CONNECTION MEMBER AND HARNESS CONNECTOR

• US 20100062627A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Automotive Systems Incorporated (Furukawa Electric Company Limited), Furukawa Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Cable Industries Limited (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Tomokazu, Tanaka, Yoshikazu, Ambo, Tsugio
• Granted Patent: US 7,867,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/189
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/09 the connecting locations being identical
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/28 End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/114 co-operating with pins or blades having a square transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5205 Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet H01R13/5221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/08 Short-circuiting members for bridging contacts in a counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion

Abstract

A waterproof harness connector that is simple, highly reliable, and can branch a wire. An inner holder is inserted into an outer holder from an opening, and then, joints of wire terminals, where seal members are attached to wires, are inserted into wire terminal holding holes of the inner holder through wire terminal insertion openings of the outer holder. When a pin terminal is inserted into a pin terminal insertion hole of the inner holder, the pin terminal penetrates tubular contacts of the joints, which are placed in the holding hole, to electrically connect the wire terminals to each other. After that, a waterproof member is fixed to an opening to make the inside of the outer holder a waterproof structure.

Claims

1. A connection member comprising an outer holder having a plurality of wire terminal insertion openings and an inner holder insertion opening;

an inner holder having wire terminal supporting holes and a pin terminal insertion hole;

a pin terminal; and

a waterproof member for sealing said inner holder insertion opening of the outer holder;

whereby said wire terminal supporting holes are communicated with said wire terminal insertion openings and said pin terminal insertion hole is communicated with said wire terminal supporting holes within the inner holder under a condition that the inner holder is inserted into the outer holder through said inner holder insertion opening; and

contacts provided in connecting portions of wire terminals inserted into said inner holder through said wire terminal insertion openings are brought into contact with the pin terminal by inserting the pin terminal into the pin terminal insertion hole and said wire terminals are electrically connected to one another.

2. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein said inner holder includes movable supporting plates for holding the wire terminals in the wire terminal insertion holes of the inner holder, and locking members for fixing the wire terminals in position are provided on said movable supporting plates.

3. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein said waterproof member has formed therein locking holes and said inner holder has formed thereon locking projections which are to be inserted into said locking holes such that said inner holder insertion opening of the outer holder is closed by the waterproof member.

4. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein said waterproof member is secured to a closing member which is integrally formed with the outer holder via hinges, and said inner holder insertion opening is sealed with said waterproof member by closing said inner holder insertion opening by said closing member.

5. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein said pin terminal is inserted into said pin terminal insertion hole through said inner holder insertion opening formed in the outer holder.

6. The connection member according to claim 1, wherein said waterproof member is made of a synthetic rubber.

13. The connection member according to claim 2, wherein said waterproof member has formed therein locking holes and said inner holder has formed thereon locking projections which are to be inserted into said locking holes such that said inner holder insertion opening of the outer holder is closed by the waterproof member.

14. The connection member according to claim 2, wherein said waterproof member is secured to a closing member which is integrally formed with the outer holder via hinges, and said inner holder insertion opening is sealed with said waterproof member by closing said inner holder insertion opening by said closing member.

15. The connection member according to claim 2, wherein said pin terminal is inserted into said pin terminal insertion hole through said inner holder insertion opening formed in the outer holder.

16. The connection member according to claim 2, wherein said waterproof member is made of a synthetic rubber.

17. The connection member according to claim 3, wherein said waterproof member is made of a synthetic rubber.

18. The connection member according to claim 4, wherein said waterproof member is made of a synthetic rubber.

19. The connection member according to claim 5, wherein said waterproof member is made of a synthetic rubber.

7. A harness connector comprising an outer holder having a plurality of wire terminal insertion openings and an inner holder insertion opening;

an inner holder having wire terminal supporting holes and a pin terminal insertion hole and a pin terminal insertion hole, said wire terminal supporting holes being communicated with said wire terminal insertion openings under a condition that the inner holder is inserted into the outer holder through said inner holder insertion opening and said pin terminal insertion hole being communicated with said wire terminal supporting holes within the inner holder;

wire terminals each having a tongue-like connecting portion formed at one end and an electric wire connected to the wire terminal at the other end, said connecting portion being inserted into the wire terminal supporting hole of the inner holder through the wire terminal insertion opening and a waterproof structure being attained between said wire terminal insertion opening and said electric wire by inserting the electric wire through a sealing member;

a pin terminal which is brought into contact with contacts provided in the connecting portions of wire terminals inserted into said inner holder by inserting the pin terminal into the pin terminal insertion hole and said wire terminals are electrically connected to one another; and

a waterproof member for sealing said inner holder insertion opening of the outer holder.

8. The harness connector according to claim 7, wherein each of said contacts of the wire terminals is formed by a short tubular contact extending in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the connecting portion.

9. The harness connector according to claim 7, wherein said contacts of the wire terminals are inserted into the wire terminal supporting holes of the inner holder through the wire terminal insertion openings of the outer holder and said contacts are fixed in position onto the wire terminal supporting holes by locking the contacts with respect to the inner holder.

10. The harness connector according to claim 9, wherein each of said wire terminal supporting holes of the inner holder has formed therein a movable supporting plate for holding the wire terminal, and a locking portion is provided on said movable supporting plate such that said locking portion is engaged with a locking portion provided in the wire terminal.

11. The harness connector according to claim 10, wherein an operating tab is formed on a side wall of each of said movable supporting plates, and the movable supporting plate is moved by operating the operating tab such that locking portion of the movable supporting plate is disengaged from the locking portion of the wire terminal.

12. A harness circuit for automobiles comprising the harness connector according to claim 7.