Abstract:
A connector housing has an opening for pressure contacting an insulated wire to an insulation displacing terminal in a terminal accommodating chamber. A housing body has an upper wall and a lower wall one of which defines the opening. A cover is for closing the opening and is connected integrally to the housing body through a hinge. An engagement projection is fixed to an outer surface of the cover at a position opposite to the hinge. When a set of insulation-displacement connectors is joined, the engagement projection is fitted in an engagement recessed part formed on an opposing surface of a mating connector, so that the connector housing and the mating connector are joined with each other. Insulation-displacement connectors are stacked in a vertical direction and each has the engagement projection formed to the cover.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a connector and a set of connectors which is adapted to, for example, a vehicle. 
     2. Description of Relevant Art 
     There has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.10-92508 a set of connectors. 
     The set of connectors has a type in which insulation -displacement connectors are stacked in a plurality of steps. An upper connector housing is stacked on a lower connector housing. A cover covers an opening of an upper rear part in the upper connector housing, and all of them are integrally joined. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, in the joined connector, an opening of a lower connector housing is closed by a bottom surface of an upper connector housing. There is prepared a cover for closing an opening in addition to connector housings for stacking in a vertical direction, so that there are a lot of parts separated each other. Flexible locking pawls for joining is provided to both of a left and a right sides of the connector housing and both of a left and a right sides of the cover, and there is a problem that a size of a transverse width is enlarged. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector and a set of connectors for reduction of a number of parts and for reduction of a size of a transverse width. 
     To achieve the object, a first aspect of the invention provides an insulation-displacement connector. A connector housing has an opening for pressure contacting an insulated wire to an insulation displacing terminal in a terminal accommodating chamber. A housing body has an upper wall and a lower wall one of which defines the opening. A cover is for closing the opening and is connected integrally to the housing body through a hinge. An engagement projection is fixed to an outer surface of the cover at a position opposite to the hinge. When a set of insulation-displacement connectors is joined, the engagement projection is fitted in an engagement recessed part formed on an opposing surface of a mating connector, so that the connector housing and the mating connector are joined with each other. 
     A second aspect of the invention provides a set of insulation-displacement connectors. Insulation-displacement connectors are stacked in a vertical direction and each has the engagement projection formed to the cover. The engagement projection is fitted in the engagement recessed part formed to the connector housing of the mating insulation-displacement connector. The insulation-displacement connectors adjacent to each other are joined. 
     Preferably, the engagement projection and the engagement recessed part each are formed in an elongated shape which crosses terminal accommodating chambers arranged in a transverse direction of a connector housing. 
     Preferably, the engagement projection and the engagement recessed part each are arranged at a rear end of the connector housing, another engagement part is provided at a front end of a connector housing, and engagement parts of insulation-displacement connectors adjacent to each other are engaged with each other, reinforce the engagement between adjacent insulation-displacement connectors. 
     A third aspect of the invention provides a cover-integrated connector. A housing body has an accommodating chamber for a terminal and has a first wall part covering the accommodating chamber and defining an opening for access. A cover has a distal end and a proximal end. The cover is connected to the first wall part at the proximal end thereof for pivoting. The cover is to pivots on the distal end to close the opening. The cover has a first engagement part for engaging with a first mating connector at the distal end thereof. 
     Preferably, the housing body has a second wall part covering the accommodating chamber. The second wall part is opposed to the first wall part and has a second engagement part for engaging with a second mating connector. 
     Preferably, the first engagement part extends in a transverse direction of the cover. 
     Preferably, the first wall part has a third engagement part extending in a longitudinal direction thereof for engaging with the first mating connector. 
     According to the inventions, in the connector, a cover is provided integrally to a connector housing, and a number of separated parts are reduced. An engagement projection is provided on the cover, and when the engagement projection is fitted in an engagement recessed part of a mating connector, a set of connectors is constituted. Because an engagement projection on a cover is employed for a finger mount, operations for closing and opening the cover is made easy. An engagement projection for joining adjacent insulation-displacement connectors is provided on an outer surface of the cover, and though lock parts are provided on right and left side parts, the engagement projection is arranged not to contact with the lock parts. Therefore, an excess engagement means does not need to be provided at left and right side parts of a connector housing, and a transverse size of a connector is to be reduced. 
     An engagement projection and an engagement recessed part each are formed in an elongated shape, and the joining force of the engagement projection and the engagement recessed part is applied to a wide range in a transverse direction of connector housings. 
     In a set of connectors, engagement parts at front ends of connector housings in addition to engagement parts at rear ends join connector housings to each other, and a firmly joining state through connector housings is maintained. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantage of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of insulation- displacement type connectors of an embodiment according to the invention, which shows a state prior to joining adjacent insulation-displacement connectors if a set of connectors is constituted; 
     FIG. 2A is a side view of an insulation- displacement connector used by a single insulation-displacement connector; 
     FIG. 2B is a side view of a set of connectors which is constituted of insulation-displacement connectors stacked in three steps; 
     FIG. 3A is a side view of a portion arrowed by X in FIG. 2B; 
     FIG. 3B is an enlarged side view of a portion arrowed by Y in FIG. 2B; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of insulation-displacement type connectors of another embodiment according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state before insulation -displacement connectors  11 ,  12  to be fitted to each other to configure a set of connectors  10  are fitted to each other. 
     The set of connectors  10  comprises two insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12  stacked one above another and connected to each other one, wires W being drawn out from the rear of connector housings  11 A,  12 A of the insulation-displacement connectors made of synthetic resin. The connector housings  11 A,  12 A of the respective insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12  comprise housing bodies  13 ,  15  and covers  14 ,  16  for closing lower face openings of the housing bodies  13 ,  15  (the lower faces are turned up when the wires are pressure contacted). The lower face openings are provided in order to perform working for pressuring contacting wires W to insulation-displacement terminals  40  which have been accommodated in terminal accommodating chambers  21  of the housing bodies  13 ,  15 , and they are provided at rear half parts of the lower face walls of the housing bodies  13 ,  15 . 
     The covers  14 ,  16  are for closing the openings after the wires W are pressed to the insulation-displacement terminals  40  to be contacted with, and they are connected integrally to the housing bodies  13 ,  15  through hinges  31 . The hinges  31  are disposed between the front ends of the covers  14 ,  16  positioned when the openings have been closed and lower face walls of the front sides of the lower openings of the housing bodies  13 ,  15 . 
     Locking parts  28  on the covers  14 ,  16  engageable with locking parts  29  on the housing bodies  13 ,  15  are provided at front end left and right side parts of the covers  14 ,  16 , and they can lock the covers  14 ,  16  in a state where the openings of the housing bodies  13 ,  15  have been closed. 
     Also, engagement projections  26  are respectively provided on outer faces (faces are positioned outside when the openings are closed) at front ends (which are positioned at rear ends when the openings are closed) of the covers  14 ,  16  of the respective insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12 , and an engagement recessed part  27  engaged with the engagement projection  26  is provided at a rear end upper face of the insulation-displacement connector  11  which is a lower stage. Each of the engagement projection  26  and the engagement recessed part  27  is formed in an elongated shape extending over a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers  21  arranged in a transverse direction of each of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A. 
     FIG. 2A is a side view in a case where an upper connector  12  is used in a single manner, and FIG. 2B is a side view of an assembled connector in a case where an upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  are connected with two lower stage insulation- displacement connectors  11  in a stacking manner. 
     Engagement parts  24 ,  25  of a recessed and projection type which are fitted to each other by pushing them in upward and downward directions are provided on opposed faces of front parts of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A to be stacked one above another. The engagement parts  24 ,  25  are structured as a dovetail joint. As shown in FIG. 3B, one engagement part  24  is formed in a “tenon” shape, and the other engagement part  25  is formed in a “mortise” shape. The former “tenon” shape engagement part  24  is formed on the lower faces of the housing bodies  13 ,  15  constituting the upper stage side connector housings  12 A,  11 A, and the latter “mortise” shape engagement part  25  is formed on the upper face of the housing body  15  constituting the lower stage side connector housing  11 A. 
     In this case, the engagement parts  24 ,  25  of the dovetail joint are arranged a plurality of sets at intervals in transverse directions of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A. The upper and lower insulation-displacement connectors  12 ,  11  can be positioned in the transverse directions thereof by these engagement parts  24 ,  25 . 
     Also, the engagement projection  26  and the engagement recessed part  27  are constituted as a dovetail joint, as shown in FIG.  3 A. In this case, slant surfaces  26   a ,  27   a  are provided on both ends, in the longitudinal direction, of the engagement projection part  26  of an elongated shape and the engagement recessed part  27 . 
     Incidentally, the upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  is always positioned at an upper stage, and the connector has on an upper face  12 A a lock arm  17  which is locked with a lock arm of a mating connector when the connector  12  is fitted to the mating connector. 
     Next, an assembling procedure will be explained. 
     When the set of connectors  10  is assembled, first the individual insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12  are assembled and completed prior to joining them. That is, the insulation displacing terminals are set in the terminal accommodating chambers  21  of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A of the respective insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12 , and wires are pressure contacted to respective insulation-displacement terminals through the openings. Next, the openings of the housing bodies  13 ,  15  are closed by the covers  14 ,  16  and the covers  14 ,  16  and the housing bodies  13 ,  15  are locked to each other by the locking parts  28 ,  29 , so that the individual insulation-displacement connectors  11 ,  12  are completed in a single manner. When the covers  14 ,  16  are operated, the engagement projections  26  provided on the front end outer faces of the covers  14 ,  15  can be utilized as a finger mount so that closing operation of the covers  14 ,  16  can be easily performed. Incidentally, the engagement projection part  26  serves as a finger mount when the connector is fitted to or released from a mating connector, so that such an operation as fitting of a mating connector or the like is made easy. 
     Next, the upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  is disposed on the lower stage insulation-displacement connector  11 , and the upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  is placed on the upper face of the lower stage insulation-displacement connector  11  while the engagement projection part  26  provided on the cover  14  of the upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  is being fitting to the engagement recessed part  27  of the rear end upper face of the lower stage insulation-displacement connector  11 . Then, the engagement part  24  of the “tenon” shape on the front part lower face of the upper stage connector housing  12 A is engaged with the engagement part  25  of the “mortise” shape of the lower stage of the connector housing  11 A by pushing down the upper stage insulation- displacement connector  12  strongly. Thereby, the set of connectors  10  of two stages can be completed. 
     In the set of connectors  10  thus structured, since each of the covers  14 ,  16  are provided integrally for each of the connector housing  11 A,  12 A, the number of parts separated can be reduced. Also, since the engagement part  26  for joining is provided on the outer face of each of the covers  14 ,  16 , it does not obstruct the covers  14 ,  16  provided on the left and right side parts of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A and the lock parts  28 ,  29  of the housing bodies  13 ,  15 , so that the size of transverse width of each of the insulation-displacement connectors can be reduced. Also, since the engagement projection part  26  and the engagement recessed part  27  each are formed in an elongated shape so as to extend over the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers  21 , the joining force between the engagement projection part  26  and the engagement recessed part  27  can be applied to a wide range of the connector housings  11 A,  12 A in the transverse directions. 
     Incidentally, the upper stage insulation-displacement connector  12  constituting the set of connectors  10  can be used in a single manner, as shown in FIG.  2 A. Also, as shown in FIG. 2B, the lower stage insulation-displacement connector  11  may be attached under it with another lower stage insulation-displacement connector  11  so that a set of connectors of three or more stages can be easily structured. 
     FIG. 4 shows another embodiment. Engagement recessed parts  32  are respectively provided on outer faces at front ends of the covers  14 ,  16 . An engagement projection  33  to be engaged with the engagement recessed part  32  is provided at a rear end upper face of the insulation-displacement connector  11 . 
     While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.