Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting means comprising face plate or closure member for...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-10
2003-11-18
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting means comprising face plate or closure member for...
C439S034000, C439S157000, C439S352000, C439S596000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648678
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a mounting structure in which an electronic unit can be easily connected to an electric connection box, such as a junction box, so as to make an electrical connection.
2. Related Art
Automobiles have been equipped with electronic devices, and therefore a wide variety of electronic parts to be mounted on the automobiles have been developed. Wire harnesses, cables and wire harness have been increasingly used. Recently, in order to avoid the complexity, there have been extensively used structures in which an electronic unit is mechanically connected to an electronic connection box incorporating as many wire harnesses as possible, and the electronic unit and an electronic connection box are electrically connected such that male terminals and female terminals, provided in the electric connection box and the electronic unit respectively, are electrically connected together.
In order to properly connect all of the male terminals respectively to the female terminals, it is necessary to properly combine the electronic unit with the electric connection box by mechanical connection. The Applicant of the present application has so far proposed such structures of effectively connecting an electronic unit to an electric connection box. For examples, Japanese patent Publication Hei.7-135720A and Hei.9-149527A disclose a structure in which an electronic unit is moved toward an electric connection box in a parallel manner from the upper side or the lateral side, and is combined with the electronic connection box. Japanese Utility Publication Hei.4-137427 discloses a structure in which an electric connection box and an electronic unit are pivotally or hingedly connected together at their one ends by a pivot pin, and the electronic unit is pivotally moved to be combined with the electric connection box.
However, the above electronic unit-mounting structures, proposed by the Applicant of the present application, have the following problems to be improved.
In the former structure in which the electronic unit is moved toward the electric connection box in a parallel manner to be combined with the electric connection box, a considerable fitting force is required for positively connecting the male terminals respectively to the female terminals in the combining operation in the case where the number of the male and female terminals, provided respectively in the electric connection box and the electronic unit, is large. And besides, the electronic unit is liable to be deflected during the time when it is moved toward the electric connection box so as to be positioned relative thereto in the combining operation. Therefore it is quite possible that some pairs of male and female terminals are connected in a half-fitted condition, that is, an incompletely-connected condition.
In the latter structure in which the electric connection box and the electronic unit are hingedly connected together, the positioning of the two relative to each other is improved as compared with the former structure in which the electronic unit, separate from the electric connection box, is moved toward it in a parallel manner. However, the electric connection box and the electronic unit are almost integrally connected together at the hinge connection portions, and therefore additional time and labor are required effecting the hinge connection. And besides, after the hinge connection is effected, the product is bulky in volume, and therefore there are encountered reverse effects such as the cumbersome stock control and the lowered transportability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a structure of mounting an electronic unit on an electric connection box, in which even when there are a number of male and female terminals to be connected together, all of the male terminals can be properly connected respectively to the female terminals with a small fitting force, thus avoiding a so-called half-fitted condition (incompletely-connected condition), and besides excellent assembling and disassembling abilities are achieved.
According to the present invention, there is provided A mounting structure including: an electronic unit including a first hinge portion and a unit body provided with one of at least one female terminal and at least one male terminal; and an electric connection box combinable with the electronic unit in a combing direction, the electric connection body including a second hinge portion and a box body provided with the other of the at least one female terminal and the at least one male terminal; wherein the at least one female terminal is electrically connected with the at least one male terminal, respectively, when the electronic unit is combined with the electric connection box, wherein the electronic unit and the electric connection box are connected together through the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion and are pivotally movable relative to each other in the combing direction, the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion can be engaged with and disengaged from each other with a one-touch operation.
In this construction, the body casings of the electric connection box and the electronic unit are pivotally connected together by the hinge mechanism releasably engaged with each other in a one-touch operation, and therefore any deflection will not occur in a positioning operation during the combining operation, and therefore all of the male terminals can be positively connected to the female terminals, respectively, thus avoiding a so-called half-fitted condition.
In the structure of mounting the electronic unit on the electric connection box, provided in accordance with the invention, one of the hinge mechanism is a pivot rod whereas the other hinge means is a partly-notched, U-shaped pivot recess in which the pivot rod is releasably engageable.
In this construction, one hinge means is the pivot rod while the other hinge means is the U-shaped pivot hole in which the pivot rod is releasably engageable, and therefore the electric connection box and the electronic unit can be easily combined together and separated from each other.
In the structure of mounting the electronic unit on the electric connection box, provided in accordance with the invention, a click engagement recess is provided at one of the two body casings whereas a click engagement projection is provided at the other body casing, and can be engaged in the click engagement recess with an attaching sound indicating the complete fitting of the male terminals in the respective female terminals.
In this construction, when the electronic unit is combined with the electric connection box, the click engagement projection is engaged in the click engagement recess with a feeling of click, and it can be conformed from this that all of the male terminals have been properly fitted in the female terminals, thus avoiding a half-fitted condition.
In the structure of mounting the electronic unit on the electric connection box, provided in accordance with the invention, an assist mechanism for imparting a combination-assisting force in the combining operation is provided between the two body casings.
In this construction, the assist mechanism, comprising a spring or the like, is connected between the body casings of the electric connection box and the electronic unit, and a spring force assists in providing the fitting force when the electronic unit is pivotally moved upwardly to be combined with the electric connection box, and merely with this construction, the male terminals can be easily and properly connected to the female terminals, respectively.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4972296 (1990-11-01), Chu
patent: 5308261 (1994-05-01), Kightlinger
patent: 5639253 (1997-06-01), Rantanen
patent: 6133531 (2000-10-01), Hayduke et al.
patent: 4-137427 (1992-12-01), None
patent: 7-135720 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 9-149527 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 10-41008 (1998-02-01), None
patent: WO 98 56450 (1998-12-01), None
Bradley P. Austin
Nguyen Truc
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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