The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-190404 filed on Nov. 24, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The disclosure relates to a connector retainer to be attached to a connector device including an engagement maintaining mechanism.
Hitherto, a large number of electrical accessories have been used in vehicles such as automobiles. Such accessories generally include an electrical coupling cable (hereinafter referred to as “harness”) for maintaining electrical coupling between devices. Such a harness generally has a configuration including an electrical wire bundle formed by bundling electrical wires for supplying electricity from a power source or for performing, for example, signal communication between devices, and a multi-conductor connector attachable to an end portion of the electrical wire bundle.
For example, a connector (hereinafter referred to as “harness connector”) provided to an end portion of such a harness has a configuration for engaging with a connector (hereinafter referred to as “device-side connector”) provided to a device and maintaining a coupling state of the harness.
In such a case, for example, a harness connector having a projecting shape or a recessed shape and a device-side connector having a recessed shape or a projecting shape, the harness connector and the device-side connector thus being configured to be engaged with each other, are widely and generally put to practical use. A connector device is formed by a pair of connectors that are a harness connector and a device-side connector configured in this manner.
In addition, an example of such existing connector devices is generally put to practical use. This connector device includes an engagement maintaining mechanism (so-called engagement locking mechanism). In a state in which a harness connector and a device-side connector are engaged with each other, this engagement maintaining mechanism is used for maintaining the state in which the connectors are engaged with each other by, for example, locking, to a projecting member provided to one of the connectors, a claw member provided to the other of the connectors.
In an engagement maintaining mechanism of such an existing connector device, a projecting member, a claw member, or the like may be damaged due to, for example, deterioration of those members caused by repeatedly performing engagement and disengagement thereof or time-dependent deterioration of the material thereof. In addition, for example, in a vehicle such as an automobile, a connector device may be disposed on the outside of the vehicle such as a part under the floor of the vehicle. When a connector device is disposed in such a harsh environment, for example, an engagement maintaining mechanism may suffer damage, such as being hit by stones on a road or the like.
Thus, when a connector device is damaged, for example, it is difficult to maintain a state in which connectors are engaged with each other. This may cause electrical malfunction. In addition, when each connector is damaged, the connector or a harness may be replaced. However, it is clear that the workload for such a replacement operation is huge.
Thus, for example, a connector device usable in a vehicle such as an automobile is intended to adopt measures for increasing the redundancy of an engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device to inhibit electrical malfunction of notable components, thus improving safety, and to reduce, as much as possible, replacement operations or the like whose workloads are huge.
Accordingly, for example, measures have hitherto been devised in which the dispositions of accessories and a harness connector in a vehicle are improved to locate a connector device at a position that is less likely to be affected by hitting stones and the like and in which a protective cover or the like for protecting a connector is attached thereto.
However, in consideration of restrictions in improving component dispositions, ease of maintenance, or the like, these measures have limitations in increasing the redundancy of an engagement maintaining mechanism of a connector device and achieving a configuration in which the engagement maintaining mechanism is protected.
For example, hitherto, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) (JP-T) No. 2010-541188 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2006-202557 disclose various configurations in which simple components are added to easily improve an engagement state of a connector device.
For example, JP-T No. 2010-541188 discloses a configuration in which, in a state in which a harness connector is coupled to a device-side connector, another component configured to cover the parts of the connectors engaged with each other and to support the engagement of the connectors is additionally attached to improve the reliability of the state in which the connectors are engaged with each other.
In addition, for example, JP-A No. 2006-202557 discloses a configuration in which, when connectors are coupled by engaging a female housing and a male housing with each other and a hook fitting is held in a guide groove of the female housing, a hook member of the hook fitting is engaged in a fixing groove of the male housing, thus maintaining a state in which the connectors are engaged with each other.
An aspect of the disclosure provides a connector retainer configured to be attached to a connector device. The connector device is provided with a first connector, a second connector, and an engagement maintaining mechanism. The second connector is configured to be engaged with the first connector, and includes an exposed member and a projection projecting outward from the exposed member. The exposed member is a part of an outer surface of the second connector exposed to an outside in an engagement state in which the first connector and the second connector are engaged with each other. The engagement maintaining mechanism is configured to maintain the engagement state in which the first connector and the second connector are engaged with each other. The connector retainer includes a cover, a locking arm, an engagement arm, and an engagement claw. The cover has a surface that is flat and extends in a direction parallel to an engagement direction in which the first connector is engaged with the second connector. The cover is configured to cover an outer surface of the engagement maintaining mechanism. The locking arm projects from the surface of the cover in a direction crossing the engagement direction. The locking arm is configured to lock a lockable plate of the first connector. The engagement arm projects from the surface of the cover in a direction crossing the engagement direction. The engagement arm is configured to be disposed so as to surround a part of the exposed member of the second connector. The engagement claw is disposed at a tip end of the engagement arm. The engagement claw is configured to be engaged with the projection.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate example embodiments and, together with the specification, serve to describe the principles of the disclosure.
Existing configurations disclosed in, for example, JP-T No. 2010-541188 and JP-A No. 2006-202557 each ensure redundancy of an engagement maintaining mechanism of a connector device but have a problem that a configuration in which the engagement maintaining mechanism is protected is not sufficiently achieved.
It is desirable to provide a connector retainer serving to ensure redundancy of an engagement maintaining mechanism included in a connector device and to protect the engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device.
First, a schematic configuration of the connector device to which the connector retainer of the embodiment is attached will be described below with reference to
As illustrated in
The harness connector 21 is a connector provided to an end portion of a harness extending from an electrical accessory (electrical component unit). The harness is an electrical coupling cable for maintaining electrical coupling between devices and for supplying electricity from a power source or for performing, for example, signal communication between devices. For example, the harness has a configuration including electrical wire bundles 21x, which are formed by bundling electrical wires, and a multi-conductor connector attached to an end portion of each of the electrical wire bundles 21x. The harness connector 21 corresponds to the multi-conductor connector attachable to the end portion of the harness. The harness connector 21 includes a projecting engagement member 21a.
On the other hand, the device-side connector 22 is a connector provided to a predetermined device (not illustrated). The device-side connector 22 is a multi-conductor connector compatible with the harness connector 21. The device-side connector 22 includes a recessed engagement member 22a.
Coupling between the harness and the device is configured to be maintained by engaging the projecting engagement member 21a of the harness connector 21 and the recessed engagement member 22a of the device-side connector 22 with each other. The direction in which the harness connector 21 is engaged with the device-side connector 22 is represented by arrow X in
A hollow region is formed in the projecting engagement member 21a of the harness connector 21. Coupling terminals 21g (not illustrated in
In response to this, a hollow region is formed in the recessed engagement member 22a of the device-side connector 22. Coupling terminals 22g (not illustrated in
In a state in which the projecting engagement member 21a of the harness connector 21 and the recessed engagement member 22a of the device-side connector 22 are engaged with each other, the coupling terminals 21g and the coupling terminals 22g are in contact with each other, thus maintaining coupling between the harness and the device.
The harness connector 21 includes a locking claw 21d (not illustrated in
The locking claw 21d is formed in an internal region of a space 21f, which is surrounded by a pair of walls 21c provided upright toward the outside from a side outer surface of the harness connector 21 and a plate-like locking member 21b, the plate-like locking member 21b being a lockable plate that couples end portions of the pair of walls 21c and that covers a part of the side outer surface of the harness connector 21. The space 21f has an opening that is open to the outside other than the pair of walls 21c and the plate-like locking member 21b.
Although described later in detail, the plate-like locking member 21b serves as a lockable member configured to, when the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is attached to the connector device 20 in an engagement state, be disposed close to locking arms 11b (described later in detail) of the connector retainer 10 to inhibit the harness connector 21 from moving in the direction in which the harness connector 21 is removed.
In response to this, the device-side connector 22 includes a lockable projection 22d (see
Then, in the state in which the projecting engagement member 21a of the harness connector 21 and the recessed engagement member 22a of the device-side connector 22 are engaged with each other, the locking claw 21d is locked to the lockable projection 22d. Thus, in a state in which the locking claw 21d and the lockable projection 22d are locked to each other, the state in which the connectors 21 and 22 are engaged with each other is maintained. In addition, in this state, the pair of walls 21c and the plate-like locking member 21b forming the space 21f protect peripheries of the engagement maintaining mechanism (21d and 22d).
The device-side connector 22 includes an exposed member 22b (see
The lockable projections 22c and 22f are each formed so as to extend in the direction parallel to the direction along the engagement direction X. The exposed member 22b and the lockable projections 22c and 22f serve as engagement parts configured to maintain the state in which the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is attached to the connector device 20 (described later in detail). The schematic configuration of the connector device 20 has been described so far.
Next, the configuration of the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment will be described below with reference to
The connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is a component configured to be provided and attached to the connector device 20 in the state in which the harness connector 21 (first connector) and the device-side connector 22 (second connector) are engaged with each other to ensure redundancy of the engagement maintaining mechanism (21d and 22d) of the connector device 20.
As illustrated in
The retainer body 11 is a body component at which the connector retainer 10 is attached to the corresponding connector device 20. The retainer body 11 is formed so as to include a cover 11a, the locking arms 11b, the attachment arm unit 11c, whose tip ends have respective engagement claws 11cc, a rotation inhibiting member 11d, an improper attachment inhibiting member 11e, and a support shaft 11f.
The cover 11a has a flat surface having a predetermined area. The flat surface of the cover 11a is disposed at a position where the flat surface covers the opening of the space 21f of the harness connector 21 when the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state. In this case, the flat surface of the cover 11a is formed so as to extend parallel to the engagement direction X of the connector device 20. Thus, the cover 11a serves to cover and protect outer surfaces of the engagement maintaining mechanism (21d and 22d) of the connector device 20 in the engagement state.
The locking arm 11b has a predetermined length and has a rod shape. The locking arms 11b are formed so as to project parallel to each other, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the flat surface of the cover 11a, from the vicinities of the respective side edges in a lateral direction of the flat surface of the cover 11a. That is, for example, two locking arms 11b are formed. When the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, a part of the tip end of each of the pair of locking arms 11b is disposed in the internal region of the space 21f of the harness connector 21. In this case, the pair of locking arms 11b are disposed at positions overlapping the plate-like locking member 21b of the harness connector 21 in the direction along the engagement direction X of the connector device 20.
That is, even when an external force is applied to the harness connector 21 in the direction in which the harness connector 21 is removed from the device-side connector 22 (direction opposite to the engagement direction X) in the state in which the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, the pair of locking arms 11b lock the plate-like locking member 21b of the harness connector 21. Thus, the pair of locking arms 11b inhibit the harness connector 21 from being removed from the device-side connector 22. In other words, the pair of locking arms 11b lock the plate-like locking member 21b to inhibit the engagement of the connector device 20 from being released. Thus, the locking arm 11b serves as a member configured to retain the connector device 20.
The attachment arm unit 11c is an arm part that projects, in the direction substantially orthogonal to the flat surface of the cover 11a, from a part of the flat surface of the cover 11a located closer to the lower end thereof in a longitudinal direction and that has a substantially Y shape as a whole. The attachment arm unit 11c is formed so as to include a base end shaft 11ca, a pair of tip end arms 11cb, and the pair of engagement claws 11cc.
The base end shaft 11ca is a shaft part formed so as to project from the flat surface of the cover 11a in a direction (forward direction) orthogonal to the flat surface of the cover 11a. The pair of tip end arms 11cb are arm parts formed so as to diverge in the lateral direction from the tip end of the base end shaft 11ca and thereafter project in the same direction (forward direction) as the direction in which the base end shaft 11ca projects. The pair of tip end arms 11cb extend parallel to each other so as to face each other. The engagement claws 11cc are a pair of claw parts formed at the respective tip ends of the pair of tip end arms 11cb. The engagement claws 11cc have claw members formed on the surfaces (inner side surfaces) facing each other. The claw members of the engagement claws 11cc each have an inclined surface having a predetermined shape. For example, the inclined surface of the engagement claw 11cc is formed so as to form a predetermined angle (angle widened from the tip end toward the base end of the tip end arm 11cb) with the direction in which the connector retainer 10 is attached (direction of arrow Y in
The attachment arm unit 11c is attached so as to surround a part of the exposed member 22b when the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state. For example, when the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, the pair of tip end arms 11cb of the connector retainer 10 are first disposed so as to surround a part of the exposed member 22b of the device-side connector 22, and the engagement claws 11cc of the connector retainer 10 are subsequently engaged with the respective lockable projections 22c.
Thus, the width between the pair of tip end arms 11cb in the lateral direction is set to be substantially equal to or slightly narrower than the width of the part of the exposed member 22b of the connector device 20 to which the pair of tip end arms 11cb are attached. In this case, the pair of tip end arms 11cb are formed so as to have elasticity in the direction in which the pair of tip end arms 11cb face each other. With this configuration, the pair of tip end arms 11cb serve to maintain the state in which the connector retainer 10 is attached to the exposed member 22b of the connector device 20.
The rotation inhibiting member 11d includes a pair of projections 11da and 11db, which project, in the same direction (forward direction) as the direction in which the base end shaft 11ca projects, from the tip end (part from which the pair of tip end arms 11cb diverge to form a Y shape) of the base end shaft 11ca of the attachment arm unit 11c. The pair of projections 11da and 11db are formed at a predetermined interval in the lateral direction. The interval in the lateral direction is set to be slightly wider than the width of the lockable projection 22f of the device-side connector 22 in the lateral direction.
The pair of projections 11da and 11db of the rotation inhibiting member 11d are disposed so as to hold the lockable projection 22f of the device-side connector 22 therebetween in the lateral direction when the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state. Thus, the rotation inhibiting member 11d serves to inhibit the connector retainer 10 from rotating around the exposed member 22b of the device-side connector 22 when the attachment arm unit 11c of the connector retainer 10 is attached to the exposed member 22b.
The improper attachment inhibiting member 11e is formed substantially parallel to the flat surface of the cover 11a and has a flat surface having a predetermined area. The flat surface of the improper attachment inhibiting member 11e is formed so as to extend in the direction opposite to the direction in which the cover 11a extends.
When the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, the improper attachment inhibiting member 11e is disposed at a position that is parallel to and faces a base surface 22k of the device-side connector 22. Thus, the improper attachment inhibiting member 11e serves to stop, at a predetermined position, movement of the connector retainer 10 in the direction in which the connector retainer 10 is attached (direction of arrow Y in
The support shaft 11f is a shaft part for attaching and fixing the tether 12 (described later in detail) to the retainer body 11. In this case, the tether 12 is fixed with the support shaft 11f so as not to be rotatable around the support shaft 11f. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and the tether 12 may be fixed with the support shaft 11f so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 11f.
The tether 12 is a component serving to hold the electrical wire bundles 21x of the harness at the connector retainer 10. Thus, the tether 12 is formed so as to include a support arm 12a, a fixing end portion 12b, and a harness insertion ring 12c.
The fixing end portion 12b of the tether 12 is provided at one end of the support arm 12a. The fixing end portion 12b is fixed to the support shaft 11f of the retainer body 11. In this case, the support arm 12a is disposed so as to extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the support shaft 11f.
The support arm 12a is a rod part supporting the harness insertion ring 12c relative to the retainer body 11. The harness insertion ring 12c is permanently affixed to the other end of the support arm 12a.
The harness insertion ring 12c is an annular part through which the electrical wire bundles 21x of the harness extending from the harness connector 21 (first connector) pass. Thus, the harness insertion ring 12c is formed so as to have an insertion hole 12d. To insert the electrical wire bundles 21x into the insertion hole 12d, the insertion hole 12d is formed so as to have an inner diameter with which the harness connector 21 can be inserted. The embodiment illustrates the harness insertion ring 12c having a substantially annular shape, but the shape is not limited thereto.
The tether 12 is integrally attached to the retainer body 11 and thus forms a part of the connector retainer 10. The configuration of the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment has been described so far.
The operation of the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment configured in this manner will be described below with reference to, for example,
First, the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment and the connector device 20 are in the state illustrated in
In this state, the harness connector 21 and the electrical wire bundles 21x are first inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the harness insertion ring 12c of the tether 12 of the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment.
Thus, the connector retainer 10 is attached to the target harness connector 21 (harness) of the intended connector device 20. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce operation mistakes such as forgetting to attach the connector retainer 10 even while the operation of insertion and removal of the connectors 21 and 22 of the connector device 20 is repeatedly performed during, for example, maintenance of an apparatus including the connector device 20.
After this state, the connector device 20 is made to be in the engagement state illustrated in
The connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state formed in this manner. For that purpose, first, the flat surface of the cover 11a of the connector retainer 10 is disposed so as to face a predetermined surface (surface where the engagement maintaining mechanism is disposed) of the connector device 20 in the engagement state. Thus, the connector retainer 10 and the connector device 20 are in the state illustrated in
In this state, the connector retainer 10 is moved toward the connector device 20 in the direction of arrow Y in
In this case, first, the pair of tip end arms 11cb of the attachment arm unit 11c move along the exposed member 22b. Then, the engagement claws 11cc come into contact with the respective lockable projections 22c. In this case, when the pair of tip end arms 11cb further move in the same direction (direction of arrow Y), the inclined surfaces of the engagement claws 11cc try to move over the respective lockable projections 22c. Thus, the tip end arms 11cb bend in respective directions in which the gap therebetween widens against the elasticity thereof. Then, the engagement claws 11cc move over the respective lockable projections 22c. Thereafter, the engagement claws 11cc are engaged with the respective lockable projections 22c (see reference signs 22c and 11cc in
In addition, in this case, the improper attachment inhibiting member 11e is disposed at the position that faces the base surface 22k of the device-side connector 22. Thus, the connector retainer 10 is restricted from moving in the direction of arrow Y in
Furthermore, the pair of projections 11da and 11db of the rotation inhibiting member 11d of the retainer body 11 of the connector retainer 10 are disposed so as to hold the lockable projection 22f of the device-side connector 22 therebetween. Thus, the connector retainer 10 is restricted from rotating around the exposed member 22b.
Furthermore, a part of the tip end of each of the locking arms 11b of the retainer body 11 of the connector retainer 10 is disposed in the internal region of the space 21f of the harness connector 21. Thus, the connector retainer 10 maintains the engagement state of the connector device 20 and inhibits the connectors 21 and 22 from being removed from each other.
In this manner, the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment and the connector device 20 are in the state illustrated in
As described above, according to the embodiment, the connector retainer 10 is formed in accordance with the configuration of the existing connector device 20, thus enabling smooth attachment thereof without changing the existing connector device 20.
The connector retainer 10 is capable of being easily attached to the existing connector device 20 with the one-touch operation of disposing the attachment arm unit 11c so as to surround the exposed member 22b of the existing connector device 20 to engage the engagement claws 11cc and the respective lockable projections 22c with each other. That is, the attachment can be completed by the simple operation of moving the connector retainer 10 in a predetermined direction toward the connector device 20 in the engagement state.
When the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, the locking arms 11b of the connector retainer 10 are disposed at the respective positions where the locking arms 11b can lock the plate-like locking member 21b of the connector device 20, thus inhibiting the harness connector 21 from moving in the direction in which the harness connector 21 is removed. Thus, it is possible to ensure redundancy of the engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device 20. Accordingly, even when the engagement maintaining mechanism (see reference signs 21d and 22d in
When the connector retainer 10 is attached to the connector device 20 in the engagement state, it is possible to protect the engagement maintaining mechanism (21d and 22d) from, for example, hitting stones due to the provision of the cover 11a, which protects the engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device 20. Thus, the application of the connector retainer 10 to the connector device 20 of an accessory to be disposed on, for example, the outside of a vehicle can contribute to an improvement in the reliability of the connector device 20.
The connector retainer 10 can be supplied as an independent component separate from the existing connector device 20. Thus, for example, the connector retainer 10 can be used so as to be originally attached to the corresponding connector device 20 or can be used from any desired time so as to be attached to a device in operation.
The connector retainer 10 can be easily attached to and detached from the corresponding connector device 20 and thus can provide great ease of maintenance.
The provision of the tether 12 enables the connector retainer 10 to be attached in advance to the vicinity of the corresponding connector device 20 and thus enables a reduction of operation mistakes such as forgetting to attach the connector retainer 10 during, for example, maintenance.
For example, the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment formed in this manner is applied to electrical accessories of a vehicle such as an automobile.
In
The device-side connector 22 is provided to the electric parking brake 50. The harness connector 21 is engaged with the device-side connector 22. The connector device 20 is formed by the harness connector 21 and the device-side connector 22. The electric parking brake 50 is configured to be capable of, for example, receiving electricity from a power source or performing signal communication with other devices (not illustrated) when the connector device 20 is in the engagement state.
In this case, as described above, the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is attached to a predetermined position in the connector device 20. The electrical wire bundles 21x are inserted into the insertion hole 12d of the harness insertion ring 12c of the tether 12 of the connector retainer 10.
For example, the connector retainer 10 of the embodiment applied in this manner is capable of ensuring redundancy of the engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device 20 of the electric parking brake 50. Simultaneously with this, the connector retainer 10 is capable of protecting the engagement maintaining mechanism of the connector device 20.
Thus, it is possible to inhibit the engagement of the connector device 20 of the electric parking brake 50 from being released against the intention of a user. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain safe vehicle operation.
The connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is not limited to the application example illustrated in the above embodiment (the electric parking brake 50 of a vehicle). The connector retainer 10 of the embodiment is widely applicable to connector devices configured to couple, in addition to other electrical accessories (for example, electric brakes) of a vehicle such as an automobile, for example, electronic devices or electronic components to be used on the outside of a vehicle, such as ABS sensors and wheel speed sensors.
The disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the gist of the disclosure. In addition, the above embodiment includes techniques of the disclosure at various stages, and such various techniques of the disclosure can be extracted by appropriate combinations of components that are disclosed. For example, in a case where it is possible to solve the problem to be solved by the disclosure and achieve effects of the disclosure even when some components are removed from all the components illustrated in the embodiment, such a configuration in which some components are removed can be extracted as a technique of the disclosure. Furthermore, respective components of different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. The disclosure is not limited by specific embodiments thereof unless limited by the aspect of the disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2021-190404 | Nov 2021 | JP | national |