Electrical connectors – With vehicle structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-01
2002-04-30
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With vehicle structure
C439S264000, C439S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06379158
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a steering unit-mounting structure for mounting a steering unit (switch box), having combination switches (provided in the vicinity of a steering wheel of an automobile) for turning signal lamps, wipers, headlights and so on, on a steering post.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5
shows a steering wheel mounting portion of an ordinary construction in an automobile. A steering shaft
10
is rotatably supported on a steering post
20
. A steering unit
30
and a rotary connector (rotary connection device)
40
are mounted on that portion of the steering post
20
disposed in a car room. A steering wheel
50
is mounted on a distal end portion
11
of the steering shaft
10
, extending through the steering unit
30
and the rotary connector
40
, so as to rotate with the steering shaft
10
. An electric equipment
51
, such as a horn switch and an air bag, is mounted on the steering wheel
50
. Combination switches for turning signal lamps, wipers and so on, are incorporated in the steering unit
30
, and operating levers
31
and
32
for effecting the switching operation of these switches are mounted on left and right side surfaces of the steering unit
30
, respectively. A wire harness
60
for connecting a control circuit on a vehicle body to the electric equipment
51
on the steering wheel
50
and the combination switches in the steering unit
30
is arranged to extend along the steering post
10
, and for example, female connectors
61
are fixedly secured to a distal end of this wire harness.
FIG. 6
shows a conventional mounting structure for mounting the steering unit
30
on the steering post
10
. The distal end of the wire harness
60
projects slightly beyond a distal end
21
of the steering post
20
. The distal end of the wire harness
60
is divided into a plurality of sections, and the female connectors
61
a
to
61
c
are fixedly secured to these sections, respectively. A recess
22
for receiving the projected portion of the wire harness
60
after the connection of the connectors is formed in the steering post
20
in adjacent relation to a distal end
21
thereof. A through hole
33
for fitting on the steering shaft
10
, projecting from the steering post
20
, is formed through the steering unit
30
, and male connectors
62
a
to
62
c
for connection respectively to the female connectors
61
a
to
61
c
are fixedly mounted on the steering unit
30
.
Generally, in connectors, male terminals are press-fitted respectively into female terminals, thereby making an electrical connection therebetween. Therefore, the number of pins in the connector, which can be manually connected, is limited. Therefore, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the distal end of the wire harness is divided into a plurality of sections, and the connection must be made using the plurality of connectors
61
a
to
61
c
and
62
a
to
62
c.
For mounting the steering unit
30
on the steering post
20
, the operator first holds the steering unit
30
with one hand, and in this condition the male connectors
62
a
to
62
c
are connected to the female connectors
61
a
to
61
c
, respectively. Then, that portion of the wire harness
60
, projecting from the distal end
21
of the steering post
20
, and the female connectors
61
a
to
61
c
are pushed into the recess
22
in the steering post
20
, and in this condition the steering shaft
10
is passed through the through hole
33
in the steering unit
30
. Then, the steering unit
30
and the steering post
20
are positioned relative to each other, and thereafter the steering unit
30
is fixed to the steering post
20
by bolts or the like (not shown).
In the above conventional steering unit-mounting structure, however, the female connectors
61
a
to
61
c
, associated with the steering post
20
, must be manually connected respectively to the male connectors
62
a
to
62
c
on the steering unit
30
, and this operation must be carried out in the narrow cockpit of the automobile, and therefore the mounting operation is very difficult. In
FIG. 6
, although the wire harness
60
and the connectors
61
a
to
61
c
and
62
a
to
62
c
are arranged on one side of the steering shaft
10
, such wire harness
60
and connectors
61
a
to
61
c
and
62
a
to
62
c
must be arranged on each side of the steering shaft
10
if the number of circuits increases. In this case, the number of the connectors increases, which leads to high possibilities of a connection error, a connection omission and incomplete connection.
And besides, the plurality of connectors
61
a
to
61
c
must be connected respectively to the plurality of connectors
62
a
to
62
c
while holding the steering unit
30
with one hand, and therefore the efficiency of the operation is low. Furthermore, when pushing that portion of the wire harness
60
, projecting from the distal end
21
of the steering post
20
, into the recess
21
in the steering post
20
, the elasticity of the wire harness provides a load, and therefore the steering unit
30
must be pressed against the steering post
20
, and this further worsens the operation efficiency.
Furthermore, when that portion of the wire harness
60
, projecting from the steering post
20
, is pushed into the recess, this portion is deformed, and if this deformed portion is held between the steering unit
30
and the steering post
20
, the steering unit
30
can not be fixed to the steering post
20
, and therefore the operation must be again carried out from the beginning. Alternatively, if the steering unit
30
is forcibly fixed to the steering post
20
, a sheath of the wire harness
60
, held between the steering unit
30
and the steering post
20
, is broken, which causes an insulation failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made in order to solve the above problems of the conventional structure, and an object of the invention is to provide a steering unit-mounting structure in which connectors on a steering unit can be easily and positively connected respectively to connectors associated with a steering post, and besides the steering unit can be quite easily mounted on the steering post.
The above object has been achieved by a steering unit-mounting structure of the present invention wherein a steering unit, including at least a combination switch and a first connector connected to the combination switch, is mounted on a steering post simultaneously when the steering unit is connected to a second connector fixed to the steering post, comprising: when the steering unit is to be mounted on the steering post, the second connector is beforehand fixed in such a position that the second connector is opposed to the first connector on the steering unit, and is connectable to the first connector; and the steering unit is positioned and provisionally fixed relative to the steering post by connecting the first connector to the second connector.
In the above construction, the second connector may be slightly movable in upward, downward, right and left directions.
A pair of the first connectors, as well as a pair of the second connectors, may be arranged symmetrically with respect to a steering shaft extending through the steering post.
Lever-type connectors may be used as the first and second connectors, respectively, and one of the connectors has a rotary lever having an engagement portion, and a boss for engagement with the engagement portion of the rotary lever is formed on the other connector.
A male thread may be provided at the first connector, and a female thread for being threaded on the male thread may be provided at the second connector.
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese patent application No. Hei. 10-346132 (filed on Dec. 4, 1998) which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirely.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5788522 (1998-08-01), Kameyama
patent: 5919055 (1999-07-01), Hattori
patent: 5944534 (1999-08-01), Hoffmann et al.
patent: 5975933 (1999-11-01), Yamaguchi et al.
Bradley P. Austin
Harness System Technologies Research Ltd.
León Edwin A.
Oliff & Berridge
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