Patent Grant
9039458
The present invention relates to a connector which includes an inner housing that is assembled in a structure in which a plurality of terminal accommodation portions are penetratingly formed in a connector fitting direction by an engagement union of a plurality of housing division bodies and an outer housing that is fit into the inner housing to cover the circumference of the inner housing.
A connector 101 illustrated in
The shield electric wire 103 is configured to have two signal lines 104 and drain lines 105 for ground connection.
The inner housing 110 is assembled in a structure in which a plurality of terminal accommodation portions 113 are penetratingly formed along a connector fitting direction (direction of an arrow X in
In the case of the inner housing 110 of the illustrated example, the housing division body 121 is a housing main body in which an upper pan of a base end side that becomes an insertion side of the shield electric wire 103 is assumed as an opening portion 122. In the opening portion 122, base end sides 113a of the plurality of terminal accommodation portions 113 are exposed in the form of a plurality of grooves. On the base end side 113a of each terminal accommodation portion 113, pressure welding terminals that connect the signal lines 104 and the drain lines 105 to pressure welding beforehand are mounted, and by inserting the signal lines 104 and the drain lines 105 into the corresponding pressure welding terminals, the shield electric wire 103 is connected to the respective pressure welding terminals.
In the case of the illustrated example, the other housing division body 131 that is engaged with and united to the housing division body 121 is a cover member that openably covers the opening portion 122. As the housing division body 131 covers the opening portion 122 of the housing division body 121, the signal lines 104 and the drain lines 105 that are connected to respective pressure welding terminals are pressingly fixed into each terminal accommodation portion 113.
In the case of the illustrated example, as means for engaging and uniting the housing division body 121 and the housing division body 131 to each other, engagement pieces 133 equipped in the housing division body 131 and locking portions 127 equipped in the housing division body 121 are provided.
The engagement piece 133 includes elastic wall portions 133a installed to hang down from both side edges of the housing division body 131 and engagement projection portions installed to project from the front ends of the elastic wall portions 133a. The elastic wall portions 133a extend to overlap inner surfaces of both side walls 124 and 125 of the housing division body 121 that is the housing main body.
The locking portions 127 are notches that are formed on the both side walls 124 and 125 of the housing division body 121 so that the engagement projection portions 133b are engaged with the locking portions 127.
The outer housing is approximately in a square tube shape, and is formed of a metal plate. The outer housing 140 is mounted on and fit in the inner housing 110 so as to cover the circumference of the inner housing 110. In the outer housing 140, an elastic contact piece 141 is integrally formed to project from the side wall portion to the inside of the outer housing 140. Since the elastic contact piece 141 is in contact with a drain terminal of the housing division body 121 from a notched window 129 formed on the side of the housing division body 121, it has the same electric potential as the drain terminal and electromagnetically shields the circumference of the housing division body 121.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-H11-339891
According to the connector 101 described in Patent Document 1 as described above, the engagement pieces 133 and the locking portions 127, which are means for engaging and uniting the housing division body 121 and the housing division body 131 to each other, are installed on both outer portions of the respective housing division bodies. Through this, the width dimensions of the inner housing 110 become a value that is obtained by adding the width dimensions necessary for engagement of the engagement pieces 133 with the locking portions 127 to both sides of the width dimensions necessary for arrangement of the plurality of terminal accommodation portions 113. Accordingly, for the equipment of the engagement pieces 133 and the locking portions 127, the external form dimensions (width dimensions) of the inner housing 110 increase, and as a result, the connector itself becomes large-sized.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a connector which can seek miniaturization by suppressing the external form dimensions of the inner housing.
The object of the present invention as described above can be achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A connector including an inner housing that is assembled in a structure in which a plurality of terminal accommodation portions are penetratingly formed in a connector fitting direction by an engagement union of a plurality of housing division bodies, and an outer housing that is configured to be fit into the inner housing to cover a circumference of the inner housing, wherein the connector further comprises, as means for engaging and uniting the housing division bodies: engagement pieces equipped on one of the housing division bodies to be engaged and united and inserted between adjacent terminal accommodation portions in the other of the housing division bodies; and locking portions equipped between the terminal accommodation portions in the other of the housing division bodies and engaged with the inserted engagement pieces to make the housing division bodies in a connection state.
(2) The engagement pieces and the locking portions may be provided in a plurality of places that are shifted in the fitting direction of the housing division bodies to be engaged and united.
According to the configuration of (1), the engagement pieces and the locking portions, which are the means for engaging and uniting the housing division bodies, complete the engagement in a space between the adjacent terminal accommodation portions in the respective housing division bodies.
Accordingly, it is not necessary that the width dimensions of the inner housing is obtained by adding the width dimensions necessary for the engagement of the engagement pieces with the locking portions to both outer sides of the width dimensions necessary for the arrangement of the plurality of terminal accommodation portions. Through this, miniaturization of the connector can be sought by suppressing the external form dimensions of the inner housing.
According to the configuration of (2), since the engagement pieces and the locking portions are engaged in the plurality of places, the bond strength of the housing division bodies can be improved. Further, since the plurality of engagement places are shifted in the fitting direction of the housing division bodies, the insertion force that is necessary at the time of the fitting of the housing division bodies can be reduced to improve the assembling characteristics of the inner housing.
Hereinafter, a connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
A connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a 4-pin shield connector based on the IEEE 1394 standard, and as illustrate in
As illustrated in
The four terminal accommodation portions 13 of the inner housing 10, as illustrated in
The first housing division body 20 and the second housing division body 30 that constitute the inner housing 10 are all made of a resin material.
The two housing division bodies 20 and 30 are provided by dividing the inner housing 10 into two of a front end portion and a rear end portion.
On a front end surface of the first housing division body 20 that constitutes the front end portion of the inner housing 10, openings 13a for terminal introduction are formed in two lines in the width direction and in two steps of top and bottom. The openings 13a for terminal introduction form the front end portion of the terminal accommodation portion 13.
In the second housing division body 30 that constitutes the rear end portion of the inner housing 10, four terminal accommodation holes 13b, which accommodate and hold connection terminals (not illustrated) that are connected to signal lines and drain lines of a shield wire 3 are formed in two lines in the width direction and in two steps of top and bottom. The terminal accommodation holes 13b form the rear end portion of the terminal accommodation portion 13.
In this embodiment, the two housing division bodies 20 and 30 are engaged and united through checking them along the connector fitting direction as indicated by an arrow X1 in
In this embodiment, as means for engaging and uniting the two housing division bodies 20 and 30, two engagement pieces equipped on the first housing division body 20 that is one side of the housing division bodies and two locking portions 32 equipped on the second housing division body 30 that is the other side of the housing division bodies.
As illustrated in
The respective engagement pieces 22 are engagement projections projecting from the rib 23 in the width direction (direction of an arrow Y1 in
The two engagement pieces 22, integrally with the rib 23, are inserted between the adjacent terminal accommodation holes 13b in the width direction in the second housing division body 30. In this embodiment, the two engagement pieces 22, as illustrated in
The locking portions 32 are equipped between the adjacent terminal accommodation holes 13b in the width direction (direction of an arrow Y2 in
The gap 33 is formed by a pair of partitions 34 that face each other in the width direction of the second housing division body 30. On the pair of partitions 34, the locking portions 32 are installed so that the respective engagement pieces 22 on the rib 23 are engaged with the locking portions 32 when the rib 23 is completely inserted into the gap 33. In this embodiment, as illustrated in
The two locking portions formed on the pair of partitions 34 are shifted in the fitting direction of the housing division bodies in response to the arrangement of the engagement pieces 22 in the first housing division body 20.
The outer housing 40 is approximately in a square tube shape, and is mounted on and fit into the inner housing to cover the circumference of the inner housing 10. The outer housing 40 has a shield structure that electromagnetically shields the circumference of the housing division body 10.
In the connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above, the engagement pieces 22 and the locking portions 32, which are the means for engaging and uniting the housing division bodies 20 and 30, complete the engagement in the gap 33 that is a space between the adjacent terminal accommodation portions 13 in the respective housing division bodies 20 and 30.
Accordingly, it is not necessary that the width dimensions of the inner housing 10 is obtained by adding the width dimensions necessary for the engagement of the engagement pieces 22 with the locking portions 32 to both outer sides of the width dimensions necessary for the arrangement of the plurality of terminal accommodation portions. Through this, miniaturization of the connector can be sought by suppressing the external form dimensions of the inner housing 10.
In the connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as described above, since the engagement pieces 22 and the locking portions 32 are engaged in the plurality of places, the big bond strength to which the engagement strength is added can be obtained, and thus the bond strength of the housing division bodies 20 and 30 can be improved. Further, since the plurality of engagement places are shifted in the fitting direction of the housing division bodies 20 and 30, the insertion force that is necessary at the time of the fitting of the housing division bodies 20 and 30 can be reduced to improve the assembling characteristics of the inner housing 10.
The connector according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but appropriate modification and improvement are possible. The materials, shapes, and dimensions of respective components that constitute the connector according to the present invention are arbitrary if they can achieve the purpose of the present invention, and are not limited to the above-described embodiments.
For example, the equipment number of the engagement pieces 22 and the locking portions 32 is not limited to that in the above-described embodiment. Further, on the contrary of the above-described embodiment, the engagement pieces 22 may be provided in the second housing division body 30 and the locking portions 32 may be provided in the first housing division body 20.
Further, the position and the number of divisions when the inner housing is divided into the plurality of housing division bodies are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment. For example, the inner housing may be formed by engaging and uniting three or more housing division bodies. Further, the division of the inner housing is not limited to that in the above-described embodiment in which the inner housing is divided into the plurality of housing division bodies back and force, but the inner housing may be divided into the plurality of housing division bodies up and down.
Further, the shapes and arrangement places of the engagement pieces 22 or the locking portion 32 exemplified in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary if they can achieve the purpose of the present invention, and are not limited to the above-described embodiments.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but appropriate modification and improvement are possible. In addition, the materials, shapes, dimensions, numerals, forms, numbers, and arrangement places of the constituent elements in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary, and are not limited thereto.
Although the present invention has bee described in detail or with reference to specified embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications or corrections are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-194470 filed in the Japan Patent Office on Aug. 31, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
According to the connector of the present invention, the engagement pieces and the locking portions, which are the means for engaging and uniting the housing division bodies, complete the engagement in the space between the adjacent terminal accommodation portions in the respective housing division bodies.
Accordingly, it is not necessary that the width dimensions of the inner housing is obtained by adding the width dimensions necessary for the engagement of the engagement pieces with the locking portions to both outer sides of the width dimensions necessary for the arrangement of the plurality of terminal accommodation portions. Through this, miniaturization of the connector can be sought by suppressing the external form dimensions of the inner housing.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-194470 | Aug 2010 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2011/069783 | 8/31/2011 | WO | 00 | 1/7/2013 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2012/029856 | 8/3/2012 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5362261 | Puerner | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5607327 | Tsuji et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 6231398 | Furutani et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 7488220 | Suzuki | Feb 2009 | B2 |
| 8597062 | Casses et al. | Dec 2013 | B2 |
| 20080119075 | Suzuki | May 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1232304 | Oct 1999 | CN |
| 101202391 | Jun 2008 | CN |
| 7-34570 | Jun 1995 | JP |
| 8-17511 | Jan 1996 | JP |
| 11-339891 | Dec 1999 | JP |
| 2002-334740 | Nov 2002 | JP |
| 2002-343482 | Nov 2002 | JP |
| 2008-153055 | Jul 2008 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report (PCT/ISA/210), dated Oct. 25, 2011, issued by the International Searching Authority in corresponding International Application No. PCT/JP2011/069783. |
| Written Opinion (PCT/ISA/237), dated Oct. 25, 2011, issued by the International Searching Authority in corresponding International Application No. PCT/JP2011/069783. |
| Office Action dated Jul. 8, 2014, issued by the Japanese Patent Office in counterpart Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-194470. |
| Chinese Office Action dated Sep. 18, 2014 issued by The State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China in counterpart Chinese Application No. 201180042130.6. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130109247 A1 | May 2013 | US |
