Connector

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector which can restrain water from entering a box body even if the connector inclines. A connector (10) is attached to a substrate (11) housed in a housing (C), and is provided with: a housing (12) that opens forward with a mating part (20) of a mating connector (50); and a terminal fitting (13) having a substrate connection portion (15) extending rearward from the housing (12), an opening portion (30) penetrating the wall (24) in the thickness direction is formed in the wall (24) on the inner side of the case (C) in the housing (12), and a lower surface (32) of the peripheral surfaces forming the opening portion (30) is inclined downward toward the outer side of the case (C).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, connectors mounted on a box for storing a substrate are known, such as those described in the following patent documents 1 to 3. The connector described in the following patent document 1 comprises: a housing having a mating portion that is mated with a mating connector; and a terminal part that extends rearward from a rear wall of the housing and is connected to the substrate. When the connector is mounted on the box, the rear portion of the housing and the substrate are stored in the box. An opening is formed on the rear wall of the housing. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-153546 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-130359 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-80237 Summary of the invention Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] The above connector may be tilted during use. Even if the connector is tilted, it is required to prevent water from entering the interior of the box from the opening of the shell.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of suppressing water from entering the interior of a housing even when the connector is tilted. Solutions to Solve Problems

[0006] The connector of the present invention is installed on a substrate housed in a box, and the connector comprises: a shell, a fitting portion of which is open to the front and is fitted with a counterpart connector; and a terminal part having a substrate connecting portion extending rearward from the shell, wherein the wall on the inner side of the box in the shell is formed with an opening portion penetrating the wall in the thickness direction, and the lower surface of the peripheral surface of the opening portion is inclined downward toward the outer side of the box. Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a connector capable of suppressing water from entering a housing even when the connector is tilted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 The connector of this embodiment is a side view showing a state in which the connector is fitted with a mating connector. Figure 2 It is a front view showing the connector in a state where it is not mated with a mating connector. Figure 3It is a rear view showing the connector in a state of being fitted with a mating connector. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a connector, which is equivalent to Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the section at position AA. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a connector, which is equivalent to Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the section at the BB position. Figure 6 The opening and cam pin are shown enlarged. Figure 5 A partially enlarged sectional view of a sectional view. Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining the penetration of water into the fitting portion. Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining the reason why water intrusion into the housing can be suppressed even when the connector is tilted rearward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Invention] First, embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of examples. (1) The connector of the present invention is installed on a substrate housed in a box, and the connector comprises: a shell, the fitting portion of which is open to the front for fitting with the other connector; and a terminal part, which has a substrate connection portion extending backward from the shell, wherein the wall on the inner side of the box in the shell is formed with an opening portion penetrating the wall in the thickness direction, and the lower surface of the peripheral surface of the opening portion is inclined downward toward the outer side of the box. According to such a structure, even if the connector is tilted, it is difficult for water to flow toward the inner side of the box along the lower surface of the opening portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress water from entering the box. (2) In the connector described in (1) above, the upper surface of the peripheral surface forming the opening may also be inclined downward toward the outer side of the box. According to such a structure, even if the connector is inclined, it is difficult for water to flow along the upper surface of the opening toward the inner side of the box and be contained inside the connector. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water from entering the box. (3) In the connector described in (1) or (2) above, the housing may include a cam pin that engages with a rod of the mating connector, the opening may be formed on the rear wall of the housing and located behind the cam pin, the lower end of the upper surface of the opening may be located above the upper end of the cam pin, and the upper end of the lower surface of the opening may be located below the lower end of the cam pin. According to such a structure, even if the upper surface and the lower surface of the opening are inclined, the cam pin can be molded using front and rear molds in the same manner as in the past. Therefore, the mold will not be complicated, and water can be prevented from entering the housing. (4) In the connector described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the lower surface of the inner surface of the fitting portion may have an inclined portion that is inclined downward toward the front, and the inclined portion increases the gap between the lower surface of the fitting portion and the mating connector in a state of fitting with the fitting portion toward the front. According to such a structure, when the connector is inclined toward the rear, water inside the fitting portion is discharged to the outside of the fitting portion along the inclined portion, so that water is less likely to remain inside the fitting portion.

[0010] [Details of Embodiments of the Invention] Specific examples of the connector of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0011] [Implementation Method 1] The connector 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a substrate 11 housed in a box C. Figure 1 As shown, the connector 10 can be mated with a counterpart connector 50 .

[0012] Hereinafter, in the description of the connector 10, the front side in the mating direction with the counterpart connector 50 is referred to as the front side. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in the state where the connector 10 is installed. The so-called state where the connector 10 is installed is a state where the rear wall 24 is vertical, and in this state, the mating direction with the counterpart connector 50 is horizontal. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction when the connector 10 is viewed from the front. In each figure, the positive direction side of the X-axis represents the front side, the negative direction side of the X-axis represents the rear side, the positive direction side of the Y-axis represents the upper side, the negative direction side of the Y-axis represents the lower side, the positive direction side of the Z-axis represents the left side, and the negative direction side of the Z-axis represents the right side.

[0013] The mating connector 50 includes a mating housing 51 and a rod 52. The mating housing 51 contains a mating terminal part (not shown). The mating terminal part is a female terminal part and is connected to the terminal end of an electric wire (not shown). The rod 52 rotates around a shaft (not shown). The rod 52 includes a cam plate 53 (see Figure 4 ). A cam groove (not shown) is formed in the cam plate 53. When the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 are mated, the cam pin 28 described later is inserted into the cam groove. As the lever 52 is rotated, the cam pin 28 moves along the cam groove. Thus, the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 are mated.

[0014] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the connector 10 includes a housing 12 and a terminal part 13. The terminal part 13 is connected to a substrate 11. The substrate 11 is a rigid printed wiring substrate. In each figure, the substrate 11 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. When the connector 10 is installed, the substrate 11 is arranged vertically.

[0015] The housing 12 is made of synthetic resin, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the housing 12 is in the shape of a vertically long rectangular box. The housing 12 has a mating portion 20 for mating with a mating connector 50. The mating portion 20 is open to the front. The mating housing 51 and the rod 52 are inserted into the mating portion 20 from the front.

[0016] The terminal part 13 is made of conductive metal and is L-shaped as a whole. The terminal part 13 has a connection portion 14 with the other connector and a substrate connection portion 15. The connection portion 14 with the other connector is configured to protrude into the inside of the fitting portion 20. When the connector 10 and the other connector 50 are fitted, the connection portion 14 with the other connector is connected to the other terminal part.

[0017] The substrate connection portion 15 extends rearward from the housing 12. The substrate connection portion 15 is bent vertically in the horizontal direction at the rear of the housing 12. Figure 3 As shown, the three substrate connection parts 15 extend across the rear of one of the two openings 30 described later. The substrate connection parts 15 are accommodated inside the box C. The ends of the substrate connection parts 15 are connected to the substrate 11 .

[0018] like Figure 2 As shown, the fitting portion 20 has an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, left and right side walls 23, and a rear wall 24. The lower surface of the upper wall 21, the upper surface of the lower wall 22, the right surface of the left side wall, the left surface of the right side wall, and the front surface of the rear wall 24 constitute the inner surface of the fitting portion 20.

[0019] The upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 are arranged horizontally. The lower surface of the upper wall 21 and the upper surface of the lower wall 22 are provided with a fitting rib 25. The positions of the upper fitting rib 25 and the lower fitting rib 25 are staggered in the left-right direction. When the other housing 51 is inserted into the inside of the fitting portion 20, each fitting rib 25 is fitted into a fitting groove (not shown) of the other housing 51.

[0020] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the upper surface of the lower wall 22 has an inclined portion 26 that is inclined downward toward the front. The inclined portion 26 increases the gap between the upper surface of the lower wall 22 and the mating connector 50 in a state of being fitted with the fitting portion 20 toward the front. The front end of the inclined portion 26 reaches the opening end of the fitting portion 20. The rear end of the inclined portion 26 reaches the rear wall 24. The inclined portion 26 is inclined at a certain angle from the front end to the rear end.

[0021] like Figure 2 As shown, two inclined portions 26 are provided. The two inclined portions 26 are provided at intervals on the left and right sides. The width dimension of one inclined portion 26 of the left and right inclined portions 26 is larger than the width dimension of the other inclined portion 26. The lower fitting rib 25 is provided between the left and right inclined portions 26.

[0022] like Figure 2 As shown, the left and right side walls 23 are arranged vertically. The side wall located on the side opposite to the base plate 11 of the left and right side walls 23 is formed with a locking opening 27 penetrating in the left-right direction. The locking opening 27 is a rectangular opening (see Figure 1 ) Of the left and right side walls 23 , the side wall located on the substrate 11 side has no hole or opening.

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, the left and right side walls 23 are provided with a pair of cam pins 28. The pair of cam pins 28 protrude from the left and right side walls 23 toward the inner side of the fitting portion 20. Each cam pin 28 engages with a cam groove of a rod 52 provided in the counterpart connector 50. Figure 5 As shown, each cam pin 28 is cylindrical in shape.

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, a pair of left and right inner walls 29 are provided inside the fitting portion 20. The inner walls 29 are formed to protrude forward from the rear wall 24. The left and right inner walls 29 are provided at positions closer to the left-right center than the left and right cam pins 28. The plate surface of the inner wall 29 is arranged parallel to the left and right side walls 23. The cam plates 53 of the lever 52 are respectively accommodated between the left and right inner walls 29 and the left and right side walls 23.

[0025] The rear wall 24 closes the rear surface of the fitting portion 20. The terminal parts 13 penetrate the rear wall 24. The rear wall 24 is housed inside the box C when the connector 10 with the substrate is mounted in the box C. Figure 2 As shown, two openings 30 are formed in the rear wall 24. The opening 30 is located behind the cam pin 28. The centers of the cam pin 28 and the opening 30 are arranged at the same height. The opening 30 is a punching hole of a mold for forming the cam pin 28. Each opening 30 is a vertically long rectangle. The left and right openings 30 are of the same shape.

[0026] like Figure 6 As shown, the opening 30 penetrates the rear wall 24 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction). The upper surface 31 and the lower surface 32 of the peripheral surface forming the opening 30 are both inclined toward the front and downward. The upper surface 31 and the lower surface 32 have the same slope. Figure 6As shown, a horizontal portion 33 is provided at the front end of the upper surface 31. The inclination of the upper surface 31 continues from the rear end of the opening portion 30 to the rear end of the horizontal portion 33. A wall-like portion 34 is provided at the rear end of the lower surface 32. The rear surface of the wall-like portion 34 is coplanar with the rear surface of the rear wall 24 and constitutes a part of the rear surface of the rear wall 24. The upper surface of the wall-like portion 34 is a horizontal plane 35. The dimension of the horizontal portion 33 in the front-to-back direction is equal to the dimension of the horizontal plane 35 in the front-to-back direction. The inclination of the lower surface 32 continues from the lower end of the front surface of the wall-like portion 34 to the front end of the opening portion 30.

[0027] The lower end of the upper surface 31 of the opening 30 is located above the height position 28U of the upper end of the cam pin 28. The lower end of the upper surface 31 is at the height position of the horizontal portion 33. The upper end of the cam pin 28 is the uppermost position in the XY cross section of the cam pin 28. The upper end of the lower surface 32 of the opening 30 is located below the height position 28S of the lower end of the cam pin 28. The upper end of the lower surface 32 is at the height position of the horizontal surface 35.

[0028] Next, the flow of water when water enters the interior of the fitting portion 20 will be described. Water may enter the interior of the fitting portion 20 from the gap between the fitting portion 20 and the mating connector 50 or the locking opening 27. Figure 7 As shown by the middle arrow, the water that has penetrated into the fitting portion 20 may flow on the inner surface of the fitting portion 20 .

[0029] When the vehicle equipped with the connector 10 is on a slope, etc., and the connector 10 is tilted toward the rear, in other words, when the fitting portion 20 is slightly facing upward, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown by the middle arrow, water sometimes reaches the opening 30 from above along the front surface of the rear wall 24. Even when the connector 10 is tilted toward the rear, the upper surface 31 of the opening 30 is inclined toward the rear. Therefore, water is prevented from entering the interior of the box C along the upper surface 31 of the opening 30. Water reaching the opening 30 from above tends to fall downward from the lower end of the upper surface 31.

[0030] Water may fall from the lower end of the upper surface 31 and reach the lower surface 32 of the opening 30. Even when the connector 10 is tilted toward the rear, the lower surface 32 of the opening 30 is inclined toward the rear. Therefore, water is prevented from entering the interior of the case C along the lower surface 32 of the opening 30. The water reaching the lower surface 32 of the opening 30 flows into the interior of the fitting 20 due to the tilt of the lower surface 32.

[0031] When the connector 10 is not tilted backward, water inside the fitting portion 20 flows forward along the inclined portion 26 provided on the lower wall 22 of the fitting portion 20, and can be drained from the front end of the fitting portion 20 to the outside of the fitting portion 20. Thus, water is less likely to stay inside the fitting portion 20.

[0032] Next, the function and effect of the embodiment constructed as described above are described. The connector 10 is mounted on the substrate 11 and is housed in the box C. The connector 10 includes a shell 12 and a terminal part 13. The mating portion 20 of the shell 12 that engages with the other connector 50 is open to the front. The terminal part 13 has a substrate connection portion 15 extending rearward from the shell 12. An opening portion 30 that penetrates the rear wall 24 in the thickness direction is formed on the rear wall 24 of the shell 12 that faces the interior of the box C. The lower surface 32 of the peripheral surface forming the opening portion 30 is inclined downward toward the front (the outer side of the box C). According to this structure, even if the connector 10 is slightly tilted to the rear side, it is difficult for water to flow to the rear side (the inner side of the box C) along the lower surface 32 of the opening portion 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of water into the box C.

[0033] The upper surface 31 of the peripheral surface forming the opening 30 is also inclined downward toward the front (outside the box C). According to this structure, even if the connector 10 is inclined toward the rear, it is difficult for water to flow toward the rear (inside the box C) along the upper surface 31 of the opening 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of water into the box C.

[0034] The housing 12 has a cam pin 28 that engages with a rod 52 provided in the mating connector 50. The opening 30 is formed in the rear wall 24 of the housing 12 and is located behind the cam pin 28. The lower end of the upper surface 31 of the opening 30 is located above the upper end of the cam pin 28. The upper end of the lower surface 32 of the opening 30 is located below the lower end of the cam pin 28. According to this structure, even if the upper surface 31 and the lower surface 32 of the opening 30 are inclined, the cam pin 28 can be molded with the front and rear molds in the same manner as in the past. Therefore, the mold will not be complicated, and the intrusion of water into the case C can be suppressed.

[0035] The lower surface of the inner surface of the fitting portion 20 has an inclined portion 26 that is inclined downward toward the front. The inclined portion 26 increases the gap between the lower surface of the fitting portion 20 and the mating connector 50 in a state of being fitted with the fitting portion 20 toward the front. According to this structure, when the connector 10 is inclined toward the rear, water inside the fitting portion 20 is discharged to the outside of the fitting portion 20 along the inclined portion 26, so that water is less likely to stay inside the fitting portion 20.

[0036] [Other embodiments of the present invention] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. In the above embodiment, the opening is provided at the rear wall, but as another embodiment, the opening may be provided at the rear end portions (the portions facing the interior of the box) of the left and right side walls. In this case, by tilting the lower surface of the opening downward toward the side opposite to the side facing the interior of the box (the inner side of the fitting portion), it is possible to suppress water from entering the interior of the box when the connector is tilted to the left or right. In the case of the above-described embodiment, the upper surface of the opening is also inclined, but as another embodiment, the upper surface of the opening may be, for example, horizontal. In the above-described embodiment, the inclined portion is provided on the lower wall of the fitting portion. However, as another embodiment, the inclined portion may not be provided on the lower wall of the fitting portion. Description of Reference Numerals

[0037] 10: Connector 11: Substrate 12: Shell 13: Terminal parts 14: Connection with the other connector 15: Substrate connection 20: Chimeric part 21: Up the wall 22: Lower wall 23: Sidewall 24: Back wall 25: Chimeric rib 26: Inclined part 27: Locking opening 28: Cam pin 28S: Height position 28U: Height position 29: Inner wall 30: Opening 31: Upper surface 32: Lower surface 33: Horizontal 34: Wall-like part 35: Horizontal plane 50: Other connector 51: Other shell 52: Rod 53: Cam plate C: Cabinet

Claims

1. A connector mounted on a substrate housed in a box. The connector has: a housing having a fitting portion that is fitted with the mating connector and is open forward; and The terminal part has a substrate connection portion extending rearward from the housing, An opening portion penetrating the wall in the thickness direction is formed in the wall on the inner side of the box body in the housing, and a lower surface of a peripheral surface forming the opening portion is inclined downward toward the outer side of the box body.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: The upper surface of the peripheral surface forming the opening is also inclined downward toward the outside of the box.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein: The housing has a cam pin that engages with a lever provided in the mating connector. The opening is formed in the rear wall of the housing and is located behind the cam pin. The lower end of the upper surface of the opening is located above the upper end of the cam pin, An upper end of the lower surface of the opening portion is located lower than a lower end of the cam pin.

4. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The lower surface of the inner surface of the fitting portion has an inclined portion inclined downward toward the front, The inclined portion increases the gap between the lower surface of the fitting portion and the mating connector in a state of being fitted with the fitting portion toward the front.

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