Joint member and joint connector for wire harness Number:7,520,767 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A flexible wiring member, which is capable of being wound around a wire harness, is provided with joint-side terminals 14a, which are capable of being fitted with wire-side terminals, and the flexible wiring member includes a connection circuit for electrically connecting specified joint-side terminals in the joint-side terminals 14a. Or, a plurality of joint-side terminals are previously held in the insulation housing, and these joint-side terminals are connected with a common flexible wiring member.<H connector, harness, Joint, member, an, 7520767.html, Patent, pto, 7520767

Title: Joint member and joint connector for wire harness

Abstract: A flexible wiring member, which is capable of being wound around a wire harness, is provided with joint-side terminals 14a, which are capable of being fitted with wire-side terminals, and the flexible wiring member includes a connection circuit for electrically connecting specified joint-side terminals in the joint-side terminals 14a. Or, a plurality of joint-side terminals are previously held in the insulation housing, and these joint-side terminals are connected with a common flexible wiring member.

Patent Number: 7,520,767 Issued on 04/21/2009 to Tamagawa, et al.

Inventors: Tamagawa; Tatsuo (Mie, JP), Hirai; Hiroki (Mie, JP), Saka; Yuuji (Mie, JP), Oishi; Akinori (Mie, JP), Hattori; Mitsuhiro (Mie, JP), Kojima; Eiji (Mie, JP)
Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Mie, JP)
Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. (Mie, JP)
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Osaka, JP)

Appl. No.: 11/500,458

Filed: August 8, 2006

Related U.S. Patent Documents


Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
10892380	Jul., 2004	7351085

Foreign Application Priority Data


Jul 17, 2003 [JP]			2003-198297
Jul 17, 2003 [JP]			2003-198298
Jun 24, 2004 [JP]			2004-186130
Jul 08, 2004 [JP]			2004-202052

Current U.S. Class: 439/189 ; 439/77

Current International Class: H01R 29/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 439/77,189,511,752

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5000699	March 1991	Nadin
5106318	April 1992	Endo et al.
5116241	May 1992	Sato
5201667	April 1993	Endo et al.
5556291	September 1996	Ito
5662487	September 1997	Okamura et al.
5769650	June 1998	Aoyama et al.
5788519	August 1998	Stern
6402569	June 2002	Spadoni et al.
6447331	September 2002	Fukatsu et al.
6454582	September 2002	Yamanashi et al.
6707689	March 2004	Momota et al.
6840820	January 2005	Oda

Foreign Patent Documents


197 33 328	Feb., 1999	DE
A 8-79948	Mar., 1996	JP
A-08-279382	Oct., 1996	JP

Primary Examiner: Le; Thanh-Tam T
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oliff & Berridge PLC

Parent Case Text

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 10/892,380 filed Jul. 16, 2004. The disclosure of the prior application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A joint connector for electrically connecting a plurality of electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other, the joint connector comprising: wire-side terminals fixed to ends of specified electric wires among the electric wires contained in the wire harness, the wire-side terminals including on their tip end side female contacts in which male terminals are to be inserted in an axial direction of the wire-side terminals; an insulation housing that holds the wire-side terminals in a single layer such that the wire-side terminals adjacent to each other in a single layer are approximately on the same plane, the insulation housing including terminal release portions in which the female contacts of the wire-side terminals are released to the tip end side; and a short-circuit member that short-circuits specified wire-side terminals among the wire-side terminals with each other, wherein the short-circuit member includes: a plurality of male terminal sections in a single layer that are to be inserted respectively in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals through the terminal release portions of the insulation housing; and a terminal linking section that links the male terminal sections to each other and electrically connects specified male terminal sections with each other, wherein the terminal linking section is formed from a flexible flat wiring member that includes a plurality of conductors arranged on the same plane parallel to each other, and integrated by coating with an insulation coating layer, and a plurality of terminal components are connected to the plurality of conductors and extend in a direction orthogonal to the conductors and are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of conductors.

2. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuit member is obtained by forming the plurality of male terminal sections and the terminal linking section which links the male terminal sections to each other as one integrated unit of a conductive material.

3. The joint connector according to claim 2, wherein the short-circuit member is formed by a metal plate that is thinner than the insulation housing.

4. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulation housing includes bending portions provided at positions between mutually adjacent specified wire-side terminals, the bending portions configured to be bendable in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the wire-side terminals and the direction of arrangement of the wire-side terminals, and wherein the terminal linking section of the short-circuit member is formed such that at positions corresponding to the bending portions, the terminal linking section is configured to be bendable in the same direction as the direction of bending of the bending portions or such that at positions corresponding to the bending portions, the terminal linking section is split in a direction parallel to the direction of arrangement of the wire-side terminals.

5. The joint connector according to claim 4, wherein the terminal linking section is formed of a flexible wire material that is deformable in the same direction as the direction of bending of the bending portions.

6. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the joint connector includes a plurality of short-circuit members, and wherein the plurality of short-circuit members are fit respectively with the specified wire-side terminals such that the short-circuit members are separated from each other.

7. The joint connector according to claim 1, wherein the insulation housing includes a short-circuit member protector that protects the short-circuit member that is connected with the wire-side terminals.

8. The joint connector according to claim 7, wherein the short-circuit member protector of the insulation housing includes a short-circuit member support that extends from a main portion of the insulation housing toward a tip end side of the wire-side terminals, and wherein a position where the short-circuit member support is provided is configured such that the short-circuit member slides as the short-circuit member is seated on the short-circuit member support, respective male terminal sections of the short-circuit member are inserted in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals.

9. The joint connector according to claim 7, wherein the short-circuit member protector of the insulation housing is configured to be switchable between an open condition at which portions of the insulation housing that receive the male terminal sections of the short-circuit member is released and a close condition at which the short-circuit member fits with the specified wire-side terminals are covered.

10. The joint connector according to claim 8, wherein the short-circuit member protector includes a short-circuit member restricting member that restricts, in the close condition, the short-circuit member from moving away from the respective female contacts.

11. A method of electrically connecting a plurality of electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other using the joint connector according to claim 1, the method comprising: fixing the wire-side terminals to the ends of specified electric wires among the electric wires contained in the wire harness; holding the wire-side terminals within the insulation housing; fitting the male terminal sections of the short-circuit members in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals held within the insulation housing and electrically connecting the wire-side terminals with each other; and fixing the insulation housing to a main portion of the wire harness after the electric connection.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a technique for electrically connecting specified wires included in a wire harness to each other.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, as a joint member for electrically connecting (i.e., short-circuiting) specified wires included in a wire harness to each other, a joint member disclosed in JP-A-8-079948 is known (c.f. pages 2-3, and FIGS. 1 and 8 of JP-A-8-079948). The joint member is arranged so that a plurality of terminal receiving portions is arranged in parallel on the external peripheral of a band wound around a wire harness, and inside thereof a conductive thin plate is disposed and when wire-side terminals fixed to the terminal of each wire are inserted with each of the terminal receiving portions, the wire-side terminals come into contact with the conductive thin plate from the outside in the diameter direction; thus, the specified wires are electrically connected via the wire-side terminals.

Here, each wire-side terminal has a leaf spring-like flexible portion for coming into contact with the conductive thin plate by pressure force, and it is provided so that, when the wire-side terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving portion by force in a state where the flexible portion is flexibly deformed, the pressed-contact state between the flexible portion and the conductive thin plate are maintained.

In the joint member disclosed in JP-A-8-079948, in order to ensure the contact between the wire-side terminal and the conductive thin plate, a leaf spring-like flexible portion, which has a large dimension in height, is formed on the wire-side terminal, and further, a terminal receiving portion having a size for accommodating the flexible portion is formed parallel to the band. As a result, the thickness of the entire joint member is considerably large. Accordingly, when the joint member is wound around a wire harness, the entire joint member largely protrudes to the outside in the diameter direction from the main body portion of the wire harness, and may become an obstacle for disposing the wire harness.

The joint connector described in JP-A-8-079948 is often used for short-circuiting specified electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other, in which case the joint connector is wound around a main portion of the wire harness by an adhesive tape and fixed to the main portion of the wire harness. At this stage, if the joint connector is too high, the joint connector as it is wound sticks out greatly beyond the main portion of the wire harness and could therefore intervene disposing of the wire harness, and hence, thickness reduction of the joint connector is desired.

However, in the case of the joint connector described in JP-A-8-079948 above, it is difficult to reduce thickness of the joint connector, i.e., to reduce the height of the joint connector, because of which the joint connector when wound around the wire harness could stick out greatly. The reason is as follows.

1) Since used as the wire-side terminals are terminals including the slit grooves which extend in the height direction and in which the bus bar plates can be inserted, the terminals easily tend to be higher than ordinary wire-side terminals and the entire connector becomes accordingly high.

2) In addition, since the bus bar plates are inserted within the insulation housing along the height direction of the wire-side terminals, a guide portion for guiding the bus bar plates must be provided along the direction of the insertion in the insulation housing, and as the guide portion is disposed, the insulation housing becomes even higher.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been proposed in view of the above problems. One of objects of the present invention is to reduce the thickness of the joint member, and thus, to reduce the protrusion amount of the joint member when the joint member is wound around a wire harness.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a joint connector for a wire harness which can be made thin and is suitable for short-circuiting electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a joint member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other, the joint member including: a flexible wiring member extending in one direction and having a flexibility so as to allow winding around the wire harness with a longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness or in a direction inclined with respect to the peripheral direction; joint-side terminals provided in a plurality of positions aligned in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member and protruding outward from an edge portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member to be connected to each of the wires; and a connection circuit provided in the flexible wiring member and electrically connects specific joint-side terminals of the joint-side terminals with one another.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a joint connector including: a joint member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other; and a plurality of wire-side terminals, wherein the joint member includes: a flexible wiring member extending in one direction and having a flexibility so as to allow winding around the wire harness with a longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness or in a direction inclined with respect to the peripheral direction; joint-side terminals provided in a plurality of positions aligned in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member and protruding outward from an edge portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member to be connected to each of the wires; and a connection circuit provided in the flexible wiring member and electrically connects specific joint-side terminals of the joint-side terminals with one another, wherein the wire-side terminals are fixed to terminals of specified wires in the wires included in the wire harness and capable of being fitted with each joint-side terminal included in the joint member, and wherein each of the wire-side terminals is fitted with a joint-side terminal of the joint member to be electrically connected to each other.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a joint connector for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other, the joint connector including: a flexible wiring member, which extends in one direction and has flexibility allowing to be wound around the wire harness with the longitudinal direction thereof oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness; a plurality of wire-side insulation housings for holding wire-side terminals fixed to each of the wire terminals; joint-side insulation housings capable of being connected to each of the wire-side insulation housings; and joint-side terminals held by each of the joint-side insulation housings, and fitted with the wire-side terminals held by the wire-side insulation housing in a state where the joint-side insulation housings are connected with the wire-side insulation housings, the joint-side terminals having a wiring member connecting portion provided at an end portion opposite the end portion fitted therewith, and capable of being connected with the flexible wiring member, wherein the joint-side insulation housing holds the joint-side terminals in a state where wiring member connecting portions of each of the joint-side terminals are provided so as to allow the electrical connection of the flexible wiring member to the wiring member connecting portion, the flexible wiring member including a connection circuit for electrically connecting to specified wiring member connecting portions in the wiring member connecting portions to be connected to the flexible wiring member.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wire harness including a joint connector to electrically connect specified wires to each other, the joint connector including: a joint member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other; and a plurality of wire-side terminals, wherein the joint member includes: a flexible wiring member extending in one direction and having a flexibility so as to allow winding around the wire harness with a longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness or in a direction inclined with respect to the peripheral direction; joint-side terminals provided in a plurality of positions aligned in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member and protruding outward from an edge portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member to be connected to each of the wires; and a connection circuit provided in the flexible wiring member and electrically connects specific joint-side terminals of the joint-side terminals with one another, wherein the wire-side terminals are fixed to terminals of specified wires in the wires included in the wire harness and capable of being fitted with each joint-side terminal included in the joint member, wherein each of the wire-side terminals is fitted with a joint-side terminal of the joint member to be electrically connected to each other, and wherein the flexible wiring member of the joint member is wound around a main body portion of the wire harness and fixed thereto in a state where each of the wire-side terminals are fixed to the terminals of specified wires and the wire-side terminal, each of the joint-side terminals of the joint member being fitted with other.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wire harness including a joint connector to electrically connect specified wires to each other, the joint connector including: a flexible wiring member, which extends in one direction and has flexibility allowing to be wound around the wire harness with the longitudinal direction thereof oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness; a plurality of wire-side insulation housings for holding wire-side terminals fixed to each of the wire terminals; joint-side insulation housings capable of being connected to each of the wire-side insulation housings; and joint-side terminals held by each of the joint-side insulation housings, and fitted with the wire-side terminals held by the wire-side insulation housing in a state where the joint-side insulation housings are connected with the wire-side insulation housings, the joint-side terminals having a wiring member connecting portion provided at an end portion opposite the end portion fitted therewith, and capable of being connected with the flexible wiring member, wherein the joint-side insulation housing holds the joint-side terminals in a state where wiring member connecting portions of each of the joint-side terminals are provided so as to allow the electrical connection of the flexible wiring member to the wiring member connecting portion, the flexible wiring member including a connection circuit for electrically connecting to specified wiring member connecting portions in the wiring member connecting portions to be connected to the flexible wiring member, wherein the wiring member-connecting portion of the joint-side terminal held by each of the joint-side insulation housing, is connected to a common flexible wiring member, wherein specified wiring member connecting portions in the wiring member connecting portions are electrically connected to each other via the flexible wiring member, wherein each of the wire-side terminals is fitted with a joint-side terminal of the joint member to be electrically connected to each other, and wherein the flexible wiring member of the joint member is wound around a main body portion of the wire harness and fixed thereto in a state where each of the wire-side terminals are fixed to the terminals of specified wires and the wire-side terminal, each of the joint-side terminals of the joint member being fitted with other.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wire harness including a joint connector to electrically connect specified wires to each other, the joint connector including: a joint member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other; a plurality of wire-side terminals; and a plurality of wire-side insulation housings for holding the wire-side terminals, wherein the joint member includes: a flexible wiring member extending in one direction and having a flexibility so as to allow winding around the wire harness with a longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness or in a direction inclined with respect to the peripheral direction; joint-side terminals provided in a plurality of positions aligned in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member and protruding outward from an edge portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member to be connected to each of the wires; and a connection circuit provided in the flexible wiring member and electrically connects specific joint-side terminals of the joint-side terminals with one another, wherein the wire-side terminals are fixed to terminals of specified wires in the wires included in the wire harness and capable of being fitted with each joint-side terminal included in the joint member, wherein each of the wire-side terminals is fitted with a joint-side terminal of the joint member to be electrically connected to each other, wherein, in a state where the wire-side terminals held by the wire-side insulation housings and the joint-side terminals are fitted with each other, the flexible wiring member is provided to be flexible within the positions between the wire-side insulation housings, wherein the flexible wiring members are formed in a stair-like shape so that a position of each of the wire-side insulation housings shifts in a stair-like shape in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member, wherein each of the wire-side terminals is fixed to the terminals of the specified wires, wherein the joint member to be connected to the wire-side terminals is held by the wire-side insulation housing, and wherein the flexible wiring member of the joint member is wound around a main body portion of the wire harness in a spiral configuration and fixed thereto.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a wire harness including a joint connector to electrically connect specified wires to each other, the joint connector including: a flexible wiring member, which extends in one direction and has flexibility allowing to be wound around the wire harness with the longitudinal direction thereof oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness; a plurality of wire-side insulation housings for holding wire-side terminals fixed to each of the wire terminals; joint-side insulation housings capable of being connected to each of the wire-side insulation housings; and joint-side terminals held by each of the joint-side insulation housings, and fitted with the wire-side terminals held by the wire-side insulation housing in a state where the joint-side insulation housings are connected with the wire-side insulation housings, the joint-side terminals having a wiring member connecting portion provided at an end portion opposite the end portion fitted therewith, and capable of being connected with the flexible wiring member, wherein the joint-side insulation housing holds the joint-side terminals in a state where wiring member connecting portions of each of the joint-side terminals are provided so as to allow the electrical connection of the flexible wiring member to the wiring member connecting portion, the flexible wiring member including a connection circuit for electrically connecting to specified wiring member connecting portions in the wiring member connecting portions to be connected to the flexible wiring member, wherein the flexible wiring member is formed in a stair-like shape so that the position of the each joint-side insulation housing shifts in a stair-like shape in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible wiring member, wherein each of the wire-side terminal is fixed to terminals of the specified wires, wherein the wire-side terminals are held by the wire-side insulation housing, and wherein the flexible wiring member of the joint member is wound around a main body portion of the wire harness in a spiral configuration and fixed thereto in a state where the wire-side insulation housing and each of the joint-side insulation housing are fitted with each other.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a joint connector for electrically connecting a plurality of electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other, the joint connector including: wire-side terminals fixed to ends of specified electric wires among the electric wires contained in the wire harness, the wire-side terminals including on their tip end side female contacts in which male terminals are to be inserted in axial direction of the wire-side terminals; an insulation housing that holds the wire-side terminals such that the wire-side terminals adjacent to each other approximately on the same plane, the insulation housing including terminal release portions in which the female contacts of the wire-side terminals are released to the tip end side; and a short-circuit member that short-circuits specified wire-side terminals among the wire-side terminals with each other, wherein the short-circuit member includes: a plurality of male terminal sections that are to be inserted respectively in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals through the terminal release portions of the insulation housing; and a terminal linking section that links the male terminal sections to each other and electrically connects specified male terminal sections with each other.

According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a wire harness in which specified electric wires are electrically connected with each other by a joint connector including: wire-side terminals fixed to ends of specified electric wires among the electric wires contained in the wire harness, the wire-side terminals including on their tip end side female contacts in which male terminals are to be inserted in axial direction of the wire-side terminals; an insulation housing that holds the wire-side terminals such that the wire-side terminals adjacent to each other approximately on the same plane, the insulation housing including terminal release portions in which the female contacts of the wire-side terminals are released to the tip end side; and a short-circuit member that short-circuits specified wire-side terminals among the wire-side terminals with each other, wherein the short-circuit member includes: a plurality of male terminal sections that are to be inserted respectively in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals through the terminal release portions of the insulation housing; and a terminal linking section that links the male terminal sections to each other and electrically connects specified male terminal sections with each other, and wherein the joint connector is wound around and fixed to a main portion of the wire harness.

According to a tenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of electrically connecting a plurality of electric wires contained in a wire harness with each other using the joint connector according to the ninth aspect of the invention, the method including: fixing the wire-side terminals to the ends of specified electric wires among the electric wires contained in the wire harness; holding the wire-side terminals within the insulation housing; fitting the male terminal sections of the short-circuit members in the female contacts of the specified wire-side terminals held within the insulation housing and electrically connecting the wire-side terminals with each other; and fixing the insulation housing to a main portion of the wire harness after the electric connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a joint member according to a first embodiment formed of a flexible printed circuit substrate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a reinforcement plate provided to the joint member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wire-side insulation housing for holding joint members and wire-side terminals;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main body portion of the housing for holding joint members and wire-side terminals;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a process to connect the wire-side insulation housing and the joint member;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state where the wire-side insulation housing is connected with the joint member;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the joint connector in which the position of the wire disposing member holding pins in the used wire-side insulation housing is different from each other;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where the joint connector shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is wound and fixed to a main body portion of the wire harness;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the joint member formed of a flexible flat wiring member;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of modification in configuration of the flexible flat wiring member;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of the flexible flat wiring member in which a pin front ends are protruded at both sides thereof in a width direction;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example in which projections and recesses are formed on the end portions in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat wiring member;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a process in which the insulation coating layer of the flexible flat wiring member is subjected to a laser beam to evaporate the same and expose the conductor;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a process in which the insulation coating layer of the flexible flat wiring member is cut with a laser beam and then a specific portion is peeled off with an adhesive roller;

FIG. 15 is sectional view showing an example in which a die having blades is used to form the cut;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a process in which the respective terminal component pins of the joint member are pressed into predetermined pin press-in holes on a joint-side insulation housing;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a process in which a joint-side insulation housing is fitted with the wire-side insulation housing;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a section taken along an XVIII-XVIII line shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a process in which terminal component pins previously held by the joint-side insulation housing are connected to a common flexible wiring member;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a state where the terminal component pins shown in FIG. 19 has been connected to a common flexible wiring member;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing an example in which a cover, of the joint-side insulation housing which previously holds the joint-side terminals, is arranged to a double-open structure;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a section taken along a XXII-XXII line shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a sectional perspective view corresponding to the FIG. 22 showing a state where the both covers are closed;

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view showing the joint connector of which the main body of the joint-side insulation housing is attached with a cap for covering the flexible wiring member;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a process to mount the cap;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a section taken along a XXVI-XXVI line shown in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a joint connector in which through-holes for welding are formed in the wire disposing member supporting plate in the joint-side insulation housing;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing a state where, in the joint connector shown in FIG. 27, each of the terminal component pins are connected to the common flexible flat wiring member;

FIG. 29A is a sectional view taken along a XXIXa-XXIXa line shown in FIG. 27, and FIG. 29B is a bottom view of the joint-side insulation housing shown in FIG. 29A;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing a process in which, in the joint connector equipped with terminal component pins having a spring contact piece, the terminal component pins are pressed into the pin press-in holes on the joint-side insulation housing;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing a process in which, in the joint connectors shown in FIG. 30, the flexible flat wiring member is inserted between each of the spring contact pieces and the wire disposing member supporting plate;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a state in which, in the joint connectors shown in FIG. 30, the flexible flat wiring member has been inserted between each of the spring contact pieces and the wire disposing member supporting plate;

FIG. 33 is a perspective view showing a section taken along a XXXIII-XXXIII line shown in FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view showing a state, in the joint connector equipped with terminal component pins having a press-connection blade, before insulated wires constituting flexible wiring members are pressed to connect to the press-connection blades;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing a state where, in the joint connector shown in FIG. 34, the insulated wires are connected to each of the press-connection blades;

FIG. 36A is a plane view showing the joint connectors in which the neighboring joint-side insulation housings are connected via a flexible contact section, and FIG. 36B is a front view thereof;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view showing an example in which the edge of the joint-side insulation housing is rounded;

FIG. 38 is a plane view showing an example of the joint connectors in which flexible-wiring members are formed into a stair-like shape;

FIG. 39 is a perspective view showing a state where the joint connectors shown in FIG. 38 are wound into a spiral configuration on the external peripheral surface of the main body portion of the wire harness;

FIG. 40 is a perspective view showing a state where the joint connectors shown in FIG. 39 are fixed by a tape;

FIG. 41 is an exploded perspective view which shows a joint connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 42 is a perspective view which shows a main portion of a insulation housing of the joint connector;

FIG. 43 is a cross sectional view which shows the state where a wire-side terminals held in the insulation housing and a short-circuit members are joined to each other;

FIG. 44 is a perspective view which shows the state where the joint connector is wound around and fixed to a main portion of the wire harness;

FIG. 45 is a perspective view which shows the state where the joint connector is wound around and fixed to the main portion of the wire harness;

FIG. 46 is an exploded perspective view which shows the main housing and the short-circuit members of the joint connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 47 is an exploded perspective view which shows the step of mounting the cover to the main housing of the joint connector which is shown in FIG. 46;

FIG. 48A is a perspective view of the state as viewed above that the cover has been mounted to the main housing which is shown in FIG. 47, and FIG. 48B is a perspective view of the state as viewed from below;

FIG. 49A is a cross sectional view of FIG. 48A taken along a XLIVa-XLIVa line, and FIG. 49B is a cross sectional view of FIG. 49A taken along a XLIVb-XLIVb line; and

FIG. 50 is a perspective view which shows the state where the joint connector which is shown in FIGS. 48A, 48B, 49A and 49B has been wound around the main portion of the wire harness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a description will be given in detail of preferred embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a joint member 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the joint member 10 having a flexible printed circuit substrate. The joint member 10 shown in the figure is a base material 12 made of a thin insulating material extending in one direction, on which a conductor pattern 14 is printed. The conductor pattern 14 includes protruding portions 14a, which protrude outward from the edge portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the joint member 10 and constitutes joint-side terminals, and a connection circuit for electrically connecting between specified protruding portions 14a.

In the example shown in the figure, protruding portions 14a for 3 groups (total 18), in which one group includes 6 portions, are formed. Also, in each group, formed in the edge portion of the base material 12 opposite the protruding portions 14a are notches 12b. And formed in two positions sandwiching the notch 12b are through-holes 12a.

Further, in the joint member 10, each of the groups is allotted with a comb-like reinforcement plate 16, which has protruding portions 16a substantially corresponding to the protruding portions 14a, and each of them is overlapped with the protruding portion 14a and fixed with a bonding or the like, thereby a satisfactory rigidity of the joint-side terminals having the protruding portions 14a is ensured.

On the other hand, fixed on the terminal of each wire 18 constituting a wire harness is a female terminal 20 as the wire-side terminal. The female terminal 20 shown in the figure has a box-like electrical contact portion 22 for storing a spring contact piece 21 at the front-end side thereof; and in the rear portion thereof, a conductor barrel 24, which is pressed to the conductor portion of the wire 18, and insulation barrel 26, which is pressed to the insulation coating of the wire 18 are provided. By inserting an appropriate protruding portion 14a (and protruding portion 16a of the reinforcement plate 16 overlapped with the protruding portion 14a) on the joint member 10 into the electrical contact portion 22 of the female terminal 20 on a specified wire 18 to make contact with the spring contact piece 21, it is provided so that specified female terminals 20 are connected to each other via the connection circuit formed by the conductor pattern 14 on the joint member 10.

The above-mentioned reinforcement plate 16 is not always needed, and may be appropriately omitted depending on the specifications therefor. Also, the configuration of the reinforcement plate 16 is not limited to the comb-like configuration shown in the figure, but a simple plate-like reinforcement plate 16', for example, shown in FIG. 2 may be used. In such a case, it may be arranged so that, as the wire-side terminal, a wire-side terminal 20' having a pair of spring nip-pieces 28 as shown in FIG. 2 is used, and between the spring nip-pieces 28, the protruding portion 14 and reinforcement plate 16' are inserted.

It may be arranged so that, for example, the wire-side terminals are fitted one by one with the joint member 10. However, it may be arranged so that, a plurality of wire-side terminals are integrally joined in a dedicated wire-side insulation housing in each group beforehand and are assembled as a job lot in the housing in the final process of the wire harness. Thereby, the assembly efficiency of the wire harness is largely increased, and the insulation conditions between the wire-side terminals outside the joint member 10 are further reliably maintained. Accordingly, such a problem that wire-side terminals, which should not be short-circuited, are circuited is prevented further reliably.

An example of the wire-side insulation housing is shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6. The housing 30 shown in the figures is integrally constituted of a flat housing main body 32 formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, a thin plate cover 34, which is attached thereon and a thin hinge section 36, which connects the one ends of the housing main body 32 and the cover 34, which is capable of deforming flexibly so as to allow relative rotation movement therebetween.

The housing main body 32 has a plurality of (in the figures, 6) terminal receiving chambers 38, which are lined on the same plane, and formed at the front end of each terminal receiving chamber 38 is a terminal insertion hole 39 capable of being inserted by protruding portions 14a and 16a of the joint member 10 shown in FIG. 1. Formed on the top wall of each terminal-receiving chamber 38 is a lance 40 for primary hooking a catch to be hooked 23 in the electrical contact portion 22 of the inserted female terminal 20, and formed behind the lance 40 is a window 42 for exposing the intermediate portion of the terminal upward.

Further, from the end portion of the housing main body 32 at the front-end side (the side where the terminal insertion hole 39 is formed), wiring member supporting section 44 for holding the flexible wiring member of the joint member 10 is extended. The wiring member supporting section 44 is connected with the housing main body 32 at the position immediately below each of the terminal insertion holes 39, and has substantially the same dimension as the width dimension of the joint member 10.

Formed in an end portion of the wiring member supporting section 44 is a locking projection 44b. Formed in two positions sandwiching the locking projection 44b are through-holes 44a, which go through the wiring member supporting section 44 in the thickness direction. The locking projection 44b is formed at a position where, in the state fitted with the terminals that the protruding portions 14a and 16a of the joint member 10 are plugged in each of the female terminals 20 in the terminal receiving chamber 38, the locking projection 44b is engaged with the notch 12b in the joint member 10. The through-holes 44a are formed at the position where, in the state fitted with terminals, the through-holes 44a coincide with the through-holes 12a in the joint member 10.

On the other hand, the cover 34 is integrally constituted of a main body cover section 46, which is, in the closed state thereof, attached on the housing main body 32 and a wiring member cover section 48, which, in the closed state, sandwiches the flexible wiring member of the joint member 10 with the wiring member supporting section 44 therebetween.

Formed on the rear face of the main body cover section 46 are projections 47, which are, in the closed state, inserted into the windows 42. When the projections 47 are inserted into the windows 42, the projections 47 turn into a contact possible state with electrical contact portion 22 of the respective female terminals 20 from the backside thereof, thus a secondary hooking with the female terminals 20 is achieved.

Formed on the rear face of the wiring member cover section 48 being protruding therefrom are a pair of wire disposing member holding pins (wiring member holding projections) 48a, which are capable of inserting into through-holes 44a in the through-hole 12a and wiring member supporting section 44 of the joint members 10. And formed in the end portion of the wiring member cover section 48 is a locking frame 48b, which is capable of engaging with the locking projection 44b. When the locking projection 44b and the locking frame 48b are engaged with each other, the cover 34 is locked in the closed position, and in the closed position, the wire disposing member holding pins 48a are plugged in the through-holes 12a in the joint member 10. Thus, it is provided so that the joint member 10 is held in the terminal fitted position (position where the protruding portions 14a and 16a are fitted with the female terminal 20).

Accordingly, according to this connector, by carrying out the following steps, the short-circuiting process between the specified wires 18 in the wire harness is readily made.

1) In the pre-assembly of the wire harness, each of the female terminals 20 is held by the wire-side insulation housing 30 (FIG. 3).

2) In the final process, in a state where the cover 34 of the wire-side insulation housings 30 is opened, the female terminals 20 are fitted with the joint-side terminals of the joint member 10, i.e, protruding portions 14a and 16a.

3) The cover 34 is closed; thereby the joint member 10 is sandwiched by the wiring member cover section 38 on the cover 34 and the wiring member supporting section 44, and the wire disposing member holding pins 48a are fitted with the through-holes 12a. Thereby, joint member 10 is fixed to the wire-side insulation housing 30 and the state fitted with terminals is maintained (FIG. 5 and FIG. 6).

Further, in place of using the same wire-side insulation housings 30 as shown in FIG. 5, the relative positions between the wire disposing member holding pins 48a in each of the wire-side insulation housings 30A, 30B and 30C to be used and the wire-side terminals to be held by the wire-side insulation housing are made different from each other for each housing as shown in FIG. 7. Thereby, incorrect connection of the joint-side terminal and the wire-side terminal (a joint-side terminal is erroneously connected to a wire-side terminal, which should not be connected therewith) can be reliably prevented.

In the embodiment, the number of wire-side insulation housings 30 to be used is not particularly limited. Also, the wire-side insulation housing 30 may hold a single wire-side terminal. Further, a specified structure for holding the flexible wiring member may be appropriately arranged. For example, in place of the wire disposing member holding pins 48a, by increasing the holding force of the wiring member by the wiring member supporting section 44 and the wiring member cover section 48, the holding function is ensured.

4) Since the joint member 10 is flexibly deformed in the position between the wire-side insulation housings 30, using the flexibility, the entire connector is wound around the main body portion of the wire harness W as shown in FIG. 8. In particular, the entire connector is wound around the main body portion of the wire harness with the longitudinal direction of the joint member 10 oriented in the peripheral direction of the wire harness W, and then fixed by an adhesive tape 50.

Here, the joint member 10 is formed of an extremely thin flexible wiring member; and each of the wire-side insulation housings 30, in which female terminals 20 are held on the same plane, is flat. Accordingly, even when the above are wound around the main body portion of the wire harness W, the protrusion amount thereof is extremely smallowingly, even in a narrow space, the wire harness W can be disposed without problem.

In FIG. 1, an example, in which a flexible printed circuit substrate is used as the flexible wiring member, is shown. However, in the embodiment, other than the above, a thin type wiring member, for example, a combination of a plurality of insulated wires, or the following flexible flat wiring member, may be used.

FIG. 9 shows a joint member 60 formed by using a flexible flat wiring member 61. In the flexible flat wiring member 61, a plurality of flat conductors 64 are arranged on the same plane parallel to each other, and are integrated as a unit by coating with an insulation coating layer 62. In appropriate portions on the insulation coating layer 62, through-holes 62a, with which the wire disposing member holding pins 48a on the wire-side insulation housing 30 shown in FIG. 3 etc., can be fitted, are formed.

On the flexible flat wiring member 61, a plurality of terminal component pins 66 equivalent to the joint-side terminal are arranged in the longitudinal direction thereof in a posture substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiring member, and are connected to appropriate flat conductors 64. In particular, in appropriate portions, both of the front and rear faces of the insulation coating layer 62 are locally removed to form windows (aperture) 62b, and through the windows 62b, the flat conductor 64 is exposed. In a state where the terminal component pins 66 come in contact with the exposed portions, the both are joined by a welding or the like through the windows 62b. The pin front ends 66a of the terminal component pins 66 constituting the terminal fitting portions protrude outward from one edge portion in the width direction of the flexible flat wiring member 61.

When the joint member 60 as described above is used, by appropriately fitting wire-side terminals (female terminals) with pin front ends 66a of the respective terminal component pins 66, the wire-side terminals can be electrically connected via the flat conductor 64. Also, by combining the flat conductor 64 and the terminal component pins 66 to be connected thereto, the connection circuit can be designed freely.

In the manufacturing of the joint member 60, for example, first of all, as shown in FIG. 10, the insulation coating layer 62 of the flexible flat wiring member 61 is formed in a wider configuration including the pin front ends 66a of the respective terminal component pins 66. Immediately before using, for example, the insulation-coating layer 62 is cut off along the broken line L in the figure to remove portion 67 outside than the broken line L, thus the protrusions of the pin front ends 66a are formed. While handling the joint member 60, it is possible to prevent the pin front ends 66a from coming into contact with fingers or the like further increasing the safety thereof.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11, by arranging so that both ends 66a of the terminal component pins 66 protrude as the terminal fitting portions from both edge portions in the width direction of the flexible flat wiring member 61, a substantial number of terminals can be largely increased without increasing the number of the terminal component pins 66.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, on the end portions in the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat wiring member 61, by forming recessed portions 62c (or projections) between the flat conductors 64 to obtain a longer surface between the flat conductors 64, it is possible to prevent a short-circuit between the flat conductors due to moisture condensation or the like further reliably.

As for the means for forming windows 62b for connecting the terminal component pins in the insulation-coating layer 62, various means are available.

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the insulation coating layer 62 may be irradiated with a laser beam LB locally to evaporate the insulation coating material in the areas equivalent to windows 62b. Or, as shown in FIG. 14, after forming a pair of cuts 63 in the insulation-coating layer 62 using the laser beam LB, the insulation-coating portion between the cuts 63 may be removed to form the windows 62b. To remove the insulation coating portion, for example, an adhesive roller 80 shown may be rolled on the insulation-coating layer 62; an adhesive tape may be applied to peel off the portion; or a high-pressure air may be used to blow the same.

Here, the type of laser is not particularly limited. CO2 laser, YAG laser or excimer laser may be employed. The advantage in using a laser is that any pattern can be peeled off by controlling the irradiation point, and since it is a non-contact method, intervals of maintenance are long resulting in an easy control.

Further, as for forming the cut, for example, as show in FIG. 15, the blades 84 of a die 82 is pressed against the insulation coating layer 62 at the position corresponding to the cutting position, thus, the insulation coating layer 62 only may be half-cut.

The above-described cut forming method is capable of removing as a job lot from the portions corresponding to the windows 62b by using the above-mentioned adhesive roller or the like after forming the cuts. Accordingly, the above is superior in productivity. However, if the adhesive agent interposes between the insulation-coating layer 62 and the conductor, it is extremely difficult to remove the insulation coating layer 62. Accordingly, it is preferred to use a non-adhesive method.

Next, a second embodiment of the joint connector having the joint-side insulation housing will be described.

In FIG. 5, an example, in which the joint-side terminals are directly fitted with the wire-side terminals 20 held by the wire-side insulation housing 30, is shown. Joint connectors shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 are arranged so that a plurality of joint-side insulation housing 70 for holding a plurality of joint-side terminals, which are evenly aligned (in the figures, the terminal component pins 66 of the joint member 60 shown in FIG. 9) are provided, and with these joint-side insulation housings 70, the wire-side insulation housings 30 corresponding to the housings 70 are fitted.

As shown in FIG. 18, each of the joint-side insulation housings 70 is provided so that, in the mid-portion in the axial direction thereof (in the figure, right-left direction), a pin press-in hole 71, which is capable of being pressed-in by the respective terminal component pins 66, is formed, and by pressing-in the pins, the mid-portion in the axial direction of each terminal component pin 66 is held by the joint-side insulation housing 70.

Formed on one end portion of the joint-side insulation housing 70 is a hood 72, which covers the pin front ends 66a protruding from the pin press-in hole 71. And it is provided so that, when the wire-side insulation housing 30 is inserted into the hood 72, the respective wire-side terminals held by the wire-side insulation housing 30 (terminals fixed by the terminals of the wires 18) are fitted with the pin front ends 66a. Also, in an appropriate portion of the hood 72, a housing fitting lock section 74 is formed; and it is provided so that, in a stat that the insulation housings 30 and 70 are fitted with each other, the housing fitting lock section 74 is engaged with the wire-side insulation housing 30; thereby the locked state between the housings is locked.

On the other end portion of the joint-side insulation housing 70, the wiring member holding section for holding the flexible flat wiring member 61 connected to the terminal component pins 66 is formed (another flexible wiring member may be employed). In particular, a wire disposing member supporting plate 75 for supporting the flexible flat wiring member 61 is formed, and above the wire disposing member supporting plate 75, a cover 76 is formed so as to open/close.

The cover 76 is integrally connected with the housing main body portion via the thin hinge section 76h, and is arranged so as to rotate between the open position (indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 18), where the upper face of the wire disposing member supporting plate 75 is opened and the close position (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 18), where the upper face is covered, with a flexible deformation of the hinge section 76h. Also, on the right and left sides of the rotation end portion of the cover 76, a hook section 76a is formed. On the other hand, on the wire disposing member supporting plate 75, a hooking section 75a, which is capable of engaging with the hook section 76a, is formed, and it is provided so that, in a state where the cover 76 is closed, when the hook section 76a and the hooking section 75a are engaged with each other, the closed state is locked.

Further, on the rotation end portion (rear end portion) of the cover 76, a wiring member restricting wall 76b, which is protruded downward, is formed; and it is provided so that, when the cover 76 is closed, the wiring member restricting wall 76b restricts the flexible flat wiring member 61 from the backside thereof.

According to the joint connector as described above, by carrying out the following steps, the predetermined wires 18 can be electrically connected to each other.

1) In a state where the cover 76 on the joint-side insulation housing 70 is opened, the terminal component pins 66 are pressed into the pin press-in holes 71 from the cover 76 side to protrude the pin front ends 66a within the hood 72. Here, the flexible flat wiring member 61 connected to the respective terminal component pins 66 is placed on the wire disposing member supporting plate 75 on the respective joint-side insulation housing 70.

2) The cover 76 is closed. According to this, the flexible flat wiring member 61 is sandwiched by the cover 76 and the wire disposing member supporting plate 75 from the top and bottom, and is restricted by the wiring member restricting wall 76b from the backside thereof. That is, a state where the flexible flat wiring member 61 is held by the joint-side insulation housing 70 is obtained.

3) The respective joint-side insulation housings 70 are fitted with the corresponding wire-side insulation housings 30. According to this fi