Patent Application
20230084529
The present disclosure relates to a connector.
Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal formed, such as by bending an electrically conductive metal plate. The female terminal includes a box-shaped electrical contact portion, into which a male terminal is inserted, in a front part and a pair of conductor crimping pieces in the form of an open barrel in a rear part. The conductor crimping pieces are fixed by being crimped to a conductor exposed by stripping a coating of a coated wire.
Patent Document 2 discloses a female connector provided with a female terminal fitting, first and second obliquely wound coil springs and a female housing for holding the both obliquely wound coil springs. The both obliquely wound coil springs are coiled by winding a wire material made of electrically conductive metal a plurality of times. The female terminal fitting is in the form of a flat plate and a core wire is connected to one end part thereof.
The female terminal fitting is accommodated into the female housing while being sandwiched by the two obliquely wound coil springs. When the female connector is connected to a mating male connector, the first obliquely wound coil spring is sandwiched between a wall surface (contact wall) in the female housing and the female terminal fitting and the second obliquely wound coil spring is sandwiched between a male terminal fitting provided in the male connector and the female terminal fitting. At this time, the second obliquely wound coil spring contacts the female terminal fitting and a terminal connecting portion and the female terminal fitting and the male terminal fitting are electrically connected by resilient restoring forces of the both obliquely wound coil springs. Further, the first obliquely wound coil spring is arranged to press the female terminal fitting toward the core wire.
Patent Document 1: JP 2014-241219 A
Patent Document 2: JP 2019-046760 A
In the case of Patent Document 1, a step of crimping the conductor crimping pieces to the conductor is necessary. In the case of Patent Document 2, the connector tends to be enlarged since the second obliquely wound coil spring is interposed between the male terminal fitting provided in the male connector and the female terminal fitting.
A connector of the present disclosure was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to enable a crimping step to be omitted without enlargement.
The present disclosure is directed to a connector with a housing, a conductor being insertable into the housing, a conductive member accommodated in the housing, the conductive member being electrically contactable with the conductor, and a pressing member made of a resilient insulating material, the pressing member being accommodated in the housing, wherein the pressing member applies a pressing force in a contact direction to the conductive member and the conductor inserted into the housing, and the housing is formed with a positioning portion for positioning the conductor in a width direction orthogonal to both an axial direction of the conductor and a pressing direction of the pressing member.
Effect of the Invention
According to the present disclosure, a crimping step can be omitted without enlargement.
[Description of Embodiments of Present Disclosure]
First, embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
(1) The connector of the present disclosure is provided with a housing, a conductor being insertable into the housing, a conductive member accommodated in the housing, the conductive member being electrically contactable with the conductor, and a pressing member made of a resilient insulating material, the pressing member being accommodated in the housing, wherein the pressing member applies a pressing force in a contact direction to the conductive member and the conductor inserted into the housing, and the housing is formed with a positioning portion for positioning the conductor in a width direction orthogonal to both an axial direction of the conductor and a pressing direction of the pressing member.
According to this configuration, since the conductive member and the conductor contact each other by the resilient pressing force in the contact direction applied from the pressing member, a step of crimping the conductor and the conductive member is unnecessary. Since the pressing member is made of the insulating material and it is not necessary to provide a structure for insulation separately from the pressing member, the enlargement of the connector can be avoided. Therefore, the crimping step can be omitted without enlarging the connector of the present disclosure. Since the conductor is positioned by the positioning portion, there is a little possibility that the conductor deviates from the conductive member, and contact reliability is excellent.
(2) Preferably, a region on a side opposite to the conductor and the conductive member in a direction of applying the pressing force, out of an outer surface of the pressing member, serves as an inclined surface symmetrically inclined with respect to the width direction, and the housing is formed with a receiving surface to be brought into surface contact with the inclined surface. According to this configuration, a reaction force acting on the pressing member from the conductor side when the pressing member applies the pressing force to the conductor and the conductive member acts on the receiving surface from the inclined surface. Since the inclined surface is symmetrically inclined with respect to the width direction, the pressing member can be prevented from being shifted in the width direction and inclined in the width direction.
(3) Preferably, the housing is formed with an anchor portion configured such that the pressing member is resiliently fittable thereinto. According to this configuration, the pressing member is resiliently deformed and fit into the anchor portion when applying the pressing force to the conductor and the conductive member. By this fitting, a position shift of the pressing member is prevented.
(4) Preferably, in (3), the anchor portion is formed by recessing a facing surface of the housing facing the pressing member, and a clearance is secured between an outer surface of the pressing member and an inner surface of the anchor portion in a state where the conductor is not inserted into the housing yet. If an anchor portion is projection-like, the pressing member rides on the projection-like anchor portion when the conductor is not inserted yet, and a contact area of the pressing member and the housing becomes relatively narrow. Thus, there is a concern that the position and posture of the pressing member become unstable. In contrast, if the anchor portion is recessed, the pressing member and the housing are in contact over a relatively wide area when the conductor is not inserted into the housing yet and the pressing member is not resiliently deformed. Therefore, there is a little possibility that the position and posture of the pressing member become unstable.
(5) Preferably, in (3) or (4), the anchor portion is arranged at a position on a side opposite to the conductor across the pressing member. According to this configuration, since the anchor portion is located on a line of action of the reaction force on the pressing member from the conductor side, a fitting force of the pressing member into the anchor portion is large and a position shift of the pressing member can be satisfactorily prevented.
(6) Preferably, a contact region of the conductive member with the conductor is constituted by an arcuate surface. According to this configuration, if the conductor has a circular cross-sectional shape like a wire or the like, a contact area of the conductive member and the conductor increases, wherefore a contact state of the conductive member and the conductor is stabilized.
[Details of Embodiments of Present Disclosure]
A specific first embodiment of a connector of the present disclosure is described below with reference to
The connector of the first embodiment includes a female connector F and a male connector M to be connected to each other. The female connector F includes one female housing 10, a plurality of pressing members 30, a plurality of movable conductive members 34, a plurality of fixed conductive members 40 and one first wire module 45. The male connector M includes one male housing 60 and one second wire module 65.
The female housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin material and includes, as shown in
The cavity 13 constitutes a space elongated in the front-rear direction as a whole. A front end part of the cavity 13 functions as a connecting portion 15 open in the front end surface of the housing body 11. The inside of the connecting portion 15 functions as a connection space for connecting a first conductor 47 and a second conductor 67.
As shown in
A pair of bilaterally symmetrical groove portions 17 extending in the front-rear direction are formed in upper end parts of the inner side surfaces of the connecting portion 15, i.e. regions above the positioning portions 16. The groove portions 17 are open in the front end surface of the housing body 11. An interval between the projecting ends of the both left and right positioning portions 16 is set equal to or slightly larger than outer diameters of the first and second conductors 47, 67 to be described later.
The bottom surface of the connecting portion 15 is formed with a pair of bilaterally symmetrical receiving surfaces 18. In a front view, the receiving surface 18 is inclined to be gradually lower toward a widthwise center of the bottom surface. Although the receiving surface 18 is an arcuately curved surface, the receiving surface 18 may be a flat surface. An anchor portion 19 is formed in a widthwise central part of the bottom surface. The anchor portion 19 is arcuately recessed further downward than virtual extension planes (not shown) formed by extending the both left and right receiving surfaces 18 toward a widthwise central side.
As shown in
The front member 12 is in the form of a cap and includes, as shown in
The plurality of pressing members 30 are made of an electrically insulating rubber material and can be resiliently deformed. The plurality of pressing members 30 are individually accommodated in the plurality of connecting portions 15. The pressing members 30 are arranged while being placed on the bottom surfaces of the connecting portions 15. The pressing member 30 is a single component having a rectangular parallelepiped shape long in the front-rear direction as a whole. A maximum width of the pressing member 30 is set larger than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 16.
As shown in
The movable conductive member 34 is, for example, made of a plate material made of metal such as copper or aluminum and shaped to be long in the front-rear direction as a whole. The movable conductive member 34 is a single component including a first conductive portion 35R and a second conductive portion 35F arranged forward of the first conductive portion 35R. The movable conductive member 34 is fixed to the pressing member 30 to be put on the upper surface of the pressing member 30.
With the movable conductive member 34 mounted on the pressing member 30, the upper surface of the movable conductive member 34 and the upper surface of the pressing member 30 are continuous and flush at the same height. Widths of the first and second conductive portions 35R, 35F are equal to that of the pressing member 30. The widths of the pressing member 30, the first conductive portion 35R and the second conductive portion 35F are set larger than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 16.
As shown in
The fixed conductive member 40 is, for example, made of a plate material made of metal such as copper or aluminum, similarly to the movable conductive member 34. As shown in
The fixed conductive member 40 is fixedly mounted in an upper end part inside the connecting portion 15 by fitting both left and right end parts of the three mounting portions 41 into the groove portions 17 of the connecting portion 15. The fixed conductive member 40 is located above the pressing member 30 and the movable conductive member 34 and vertically facing the movable conductive member 34 across a predetermined interval. Vertical intervals between the lower ends of the first and second contact point portions 42R, 42F and the upper surface of the movable conductive member 34 in a state where the pressing member 30 is not resiliently deformed are set smaller than the outer diameters of the first and second conductors 47, 67 to be described later. Widths of the first and second contact point portions 42R, 42F are set smaller than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 16. In a front view of the female connector F, the first and second contact point portions 42R, 42F are arranged between the pair of positioning portions 16.
The first wire module 45 is formed by integrating a plurality of first coated wires 46 and one first holding member 50. The first coated wire 46 is such that the first conductor 47 is surrounded with a first insulation coating 48. The first conductor 47 is constituted of a single core wire made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum and has rigidity to maintain a circular cross-sectional shape. The outer diameter of the first conductor 47 is set smaller than the widths of the first and second conductive portions 35R, 35F and smaller than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 16. In an end part of the first coated wire 46, the first insulation coating 48 is removed to expose the first conductor 47. An exposed part of the first conductor 47 is defined as a first connecting end portion 49.
As shown in
The first wire module 45 is assembled into the housing body 11 from behind the female housing 10. With the first wire module 45 assembled in the female housing 10, the locking projections 51 of the first holding member 50 are locked to the retaining projections 22 of the female housing 10, whereby the first wire module 45 is retained and held with respect to the female housing 10.
In an assembling process, the first connecting end portions 49 of the plurality of first conductors 47 are successively passed through the insertion portions 21 and the guide portions 20, enter the connecting portions 15 and are sandwiched between the first conductive portions 35R and the first contact point portions 42R. Since an interval between the first conductive portion 35R and the first contact point portion 42R is smaller than an outer diameter of the first connecting end portion 49, the first conductive portion 35R is displaced downward while resiliently deforming and squeezing the pressing member 30. The first conductor 47 and the first conductive portion 35R are conductively connected with a predetermined contact pressure and the first conductor 47 and the first contact point portion 42R are conductively connected with a predetermined contact pressure by a resilient restoring force of the pressing member 30.
Since being accommodated between the pair of positioning portions 16, the first conductor 47 is prevented from being shifted in the width direction with respect to the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40. In this way, the first conductor 47 and the movable conductive member 34 are stably connected and the first conductor 47 and the fixed conductive member 40 are also stably connected.
Further, with the first conductor 47, the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40 connected, a pressing force applied to the first conductor 47 from the side of the pressing member 30 acts as a reaction force on the pressing member 30 from the first conductor 47. Since the first conductor 47 is positioned in the widthwise central part of the connecting portion 15 by the positioning portions 16, a line of action A of the reaction force from the first conductor 47 passes through the widthwise central part of the bottom surface of the connecting portion 15, i.e. the anchor portion 19. Therefore, a part of a lower end part of the pressing member 30 bites into the anchor portion 19 while being resiliently deformed by the reaction force acting on the pressing member 30 from the first conductor 47. By this biting, the pressing member 30 is prevented from being shifted in the width direction.
Further, the inclined surfaces 32 of the pressing member 30 are pressed against the receiving surfaces 18 of the connecting portion 15 by the reaction force acting on the pressing member 30 from the first conductor 47. Here, the inclined surfaces 32 and the receiving surfaces 18 are bilaterally symmetrically inclined to become lower toward the widthwise center. Therefore, there is no possibility that the pressing member 30 having received the reaction force is inclined in the lateral direction.
The male housing 60 of the male connector M is a single component made of synthetic resin and including, as shown in
Similarly to the first wire module 45, the second wire module 65 is formed by integrating a plurality of second coated wires 66 and one second holding member 70. Similarly to the first coated wire 46, the second coated wire 66 is configured such that the second conductor 67 is surrounded with a second insulation coating 68. The second conductor 67 is constituted of a single core wire made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum and has rigidity to maintain a circular cross-sectional shape. The outer diameter of the second conductor 67 is set equal to that of the first conductor 47. In an end part of the second coated wire 66, the second insulation coating 68 is removed to expose the second conductor 67. An exposed part of the second conductor 67 is defined as a second connecting end portion 69.
The second wire module 65 is also assembled into the housing portion 61 by a configuration similar to that for the first wire module 45. With the second wire module 65 assembled in the male housing 60, the second connecting end portions 69 of the second conductors 67 project into the receptacle 62 from the front surface of the housing portion 61.
In connecting the male connector M and the female connector F, the female connector F is fit into the receptacle 62. In a connection process, the second connecting end portions 69 of the second conductors 67 enter the connecting portions 15 through the insertion holes 27 and are, as shown in
The male connector M constituting the connector of the first embodiment includes the female housing 10, into which the first and second conductors 47, 67 are insertable, the movable conductive members 34, the fixed conductive members 40 and the pressing members 30. The movable conductive member 34 is accommodated in the female housing 10 and can electrically contact the first and second conductors 47, 67. The fixed conductive member 40 is also accommodated in the female housing 10 and can electrically contact the first and second conductors 47, 67. The pressing member 30 is made of the resilient insulating material and accommodated in the female housing 10. The pressing member 30 applies a pressing force in a contact direction to the movable conductive member 34 and the first and second conductors 47, 67 inserted into the female housing 10. The pressing member 30 applies the pressing force in the contact direction to the fixed conductive member 40 and the first and second conductors 47, 67 inserted into the female housing 10.
Since the movable conductive member 34 and the first conductor 47 contact each other by the resilient pressing force in the contact direction applied from the pressing member 30, a step of crimping the first conductor 47 and the movable conductive member 34 is unnecessary. Since the fixed conductive member 40 and the first conductor 47 also contact each other by the resilient pressing force in the contact direction applied from the pressing member 30, a step of crimping the first conductor 47 and the fixed conductive member 40 is unnecessary.
Since the pressing member 30 is made of the insulating material and it is not necessary to provide a structure for insulation separately from the pressing member 30, it is realized to avoid the enlargement of the female connector F. Therefore, the crimping step can be omitted without enlarging the connector of the first embodiment.
The female housing 10 is formed with the positioning portions 16 for positioning the first and second conductors 47, 67 in the width direction orthogonal to both axial directions (front-rear direction) of the first and second conductors 47, 67 and the pressing direction (vertical direction) of the pressing member 30. Since the first and second conductors 47, 67 are positioned in the width direction by the positioning portions 16, the first and second conductors 47, 67 have a little possibility of deviating in the width direction with respect to the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40. Therefore, the contact reliability of the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40 with the first conductor 47 is excellent and the contact reliability of the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40 with the second conductor 67 is excellent.
Out of the outer surface of the pressing member 30, lower surface regions on a side opposite to an upper side toward which a pressing force is applied to the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40 serve as the inclined surfaces 32 inclined symmetrically with respect to the width direction. The female housing 10 is formed with the pair of left and right receiving surfaces 18, with which the pair of left and right inclined surfaces 32 are brought into surface contact. When the pressing member 30 applies a pressing force to the first and second conductors 47, 67, the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40, a reaction force acts on the pressing member 30 from the side of the first conductor 47 and the side of the second conductor 67, and this reaction force acts on the receiving surfaces 18 from the inclined surfaces 32. Since the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are inclined symmetrically with respect to the width direction, the pressing member 30 can be prevented from being shifted in the width direction and inclined in the width direction by receiving the reaction force.
The female housing 10 is formed with the anchor portion 19, into which the pressing member 30 can be resiliently fit. The pressing member 30 is resiliently deformed by the reaction force from the side of the first conductor 47 and the side of the second conductor 67 and fit into the anchor portion 19 when applying the pressing force to the first and second conductors 47, 67, the movable conductive member 34 and the fixed conductive member 40. By this fitting, a position shift of the pressing member 30 is prevented.
The anchor portion 19 is formed by recessing the facing surface (bottom surface) of the female housing 10 facing the lower surface of the pressing member 30. In a state where the first and second conductors 47, 67 are not inserted into the female housing 10 yet, the clearance 36 is secured between the lower surface (outer surface) of the pressing member 30 and the inner surface of the anchor portion 19. If an anchor portion is projection-like, the pressing member 30 rides on the projection-like anchor portion when the first and second conductors 47, 67 are not inserted into the female housing 10 yet. Thus, a contact area of the pressing member 30 and the female housing 10 becomes relatively narrow and there is a concern that the position and posture of the pressing member 30 become unstable. In contrast, since the anchor portion 19 is recessed in this embodiment, the inclined surfaces 32 of the pressing member 30 and the receiving surfaces 18 of the female housing 10 are in contact over a relatively wide area when the first and second conductors 47, 67 are not inserted into the female housing 10 yet. Therefore, there is a little possibility that the position and posture of the pressing member 30 become unstable.
The anchor portion 19 is arranged at a position on a side opposite to the first and second conductors 47, 67 across the pressing member 30. According to this configuration, since the anchor portion 19 is located on the line of action A of the reaction force on the pressing member 30 from the side of the first conductor 47 and the side of the second conductor 67, a fitting force of the pressing member 30 into the anchor portion 19 is large. In this way, the pressing member 30 can be satisfactorily prevented from being shifted in the width direction.
A second specific embodiment of the present disclosure is described with reference to
Since first and second conductors 47, 67 have a circular cross-sectional shape, contact regions of the contact point portions 76 of the fixed conductive member 75 with the first and second conductors 47, 67 are constituted by arcuate surfaces 77 to be brought into surface contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second conductors 47, 67. According to this configuration, a contact area of the fixed conductive member 75 and the first conductor 47 is increased and a contact area of the fixed conductive member 75 and the second conductor 67 is increased. In this way, a contact state of the fixed conductive member 75 and the first conductor 47 is stabilized and a contact state of the fixed conductive member 75 and the second conductor 67 is stabilized. Further, the positions of the first and second conductors 47, 67 are stabilized in a width direction.
The present invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiments and is represented by claims. The present invention is intended to include all changes in the scope of claims and in the meaning and scope of equivalents and also include the following embodiments.
Although the anchor portion is recessed in the above embodiments, the anchor portion may be projection-like.
Although the inclined surfaces are so symmetrically inclined that the widthwise central part protrudes in the above first and second embodiments, the inclined surfaces may be so symmetrically inclined that the widthwise central part is recessed.
Although the regions on the side opposite to the conductors and the conductive members in the pressing force applying direction, out of the outer surface of the pressing member, serve as the inclined surfaces in the above first and second embodiments, these regions may be flat surfaces perpendicular to the pressing force applying direction to the conductors and the conductive members.
Although the housing is formed with the anchor portion in the above first and second embodiments, the housing may include no anchor portion.
Although the anchor portion is arranged at the position on the side opposite to the conductors across the pressing member and located on the line of action of the reaction force on the pressing member from the conductor side in the above first and second embodiments, the anchor portion may be arranged at a position deviated from the line of action of the reaction force on the pressing member from the conductor side.
Although the movable conductive member and the fixed conductive member are brought into contact with the conductors in the above first and second embodiments, only the movable conductive member may be brought into contact with the conductors without providing the fixed conductive member or only the fixed conductive member may be brought into contact with the conductors without providing the movable conductive member.
In the above first and second embodiments, a pressing member and a movable conductive member may be provided instead of the fixed conductive member and a pair of the movable conductive members may be resiliently brought into contact with two conductors by resilient forces of a pair of the pressing members.
Although only the fixed conductive member is formed with the arcuate surfaces in the above second embodiment, the arcuate surfaces may be formed on both the fixed conductive member and the movable conductive member or may be formed only on the movable conductive member.
Although the movable conductive member is a plate-like member made of metal such as copper or aluminum in the above first and second embodiments, the movable conductive member may be a linear member or rod-like member made of metal or may be a conductive member made of a metal foil of copper or aluminum, carbon powder, carbon nanotubes or the like and to be applied to the pressing member.
Although the pressing member is made of rubber in the above first and second embodiments, the material of the pressing member is not limited to rubber and may be a synthetic resin.
Although the conductor is a single core wire of the wire in the above first and second embodiments, the conductor is not limited to the single core wire and may be formed by solidifying a stranded wire by ultrasonic welding, laser welding or the like or may be a busbar made of a metal plate material.
In the above first and second embodiments, a connecting device may include, for example, a water stop member such as a heat shrinkable tube in addition to the movable conductive member, the fixed conductive member and the pressing member. The water stop member may be mounted to cover the conductor exposed between the pressing member and the insulation coating.
Although the plurality of fixed conductive members are arranged while being insulated from each other in the above first and second embodiments, the plurality of fixed conductive members may be integrally coupled via a coupling portion.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-038710 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/005440 | 2/15/2021 | WO |
