Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of ensuring sealing performance regardless of the thickness of an outer wall of an equipment housing.SOLUTION: A first connector 11 has a first housing 20 fixed at a position corresponding to an opening portion 14 in an outer wall 15 of an equipment housing 13. A second connector 12 has a second housing 30 fitted to the first housing 20 in a fitting direction D1 along an axial line L1 of a connector 10. The first housing 20 has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall 15 by a first bolt and a seal attachment groove 24 facing a surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. The second housing 30 has a second fixing portion 33 fixed to the outer wall 15 by a second bolt B2 mounted in the fitting direction D1. A seal member 40 attached to the seal attachment groove 24 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a seal member for sealing between the first connector and the equipment housing. The equipment housing includes an outer wall having an opening. The first connector has a first housing fixed at a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall. The second connector has a second housing fitted to the first housing fixed to the outer wall of the equipment housing. The second housing is fixed to the outer wall of the equipment housing by a bolt while being fitted to the first housing. This fixing by the bolt assists the connection of the second connector to the first connector. The first housing also has an insertion portion inserted into the opening of the outer wall of the equipment housing. The seal member is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and the inner peripheral surface of the opening of the outer wall. This seals the equipment housing so that water does not enter the equipment housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-238465 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing is reduced, it is difficult to ensure the penetration length of the opening that penetrates the outer wall. If the penetration length of the opening is short, there is a risk that the sealing performance of the seal member interposed between the insertion portion of the first housing and the opening cannot be ensured.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can ensure sealing performance regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of an equipment housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector comprising a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a sealing member that seals between the first connector and the equipment housing, wherein the equipment housing has an outer wall having an opening, the first connector has a first housing fixed at a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall, the second connector has a second housing that is fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along the axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt and a seal mounting groove that faces the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, and the seal member attached to the seal mounting groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the connector of the present disclosure, it is possible to ensure sealing performance regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector in the same embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing the periphery of an opening in the device housing of the same embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a first housing and a seal member in the connector of the same embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an assembly mode in the connector of the same embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: [1] A connector comprising a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a seal member for sealing between the first connector and the equipment housing, wherein the equipment housing has an outer wall having an opening, the first connector has a first housing fixed at a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall, the second connector has a second housing fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along an axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt and a seal mounting groove facing a surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, and the seal member attached to the seal mounting groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction.

[0010] According to this configuration, the gap between the first housing and the device housing is sealed by the seal member that contacts the surface of the outer wall of the device housing in the fitting direction of the second housing, so that the sealing performance between the first housing and the device housing can be ensured regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the sealing member may be annular about the axis, the first housing may have only one first fixed portion, the second housing may have only one second fixed portion, and an angle θ [°] between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion about the axis may be set within the range of 90°<θ<270°.

[0012] According to this configuration, since there is only one each of the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion, it is possible to reduce the number of bolt fixing steps in the connector assembly work. The angle θ between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion about the axis is set within the range of 90°<θ<270°. This makes it possible to abut the seal member against the outer wall in a balanced manner in the circumferential direction by the fixing forces of the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion against the outer wall. As a result, it is possible to improve the sealing performance of the seal member.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], the angle θ may be set to 180°. According to this configuration, it is possible to bring the seal member into contact with the outer wall in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction, which makes it possible to further improve the sealing performance of the seal member.

[0014] [4] In the above [2] or [3], the sealing member may have a first portion closest to the first fixed portion and a second portion located 180° opposite the first portion around the axis, and the thickness of the sealing member in the direction along the axis may be smallest at the first portion, increase from the first portion to the second portion, and be largest at the second portion.

[0015] With this configuration, before the second connector is connected, the 180° opposite side of the first fixing portion in the first housing may rise up from the outer wall of the device housing. Even if this occurs, the above configuration makes it possible to prevent a gap from being generated between the seal member and the outer wall of the device housing because the thickness of the second portion of the seal member is increased.

[0016] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ in each drawing. Furthermore, "parallel" in this specification does not only mean strictly parallel, but also includes approximately parallel within the range in which the action and effect of this embodiment can be achieved.

[0017] It should be noted that the term "annular" as used herein may refer to any structure that forms a loop, or to continuous shapes with no ends, as well as generally loop-shaped structures with gaps, such as a C-shape. It should be noted that "annular" shapes include, but are not limited to, circles, ellipses, and polygons with sharp or rounded corners.

[0018] In addition, "facing" in this specification refers to surfaces or members facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. In addition, "facing" in this specification includes both cases where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0019] (Connector 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 10 includes a first connector 11 and a second connector 12. The first connector 11 is attached to, for example, an equipment housing 13 of an in-vehicle device. The second connector 12 is connected to the first connector 11 attached to the equipment housing 13. Note that only a portion of the equipment housing 13 is illustrated in the drawings. The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are connected to each other along an axis L1 of the connector 10. Note that in the following description, the direction along the axis L1 may be simply referred to as the "axial direction."

[0020] (Equipment housing 13) As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the equipment housing 13 has an outer wall 15 having an opening 14. The opening 14 penetrates the outer wall 15. That is, the opening 14 communicates between the inside and the outside of the equipment housing 13. The outer wall 15 has a first screw hole 16 and a second screw hole 17. A first bolt B1 for attaching the first connector 11 to the outer wall 15 is fixed in the first screw hole 16. A second bolt B2 for assisting in connecting the second connector 12 to the first connector 11 is fixed in the second screw hole 17. The first bolt B1 and the second bolt B2 are each attached along an axis L1.

[0021] (First connector 11) As shown in FIG. 1, the first connector 11 has a first housing 20 fixed to an outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The first housing 20 is formed of, for example, synthetic resin. The first housing 20 has a first fixing portion 21 and an insertion portion 22. For example, only one first fixing portion 21 is provided on the first housing 20. The first fixing portion 21 has a first insertion hole 21a through which a first bolt B1 is inserted. The first fixing portion 21 is fixed to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 by the first bolt B1. Note that the first housing 20 has, for example, a positioning recess 23 that fits into the positioning protrusion 18 of the device housing 13. The insertion portion 22 is inserted into the opening 14 of the device housing 13 along the axis L1.

[0022] 2 and 4, the first housing 20 has a seal mounting groove 24. The seal mounting groove 24 is formed in the first housing 20 at a position axially opposing the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. The seal mounting groove 24 has, for example, an annular shape centered on the axis L1. In other words, the seal mounting groove 24 has an annular shape when viewed in the axial direction.

[0023] 2, the first connector 11 includes a first terminal 25 accommodated inside the first housing 20 and a first electric wire 26 connected to the first terminal 25. For example, a plurality of first terminals 25 are provided. For example, a plurality of first electric wires 26 are provided corresponding to the number of first terminals 25. The first electric wires 26 are drawn out from the insertion portion 22 to the outside of the first housing 20 and enter the inside of the device housing 13. The first electric wires 26 are electrically connected to an internal component (not shown) provided inside the device housing 13.

[0024] (Second connector 12) As shown in FIG. 1, the second connector 12 has a second housing 30 that is fitted into the first housing 20. The second housing 30 has, for example, an inner housing 31 and an outer housing 32 that partially covers the outside of the inner housing 31. The inner housing 31 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. The outer housing 32 is a shield shell formed of, for example, a metal. The inner housing 31 and the outer housing 32 are assembled to each other. The outer housing 32 has a second fixing portion 33 that is fixed to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 by a second bolt B2 that is attached in the fitting direction D1. For example, only one second fixing portion 33 is provided on the second housing 30. The second fixing portion 33 has a second insertion hole 33a through which the second bolt B2 is passed.

[0025] 2, the second connector 12 includes a second terminal 34 accommodated inside the inner housing 31 and a second electric wire 35 connected to the second terminal 34. For example, a plurality of second terminals 34 are provided. For example, a plurality of second electric wires 35 are provided corresponding to the number of second terminals 34.

[0026] The second housing 30 is fitted into the first housing 20 fixed to the outer wall 15 in a fitting direction D1 along the axis L1. When the second housing 30 is fitted into the first housing 20, the second terminal 34 is connected to the first terminal 25. This allows electrical conduction between the first terminal 25 and the second terminal 34.

[0027] (Sealing member 40) As shown in Fig. 2, the connector 10 includes a seal member 40 that provides a seal between the first connector 11 and the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The seal member 40 is formed of elastic rubber or the like. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the seal member 40 has an annular shape centered on the axis L1. The seal member 40 is attached to the seal mounting groove 24 of the first housing 20. The seal member 40 and the seal mounting groove 24 are, for example, elongated along one direction perpendicular to the axis L1.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the seal member 40 has a first portion 41 closest to the first fixed portion 21 and a second portion 42 located 180° opposite to the first portion 41 with respect to the axis L1. The thickness of the seal member 40 in the direction along the axis L1 is smallest at the first portion 41, gradually increases from the first portion 41 to the second portion 42, and is largest at the second portion 42. For example, the depth of the seal mounting groove 24 in the direction along the axis L1 is smallest at a position corresponding to the first portion 41, gradually increases from the position corresponding to the first portion 41 to the position corresponding to the second portion 42, and is largest at the position corresponding to the second portion 42. The protrusion ratio of the seal member 40 from the seal mounting groove 24 is set uniformly over the entire circumferential direction of the seal member 40. The protrusion ratio is the ratio of the amount of protrusion of the seal member 40 from the seal mounting groove 24 to the thickness of the seal member 40.

[0029] 2, the seal member 40 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the equipment housing 13 in the fitting direction D1. That is, the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the first housing 20 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the axial direction.

[0030] The seal member 40 includes a lip portion 40a that protrudes toward the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The lip portion 40a is formed in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the seal member 40 along the circumferential direction of the seal member 40. For example, a pair of lip portions 40a are provided. Each lip portion 40a abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. When the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the first housing 20 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15, each lip portion 40a is crushed by abutting against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. As a result, each lip portion 40a is in close contact with the surface 15a of the outer wall 15, ensuring sealing performance. The protruding length of each lip portion 40a (depth of the groove between each lip portion 40a) is set to a uniform length around the entire circumference of the seal member 40, for example.

[0031] (Details of first fixed portion 21 and second fixed portion 33) 3, the first fixing portion 21 has a first axis CL1. The first axis CL1 is parallel to the axis L1 of the connector 10. The first axis CL1 coincides with the axis of the first insertion hole 21a and the axis of the first bolt B1.

[0032] The second fixing portion 33 has a second axis CL2. The second axis CL2 is parallel to the axis L1 of the connector 10. The second axis CL2 coincides with the axis of the second insertion hole 33a and the axis of the second bolt B2.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the angle between the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2 centered on the axis L1 is defined as θ [°]. The angle θ is set within the range of 90°<θ<270°. The angle θ in this embodiment is set within the above range of 170°<θ<190°. Furthermore, the angle θ in this embodiment is set to 180° within the range of 170°<θ<190°. That is, the first fixed portion 21 and the second fixed portion 33 are provided at positions that are point-symmetric with respect to the axis L1.

[0034] The operation of this embodiment will be described. When assembling the connector 10, first, the first connector 11 is assembled to the outer wall 15 of the equipment housing 13. More specifically, the first fixing portion 21 of the first housing 20 is fastened to the outer wall 15 by the first bolt B1. At this time, the seal member 40 provided in the seal mounting groove 24 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 around the opening 14 in the axial direction. That is, the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the seal mounting groove 24 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the axial direction.

[0035] 5 shows a state in which the first connector 11 is fixed to the outer wall 15 and before the second connector 12 is attached. In this state, the first fixing portion 21 is fixed to the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 by the fastening force of the first bolt B1. At this time, since the first housing 20 has only one fixing point to the outer wall 15, the first fixing portion 21, as shown in FIG. 5, the 180° opposite side of the first fixing portion 21 in the first housing 20 is raised from the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 by the elasticity of the seal member 40. Even in such a state, in this embodiment, due to the above-mentioned thickness setting of the seal member 40, a gap is unlikely to occur between the seal member 40 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15.

[0036] After the first connector 11 is attached to the outer wall 15, the second connector 12 is fitted to the first connector 11 in a fitting direction D1. At this time, in order to apply a fitting force in the fitting direction D1 to the second connector 12, the second fixing portion 33 of the outer housing 32 is fastened and fixed to the outer wall 15 by the second bolt B2. Due to the fastening force of this second bolt B2, the portion of the first housing 20 that is raised from the outer wall 15, i.e., the portion 180° opposite to the first fixing portion 21, comes into contact with the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. In this manner, the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 are fastened by the first bolt B1 and the second bolt B2, respectively, so that the first housing 20 is fixed to the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in a state in which the entire circumferential direction of the seal member 40 is compressed in the axial direction.

[0037] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The first housing 20 has a first fixing portion 21 fixed to the outer wall 15 by a first bolt B1 and a seal mounting groove 24 facing the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. The second housing 30 has a second fixing portion 33 fixed to the outer wall 15 by a second bolt B2 attached in the fitting direction D1. The seal member 40 attached to the seal mounting groove 24 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. According to this configuration, the first housing 20 and the device housing 13 are sealed by the seal member 40 abutting against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 in the fitting direction D1 of the second housing 30. Therefore, since there is no configuration for sealing between the insertion portion 22 of the first housing 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the opening 14, it is possible to ensure sealing between the first housing 20 and the outer wall 15 regardless of the thickness of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13.

[0038] (2) The seal member 40 is annular about the axis L1 of the connector 10. The first housing 20 has only one first fixing portion 21. The second housing 30 has only one second fixing portion 33. The angle θ between the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 about the axis L1 is set within a range of 90°<θ<270°. According to this configuration, since there is only one each of the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33, it is possible to reduce the number of bolt fixing steps in the assembly work of the connector 10. In addition, since there is only one each of the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33, it is possible to contribute to the miniaturization of the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis L1. The angle θ between the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 about the axis L1 is set within a range of 90°<θ<270°. This allows the sealing member 40 to be brought into contact with the outer wall 15 in a well-balanced manner in the circumferential direction by the fixing forces of the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 against the outer wall 15. As a result, the sealing performance of the sealing member 40 can be improved.

[0039] (3) The angle θ is set within the range of 170°<θ<190°. This configuration allows the seal member 40 to abut against the outer wall 15 in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction. As a result, the sealing performance of the seal member 40 can be further improved.

[0040] (4) The angle θ is set to 180°. With this configuration, it is possible to bring the seal member 40 into contact with the outer wall 15 in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to further improve the sealing performance of the seal member 40.

[0041] (5) The seal member 40 has a first portion 41 closest to the first fixed portion 21 and a second portion 42 located 180° opposite to the first portion 41 with respect to the axis L1 as the center. The thickness of the seal member 40 in the direction along the axis L1 is smallest at the first portion 41, increases from the first portion 41 to the second portion 42, and is largest at the second portion 42. Before the second connector 12 is connected, the 180° opposite side of the first fixed portion 21 in the first housing 20 may lift up from the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. Even in such a state, in the above configuration, the thickness of the second portion 42 of the seal member 40 is increased, so that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a gap between the seal member 40 and the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13.

[0042] (Example of change) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.

[0043] The outer housing 32 may be omitted from the second housing 30 in the above embodiment. In this case, the second fixing portion 33 may be provided on the inner housing 31. The first housing 20 may have two or more first fixing portions 21. Furthermore, the second housing 30 may have two or more second fixing portions 33.

[0044] The thickness of the seal member 40 in the axial direction may be uniform over the entire circumferential direction. In the above embodiment, the angle θ between the first fixed portion 21 (first axis CL1) and the second fixed portion 33 (second axis CL2) centered on the axis L1 may be set within the range of 90°<θ<270°.

[0045] In the seal member 40 of the above embodiment, the number of the lip portions 40a that come into contact with the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the equipment housing 13 may be one or three or more. In the seal member 40 of the above embodiment, the protruding length of the lip portions 40a in the axial direction (the depth of the groove between the lip portions 40a) may correspond to the thickness of the seal member 40. In other words, the protruding length of the lip portions 40a may be set to be smallest at a position corresponding to the first portion 41, gradually increase from the position corresponding to the first portion 41 to a position corresponding to the second portion 42, and be largest at the position corresponding to the second portion 42.

[0046] The embodiments and modified examples disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Connectors 11 First connector 12 Second Connector 13 Equipment housing 14 Openings 15 Exterior Wall 15a surface 16 First screw hole 17 Second screw hole 18 Positioning protrusion 20 1st Housing 21 1st fixed part 21a First insertion hole 22 Insertion section 23 Positioning recess 24 Seal mounting groove 25 1st terminal 26 First Electric Wire 30 Second Housing 31 Inner housing 32 Outer housing 33 Second fixed part 33a Second insertion hole 34 2nd terminal 35 Second Wire 40 Sealing material 40a Lip 41 Part 1 42 Part 2 θ angle B1 First Bolt B2 Second bolt CL1 1st axis CL2 2nd axis D1 Mating direction L1 Connector axis

Claims

1. a first connector secured to the device housing; a second connector connected to the first connector; a seal member for sealing between the first connector and the device housing; A connector comprising: the device housing includes an outer wall having an opening; the first connector has a first housing fixed to a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall; the second connector has a second housing that is fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along an axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt, and a seal mounting groove facing a surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, The seal member attached to the seal attachment groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction. connector.

2. The seal member is annular about the axis, the first housing has only one first fixing portion, the second housing has only one second fixing portion, The angle θ [°] between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion about the axis is set within a range of 90°<θ<270°. The connector of claim 1 .

3. The angle θ is set to 180°. The connector according to claim 2.

4. The seal member has a first portion closest to the first fixed portion and a second portion located 180° opposite to the first portion about the axis, a thickness of the seal member in a direction along the axis is smallest at the first portion, increases from the first portion to the second portion, and is largest at the second portion; 4. The connector according to claim 2 or 3.

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