Composite connector

Abstract

To provide a composite connector having a simple structure, and capable of applying waterproofing while suppressing the number of kinds of constituent members.SOLUTION: A composite connector 1 comprises: a housing 4 that has a first connection part 2 and a second connection part 3, and a first housing part 41 and a second housing part 42, and respectively houses the first connection part and the second connection part in the first housing part and the second housing part; and a first waterproof plug 5a and a second waterproof plug 5b that are respectively inserted into the first housing part and the second housing part from rear ends. The rear end of the second connection part is located at the front of the rear end of the first connection part. In the housing, the rear ends are aligned with each other in a front-rear direction at a portion of the first housing part and a portion of the second housing part. The second waterproof plug has the same structure as the first waterproof plug at least in a part of an area on the rear end side. An insertion depth of the second waterproof plug to the second housing part is determined by a positioning member, thus between the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug, their rear ends are aligned with each other in the front-rear direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a composite connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Optical cables using optical fibers are widely used for information communication in households, industries, etc., because they are capable of high-speed communication of large amounts of information. In addition, automobiles are equipped with various electronic devices such as car navigation systems, and optical communication using optical cables has begun to be used for communication in these devices. Especially in recent years, the speed of communication has been increasing rapidly in the automotive field, but there are many challenges in performing high-speed communication exceeding several Gbps using electric cables, and as communication speeds increase, the importance of optical cables capable of high-speed communication is increasing in on-board communication devices. An optical connection part equipped with an optical ferrule or the like is attached to the tip of the optical cable, and the optical cable is connected to a communication device or the like via the optical connection part.

[0003] On the other hand, optical cables are not suitable for applications that require the supply of energy to operate communication devices, and electric cables equipped with metal wires are also used in combination with optical cables. An electric connection part equipped with an electric connection terminal or the like is attached to the tip of the electric cable, and the electric cable is connected to the communication device or the like via the electric connection part. In order to easily connect the optical cable and the electric cable to devices such as communication devices, connectors that can connect the optical cable and the electric cable to the device together have been developed. Such optical-electrical composite connectors are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like, and some have been put to practical use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2007 / 088863 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In connectors for optical and electrical connections, waterproof plugs made of rubber or the like may be attached to prevent water from entering the connector. In particular, in in-vehicle devices, waterproof plugs are often provided on connectors to prevent water from entering from the environment. When a composite connector is configured by accommodating multiple types of connection members in one housing, such as the optical connection section and the electrical connection section, it becomes necessary to waterproof the locations in the housing where the connection members are arranged. However, different types of connection members, such as the optical connection section and the electrical connection section, often have different shapes and dimensions, and also different lengths. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical connection section 2 often has a larger length dimension than the electrical connection section 3.

[0006] In this way, if a waterproof plug for preventing water from entering is provided at the rear end of the composite connector 100 including a plurality of types of connection parts 2 and 3 having different lengths, a structure is conceivable in which a step is provided at the rear end 145 of the housing 140, the rear end of the electrical connection part 3 is positioned forward of the rear end of the optical connection part 2, and the waterproof plugs 150, 150 are attached to the rear of the optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3, respectively, as shown in FIG. 4. When this form is adopted, the same waterproof plugs 150, 150 can be used on the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side, but the shape of the composite connector 100 becomes a special shape having a step at the rear end 145 of the housing 140. Then, for example, if a waterproof plug cover is provided to keep the waterproof plugs 150, 150 attached to the housing 140, it becomes necessary to separately attach independent waterproof plug covers to the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side. Alternatively, if a continuous waterproof plug cover is provided on the optical connection section 2 side and the electrical connection section 3 side so that both waterproof plugs 150, 150 can be held together, it will be necessary to use a waterproof plug cover with a special shape that has a step on the optical connection section 2 side and the electrical connection section 3 side to match the shape of the rear end section 145 of the housing 140.

[0007] In this way, in a composite connector in which a common housing contains multiple different types of connection members, in order to provide waterproofing using a waterproof plug, the shapes of the components tend to be special, and the types and numbers of components used tend to be large. In order to simplify the configuration of the composite connector, it is preferable to use components with simple shapes such as the housing, waterproof plug, and waterproof plug cover, and to keep the number and types of components to a minimum.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a composite connector that has a simple configuration and can be waterproofed while limiting the number of types of components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The composite connector of the present disclosure includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion each for optically or electrically connecting to an external member at a front thereof, and a first accommodating portion and a second accommodating portion, a housing that accommodates the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion in the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, respectively, and a first waterproof plug and a second waterproof plug that are inserted into the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, respectively, from their rear ends, wherein a rear end of the second connecting portion accommodated in the second accommodating portion is located forward of a rear end of the first connecting portion accommodated in the first accommodating portion, the housing has rear ends aligned in the front-to-rear direction at the locations of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, at least a portion of the rear end side of the second waterproof plug has the same structure as the first waterproof plug, and an insertion depth of the second waterproof plug into the second accommodating portion is determined by a positioning member, such that the rear ends of the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The composite connector according to the present disclosure has a simple configuration and is capable of being waterproofed using a small number of different components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a composite connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the housing of the composite connector as viewed from above. [Diagram 3] 3A and 3B are partial cross-sectional views showing a composite connector according to a modified embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a composite connector having a step at the rear end of the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. A composite connector according to the present disclosure has the following configuration.

[0013] [1] A composite connector according to the present disclosure includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion each for optically or electrically connecting to an external member at a front thereof, and a first accommodating portion and a second accommodating portion, a housing for accommodating the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion in the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, respectively, and a first waterproof plug and a second waterproof plug inserted into the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, respectively, from a rear end thereof, wherein a rear end of the second connecting portion accommodated in the second accommodating portion is located forward of a rear end of the first connecting portion accommodated in the first accommodating portion, the housing has rear ends aligned in the front-to-rear direction at the locations of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion, at least a portion of the rear end side of the second waterproof plug has the same structure as the first waterproof plug, and an insertion depth of the second waterproof plug into the second accommodating portion is determined by a positioning member, such that the rear ends of the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug are aligned in the front-to-rear direction.

[0014] In the composite connector, the housing has a simple shape in which the rear ends of the first and second housings are aligned in the front-rear direction and have no step between the two. Also, the first and second waterproof plugs have a common structure in at least a portion of the rear end, and by using the same type of waterproof plug or by appropriately adding cutting or other processing to the front side of the same type of waterproof plug, it is not necessary to prepare different types of waterproof plugs for the first and second waterproof plugs.

[0015] In the above composite connector, since the rear end of the second connection part is located forward of the rear end of the first connection part in the housing, the distance between the rear end of the housing and the rear end of the second connection part is longer than the distance between the rear end of the housing and the rear end of the first connection part. However, due to the presence of the positioning member, the second waterproof plug is not inserted too deeply into the long distance area, and the position of the rear end can be aligned with the first waterproof plug. Therefore, when the waterproof plug is attached to the housing, the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug have the same structure at the rear end side of the housing, which has a simple shape without a step, and the rear end side areas of the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug protrude by the same length. Therefore, when an external member such as a waterproof plug cover is attached to the rear end side of the housing, the external member can be made to have a simple shape with the same structure on the first waterproof plug side and the second waterproof plug side. In addition, since the external member can be made to have a highly symmetrical shape, when the external member is divided into multiple parts, the external member can be made using multiple parts having the same structure.

[0016] In this manner, in the composite connector according to the present embodiment, the housing and the optional external members can have simple configurations, and the number of types of waterproof plugs and external members that need to be prepared can be reduced.

[0017] [2] In the above aspect [1], the first connection part may be an optical connection part for optically connecting with an external member, and the second connection part may be an electrical connection part for electrically connecting with an external member. Optical-electrical composite connectors having an optical connection part and an electrical connection part are becoming increasingly important in applications such as installation in devices that require both optical communication and power supply, such as in-vehicle communication devices. An optical connection part having a plurality of members including an optical ferrule has a longer dimension in the front-rear direction than an electrical connection part, and when the tips of the optical connection part and the electrical connection part are aligned and arranged side by side, the rear end of the electrical connection part is often located forward. However, even in such a case, if the composite connector of the present disclosure is configured with the optical connection part as the first connection part and the electrical connection part as the second connection part, it becomes an optical-electrical composite connector that has a simple configuration and can be waterproofed by reducing the number of types of components. In addition, the external member that makes the optical connection with the optical connection section, and the external member that makes the electrical connection with the electrical connection section may be either independent of each other, or integrated together like an optical-electrical composite connector.

[0018] [3] In the above embodiment [1] or [2], the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug may be configured as the same waterproof plug, and the positioning member may be a member installed in the second housing portion and abut against the tip surface of the second waterproof plug to determine the insertion depth of the second waterproof plug. Since the rear end of the second connecting portion is located forward of the first connecting portion, a large space is generated behind the second connecting portion in the second housing portion. However, since a positioning member is provided in the second housing portion and the tip surface of the second waterproof plug abuts against the positioning member, the second waterproof portion is not inserted excessively deep into the space, and the position of the rear end can be aligned with the first waterproof plug. Therefore, it is possible to apply a second waterproof plug with a short length that fits the narrow space behind the first connecting portion. By configuring the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug as the same waterproof plug, only one type of waterproof plug is prepared, and the one type of waterproof plug can be used as both the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug without processing or the like.

[0019] [4] In the above aspect [3], the positioning member may be configured as a rib or a sleeve. This allows a positioning member that can effectively prevent the second waterproof plug from being inserted too deeply into the second housing section to be provided with a simple configuration. The rib-shaped positioning member may be fixed to the inner wall of the second housing section or formed integrally with the inner wall. The sleeve-shaped positioning member may be simply inserted into the second housing section or may be fixed to the wall surface of the second housing section.

[0020] [5] Alternatively, in the above embodiment [1] or [2], the second waterproof plug has a rear portion having the same structure as the first waterproof plug, and a front portion provided integrally and continuously with the rear portion in front of the rear portion, and the positioning member is the rear end surface of the second connecting portion, and the insertion depth of the second waterproof plug is determined by abutting against the front end surface of the second waterproof plug. Since the rear end position of the second connecting portion is further forward than that of the first connecting portion, a large space is generated behind the second connecting portion in the second housing portion, but the second waterproof plug, which has a larger dimension in the front-rear direction than the first waterproof plug due to having a front portion in addition to a rear portion, is inserted deep into the space. The second waterproof plug is then positioned by abutting against the rear end surface of the second connecting portion. In this embodiment, the second connecting portion itself functions as a positioning member, so there is no need to provide a separate positioning member in the housing, and the housing configuration can be simplified. In addition, the first waterproof plug can be obtained by removing the front portion of the same waterproof plug as the second waterproof plug by cutting or the like and leaving only the rear portion, so that only one type of waterproof plug needs to be prepared and the number of types of parts required for waterproofing can be reduced.

[0021] [6] In the above aspect [5], the second waterproof plug may have a visible marker at the boundary between the rear portion and the front portion. In this case, the first waterproof plug can be obtained by removing the area in front of the marker by cutting or the like from the same waterproof plug as the second waterproof plug, and leaving only the area behind the marker. In this way, by providing the marker on the waterproof plug, processing into the first waterproof plug can be performed accurately and easily.

[0022] [7] In any one of the above aspects [1] to [6], the composite connector further includes a waterproof plug cover, and the first and second waterproof plugs have rear end regions that protrude outward from the rear end of the housing, and the waterproof plug cover contacts the protruding portions of the rear ends of the first and second waterproof plugs from the outside of the housing, and holds the first and second waterproof plugs together housed in the housing. The waterproof plug cover stably holds the first and second waterproof plugs in a state where they are inserted into the first and second housing parts of the housing. In the composite connector of the present disclosure, the front-rear direction positions of the rear ends of the housing are aligned at the first housing part and the second housing part, and there is no step between the two positions, and the front-rear direction positions of the rear ends of the first and second waterproof plugs are aligned with each other, so that the structure of the parts where the waterproof plugs protrude from the rear end of the composite connector is the same on the first connection part side and the second connection part side. Therefore, the waterproof plug cover that comes into contact with this protruding portion can be a simple one that does not have any special structure, such as a step or a shape that is significantly different between the first connection portion and the second connection portion.

[0023] [8] In the above aspect [7], the waterproof plug cover may be composed of two divided members divided in a division direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and the two divided members may have the same structure. As described above, in the composite connector of the present disclosure, the structure of the portion where the waterproof plug protrudes from the rear end of the composite connector is the same on the first connection part side and the second connection part side. In this way, the area where the waterproof plug cover is attached has a highly symmetrical structure on the first connection part side and the second connection part side, so that when the waterproof plug cover is composed of divided members, the divided members can be arranged in different directions and have the same structure to assemble the waterproof plug cover. This makes it possible to reduce the number of types of parts that make up the waterproof plug cover.

[0024] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] The composite connector according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the terms "circular", "identical", and the like, which indicate the shape and arrangement of the components, include not only the geometrically strict concept but also the tolerance range generally accepted for a composite connector.

[0025] <Composite connector structure> 1 and 2 show a composite connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a perspective view and a partial cross-sectional view, respectively. The perspective view in Fig. 1 shows the composite connector 1 as seen from the rear side. The partial cross-sectional view in Fig. 2 shows the composite connector 1 as seen from above, with only the housing 4 and the waterproof ring 6 cut away and shown. Furthermore, Fig. 1 shows the waterproof plug cover 8 in a state in which the upper and lower divided members 8a, 8b are not joined, and Fig. 2 omits the waterproof plug cover 8.

[0026] In this embodiment, the composite connector 1 is configured as an optical-electrical composite connector, and is connected to the tip of an assembly of an optical cable C1 and an electric cable C2, and simultaneously performs an optical connection for optical communication and an electric connection for conduction. The composite connector 1 according to this embodiment is not fixed to a member such as a communication device or a printed circuit board, but is configured as a cable connector that is detachable from a mating connector together with the optical cable C1 and the electric cable C2.

[0027] The composite connector 1 according to this embodiment has an optical connection part 2 as a first connection part, which is coupled to an optical cable C1 and provides optical connection with an external optical connection member. Also, it has an electrical connection part 3 as a second connection part, which is coupled to an electrical cable C2 and provides electrical connection with an external electrical connection member. The composite connector 1 further includes a housing 4 that collectively houses the optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3, as well as two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b and a waterproof ring 6 for waterproofing the internal space of the housing 4.

[0028] In this specification, the direction in which the optical connection unit 2 and the electrical connection unit 3 are connected to external members to form optical and electrical connections, respectively, is defined as the forward direction (+x direction), and the opposite direction in which the optical cable C1 and the electrical connection unit 3 are connected to the optical connection unit 2 and the electrical connection unit 3 is defined as the backward direction (-x direction). The direction in which the optical connection unit 2 and the electrical connection unit 3 are arranged side by side is defined as the width direction (±y direction). The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the width direction is defined as the up-down direction (±z direction).

[0029] The optical connection unit 2 houses an optical ferrule inside an optical sub-housing (a member visible in FIG. 2). In addition, the optical sub-housing also houses members other than the optical ferrule, such as a spring member that biases the optical ferrule forward and a crimping member for connecting the optical cable C1 to the optical ferrule, as appropriate. An opening is formed in the front end surface of the optical sub-housing, and an optical ferrule of an optical connection member that constitutes a mating connector enters through the opening, and an optical connection is formed between both optical ferrules. The optical connection unit 2 may include only one optical ferrule, or multiple optical ferrules may be housed in a common optical sub-housing.

[0030] The electrical connection part 3 accommodates an electrical connection terminal inside an electrical sub-housing (a member visible in FIG. 2). A through hole is formed in the front end surface of the electrical sub-housing, and an electrical connection terminal of an electrical connection member constituting a mating connector enters through the through hole, and an electrical connection is formed between both electrical connection terminals. The type of electrical connection terminal constituting the electrical connection part 3 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include mating type female terminals or male terminals. The electrical connection part 3 may include only one electrical connection terminal, or multiple electrical connection terminals may be accommodated in a common electrical sub-housing. In addition, the electrical connection part 3 may not include an electrical sub-housing, and the electrical connection terminal may be directly accommodated in the housing 4. In this case, the electrical connection terminal itself becomes the electrical connection part 3. In this specification, an optical-electrical composite connector having an optical connection member and an electrical connection member collectively is assumed as the mating connector, but the optical connection member and the electrical connection member may each be included in an independent connector.

[0031] The optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3 have different lengths in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the optical connection part 2 is longer than the electrical connection part 3. This is because the optical connection part 2 has a larger number of components in the optical sub-housing. Also, while the electrical connection part 3 is connected to the mating electrical connection member by a fitting connection, the optical connection part 2 is connected to the mating optical connection member by butting the tip faces of the optical ferrules, which requires a relatively large space in the front-rear direction.

[0032] The housing 4 is a member that constitutes the outer shell of the composite connector 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 4 is composed of two divided members 4a and 4b, which are joined in a nested manner in the front-rear direction to constitute the hollow cylindrical housing 4. Inside the housing 4, an optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 as a first accommodating portion and an electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42 as a second accommodating portion are provided. The optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 is a space that accommodates the optical connection portion 2, and the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42 is a space that accommodates the electrical connection portion 3. The optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42 each extend along the front-rear direction inside the housing 4, and are formed side by side at a distance from each other in the width direction.

[0033] When the optical connection portion 2 and the electrical connection portion 3 are accommodated in the optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42 of the housing 4, the optical connection portion 2 and the electrical connection portion 3 are arranged with their central axes facing the front-rear direction and spaced apart in the width direction. In this case, since the optical connection portion 2 has a longer dimension in the front-rear direction than the electrical connection portion 3, the rear end of the electrical connection portion 2 is located forward of the rear end of the optical connection portion 3 even if the positions of the tips of both connection portions 2 and 3 are aligned. The rear end portion 45 of the housing 4 is aligned in the front-rear direction at the location of the optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and the location of the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42. In other words, the rear end portion of the housing 4 is flush with the rear portion of the optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and the rear portion of the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42. Therefore, inside the housing 4, the space left behind the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42 and not occupied by the electrical connection portion 3 occupies a larger area in the front-to-rear direction than the space left behind the optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and not occupied by the optical connection portion 2.

[0034] The composite connector 1 is provided with a waterproof ring 6 and waterproof plugs 5a, 5b as waterproof members for preventing the intrusion of liquids such as water from the outside. The waterproof ring 6 is a ring-shaped member made of an elastic body such as rubber, and is arranged in a portion of the space inside the housing 4 where the mating connector that has entered the housing 4 for mating connection hits. In detail, inside the housing 4, the waterproof ring 6 is arranged in a position at the back (rear end) of the mating space 44 into which the mating connector enters, that is, the space between the outer wall and the inner wall 43 of the housing 4, in a state where the waterproof ring 6 is fitted into the outer periphery of the inner wall 43 that collectively surrounds the outer periphery of the optical connection portion accommodating portion 41 and the electrical connection portion accommodating portion 42. This waterproof ring 6 prevents water from infiltrating from the portion between the two divided members 4a, 4b that constitute the housing 4 and the mating portion between the composite connector 1 and the mating connector.

[0035] The two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b are blocking plugs made of an elastic body such as rubber, and are attached to the rear end of the housing 4. Specifically, the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a as the first waterproof plug is inserted into the housing for the optical connection part 41 from the rear end, and the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b as the second waterproof plug is inserted into the housing for the electrical connection part 42 from the rear end. The two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b liquid-tightly block the housing for the optical connection part 41 and the housing for the electrical connection part 42. The waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a and the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b each have a through hole along the front-rear direction, and the optical cable C1 and the electrical cable C2 are inserted into the through holes, respectively. The two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b prevent liquid such as water from entering the housing 4 from the rear end, and together with the waterproof ring 6, the composite connector 1 is provided with waterproofness. Waterproofing is important when the composite connector 1 is mounted on equipment used outdoors, such as an automobile.

[0036] In this embodiment, the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection part and the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part are configured as the same waterproof plug. That is, they have the same shape and size and are made of the same material. As described above, since the space behind the optical connection part 2 is narrow in the front-rear direction, the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection part inserted into the optical connection part housing 41 has a front part housed in the optical connection part housing 41 and a tip face abuts against the rear end of the optical connection part 2. The remaining part on the rear side of the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection part protrudes outside the housing 4.

[0037] Meanwhile, ribs 7 are provided inside the electrical connection part housing 42 as positioning members. The ribs 7 are a pair of members protruding from the inner wall surfaces on both sides in the width direction of the electrical connection part housing 42 toward the inside of the electrical connection part housing 42. The ribs 7 are fixed to the wall surface of the electrical connection part housing 42 or are provided integrally with the wall surface. The size and position of the ribs 7 are set so that they abut against the front end surface of the electrical connection part waterproof plug 5b inserted into the electrical connection part housing 42 from the rear end side. In detail, the position of the ribs 7 is set so that the front-rear direction position of the rear end of the electrical connection part waterproof plug 5b inserted into the electrical connection part housing 42 and abutting the front end surface against the ribs 7 is aligned with the rear end position of the optical connection part waterproof plug 5a inserted into the optical connection part housing 41 at a predetermined insertion depth (forward penetration length). In other words, the insertion depth of the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part into the electric connection part housing 42 is determined by the rib 7, so that, like the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection part, a portion of the front side of the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part is housed in the housing 42 for the electrical connection part, and the remaining portion of the rear side protrudes outside the housing 4. The rear ends of the two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b are aligned, and the shapes and dimensions of the portions of the two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b protruding toward the rear end of the housing 4 are the same. The insertion depth of the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part into the housing 42 is determined by the rib 7, so that a space that is not occupied by the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part remains behind the electrical connection part 3 in the housing 4.

[0038] Furthermore, although optional, the composite connector 1 according to this embodiment preferably has a waterproof plug cover 8 as an external member attached to the outside of the housing 4. The waterproof plug cover 8 comes into contact with the rear portion of the housing 4 and with the portions of the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a and the electrical connection portion waterproof plug 5b that protrude from the rear end of the housing 4, and holds down the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b, thereby serving to stably hold the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b in a state where they are housed in the housing 4, that is, so that they do not come out of the housing 4. The waterproof plug cover 8 holds both of the two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b together in such a state.

[0039] In this embodiment, the waterproof plug cover 8 is divided into two in the vertical direction and is composed of two divided members 8a, 8b. The upper and lower divided members 8a, 8b are arranged to sandwich the rear end of the housing 4 and its nearby area from above and below, including the areas where the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b protrude rearward. The upper and lower divided members 8a, 8b are then joined to form the waterproof plug cover 8.

[0040] Here, the upper and lower divided members 8a, 8b of the waterproof plug cover 8 have the same shape. Each of the two divided members 8a, 8b has a waterproof plug surrounding portion 81, 81 at the rear end as two semicircular cutouts aligned in the width direction, and has a first engaging portion 82 at one end in the width direction and a second engaging portion 82 at the other end in the width direction. When focusing on the shape of the engaging portion, the first engaging portion 82 and the second engaging portion 83 have a shape that can be engaged with each other when arranged opposite to each other. The two divided members 8a, 8b are respectively arranged above and below the housing 4 with the up-down direction reversed to each other. In other words, the upper divided member 8a is arranged with the waterproof plug surrounding portion 81, 81 facing downward, and the lower divided member 8b is arranged with the waterproof plug surrounding portion 81, 81 facing upward. By butting the lower edge of the upper separate member 8a against the upper edge of the lower separate member 8b, the waterproof plug surrounding portions 81, 81 of both separate members 8a, 8b form circular through holes and hold down the protruding portions of the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b from above and below. At this time, the first engaging portion 82 of the upper separate member 8a engages with the second engaging portion 83 of the lower separate member 8b on one side in the width direction. Also, the second engaging portion 83 of the upper separate member 8a engages with the first engaging portion 82 of the lower separate member 8b on the other side in the width direction.

[0041] The composite connector 1 according to the present embodiment has the above structure, and is waterproofed while having a simple configuration and reducing the number of components for waterproofing. First, the optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3, which are different in length, are accommodated in the housing 4. Although the positions of the rear ends of the optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3 accommodated in the housing 4 are different from each other, the rear ends of the housing 4 are aligned in the front-rear direction on the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side, and do not have a step like the housing 140 shown in FIG. 4. In other words, the position of the rear end 45 of the housing 4 is not shifted in the front-rear direction between the rear part of the optical connection part accommodation part 41 and the rear part of the optical connection part accommodation part 42. In this way, the housing 4 has a simple structure in which the rear end is flat, similar to the case of a general connector including a plurality of connection parts of the same size.

[0042] Since the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection part and the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection part are configured as the same waterproof plug, only one type of waterproof plug is required to be prepared for waterproofing in the composite connector 1. As described above, the positions of the rear ends of the optical connection part 2 and the electrical connection part 3 are different from each other, and the rear end of the electrical connection part 3 is located forward. Therefore, if a waterproof plug with a short dimension in the front-rear direction for the optical connection part 2 is used for the electrical connection part 3 as it is, if the waterproof plug 5b is not positioned on the electrical connection part 3 side, the waterproof plug 5b may enter too deeply into the electrical connection part housing part 42. However, in this embodiment, the rib 7 as a positioning member is provided in the electrical connection part housing part 42, and the insertion depth of the waterproof plug 5b is determined by abutment with the waterproof plug 5b, so that the waterproof plug 5b can be prevented from entering too deeply into the electrical connection part housing part 42.

[0043] In the composite connector 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the rear end of the housing 4 has no step on the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side, and the insertion depth of the electrical connection waterproof plug 5b is limited by the rib 7, so that the positions of the rear ends of the optical connection waterproof plug 5a and the electrical connection waterproof plug 5b are aligned with each other in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when focusing on the rear part of the composite connector 1, two identical waterproof plugs are lined up in the width direction and protrude the same amount rearward from the housing 4, and as the above-mentioned waterproof plug cover 8 and other external members attached to the rear of the housing 4, simple structures having the same structure on both sides in the width direction can be used. It is not necessary to make the external member have a special shape with a step in the middle of the width direction, or to configure it as two independent members on the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side. In this way, the structure of the external member can also be simplified.

[0044] Furthermore, in the composite connector 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the upper and lower divided members 8a, 8b of the waterproof plug cover 8 are configured to have the same structure, so that when the external member is configured from a plurality of divided members, it is possible to reduce the number of types of parts that constitute the divided members. This is because, in the rear part of the composite connector 1, the same waterproof plugs are lined up in the width direction on the optical connection part 2 side and the electrical connection part 3 side, protruding by the same amount, and the structure of the rear part of the composite connector 1 is symmetrical in the width direction. Since the assembly of the housing 4 and the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b has a highly symmetrical structure in this way, when the external member is configured by dividing it in the vertical direction and / or width direction, by arranging the same divided members symmetrically, the relationship between the housing 4 and the waterproof plugs 5a, 5b is the same between the divided members, so that the divided members can be of the same shape. When the structure of the rear portion is different between the optical connection portion 2 side and the electrical connection portion 3 side, as in the composite connector 100 of Figure 4, if a waterproof plug cover that collectively holds the waterproof plugs 150, 150 on both sides is provided as an upper and lower divided type that extends from the optical connection portion 2 side to the electrical connection portion 3 side, it is not possible to use the same divided parts for the upper and lower parts.

[0045] <Other embodiments> In the embodiment described above, the two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b provided in the composite connector 1 are configured as the same waterproof plug, and the rib 7 is provided as a positioning member in the electric connection part housing 42 to prevent the electric connection part waterproof plug 5b from being inserted too deeply, and the positions of the rear ends of the two waterproof plugs 5a, 5b are aligned with each other. However, the waterproof plug and the positioning member are not limited to those configured as described above, and it is sufficient that at least a part of the rear end side of the electric connection part waterproof plug has the same structure as the optical connection part waterproof plug, and the insertion depth into the electric connection part housing 42 is determined by the positioning member, so that the front-rear positions of the rear ends of the optical connection part waterproof plug and the electrical connection part waterproof plug are aligned with each other. Representative modified forms will be described below. In the following, the description of the configuration common to the above-mentioned composite connector 1 will be omitted.

[0046] In the composite connector 1 described above, the rib 7 is provided as a positioning member for regulating the insertion depth of the waterproof plug 5b for the electrical connection portion, which is installed in the electrical connection portion housing 42 and has the same structure as the waterproof plug 5a for the optical connection portion. However, the positioning member installed in the electrical connection portion housing 42 is not limited to the rib 7. An example of a positioning member having a form other than the rib 7 is a sleeve 7'. Fig. 3A shows a partial cross-sectional view of the composite connector 1A equipped with a sleeve 7'.

[0047] While the rib 7 is provided as a member fixed to the wall surface of the electric connection part housing 42 or integral with the wall surface and protruding into the electric connection part housing 42 from both sides in the width direction, the sleeve 7' is configured as a cylindrical member and disposed within the electric connection part housing 42 (the structure inside the cylindrical part is shown by dotted lines). The sleeve 7' may be merely inserted into the electric connection part housing 42 or may be further fixed to the wall surface of the electric connection part housing 42. When the electric connection part waterproof plug 5b is inserted into the rear end of the electric connection part housing 42, the tip surface of the electric connection part waterproof plug 5b abuts against the rear end edge of the sleeve 7', thereby defining the insertion depth of the electric connection part waterproof plug 5b.

[0048] Furthermore, in both of the composite connectors 1 and 1A described above, the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a and the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b have the same structure over the entire area in the front-rear direction, but the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b' may have the same structure as the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a' only in a part of the rear area. In other words, the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b' may be formed by adding another structure to the front of the structure of the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a'. In this case, too, the position of the rear end of the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a' and the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b' may be aligned by defining the insertion depth of the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b' into the electric connection part receiving part 42 using a positioning member, so that the structure of the part protruding rearward of the housing 4 is the same for the waterproof plug for the optical connection part 5a' and the waterproof plug for the electrical connection part 5b'. Then, as explained above for the composite connectors 1, 1A, when one focuses on the rear portion of the housing 4, it is possible to obtain a state in which the same waterproof plugs are lined up in the width direction and protrude the same amount toward the rear of the housing 4, which is effective in simplifying the structure of the external members and limiting the number of types of components required for waterproofing.

[0049] As an example of such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 3B, the composite connector 1B may be configured to have a rear portion 51 having the same structure as the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a', and a front portion 52 provided integrally and continuously with the rear portion 51 in front of the rear portion. In this case, the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection portion has a longer dimension in the front-rear direction than the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a', and has a structure in which the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a' is extended forward, for example. In this case, the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection portion is inserted deeper in the front portion 52 than the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a', and the front end surface of the front portion 52 abuts against the positioning member, thereby regulating the insertion depth of the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection portion, and the rear ends of the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection portion and the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection portion are aligned.

[0050] In this case, the positioning member may be a member such as the rib 7 or sleeve 7' described above, which is disposed deep in the electric connection portion housing 42. Alternatively, the electric connection portion 3 itself may be used as the positioning member. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the rear end face of the electric connection portion 3 (the rear end face of the electric sub-housing) is used as the positioning member, and the front end face of the long electric connection portion waterproof plug 5b' is abutted against the rear end face, thereby defining the insertion depth of the electric connection portion waterproof plug 5b'. In this way, even if a positioning member dedicated to the function of defining the insertion depth of the electric connection portion waterproof plug 5b' is not provided, the insertion depth of the electric connection portion waterproof plug 5b' can be defined, and the rear ends of the optical connection portion waterproof plug 5a' and the electric connection portion waterproof plug 5b' can be aligned.

[0051] In this embodiment, the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection part can be formed using a waterproof plug that is long in the front-rear direction, the same as the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection part. In other words, of a waterproof plug that is the same as the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection part, the front part 52 is removed by cutting or the like, and only the rear part 51 is left, thereby obtaining the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection part that is short in the front-rear direction. In this case, too, the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection part and the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection part can be prepared using the same waterproof plug, so that the number of types of members required for waterproofing can be reduced.

[0052] Here, it is preferable that the waterproof plug for electrical connection 5b' has a visible marker 53 at the boundary between the front part 52 and the rear part 51. As the marker 53, a suitable example is a form in which a mark such as a line is displayed at the boundary between the front part 52 and the rear part 51 by paint or the like. As described above, the front part 52 and the rear part 51 are integrally continuous, and it may be difficult to clearly recognize the boundary between them only from the shape of the waterproof plug 5b', but by attaching the marker 53, the boundary can be clearly recognized. Then, when the waterproof plug for optical connection 5a' is produced by removing the front part 52 from the same waterproof plug as the waterproof plug for electrical connection 5b', the front part 52 and the rear part 51 may be separated at the position of the marker 53 by cutting or the like. In this way, by using the marker 53, the waterproof plug for optical connection 5a' having a predetermined length can be easily and accurately produced. In addition, if there are any traces, such as cutting marks, caused by the operation of removing the front portion 52, or any remaining part of the marker 53 at the tip of the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection part, these structures will be evidence that the waterproof plug 5a' for the optical connection part is made from the same waterproof plug as the waterproof plug 5b' for the electrical connection part.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, an optical connection part is applied as the first connection part 2, and an electrical connection part is applied as the second connection part 3, but the first connection part 2 and the second connection part 3 are not limited to the combination thereof. The first connection part 2 and the second connection part 3 may be either an optical connection part or an electrical connection part, as desired. They may both be optical connection parts, both be electrical connection parts, or one may be an optical connection part and the other an electrical connection part. In any embodiment, the dimension of the second connection part 3 in the front-rear direction is larger than that of the first connection part 2, so that the rear end of the second connection part 3 accommodated in the second housing part 42 is located forward of the rear end of the first connection part 2 accommodated in the first housing part 41. In the above-described embodiment, one optical connection part and one electrical connection part are accommodated in the housing 4, but a plurality of first connection parts 2 having the same dimensions and / or a plurality of second connection parts 3 having the same dimensions may be accommodated in the housing 4. In this case, too, it is sufficient that the same relationship as described above holds between each first connection portion 2 and each second connection portion 3, and each corresponding storage portion 41, 42 and waterproof plugs 5a, 5b.

[0054] Furthermore, the housing may accommodate not only the first connecting part 2 and the second connecting part 3, but also three or more types of connecting parts, and the positions of the rear ends of the three or more types of connecting parts accommodated in a specific housing part may have different shapes. In this case, when two of the three or more types of connecting parts are arbitrarily selected as the first connecting part 2 and the second connecting part 3, the configuration described above may be satisfied. In other words, it is sufficient that the rear ends of the housing are aligned in the front-rear direction at each housing part, and the waterproof plugs inserted into each housing part have at least a partial area on the rear end side with the same structure. Then, it is sufficient that the insertion depth into the housing is determined by the positioning member for each waterproof plug except for the waterproof plug corresponding to the connecting part whose rear end is located furthest to the rear, so that the positions of the rear ends of all the waterproof plugs are aligned with each other.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1,1A,1B composite connector 2 Optical connection part (first connection part) 3 Electrical connection part (second connection part) 4. Housing 4a, 4b Divided parts 41 Optical connection part receiving part (first receiving part) 42 Electrical connection housing (second housing) 43 Internal wall 44 Fitting space 45 Rear end of housing 5a, 5a' Waterproof plug for optical connection part (first waterproof plug) 5b, 5b' Waterproof plug for electrical connection (second waterproof plug) 51 Posterior part 52 Anterior part 53 Marker 6 Waterproof Ring 7 Rib (positioning member) 7' Sleeve (positioning member) 8 Waterproof plug cover 8a, 8b Divided parts 81 Waterproof plug enclosure 82 First engagement portion 83 Second engagement part C1 Optical Cable C2 Electrical Cable

Claims

1. a first connection portion and a second connection portion for optically connecting or electrically connecting to an external member at a front side of the first connection portion and a second connection portion for electrically connecting the first connection portion and the external member at a front side of the first connection portion; a housing including a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion, the housing receiving the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion in the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion, respectively; a first waterproof plug and a second waterproof plug which are inserted into the first housing portion and the second housing portion from the rear end side, a rear end of the second connection portion accommodated in the second accommodation portion is located forward of a rear end of the first connection portion accommodated in the first accommodation portion, The housing has a rear end aligned in a front-rear direction at a location of the first storage portion and a location of the second storage portion, The second waterproof plug has at least a partial area on the rear end side thereof having the same structure as the first waterproof plug, A composite connector in which the insertion depth of the second waterproof plug into the second accommodating portion is determined by a positioning member, so that the front-to-rear positions of the rear ends of the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug are aligned with each other.

2. the first connection portion is an optical connection portion for optically connecting to an external member, The composite connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second connection portion is an electrical connection portion for establishing an electrical connection with an external member.

3. The first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug are configured as the same waterproof plug, A composite connector as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the positioning member is a member installed within the second accommodating portion and abuts against a tip surface of the second waterproof plug to determine the insertion depth of the second waterproof plug.

4. The composite connector of claim 3 , wherein the positioning member is configured as a rib or a sleeve.

5. The second waterproof plug is A rear portion having the same structure as the first waterproof plug; a front portion provided forward of the rear portion and integrally and continuously with the rear portion, 3. A composite connector as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the positioning member is a rear end surface of the second connection portion and abuts against a front end surface of the second waterproof plug, thereby determining the insertion depth of the second waterproof plug.

6. The composite connector according to claim 5 , wherein the second waterproof plug is provided with a visible marker at a boundary between the rear portion and the front portion.

7. The composite connector further includes a waterproof plug cover, The first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug each have a rear end region that protrudes outward from a rear end of the housing, 3. A composite connector as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the waterproof plug cover contacts the protruding portions of the rear ends of the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug from the outside of the housing, and holds the first waterproof plug and the second waterproof plug together housed in the housing.

8. The waterproof plug cover is composed of two divided members divided in a dividing direction intersecting the front-rear direction, The composite connector according to claim 7 , wherein the two divided members have the same structure as each other.

Images