Abstract:
A joint connector easy to construct and involving less fabricating cost. The joint connector comprises a housing  3  for accommodating a plurality of connecting terminals  2  in a rear-side portion thereof, a bus bar  6  formed out of an electrically conductive metal plate and accommodated in the housing  3  for jointing any individual ones of the connecting terminals  2 , a bus bar holder  7  for holding the bus bar  6 , and a front cover  9  mounted to the housing  3  in such a way as to cover the bus bar holder  7 . The bus bar holder  7  has a plurality of holes to be used for cutting the bus bar  6  to form an arbitrary circuit. The bus bar holder  7  and the bus bar  6  is mounted in the housing  3  so as to be movable in relation to the housing  3  in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the connecting terminals  2  being housed. When the front cover  9  is set in the housing  3 , it causes the bus bar holder  7  to be moved and the bus bar  6  to be jointed with connecting terminals  2.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a joint connector having a bus bar which can be used for an automobile wire harness, for example, and can arbitrarily cause an electrical circuits of the wire harness to be branched and joined one to another. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Conventionally, a joint connector of this kind has a construction such that as FIG. 25 shows, for example, a joint box  101  and a connector  102  are coupled with each other. A housing  103  of the joint box  101  has a fitting hole  104  formed therein, and at the rear side of the fitting hole  104  there is fitted a bus bar unit  106  including a bus bar  105  having a desired circuit pattern embedded in a synthetic resin material, the bus bar  105  having tongue-like contacts. The bus bar unit  106  is locked by a locking arm  107  formed in the housing  103 . 
     On the other hand, a housing  108  of the connector  102  has an inner cylinder portion  109 , and a multiplicity of terminal housing holes  110  are provided in the inner cylinder portion  109 . Housed in the terminal housing holes  110  are connecting terminals  113  which connect electrical conductor  111  to the rear side of terminal housing hole, with a wire seal member  112  fitted on electrical conductor  111 . Connecting terminal  113  is prevented from slipping out rearward by a locking arm  114 . On the outer periphery of the inner cylinder portion  109  at the front end thereof, with a seal member  115  fitted thereon, a front holder  116  is set in position and locked to the housing  108  by a locking arm  117  of the front holder  116 . 
     When the front holder  116  and the seal member  115  are fitted in the fitting hole  104  of the joint box  101 , the joint box  101  and the connector  102  become jointed together in waterproof condition so that desired connector terminals  113  are short-circuited by the bus bar  105  to form a circuit. 
     Whereas above described prior art bus bar unit  106 , shown by way of example, is such that a bus bar  105  having a desired circuit pattern is embedded in a synthetic resin material, a joint connector is also known such that a cut bus bar is set in a housing molded from a synthetic resin material to form a desired circuit pattern. 
     In the above described prior art examples, however, since a bus bar  105  having a desired circuit pattern is embedded in a synthetic resin material, and in case that cut bus bars are set in a housing molded from a synthetic resin material to form a desired circuit pattern, so that different circuit patterns are required, it is necessary to provide a multiplicity of bus bars  105  according to the different circuit patterns and to set cut bus bars  105  in the housing. This poses the problem of increased production cost. 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a joint connector which eliminates above mentioned problems, has a circuit arrangement easy to construct, and is inexpensive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to accomplish the above mentioned object, the joint connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing for accommodating a plurality of connecting terminals in a rear-side portion thereof, a bus bar comprised of an electrically conductive metal plate accommodated in the housing for jointing any individual ones of the connecting terminals, a bus bar holder for holding the bus bar, and a front cover mounted to the housing in such a way as to cover the bus bar holder, the bus bar holder having a plurality of holes to be used in cutting the bus bar for forming an arbitrary circuit, with the bus bar holder and the bus bar mounted so as to be movable in relation to the housing in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the connecting terminals being housed, thereby to enable the bus bar to be jointed with connecting terminals. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view of one embodiment; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view; 
     FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of a connecting terminal; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of a connecting terminal; 
     FIG. 5 is a section cut along line A—A in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a housing equipped with a bus bar and a bus bar holder; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bus bar; 
     FIG. 8 is a rear view in perspective of the bus bar holder; 
     FIG. 9 is a front view in perspective of the bus bar holder; 
     FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a front cover; 
     FIG. 11 is a rear elevation of a front cover equipped with a sealing member; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of the bus bar; 
     FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 14 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 17 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 18 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 19 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 20 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 21 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 22 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 23 is an explanatory view of function; 
     FIG. 24 is an explanatory view of function; and 
     FIG. 25 is a sectional view of a prior art example. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention will now be described in detail with respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 24. FIG. 1 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view of the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view in which a connecting terminal  2  with an electric conductor  1  connected thereto at the rear side is housed in a housing  3  from the back side thereof. In a rear portion of the housing  3  there is provided a rear side sealing member  4  and, in case that the rear side sealing member  4  is not in use, a plug pin  5  is provided for being inserted into a terminal fitting hole  4   a  of the rear side sealing member  4  to waterproof the terminal fitting hole  4   a . On the front side of the housing  3  there are arranged a bus bar holder  7  for holding a bus bar  6 , and a front cover  9  through the intermediary of a front side sealing member  8 . 
     As shown in the side view of FIG.  3  and the plan view of FIG. 4, connecting terminal  2  includes a press covering portion  11  comprised of a pair of pressure fit pieces  11   a ,  11   b  for press fitting the covering of an electric conductor  1 , a core wire press fitting portion  12  comprised of a pair of pressure fit pieces  12   a ,  12   b  for press fitting the core wire of the electric conductor  1 , a stabilizer portion  13  for stabilizing the connecting terminal  2  in relation to the housing  3 , a connecting portion  14  having a nearly cylinder-shaped configuration which is connected to the bus bar  6 , and a cylindrical locking portion  15  locked by housing  3  and bus bar holder  7 , which are arranged sequentially from back side. The locking portion  15  is formed with a lower engagement hole  15   a  for engagement by a locking projection of a locking arm of the housing  3  to be described hereinafter, and an upper engagement hole  15   b  for engagement by a locking projection of a front holder  7  to be described hereinafter. On both sides of the locking portion  15  there are formed beads  15   c ,  15   d  which regulate movement of bus bar  6  in case that connecting terminal  2  is not present at a predetermined position. 
     FIG. 5 is a section of the connecting terminal  2  shown in FIG. 4 as cut at a stabilizer portion  13  along the line A—A and viewed frontward, and at the sides of the stabilizer portion there are formed beads  13   a ,  13   b  to be guided into a guide groove of the housing  3  which will be described hereinafter. The connecting portion  14  is comprised of arcuate jointer pieces  14   a ,  14   b  having elastic resilience, and the top of jointer piece  14   a ;  14   b  is bent inward to form a bent portion  14   c ,  14   d.    
     FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway view in perspective of the housing  3 , and disposed on the top of the housing  3  are a mount  21  to be mounted to an automobile frame, for example, and a locking projection  22  engageable with a locking arm of a front cover  9  to be described hereinafter. In the housing  3  there are provided a seal housing chamber  23  for housing a rear side sealing member  4 , plural terminal receiving holes  24  for housing connecting terminals  2 , and a holder housing chamber  25  for housing a bus bar holder  7  holding a bus bar  6 , which are formed sequentially from the back side. A portion of the front cover  9  is also housed in the holder housing chamber  25 . Inside the housing  3  there is provided a locking portion for movably locking an L-shaped arm, not shown, of bus bar holder  7 , which will be described hereinafter. It is noted that the number of terminal receiving holes  24  is, for example, is  3  vertical rows and  7  horizontal rows. 
     A pair of guide grooves  26  for guiding beads  13   a ,  3   b  of connecting terminal  2  are provided on the upper and lower walls of terminal receiving hole  24 . In the holder housing chamber  25  there is provided a locking arm  27  projecting frontward from innermost wall portion for locking the connecting terminal  2  to prevent its rearward movement, while at the front end of the locking arm  27  there is provided a regulating projection  28  for regulating frontward movement of the connecting terminal  2 . The regulating projection  28  has a fixture inserting hole  29  formed therein for insertion of a fixture for releasing the engagement of connecting terminal  2  and locking arm  27 . 
     As FIG. 7 perspective view shows, bus bar  6  is formed by punching an electrically conductive metal plate, and comprises a plurality of terminal insertion windows  31  for insertion of locking arms  27 , including regulating projections  28  of the housing  3 , a plurality of terminal receiving grooves  32  for receiving a joint portion  14  of the connecting terminal  2 , a holder locking groove  33  to be engaged by a bus bar locking portion of front holder  7  which will be described hereinafter, and a toothed portion  34  which will go into mesh with the inner edge of a bus bar receiving groove of front holder  7  which will be described hereinafter. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view in rear elevation of a bus bar holder  7  and FIG. 9 is a perspective view in front elevation thereof. Along the peripheral edge of the rear side of bus holder  7  there are provided plural projections  41  arranged in abutment with the innermost wall of the housing  3 , and on the inner side of the wall surrounded by the projections  41  there is provided a bus bar housing groove  42  for housing bus bars  6 . At bus bar holder  7  there are provided plural through-holes  43  which allow insertion of a locking arm  27  including a regulating projection  28 , and plural circuit forming holes  44  which allow insertion of a punch of an automatic punching machine for punching a predetermined circuit with respect to the bus bar  6  in a fore-and-aft extend-through relation. On the side wall of each through-hole  43  there is provided a terminal locking projection  45  engageable with an upper engagement hole  15   b  of the connecting terminal  2 . 
     On the back side of the bus bar holder  7  there are provided a bus bar locking projection  46  which engages a holder locking groove  33  of the bus bar  6  to lock the bus bar  6 , and plural L-shaped arms  47  which enter the housing  3  through an insertion window  31  of the bus bar  6  to be  25  locked by the locking portion of the housing  3 . The L-shaped arm  47  is deformed by the locking portion of the housing  3  when the bus bar holder  7  is mounted to the housing  3 , and after being thoroughly forced into the housing  3 , the bus bar holder  7  returns to its original state and is temporarily locked at the locking portion. After return to this condition, the bus bar holder  7  is moved in a horizontal direction, whereupon it is locked in an ordinary way. At the front of bus bar holder  7 , there are provided a plurality of pressed projections  48  having inclined surfaces  48   a  to be described hereinafter which are pressed by a pressing projection of the front cover  9 . 
     FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway view in perspective of front cover  9 , and FIG. 11 is a rear elevation of a front cover  9  having a front side sealing member  8 . The front cover  9  has a peripheral wall  51  fitting on the front side outer periphery of the housing  3 , and a front wall  52  positioned at the front of the peripheral wall  51 . On the inner surface of the front wall  52  there is provided a seal fitting portion  53  on which a front side sealing member  8  is placed. On the peripheral wall  51  there is provided a locking arm  54  engageable with a locking projection  22  of the housing  3 , and the front wall  52  is formed with a locking hole  55  for locking a locking portion  8   a  of the front side sealing member  8 . 
     The front wall  52  is formed with a holder move projection  56  acting on a pressed projection  48  of bus bar older  7  and an arm pressing projection  57  acting on a locking arm  27  of the housing  3 . The holder move projection  56  has an inclined surface  56   a  abutting an inclined surface  48   a  of the pressed projection  48 , so that the arm pressing projection  57  can go sideways of the locking arm  27  to press the locking arm  27  against the connecting terminal  2 . 
     For assembling a joint connector of above described construction the following process is employed. 
     (1) Bus bar  6  is fitted into bus bar housing groove  42  of bus bar holder  7 , whereby bus bar locking projection  46  of bus bar holder  7  projects from holder locking groove  33  of bus bar  6  so that bus bar holder  7  holds bus bar  6  in a fixed condition. 
     (2) Bus bar holder  7  holding a bus bar  6  is fixed to a predetermined position at a punching machine and a punch of the punching machine is caused to pass through a circuit forming hole  44  of the bus bar holder  7  and to cut intended cut portions  35  of a plurality of cut portions  35  of the bus bar  6  as shown in FIG. 12 to form a desired circuit in the bus bar  6 . In this case, the bus bar  6  is fixed by the bus bar locking projection  46  for each terminal receiving groove  32  which goes into engagement with connecting terminal  2 ; therefore, when the bus bar  6  is cut, it will not drop from the bus bar holder  7 . 
     (3) When so required, photo shooting is made by a circuit inspecting means not shown with respect to the front of the bus bar holder  7 , and the cut portions  34  of the bus bar  6  are monitored by a monitoring portion through the circuit forming hole  44  for inspecting the condition of the circuit. 
     (4) The bus bar holder  7  including the bus bar  6  is set in the holder housing chamber  25  of the housing  3 . At this point of time, the L-shaped arm  47  of the bus bar holder  7  is temporarily locked at the locking portion of the housing  3 . Prior to this point of time, the rear side sealing member  4  is fitted in the seal receiving chamber  23  of the housing  3 , and the front side sealing member  8  is mounted on the front cover  9 . 
     (5) As FIG. 13 shows, a connecting terminal  2  to which electric conductor  1  is connected is forced into terminal receiving hole  24  of the housing  3  through a terminal inserting hole  4   a  of the rear side sealing member  4 . 
     (6) When connecting terminal  2  is pushed further, beads  13   a ,  13   b  of stabilizer portion  13  are guided by guide groove  26  and, as shown in FIG. 14, locking portion  15  of connecting terminal  2  causes locking arm  27  to be deformed sidewise. 
     (7) When connecting terminal  2  is pushed further as a final pushing step, connecting terminal  2  will advance to a predetermined position as shown in FIG.  15 . Then, as shown in a fragmentary enlarged view of FIG. 16, a locking projection  27   a  of locking arm  27  engages a lower engagement hole  15   a  of connecting terminal  2 , and a regulating projection  28  abuts the front end of connecting terminal  2 , thereby regulating forward and backward movement of connecting terminal  2 . 
     (8) As FIG. 17 shows, rear side sealing member  4  is thoroughly pushed inward. 
     (9) As FIG. 18 shows, a front cover  9  having a front side sealing member fitted thereon is set in the housing  3 . Thereupon, inclined surface  56   a  of holder moving projection  56  of front cover  9  will press inclined surface  48   a  of pressed projection  48  of bus bar holder  7  to cause bus bar holder  7  and bus bar  6  to move in a horizontal direction. 
     (10) As a final pushing step, front cover  9  is pushed against the housing  3 . Thus, as FIGS. 19 and 20 show, bus bar holder  7  and bus bar  6  move to respective predetermined positions, and arm press projection  57  of front cover  9  presses locking arm  27  toward connecting terminal  2 , whereupon terminal locking projection  45  of bus bar holder  7  goes into engagement with upper engagement hole  15   b  of connecting terminal  2 . At the same time, as FIG. 21 shows connecting portion  14  of connecting terminal  2  is press-fitted in terminal receiving groove  32  of bus bar  6 , and connecting pieces  14   a ,  14   b  having repulsiveness and elasticity are electrically connected to terminal receiving groove  32 . An L-shaped arm  47  of bus bar holder  7  is locked by locking portion of housing  3  in the regular way. 
     (11) A plug pin  5  is inserted through rear side sealing member into a terminal insertion hole  4   a , not in use, of housing  3 . 
     In the above described assembling process, in case that, as FIG. 22 shows, insertion of connecting terminal  2  is stopped before locking arm  27  is deformed, side wall of terminal receiving groove  32  of bus bar  6  impinges against beads  15   c ,  15   d  to clarify the condition of incomplete insertion of connecting terminal  2 . 
     In case that, as FIG. 23 shows, insertion of connecting terminal  2  is stopped in such a condition that terminal locking projection  45  of bus bar holder  7  is away from upper locking hole  15   b  of connecting terminal  2 , the terminal locking projection  45  abuts the portion which is away from upper engagement hole  15   b  to clarify the condition of incomplete insertion of connecting terminal  2 . 
     Further, in case that, as FIG. 24 shows, insertion of connecting terminal  2  is stopped in such a condition that locking arm  27  is deformed, arm pressing projection  57  of front cover  9  abuts the end of locking arm  27 , thus making it impossible to assemble front cover  9  on housing  3 , thus clarifying incomplete insertion of connecting terminal  2 . 
     A joint connector assembled as above described has the following advantages. 
     (a) The circuit for bus bar can be formed by automatic punching machine. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to embed bus bar  6  in a synthetic resin material or set a cut bus bar  6  on a bus bar holder  7  as in the past. This results in manufacturing cost reduction, reduced risk of human error, which in turn results in higher reliability and improved productivity. 
     (b) Since bus bars  6  of same configuration can be formed with various circuits, general versatility of the bus bars is improved. 
     (c) Housing  3 , bus bar holder  7 , and front cover  9  are simplified in configuration, which results in improvement with respect to molding cycle of these members, which in turn results in fabrication cost reduction. 
     (d) Bus bar  6  is of planar shape, and need not be embedded in bus bar holder  7 , which results in size reduction. 
     (e) Connecting terminal  2  is of male type and bus bar  6  is of planar shape; this makes it possible to reduce fabrication cost. 
     (f) For connecting bus bar  6  to connecting terminal  2 , the bus bar  6  is moved in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which it is housed; this simplifies the arrangement for contact between connecting terminal  2  and bus bar  6 , resulting in fabrication cost reduction. 
     (g) Merely by mounting front cover  9  to housing  3  it is possible to move bus bar holder  7 , resulting in improvement in assembling efficiency. 
     (h) Since connecting terminal  2  is double locked by locking arm  27  of housing  3  and terminal locking projection  45  of bus bar holder  7 , connecting terminal  2  can be assuredly locked in housing  3 . 
     (i) Since connecting portion  14  of connecting terminal  2  is comprised of contact pieces  14   a ,  14   b  having repulsion and elasticity properties, connecting terminal  2  and bus bar  6  go into press contact so that high contact pressure can be maintained. 
     (j) The condition of the bus bar  6  circuit can be inspected by circuit inspection means; therefore, occurrence of defectives can be prevented. 
     As described above, in the joint connector according to the present invention, bus bar holder has a plurality of holes for use in cutting a bus bar and connecting individual cut bus bars arbitrarily; thus, it is possible to cause any pattern to be formed through the holes. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to embed bus bar in a bus bar holder or mount cut bus bars to a bus bar holder as has been done in the past, it being thus possible to reduce the cost of production.