Connector and method for manufacturing connector

Abstract

The invention provides a connector with good waterproofness. The connector includes: a housing having an opening; the terminal is accommodated in the shell; the cover body is used for closing the opening part; and a covering member that covers the opening part closed by the cover body from the outer side of the housing. The terminal passes through the cover body and the covering member and extends to the outer side of the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below relates to a connector and discloses a structure in which a terminal is inserted and held in a housing without using insert molding.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-305659 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In a structure in which the terminal is inserted and retained in the shell without using insert molding, it is necessary to insert the terminal into the opening of the shell and to make the terminal face the outside of the shell to connect with the other terminal. In addition, since space is required for the terminal to move when connecting with the other terminal, there is a lot of space around the terminal, making it difficult to ensure waterproofness.

[0008] One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a connector with good waterproof performance. Other objects of the present invention can be understood from the description of this specification.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a connector, comprising:

[0011] a housing having an opening;

[0012] A terminal housed in the housing;

[0013] a cover body that closes the opening; and

[0014] a covering member that covers the opening portion blocked by the cover from the outside of the housing,

[0015] The terminal passes through the cover and the covering member and extends outward from the housing.

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a connector.

[0017] The terminal is inserted into the housing from the first opening of the housing having the first opening and the second opening, and the terminal is set to face the outside of the housing from the second opening and protrude from the first opening.

[0018] Assembling an elastic body having a pocket hole to close the first opening, and allowing the terminal to pierce the pocket hole,

[0019] The covering material is filled from the outside of the housing so as to cover the first opening blocked by the elastic body.

[0020] According to the above aspect of the present invention, a connector having excellent waterproof properties can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the upper right front.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the connector 1 as viewed from the lower right rear.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the connector 1 as viewed from the lower right front, in which the seal 70 is omitted.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a front view of connector 1.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a right side view of connector 1.

[0026] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 The VI-VI cross-sectional view is a cross-sectional view showing the substrate 90 to which the connector 1 is to be mounted using imaginary lines.

[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 The VII-VII cross-sectional view is a cross-sectional view in which the cover body 50 and the sealing member 70 are omitted.

[0028] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 The VIII-VIII cross-sectional view is a cross-sectional view in which the cover body 50 and the sealing member 70 are omitted.

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a partially exploded perspective view of the connector 1 with the seal 70 omitted, and is a partially exploded perspective view viewed from the lower left rear side.

[0030] Fig.10 It is a partial exploded perspective view of the connector 1 with the seal 70 omitted, and is a partial exploded perspective view viewed from the upper right rear side.

[0031] Fig.11 This is a cross-sectional view showing the terminal 30 immediately before it passes through the bottom 62 of the pocket hole 61 of the cover 50 during the assembly process of the connector 1 .

[0032] Fig.12 It shows that terminal 30 is Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of the state in which the bottom 62 of the pocket hole 61 of the cover body 50 is penetrated.

[0033] Fig.13 It shows that Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of an example in which the pocket hole 61 is replaced with the pocket hole 161 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] This embodiment relates to a connector 1 used for electrical connection. Figure 1 , define mutually orthogonal front-back, top-bottom, left-right directions in the connector 1. The front-back and left-right directions are the substrate 90 ( Figure 6 ) is parallel to the substrate 90. The up-down direction is a direction perpendicular to the substrate 90. The left-right direction is an arrangement direction of the terminals 30 when there are a plurality of terminals 30.

[0035] First, use Figure 1 to Figure 6 The overall structure of the connector 1 is described. The connector 1 includes an insulating housing 10, conductive terminals 30, a cover 50, and a sealing member 70 as a covering member. In this embodiment, five terminals 30 and five covers 50 are included, but the number of each is not limited to five.

[0036] The housing 10 is, for example, a resin molded body, and accommodates and holds five terminals 30. The housing 10 has five first openings 11 opened for inserting the terminals 30 into the housing 10 and five second openings 12 opened for facing the terminals 30 to the outside of the housing 10. The number of the first openings 11 and the second openings 12 is not limited to five.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , five first openings 11 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the housing 10. Figure 1 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1B , five second openings 12 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction across the front surface and the upper surface of the housing 10 .

[0038] like Figure 6 to Figure 8 As shown, the housing 10 has a holding hole 13 for holding the held portion 32 of each terminal 30. The holding hole 13 is provided above the rear portion of each first opening 11 and is open below. In addition, in this embodiment, left and right grooves 13a are provided above the holding hole 13.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the housing 10 includes a surrounding portion 14 . The surrounding portion 14 is a convex portion located at the outer peripheral portion of the lower end of the housing 10 and extending in a substantially rectangular shape, and projects downward to surround the front, back, left, and right sides of the lower ends of the five first openings 11 .

[0040] like Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the housing 10 has retaining portions 15 and 16 on the left and right sides for retaining mounting portions 81 and 82. The mounting portions 81 and 82 are metal plate components formed by, for example, stamping of a sheet metal. The mounting portions 81 and 82 are connected to a substrate 90 ( 100 ) to which the connector 1 is to be mounted by soldering or the like. Figure 6 ) to fix the shell 10 to the substrate 90.

[0041] The terminal 30 is, for example, a metal plate component formed by stamping a plate-shaped metal. The terminal 30 may also be formed by molding or cutting. Figure 7 to Figure 10 As shown, the terminal 30 includes a leg portion 31 , a held portion 32 , a leaf spring portion 37 , and a contact portion 38 .

[0042] The leg portion 31 is connected to the substrate 90 ( Figure 6 ) is electrically connected to a conductive pattern (not shown) on the housing 10. The leg portion 31 extends parallel to the up-down direction. The leg portion 31 passes through the cover 50 and the seal 70 and extends downward from the first opening 11 to the outside of the housing 10.

[0043] The held portion 32 is connected to the upper portion of the leg portion 31. The held portion 32 is embedded in and held in the holding hole 13 of the housing 10. Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown in the figures, the left and right ends of the held portion 32 are provided with protrusions 33, respectively, and the upper part of the held portion 32 is provided with two angular portions 39. The protrusions 33 bite into the left and right inner surfaces of the holding hole 13 to generate a holding force for the holding hole 13. The angular portions 39 are embedded in the left and right grooves 13a of the holding hole 13 to increase the holding force. However, the holding structure is not limited to this method. Regarding the holding of the terminal 30 relative to the housing 10, the holding force based on the protrusions 33 and the angular portions 39 may be replaced or bonding may be further used.

[0044] The leaf spring portion 37 is substantially inverted U-shaped when viewed from the side, and is connected to the upper portion of the held portion 32. The leaf spring portion 37 functions to give the contact portion 38 appropriate flexibility. The contact portion 38 is supported by the leaf spring portion 37 and faces the outside of the housing 10 from the second opening 12. The contact portion 38 is divided into two left and right portions, and electrically connects the terminals (plugs) of the other connector (not shown) between the two.

[0045] like Figure 6 and Fig. 9 As shown, the cover 50 closes the first opening 11. The cover 50 is an elastic body such as silicone rubber, and presses the side circumference (side circumference) against the inner circumference (inner circumference) of the first opening 11 by its own elastic force to keep the first opening 11 closed.

[0046] like Figure 6 , Figures 9 to 12 As shown, the cover body 50 has a first portion 51 and a second portion 52. The first portion 51 is the lower portion of the cover body 50 and is embedded in the first opening 11. The second portion 52 is the upper portion of the cover body 50 and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the first portion 51. The dimension of the second portion 52 in the front-to-back direction is smaller than that of the first portion 51. The second portion 52 protrudes from the first opening 11 into the space inside the housing 10.

[0047] The cover body 50 has an inclined portion 63 on the side periphery of the first portion 51. The inclined portion 63 is an inclined surface that widens from top to bottom and is provided around the side periphery.

[0048] The cover body 50 has a surrounding portion 64 connected to the lower portion of the inclined portion 63. The surrounding portion 64 is a convex portion located at the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the cover body 50 and extending in a substantially rectangular shape.

[0049] The cover body 50 has a recessed portion 53 (lightening portion) on the lower surface, that is, the surface facing the outside of the housing 10. The recessed portion 53 is surrounded by a surrounding portion 64 in the front, back, left, and right directions.

[0050] The outer dimension of the surrounding portion 64 before being inserted into the first opening 11 is slightly larger than the inner dimension of the first opening 11. As a result, the side periphery of the surrounding portion 64 is pressed by the inner periphery of the first opening 11 and elastically deformed when inserted into the first opening 11, thereby generating a holding force for the first opening 11. At this time, due to the presence of the recess 53, the surrounding portion 64 can be elastically deformed and retreat into the recess 53, and the cover body 50 can be suppressed from bending in the up-down direction.

[0051] The cover 50 has a recess 54 on the upper surface, that is, the surface facing the inside of the housing 10. The cover 50 has protrusions 55 and 56 respectively before and after the recess 54. The recess 54 prevents interference with the terminal 30 or hinders the elastic deformation of the terminal 30 when the cover 50 is bent upward. The protrusions 55 and 56 prevent excessive deformation of the terminal 30.

[0052] like Figure 6 and Fig.12 As shown, the cover 50 has a through portion 57 in the first portion 51 for the leg portion 31 of the terminal 30 to pass through. The inner surface of the through portion 57 at the lower end portion as a part of the vertical length direction is in elastic contact with the outer surface of the leg portion 31, and the inner surface of the other part in the vertical length direction is not in contact with the outer surface of the leg portion 31. That is, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 As shown, the through portion 57 has a contact portion 60 whose inner surface elastically contacts the outer surface of the leg portion 31 and a non-contact portion 58 whose inner surface does not contact the outer surface of the leg portion 31. The contact portion 60 is Fig.11 The bottom 62 of the pocket hole 61 shown is a portion formed by piercing the leg portion 31. The non-contact portion 58 is inclined so as to widen as it goes upward.

[0053] The seal 70 is made of polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, etc., and covers the first opening 11 blocked by the cover 50 from the outside of the housing 10. The seal 70 fills the inside of each of the five first openings 11 and goes beyond the first openings 11 to a depth that contacts the inner periphery of the surrounding portion 14.

[0054] The method of manufacturing the connector 1 is, for example, as follows.

[0055] Insert the terminal 30 into the housing 10 from the first opening 11 of the housing 10, and set the contact portion 38 of the terminal 30 to face the outside of the housing 10 from the second opening 12 and the leg portion 31 of the terminal 30 to protrude from the first opening 11. Next, assemble the pocket hole 61 ( Fig.11 ) to close the first opening 11, so that the bottom 62 of the bag hole 61 pierces the leg 31. Next, potting is performed. Specifically, the sealing member 70 is filled to cover the first opening 11 blocked by the cover 50 from the outside of the housing 10.

[0056] The pocket hole 61 of the cover body 50 can also be set as Fig.13 The pocket hole 161 shown is formed into a curved shape having a predetermined curvature around the bottom 162. By forming the curved shape, when the leg portion 31 passes through, it can be adjusted to pass through the approximate center of the bottom 162 rather than the boundary between the bottom 162 and the side surface. Since it can pass through the approximate center, it is possible to suppress the generation of burrs on the bottom 162 after the penetration.

[0057] This embodiment has the following effects.

[0058] (1) Since the first opening 11 of the housing 10 is closed by the cover 50 and covered by the seal 70, it is possible to prevent water entering the housing 10 from the second opening 12 from leaking out from the first opening 11. Thus, even when the counterpart connector is not engaged with the connector 1, it is possible to achieve good waterproof performance. In addition, the movable area of ​​the counterpart connector can be ensured and waterproof performance can be ensured.

[0059] (2) The leg portion 31 of the terminal 30 passes through the cover 50 and the seal 70 and extends downward from the first opening 11 to the outside of the housing 10. Therefore, compared with a configuration in which the terminal 30 is pulled out around the cover 50, for example, behind the cover 50 and extends downward, the structure of the housing 10 can be made small and simple, and waterproofing of the lead portion is not required.

[0060] (3) The cover 50 is an elastic body and is embedded and held in the first opening 11 by its own elastic force. Therefore, there is no need to press the cover 50 from below, which can suppress the increase in the number of components and cost. In contrast, in the case where a metal plate component that presses the cover 50 from below is assembled to the housing 10, it is difficult to adopt a structure in which the leg 31 of the terminal 30 passes through the cover 50. This disadvantage can also be eliminated in the present embodiment.

[0061] (4) Since the cover 50 is an elastic body, a gap can be formed between the side periphery of the cover 50 and the inner periphery of the first opening 11, making it easy to control the filling range of the seal 70. That is, the seal 70 can be fixed to the inside of the housing 10 while preventing it from leaking out during potting.

[0062] (5) Since the recess 53 is provided on the lower surface of the cover 50, when the side periphery of the surrounding portion 64 is pressed by the inner periphery of the first opening 11 and elastically deformed, the surrounding portion 64 can retreat into the recess 53. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the cover 50 from bending in the vertical direction. Thus, it is possible to suppress the cover 50 from bending downward and narrowing the filling range of the seal 70. In addition, it is possible to suppress the cover 50 from bending upward and interfering with the terminal 30 or hindering the elastic deformation of the terminal 30.

[0063] (6) Since the recessed portion 54 is provided on the upper surface of the cover 50, it is possible to suppress interference with the terminal 30 or hinder elastic deformation of the terminal 30 when the cover 50 is bent upward. On the other hand, the cover 50 has convex portions 55 and 56 before and after the recessed portion 54. Since the convex portions 55 and 56 define the deformable amount of the terminal 30, it is possible to suppress excessive deformation of the terminal 30.

[0064] (7) Fig.12 As shown, the through portion 57 of the cover 50 has a contact portion 60 whose inner surface elastically contacts the outer surface of the leg 31 and a non-contact portion 58 whose inner surface does not contact the outer surface of the leg 31. The contact portion 60 is pierced by the leg 31 when the connector 1 is assembled. Fig.11 Therefore, the leg portion 31 can be formed by the bottom 62 of the pocket hole 61 shown in the figure. Therefore, even if the leg portion 31 is in any shape other than the square shape as in the present embodiment, such as a thin plate or a round shape, the gap between the outer periphery of the leg portion 31 and the contact portion 60 can be reduced, and the sealing member 70 can be fixed by preventing it from leaking into the inner side of the housing 10 during the potting process. In addition, since the pocket hole 61 does not need to be designed according to the shape of the leg portion 31, the cover body 50 can be used for a variety of terminals.

[0065] (8) Since the bag hole 61 of the cover body 50 is pierced by the leg portion 31 of the terminal 30 when the connector 1 is assembled, it is not necessary to form a through hole in the processing stage of the cover body 50, thereby improving the productivity of the cover body 50 during processing. Assuming that the through hole is formed in the processing stage of the cover body 50, in the method of manufacturing the cover body 50 using a mold, the upper and lower molds are subjected to pressure from each other at the portion where the through hole is formed by the upper and lower molds of the mold, and the mold may be damaged. Due to wear caused by repeated contact, the deterioration of the mold may be accelerated. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the bag hole 61 can be formed in the processing stage of the cover body 50, so it is possible to suppress damage caused by pressure from the upper and lower molds and wear caused by contact.

[0066] (9) The inner dimension of the pocket hole 61 is larger than the outer dimension of the leg 31 of the terminal 30. Therefore, the mold portion used to form the pocket hole 61 can also be larger than the outer dimension of the leg 31, and the strength and durability of the mold are improved. In addition, for example, even if a punching method is used as an additional processing, in the case where a through hole is assumed to be formed on the cover body 50, it is necessary to form the inner dimension of the through hole smaller than the outer dimension of the leg 31 to ensure waterproofness, and a dense processing technology is required. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the inner dimension of the pocket hole 61 is larger than the outer dimension of the leg 31 of the terminal 30, even in the case of punching as an additional processing, a dense processing technology is not required compared to the case of a through hole.

[0067] (10) The pocket hole 61 is shaped to widen upward, so that the leg portion 31 of the terminal 30 can be easily inserted, and the assembly is good. Fig.13 In the case of the pocket hole 161 having the curved bottom 162 shown, since the leg portion 31 can be adjusted to penetrate substantially in the center of the bottom 162 when penetrating, the generation of burrs on the bottom 162 after penetration can be suppressed.

[0068] The embodiments and variations of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but they are illustrative of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can also be adopted. For example, the number of the first opening 11 and the second opening 12 of the housing 10 and the number of the terminals 30 are not limited to 5, and can be any number.

[0069] According to the present specification, a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector according to the following aspects are provided.

[0070] (Mode 1) A connector comprising:

[0071] a housing having an opening;

[0072] A terminal housed in the housing;

[0073] a cover body that closes the opening; and

[0074] a covering member that covers the opening portion blocked by the cover from the outside of the housing,

[0075] The terminal passes through the cover and the covering member and extends outward from the housing.

[0076] According to aspect 1, since the opening of the case is closed by the lid and further covered by the covering member, waterproofness is improved.

[0077] (Mode 2) A connector, wherein:

[0078] The housing has a second opening.

[0079] The terminal faces the outside of the housing from the second opening.

[0080] According to the second embodiment, since the opening of the housing is closed by the cover and further covered by the covering member, it is possible to prevent water entering the housing from the second opening from leaking out from the opening to the outside. Thus, even when the other connector is not engaged with the connector, the waterproof property can be improved. In addition, the movable area of ​​the other connector can be ensured and the waterproof property can be ensured.

[0081] (Mode 3) A connector, wherein:

[0082] The cover body is an elastic body, and the side peripheral portion of the cover body is pressed against the inner peripheral portion of the opening portion by the elastic force of the cover body.

[0083] According to the third aspect, the structure for pressing the cover body is not required, and the increase in the number of components and the cost can be suppressed.

[0084] (Mode 4) A connector, wherein:

[0085] The cover has a recessed portion on a surface facing the outside of the housing.

[0086] According to aspect 4, the concave portion can suppress the entire cover from being bent.

[0087] (Mode 5) A connector, wherein:

[0088] The cover has a recessed portion on a surface facing the inner side of the housing.

[0089] According to aspect 5, the recessed portion can suppress interference between the cover and the terminal.

[0090] (Mode 6) A connector, wherein:

[0091] The cover is an elastic body and has a through portion for the terminal to pass through.

[0092] An inner surface of a portion of the through-portion in the length direction elastically contacts with an outer surface of the terminal, and an inner surface of another portion of the through-portion in the length direction does not contact with the outer surface of the terminal.

[0093] According to the sixth aspect, unlike the case where the inner surface of the through-portion in the entire length direction is in elastic contact with the outer surface of the terminal, the productivity of the cover is high and the assemblability is also improved.

[0094] (Mode 7) A connector,

[0095] It comprises a plurality of the terminals and a plurality of the covers,

[0096] The housing has a plurality of openings.

[0097] The covering member covers the plurality of openings.

[0098] According to aspect 7, a plurality of terminals can be mounted on the housing. Furthermore, when the housing has a plurality of openings, since the plurality of openings are covered with a single covering member, productivity is improved compared to a case where the plurality of openings are covered separately.

[0099] (Mode 8) A method for manufacturing a connector, wherein:

[0100] Inserting the terminal into the housing from the first opening of the housing having the first opening and the second opening, setting the terminal to face the outside of the housing from the second opening and protruding from the first opening,

[0101] Assembling an elastic body having a pocket hole to close the first opening, and allowing the terminal to pierce the pocket hole,

[0102] The covering material is filled from the outside of the housing so as to cover the first opening blocked by the elastic body.

[0103] According to the eighth aspect, it is not necessary to form a through hole in the processing stage of the elastomer, but only a pocket hole is formed, so the productivity of the elastomer is high. In addition, the portion of the elastomer where the terminal pierces the pocket hole is in elastic contact with the outer surface of the terminal, so it is difficult to generate a gap, which can prevent the coating from leaking out.

[0104] (Mode 9) A method for manufacturing a connector, wherein:

[0105] The bottom of the bag hole is in a curved shape.

[0106] According to aspect 9, it is possible to suppress the generation of burrs at the bottom of the pocket hole after the terminal has passed through.

[0107] Description of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1 Connector

[0109] 10 Shell

[0110] 111st opening

[0111] 12 Second opening

[0112] 30 terminal

[0113] 50 Cover

[0114] 53, 54 concave parts

[0115] 57 through section

[0116] 58 non-contact department

[0117] 60 contact department

[0118] 61 pocket holes

[0119] 70 Seals

Claims

1. A connector, characterized in that: include: a housing having an opening; A terminal housed in the housing; a cover body, which closes the opening; as well as a covering member that covers the opening portion blocked by the cover from the outside of the housing, The terminal passes through the cover and the covering member and extends outward from the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a second opening. The terminal faces the outside of the housing from the second opening.

3. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover body is an elastic body, and the side peripheral portion of the cover body is pressed against the inner peripheral portion of the opening portion by the elastic force of the cover body.

4. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cover has a recessed portion on a surface facing the outside of the housing.

5. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cover has a recessed portion on a surface facing the inner side of the housing.

6. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover is an elastic body and has a through portion for the terminal to pass through. An inner surface of a portion of the through-portion in the length direction elastically contacts with an outer surface of the terminal, and an inner surface of another portion of the through-portion in the length direction does not contact with the outer surface of the terminal.

7. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: comprising a plurality of the terminals and a plurality of the covers, The housing has a plurality of openings. The covering member covers the plurality of openings.

8. A method for manufacturing a connector, characterized in that: Inserting the terminal into the housing from the first opening of the housing having the first opening and the second opening, setting the terminal to face the outside of the housing from the second opening and protruding from the first opening, Assembling an elastic body having a pocket hole to close the first opening, and allowing the terminal to pierce the pocket hole, The covering material is filled from the outside of the housing so as to cover the first opening blocked by the elastic body.

9. The method for manufacturing a connector according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom of the bag hole is in a curved shape.

Images