connector

Abstract

The present application provides a connector which is compactly configured to realize miniaturization of a water stop structure of a housing and a cover. The connector (1) includes a housing (2) which is fitted with a counterpart connector (90), a cover (3) which is assembled to the housing (2), and a gasket (4) which performs water stop between the housing (2) and the cover (3). The housing (2) includes a housing-side surrounding wall (25) which surrounds the gasket (4), and a housing-side water stop surface (24) which is formed in connection with the housing-side surrounding wall (25) and extends in a direction intersecting an assembly direction (Z) of the gasket (4). The cover (3) includes a cover-side surrounding wall (33) which surrounds the gasket (4) with the gasket (4) interposed between the housing-side surrounding wall (25) and the cover-side surrounding wall (33), and a cover-side water stop surface (32) which is formed in connection with the cover-side surrounding wall (33) and extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction (Z). The gasket (4) is configured to perform water stop by abutting against the housing-side water stop surface (24) and the cover-side water stop surface (32), respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to connectors. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, connectors, such as those described in Patent Document 1, have had a cover mounted on the opening of the housing. This connector includes a gasket for sealing between the housing and the cover. The gasket is positioned between two walls formed in the cover to seal between the connector and the housing.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-181650 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In such connectors, there is room for improvement in miniaturization. For example, in the connector described above, the sealing structure of the housing and cover has a gasket between the two walls of the cover, thus requiring a defined space in the direction intersecting the mating direction of the housing and cover. Therefore, in order to achieve connector miniaturization, it is desirable to develop a technology that can compactly construct the sealing structure of the housing and cover.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a connector that achieves miniaturization by compactly constructing a waterproof structure for the housing and cover.

[0009] Technical means for solving problems

[0010] That is, the connector involved in the present invention is configured to have: a housing, which is fitted with a counterpart connector; a cover, which is assembled to the housing; and a gasket, which provides waterproofing between the housing and the cover. The housing has: a housing-side surrounding wall that surrounds the gasket; and a housing-side waterproofing surface that is formed in connection with the housing-side surrounding wall and extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction of the gasket. The cover has: a cover-side surrounding wall that surrounds the gasket by sandwiching it between itself and the housing-side surrounding wall; and a cover-side waterproofing surface that is formed in connection with the cover-side surrounding wall and extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction. The gasket abuts against both the housing-side waterproofing surface and the cover-side waterproofing surface to provide waterproofing.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] The connector according to the present invention can compactly form a waterproof structure for the housing and the cover, enabling miniaturization. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector in the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the connector in the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the connector in the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the connector housing in an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 This is an enlarged view of the connector cover in the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 This is an enlarged view of the connector cover and gasket of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view showing the size of the connector of the embodiment and the connector of the comparative example.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0021] 1: Connector

[0022] 2: Shell

[0023] 3: Cover

[0024] 4: Padding

[0025] 24: Waterstop surface on the shell side

[0026] 25: Shell side enclosure wall

[0027] 32: Cover side waterstop surface

[0028] 33: Cover side enclosure wall

[0029] 90: The other party's connector

[0030] Z: Assembly direction Detailed Implementation

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include elements that can and are easily substituted by those skilled in the art, or substantially the same elements.

[0032] [Example]

[0033] This embodiment relates to a connector. In the following description, the first direction among the intersecting first, second, and third directions is referred to as the "extension direction X," the second direction as the "arrangement direction Y," and the third direction as the "assembly direction Z." Here, the extension direction X, the arrangement direction Y, and the assembly direction Z are orthogonal to each other. Furthermore, orthogonality here includes approximately orthogonality. The extension direction X is the extension direction of a portion of the wires. The arrangement direction Y is the arrangement direction of a portion of the wires. The assembly direction Z corresponds to the direction in which the cover is assembled to the housing. Additionally, unless otherwise specified, all directions used in the following description refer to the directions in the assembled state of the components.

[0034] like Figures 1-3 As shown, connector 1 is a component that connects to the counterpart connector 90, for example, mounted in a vehicle and used in conjunction with a wiring harness installed in the vehicle. Here, the wiring harness, for example, is a bundled component containing wiring materials used for power supply and signal communication, used for connecting various devices mounted in the vehicle. The wiring harness includes, for example, multiple wires W1, W2, W3, and W4; connector 1 for introducing the ends of the multiple wires W1, W2, W3, and W4; and counterpart connector 90 that is electrically and mechanically connected to connector 1. Furthermore, the wiring harness may also be configured to include various other components such as grommets, protectors, and fasteners.

[0035] Connector 1 includes a housing 2, a cover 3, and a gasket 4. The housing 2 is a component that engages with the other connector 90, and is formed, for example, from an insulating resin material. The housing 2 has a housing body 21, an engagement portion 22, and a wire insertion portion 23. The housing body 21 is formed as a box shape with an opening 211. For example, the housing body 21 has a concave polygonal cross-sectional shape in the direction intersecting the assembly direction Z, and one of the interior angles in the cross-sectional shape is an angle greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees. Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the housing body 21 in the direction intersecting the assembly direction Z is a concave heptagon. Concave polygons include approximately concave polygons, and concave heptagons include approximately concave heptagons. Furthermore, the length of the housing body 21 in the assembly direction Z is shorter than the length in the extension direction X and the length in the alignment direction Y. The opening 211 is formed by opening one face of the housing body 21 in the assembly direction Z. For example, the shape of the opening 211 is a concave polygon with one interior angle greater than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the shell body 21 is sometimes set to a shape other than a rectangle or a concave polygon.

[0036] The fitting portion 22 is provided to protrude from the housing body 21 in the assembly direction Z. The fitting portion 22 is formed into a square tube shape extending in the assembly direction Z. For example, a plurality of male terminals are provided inside the fitting portion 22.

[0037] The wire insertion portion 23 protrudes from the side of the housing body 21, and four are provided depending on the number of wires W1 to W4. The wire insertion portions 23 are arranged in pairs side-by-side. The pairs of wire insertion portions 23 are arranged in mutually intersecting directions. For example, one pair of the pairs of wire insertion portions 23 protrudes along the extending direction X, and the other pair protrudes along the arrangement direction Y.

[0038] like Figure 4 As shown, the shell 2 has a shell-side water-stopping surface 24 and a shell-side surrounding wall 25. The shell-side water-stopping surface 24 and the shell-side surrounding wall 25 are formed in the shell body 21 and are the receiving chamber 26 that holds the gasket 4 and forms the gasket 4 (see reference). Figure 7 The housing-side water-stop surface 24 and the housing-side surrounding wall 25 are formed along the outer edge of the opening 211. The housing-side water-stop surface 24 is a surface extending in a direction intersecting the assembly direction Z, and extends along the outer edge of the opening 211. The housing-side water-stop surface 24 is formed, for example, at the upper end of the side wall 212 of the housing body 21. The housing-side surrounding wall 25 is a wall portion erected from the housing-side water-stop surface 24 toward the assembly direction Z, for example, located on the outer side of the housing-side water-stop surface 24, and covers the outer periphery of the gasket 4. That is, the housing-side water-stop surface 24 and the housing-side surrounding wall 25 are connected in an L-shaped cross-section.

[0039] The side wall 25 of the housing is provided with a plurality of cutouts 251 spaced apart in the extending direction. The cutouts 251 serve as spaces for the protrusions 42 formed in the gasket 4 to be inserted.

[0040] exist Figures 1-3 In this case, the cover 3 is a cover component that covers the opening 211 of the housing 2, and is formed according to the shape and size of the opening 211. For example, the cover 3 is formed in the shape of a concave polygon to cover the opening 211 of the housing 2, the housing side water-stop surface 24, and the housing side surrounding wall 25.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, the cover 3 has a cover body 31, a cover side water-stopping surface 32, and a cover side surrounding wall 33. The cover body 31 is a plate-shaped portion with a concave polygonal shape. The cover side water-stopping surface 32 and the cover side surrounding wall 33 are formed in the cover body 31 and are receiving chambers 26 (see reference) that hold and form the gasket 4. Figure 7The cover-side water-stop surface 32 and the cover-side surrounding wall 33 are formed along the outer edge of the cover body 31. For example, the cover-side water-stop surface 32 is provided opposite to the housing-side water-stop surface 24. That is, the cover-side water-stop surface 32 is formed on the lower surface of the cover body 31, extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction Z, and extends along the outer edge of the cover body 31. The cover-side surrounding wall 33 is a wall portion that hangs down from the cover-side water-stop surface 32 toward the assembly direction Z, for example, it is provided at a position near the inner side of the cover-side water-stop surface 32, and covers the inner circumferential side of the gasket 4. That is, the cover-side water-stop surface 32 and the cover-side surrounding wall 33 are formed connected in an L-shaped cross section.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, the gasket 4 is a water-stopping component that seals the space between the housing 2 and the cover 3. It is constructed by forming an elastic material such as rubber or an elastomer into a ring shape. The gasket 4 is formed, for example, into a concave polygonal ring shape corresponding to the shape of the opening 211. The gasket 4 has a gasket body 41 and protruding pieces 42. The gasket body 41 is the part that functions as a water-stopping component and is formed into a ring shape. The protruding pieces 42 are portions that protrude from the gasket body 41 outward from the ring shape, and multiple protruding pieces 42 are provided at intervals. For example, the protruding pieces 42 engage with the cover 3, restricting the movement of the gasket 4 between the housing 2 and the cover 3. The protruding pieces 42 have a locking portion 421 protruding toward the cover 3. The locking portion 421 engages with the locking portion 311 formed on the cover body 31 of the cover 3, and the gasket 4 is fixed relative to the cover 3. The locking portion 311 is, for example, a hole through which the locking portion 421 can be inserted. The number of locking portions 311 varies depending on the number of protruding pieces 42, and they are located at positions corresponding to the formation positions of the locking portions 421.

[0043] like Figures 1-3 As shown, connector 1 has an upper housing 5 and a lower housing 6. The upper housing 5 is a shielding member that covers the cover 3 and the housing 2. The upper housing 5 is a plate-shaped member that is larger than the cover 3. The upper housing 5 is arranged to overlap the cover 3 from the outside. The lower housing 6 is arranged to cover the wire insertion portion 23. For example, two lower housings 6 are provided, each covering a pair of wire insertion portions 23 arranged side by side. The lower housing 6 is formed with two arcuate portions arranged in a row, and the wire insertion portion 23 is sandwiched between the lower housing 6 and the upper housing 5 and covered.

[0044] Next, the waterproof structure of connector 1 in this embodiment will be described.

[0045] like Figure 7 As shown, a housing 26 is formed by a housing 2 and a cover 3, and a gasket 4 provided in the housing 26 provides water sealing between the housing 2 and the cover 3. Figure 7The waterproofing structure of connector 1 in this embodiment and the waterproofing structure of connector 100 in the comparative example are shown, illustrating the difference in size between the waterproofing structures. Connector 1 forms a receiving chamber 26 by assembling a cover 3 onto the housing 2. That is, the receiving chamber 26, with a rectangular cross-section, is formed by the housing-side waterproofing surface 24 and housing-side surrounding wall 25 of the housing 2, and the cover-side waterproofing surface 32 and cover-side surrounding wall 33 of the cover 3. A gasket 4 is disposed within the receiving chamber 26, abutting against the housing-side waterproofing surface 24 and the cover-side waterproofing surface 32 to waterproof between the housing 2 and the cover 3.

[0046] The comparative example connector 100 forms a rectangular receiving chamber 26 by means of the housing-side water-stop surface 24 of the housing 2, the two housing-side surrounding walls 25, and the cover-side water-stop surface 32 of the cover 3. That is, the two housing-side surrounding walls 25 extend from the housing 2 and cover the sides of the gasket 4. The receiving chamber 26 of the connector 100 is a space with the same width L as the receiving chamber 26 of the connector 1. However, in such a water-stop structure of the connector 100, a support portion 36 is required to support the two housing-side surrounding walls 25. Therefore, compared with the connector 1, the transverse width of the connector 100 has a difference D corresponding to the amount of support portion 36 provided, and the water-stop structure becomes larger. That is, the connector 1 can make the housing-side surrounding walls 25 and the cover-side surrounding walls 33 mutually support and position themselves even without the support portion 36 of the connector 100 by making the water-stop portion 29 forming the housing-side water-stop surface 24 abut against the cover-side surrounding wall 33. Therefore, the connector 1 of this embodiment can compactly form a water-stop structure.

[0047] As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment can compactly form a water-stopping structure for retaining the gasket 4 by surrounding and retaining the gasket 4 between the housing-side surrounding wall 25 and the cover-side surrounding wall 33, thereby enabling the miniaturization of the connector 1.

[0048] In addition, the connector 1 of this embodiment forms an L-shaped cross section by connecting the housing-side surrounding wall 25 and the housing-side water-stopping surface 24, and also forms an L-shaped cross section by connecting the cover-side surrounding wall 33 and the cover-side water-stopping surface 32. This allows the housing-side surrounding wall 25, the housing-side water-stopping surface 24, the cover-side surrounding wall 33, and the cover-side water-stopping surface 32 to form a receiving chamber 26 for the gasket 4, which can firmly hold the gasket 4 and properly use the gasket 4 for water-stopping.

[0049] Furthermore, the connector involved in this invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. The connector 1 of this embodiment can also be constructed by appropriately combining the constituent elements of the various embodiments and modifications described above.

[0050] For example, the case where connector 1 of the above embodiment is mounted on a vehicle has been described, but it can also be used on objects other than vehicles.

Claims

1. A connector, characterized in that, have: A housing that engages with the other connector; A cover, which is assembled to the housing; as well as A gasket, wherein the gasket provides waterproofing between the housing and the cover. The housing has: a housing side enclosure wall that surrounds the gasket; The gasket has a casing-side water-stop surface, which is formed in connection with the casing-side surrounding wall and extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction of the gasket. The cover has: a cover-side surrounding wall, which surrounds the gasket by sandwiching it between the cover-side surrounding wall and the housing-side surrounding wall; The cover-side water-stop surface is formed in connection with the cover-side surrounding wall and extends in a direction intersecting the assembly direction. The gasket abuts against the water-stopping surfaces on the shell side and the cover side, respectively, to stop water flow.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell-side surrounding wall and the shell-side water-stop surface are connected in an L-shaped cross section, and The cover-side surrounding wall and the cover-side water-stop surface are connected in an L-shaped cross section.

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