Patent Grant
8758043
1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a fitting confirmation construction of a connector for connecting a circuit board. The fitting confirmation construction is used for implementing a visual confirmation of whether or not, for example, a flat-circuit-element-side connector is completely fitted to a circuit-board-side connector which is disposed between stacked circuit boards.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, various types of fitting confirmation constructions used in connecting a connector installed at an end of a flexible flat circuit element to a connector installed at an end of a hard printed circuit board are proposed.
JP-A-2006-85989 describes a fitting confirmation construction. In this construction, a plurality of terminals of conductive metal are disposed in parallel in a circuit-board-side connector so as to be exposed to an inside of a mating connector insertion port. A terminal of a flat circuit element is fixedly held between upper and lower guide members of a flat-circuit-element-side connector. Both of the connectors are fitted together, the terminals of the circuit-board-side connector are brought into elastic contact with a plurality of exposed conductors of the flat circuit element within the mating connector insertion port, and a projection on a flexible lock arm of the flat-circuit-element-side connector is brought into elastic engagement within a hollow portion in an upper wall of the circuit-board-side connector. Then, the worker is allowed to recognize a complete fitting connection of the connectors by hearing an engagement sound and visually confirming the projection.
JP-A-2003-308924 describes a locking construction for a flat-circuit-element-side connector. In this locking construction, locking piece portions are provided at distal ends of a pair of left and right substantially L-shaped flexible leg portions, and lock releasing levers are folded back in parallel to the leg portions from both left-hand and right-hand sides of the locking pieces portions.
JP-A-5-343133 describes a fitting confirmation construction. In this construction, an opening and an inclined guide rib are provided in an upper wall of one of connectors for not a flat circuit element but a wiring harness connection connectors, and a flexible arm which follows the guide rib and a mark at a distal end of the arm are provided in the other connector, so that when connectors are fitted together, the mark is caused to be positioned within the opening for recognition by the worker who fits the connectors together.
JP-A-2004-363044 also describes a fitting confirmation construction in which when connectors are fitted together, a different colored portion of the other connector is positioned within an opening in one connector.
In the conventional fitting confirmation constructions described in PTLs 1 to 4, however, like an example shown in
In addition, the way of confirming the proper connectors fitting connection by visually confirming the movement of the marked arm as described in PTL 3 or the differently colored housing as described in PTL 4 has caused a problem that costs involved become high. The “rear” is referred to as so when the distal end side of the flat-circuit-element-side connector 2′ is referred as “front” and the direction in which a flat circuit element 14 is led out is referred to as “rear.”
It is therefore one advantageous aspect of the present invention to provide a circuit boards connecting connectors fitting confirmation construction which a visual confirmation of proper connectors fitting connection in fittingly connecting a flat-circuit-element-side connector to a circuit-board-side connector from an oblique direction with respect to the fittingly connecting direction simply and in an ensured fashion and moreover, with a simple and low-cost construction.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fitting confirmation construction of a connector for connecting a circuit board, the connector including a first connector which is provided on the circuit board and a second connector which is provided at a flat circuit element and configured to be inserted into the first connector to be fit, the fitting confirmation construction comprising:
a confirmation part, provided at a housing of the first connector;
a confirmation opening, provided in a housing of the second connector; and
a rib, provided in the confirmation opening,
wherein a height of the confirmation part is equal to a height of the rib and the confirmation part and the rib are positioned on a same line, on a viewing direction which is viewed from an obliquely upper position rearward in an inserting direction of the second connector through the confirmation opening, in a state that the second connector is completely fit with the first connector.
The fitting confirmation construction may further comprise: a lock arm provided in the housing of the second connector; outer protection walls, provided on the housing of the second connector, and disposed at a left side and a right side of the lock arm respectively; and a lock projection provided on the housing of the first connector. A pair of confirmation openings may be provided between the lock arm and both of the left side and the right side of the outer protection walls respectively. The rib may be disposed rearward than the lock projection in the inserting direction in the state that the second connector is completely fit with the first connector.
The confirmation part may be a straight edge of the housing of the first connector. In the state that the second connector is completely fit with the first connector, a straight line connecting the straight edge with a front edge of the rib in the inserting direction may be equal to the viewing direction, and the front edge may be on the straight edge viewed in the viewing direction.
An angle between the straight line and the inserting direction may be in a range from 30 degree to 35 degree.
At least one other structure may be provided above the first connector or above and at sides of the first connector.
According to the present invention, when the confirmation of the proper fitting of the circuit-board-side connector (the first connector) and the flat-circuit-element-side connector (the second connector) is prevented by the other part lying in front thereof or cannot also be implemented from the top in relation to the position where the worker stands, by visually confirming the confirmation opening from the obliquely upper position at the rear of the flat-circuit-element-side connector, the complete fitting of both the connectors is confirmed when part of the housing of the circuit-board-side connector is positioned at the same height as that of the rib and on the same line, whereas when part of the circuit-board-side connector is spaced away in a front-to-rear direction from the rib at a different height, an incomplete fitting of both the connectors is detected. The coincidence of part of the housing with the rib is realized only when the confirmation opening is looked at from the obliquely upper position at the rear of the flat-circuit-element-side connector. For example, when the confirmation opening is looked at from directly above, part of the housing and the rib are slightly spaced away in the front-to-rear direction from each other. In reality, part of the housing and the rib are not contacted together.
According to the present invention, when the fitting confirmation of both the connectors cannot be implemented from the front due to being interrupted by the other part and cannot also be implemented from directly above due to the position where the worker stands, the fitting confirmation of both the connectors is implemented by visually confirming the confirmation opening from the obliquely upper position at the rear, and the complete fitting connection of both the connectors can be detected simply and in an ensured fashion and moreover, with a simple and low-cost construction by visually confirming that part of the housing of the one connector and the rib of the other connector coincide with each other within the confirmation opening.
According to the present invention, the substantially frame-shaped arm protection wall having the pair of left and right confirmation openings is positioned on the periphery of the lock arm, and the lock arm is protected against an external interference by the substantially frame-shaped arm protection wall. When the fitting state of both the connectors is looked at from directly thereabove, the complete fitting of both the connectors is detected by the engagement of the lock arm with the lock projection. However, the engagement of the lock arm with the lock projection cannot visually be confirmed from the obliquely upper position at the rear. It is not until the rib which lies further rearwards than the lock projection coincides with part of the housing that both the connectors are fitted together. By visually confirming the left and right confirmation openings at the same time, an oblique insertion of the connector is detected. In the oblique insertion, the position of the circuit-board-side connector differs to be shifted in the front-to-rear direction between the left and right confirmation openings.
According to the present invention, the oblique fitting connection of the connectors can be detected by visually confirming the pair of left and right confirmation openings at the same time. In addition, the visual confirmation when the connectors are fitted together can be implemented in an ensured fashion not by the engagement of the lock arm with the lock projection but by the rib which is situated further rearwards than the lock projection when the connectors are fitted together. Additionally, by providing the confirmation openings so as to extend as far as the arm protection wall of the housing, the connector construction can be made simple in construction and light in weight, and the conservation of resource of resin material can be realized. Further, by leaving the arm protection wall into the substantially frame-like fashion on the periphery of the confirmation openings, the protection of the lock arm can also be implemented together.
According to the present invention, although the connectors fitting confirmation cannot be implemented from above or from above and the sides physically, according to the configurations of the first and second aspects, whether or not the connectors are fitted together completely can be confirmed visually in the ensured fashion, and thus, there is caused no problem.
As is shown in
As is shown in
The arm protection wall 5 is situated to be slightly higher than the lock arm 4 on the periphery of the lock arm 4 and includes left and right inclined side walls 5b and a front end wall 5a which connects both the side walls 5b. The respective side walls 5b integrally continue to a front end of an upper wall 12 of the housing 3 so as to intersect the front end.
The housing 3 has a laterally elongated rectangular shape in a left-to-right direction and includes the horizontal upper wall 12, left and right vertical side walls 13, a rear wall 35 and the lower horizontal bottom wall 8 (
The circuit-board-side connector 1 has a connector insertion space 19 between an upper wall 10 and a lower wall (a bottom wall) 18. Elastic contact portions (not shown) of a plurality of parallel terminals 20 of conductive metal are disposed on an upper surface of the lower wall 18 within the connector insertion space 19, and when both the connectors 1, 2 are fitted together, the elastic contact portions are brought into elastic contact with the corresponding exposed conductors, whereby both the connectors 1, 2 are electrically connected together. In
The flat-circuit-element-side connector 2 is also referred to as a slider since the same connector 2 is slidably inserted into the circuit board connector 1. The circuit board 23 is a hard (rigid) printed circuit board (PCB). A flexible flat circuit (FFC) or a flexible printed circuit (FPC) is adopted as the flat circuit element 14.
The projecting portions on the bottom wall 8 of the housing 3 are disposed so as to face lower sides of the lock arm 4 and the arm protection wall 5 which lies outside the lock arm 4. The upper openings or the confirmation openings 6 are positioned individually between the left and right leg portions 4a of the lock arm 4 and the left and right side walls 5b.
Arch-like curved wall portions 24 are integrally provided on lower sides of the inclined side walls 5b of the arm protection wall 5 with a gap provided therebelow. A circuit-board-side connector insertion gap (space) 25 is situated between lower surfaces the arch-shaped wall portions 24 and the upper surface of the bottom wall 8. The fitting position confirmation ribs 9 integrally continue to insides of proximal portions (root portions) of the arch-shaped wall portions 24. The ribs 9 each have a vertical front end face 9a and a similar inner surface 9b, as well as a horizontal upper end face 9c. A bottom portion of the rib 9 integrally continues to the upper surface of the bottom wall 8 of the housing 3. The upper surface 9c of the rib 9 is situated lower than the corresponding arch-shaped wall portion 24. The front opening 7 in the front end of the arm protection wall is situated in front of the rib 9 so as to face it.
In
The front end wall 5a of the arm protection wall 5 projects further forwards slightly than the front end of the bottom wall 8. Although the upper openings 6 are provided in a front-half of the housing 3, the upper openings 6 communicate with an opening 27 in a rear-half of the housing 3, and the rear-half opening 27 extends to the vicinity of a rear end of the housing 3.
The rib 9 has a short, substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, and a height H of the rib 9 is set so as to be equal to a height of the housing 28 of the circuit-board-side connector 1 when it is fitted to the mating connector completely, when visually confirmed from an obliquely upper position at the rear. The height of the housing 28 is almost the height of an upper surface of the upper wall 10 of the housing 28 of the circuit-board-side connector 1 shown in
An upper surface of the arm protection wall 5 and the upper surface of the housing 3 continue to each other at almost the same height. A claw portion 30, which is downwardly directed, is provided at the front end of the bottom wall 8 of the housing 3. Elongated guide projections 31 are formed on both left- and right-hand sides of a front-half of the bottom wall 8 so as to be suspended downwards therefrom. A boss portion 32 is provided at a rear portion of the bottom wall 8 so as to project downwards to thereby be brought into engagement with a hole portion in the flat circuit element 14 (
The upper openings (the confirmation openings) 6 in the front-half of the housing communicate with the opening 27 in the rear-half of the housing. As is also shown in
The expression, “seen from an obliquely upper position at the rear,” means that the flat-circuit-element-side connector 2 is seen from an obliquely upper position at the rear of the same connector. A visually confirming direction E (a viewing direction) is shown as an arrow E in
As is shown in
When looking at the upper openings 6 on the left- and right-hand sides of the lock arm 4 of the flat-circuit-element-side connector 2 in
When the flat-circuit-element-side connector 2 is, as is shown in
In
In the midst of fitting the connectors together as shown in
In the circuit board 23 shown in
The upper and lower circuit boards 23, 23′ can also be connected together at crucial portions (preferably, side portions) by use of connecting supports in place of the connecting walls 34. The disposition of the circuit boards 23 is not limited to the configuration in which the two upper and lower circuit boards 23 are stacked one above the other, and hence, more than two circuit boards 23 can also be disposed so as to be stacked one above another. For example, when circuit boards 23 are stacked in three stages, for example, the visual confirmation of the fitting of the connectors 1, 2 in the lower and intermediate stages can be implemented from the obliquely upper position above the confirmation openings 6.
In addition, also in a situation in which with a circuit-board-side connector 1 and an other part 33 placed on a single circuit board 23 shown in
In the embodiment, while the housing lateral line 29 lying just close to the terminal grooves 21 in the circuit-board-side connector 1 behind thereof is described as being the portion which is aligned with the ribs 9, the longitudinal length or height of the ribs 9 may be set as required so that an other portion than the housing lateral line 29 on the housing 28 of the circuit-board-side connector 1. For example, a housing lateral line 36 which lies further rearwards than the housing lateral line 29 in
When a circuit board 23 is disposed not horizontal or perpendicular to the vertical direction but vertical or perpendicular to the horizontal direction, the visual confirmation from the obliquely upper position is implemented from an obliquely side position. In this situation, as a matter of conveniences, it is described that another part is situated above a circuit-board-side connector 1. In addition, while not the pair of left and right confirmation openings 6 but only either the left or right confirmation opening 6 can be provided, by visually confirming both the left and right confirmation openings 6 simultaneously, an oblique fitting of both the connectors 1, 2 can be detected. For example, the oblique fitting in which a left end of the flat-circuit-element-side connector 2 is situated forwards, while a right end is situated at the rear can be detected.
When a plurality of circuit boards are disposed so as to be stacked one above the other, the circuit board connecting connector fitting confirmation construction according to the invention can be made use of to visually confirm whether or not a flat-circuit-element-side connector is fittingly connected completely to a circuit-board-side connector which is disposed between the circuit boards. The plurality of circuit boards stacked can be installed in an electrical junction box or case.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-072777 | Mar 2010 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/JP2011/058369, which was filed on Mar. 25, 2011 based on Japanese Patent Application (No. 2010-072777) filed on Mar. 26, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Also, all the references cited herein are incorporated as a whole.
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 5343133 | Dec 1993 | JP |
| 2003308924 | Oct 2003 | JP |
| 2004363044 | Dec 2004 | JP |
| 200685989 | Mar 2006 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report dated Jul. 27, 2011 from the International Searching Authority in counterpart international application No. PCT/JP2011/058369. |
| Written Opinion dated Jul. 27, 2011 from the International Searching Authority in counterpart international application No. PCT/JP2011/058369. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20120322277 A1 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2011/058369 | Mar 2011 | US |
| Child | 13602695 | US |
