Abstract:
A connector including a first component which has a first receiving portion, and a a second component which has a first projection portion to be abuttingly engaged with the first receiving portion and which is to be pivoted about a first abutting portion of the first projection portion and the first receiving portion. Also included is a first locking member which is fixed to the second component and which is to form a first track while pivoting the second component, and a first side member which is fixed to the first component and which has on the first track a first portion to be lockingly engaged with the first locking member.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to a connector where a there is assembled a wire-harness for an automobile or a terminal portion in a wiring for various electrical equipment, and more particular to a connector for stacking a plurality of connector blocks. 
     2. Description of Relevant Art 
     A conventional connector has an upper connector housing, a lower connector housing, and a cover body. There are formed first engagement projections at lower portions on both sides of the upper connector housing. There are formed at upper portions on both sides of the lower connector housing second engagement projections which are each stacked on a first engagement projection. 
     There are provided standing board portions on both sides of the cover body. There are formed slots to be engaged at standing boards where first and second engagement projections are inserted with being stacked on each other, thereby being engaged with the slots. 
     In the conventional connector, however, when the upper and lower connector housings are assembled to each other and both housings are engaged with the cover body with the first and second engagement projection being stacked each other, the first and second projections are not perfectly inserted in a slot of the cover body to be engaged, this representing improper engagement. Thus, it is impossible to assemble the first and second connector housings together securely. 
     In a connector where stacking blocks are stacked onto a lowest block in a multi-level configuration, the connector has a structure in which there are formed engagement portions at the lowest block, the engagement portions each being engaged with each of a plurality of stacking blocks. In this connector, a stacking block which is originally engaged with an engagement portion is engaged with another engagement portion which is to be engaged with yet another stacking block. That is, mistaken assembly occurs. 
     There is a case in which a worker does not visually detect a defective or mistaken assembly, and this improper condition is easily overlooked. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a connector in which a plurality of connector housings are properly assembled with one another by a simple assembly operation, without defective and mistaken assembly occurring. 
     To achieve the above-noted object, according to the present invention, a connector comprises: a first component which has a first receiving portion; a second component which has a first projection portion to be abuttingly engaged with the first receiving portion and which is to be pivoted about a first abutting portion of the first projection portion and the first receiving portion; a first looking member which is fixed to the second component and which is to form a first track while pivoting the second component; and a first side member which is fixed to the first component and which has on the first track a first portion to be lockingly engaged with the first locking member. 
     One of the first and second component preferably has a second receiving portion, the connector further comprising: a third component which has a second projection portion to be abuttingly engaged with the second receiving portion and which is to be pivoted about a second abutting portion of the second projection portion and the second receiving portion; a second locking member which is fixed to the third component and which is to form a second track apart from the first track while pivoting the third component; and a second side member which is fixed to one of the first and second components, and which has on the second track a second portion to be lockingly engaged with the second locking member. 
     The second portion is preferably closer to the second projection portion than the first track. 
     The second portion is preferably further from the second projection portion than the first track. 
     The first receiving portion is preferably formed in a step shape. 
     The first locking member preferably has a projection and the first portion has one of an opening portion and a recessed portion to be lockingly engaged with the projection. 
     The first portion preferably has a projection and the first locking member has one of an opening portion and a recessed portion to be lockingly engaged with the projection. 
     According to the invention, the first projection portion of the second component is abuttingly engaged with the first receiving portion of the first component, and the second component is pivoted about the first abutting portion. Further, the first locking member of the second component is lockingly engaged with the first portion. In this condition, the first receiving portion sets a pivot fulcrum of the second component. The first track of the first locking member overlaps with a position of the first portion, and the first locking member and the first portion are reliably assembled to each other. 
     Further, the third component is provided with a second locking member, the second locking member being apart from the first track of the first locking member. The second portion is formed on the second track of the second locking member. Thus, the first locking member is not mistakenly lockingly engaged with the second portion. 
     The second component is assembled by pivoting, the positions of the first locking member and the first portion remaining together, with assembly performed surely by an easy operation. Further, there is formed the second portion to be lockingly engaged with the second locking member apart from the first track of the first locking member, and the second and third component each are reliably lockingly engaged with each other without mistake. 
     In the invention, a projection portion is abuttingly engaged with a receiving portion, and the second and third components each are not out of a position with a lower or mating component. Thus, the components each are pivoted and assembled correctly. 
     In the invention, the projection of the first locking member is lockingly engaged with one of an opening and a recessed portion, and the first component and the second component are integrally held together. 
     In the above-mentioned invention, the first or second projection portion has a configuration including a triangular prism shape, a square prism shape, a polygonal prism shape or a semisphere shape. The first or second receiving portion has a configuration including a step shape, recess shape or wall shape extending form the first or second component to outside. The first and second side member may be integrally formed or may be separately formed. The first portion may be closer to the first component than the second portion or may be further from the first component than the second portion. 
     The projection has a configuration including a semishere shape, all curved surface shapes, a triangular prism shape or a polygonal prism shape. A configuration of the opening or recessed portion includes a triangular shape, a square shape, a polygonal shape or an elliptic shape. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment; 
     FIG. 2 is a explanatory side view which shows a condition of assembling a lower connector housing with a cover. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a connector which shows assembling condition; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector which shows assembling condition in which a terminal fitting is mounted to a wire-harness; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a connector showing assembling condition. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following will describe in detail preferable embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. 
     A connector  10  of the embodiment is chiefly composed of a lower connector housing  11  as a first component, a cover  12  as a second component, and an upper connector housing  13  as a third component. All these members are made of an electrically insulating resin. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the lower connector housing  11  has a connecting pin accommodation portion  112  which is formed with a plurality of terminal opening portions  111  at a front end side and a plurality of terminal fitting accommodation portions  114  at a rear end side which are partitioned by a plurality of partition walls  113 . On both sides in an upper portion of the connecting pin accommodation portion  112 , each supportable recessed section  115  is formed. On a rear end of the supportable recessed section  115 , an elastic engagement piece  116  is formed so as to be lockingly engaged with another connector not shown in the drawings or with a female connector. Further, on both sides in a rear end of the lower connector housing  11 , there are side pieces  117  with elasticity which stand in each stack direction, as a first and second side member. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, these side pieces  117  each are separately formed with a lower opening  118  as a first portion and an upper opening  119  as a second portion. The lower opening  118  is formed in the vicinity of an upper face height position of the lower connector housing  11 . The upper opening  119  is formed higher than the lower opening  118  by a predetermined dimension and is formed on a rear side of the lower connector housing  11  relative to the lower opening  118 . There is formed the upper opening  119  outside a pivot locus R 1 , as a first locus, of a first locking projection  122  on the cover  12  as described later, the upper opening  119  configured to be lockingly engaged with a second locking projection  133 , or a second locking member, on the upper connector housing  13 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in such a structural connector housing  11 , connecting pins P 1  each are inserted from a side of a terminal fitting accommodation portion  114  to be held, with projection from the terminal opening portion  111 . In the terminal fitting accommodation  114 , there is inserted a terminal fitting not shown in the drawing to be arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal fitting is connected with each end of wire-harnesses W 1  to be held. 
     The cover  12  covers an upper portion of the terminal fitting accommodation portion  114  in the lower connector housing  11  as above-described, so that it electrically insulates upper wire-harnesses W 1  and lower wire-harnesses W 1  from each other, the upper wire-harnesses W 1  being inserted to be arranged in the upper connector housing  13 , the lower wire-harnesses W 1  being inserted so as to be accommodated in the lower connector housing  11 . 
     There are provided each first support projection portions  121 , or a first projection portion, at a lower portion of a front end in the cover  12 , the first support projection portions  121  each to be abutted to a rear end of upper wall portion  112 A in a connecting pin accommodation portion  112 , and being the same in number as the terminal fitting accommodation portions  114 . There are formed at lower portions of both sides on a rear side in the cover  12  a pair of locking projections  122  projecting to each side direction. The locking projections  122  each are set at a position where being inserted in lower opening  118  of the side piece  117  to be lockingly engaged with, when the cover  12  is pivoted about an abutting portion as a fulcrum to be stacked on the lower connector housing  11  in a state where the first support projection portion  121  of the cover  12  enters under a rear end of an upper wall portion  112 A in the connecting pin accommodation portion  112  thereby being abuttingly engaged. The first support projection portion  121  is engaged with a hole under the upper wall portion  112 A and a front end portion of the first projection portion  12  abuts to a rear end of the upper wall portion  112 A to set a pivot fulcrum of the cover  12 . A first receiving portion corresponds to the rear end portion of the upper wall portion  112 A and the hole under the upper wall portion  112 A. 
     The upper connector housing  13  is formed with a plurality of terminal opening portions  131 , of which connecting pins P 1  project from a front end. Connecting pins P 1  each are inserted from a rear end side of a terminal fitting accommodation portion  135  formed inside the housing  13 , as shown in FIG.  5 . At both sides of a lower portion at a front end of the upper connector housing  13 , there are provided downward each second support projection portion  132 , or second projection portion, which are inserted in each supportable recessed section  115 , or a second receiving portion, formed in the lower connector housing  11  to act as a fulcrum. 
     Further, at both side faces of rear end side in the upper connector housing  13 , there is provided a pair of second locking projections  133  each projecting in a side direction, the projections  133  to be lockingly engaged with upper openings  119  of side pieces  117  of a lower connector housing  11 . Above the second locking projections  133 , there are formed abutting engagement plate portions  134  so as to project in a side direction, the plate portions  134  to be abuttingly engaged with upper portions of the side pieces  117 . 
     An assembling method for such a structural connector  10  is explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. It is noted that FIGS. 2 and 3 show the condition in which connecting pins P 1 , terminal fittings, and wire-harnesses W 1  are not assembled, to simplify the explanation. 
     First, when a cover  12  is assembled to a lower connector housing  11 , the first support projection portion  121  at a front end of the cover  12  is entered under a rear end of an upper wall portion  112 A in a connecting pin accommodation portion  112  of the lower connector housing  11 , thus being abuttingly engaged with it. Then, the cover  12  is pivoted about this abutting portion as a fulcrum in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG.  2 . The first locking projection  122  of the cover  12  is fitted in, or lockingly engaged with, the lower opening  118  formed in a side piece  117  in the lower connector housing  11 . 
     When this is done, outside the pivot locus R 1  formed by the first locking projection  122  of the cover  12 , there is formed an upper opening  119 , and the first locking projection  122  is not lockingly engaged with the upper opening  119  by mistake, thereby preventing mistaken assembly. 
     When the first locking projection  122  is abutted to an upper portion of the side piece  117 , the projection  122  slides on an inner side face of a side piece  117  with the side piece  117  being pushed to be spread in a side direction, thereby reaching to the lower opening  118 . Next, when the first locking projection  122  is fitted into the lower opening  118 , the side piece  117  returns to an original position by restitution force, thereby generating sound of engagement of the side piece  117  and a cover  12 . 
     In this way, when the first locking projection  122  is fitted in the lower opening  118   a,  the first engagement piece  117  returns to an original position to cause engagement sound, and reliably performing engagement is confirmed and identified without viewing. It is noted that the lower opening  118  is open, and it is able to confirm engagement state by viewing. 
     Next, as shown in FIG. 3, when an upper connector housing is assembled, the second support projection portion  132  of the upper connector housing  13  is inserted into the supportable recessed section  115  of a lower connector housing  11  to be abuttingly engaged with. In this state, shown in FIG. 3, the upper connector housing  13  is pivoted about this abutting engagement portion as a fulcrum in the clockwise direction, and the second locking projection  133  is fitted in, or lockingly engaged with, the upper opening  119  of the side piece  117 . When the second locking projection  133  is fitted into the lower opening  119 , engagement is confirmed by an engagement sound. FIGS. 4 and 5 shows the assembled state of the connector  10 . 
     The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not restricted, however to the above-described embodiment, and can take on various forms and designs within which are encompassed by the described constitution. For example, while in the above-mentioned embodiment, openings are opened in the side piece  117  and locking projections are provided on sides of the cover  12  and the upper connector housing  13 , the locking projection may also be formed on a side of the side piece  117 , and an opening or a recessed portion may be formed in the lower connector housing  11  or in the cover  12 . 
     In the above-described embodiment, the connector  10  of the invention is applied to a male connector. However, the invention may be applied to a female connector or other structural connector. 
     Further, in the embodiment, it is explained that composition members are a lower connector housing  11 , the cover  12 , and the upper connector housing  13 . Number and configuration of the composition members as a stacking block are not restricted by the embodiment described while. 
     In the embodiment, the upper connector housing  13  is engaged with a lower connector housing  11  to be supported, the upper housing  13  may be alternately supported by the cover  12 .