Connector

Abstract

To provide a technique which reduces an amount protruding to the back side of a panel in a connector attached to an attachment hole of the panel.SOLUTION: A connector 10 includes: a connector body 12 formed in a cylindrical shape; and a retainer 14 formed in a cylindrical shape and fitted on the connector body 12. The connector body 12 has: an insertion part inserted through an attachment hole into a housing space; and a protruding part protruding from an outer surface of the insertion part in a radial outer direction. The retainer 14 has: a flange part protruding in a radial outer direction; and an engagement part engaged with the connector body 12 and restricting the retainer 14 from moving to be detached from the connector body 12. The protruding part can pass through a recessed part formed recessed at an edge of the attachment hole, and is engaged with a rear surface of the panel by rotation of the connector body 12 to complete the attachment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector that is mounted in a mounting hole in a panel. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a flow connector assembly for the flow of liquids such as coolants. The flow connector assembly has a ring-shaped snap-on module configured to fit into a protruding collar structure surrounding an orifice in a metal plate. The snap-on module has a cylindrical insert portion that is inserted into the orifice and a plurality of latches having snap-fit ​​protrusions that protrude radially outward from the cylindrical insert portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-514204 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a snap-fit ​​structure for fixing to the plate, so that the amount of protrusion on the back side of the plate is large.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for reducing the amount of a connector that protrudes from a rear side of a panel when the connector is attached to a mounting hole in the panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a connector that is fixed to a mounting hole in a panel that forms a storage space that stores a fluid and communicates with the storage space, and includes a cylindrical connector body and a cylindrical retainer that is fitted onto the connector body. The connector body has an insertion portion that is inserted into the storage space from the mounting hole and a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from an outer surface of the insertion portion. The retainer has a flange portion that protrudes radially outward and a locking portion that locks with the connector body to limit the movement of the retainer from the connector body. The protrusion can pass through a recess that is recessed into the edge of the mounting hole, and is locked to the back surface of the panel by rotation of the connector body to complete the installation.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is also a connector. This connector is fixed to a mounting hole in a panel that forms a storage space that stores a fluid and communicates with the storage space, and includes a cylindrical connector body and a cylindrical retainer that is fitted onto the connector body. The connector body has an insertion portion that is inserted into the storage space from the mounting hole, and a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the insertion portion. The retainer has a locking portion that engages with the connector body to limit the movement of the retainer to come off the connector body, a first rotation restricting portion that engages with the panel to restrict the retainer from rotating relative to the panel, and a second rotation restricting portion that engages with the connector body to restrict the retainer from rotating in one direction around the axis of the connector body. The protrusion can pass through a recess that is recessed into the edge of the mounting hole, and is engaged with the rear surface of the panel by rotation of the connector body to complete the installation. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a fastener can be provided which prevents the entire fastener from coming off the mounting hole even if the fastener main body comes off the mounting hole, thereby improving mountability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2]FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of the connector body, and FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the connector body. [Figure 4] 4(a) is a perspective view of the retainer, FIG. 4(b) is a top view of the retainer, and FIG. 4(b) is a bottom view of the retainer. [Diagram 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector shown in FIG. 1(b) taken along line AA. [Figure 6] 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector taken along line BB. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the connector as viewed from the back side of the panel. [Figure 8] 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the connector in the attached state taken along line CC shown in FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the connector shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 1(a) is a view of the connector 10 seen from above, and Fig. 1(b) is a view of the connector 10 seen from below. The connector 10 shown in Fig. 1 is in a shipping state, prior to being fixed into a mounting hole in a panel, which will be described later.

[0011] The panel to which the connector 10 is fixed constitutes, for example, a cooling tank provided in a cooling circuit of a vehicle, and forms a storage space for storing a fluid such as a coolant. The connector 10 is connected to a pipe or the like connecting the cooling tank and a radiator, and communicates with the storage space of the cooling tank. This allows the coolant to circulate from the cooling tank through the connector 10 to the radiator. The cooling tank is attached to an on-board component that is prone to heating, such as a battery. If the vehicle battery is placed at the bottom of the passenger compartment, the cooling tank will be very thin.

[0012] The connector 10 includes a connector body 12, a retainer 14, a first O-ring (not shown), and a second O-ring 18. The connector body 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The retainer 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape and fitted onto the connector body 12.

[0013] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the connector 10. Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view of the connector body 12, and Fig. 3(b) is a side view of the connector body 12. Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the retainer 14, and Fig. 4(b) is a top view of the retainer 14, and Fig. 4(b) is a bottom view of the retainer 14.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the connector body 12 has a connecting portion 20, a handle portion 22, an insertion portion 24, a protruding portion 26, a circumferential groove portion 28, a locked portion 30, a first engaging portion 32a, a second engaging portion 32b, a communicating hole 34 and a large diameter portion 36.

[0015] The connecting portion 20 is located at one end of the connector body 12 and is connected to a pipe, a joint, etc. The handle portions 22 are formed as a pair so as to protrude radially outward.

[0016] The insertion portion 24 is located at the other end of the connector body 12 and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The insertion portion 24 is inserted into a mounting hole in a panel. The protrusions 26 are formed in a pair of rectangular prism shapes and are located at the tip of the insertion portion 24. The pair of protrusions 26 protrude radially outward from the outer surface of the insertion portion 24, protruding in opposite directions to each other.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the protrusion 26 has a locking surface 26b located on the upper surface of the protrusion 26 and a tapered surface 26a formed on the locking surface 26b. The locking surface 26b locks onto the rear surface of the panel when installation is complete. The tapered surface 26a is inclined along the direction around the axis of the connector body 12. The tapered surface 26a is inclined so as to rise from the circumferential end of the locking surface 26b toward the center of the locking surface 26b.

[0018] The circumferential groove portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the connector body 12, and is located axially between the insertion portion 24 and the locked portion 30. The circumferential groove portion holds the second O-ring .

[0019] The locked portions 30 are formed as a pair of recesses on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 36, forming a step on which the retainer 14 is hooked. The large diameter portion 36 is formed to have a diameter larger than that of the circumferential groove portion 28.

[0020] The first engagement portion 32a and the second engagement portion 32b are each formed as a pair by being recessed into the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter portion 36. The first engagement portion 32a and the second engagement portion 32b are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction.

[0021] The first engaging portion 32a and the second engaging portion 32b have different shapes, and the first engaging portion 32a is opened so as to be cut out on the side of the insertion portion 24, but the second engaging portion 32b is not opened on the side of the insertion portion 24. This makes it easier for the first engaging portion 32a to receive the elastic claws of the retainer 14. The first engaging portion 32a and the second engaging portion 32b are formed to be recessed in a triangular shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0022] The communication hole 34 is defined by the inner circumferential surface of the connector body 12 and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The communication hole 34 is formed penetrating the center of the connector body 12.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(c), the retainer 14 has a cylindrical portion 40, a flange portion 42, a locking portion 44, a first rotation restricting portion 48, a second rotation restricting portion 46, a protrusion portion 50, a slit portion 52, an annular groove portion 54 and a convex portion 56.

[0024] The flange portion 42 is formed so as to protrude radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion 40. The locking portion 44 is formed so as to protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 40. The locking portion 44 is formed as an elastic claw so as to be flexible in the radial direction. A pair of the locking portions 44 are formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis. The locking portions 44 are inclined so as to protrude radially inward from above to below.

[0025] The first rotation restricting portion 48 is formed to protrude downward from the inner circumferential surface of the retainer 14. A pair of first rotation restricting portions 48 are formed symmetrically about the central axis. The first rotation restricting portion 48 is formed in a rectangular column shape, protrudes downward beyond the flange portion 42, and can enter the mounting hole of the panel.

[0026] The second rotation restricting portion 46 is formed so as to protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 40. The second rotation restricting portion 46 is formed as an elastic claw so as to be flexible in the radial direction. A pair of the second rotation restricting portions 46 are formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis. While the locking portion 44 extends downward, the second rotation restricting portion 46 extends in the circumferential direction.

[0027] 4(a), the second rotation restricting portion 46 has an inclined surface 46a on the upper surface side. The inclined surface 46a is inclined so that the tip end of the second rotation restricting portion 46 tapers radially inward. This makes it easier to guide the second rotation restricting portion 46 into the first engagement portion 32a of the connector main body 12.

[0028] 4(b), the protruding portion 50 is formed so as to protrude radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the retainer 14, and is formed in an arc shape so as to extend circumferentially. The protruding portion 50 can ensure a sufficient width of the annular groove portion 54.

[0029] The slit portion 52 is formed by cutting out the overhanging portion 50 along the axial direction to allow the passage of the protrusion portion 26 of the connector body 12. This allows the protrusion portion 26 to pass through the slit portion 52 and protrude below the flange portion 42 when the connector body 12 and the retainer 14 are integrated.

[0030] The annular groove portion 54 is recessed into the lower surface of the flange portion 42. This allows the flange portion 42 to accommodate the first O-ring 16. The convex portion 56 is formed to protrude into the annular groove portion 54 and abuts against the first O-ring 16 accommodated in the annular groove portion 54. This makes it difficult for the first O-ring 16 to come off from the annular groove portion 54. The convex portion 56 protrudes radially outward and is positioned 45 degrees offset from the slit portion 52.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connector 10 shown in FIG. 1(b) taken along the line AA. In FIG. 5, a panel 60 is shown by a broken line. The first O-ring 16 is accommodated in the annular groove 54, protrudes slightly downward from the annular groove 54, and abuts against the surface of the panel 60. This allows the first O-ring 16 to abut against the flange 42 of the retainer 14 and the surface of the panel 60 to provide a sealing function. The second O-ring 18 is accommodated in the circumferential groove 28, protrudes slightly radially outward from the circumferential groove 28, and abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 40. This allows the second O-ring 18 to abut against the outer circumferential surface of the connector body 12 and the inner circumferential surface of the retainer 14 to provide a sealing function.

[0032] The first rotation restricting portion 48 protrudes downward beyond the flange portion 42 and can enter the mounting hole 60a of the panel 60. The second rotation restricting portion 46 engages with the first engagement portion 32a. Since the lower part of the first engagement portion 32a is open, it is easy to insert the second rotation restricting portion 46 from below the first engagement portion 32a.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector 10 shown in Fig. 1(b) taken along line BB. A panel 60 is indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 6. The locking portion 44 of the retainer 14 locks with the locked portion 30 of the connector body 12, restricting the movement of the retainer 14 to come off from the connector body 12. The locking portion 44 is formed in a convex shape and the locked portion 30 is formed in a concave shape, but the convex-concave relationship may be reversed.

[0034] When the connector body 12 and the retainer 14 are assembled, the protrusion 26 passes through the slit 52 and protrudes below the flange 42. The retainer 14 is provided with the slit 52 that allows the protrusion 26 to pass through, while the overhang 50 overhangs so as to be close to the connector body 12. The overhang 50 being close to the outer periphery of the connector body 12 suppresses axial wobble of the connector body 12, stabilizing rotation of the connector body 12 about its axis. When the retainer 14 is pressed axially into the connector body 12 during assembly, the locking portion 44 can easily lock onto the locked portion 30 because it is an elastic claw.

[0035] The insertion portion 24 is inserted into the accommodation space on the rear side of the panel 60 through the mounting hole 60a of the panel 60, and the protruding portion 26 passes through the first recess 64 of the mounting hole 60a and protrudes to the rear side of the panel 60. In Figure 6, the connector 10 has not yet been completely attached to the panel 60, so the protruding portion 26 is not in a position to be caught by the panel 60.

[0036] Fig. 7 shows the connector 10 as seen from the back side of the panel 60. Fig. 7(a) shows the connector 10 in its shipped condition immediately after being inserted into the mounting hole 60a of the panel 60 and before the connector body 12 is rotated. Fig. 7(b) shows the connector body 12 shown in Fig. 7(a) after being rotated in the direction of the arrow to complete mounting.

[0037] The mounting hole 60a of the panel 60 has a first recess 64 and a second recess 62. The first recess 64 is formed so as to radially recess the edge of the mounting hole 60a, and is formed according to the shape of the protrusion 26. The second recess 62 is formed so as to radially recess the edge of the mounting hole 60a, and is formed according to the shape of the first rotation restricting portion 48. The first recess 64 and the second recess 62 are each formed in a pair, and are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the first rotation restricting portion 48 of the retainer 14 fits into the second recess 62. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7(a), the protruding portion 26 of the connector main body 12 passes through the first recess 64 and protrudes to the back side of the panel 60.

[0039] The user grasps the handle portion 22 of the connector body 12 and rotates the connector body 12 in one direction. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the rotation of the connector body 12 rotates the protrusion 26 in a direction away from the first recess 64 and engages with the back surface of the panel 60, completing the attachment of the connector 10. As a result, the protrusion 26 rotates and hooks onto the panel 60, so that the amount by which the protrusion 26 protrudes to the back surface of the panel 60 can be reduced while ensuring a sufficient hooking margin on the panel 60. This makes it easier to attach the connector 10 to a thin cooling tank.

[0040] When the connector body 12 is rotated, the retainer 14 does not rotate due to the engagement between the first rotation restricting portion 48 and the second recess 62. In this manner, the first rotation restricting portion 48 engages with the panel 60 to restrict the retainer 14 from rotating relative to the panel 60. This makes it possible to restrict the retainer 14 from rotating together with the connector body 12.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the connector 10 along line CC in the attached state shown in Fig. 7(b). In the attached state, the protrusion 26 is rotated 45 degrees from the first recess 64. The convex portion 56 is positioned on the front side of the panel 60 so as to overlap the protrusion 26 in the attached state. In other words, in the attached state, the protrusion 26 and the convex portion 56 sandwich the panel 60. Therefore, the convex portion 56 can support the locked state of the protrusion 26. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the thin panel 60.

[0042] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the connector 10 shown in Fig. 1(a) taken along the line AA. Fig. 9(a) shows the connector 10 as shipped immediately after it has been inserted into the mounting hole 60a of the panel 60 and before the connector body 12 has been rotated. Fig. 9(b) shows the connector body 12 shown in Fig. 9(a) after it has been rotated in the direction of the arrow to complete mounting. The connector 10 shown in Fig. 7(b) and the connector 10 shown in Fig. 9(b) are viewed in opposite directions, so the arrows point in opposite directions.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 9(a), the locking portion 44 locks with the locked portion 30. The second rotation restricting portion 46 engages with the first engaging portion 32a of the connector body 12 and restricts rotation of the retainer 14 in one direction, i.e., counterclockwise rotation in Fig. 9(a). This prevents the user from rotating the connector body 12 in the wrong direction during installation.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9(b), when the connector body 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the second rotation restricting portion 46 moves from the first engagement portion 32a to the second engagement portion 32b and engages with the second engagement portion 32b. Since the first rotation restricting portion 48 abuts against the panel 60 and restricts the rotation of the retainer 14, the connector body 12 and the retainer 14 rotate relative to each other when the connector body 12 rotates. This allows the connector 10 to reach an attachment completion state in which it has rotated by a predetermined angle, and the protrusion 26 can be locked at an appropriate position. Therefore, if the user rotates the connector body 12 in a rotatable direction, the connector body 12 is stopped by the second rotation restricting portion 46, and the user can recognize that attachment is complete.

[0045] Since the locked portion 30 has a circumferential width that allows a rotation angle of 45 degrees, the locking portion 44 can maintain its locked state with the locked portion 30 even if the connector body 12 rotates.

[0046] When the connector body 12 rotates, the tapered surface 26a comes into contact with the edge of the mounting hole 60a and slides in response to the rotation. Although the lowest part of the tapered surface 26a is located on the rear side of the mounting hole 60a, the higher part of the tapered surface 26a does not protrude from the rear side of the mounting hole 60a. Therefore, when the protrusion 26 rotates, the entire locking surface 26b of the protrusion 26 is guided to the rear side of the mounting hole 60a along the tapered surface 26a. This causes the connector body 12 and the retainer 14 to move downward, and the first O-ring 16 is pressed against the panel 60, increasing the sealing force.

[0047] The second rotation restricting portion 46 is a radially flexible elastic claw, and is exposed to the outside as shown in Fig. 5. This allows the user to remove the second rotation restricting portion 46 from the second engagement portion 32b, and rotate the connector main body 12 in the removal direction. This allows the user to remove the connector 10 from the panel 60 and replace the cooling tank on the panel 60 side.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes may be made to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modified embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0049] In the embodiment, the recessed locked portion 30 and the protruding locking portion 44 are locked, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the relationship between the recessed and protruding locked portions 30 and 44 may be reversed, and the locked portion 30 may protrude and the locking portion 44 may be recessed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 connector, 12 connector body, 14 retainer, 16 first O-ring, 18 second O-ring, 20 connecting portion, 22 handle portion, 24 insertion portion, 26 protruding portion, 26a tapered surface, 26b locking surface, 28 circumferential groove portion, 30 locked portion, 32a first engaging portion, 32b second engaging portion, 32 recessed portion, 34 communication hole, 36 large diameter portion, 40 cylindrical portion, 42 flange portion, 44 locking portion, 46 second rotation restricting portion, 46a inclined surface, 48 first rotation restricting portion, 50 protruding portion, 52 slit portion, 54 annular groove portion, 56 convex portion, 60 panel, 60a mounting hole, 62 second recessed portion, 64 First recess.

Claims

1. A connector that is fixed to a mounting hole in a panel that defines an accommodation space for accommodating a fluid and communicates with the accommodation space, A connector body formed in a cylindrical shape; a retainer formed in a cylindrical shape and fitted onto the connector body; The connector body includes: an insertion portion that is inserted into the accommodation space through the mounting hole; a protrusion protruding radially outward from an outer surface of the insertion portion, The retainer includes: A flange portion that protrudes outward in a radial direction; a locking portion that locks to the connector body to limit the movement of the retainer from being removed from the connector body, The connector is characterized in that the protrusion can pass through a recess formed in the edge of the mounting hole, and is engaged with the back surface of the panel by rotating the connector body to complete the installation state.

2. The retainer includes: a first rotation restricting portion that engages with the panel to restrict rotation of the retainer relative to the panel; 2. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a second rotation restricting portion that engages with the connector body to restrict rotation of the retainer in one direction about the axis of the connector body.

3. Further comprising an O-ring; The flange portion accommodates the O-ring, The O-ring abuts against the flange portion and a surface of the panel, The protrusion is A locking surface that locks onto the rear surface of the panel; a tapered surface formed on the locking surface and inclined along a direction around the axis of the connector body, 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the tapered surface abuts against an edge of the mounting hole when the connector body is rotated.

4. The retainer includes: a protruding portion formed in a circumferential direction and protruding radially inward from an inner peripheral surface of the retainer; The connector according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a slit portion formed by cutting out the protruding portion in the axial direction to allow the protrusion to pass therethrough.

5. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the second rotation restricting portion is a radially deflectable elastic claw that is exposed to the outside.

6. A connector that is fixed to a mounting hole in a panel that defines an accommodation space for accommodating a fluid and communicates with the accommodation space, A connector body formed in a cylindrical shape; a retainer formed in a cylindrical shape and fitted onto the connector body; The connector body includes: an insertion portion that is inserted into the accommodation space through the mounting hole; a protrusion protruding radially outward from an outer surface of the insertion portion, The retainer includes: a locking portion that locks to the connector body to limit movement of the retainer from the connector body; a first rotation restricting portion that engages with the panel to restrict rotation of the retainer relative to the panel; a second rotation restricting portion that engages with the connector body to restrict rotation of the retainer in one direction around the axis of the connector body, The connector is characterized in that the protrusion can pass through a recess formed in the edge of the mounting hole, and is engaged with the back surface of the panel by rotating the connector body to complete the installation state.

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