof panel
1
in a vehicle is inserted into a visor holder
5
of a sunvisor body
4
. Thus, the sunvisor body
4
is supported may in a rotational direction around a horizontal shaft.
The sunvisor body
4
having a vanity mirror
6
is provided with a vanity lamp
7
. When a cover (not shown) of the vanity mirror
6
is opened, a switch is switched on so that the vanity lamp
7
is turned on.
Ends of a pair of electric wires
8
are connected to the vanity lamp
7
. The electric wires
8
are allowed to pass through the inside portion of the stay
3
. A sunvisor-body-side connector
9
joined to other ends of the electric wires
8
is, in the roof panel
1
, connected to a car-body-side connector
11
connected to an electric wire
10
extended from a battery. Thus, the battery in the car body and the vanity lamp
7
of the sunvisor body are electrically connected to each other.
When each rotational movement of the sunvisor body
4
around the horizontal shaft of the stay
3
and lateral movement (when the sunvisor is used ) of the sunvisor body
4
around the vertical shaft is performed, each of the electric wires
8
is twisted to permit the movement of the sunvisor body
4
.
An operation for joining the stay holder
2
, which supports the stay
3
of the sunvisor body
4
, to the roof panel
1
is performed as follows: an operator holds the car-body-side connector
11
by either hand thereof while holding the sunvisor body
4
under the operator's arm in a state in which the car-body-side connector
11
has been drawn into the car body through a joining hole la of the roof panel
1
. Then, the sunvisor-body-side connector
9
is held by the other hand so that the sunvisor-body-side connector
9
and the car-body-side connector
11
are connected to each other. Then, the sunvisor-body-side connector
9
and the electric wires
8
are pushed inwards into the inside portion of the roof panel
1
through the joining hole la while the car-body-side connector
11
and the electric wire
10
are being pushed inwards into the inside portion of the roof panel
1
through the joining hole
1
a.
Then, the stay holder
2
is made contact with the roof panel
1
so as to be secured with screws.
The electric wires
8
of the vanity lamp
7
, which must be allowed to pass through the L-shape stay
3
, however, require a complicated operation for passing the electric wires. Since the sunvisor-body-side connector
9
must be connected to the other ends of the electric wires
8
, also the operation for connecting the sunvisor-body-side connector becomes too complicated.
What is worse, the operator must connect the connectors
9
and
11
by the two hands while holding the sunvisor body
4
under the operator's arm in a state in which the operator faces the roof portion. Therefore, the operation for connecting the connectors is too complicated. Since the electric wires
10
and
8
and the connectors
9
and
11
must be pushed inwards into the inside portion of the roof panel
1
through the joining hole
1
a,
the operation for joining the sunvisor becomes too complicated. As described above, there arise a variety of problems.
In general, a sunvisor is, shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16
, structured such that a horizontal shaft portion
3
b
of an L-shape pipe stay
3
having a vertical shaft portion
3
a
supported rotatively around the vertical shaft by a stay holder
2
joined to a roof panel
1
in a vehicle is inserted into a visor holder
5
of a sunvisor body
4
. Thus, the sunvisor body
4
is supported movably in a rotational direction around a horizontal shaft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the foregoing problems experienced with the conventional technique, an object of the present invention is to provide a wiring structure for a sunvisor which is capable of simplifying a variety of operations required to electrically connect a battery in a car body and a vanity lamp of the sunvisor body to each other.
To solve the foregoing problems, according to aspect
1
of the present invention, there is provided a wiring structure for a sunvisor structured such that a horizontal shaft portion of an L-shape stay having a vertical shaft portion supported rotatively around a vertical shaft by a stay holder joined to a roof panel in a vehicle is inserted into a visor holder of a sunvisor body so that the sunvisor body is supported movably in a rotational direction around a horizontal shaft and the sunvisor body is provided with a vanity lamp, the wiring structure for a sunvisor comprising:
a bus bar for electrically connecting the vanity lamp of the sunvisor body and a battery in the car body to each other is insert-molded into the stay, and a male-terminal portion projects over each end of the vertical shaft and the horizontal shaft.
Since the present invention is structured such that the bus bar is insert-molded into the L-shape stay, a necessity for the conventional structure to pass the electric wires of the vanity lamp through the L-shape pipe stay can be eliminated. In the foregoing case, the operation for passing the electric wires can be omitted.
As in aspect
2
, a sunvisor-side connector for accommodating a female terminal to which an electric wire of the vanity lamp is connected is joined to the visor holder of the sunvisor body such that rotation of the sunvisor connector around the horizontal shaft is permitted, and the male terminal portion of the horizontal shaft portion is engaged to the female terminal of the sunvisor-side connector when the horizontal shaft portion of the stay is inserted into the visor holder. In the foregoing case, when the operation for inserting the horizontal shaft portion of the stay is inserted into the visor holder is performed, the male terminal portion of the bus bar of the horizontal shaft portion can automatically be engaged to the female terminal of the sunvisor-side connector. Therefore, the operation for connecting the connectors can be omitted. When the sunvisor body is rotationally moved around the horizontal shaft, the sunvisor-side connector is rotated around the horizontal shaft. Thus, the rotational movement of the sunvisor body is permitted.
As in aspect
3
, a car-body-side connector for accommodating the male terminal to which an electric wire of the battery is connected is joined to a car-body member in the roof panel such that rotation of the car-body-side connector around the vertical shaft is permitted, and the male terminal portion of the vertical shaft portion is engaged to the female terminal of the car-body-side connector when the stay holder which supports the vertical shaft portion of the stay is joined to the roof panel. In the foregoing case, when the operation for joining the stay holder, which supports the vertical shaft portion of the stay, to the roof panel is performed, the male terminal portion of the bus bar of the vertical shaft portion can automatically be joined to the female terminal of the car-body-side connector. Therefore, the operation for connecting the connectors can be omitted. As for the longitudinal movement of the sunvisor body around the vertical shaft, rotation of the car-body-side connector around the vertical shaft permits the longitudinal movement of the sunvisor body.
As in aspect
4
, a register recess is formed in an end surface of the sunvisor-side connector, a register projection longer than the male terminal portion and projecting over the male terminal portion is formed on end surface of the horizontal shaft portion of the stay, and the register projection is engaged to the register recess when the horizontal shaft portion is inserted into the visor holder. Therefore, the male terminal portion of the horizontal shaft portion of the stay
Abrams Neil
Autonetworks Technologies Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
LandOfFree
Electrical wiring structure for sunvisor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrical wiring structure for sunvisor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrical wiring structure for sunvisor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2834843