Wire harness and connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9667045-B2
Application number	US-201414910444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible to prevent the erroneous fitting of a connector ( 40 ) and to smoothly perform a fitting operation. A plurality of connectors ( 40 ) are aligned in a direction intersecting a front-rear direction. The front face of a housing ( 41 ) is oriented in the direction facing a counterpart housing ( 71 ) at fitting each connector ( 40 ). The housing ( 41 ) is provided with a through portion ( 52 ) passing through the housing ( 41 ) in the direction intersecting the front-rear direction. A plurality of electrical wires ( 100 ) extended out from each connector ( 40 ) are densely arranged in the through portion ( 52 ) so that the free movement of the electrical wires is restricted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wire harness including a plurality of connectors aligned in a direction intersecting a front-rear direction, each connector being provided with a housing capable of being fitted into a counterpart housing, a front face of each of the housings being oriented in a direction facing the counterpart housing when fitting each of the housings together with the respective counterpart housing, wherein:
each of the housings has a housing body provided with a cavity capable of having a terminal metal fitting connected to an end of an electrical wire inserted into the respective cavity from a rear side,
each of the housings is provided with a through portion defined partly by a rear face of the respective housing body and passing through the housing in the direction intersecting the front-rear direction,
the electrical wires extended out from each of the connectors are arranged densely in a height direction in the respective through portion so as to abut the rear face of the respective housing body so that a free movement of the electrical wires is restricted, and
the electric wires in a main line that are drawn out of other of the connectors are passed through the through portion and are routed in two directions intersecting the front-rear direction, and the electric wire in a branching portion that is drawn out of the rear face of the respective housing body in the front-rear direction is bent at a position rearward of the rear face of the respective housing body and also is passed through the through portion of the respective housing.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical wires are arranged in the through portion in one direction in a plane along the direction intersecting the front-rear direction.

3. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one through portion comprises plural differently dimensioned through portions sectioned in a rear portion of the housing, each of the through portions extending in the direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and the electrical wires are arranged densely in the through portion having a smallest opening area so that the free movement of the electrical wires is restricted.

4. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical wires arranged in the through portion have rigidity that maintains straightness.

5. A connector that is aligned with other connectors in a direction intersecting a front-rear direction and is provided with a housing capable of being fitted into a counterpart housing, a front face of the housing being oriented in a direction facing the counterpart housing when fitting the housings to the counterpart housing, wherein:
the housing has a housing body provided with a cavity capable of having a terminal metal fitting connected to an end of an electrical wire inserted into the respective cavity from a rear side,
the housing is provided with a through portion defined partly by a rear face of the housing body and passing through the housing in the direction intersecting the front-rear direction,
the electrical wires extended out from each connector are arranged densely in a height direction in the through portion so as to abut on the rear face of the housing body so that a free movement of the electrical wires is restricted, and
the electric wires in a main line that are drawn out of the other connectors are passed through the through portion and are routed in two directions intersecting the front-rear direction, and the electric wire in a branching portion that is drawn out of the rear face of the housing body is bent at a position rearward of the rear face of the housing body and also is passed through the through portion of the respective housing.

6. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the electrical wires are arranged in the through portion in one direction in the same plane.

7. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one through portion comprises plural differently dimensioned through portions sectioned in a rear portion of the housing, each of the through portions extending in the direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and the electrical wires are arranged densely in the through portion having a smallest opening area so that the free movement of the electrical wires is restricted.

8. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the housing is provided with an operating opening for passing the electrical wire through the through portion, and after the electrical wire is passed through the through portion, the operating opening is closed by a cover.

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries
• Aisin Aw Co

Inventors

• Kitamura Keishi
• Mizutani Yoshihiro
• Takeda Yasuto
• Hirai Hiroki
• Tanaka Tetsuji
• Maesoba Hiroyoshi
• Sone Kosuke
• Kato Teruo
• Nimura Kazuhisa

Classifications

• H01R24/20

  Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable · CPC title

• H01R9/2416

  Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks · CPC title

• H02G3/0418 Primary

  Covers or lids; Their fastenings · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/64 Primary

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title