The present disclosure relates to a terminal cover.
The terminal cover of the present disclosure is mainly used for protecting the terminal connections of devices that are installed in vehicles, such as batteries, alternators and starters, for example. Generally, such a terminal cover is not mounted after the terminal has been bolted to an in-vehicle device in the vehicle assembly process, but is manufactured with the terminal cover ready-mounted to an electrical wire to which the terminal has been crimped in advance in the wire harness manufacturer, and the terminal cover is supplied to the vehicle assembly line in this state. In the process for connecting the terminal to an in-vehicle device, part of the terminal cover is then opened to expose the connection portion of the terminal, and the terminal is fastened with a nut and bolt, after which the terminal cover is closed to protect the terminal. In order to perform the above connection process more smoothly, it is desirable that the wire with terminal to which the terminal cover is mounted is provisionally latched in a state where the terminal cover exposes the connection portion of the terminal, and transported to the vehicle assembly line in this state.
Heretofore, a known example of such a terminal cover is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H08-096863 (hereinafter, Patent Document 1). This terminal cover includes a cover part, and is constituted by a cap body that accommodates an electrical wire and is attached on a terminal post side, and a protective opening-closing body joined to the cover part via a hinge. The cover part is provided with a provisional latching boss, and the protective opening-closing body is provided with a latching hole for engaging with the provisional latching boss. The protective opening-closing body is provisionally latched to the cover part in an open state.
Patent Document 1: JP H08-096863 A
However, with the terminal cover described in Patent Document 1, the provisional latching boss is exposed externally when engaged with the latching hole in the open state. Accordingly, when transporting an electrical wire with terminal to which this terminal cover is mounted, for example, the provisional latching could be disengaged by an external force, and the open state could be released.
The present disclosure has been completed based on circumstances such as the above, and an object thereof is to provide a terminal cover that is not susceptible to an open state being released by an external force.
A terminal cover of the present disclosure includes a terminal protector having an opening part that is open upward, a wire protection part provided rearward continuously with the terminal protector, and a lid joined to a front end of the wire protection part via a hinge and configured to open and close the opening part from above, wherein a latching wall including a latching boss is provided to extend upward on an upper surface of the wire protection part, in a closed state in which the opening part is blocked off, the lid includes a protruding part protruding upward of the upper surface of the wire protection part and a surrounding part provided continuously downward from the protruding part and widening outward from the protruding part, the protruding part is provided with a latching part, the lid is maintained in an open state in which the opening part is open, due to the latching wall abutting the protruding part and the latching boss and the latching part latching together, and in the open state, the latching part is covered by the latching wall so as to not be exposed externally, and the latching boss is covered by the surrounding part so as to not be exposed externally.
According to the present disclosure, a terminal cover that is not susceptible to an open state being released by an external force can be provided.
Initially, modes of the present disclosure will be enumerated and described.
(1) A terminal cover of the present disclosure includes a terminal protector having an opening part that is open upward, a wire protection part provided rearward continuously with the terminal protector, and a lid joined to a front end of the wire protection part via a hinge and configured to open and close the opening part from above, wherein a latching wall including a latching boss is provided to extend upward on an upper surface of the wire protection part, in a closed state in which the opening part is blocked off, the lid includes a protruding part protruding upward of the upper surface of the wire protection part and a surrounding part provided continuously downward from the protruding part and widening outward from the protruding part, the protruding part is provided with a latching part, the lid is maintained in an open state in which the opening part is open, due to the latching wall abutting the protruding part and the latching boss and the latching part latching together, and in the open state, the latching part is covered by the latching wall so as to not be exposed externally, and the latching boss is covered by the surrounding part so as to not be exposed externally.
According to such a configuration, the latching part and the latching boss are not exposed externally in the open state, and thus the open state is not susceptible to being released by an external force.
(2) Preferably, the latching wall is provided as a pair so as to oppose each other in a left-right direction.
According to such a configuration, the open state is not susceptible to being released by an external force, due to the protruding part fitting between the pair of latching walls, and the latching part and the latching boss latching together.
(3) Preferably, a first tapered surface inclining so as to proceed forward while proceeding upward is provided near the hinge of the wire protection part, in the open state, a second tapered surface inclining so as to proceed forward while proceeding upward is provided at a front end of the protruding part, and the first tapered surface and the second tapered surface are configured to engage each other, by sliding the lid forward in the open state.
According to such a configuration, by sliding the lid forward in the open state, the first tapered surface and the second tapered surface engage each other, and a force that moves the lid upward with respect to the wire protection part is generated, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
(4) Preferably, a third tapered surface is provided at a rear end of the latching boss, and the third tapered surface inclines so as to approach the latching wall while proceeding rearward.
According to such a configuration, by sliding the lid forward in the open state, the latching boss rides up the lateral surface of the protruding part, and latching of the latching part and the latching boss is easily disengaged, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
(5) Preferably, in the open state, a fourth tapered surface is provided rearward and downward of the latching part of the protruding part, such that the protruding part becomes thicker while proceeding downward, and the latching boss and the fourth tapered surface are configured to engage each other, by sliding the lid forward in the open state.
According to such a configuration, by sliding the lid forward in the open state, the latching boss rides up the lateral surface of the protruding part, and latching of the latching part and the latching boss is easily disengaged, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The present disclosure is not limited to these illustrative examples and is defined by the claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to
Terminal Cover
A terminal cover 1 of the present embodiment is made of an insulating synthetic resin. As shown in
Terminal Protection Body, Opening Part
As shown in
Wire Protection Part, Latching Walls, Latching Bosses, Third Tapered Surfaces
The wire protection part 20 is tubular in shape and is open in the front-rear direction. The wire protection part 20 is formed by rotating an upper wire protection part 20U with respect to a lower wire protection part 20L with a hinge 20H shown in
Hinge, First Tapered Surface
As shown in
Lid, Protruding Part, Surrounding Part, Second Tapered Surface
As shown in
Latching Parts, Fourth Tapered Surfaces
As shown in
In the above configuration, in the open state, the latching parts 35 are covered by the latching walls 22 so as to not be exposed externally, as shown in
Also, with the above configuration, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state, the open state is easily released manually, as described below. Note that the length of the hinge 26 in the front-rear direction in the closed state is set to allow enough room for the lid 30 to slide forward.
When the lid 30 moves forward in the open state, the latching boss 23 easily rides up the peripheral wall 32A, due to the third tapered surface 24 engaging the rear end of the thin part 34, in
When the lid 30 is slid forward in the open state, the lid 30 also moves upward while being pushed forward, due to the first tapered surface 27 and the second tapered surface 36 engaging each other, in
Furthermore, when the lid 30 moves forward and upward in the open state, the latching boss 23 engages the fourth tapered surface 37 and easily rides up the peripheral wall 32A, in
According to the present embodiment, the following operation and effect are achieved.
A terminal cover 1 according to the present embodiment includes a terminal protector 10 having an opening part 11 that is open upward, a wire protection part 20 provided rearward continuously with the terminal protector 10, and a lid 30 joined to a front end of the wire protection part 20 via a hinge 26 and configured to open and close the opening part 11 from above. A latching wall 22 including a latching boss 23 is provided to extend upward on an upper surface 21 of the wire protection part 20. In a closed state in which the opening part 11 is blocked off, the lid 30 includes a protruding part 32 protruding upward of the upper surface 21 of the wire protection part 20, and a surrounding part 33 provided continuously downward from the protruding part 32 and widening outward from the protruding part 32. Also, the protruding part 32 is provided with a latching part 35. The lid 30 is maintained in an open state in which the opening part 11 is open, due to the latching wall 22 abutting the protruding part 32 and the latching boss 23 and the latching part 35 latching together, and, in the open state, the latching part 35 is covered by the latching wall 22 so as to not be exposed externally, and the latching boss 23 is covered by the surrounding part 33 so as to not be exposed externally.
According to the above configuration, the latching part 35 and the latching boss 23 are not exposed externally in the open state, and thus, during transportation, for example, the open state is not susceptible to being released by an external force.
In the present embodiment, the latching wall 22 is provided as a pair so as to oppose each other in the left-right direction.
According to the above configuration, the open state is not susceptible to being released by an external force, due to the protruding part 32 fitting between the pair of latching walls 22, and the latching part 35 and the latching boss 23 latching together.
In the present embodiment, a first tapered surface 27 that inclines so as to proceed forward while proceeding upward is provided near the hinge 26 of the wire protection part 20, in the open state, a second tapered surface 36 that inclines so as to proceed forward while proceeding upward is provided at a front end of the protruding part 32, and the first tapered surface 27 and the second tapered surface 36 are configured to engage each other, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state.
According to the above configuration, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state, the first tapered surface 27 and the second tapered surface 36 engage each other, and a force that moves the lid 30 upward with respect to the wire protection part 20 is generated, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
In the present embodiment, a third tapered surface 24 is provided at the rear end of the latching boss 23, and the third tapered surface 24 is inclined so as to approach the latching wall 22 while proceeding rearward.
According to the above configuration, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state, the latching boss 23 rides up the lateral surface of the protruding part 32, and latching of the latching part 35 and the latching boss 23 is easily disengaged, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
In the present embodiment, in the open state, a fourth tapered surface 37 is provided rearward and downward of the latching part 35 of the protruding part 32 such that the protruding part 32 becomes thicker while proceeding downward, and the latching boss 23 and the fourth tapered surface 37 are configured to engage each other, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state.
According to the above configuration, by sliding the lid 30 forward in the open state, the latching boss 23 rides up the lateral surface of the protruding part 32, and latching of the latching part 35 and the latching boss 23 is easily disengaged, thus allowing the open state to easily be released manually.
(1) In the embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the left and right pair of latching walls 22 are provided on the upper surface 21 of the wire protection part 20, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the position and number of latching walls can be changed, and the following configurations may be adopted, for example.
(1a) Configuration in which one latching wall is provided at the rear of the upper surface of the wire protection part, and the latching wall abuts the protruding part from the rear in the open state.
(1b) Configuration in which three latching walls are provided on the left and right and at the rear of the upper surface of the wire protection part.
(1c) Configuration in which one latching wall configured to abut the protruding part by way of surrounding the protruding part to the rear thereof from the left and right in the open state is provided, and this latching wall has a plurality of latching bosses.
(2) In the embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of tapered surfaces that improve the releasability of the open state are provided, but the invention is not limited thereto, and some or all of these tapered surfaces need not be provided.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2020-057971 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2021/008955 | 3/8/2021 | WO |