Patent Grant
12009615
This application is a national phase of PCT application No. PCT/JP2020/022046, filed on 4 Jun. 2020, which claims priority from Japanese patent application No. 2019-128571, filed on 10 Jul. 2019, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a movable support structure.
Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an interlock connector is movably mounted in a sealing holding member. The interlock connector is supported in a floatable state by being inserted into an insertion groove formed in the holding member. The interlock connector is formed with a resilient locking piece. The holding member is formed with a locked portion to be locked by the resilient locking piece. With the interlock connector inserted in the insertion groove, the resilient locking piece locks the locked portion, whereby the interlock connector is retained.
Here, it is desired to make a movable body such as the interlock connector less likely to be detached from a support body.
Accordingly, the present disclosure aims to make a second component less likely to be separated from a first component when the second component is supported relatively movably with respect to the first component.
The present disclosure is directed to a movable support structure with a first component including a movable supporting portion and a retaining/restricting portion, and a second component including a supported portion and a receiving portion, wherein the movable supporting portion restricts a movement toward a back side in a sliding direction of the supported portion slid toward the movable supporting portion along a first direction, the slid supported portion is supported movably along the first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the retaining/restricting portion extends in such a posture as to gradually approach the receiving portion from a position separated from the receiving portion on a side opposite to the second component toward a sliding side of the supported portion, and a retaining surface formed on a tip of the retaining/restricting portion is capable of contacting the receiving portion in a direction to detach the supported portion with the supported portion slid toward the movable supporting portion.
According to the present disclosure, a second component is less likely to be detached from a first component when the second component is supported relatively movably with respect to the first component.
First, embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
The movable support structure of the present disclosure is configured as follows.
A specific example of a movable support structure of the present disclosure is described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these illustrations and is intended to be represented by claims and include all changes in the scope of claims and in the meaning and scope of equivalents.
Hereinafter, a movable support structure according to an embodiment is described. In this embodiment, the movable support structure is a cover to be mounted into an opening of a device housing.
The device housing 10 is a member formed of metal or the like and, for example, a case of an electrical device. This device housing 10 is formed with an opening 10h. The opening portion 11 is mounted in this opening 10h. The opening portion 11 includes a tube portion 12 and a bracket portion 13. The tube portion 12 is formed of resin or the like. Here, the tube portion 12 is formed into an elongated tube shape. The bracket portion 13 is formed of a metal plate or the like. The bracket portion 13 protrudes toward an outer peripheral side of the tube portion 12 in an intermediate part in an axial direction of an outer peripheral part of the tube portion 12. This bracket portion 13 is fixed to the device housing 10 by screws or the like. With the bracket portion 13 fixed to the device housing 10, the tube portion 12 is located in the opening 10h of the device housing 10 in a plan view. For example, the tube portion 12 and the bracket portion 13 are integrated, for example, by molding the tube portion 12 with a part of the bracket portion 13 as an insert.
A space in the tube portion 12 is open inward and outward of the device housing 10. The cover 20 is for closing an outer opening of the tube portion 12.
The cover 20 includes a cover body 30 and a connector 50.
The cover body 30 is a member formed of resin or the like and shaped to be fittable into the tube portion 12. Here, the cover body 30 is in the form of a plate shaped to correspond to the inner peripheral surface shape of the tube portion 12 in a plan view. Since the tube portion 12 is formed into an elongated tube shape here, the cover body 30 is in the form of an oval plate. By fitting the cover body 30 into the tube portion 12, the opening of the tube portion 12 is closed.
Here, a shield cover 28 formed of a metal plate or the like is mounted outside the cover body 30. Here, the shield cover 28 is fixed to the cover body 30, using a screw 29 or the like. With the cover body 30 fit in the tube portion 12, the shield cover 28 covers around the opening portion 11 for electromagnetic shielding. In this state, the shield cover 28 is fixed to the bracket portion 13 by screwing or the like and grounded to the device housing 10. The shield cover 28 is not essential and may be omitted.
The connector 50 is a member to be held relatively movably in a predetermined range with respect to the cover body 30. Here, the connector 50 is held in a part facing the inside of the device housing 10 movably with respect to the cover body 30. A mating connector 16 is provided in the device housing 10 (see
For example, it is assumed that the mating connector 16 is a connector including two terminals and the connector 50 is also a connector including two terminals. Further, the two terminals of the connector 50 are assumed to be conductive with each other by a shorting member such as a wire. If the cover 20 is mounted into the opening portion 11, the connector 50 is connected to the mating connector 16. Then, the two terminals of the mating connector 16 are connected to and conductive with the two corresponding terminals in the connector 50.
Manufacturing errors, assembling errors and the like occur at an arrangement position of the mating connector 16 with respect to the opening portion 11. Further, manufacturing errors, assembling errors and the like occur at a holding position of the connector 50 with respect to the cover body 30. To absorb such errors, the connector 50 is supported movably in the predetermined range with respect to the cover body 30.
In this embodiment, the cover body 30 is an example of a first component having a movable supporting portion and a retaining/restricting portion. The connector 50 is an example of a second component including a supported portion and a receiving portion. A movable supporting portion 40 is provided at a position near one widthwise end part of the cover body 30. Here, the cover body 30 is formed into an elongated shape in a plan view, a longitudinal direction thereof may be called a width direction and a transverse direction thereof may be called a depth direction. The movable supporting portion 40 movably supports the connector 50. The position of the movable supporting portion 40 is not particularly limited. A supported portion 60 is provided on a base end part of the connector 50. The connector 50 is movably supported by the movable supporting portion 40 via the supported portion 60.
The movable supporting portion 40 and the supported portion 60 are more specifically described.
The movable supporting portion 40 supports the supported portion 60 slid toward the movable supporting portion 40 along a first direction X movably along the first direction X and a second direction Y. Here, the first direction X is a direction in which the supported portion 60 moves toward the movable supporting portion 40 when the supported portion 60 is supported in the movable supporting portion 40. The second direction Y is a direction orthogonal to the first direction X. Here, if an extending direction of the connector 50 with respect to the cover body 30 is a third direction Z, the second direction Y is orthogonal to both the first and third directions X, Z. Note that the third direction Z may be comprehended as a connecting direction of the connector 50 to the connector 16. Further, the movable supporting portion 40 supports the supported portion 60 with a movement of the supported portion 60 toward a back side in a sliding direction restricted in the first direction X.
More specifically, the movable supporting portion 40 includes a pair of slide supporting portions 42 and a back side receiving portion 46.
The pair of slide supporting portions 42 are formed to project while being spaced apart in a part of the cover body 30 facing the device housing 10. The slide supporting portion 42 includes a plate-like part expanding in an XZ plane. The pair of slide supporting portions 42 are facing each other while being spaced apart in the Y direction, and the supported portion 60 is disposed therebetween. A pair of guide grooves 43 are formed in inward facing parts of the pair of slide supporting portions 42 (inward facing parts on tip parts of the slide supporting portions 42). The guide groove 43 is formed along the sliding direction of the supported portion 60, here, along the X direction. The pair of guide grooves 43 are open on sides facing each other and on one end sides in an extending direction. End parts on the one end sides in the extending direction of the pair of guide grooves 43 are insertion opening side end parts into which a pair of inserting projections 62 to be described later are inserted.
Retaining projections 44 are formed on the insertion opening side end parts of the pair of guide grooves 43. This retaining projection 44 partially closes the guide groove 43 on the insertion opening side end part of the guide groove 43. Further, a clearance into which the inserting projection 62 is insertable is formed between the retaining projection 44 and the inner surface of the guide groove 43 on the insertion opening side end part of the guide groove 43. Here, the retaining projection 44 is formed to project from a side of the guide groove 43 on the side of the cover body 30. A clearance having a dimension substantially equal to (preferably equal to) a thickness of the inserting projection 62 is formed between the retaining projection 44 and a surface of the guide groove 43 on the side of the connector 50. Further, the retaining projection 44 has a guide surface 44f1 gradually projecting toward the back side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60. When the inserting projections 62 are inserted into the guide grooves 43, the inserting projections 62 contact the guide surfaces 44f1, thereby being guided into the above clearances. In this way, the inserting projections 62 are smoothly guided into the guide grooves 43. Further, a surface of the retaining projection 44 on an intermediate side in the extending direction of the guide groove 43 is formed into a stop surface 44f2 orthogonal to the first direction X. With the inserting projections 62 accommodated in the guide grooves 43 beyond the retaining projections 44, the inserting projections 62 contact the stop surfaces 44f2, thereby being unlikely to come out from the guide grooves 43.
The back side receiving portion 46 is provided on back sides of the slide supporting portions 42 in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60. This back side receiving portion 46 is provided at a position facing the supported portion 60 slid toward the movable supporting portion 40 on the back side in the sliding direction.
Here, the back side receiving portion 46 includes a pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a. The pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a are respectively provided on the pair of slide supporting portions 42. A part of the divided back side receiving portion 46a closes the other end side in the extending direction of the guide groove 43. Another part of the divided back side receiving portion 46a projects toward a clearance between the pair of slide supporting portions 42 from a tip part of the slide supporting portion 42 on the back side in the sliding direction. The pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a are divided via a clearance in the second direction Y. The pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a may be connected to each other.
The supported portion 60 is a part forming the base end part of the connector 50. Here, the base end part 51 of the connector 50 is shaped to project in the first direction X with respect to a tip part of the connector 50. The inserting projections 62 to be described later can be formed to be long by as much as the base end part 51 of the connector 50 projecting further than the tip part. In this way, the inserting projections 62 are easily stabilized in the guide grooves 43.
The supported portion 60 includes the pair of inserting projections 62 projecting from both sides of the base end part 51 of the connector 50. The pair of inserting projections 62 are respectively in the form of elongated plates fittable into the guide grooves 43. An interval between outward facing surfaces of the pair of inserting projections 62 is larger than an interval between the inner surfaces of the pair of slide supporting portions 42, but smaller than an interval between the groove bottom surfaces of the guide grooves 43. Further, a dimension between both side surfaces of the base end part 51 of the connector 50 is smaller than the interval between the inner surfaces of the pair of slide supporting portions 42. Thus, the supported portion 60 on the base end part 51 of the connector 50 can move in a predetermined range along the second direction Y, which is a direction connecting the pair of slide supporting portions 42.
A length of the inserting projection 62 is smaller than that of the guide groove 43. Thus, the inserting projection 62 can be accommodated into the guide groove 43 in the extending direction of the guide groove 43. Note that a width of the guide groove 43 is larger than the thickness of the inserting projection 62. Thus, the inserting projection 62 can move in the guide groove 43 in the third direction Z. Thus, the supported portion 60 is supported movably in a predetermined range also in the third direction Z. As a result, the connector 50 can be inclined in a predetermined range with respect to the cover body 30 and can be inclined in conformity with the posture of the mating connector 16. Thus, the connector 50 is smoothly connected to the mating connector 16.
Further, a movement of the supported portion 60 is restricted by the back side receiving portion 46 when being slid in the first direction X. A movement of the supported portion is restricted by the hooking of a receiving portion 64 to be described next and the retaining/restricting portion 48 in a direction opposite to the sliding direction, i.e. in a direction in which the supported portion 60 comes out from the movable supporting portion 40.
Note that a configuration in which the movable supporting portion supports the supported portion movably in the predetermined range is not limited to the above example. For example, the movable supporting portion may be a protrusion having a T-shaped cross-section and the supported portion may be a groove having a T-shaped cross-section, into which the protrusion having the T-shaped cross-section is loosely slidably fit.
Further, in the above example, the movable supporting portion 40 includes the pair of guide grooves 43 and the supported portion 60 includes the pair of inserting projections 62. Contrary to this configuration, a movable supporting portion may include a pair of inserting projections and a supported portion may include a pair of guide grooves.
The supported portion 60 is retained in the movable supporting portion 40 by the contact of the retaining/restricting portion 48 with the receiving portion 64.
The base end part 51 of the connector 50 is open when viewed from the side of the movable supporting portion 40. The receiving portion 64 is formed on the base end part 51. Here, a tip part of a wall part on the back side in the sliding direction, out of a peripheral wall part surrounding an opening formed in the base end part 51, is the receiving portion 64. The receiving portion 64 is in the form of a plate orthogonal to an extending direction of the pair of inserting projections 62. A part (outward facing part) on the back side in the sliding direction, out of an end edge part of the receiving portion 64, is formed into a chamfered slope shape. Here, a part (inward facing part) on a front side in the sliding direction, out of the end edge part of the receiving portion 64, is also formed into a chamfered slope shape. Both sides of a part backward of the parts formed into the slope shape, out of the receiving portion 64, are surfaces orthogonal to the sliding direction.
The retaining/restricting portion 48 is provided in the movable supporting portion 40. The retaining/restricting portion 48 extends in such a posture as to gradually approach the receiving portion 64 toward a sliding side of the supported portion 60 from a position separated from the receiving portion 64 toward a side opposite to the connector 50. More specifically, an extending base piece 47 extends toward an insertion side of the supported portion 60 from an intermediate part in the first direction X in a back side part of the movable supporting portion 40 between the pair of slide supporting portions 42. The retaining/restricting portion 48 is provided by folding a tip part of the extending base piece 47. The retaining/restricting portion 48 extends in an oblique posture to move in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60 with respect to the movable supporting portion 40 from the back sides toward the tip sides of the pair of slide supporting portions 42 between the pair of slide supporting portions 42. Here, a part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 except the folded part and tip part is in the form of a straight plate. The tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 is located near the back side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60 between the pair of guide grooves 43. With the supported portion 60 inserted to slide in the movable supporting portion 40, the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 is disposed at such a position that this tip part can contact the receiving portion 64. This retaining/restricting portion 48 can be resiliently deformed with a base side thereof as a center. In this way, the retaining/restricting portion 48 can be displaced along the third direction Z, which is a longitudinal direction of the connector 50. Since obliquely extending, the retaining/restricting portion 48 is relatively long. In this way, a sufficient resilient deformation region can be provided to become the retaining/restricting portion 48 while further space saving is achieved.
The tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 has a retaining surface 48f1. Here, the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 includes a part 48a projecting toward the connector 50 in the third direction Z. A surface of this part 48a on the back side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60 is the retaining surface 48f1. With the supported portion 60 slid toward the movable supporting portion 40, the retaining surface 48f1 is arranged to be able to contact the receiving portion 64 in a direction to retain the supported portion 60 (i.e. from the front side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60).
More specifically, in a natural state where the retaining/restricting portion 48 is not resiliently deformed, the part 48a having the retaining surface 48f1 is present at a position overlapping the receiving portion 64 as seen through along the sliding direction of the supported portion 60. Particularly, even if the inserting projections 62 are in contact with the inner surfaces on the side of the connector 50 in the guide grooves 43 (i.e. even if the supported portion 60 is at a position most distant from the cover body 30 in the movable range by the movable supporting portion 40), this positional relationship is satisfied. Thus, with the supported portion 60 slid and mounted in the movable supporting portion 40, the retaining surface 48f1 of the retaining/restricting portion 48 contacts the receiving portion 64 to retain the supported portion 60. This state is a retained state.
Further, the retaining/restricting portion 48 is resiliently deformable from a posture in the retained state in a direction to be retracted from a relative passage path of the receiving portion 64, i.e. toward the cover body 30, when the supported portion 60 is inserted into the movable supporting portion 40. When the supported portion 60 of the connector 50 is mounted into the movable supporting portion 40 of the cover body 30, the receiving portion 64 contacts an inclined surface of the part 48a from a side opposite to the retaining surface 48f1. In this way, the retaining/restricting portion 48 can be deformed in the direction to be retracted. When the part 48a rides over the receiving portion 64, the retaining/restricting portion 48 returns to the initial shape and the retained state is achieved.
Note that there is a difference between a position where the supported portion 60 is retained by the retaining surface 48f1 and a position where a backward movement of the supported portion 60 is restricted by the back side receiving portion 46. Here, an interval between the retaining surface 48f1 and the back side receiving portion 46 is larger than a thickness of the receiving portion 64. In this way, the supported portion 60 can move in a predetermined range in the first direction X.
The tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 has a pressing surface 48f2. Here, the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 includes a part 48b projecting toward the back side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60 in the first direction X. A surface of this part 48b facing the connector 50 in the third direction Z is the pressing surface 48f2. The pressing surface 48f2 is provided at such a position that the pressing surface 48f2 can contact the receiving portion 64 from the side of the cover body 30 with the inserting projections 62 accommodated in the guide grooves 43. For example, the pressing surface 48f2 is provided at such a position that the pressing surface 48f2 can contact receiving portion 64 from the side of the cover body 30 with the inserting projections 62 held in contact with the inner surfaces on the side of the connector 50 in the guide grooves 43 (i.e. with the supported portion 60 located at the position most distant from the cover body 30 in the movable range by the movable supporting portion 40).
Further, a laterally projecting portion 49 is formed on at least one side part of the tip of the retaining/restricting portion 48. Here, a pair of the laterally projecting portions 49 are formed on both side parts of the tip of the retaining/restricting portion 48. More specifically, the laterally projecting portions 49 are provided closer to the cover body 30 than the part 48a on the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48. The positions of the pressing surface 48f2 and the laterally projecting portions 49 are shifted in the first direction X. Surfaces of the laterally projecting portions 49 on the side of the connector 50 are provided at the same position as the pressing surface 48f2 in the third direction Z. With the pressing surface 48f2 held in contact with the receiving portion 64, the laterally projecting portions 49 are in contact with the supported portion 60 from the side of the cover body 30. Here, the pair of laterally projecting portions 49 are in contact with both side wall parts, out of the peripheral wall part surrounding the opening in the base end part 51 of the connector 50. In this way, the pair of laterally projecting portions 49 also contact the connector 50 from the side opposite to the connector 50 and press the connector 50 in a direction away from the cover body 30.
According to the movable support structure configured as just described, the retaining/restricting portion 48 extends in such a posture as to gradually approach the receiving portion 64 from the position separated from the receiving portion 64 on the side opposite to the connector 50 toward the sliding side of the supported portion 60. The restricting surface 48f1 of the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 contacts the receiving portion 64 to retain the supported portion 60. If the supported portion 60 is about to come out from the movable supporting portion 40, a force in a coming-out direction of the supported portion 60 and a force in a direction toward the cover body 30 are thought to be applied to the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48. However, such forces are effectively received by rigidity in the extending direction of the retaining/restricting portion 48 in the oblique posture. Thus, the retaining/restricting portion 48 itself is unlikely to be deformed to displace the tip part toward the cover body 30. In this way, it is suppressed that the hooking of the retaining/restricting portion 48 and the receiving portion 64 is released. In this way, the connector 50 is less likely to be separated from the cover body 30 when the connector 50 is supported relatively movably with respect to the cover body 30.
Further, the pressing surface 48f2 formed on the tip of the retaining/restricting portion 48 contacts the receiving portion 64 from the side opposite to the connector 50 and presses the connector 50 toward the side away from the cover body 30. Thus, the connector 50 is unlikely to rattle with respect to the cover body 30. In this way, the vibration of the connector 50 is, for example, suppressed. Further, other measures for suppressing the vibration of the connector 50 become unnecessary. This configuration is effective as a configuration for suppressing the vibration of the connector 50 when a large movable width of the supported portion 60 with respect to the movable supporting portion 40 is set.
Further, since the connector 50 is pressed toward the side away from the cover body 30 by the laterally projecting portions 49, the connector 50 is less likely to rattle with respect to the cover body 30. The laterally projecting portions 49 may be omitted. Particularly, by providing the laterally projecting portions 49 on both sides of the pressing surface 48f2, the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 can stably press the connector 50.
Further, since the retaining projections 44 are provided in the guide grooves 43, the inserting projections 62 are less likely to come out from the guide grooves 43 and the connector 50 is less likely to be separated from the cover body 30.
Further, the tip part of the retaining/restricting portion 48 presses the receiving portion 64 toward the connector 50 on the back side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60. Thus, the connector 50 is easily inclined toward the front side in the sliding direction of the supported portion 60, in other words, possibly easily inclined to displace end parts of the inserting projections 62 on the side of the retaining projections 44 toward the cover body 30. In this embodiment, the retaining projections 44 are provided on the side of the cover body 30 in the guide grooves 43. Thus, even if the connector 50 is inclined as described above, the inserting projections 62 easily contact the retaining projections 44 and the supported portion 60 is effectively prevented from coming out from the movable supporting portion 40.
Further, since the pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a are divided via the clearance, the pair of divided back side receiving portions 46a, 46a can stably receive the supported portion 60 while weight saving is achieved. Further, the amount of used resin can also be reduced.
[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the cover body 30 is a first component and the connector 50 is a second component. Contrary to this relationship, a cover body may be a second component and a connector may be a first component. In this case, the connector is provided with a movable supporting portion and a retaining/restricting portion and the cover body is provided with a supported portion and a receiving portion.
Note that the respective components described in the above embodiment and modification can be combined as appropriate without contradicting each other.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-128571 | Jul 2019 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2020/022046 | 6/4/2020 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/005926 | 1/14/2021 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3646495 | Cowmeadow | Feb 1972 | A |
| 3671921 | Baker, III | Jun 1972 | A |
| 4992054 | Cassan | Feb 1991 | A |
| 5773332 | Glad | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5971777 | Garside | Oct 1999 | A |
| 9024183 | Sakakura | May 2015 | B2 |
| 20070059970 | Ichio et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-060073 | Apr 2014 | JP |
| 2017-091803 | May 2017 | JP |
| Entry |
|---|
| International Search Report dated Aug. 25, 2020 for WO 2021/005926 A1 (4 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220278479 A1 | Sep 2022 | US |
