Connector attachment structure

Abstract

The invention provides an installation structure of a connector which can be stably fixed on a housing and the like in a non-pull-out manner. The connector mounting structure is provided with: a key groove (12) that is continuous in the cylinder axis direction in the outer fitting body (4); outer retainer insertion grooves (15, 15) formed on both sides of the inner peripheral section that sandwich the key groove (12); and a retainer insertion opening (16) communicating with the outer retainer insertion grooves (15, 15). The embedded body (5) is provided with: a pressing protrusion (13) provided on the outer peripheral surface in a protruding manner; and inner retainer insertion grooves (23) formed on both sides of the outer peripheral section that sandwich the pressing protrusion (13), the retainer (17) being inserted from the retainer insertion opening (16), the insertion pieces (17b, 17b) being inserted across the inner retainer insertion grooves (23) and the outer retainer insertion grooves (15, 15), and the retainer base section (17a) being disposed so as to overlap between the pressing protrusion (13) and both side edge sections (16a, 16a) of the key groove (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector mounting structure which firmly fixes a module such as an image pickup element and a coaxial cable via the connector. Background Art

[0002] Modules such as camera modules for vehicle-mounted cameras use a module connector consisting of a socket seat housed in a cylindrical inner fitting body that protrudes integrally from one side of a housing that houses the module, and a plug (hereinafter referred to as a socket) housed in an outer fitting body that is installed at the front end of a coaxial cable. The module is connected to the coaxial cable by fitting the inner and outer fitting bodies and connecting the plug to the socket seat (for example, refer to patent document 1).

[0003] In such a modular connector, since the plug and the socket may be separated due to vibration or the like, it is desirable to maintain the plug and the socket firmly connected.

[0004] On the other hand, as a structure for firmly fixing a connector to a device body (housing) (hereinafter referred to as a connector mounting structure), there is known a structure in which a fixing member called a retaining ring is used to fix the plug to the device body in a manner that makes it impossible to be pulled out (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).

[0005] The mounting structure of the connector is such that inner guard ring insertion grooves provided on both sides of the central axis of a resin shell (hereinafter referred to as an inner fitting body) for accommodating the plug and outer guard ring insertion grooves provided on the inner side of a portion of the device body into which the inner fitting body is inserted (hereinafter referred to as an outer fitting body) are butted against each other, and the guard ring insertion pieces are arranged to straddle the inner and outer guard ring insertion grooves and are inserted therein. When a force is applied in a direction to pull the plug out of the device body, the shear strength of the guard ring (insertion piece) resists the force and the connector is fixed to the device body in a manner that the plug cannot be pulled out.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-098069

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-019116 Summary of the invention

[0010] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0011] However, in the conventional technology as described above, when the insertion piece of the guard ring is inserted toward one of the inner and outer guard ring insertion grooves due to the shallow insertion position of the guard ring, or when there is a possibility of movement between the inner and outer guard ring insertion grooves, the area of ​​the portion overlapping with the insertion piece and one of the inner and outer guard ring insertion grooves becomes smaller, the shear strength of the guard ring (insertion piece) cannot be fully exerted, and a stable fixed state may not be ensured.

[0012] Therefore, in view of such conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure of a connector that is stably fixed to a housing so as not to be removed.

[0013] Means for solving problems

[0014] The invention described in Scheme 1 for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems is a connector mounting structure that fixes the connector in a mating direction so that it cannot be pulled out, the connector being constituted by an inner mating body and an outer mating body mating with each other and a plug arranged on either the inner mating body or the outer mating body being connected to a socket arranged on the other side, the connector mounting structure being characterized in that the outer mating body is provided with: a key groove that is continuous along the cylindrical axis direction on the inner peripheral surface; an outer retainer insertion groove that is formed on both sides of the inner peripheral portion sandwiching the key groove; and a plug that is arranged on the outer peripheral portion of the connector. and a guard ring insertion port, which is connected to the outer guard ring insertion groove, wherein the inner fitting body is provided with: a pressing protrusion, which is inserted into the key groove protrudingly arranged on the outer peripheral surface; and an inner guard ring insertion groove, which is formed on both sides of the outer peripheral portion sandwiching the pressing protrusion, and a guard ring composed of a pair of insertion pieces supported at both ends of the guard ring base is inserted from the guard ring insertion port, the insertion pieces are inserted across the inner guard ring insertion groove and the outer guard ring insertion groove, and the guard ring base is overlapped and arranged between the pressing protrusion and the two side end edges of the key groove.

[0015] The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure of claim 1, the pressing projection continues to the upper end of the inner fitting body.

[0016] The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure of claim 1 or 2, the inner fitting body is integrally provided to protrude from one surface of the box-shaped main body.

[0017] Effects of the Invention

[0018] The mounting structure of the connector of the present invention has the structure described in Scheme 1, so that the base of the retainer is always overlapped and arranged between the pressing protrusion and the two side edge portions of the keyway. Therefore, even when the insertion position of the retainer is shallow, the retainer always functions as a shear key and can maintain a stable fixed state.

[0019] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the structure described in claim 2, it becomes easy to guide the two connectors when they are connected.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the structure described in claim 3, even when the socket is connected to the outside of the housing, a stable fixed state can be maintained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a module and a socket connected using the mounting structure of the connector of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is the exploded stereogram of the same as above.

[0023] Figure 3 It is the longitudinal section view as above.

[0024] Figure 4 (a) means Figure 1 (b) is a top view of the socket, (b) is a bottom view thereof, and (c) is a front view.

[0025] Figure 5 (a) is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the socket as above, and (b) is a sectional view taken along line AA thereof.

[0026] Figure 6 (a) means Figure 1 (b) is a top view of the rear shell, (b) is a front view thereof, and (c) is a side view thereof.

[0027] Figure 7 It is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same.

[0028] Figure 8 (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the inner chimeric body portion as viewed along line BB, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof as viewed along line CC, and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof as viewed along line DD.

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the same retaining ring.

[0030] Fig.10 This is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inner and outer fitting bodies of the mounting structure of the connector as above are fitted and the retainer is inserted into a normal position.

[0031] Fig.11 This is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inner and outer fitting bodies of the above connector mounting structure are fitted and the retainer is inserted to a shallow position.

[0032] Fig.12 yes Fig.11 A partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the state.

[0033] Explanation of symbols

[0034] 1: rear housing; 2: socket; 3: coaxial cable; 4: external chimeric body; 5: internal chimeric body; 6: plug; 7: socket; 8: external cover; 9: shell; 10: insulator; 11: center contact; 12: keyway; 13: pressing convex part; 14: mark; 15: outer guard ring insertion groove; 16: guard ring insertion opening; 17: guard ring; 20: center contact; 21: insulator; 22: shell; 23: inner guard ring insertion groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Next, based on Figures 1 to 12 The illustrated embodiment explains an implementation of the connector mounting structure of the present invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 to Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment is explained by taking the case of connecting a module such as a camera module to a socket installed at the front end of a coaxial cable as an example. In the figure, symbol 1 is the rear shell of the module, and symbol 2 is the socket installed at the front end of the coaxial cable 3.

[0037] The mounting structure of the connector includes an external chimeric body 4 arranged on the side of the socket 2 and an internal chimeric body 5 arranged on the side of the rear housing 1. A plug 6 arranged in the internal chimeric body 5 and a socket seat 7 arranged in the external chimeric body 4 are connected to each other by making the external chimeric body 4 and the internal chimeric body 5 fit together. The external chimeric body 4 and the internal chimeric body 5 are installed in a manner that cannot be pulled out by a protective ring 17.

[0038] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the socket 2 includes a socket seat 7 installed on the front end of the coaxial cable 3 and an external cover 8 made of insulating resin for holding the socket seat 7. The socket seat 7 installed on the front end of the coaxial cable 3 is integrated with the external cover 8 by molding, and the front end portion of the socket seat 7 is arranged in a protruding state within a cylindrical external fitting body 4 protruding from one side of the external cover 8.

[0039] The form of the socket 7 is not particularly limited. Figure 5 As shown in (a), it includes: a cylindrical shell 9, which is made of conductive metal; an insulator 10, which is housed in the shell 9 and is made of insulating resin; and a center contact 11, which is held by the insulator 10 and coaxially arranged on the inner side of the shell 9, the center conductor of the coaxial cable 3 is connected to the center contact 11, and the outer conductor is connected to the shell 9, and is maintained in this state.

[0040] The external cover 8 comprises: a cover body 8a in which the base end side of the socket seat 7 and the front end of the coaxial cable 3 connected to the socket seat 7 are buried; and a cylindrical external chimeric body 4 which is integrally protruded from the lower surface of the cover body 8a, and the front end side of the socket seat 7 protrudes toward the center of the external chimeric body 4.

[0041] The outer fitting body 4 is provided with a key groove 12 which is continuous in the cylindrical axis direction and opens on the inner peripheral side and the lower surface (the end surface of the other side) at a predetermined position of the inner peripheral surface, and a pressing protrusion 13 which is also used as a guide key and is protruded from the outer peripheral surface of the inner fitting body 5 is inserted into the key groove 12, so that the outer fitting body 4 and the inner fitting body 5 are positioned relative to each other in the circumferential direction. In addition, a triangular mark 14 formed on the upper surface of the outer cover 8 is a mark indicating the position of the key groove 12.

[0042] The outer fitting body 4 is provided with outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15 formed on both sides of the inner peripheral portion sandwiching the key groove 12, and a horizontal slit-shaped retainer insertion opening 16 which opens on the outer peripheral surface of the outer fitting body 4 and communicates with the outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15. The retainer 17 can be inserted through the retainer insertion opening 16.

[0043] The outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15 are formed into grooves that are continuous with the retainer insertion opening 16 and have flat upper and lower pressing surfaces 15a, 15a facing each other at a vertical interval, and the retainer 17 is inserted between the upper and lower pressing surfaces 15a, 15a.

[0044] The retainer insertion opening 16 is formed in a lateral slit shape that divides the key groove 12 in the continuous direction. Abutment portions 16a, 16a are formed on the side edges of the thick wall portion of the outer fitting body 4 at the inner surface portions facing each other vertically, sandwiching the key groove 12 in the vertical direction.

[0045] like Figure 6 to Figure 8 As shown, the rear housing 1 has a cylindrical inner fitting body 5 integrally protrudingly provided on the upper surface of a box-shaped main body 1 a , and a plug 6 is housed in the inner fitting body 5 with the front end thereof protruding.

[0046] The plug 6 is suitable for connecting to a socket 7, such as Figure 7 As shown, it has the following structure: a pin-shaped center contact 20 made of a conductive metal material, an insulator 21 made of an insulating resin for holding the center contact 20, and a cylindrical shell 22 made of a conductive metal material for accommodating the insulator 21 for holding the center contact 20. By engaging the inner engaging body 5 and the outer engaging body 4, the shell 9 on the socket seat 7 side is engaged with the outer side of the shell 22 on the plug 6 side, and the pin-shaped center contact 20 is inserted into the center contact 11 on the socket seat 7 side for connection.

[0047] The inner fitting body 5 has a pressing protrusion 13 which is formed into a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the outer fitting body 4 and protrudes from the outer peripheral surface, and an inner guard ring insertion groove 23 which is formed on both sides of the outer peripheral portion and clamps the pressing protrusion 13, so that the pressing protrusion 13 is inserted into the key groove 12 of the outer fitting body 4 and fits with the inner side of the outer fitting body 4.

[0048] The pressing protrusion 13 is arranged so that the lower end is at a predetermined height position, that is, the lower end is at the same height as the upper edge position of the retainer insertion opening 16 when the inner and outer fitting bodies 5 and 4 are fitted, and is formed in a rectangular protrusion shape whose upper end is continuous to the upper end of the inner fitting body 5, and is inserted into the key groove 12 of the outer fitting body 4, and also functions as a guide key. In addition, the upper end of the pressing protrusion 13 does not necessarily need to be continuous to the upper end of the inner fitting body 5.

[0049] The inner guard ring insertion groove 23 is arranged on the lower side of the pressing protrusion 13, that is, the shell body side, in such a way that the lower end of the pressing protrusion 13 and the inner upper surface of the inner guard ring insertion groove 23 are located on the same plane, and is continuous at a specified depth over the entire circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the inner fitting body 5, and the guard ring 17 is inserted on both sides of the pressing protrusion 13.

[0050] The inner retainer insertion groove 23 is formed with pressing surfaces 23a, 23a facing each other in the upper and lower directions (axial direction). The distance between the two pressing surfaces 23a, 23a is the same as the distance between the upper and lower pressing surfaces 15a, 15a of the outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15.

[0051] In addition, the inner guard ring insertion groove 23 is configured so that the inner and outer chimeric bodies 5 and 4 are chimeric and the position where the upper surface of the inner chimeric body 5 abuts the inner upper surface of the outer chimeric body 4 (the lower surface of the cover main body 8a) is at the same height as the outer guard ring insertion grooves 15 and 15 and the guard ring insertion opening 16, and the inner guard ring insertion groove 23 and the outer guard ring insertion grooves 15 and 15 are adjacent to each other to form a groove continuous with the guard ring insertion opening 16, and the guard ring 17 is inserted between the upper and lower pressing surfaces.

[0052] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is described in which the inner retainer insertion groove 23 is continuous over the entire circumference of the inner circumferential surface of the inner fitting body 5, but a pair of inner retainer insertion grooves 23, 23 formed in an arc groove shape may be symmetrically arranged with the pressing protrusion 13 interposed therebetween.

[0053] like Fig. 9 As shown, the retainer 17 is formed by punching a metal plate having elasticity into a horseshoe shape in plan view in which a pair of insertion pieces 17b, 17b are supported at both ends of a retainer base 17a.

[0054] The insertion pieces 17b, 17b are formed into an arc shape whose radial width is wider than the width of the inner retainer insertion groove 23 and narrower than the width of the groove formed by the outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15, and are inserted from the retainer insertion port 16, straddling the inner retainer insertion groove 23 and the outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15.

[0055] The retainer base 17 a is formed narrower than the radial width of the insertion pieces 17 b , 17 b , and the two insertion pieces 17 b , 17 b can be bent in directions away from each other and expanded to fit into the inner retainer insertion groove 23 of the inner fitting body 5 .

[0056] In the connector mounting structure thus constructed, if the inner and outer fitting bodies 5 and 4 are fitted together and the retainer 17 is inserted from the retainer insertion opening 16, then under normal circumstances, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the two insertion pieces 17b, 17b of the retainer 17 are inserted across the inner retainer insertion groove 23 and the outer retainer insertion grooves 15, 15, and the retainer base 17a is overlapped and arranged between the pressing protrusion 13 and the two side end edges of the key groove 12. The retainer 17 acts as a shear key to fit the inner and outer fittings 5, 4 in a manner that cannot be pulled out, thereby maintaining the plug 6 and the socket 7 in a connected state.

[0057] On the other hand, even in the case where the insertion position of the retainer 17 becomes shallow due to insufficient insertion of the retainer 17, vibration, etc., as shown in FIG. Fig.11 , Fig.12 As shown, the guard ring base 17a is always maintained in a state of overlapping arrangement between the pressing protrusion 13 and the two side end edges (abutment portions) 16a, 16a of the keyway 12, so that the guard ring 17 acts as a shear key to engage the inner and outer fittings 5, 4 in a manner that cannot be pulled out, thereby maintaining the plug 6 and the socket 7 in a connected state.

[0058] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the socket 7 is arranged on the socket 2 (external fitting 4) side and the plug 6 is arranged on the shell (internal fitting 5) side is described, but the plug 6 may also be arranged on the socket 2 side and the socket 7 may be arranged on the shell side.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case where a coaxial connector is used as the connector is described, but the form of the connector is not limited thereto, and for example, a multi-pole connector may be used.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the connector is applied to the connection between the receptacle 2 and the rear housing 1 is described, but the mounting structure of the connector is not limited to this embodiment and can be applied to all connectors that are connected by fitting the outer fitting body 4 and the inner fitting body 5 together.

Claims

1. A connector mounting structure, which fixes the connector in a mating direction so that it cannot be pulled out, wherein the connector is formed by mating an inner mating body with an outer mating body and a plug arranged on one of the inner mating body and the outer mating body and connected to a socket arranged on the other side, The connector installation structure is characterized in that: The outer fitting body is provided with: a key groove which is continuous along the cylindrical axis direction on the inner peripheral surface; an outer retainer insertion groove which is formed on both sides of the inner peripheral portion sandwiching the key groove; and a retainer insertion port which is communicated with the outer retainer insertion groove. The inner fitting body is provided with: a pressing protrusion inserted into the key groove protrudingly provided on the outer peripheral surface; and an inner retainer insertion groove formed on both sides of the outer peripheral portion sandwiching the pressing protrusion. A retainer formed by supporting a pair of insertion pieces at both ends of a retainer base is inserted from the retainer insertion port, the insertion pieces are inserted across the inner retainer insertion groove and the outer retainer insertion groove, and the retainer base is overlapped and arranged between the pressing protrusion and the two side end edges of the key groove.

2. The connector mounting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressing projection continues to the upper end of the inner fitting body.

3. The connector mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inner fitting body is integrally and protrudes from the box-shaped main body.

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