Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact – Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2002-05-07
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2875)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
C439S249000, C439S034000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06383001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fitting structure for fitting a modular connector to a vehicle body panel for the purpose of supplying electric power to vehicle interior equipment such as sun visors, vehicle room lamps, and so on when they are mounted on a roof trim to be integral therewith.
The vehicle sun visor has originally been a sun shading plate which is mounted inside the vehicle in order to cut off sunlight. However, due to recent increase of women drivers, there have appeared some sun visors which are provided with mirrors and lamps on sun visor bodies.
In such a sun visor, a power supply electric wire is connected to a connector which is provided on a shaft for supporting the sun visor for conduction of electricity from a power source to the lamps.
FIGS. 8A
to
8
C are sectional views showing respective steps of fitting such connector to the vehicle body panel covered with the roof trim.
A connector
30
consists of a bracket
32
provided with an electric wire insertion tube
35
, a connection electric wire
40
a
guided out from the electric wire insertion tube
35
, and a joint connector (female type)
41
a
attached to the electric wire
40
a.
On the other hand, a power supply electric wire
40
b
held between an inner panel
37
covered with a roof trim
36
and an outer wall panel
38
of the vehicle body is guided out through a fitting hole
37
a
formed in the inner panel
37
, and a joint connector (male type)
41
b
is attached to an end of the electric wire
40
b
(FIG.
8
A).
In the next step, the joint connector
41
a
and the joint connector
41
b
are engaged, and the engaged joint connectors
41
a,
41
b
are inserted into a space between the inner panel
37
and the outer wall panel
38
. Then, the bracket
32
is fitted to the fitting hole
37
a
in the inner panel
37
(FIG.
8
B).
Thereafter, the bracket
32
is fixed to the inner panel
37
by means of screws or the like. The joint connectors
41
a,
41
b
are positioned at an approximately middle part between the inner panel
37
and the outer wall panel
38
and brought into a mechanically and electrically stabilized state (FIG.
8
C).
However, in fitting the above described connector
30
to the inner panel
37
, the joint connector (male type)
41
b
on the vehicle side is once drawn out through the fitting hole
37
a
in the inner panel
37
to make a connection between the joint connectors
41
a,
41
b.
For this reason, each of the electric wires
40
a
and
40
b
is provided with an excess length in addition to a determined length.
Accordingly, there has been probability that the joint connectors
41
a,
41
b
may be damaged by getting caught between the inner panel
37
and the outer wall panel
38
, or the electric wires
40
a,
40
b
may be bitten between the inner panel
37
or the outer wall panel
38
and the joint connectors
41
a,
41
b.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been made in view of the above described circumstances, and it is an object of the invention to provide a fitting structure for a modular connector in which a catch of the joint connectors and a bite of the electric wires will be prevented, and workability of fitting the modular connector can be improved.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a modular connector for attaching an interior equipment of a vehicle onto an interior wall member covering an inner face of a vehicle body panel and for supplying electric power to the interior equipment, comprising:
a connector member attached onto the interior wall member, and provided with a through hole and a first electric wire for supplying the electric power to the interior equipment;
a bracket member provided with the interior equipment and a tube-shaped body through which a second electric wire is led out from the interior equipment, the tube-shaped body being inserted into the through hole to engaged with the connector member to electrically connect the first and second electric wires;
a wire holder protruded from an outer peripheral face of the tube-shaped body and extending in an axial direction of the tube-shaped body, for holding the second electric wire;
a first engagement member arranged in a portion defined as a spatial region surrounded by the wire holder, the outer peripheral face of the tube-shaped body, and a tangent line connecting a ridge portion of the wire holder and the outer peripheral face of the tube-shaped body; and
a second engagement member provided in a circumferential portion of the through hole of the connector member, for being engaged with the first engaging member to retain the bracket member onto the connector member.
In this configuration, since the first engaging member is arranged in a portion defined as a spatial region surrounded by the wire holder, the outer peripheral face of the tube-shaped body, and a tangent line connecting a ridge portion of the wire holder and the outer peripheral face of the tube-shaped body, when the connector member is inserted into the through hole of the connector member, the first engaging member will not interfere with the through hole, and the insertion can be smoothly performed.
Therefore, the fitting work can be smoothly performed to enhance efficiency of the work, and damages of the first engagement member and other members will be prevented.
In this configuration, since the electric wire drawn out from the tube-shaped body is trimmed through the wire holder, and there is no need of excess length of the electric wires, the catch of the joint connectors between the vehicle body panel and the outer wall panel of the vehicle, and the bite of the electric wires attributed to the presence of the excess length of the electric wires will be prevented.
Moreover, since the wire holder is in such a form as extending in the fitting direction of the bracket member, the wire holder acts as a fitting guide when the bracket is inserted into the through hole of the connector member, whereby the bracket member can be smoothly inserted into the connector member.
Further, since the wire holder is provided on the tube-shaped portion, unstable movement of the excess portion of the electric wire will be eliminated.
Preferably, a slit from which the second electric wire is inserted is formed in the ridge portion of the wire holder.
In this configuration, the electric wire is smoothly introduced into the wire holder, and the workability of inserting the electric wire can be enhanced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 63-72115 (1988-05-01), None
patent: 7-47839 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 11-78521 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 11-507309 (1999-06-01), None
Patent Abstract of Japan 07-047839, Feb. 21, 1995.
Patent Abstract of Japan 11-078521, Mar. 23, 1999.
Hammond Briggitte R.
Luebke Renee
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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