Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Limited

Autonetworks Technologies, Limited

Sumitomo Electric Industries, Limited

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Kazuaki Takeda

Satoshi Morikawa

Takeshi Aizawa

Takashi Tonosaki

Yoshihiro Uchiyama

Masaaki Tabata

Yutaka Noro

Yasuo Omori

Tsutomu Tanaka

Ryotaro Ishikawa

Tetsuya Miyamura

Masahito Matsuura

Tomoyoshi Fukaya

Katsuya Uezono

Hajime Matsui

Takuya Inoue

Ryo Sawada

Akihiro Kon

Takumi Hiraishi

Hideo Adachi

Masaki Mizutani

Daiki Hatayama

Muneyuki Kikagawa

Muneyuki Kitagawa

A wiring system includes a plurality of connectors (Cto C). Each connector includes a first connector housing (), a second connector housing () and a connector identifying member (). The first connector housing () includes an identifying member holding portion for holding the connector identifying member (). The second connector housing () includes a restraint releasing portion for releasing the restraint of the connector identifying member () only when the first and second connector housings () are connected properly. Each connector identifying member () holds identification information for distinguishing the connector to which the connector identifying member belongs.

Vehicular wiring system with first and second connector housings and identifying member that is removable only when first and second connector housings are connected properly

An electrical connection device includes a first connector (C) having a first housing (), a second connector (C) having a second housing () for receiving the insertion of the first housing (), and a connection detecting tool (). The first housing () includes a housing body (), a lock () having a tool restraining portion () and a displacement restricting portion () for blocking an insertion allowing displacement of the lock (). The connection detecting tool () is held at an operating position to resiliently deform the displacement restricting portion () to allow the insertion allowing displacement. The tool restraining portion () restrains the connection detecting tool () at the operating position so as not to be separable while allowing the separation of the connection detecting tool () from the operating position as the lock () resiliently returns to a lock position.

Electrical connection device with connection detecting function

Provided is a connector in which terminal fittings and detection terminals can be formed at the same time. A housing () is provided with terminal fittings (A) and a pair of detection terminals (B). The terminal fittings (A) are connected to ends of signal lines (A), and electrically come into contact with counterpart terminal fittings (A) provided in a counterpart housing () when both of the housings () are fitted together. The pair of detection terminals (B) are mutually energized thereby to close a detection circuit when both of the housings () are properly fitted together. The pair of detection terminals (B) are mutually connected via a detection line (B) and formed in the same shape as the terminal fittings (A).

Connector

A lever-type connector (C) has an initial lock (L) that is released to enable rotation of a lever () when the connector (C) is connected lightly to a mating connector () and the connector (C) is connected properly to the mating connector () by rotating the lever () from an initial position to a connection end position. The lever () and a housing () have rotation regulating portions (S) spaced from the initial lock (L) and configured to contact each other in a rotating direction of the lever () when the lever () is at the initial position for regulating rotation of the lever (). An abutting portion () is provided near the entrance of a cam groove () and abuts against a cam pin () if the housing () is pushed in a connecting direction to the mating connector () when the lever () is at the initial position.

Lever-type connector

A female connector housing () is provided with a lever accommodating portion (B), and a lever () is rotatably mounted on an outer surface () of a main body portion (A) inside. The lever () is provided with a lock arm (). An operating portion (B) is provided on a tip part of the lock arm () and covered by a protecting portion (). In the case of separating male and female connectors (M, F), the locking of a lock protrusion () and a locking projecting edge () is released by pinching a first pinching surface () formed on the operating portion (B) of the lock arm () and a second pinching surface () of the protecting portion (). Since the first pinching surface () and the second pinching surface () are arranged along a deflecting direction of the lock arm (), a pinching operation is facilitated.

A terminal () of a terminal-attached wire (), in which the terminal () is connected to an end portion of a wire () and the end portion is sealed by a heat shrinkable tube (), includes a terminal connecting portion () to be connected to a mating terminal, a wire connecting portion () to be connected to the end portion of the wire () and a coupling portion () coupling the terminal connecting portion () and the wire connecting portion () An opening end (A) of the heat shrinkable tube () is mounted on the coupling portion (), and a draining portion () for preventing adhering water from running down to the opening end (A) is provided on a side closer to the terminal connecting portion () than the opening end (A).

Terminal-attached wire and terminal

A relay terminal () made of copper or copper alloy and configured to join an aluminum wire () and a copper wire () by being electrically connected to the aluminum wire () and the copper wire () includes a first barrel portion () to be caulked and crimped to an aluminum core () of the aluminum wire () made of aluminum or aluminum alloy, which is a metal different from copper or copper alloy constituting the relay terminal (), a second barrel portion () to be caulked and crimped to a copper core () of the copper wire (), a bottom plate () configured to link the first barrel portion () and the second barrel portion (), and a projecting portion () (water drainage portion ()) provided on the bottom plate () and configured to restrict the intrusion of water from the second barrel portion () toward the first barrel portion ().

Multiple wire connecting terminal

A female terminal fitting () is to be crimped to a wire including a core () formed by plural strands () and includes a bottom plate () on which the core () is to be placed, and a pair of crimping pieces (L,R) connected to the bottom plate () and to be crimped to the core () in such a manner as to embrace the core () placed on the bottom plate (). Butting parts of the respective crimping pieces (L,R) are formed with a thinning portion (), and a corner portion () is formed by deforming the thinning portion () when the respective crimping pieces (L,R) are crimped to the core (). Accordingly, a clearance formed at the butting parts of the respective crimping pieces (L,R) can be made smaller than in the case where the thinning portions () are not provided.

Terminal fitting

A terminal fitting () is crimped to an aluminum wire including a core () formed by putting a plurality of strands () together. The terminal fitting () includes a bottom plate () on which the core () is placed, and two barrel pieces (L,R) connected to the bottom plate () and crimped to the core () so as to embrace the core () placed on the bottom plate (). Overlapping portions (L,R) are formed on tip parts of the respective barrel pieces (L,R) by folding a plate material forming the barrel pieces (L,R) to overlap layers of the plate material. The overlapping portions (L,R) contact each other without intruding between the strands () when the respective barrel pieces (L,R) are crimped to the core (). The terminal fitting () eliminates breakage of the core () and is less affected by spring back.

Crimp type terminal fitting

A connector (M;M) is provided with a front wall (F;M) arranged to face the front end of a housing (F;M), a front retainer (F;M) including detecting portions (F;M) to be fit into deformation spaces (F;M) in an assembled state, and restrictions (F,F,F,F;M,M,M,M) for restricting relative displacements of the housing (F;M) and the front retainer (F,M) in a direction crossing an assembling direction.

A housing () is formed with jig insertion holes () penetrating through an outer wall () located at a side of deformation spaces () opposite to locking lances (). Deformation restrictions () of a front retainer () are formed with guides () that are cut out to allow an unlocking jig inserted through the jig insertion hole () to reach the locking lance () when the front retainer () is at a retracted position and to position the unlocking jig in a width direction crossing both a resiliently deforming direction of the locking lances () and an inserting direction of terminal fittings () into cavities ().

A terminal fitting () has a rectangular tubular box () with an open rear end. A tab () extends forward from the box () and a crimping portion () is behind the box () for connection to a wire (). The box () includes a base plate (), two side plates () extending from opposite left and right sides of the base plate (), and a supporting plate () extending from the side plates () substantially parallel to the base plate (). The rear end of the supporting plate () defines a locking portion () to engage a locking lance (). Only one restricting plate () extends from an extending end edge of a supporting plate () toward the base plate () substantially parallel to the side plates (). A rear end (R) of the restricting plate () is in the box () forward of the locking portion ().

A rectangular tubular terminal connecting portion () includes two side plates () standing up from opposite sides of a base plate () via curved portions (). A resilient contact piece () includes a substantially arcuate turned portion () extending forward from a front end (F) of the base plate () and a main portion () extending back from an extending end of the turned portion (). First slits () extend back from a front end (F) of the terminal connecting portion () along lateral edges (S) of the turned portion (), second slits () extend from the rear ends of the first slits () along the front ends (F,F) of the base plate () and the curved portions (), and protecting plates () defined by the first and second slits () are cantilevered toward the turned portion ().

A terminal fitting () has a connecting portion () to be connected with a mating terminal and a wire barrel () to be crimped into connection with an end portion of a wire (). A restriction (A,) is between the connecting portion () than the wire barrel () and faces a placing surface of a bottom plate () where the end portion of the wire () is to be placed for restricting an upward movement of the end portion of the wire ().

Terminal fitting with a wire restriction

A restriction () is provided for preventing a second housing () from being fit in an incorrect oblique posture into a receptacle (). The restriction includes restricting ribs () projecting from an inner surface of the receptacle () and restricting grooves () formed by recessing an outer surface of the second housing (). Each restricting rib () includes a first rib (A) extending in a connecting direction and second ribs (B) located behind the front end of the first rib (A) in the connecting direction. Each restricting groove () includes a first groove (A) extending in the connecting direction and second grooves (B) located before the rear end of the first groove (A) in the connecting direction.

Growing community of inventors

Yokkaichi, Japan

Kazuaki Takeda