U.S. patent application number 09/729858 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-19 for branching connector fixing structure.
Invention is credited to Katoh, Mitsunobu, Nishijima, Masataka, Tsukamoto, Masashi.
Application Number | 20010008814 09/729858 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18385856 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010008814 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tsukamoto, Masashi ; et
al. |
July 19, 2001 |
Branching connector fixing structure
Abstract
The branching connector fixing structure (20) has a pair of
band-shaped frames (12) that are disposed apart in the direction of
thickness, a plurality of flat circuit bodies (22) that are
disposed respectively in layers between the band-shaped frames
(12), and the branching connectors (24) that are respectively
disposed on the flat circuit bodies (22), for the purpose of
disposing of the branching connectors (24) along the same surfaces
that are parallel to the respective band-shaped frames (12),
wherein the branching connectors (24) is supported via a pair of
fixing members (40), (50), bridging between the band-shaped frames
(12) and fastenable in the predetermined position in the direction
where each of the fixing members (40), (50) are disposed.
Inventors: |
Tsukamoto, Masashi;
(Shizuoka, JP) ; Nishijima, Masataka; (Shizuoka,
JP) ; Katoh, Mitsunobu; (Shizuoka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SUGHRUE, MION, ZINN, MACPEAK & SEAS, PLLC
2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20037
US
|
Family ID: |
18385856 |
Appl. No.: |
09/729858 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/215 ;
439/502; 439/505 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G 3/00 20130101; H02G
3/38 20130101; B60R 16/0215 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/215 ;
439/502; 439/505 |
International
Class: |
H01R 004/60; H01R
011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 1999 |
JP |
P.HEI.11-346792 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A branching connector fixing structure having a pair of
band-shaped frames disposed apart in a first direction, said
branching connector fixing structure, comprising: at least one flat
circuit body disposed between said band-shaped frames; at least one
branching connector provided at said at least one flat circuit
body; a pair of fixing members which supports said at least one
branching connector, each of said fixing members bridged between
said band-shaped frames; wherein said at least one branching
connector is fixable to a predetermined position of said fixing
member in said first direction.
2. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 1,
wherein said fixing member is fixable to a predetermined position
of said band-shaped frames in a direction substantially
perpendicular to said first direction.
3. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 2,
wherein a plurality of a pair of engagement holes are respectively
formed at said pair of band-shaped frames at predetermined
intervals, a pair of hooks engaged with said pair of engagement
holes are provided formed at said fixing member.
4. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 1,
wherein at least one clasp part formed at said branching connector
is attached to an insertion part formed at said fixing member.
5. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 4,
wherein said at least one clasp part is slidable along said
insertion part in said first direction.
6. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 4,
wherein said at least one clasp part is positioned between
positioning portions formed at the insertion part at predetermined
intervals.
7. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 1,
wherein a plurality of said flat circuit bodies are superposed each
other.
8. A branching connector fixing structure according to claim 1,
wherein said branching connector is disposed parallel to said
band-shaped frames.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to branching connector fixing
structures, for instance, a branching connector fixing structure
for wiring of a great number of wiring harnesses on such as a
reinforcement frame.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] The electric instruments and devices, such as measuring
instruments and an air conditioner, are installed on an instrument
panel of an automobile and connected electrically with the wiring
harnesses.
[0005] The JP-A-9-66778 "Automotive wiring Harness" shows an
example of the wiring harness that is housed and wired inside a
hollow reinforcement that bridges between right and left side
panels of an automotive body. The following paragraphs describe on
the wiring harness on this gazette.
[0006] As shown in FIG. 11, a hollow reinforcement 81 is disposed
inside an instrument panel 80, and a wiring harness is housed in a
hollow part of the hollow reinforcement 81, wherein connectors 83
are attached to the branch lines that are branched from the wiring
harness while the connectors 83 are respectively attached to
apertures 82 in the hollow reinforcement 81. The connectors 83 are
used to connect the branch lines to electric instruments and
devices on the instrument panel 80.
[0007] Since the wiring harness is housed in the hollow part of the
hollow reinforcement 81, any space for wiring of the wiring harness
need not be secured outside of the hollow reinforcement 81.
Therefore, the external space of the hollow reinforcement 81, which
need not be reserved for wiring of the wiring harness, can be
effectively used otherwise.
[0008] It is a usual practice that a single kind of hollow
reinforcement 81 is applied to various kinds of vehicles instead of
preparing various kinds of hollow reinforcements 81 that
respectively match the various kinds of vehicles; otherwise
increase in the parts count will cause laborious parts control.
[0009] The application of the single kind of hollow reinforcement
81 to various kinds of vehicles requires the apertures 82 in the
hollow reinforcement 81 for attachment of the connectors 83 to be
formed on a straight line to enable application to respective
electric instruments and devices of various kinds of vehicles.
[0010] However, the formation of apertures 82 of the hollow
reinforcement 81 on the single straight, a route of each wiring
harness in the hollow reinforcement 81 is determined by the
connectors 83 attached to the apertures 82 of the hollow
reinforcement 81.
[0011] This makes it difficult to divide the bundled wiring harness
into sub-harnesses according to the modules for neat arrangement of
the wiring harness. Consequently, bundling of the complicated
wiring harness increases a diameter of the bundled wiring harness
and arouses problems of degradation in maintenance efficiency of
respective sub-harnesses and tangling of wiring harness components
in the bundled wiring harness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In view of the problems described above, this invention is
purposed to provide a branching connector fixing structure that
enables compact bundling of the wiring harness, enhancement of
respective sub-harness maintenance efficiency and prevention of
entanglement of the wiring harness components in the bundled wiring
harness.
[0013] The invention for achievement of the above-described
purposes is a branching connector fixing structure, which has a
pair of band-shaped frames that are disposed apart in a direction
of thickness, a plurality of flat circuit bodies that are disposed
respectively in layers between band-shaped frames, and branching
connectors that are respectively disposed on flat circuit bodies,
for the purpose of disposing of branching connectors along same
surfaces that are parallel to respective band-shaped frames, and
which is characterized by that each of the branching connectors is
supported via a pair of fixing members bridging between band-shaped
frames and fastenable in a predetermined position in a direction
where each of fixing members are disposed.
[0014] The branching connector fixing structure with this
composition enables division of the wiring harness into
sub-harnesses according to the modules and bundling of flatly
aligned sub-harnesses into flat circuit bodies. Additionally, the
flat circuit bodies can be provided in layers between the
band-shaped frames so that a pair of fixing members can support
each of the branching connectors of the flat circuit bodies.
[0015] Since each sub-harness can be bundled wish the flat circuit
body, maintenance of the wiring harness is available for each
sub-harness.
[0016] In addition, bundling of the flatly aligned wiring harness
into the flat circuit bodies can prevent entanglement of the wiring
harness.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reinforcement that
comprises branching connector fixing structures of a first
embodiment related to the invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the branching connector
fixing structure of the first embodiment related to the
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wiring harness fixing
structure on the branching connector of the first embodiment
related to the invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is a plan to illustrate the installing operation of
the branching connector fixing structure of the first embodiment
related to the invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a state where the branching connector
fixing structure of the first embodiment related to the
invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates a state where wiring harnesses are
supported by the branching connector fixing structure (fixing
component) of the first embodiment related to the invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a lateral side view to illustrate a modification
of the branching connector fixing structure of the first embodiment
related to the invention.
[0024] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the branching connector
fixing structure (fixing component) of the second embodiment
related to the invention.
[0025] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the branching connector
fixing structure of the third embodiment related to the
invention.
[0026] FIG. 10 is a plan of the branching connector fixing
structure of the third embodiment related to the invention.
[0027] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a reinforcement that
comprises a conventional branching connector fixing structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Embodiments that relate to the invention are described in
detail hereafter with references to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a
perspective view of a reinforcement including branching connector
fixing structures of a first embodiment related to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the branching connector fixing
structure of the first embodiment related to the invention. FIG. 3
is a perspective view of a wiring harness fixing structure on the
branching connector of the first embodiment related to the
invention. FIG. 4 is a plan to illustrate the installing operation
of the branching connector fixing structure of the first embodiment
related to the invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a state where the
branching connector fixing structure of the first embodiment
related to the invention. FIG. 6 illustrates a state where wiring
harnesses are supported by the branching connector fixing structure
(fixing component) of the first embodiment related to the
invention.
[0029] A reinforcement 10 in FIG. 1, which is disposed inside an
automotive instrument panel that is not shown in the figure, is a
component for reinforcement of a vehicle body by being bridged
between right and left side panels of the vehicle body.
[0030] The reinforcement 10 may be an open-square sectioned
component composed of a pair of band-shaped frames 12 (hereinafter
referred to as "flange") and a web 11, for instance. The flanges 12
are structural components of the branching connector fixing
structure 20 related to the invention. Connectors 17 are connected
to branch lines 16 that are branched from a plurality of wiring
harnesses 14. Electric connection boxes 18 are connected to both
ends of a plurality of wiring harnesses 14.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the branching connector fixing structure
20 of the first embodiment includes: the pair of flanges 12 that
are disposed apart in the direction of the thickness; layers of
flat circuit bodies 22 that are disposed between the flanges 12;
and branching connectors 24 that are provided on the flat circuit
bodies 22. The branching connector fixing structure 20 is purposed
for disposing the branching connectors 24 along the same surfaces
that are parallel to the flanges 12. Each of the branching
connectors 24 is supported by a pair of (right and left) fixing
components 40 and 50 and capable of being fixed in a position in
the construction direction of the fixing components 40 and 50.
[0032] Since the right and left fixing components 40 and 50 are
symmetric parts, only the left fixing component 40 is described to
omit the description on the right fixing component 50.
[0033] The wiring harnesses 14 are divided into sub-harnesses
according to the modules, and the sub-harnesses are respectively
aligned in a flat shape and bundled with branching connectors 24
into the flat circuit bodies 22.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the branching connector 24 holds wiring
harnesses 14 between a lower connector 25 and a higher connector
32, wherein the wiring harnesses 14 are connected to bus bars
28.
[0035] The lower connector 25 has a substantially-rectangular shape
has the bus bars 28 on the upper surface thereof. The bus bars 28
has retainer parts 26 including insulation displacement blades (not
shown in the figure) . The bus bars 28 for contact with the
insulation displacement blades are attached to the upper surface.
Right and left clasp parts 29 and 30 are formed on the right and
left lateral sides of the lower connector 25.
[0036] Accordingly, only fixing of the wiring harness 14 to the
retainer parts 26 causes cutting of the insulative material in the
wiring harness. The conductor of the wiring harnesses 14 are
connected to the bus bars 28 through the insulation displacement
blades.
[0037] The left clasp part 29 includes a pair of hooks 29a and 29b,
and the right clasp part 30 includes a pair of hooks 30a and
30b.
[0038] The upper connector 32 is a component that is formed in
approximately the same rectangular shape, and right and left clasp
parts 33 and 34 are formed on the right and left lateral sides
thereof.
[0039] The left clasp part 33 includes a pair of hooks 33a and 33b,
and the right clasp part 34 includes a pair of hooks 34a and
34b.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the left fixing component 40 has upper
and lower hooks 42 and 43 formed at the top and bottom of a
rectangular main body 41. An insertion part 45 is formed at the
right end of the rectangular main body 41. Positioning portions 46
are formed at the insertion part 45 at predetermined intervals.
Upper and lower flexible supporters 48 and 49 for the support of
the wiring harnesses 14 of the flat circuit body 22 in a flat state
are provided on the rear side of the rectangular main body 41.
[0041] As to the left fixing component 40, the left fixing
component 40 can be attached to a predetermined position of the
pairs of flanges 12 by locking the upper and lower hooks 42 and 43
in engagement holes 13 that are formed in the pair of flanges
12.
[0042] The right and left fixing components 40 and 50 can be
attached in a desired position through formation of the engagement
holes 13 in the pair of flanges 12 at equal intervals, for
instance. Therefore, it is possible to meet variations in the
attaching positions.
[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, The clasp part 33 (33a and 33b) of the
branching connector 24 is fitted onto the insertion part 45 of the
left fixing component 40 as shown with an arrow. The clasp part 33
(33a and 33b) of the branching connector 24 is locked by a wedge
part 45a of the insertion part 45. And the branching connector 24
can be attached to the left fixing component 40
[0044] In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, an arbitrary vertical
positioning of the branching connector 24 is available through
selective positioning of the upper and lower hooks 33a and 29a of
the branching connector 24 between positioning portions 46 of the
left fixing component 40.
[0045] For this reason, it is possible to use with same fixing
component 40 even in a case wherein a vertical position of the
branching connector 24 is different.
[0046] In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to support
the wiring harnesses 14 of the flat circuit body 22 in a flat state
through supporting of the wiring harnesses 14 of the flat circuit
body 22 with the flexible supporters 48 and 49 of the left fixing
component 40.
[0047] This enables attachment of the branching connector 24 in the
predetermined positions in the flanges 12 with the right and left
fixing components 40 and 50 that are shown in FIG. 2.
[0048] As described above, the branching connector fixing structure
20 of the first embodiment enables bundling of the wiring harnesses
14 as flat circuit bodies 22 according to the modules and
supporting of the branching connectors 24 of the flat circuit
bodies 22 with the right and left fixing components 40 and 50.
Therefore, the wiring harnesses 14 can be compactly bundled.
[0049] Moreover, the bundling of the wiring harnesses 14 into the
flat circuit bodies 22 according to the sub-harnesses enables
maintenance of the wiring harnesses 14 by each sub-harness.
[0050] In addition, the bundling of the wiring harnesses 14 that
are aligned flatly into the flat circuit bodies 22 can prevent
entanglement of the wiring harnesses 14.
[0051] Although the embodiment where one branching connector 24 is
attached to the right and left fixing components 40 and 50 has been
explained with references to FIGS. 2 through 6, it is also possible
to attach a plurality of branching connectors 24 (2 connectors, for
instance) to the right and left fixing components 40 and 50 in
layers as shown in FIG. 7.
[0052] Since the plural branching connectors 24 can be attached,
the number of branching connectors 24 can be selected as in need,
and this facilitates the operational efficiency.
[0053] Now, second and third embodiments are described. Identical
reference numerals are given to the same components in the second
and the third embodiments and the explanation is omitted.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, a branching connector fixing structure
60 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in
the point that a left fixing component 61 is not provided with
positioning portions and the other compositions are the same as
those of the first embodiment.
[0055] For this reason, the branching connector fixing structure 60
of the second embodiment enables stepless free vertical movements
when the branching connector 24 is attached to the left fixing
component 61, without stepped control of the vertical position of
the branching connector 24 as in the first embodiment.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 9, a branching connector fixing structure
70 of the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the
point that the branching connector 24 is not supported by the right
and left fixing components and the other compositions are the same
as those of the first embodiment.
[0057] That is, the branching connector fixing structure 70 of the
third embodiment includes: a pair of flanges 12 that are disposed
apart in the direction of the thickness; layers of flat circuit
bodies 22 that are disposed between the flanges 12; and branching
connectors 24 that are provided on the flat circuit bodies 22. The
branching connector fixing structure 70 is composed so that the
branching connectors 24 are disposed along the same surfaces that
are parallel to the flanges 12 (refer to FIG. 10).
[0058] The branching connector fixing structure 70 of the third
embodiment, wherein the wiring harnesses 14 are bundled into flat
circuit bodies 22 according to the modules so that plural flat
circuit bodies 22 are disposed in layers between the flanges 12,
enables compact bundling of the wiring harnesses 14.
[0059] Moreover, since the wiring harnesses 14 are bundled into
flat circuit bodies 22 according to sub-harnesses, maintenance of
the wiring harnesses 14 by each sub-harness is available. In
addition, the bundling of flatly aligned wiring harnesses 14 into
the flat circuit bodies 22 can prevent the entanglement of the
wiring harnesses 14 can be prevented from twining.
[0060] The branching connector fixing structure of the invention is
not limited to the above-described embodiments but capable of
appropriate modifications and improvements. For instance, although
the reinforcement 10 in the above-described embodiments has the
open-square section but the reinforcement may has an H-shaped
section instead of the open-square section.
[0061] Moreover, although the pair of band-shaped frames is the
flanges 12 of the reinforcement 10, other components may take the
place.
[0062] As described above, the branching connector fixing structure
by the invention has the pair of band-shaped frames that are
disposed apart in the direction of thickness, the plurality of flat
circuit bodies that are disposed respectively in layers between the
band-shaped frames, and the branching connectors that are
respectively disposed on the flat circuit bodies, for the purpose
of disposing of the branching connectors along the same surfaces
that are parallel to the respective band-shaped frames, and which
is characterized by that each of the branching connectors is
supported via the pair of fixing members bridging between the
band-shaped frames and fastenable in the predetermined position in
the direction where each of the fixing members are disposed.
[0063] The branching connector fixing structure with this
composition enables the division of the wiring harness into the
sub-harnesses according to the modules and the bundling of the
flatly aligned sub-harnesses into the flat circuit bodies.
Additionally, the flat circuit bodies are disposed in layers
between the band-shaped frames and the pair of fixing members
support each of the branching connectors of the flat circuit
bodies. Therefore, the wiring harnesses can be bundled
compactly.
[0064] Since each sub-harness can be bundled with the flat circuit
body, the maintenance of the wiring harness is available for each
sub-harness. This can enhance the maintenance efficiency of the
wiring harnesses. In addition, the bundling of the flatly aligned
wiring harness into the flat circuit bodies can prevent the
entanglement of the wiring harnesses.
* * * * *