| US 7,476,113 B2 | ||
| Joint member and joint connector for wire harness | ||
| Tatsuo Tamagawa, Mie (Japan); Hiroki Hirai, Mie (Japan); Yuuji Saka, Mie (Japan); Akinori Oishi, Mie (Japan); Mitsuhiro Hattori, Mie (Japan); and Eiji Kojima, Mie (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd., Mie (Japan); Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Osaka (Japan); and Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Mie (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 21, 2007, as Appl. No. 12/3,384. | ||
| Application 12/003384 is a continuation of application No. 10/892380, filed on Jul. 16, 2004, granted, now 7,351,085. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2003-198297 (JP), filed on Jul. 17, 2003; application No. 2003-198298 (JP), filed on Jul. 17, 2003; application No. 2004-186130 (JP), filed on Jun. 24, 2004; and application No. 2004-202052 (JP), filed on Jul. 08, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0119064 A1, May 22, 2008 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. H01R 29/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 439—189 [439/511] | 18 Claims |
| 1. A joint member for electrically connecting a plurality of wires included in a wire harness to each other, the joint member
comprising:
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 a 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 that electrically connects specific joint-side terminals of the
joint-side terminals with one another,
wherein the joint-side terminals are configured so that, when connected to one or more wire side terminals, a male end of
at least one of the joint-side terminals or at least one of the wire-side terminals is compatible with a female end of a respective
at least one of the wire-side terminals or at least one of the joint-side terminals,
the joint-side terminals are arranged in a single layer,
wire-side terminals that are connected to the joint-side terminals are connected in a single layer, and
respective joint-side terminals and wire-side terminals are aligned along a common longitudinal axis when connected.
|