Terminal mounted insulator plate

Details Terminal mounted insulator plate Terminal mounted insulator plate

2001-11-16

2003-07-15

Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Contact comprising cutter

Insulation cutter

Reexamination Certificate

active

06592394

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulator plate mounted with a plurality of press-fit terminals.
2. Related Art
A wiring harness arranged in a motor vehicle is obtained by assembling a plurality of sub-harnesses each having a specific function for electronic equipment. Thus, it is a complicated work to connect electrical cables across different sub-harnesses, decreasing an assembling workability of the wiring harness to possibly cause an unstable quality of the wiring harness.
The applicants of the present invention have proposed a plate-type connector consisting of a plurality of layered insulator plates
160
for an easy electrical connection across electrical cables provided in different sub-harnesses. As illustrated in
FIG. 8
, each insulator plate
160
is mounted with a plurality of press-fit terminals
150
.
The insulator plate
160
has a bottom wall
163
a
of a flat plate and plural pairs of partition walls
163
c
raised from the bottom wall
163
a
. The partition walls
163
c
are parallel to each other. Between each pair of partition walls
163
c
, there is defined an electrical cable receiving channel
161
. In one of each pair of the partition walls
163
c
, there are longitudinally provided a plurality of side openings to partially define a plurality of recesses
171
outside the one partition wall
163
c
. The recesses
171
are aligned in a direction parallel to the electrical cable receiving channel
161
.
The press-fit terminal
150
is formed by bending an electrically conductive metal plate. The press-fit terminal
150
has a cable connection part
151
of a channel shape and an electrical contact part
152
contiguous with the cable connection part
151
. The cable connection part
151
press-fits an electrical cable therein. The electrical contact part
152
is inserted by a connection bar of an electrical conductive metal plate.
The cable connection part
151
and electrical contact part
152
define the press-fit terminal
150
in an L-shape with respect to a plan view thereof. The press-fit terminal
150
is disposed on the bottom wall
163
a
of the insulator plate
160
. The electrical contact part
152
is received in the recess
171
, and the cable connection part
151
is received in the electrical cable receiving channel
161
.
On the bottom wall
163
a
of the insulator plate
160
, plural rows of the press-fit terminals
150
are arranged such that each row is oriented in a longitudinal direction of each electrical cable receiving channel
161
. That is, the insulator plate
160
is mounted with the press-fit terminals
150
in a two-dimension matrix pattern on the bottom wall
163
a
thereof. A plurality of such insulator plates
160
each provided with such press-fit terminals
150
are layered one another. Then, electrical conductive connection bars are inserted into the electrical contact parts
152
to connect predetermined electrical contact parts
152
across different insulator plates
160
to complete the plate-type connector.
Thus configured plate-type connector is received in an electrical junction box in a movable body like a motor vehicle. The connector electrically connects various kinds of electronic devices to a power source or other electrical equipment in the vehicle according to a predetermined pattern.
The insulator plate
160
illustrated in
FIG. 8
is provided with the press-fit terminals
150
, which achieves an easy electrical connection across different sub-harnesses. Because, the electrical cables extend in directions different from insertion directions of the connections bars into the electrical contact parts
152
. For the purpose, the press-fit terminal
150
has the cable connection part
151
and the electrical contact part
152
in an L-shape.
However, the press-fit terminals
150
arranged on the bottom wall
163
a
causes a dead space shown by a shadow line area R in FIG.
8
. The area R is used neither for the press-fit terminals
150
nor the electrical cables. The dead space R is positioned between the electrical cable receiving channels
161
and between the recesses
171
. The dead space R increases the insulator plate
160
in size, so that the insulator plate obtained by layering a plurality of the plate-type connector
160
also increases in size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an insulator plate which allows a size reduction thereof with a matrix pattern of press-fit terminals.
For achieving the object, a terminal mounted insulator plate according to the present invention is an insulator plate for mounting a plurality of press-fit terminals each having an electrical cable connection part and an electrical contact part contiguous with the cable connection part, wherein the insulator plate includes:
a bottom wall on which the press-fit terminal is disposed,
a plurality of partition walls raised from the bottom wall parallel to each other,
an electrical cable receiving channel defined between adjacent two of the partition walls for receiving the cable connection part of the press-fit terminal and an electrical cable connected to the cable connection part, and
an accommodation space positioned adjacent to the electrical cable receiving channel for receiving the electrical contact part of the press-fit terminal, the accommodation space being a recess having a side opening formed in one of the adjacent partition walls.
Thus, the recess receiving the electrical contact part can have the opening in either of the partition walls adjacent to the electrical contact part. Thereby, the recess can selectively receive the electrical contact part which is associated with either of electrical cable receiving channels located each side of the recess.
Thereby, a dead space in the terminal mounting plate is reduced, allowing a size reduction of the terminal mounting plate.
Preferably, the insulator plate has a plurality of the accommodation spaces located between adjacent two of the partition walls, wherein the openings of the recesses are alternately provided in one and the other of the adjacent partition walls.
Thus, the press-fit terminals can be oriented such that a pair of adjacent terminals are symmetrically positioned in respect of a longitudinal row of the terminals. Thereby, a dead space in the terminal mounting plate to mount the press-fit terminals thereon is reduced, allowing a size reduction of the terminal mounting plate.
Preferably, the insulator plate has a pair of support walls each contiguous with at least one of the adjacent partition walls, the pair of the support walls opposed to each other for positioning of the electrical contact part received in the accommodation space.
Thus, the electrical contact is positioned between the pair of support walls contiguous with the partition walls. Thereby, the support walls prevent an undesirable deformation of the partition walls defining the electrical cable receiving channels near the accommodation space. In addition, the support walls prevent an outward deformation of the cable connection part of the press-fit terminal. Thereby, a reliable electrical connection is achieved between the cable connection part of the press-fit terminal and the electrical cable.
Preferably, the electrical contact part of the press-fit terminal has an outwardly projected locking lance, and one of the opposed support walls has a locking protrusion engageable with the locking lance.
Thereby, a reliable electrical connection is achieved between the cable connection part of the press-fit terminal and the electrical cable. Furthermore, the press-fit terminal is surely secured to the mounting plate.
Preferably, the cable connection part and the electrical contact part of the press-fit terminal define an L-shape. A plurality of the insulator plates may be layered one another. The electrical contact part of the press-fit terminal can receive a connection bar that is positioned vertical to the bottom plate, and the connection bar can electrically connect a plurality of the pre

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