Patent Publication Number: US-6659787-B2

Title: Attachment portion structure of connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an attachment portion structure of a connector, in which a connector block having a plurality of terminals arranged therein is supported by a holder fixed to a stationary member in such a way as to be able to cause relative displacement with respect to the stationary member. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, there has been developed an apparatus in which a plurality of electronic devices to be installed on an instrumental panel of a vehicle as standard are modulated as an electronic module unit. 
     For example, an electronic module unit  100  shown in FIG. 3 has a structure adapted so that this module unit is fitted to a central recess portion of an instrumental panel from the front thereof. A panel side integrated connector  70  is provided on an attachment plate  81  placed in the front of an instrumental panel side, while a module side connector  101  to be connected to a panel side integrated connector  70  is fixed onto a lower part of an attachment surface  100   b  at the side of the rear surface of the electronic module unit  100 . 
     When this electronic module unit  100  is attached by being fitted into a central recess portion of the instrumental panel from the front thereof, the module side connector  101  is connected to a panel side integrated connector  70 , so that each of electronic devices is electrically connected to an instrumental panel side circuit. 
     This connector  70  has an oblong connector block  71 , in which a plurality of terminals are arranged, as illustrated in FIG. 3. A group  73  of wires respectively connected to the terminals  70  is rearwardly led out of this connector block  71 . Further, this connector  70  has a housing portion  72   a  for accommodating the connector block  71 . This housing portion  72   a  is supported by a holder  72  fixed to an attachment plate  81  in such a way as to be able to cause relative displacement with respect to the stationary attachment plate  81 . 
     Incidentally, as shown in, for example, FIG. 4, a wire harness  73   a,  which includes wires for a power supply system, for a signal system, for a camera image, and for controlling a heater, and antenna wires  73   b  for a television set, for a radio set, and for GPS, and a wire harness  73   c  for retrofitted optional equipment are collectively connected to the panel side integrated connector  70 . 
     In case of the conventional connection structure of a connector, all the wires  73  to be connected to the connector  70  are bundled and led out in a single direction. Thus, a force biased in a direction, in which the wires are led out, is acted on the connector block  71 , so that the connector block  71  is put into a tilted state. Consequently, the connector block  71  cannot be held in normal connection standby position and attitude. This may impede the connection between both the connectors  70  and  101 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention has been made to solve the problems with the related art, and therefore n object of the invention is to provide an attachment portion structure of a connector, which is enabled to hold a connector block in normal connection position and attitude, thereby to smoothly and reliably perform the connection between connectors. 
     According to the invention, there is provided an attachment portion structure of a connector having a connector block, in which a plurality of terminals are arranged in a predetermined direction, supported by a holder fixed to a stationary member in such a way as to be able to cause relative displacement with respect to the stationary member. A group of wires connected to the connector is nearly equally divided into divided groups, which are respectively led out to opposite directions, at a rear portion of the connector block, and that each of the divided groups of wires is fixed to the stationary member. 
     With the aforementioned configuration, a group of wires connected to the connector is nearly equally divided into divided groups, which are respectively led out to opposite directions, at a rear portion of the connector block, and that each of the divided groups of wires is fixed to the stationary member. Forces caused by drawing the groups of wires therearound are uniformly exerted in the opposite directions on the connector block supported on the holder, and thus cancel out. Thus, the connector block is held in the normal connection position and attitude without tilting the connector block. Consequently, the connection of the connectors can be smoothly reliably connected to each other. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of an example of an attachment portion structure of a connector according to the invention. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views each taken in the direction of arrows P—P of FIG. 1, and respectively illustrate a state, in which the connector block is in a connection standby position, and a state in which the connector block is in the connection position. 
     FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the configuration of an example of a conventional attachment portion structure of a connector. 
     FIG. 4 is an explanatory view illustrating wiring to be connected to an instrumental-panel-side integrated connector. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention is concretely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIGS. 1,  2 A, and  2 B illustrate the configuration of an example of an attachment portion structure of a connector according to the invention. 
     An electronic module unit  100  has a structure adapted so that this module unit is fitted to a central recess portion of an instrumental panel from the front thereof. A panel side integrated connector  20  is provided on an attachment member  31  placed in the front of an instrumental panel side, while a module side connector  101  to be connected to a panel side integrated connector  70  is fixed onto a lower part of an attachment surface  100   b  at the side of the rear surface of the electronic module unit  100 . 
     Meanwhile, at the side of a vehicle body, a pair of left-hand side and right-hand side supports  32  and  33  obliquely and downwardly extend from a wire fixing member  34  extending in the direction of width thereof. Both bottom portions of the supports  32  and  33  are connected by a horizontal attachment member  31  to each other. Further, the connector  20  is connected to this attachment member  31 . 
     The connector  20  comprises a connector block  21 , in which a plurality of terminals are arranged in a predetermined direction, and a holder  22  for supporting this connector block  21  and for fixing this block  21  to the stationary attachment member  31 . The holder  22  has a housing portion  22   a  and lock arms  22   b  for tentatively locking the connector block  21  are provided in this housing portion  22   a.  Further, the connector block  21  is locked by the lock arms  22   b  of the holder  22 , so that the connector block  21  is supported thereon in such a way as to be able to cause relative displacement with respect to the stationary attachment member  31 . 
     In an attachment portion structure  10  of this connector  20 , a group of wires  40  is almost equally divided into divided groups, which are respectively led out to opposite sides. Each of the divided groups  41  and  42  of wires is fixed in such a manner as to extend along a corresponding one of a V-shaped right-hand side support  32  and a V-shaped left-hand side support  33 , and led to a wire fixing member  34  laterally extending in a front panel portion. Furthermore, the divided groups  41  and  42  of wires are led to a predetermined connection portion together with other wires  43  provided around a front panel. Then, such wires are connected to one another thereat. 
     According to this attachment portion structure  10 , forces caused by drawing the groups  41  and  42  of wires therearound are uniformly exerted in the opposite directions on the connector block  21  supported on the holder  22 , and thus cancel out. Consequently, the connector block  21  is held in normal connection position and attitude without tilting the connector block  21 . 
     This prevents an extra load, which is other than a connection load, from being imposed on when an operation of connecting a counter-connector  101  to the connector  20  is performed. Thus, when the electronic module unit  100  is fitted from the front thereof into the central recess portion of the instrumental panel thereby to be attached thereto, the module side connector  101  is reliably connected to the panel side integrated connector  20 . Thus, each of electronic devices is electrically connected to an instrumental panel side circuit. 
     More particularly, the connector block  21  is attached to the housing portion  22   a  so that the connection between the connector block  21  and the counter-connector  101  slides in a connection direction from a connection standby position shown in FIG. 2A to a connection position shown in FIG.  2 B. Thus, these constituent elements constitute a connecting force amplifying mechanism for amplifying the connecting force acting between both the connectors  20  and  101  when an operation of connecting the counter-connector  101  to the connector  20  is performed. 
     Incidentally, the connection structure of the connector, which has this connecting force amplifying mechanism, is well known. The invention can be applied to a connector disclosed in, for example, JP-A-10-21992. Further, the mechanism for supporting the connector block in such a way as to be able to cause relative displacement with respect to a stationary member is well known. The invention can be applied to the connector disclosed in, for instance, JP-A-10-134900. 
     In the case that the connection mechanism of a connector according to the invention is employed in the connector having such a connection amplifying mechanism, the connector block is held in the normal connection standby position and attitude. This prevents an extra load other than the connection load from being applied to the connector when an operation of connecting the connector to the counter-connector is performed. Consequently, the connectors can be smoothly connected to each other by reliably increasing the connecting force between both the connectors in response to a sliding operation of the connector block. 
     In spite of the foregoing description, the attachment portion structure of the connector according to the invention is not limited to the aforementioned concrete configuration of the embodiment. Needless to say, the attachment portion structure of the connector may be suitably changed by modifying, adding or deleting constituent elements if necessary. 
     As described above, in accordance with the attachment portion structure according to the invention, the group of wires of the connector is nearly equally divided at a rear portion of the connector block into divided groups that are then led out to opposite sides, respectively. Each of the divided groups of wires is fixed to the corresponding stationary member. Forces caused by drawing the divided groups of wires therearound are uniformly exerted in the opposite directions on the connector block supported on the holder, and thus cancel out. Thus, the connector block is held in the normal connection position and attitude without tilting the connector block. Consequently, the connection of the connectors can be smoothly and reliably connected to each other.