Abstract:
A plurality of electric wires  25  are distributed in an aligned manner on a distribution face  13  of a housing  10,  a longitudinal direction of distribution thereof being at approximately right angles to a direction of attachment of insulation displacement terminal fittings  30.  A cover  40  is attached from above. Walls  43  are provided on the cover  40  at locations which partition the spaces between distribution paths of the adjacent electric wires  25  and which also pass either side of the terminal fittings  30.  The walls  43  permit incorrect attachment to be detected by interference. Front and rear walls  45 F, 45 R are of different height to ensure correct orientation of the cover  40.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an electrical pressure contact connector. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     A conventional pressure contact connector is shown in JP-6-203643. This connector has a configuration whereby a housing is provided with a distribution face for electric wires, a plurality of terminal fittings are attached along this distribution face, and the electric wires are attached from above, by pressure contact, to a pressure contact member formed on each terminal fitting. The electric wires are insulated. Each pressure contact member formed on the terminal fittings is provided at one of a plurality of pressure contact locations on the distribution face, these pressure contact locations being provided on mutually differing locations of the terminal fittings. The plurality of electric wires for attachment by pressure contact are distributed along the distribution face at right angles to the direction in which the terminal fittings are attached to the housing. 
     The pressure contact connector described above, wherein the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings and the direction of distribution of the electric wires are at right angles, has the problem that if the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings is incorrect, the locations of the pressure contact members also become misaligned. As a result, the electric wires which have been attached by pressure contact to the incorrectly attached terminal fittings interfere with neighbouring electric wires and neighbouring pressure contact members, and there is the possibility that the pressure contact assembly cannot be performed. 
     The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a pressure contact connector in which, in the case where the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings relative to the housing is at approximate right angles to the direction of distribution of the electric wires, incorrect attachment of the terminal fittings can be detected. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector having a housing, a plurality of elongate electrical terminal fittings distributed in the housing in an attachment direction, each terminal fitting having an insulation displacement terminal for attachment to an electrical wire, the terminals being provided in parallel locations, and at right angles to said attachment direction whereby parallel electrical wires can be attached thereto, the connector further including a cover for said terminals, the inner face of said cover having depending walls adapted to provide channels for said wires. 
     Preferably the walls are substantially continuous and parallel, and the terminals preferably project therebetween. The channels between the walls may define recesses to receive and locate tips of said terminals. 
     The outermost walls may have different heights to fit closely with corresponding surfaces of the housing, thereby to ensure correct orientation of the cover. The innermost depending walls may be of the same height. 
     A resilient latch may be provided between cover and housing, and the cover may have end walls extending in the fitting direction and engageable over the sides of the housing. These sides may have projections engageable in slots of the cover to prevent fore and aft movement in the fitting direction. The cover is preferably attached in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Others features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagonal view showing pressure contact terminal fittings in an attached state within a housing. 
     FIG. 2 is a diagonal view showing electric wires in a set state within pressure contact blades. 
     FIG. 3 is a diagonal viewing showing a cover in an attached state. 
     FIG. 4 is a diagonal view of the pressure contact terminal fittings. 
     FIG. 5 is a diagonal view of the cover in an upside-down state. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cover attached in a correct direction. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cover attached in an incorrect direction. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Next an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with the aid of FIGS. 1 to  7 . 
     A pressure contact connector of the present embodiment comprises a housing  10 , a plurality of pressure contact terminal fittings  30 , and a cover  40 . The housing  10  has a hood member  11  open to the anterior (to the upper right in FIGS. 1 to  3 ), and a distributing member  12 , this distributing member  12  extending from a posterior end wall of the hood member  11  and having a plate-like shape. An upper face of the distributing member  12  is a distribution face  13 . A plurality of pressure contact terminal fittings  30  (four in the present embodiment) are provided on this distribution face  13 , and a plurality of electric wires  25  (three in the present embodiment), attached by pressure contact to the pressure contact terminal fittings  30 , are distributed along the distribution face  13 . The distributed electric wires  25  extend to left and right sides from the distribution face  13 . 
     The distribution face  13  will now be explained in detail. A plurality of attachment holes  14  (four in the present embodiment) are formed on the distribution face  13 . The attachment holes  14  extend in an anterior-posterior direction, the pressure contact terminal fittings  30  being inserted therein. Each attachment hole  14  forms a square face cross-sectionally, an anterior end thereof passing through the posterior end wall of the hood member  11  and opening into the hood member  11 . A ceiling face of the housing  10  is cut away for a prescribed distance from the posterior end thereof, this forming an open channel  15  at a posterior end side of each attachment hole  14 . The open length of the channels  15  in an anterior-posterior direction varies in each attachment hole  14 . The channel at the right in FIG. 1 is shortest in length. The second and fourth channels counting from the right in FIG. 1, are identical in length, and are the longest. The channel third from the right is intermediate in length. 
     The pressure contact terminal fittings  30  comprise electrically conductive sheet metal which has been punched out in a specified shape and then bent. As shown in FIG. 4, each pressure contact terminal fitting  30  comprises a strip-like tab  31  which extends for a specified length in an anterior-posterior direction, and a pair of blades  32  which protrude upwards from left and right side edges at a posterior end of the tab  31 . 
     Pressure contact blades  33  are formed in each of the blades  32 . These pressure contact blades  33  are open in an upwards direction. The electric wires  25  are attached therein by pressure contact and insulation displacement. The pressure contact terminal fittings  30  are attached to the housing  10  by inserting the tabs  31  thereof into the attachment holes  14  of the housing  10  from a posterior direction. When these pressure contact terminal fittings  30  are in an attached state, the pressure contact blades are adjacent the open lengths of the members  15  and are fixed in position in an anterior-posterior direction. 
     Each pressure contact blade is provided, in this fixed state, in one of a plurality of pressure contact locations which are at right angles to the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings. The position of each pressure contact blade  33  depends on the location of the respective channel. The pressure contact blades  33  protrude upwards at a location higher than dividing walls  16  which separate the open members  15 . As a result, the electric wires  15  attached by pressure contact to the pressure contact blades  33  do not interfere with the dividing walls  16 . Moreover, the tabs  31  of the pressure contact terminal fittings  30  are not uniform in length. In the case of the pressure contact terminal fittings  30  attached to the attachment holes  14  with the longest open members  15 , the tabs  31  are short. The pressure contact terminal fitting  30  attached to the attachment hole  14  with the shortest open member  15  has a long tab  31 . As a result. anterior ends of these tabs  31  are aligned so that all protrude the same distance into the hood member  11 . 
     Electric wire supporting walls  17  are formed at left and right sides ( 10 A) of the distribution face  13 . A plurality of electric wire supporting grooves  18  (three in the present embodiment) are formed in each electric wire supporting wall  17 . These grooves  18  are provided in an anterior-posterior direction, are separated by spaces, and align with the pressure contact blades  33  when the position of these pressure contact blades  33  has been fixed (viewed from the side, the grooves  18  and the pressure contact blades  33  coincide). Guiding ribs  19  are formed on outer faces of the walls  17 . When the cover  40  is attached, these guiding ribs  19  fix the position thereof in an anterior-posterior direction. Furthermore, latching protrusions  20  are formed on the outer face of the electric wire supporting walls  17  to prevent the removal of the cover  40  after it has been attached. 
     An anterior end portion of the distribution face  13  is higher than a ceiling plate  14 A forming part of the attachment hole  14 . This higher face forms a regulating face  21 . A posterior side of the cover  40  is provided with a dust-proof wall  45 R which functions as a regulating member thereof. The regulating face  21  works in conjunction with the dust-proof wall  45 R to prevent the cover  40  from being attached to the housing  10  in an incorrect direction. 
     The cover  40  has a thick sheet-like shape in its entirety and is attached to the housing  10  so as to cover the entire distribution face  13 . The fitting direction thereof is as follows: when the distribution face  13  is in an upward-facing state, the cover  40  is lowered thereupon from a position directly above the distribution face  13 . In other words, the fitting direction of the cover  40  is at right angles to the plane of the distribution face  13 . Latching members  41  are formed at left and right sides ( 40 ) of the cover  40 . These latching members  41  move resiliently outwards and engage with the latching protrusions  20  of the housing  10  and thereby latch the cover  40  to the housing  40 . A plurality of openings, separated by slots ( 41  A) are provided in an anterior-posterior direction in the members  41 , thereby preventing these members  41  from interfering with the guiding ribs  19 . When the cover  40  and the housing  10  are attached, the slots ( 41 A) between the members  41  fit with the guiding ribs  19 , thereby fixing in an anterior-posterior direction the position of the cover  40  relative to the housing  10 . Furthermore, the latching members  41  fit tightly with left and right outer side faces of the housing  10 , thereby fixing in a left-right direction the position of the cover  40  relative to the housing  10 . 
     When the cover  42  is in an assembled state with the housing  10 , the lower face  42  opposes the distribution face  13 . As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of long thin walls  43  (two in the present embodiment) extend within the lower face  42  in the direction of the electric wires  25 , spaces being provided therebetween at the anterior and posterior thereof. These walls  43  separate the electric wires  25  distributed along the distribution face  13 . The pressure contact blades  33  are adjacent to the walls  43  in an anterior-posterier direction, the walls  43  being located between these pressure contact blades  33 . As a result, when the cover  40  is facing the correct direction when it is to be attached to the housing  10 , the walls  43  and the pressure contact blades  33  do not mutually interfere. Furthermore, the walls  43  have a depth such that, when the cover  40  has been attached, they either make contact with upper side faces of the dividing walls  16  between the open members  15  or, alternatively, leave an extremely small space therebetween, this space being much smaller than an outer diameter of the electric wires  25 . 
     Pressing members  44  are formed on the lower face of the cover  40 , these extending along the electric wires  25  distributed along the distribution face  13 . Grooves  44 A are formed in these pressing members  44 , thereby preventing the pressing members  44  from interfering with upper edge portions of the pressure contact blades  33 . Portions of these pressing members  44  press on the electric wires  25  between the pairs of pressure contact blades  33 , thereby causing the electric wires  25  to make pressure contact with the contact blades  33 . Other portions of the pressing members  44  press the portions of the electric wires  25  that are to the exterior of the pressure contact blades  33 , thereby preventing the electric wires  25  from rising upwards. 
     Dustproof walls  45 F and  45 R are located at the anterior side edge of the posterior side edge, respectively, of the lower face of the cover  40 . These dustproof walls  45 F and  45 R extend in a left-right direction (the direction of distribution of the electric wires  25 ) and serve to prevent foreign objects from entering the distribution face  13 . When the cover  40  has been attached facing the correct direction, a lower end face of the anterior dustproof wall  45 F makes contact with the regulating face  21 , or a very slight gap is left between the dustproof wall  45 F and the regulating face  21 . The posterior dustproof wall  45 R makes contact with a floor face ( 21 A) of the channels  15  or, alternatively, a very slight gap is left therebetween. Grooves  46  are formed in the posterior dustproof wall  45 R in order to prevent the dividing walls  16  from interfering therewith. The regulating face  21  of the housing  10  is higher than the channels  15  (from the floor faces thereof). As a result, a lower side face of the anterior dustproof wall  45 F is located at a higher position than a lower side face of the posterior dustproof wall  45 R. Consequently, the lower side face of the posterior dustproof wall  45 R will strike against the regulating face  21  if the cover  40  is being attached back-to-front, and the attaching operation (the operation of attaching the cover  40  to the housing  10 ) will be halted. That is, the posterior dustproof wall  45 R functions as a position regulating member of the present invention. 
     Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be explained. 
     The order of assembly of the pressure contact connector is as follows. First, the pressure contact terminal fittings  30  are attached to the housing  10  (see FIG.  1 ), the three electric wires  25  are fixed thereto from above, and the electric wire  25  located at the position farthest to the anterior is severed at a location (S in FIG. 2) between two pressure contact blades  33  of two mutually adjacent pressure contact terminal fittings  30 . Next, the cover  40  is attached to the housing  10 . At this juncture, the locking members  41  make sliding contact with left and right outer faces of the housing  10  and fit with the guiding ribs  19 , thereby fixing the position of the cover  40  in an anterior-posterior direction and a left-right direction. The cover  40  is attached in a horizontal state to the housing  10 , and the members  41  and the protrusions  20  fit together, thereby latching the cover  40  to the housing  10  (see FIG.  3  and FIG.  6 ). 
     While the cover  40  is being attached, the pressing members  44  press the electric wires  25  downwards, thereby causing them to make pressure contact with the pressure contact blades  33 . This pressure contact cuts into plastic insulation of the electric wires  25  and exposed core wires thereof make contact with inner side edges of the pressure contact blades  33 . Further, the portions of the electric wires  25  that are outside the pressure contact blades  33  are pressed downwards by the pressing members  44 . The movement of the electric wires  25  is thereby regulated. 
     When the cover  40  is in an attached state, as shown in FIG. 6, the walls  43  of the cover  40  are located so as to form partitions between the distribution paths of the three electric wires  25 . Consequently, the pressure contact blades  33  located in the neighbouring distribution paths are also in an isolated state. As a result, even if foreign objects penetrate between the cover  40  and the distribution face  13  after attachment has been completed, those foreign objects are reliably prevented from short-circuiting the pressure contact blades  33 . In the present embodiment, the dustproof walls  45 F and  45 R, in particular, are provided. These prevent foreign objects from penetrating inside the cover  40  and thereby reliably ensure that the pressure contact blades  33  are not short-circuited by foreign objects. 
     Further, if the cover  40  is attached back-to-front, as shown in FIG. 7, the posterior dustproof wall  45 R strikes against the regulating face  21  of the housings  10 , thereby halting the attaching operation. Accordingly, the walls  43  of the cover  40  and the pressure contact blades  33  of the housing  10  do not interfere with each other, and this prevents change of shape of the pressure contact blades  33  or the walls  43 , and prevents the walls  43  from pressing excessively on the electric wires  25 . 
     In the case where the pressure contact terminals  30  are incorrectly attached even though the attachment direction of the cover  40  is correct, the pressure contact blades  33  of the pressure contact terminals  30  enter the distribution area of the adjoining electric wires  25  and come to be located below the walls  43  or the dustproof walls  45 F and  45 R. In this case, the walls  43  or the dustproof walls  45 F and  45 R strike against the pressure contact blades  33  thereby preventing the attachment operation of the cover  40  from continuing. Consequently, the incorrect attachment of the pressure contact terminals  30  can be detected. 
     The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the possibilities described below also lie within the technical range of the present invention. In addition, the present invention may be embodied in various other ways without deviating from the scope thereof. 
     (1) In the present embodiment, only an example having male terminal fittings is explained. However, the present invention is also suitable for female terminal fittings. 
     (2) In the present embodiment, the regulating members are provided on the housing at two locations with the space therebetween extending along the direction of attachment of the terminal fittings. However, according to the present invention, the regulating members may be provided at two locations with the space therebetween extending along the direction of distribution of the electric wires. 
     (3) In the present embodiment, the regulating members are provided at peripheral edges of the distribution face. However, according to the present invention, the regulating members may be provided more towards the centre.