Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of improving a life of a filter.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: a housing 10 that includes an electric path 18 that is conducted to ann internal part and an external part of a case 100 housing an electric device, and a ventilation path 17 that is communicated with the internal part and the external part of the case 100; an O-ring 20 as a seal member that is held by an external peripheral groove 11d of the housing 10, and seals water of a space from assembling hole parts 100c; a cylinder part 16 that is projected from an external surface part 11b of the housing 10, and contains in its inner periphery, an external side ventilation port 17a as one ventilation port of the ventilation path 17; a filter 30 that is fixed to the internal part of the cylinder part 16 so as to block the external side ventilation port 17a, permits passing of gas, and does not permit passing of liquid; and a cap 40 that is attached to the cylinder part 16 so as to be freely detached while covering the cylinder part 16, and communicates the external side ventilation port 17a and the external part of the case 100 via a gap space S1 that is opposite to an external peripheral part 16b pf the cylinder part 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is a connector that is attached to a case that houses an electric device such as a motor and has an air passage for ensuring air circulation between the inside and outside of the case. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology related to a breathable connector in which a permeable membrane (filter) that has air circulation but suppresses the passage of liquid is arranged so as to block a communication passage as an air passage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-15901 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the ventilated connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the entrance of the communication passage is open facing the outside of the case, so if foreign matter such as mud gets into the communication passage and adheres to the permeable membrane, the permeable membrane needs to be replaced early, which raises concerns about increased maintenance costs. In addition, because the permeable membrane is arranged inside the case, it is difficult to clean the permeable membrane even if foreign matter adheres to it.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems inherent in the conventional techniques, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that improves the life of a filter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connector according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing that is assembled to an assembly hole of a case that houses an electrical device, the housing having an electrical path connecting the inside and outside of the case and an air passage connecting the inside and outside of the case, a sealing member that is held in an outer groove of the housing and seals off water between the assembly hole, a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the outer surface of the housing and includes an outer air vent on its inner circumference, which is one of the air vents of the air passage, a filter that is fixed inside the cylindrical portion so as to block the outer air vent and allows gas to pass but not liquid to pass through, and a cap that is attached to the cylindrical portion so as to be freely removable so as to cover the cylindrical portion, the cap connecting the outer air vent to the outside of the case through a gap space facing the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that improves the life of a filter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of a connector according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housing corresponding to III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap, partly in cross section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector to which a pad is connected. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the pad is attracted, corresponding to the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state during suction of the pad, corresponding to the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 8 is a partially enlarged view of a cross section of the pad corresponding to VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an evaluation jig according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a preparation stage for a water stoppage evaluation using an evaluation jig. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector and an evaluation jig during a waterproofing evaluation. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connector and an evaluation unit during a waterproofing evaluation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a connector according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a partially exploded view of the connector 1. Fig. 2 shows a state before a filter 30 and a cap 40 are attached to a housing 10.

[0011] The connector 1 is assembled into an assembly hole 100c of a case 100 (see FIG. 3) that houses an electric device. The connector 1 electrically connects the electric device inside the case 100 to a power source outside the case 100 while preventing moisture from entering the case 100 from the outside. Such a connector is sometimes called a waterproof connector. The electric device is, for example, a motor. When the electric device is a motor, the case 100 is sometimes called a motor housing. The opening shape of the assembly hole 100c is circular.

[0012] The connector 1 includes a housing 10, an O-ring 20, a filter 30, and a cap 40.

[0013] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housing 10 corresponding to III-III in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, the housing 10 is cut by an imaginary plane including both a first central axis AX1, which is the central axis of the columnar body of the housing main body 11, and a second central axis AX2, which is the central axis of the linearly extending air passage 17. Hereinafter, the Z direction indicates the assembly direction of the connector 1 to the assembly hole 100c. In this embodiment, the first central axis AX1 and the second central axis AX2 are each along the Z direction. In addition, with respect to the case 100, the surface facing the outside is referred to as the outer surface 100a, and the surface facing the inside is referred to as the inner surface 100b.

[0014] The housing 10 is a main body of the connector 1, and has an electrical path 18 that connects the inside and outside of the case 100, and an air passage 17 that connects the inside and outside of the case 100. The housing 10 has a housing main body 11, an inner connector portion 12, an outer connector portion 13, an inner terminal 14, an outer terminal 15, and a cylindrical portion 16.

[0015] The housing body 11 is a columnar body having an outer circumferential portion 11a with an outer circumferential diameter set so that at least a part of the outer circumferential portion 11a is received in the mounting hole 100c when the connector 1 is mounted in the mounting hole 100c. However, the housing body 11 may be formed as a structure having a plurality of spatial regions therein, for example, in order to reduce weight while ensuring rigidity.

[0016] The housing body 11 also has an air passage 17 extending along the Z direction. An outer air vent 17a, which is one of the air vents of the air passage 17, is located on the outer surface portion 11b of the housing body 11. An inner air vent 17b, which is the other of the air vents of the air passage 17, is located on the inner surface portion 11c of the housing body 11. Here, the surfaces of the outer surface portion 11b and the inner surface portion 11c are flat surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction. That is, the inner air vent 17b is opened in accordance with the Z direction so as to be exposed to the inside of the case 100. Therefore, for example, the height of the connector 1 along the Z direction can be set lower than when such an air vent is opened in a direction perpendicular to the Z direction, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the connector 1. In this embodiment, the opening shape of the air passage 17 is circular.

[0017] Furthermore, the housing body 11 has an electrical path 18. The electrical path 18 is a wiring portion made of a conductive material embedded inside the housing body 11. The electrical path 18 includes a plurality of wires corresponding to the number of poles of the inner terminal 14 and the outer terminal 15. Note that in FIG. 3, the electrical path 18 is simply indicated by a single dashed line.

[0018] The inner connector portion 12 is provided on the inner surface portion 11c of the housing body 11, and is fitted with a first male connector (not shown) provided on an electric wire from an electric device accommodated inside the case 100. The inner connector portion 12 is located inside the outer circumferential portion 11a when viewed in the Z direction so as not to impede the assembly of the connector 1 into the assembly hole portion 100c. Note that a part of the inner connector portion 12 may be disposed to face the inner ventilation port 17b in the Z direction as shown in FIG. 3, as long as it does not block the inner ventilation port 17b.

[0019] The outer connector portion 13 is provided on the outer surface portion 11b of the housing body 11, and a second male connector (not shown) provided on an electric wire routed outside the case 100 is fitted into the outer connector portion 13.

[0020] The inner terminal 14 is a male terminal supported inside the inner connector portion 12, and is connected to a female terminal in the first male connector when the first male connector is mated with the inner connector portion 12. The inner terminal 14 is connected to one end of an electrical path 18.

[0021] The outer terminal 15 is a male terminal supported inside the outer connector portion 13, and is connected to a female terminal in the second male connector when the second male connector is fitted to the outer connector portion 13. The outer terminal 15 is connected to the other end of the electrical path 18.

[0022] The cylindrical portion 16 is provided so as to protrude from the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10, and is an attachment portion for attaching a cap 40 that is separate from the housing 10. The cylindrical portion 16 includes an outer vent port 17a of the ventilation passage 17 on its inner circumference. In other words, the inner space of the cylindrical portion 16 is a part of the ventilation passage 17, and the central axis of the cylindrical portion 16 is coaxial with the second central axis AX2.

[0023] The cylindrical portion 16 has an annular bottom surface 16a whose center axis is the second center axis AX2 and whose height along the Z direction is set to be one step lower than the tip of the cylindrical portion 16. In other words, the inner peripheral end of the annular bottom surface 16a is the outer ventilation port 17a. The filter 30 is placed and joined on the annular bottom surface 16a.

[0024] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 16 has a locking groove 16c formed along a part of the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential portion 16b. When the cap 40 is attached to the cylindrical portion 16, the locking groove 16c locks a locking protrusion 43 provided on the cap 40.

[0025] Such a housing 10 may be manufactured by insert molding using a mold, for example, with a synthetic resin or the like as the material and the electrical path 18 as an insert part.

[0026] The O-ring 20 is an example of an annular seal member that is held in an outer circumferential groove 11d formed along the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential portion 11a of the housing body 11 and seals the gap between the housing 10 and the assembly hole 100c.

[0027] The filter 30 prevents water and foreign matter such as mud from entering from the outside of the case 100 to the inside through the ventilation passage 17. A material that at least allows gas to pass through but does not allow liquid to pass through is selected for the filter 30. The filter 30 is fixed to the annular bottom surface 16a formed inside the cylindrical portion 16 so as to close the outer ventilation port 17a. At this time, the filter 30 may be joined to the annular bottom surface 16a by welding.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cap 40, partly drawn in cross-section.

[0029] The cap 40 is attached to the cylindrical portion 16 so as to cover the cylindrical portion 16. Hereinafter, the state in which the cap 40 is attached to the cylindrical portion 16 will be abbreviated as “when the cap is attached.” The cap 40 has an annular side wall 41 and a disk wall 42.

[0030] One annular end of the annular side wall 41 is continuous with the outer circumferential end of the disk wall 42. The other annular end of the annular side wall 41 is an open end 41a. An inner surface portion 41c of the annular side wall 41 is shaped to face an outer circumferential portion 16b of the cylindrical portion 16 when the cap is attached, forming a gap space S1 (see FIG. 8) around the entire circumference.

[0031] The cap 40 also has a locking projection 43 on the inner surface portion 41c of the annular side wall 41. As described above, the locking projection 43 is locked into the locking groove 16c of the cylindrical portion 16 when the cap is attached. This allows the cap 40 to be held on the cylindrical portion 16 while maintaining the gap space S1. The locking groove 16c and the locking projection 43 have a relationship that can easily change between an engaged state and an unengaged state. Therefore, the cap 40 can be freely attached to and detached from the cylindrical portion 16.

[0032] The disk wall 42 corresponds to the top plate of the cap 40. The inner surface 42b of the disk wall 42 does not come into contact with the cylindrical portion 16, even when the cap is attached, because the open end 41a abuts against the smooth surface 11e of the housing body 11 (see FIG. 8). Therefore, when the cap 40 is attached, the outer vent 17a can communicate with the outside of the case 100 through the gap space S1. In addition, the disk wall 42 may have a cylindrical protrusion 44 in the center of the top surface portion 42a, which can be used, for example, to distinguish the front and back of the cap 40 when the cap is attached.

[0033] Furthermore, the cap 40 has a plurality of outer grooves 45. Each outer groove 45 is a groove in which a first groove 45a, a second groove 45b, and a third groove 45c are continuous. The first groove 45a is formed in the opening end 41a of the annular side wall 41. The second groove 45b is formed in the outer side surface 41b of the annular side wall 41. The third groove 45c is formed in a part of the upper surface 42a of the disc wall 42. That is, each outer groove 45 extends from the opening end 41a to a part of the upper surface 42a through the outer side surface 41b. The multiple outer grooves 45 are provided at approximately equal intervals around the entire circumference of the annular side wall 41.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connector 1 with the pad 60 connected. In Fig. 5, it is assumed that the connector 1 is assembled into the assembly hole 100c (see Fig. 3) of the case 100. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the state before the pad 60 is suctioned, corresponding to VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state during suction of the pad 60, corresponding to VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged view of the cross-section of the pad 60, corresponding to VIII in Fig. 7. In Figs. 6 and 7, the pad 60 is arranged on the cap 40, and is cut by an imaginary plane including the second central axis AX2, which is the central axis of the air passage 17.

[0035] The pad 60 is used when evaluating the breathability of the connector 1 in a state in which the connector 1 is assembled in the assembly hole 100c. Specifically, evaluating the breathability of the connector 1 means evaluating the breathability of the filter 30. The pad 60 is disposed so as to cover the cap 40 attached to the cylindrical portion 16. The pad 60 integrally has a flange portion 61, a connection port portion 62, and a tip tube portion 63.

[0036] The flange portion 61 is a disk-shaped top plate portion. The center of the flange portion 61 is continuous with the connection port portion 62. The outer peripheral end of the flange portion 61 is continuous with the tip tube portion 63. When the pad 60 is placed on the cap 40, the central opening 61a of the flange portion 61 faces the tip corner portion of the protrusion portion 44 of the cap 40, and the back surface 61b of the flange portion 61 faces the upper surface portion 42a of the cap 40.

[0037] The connection port portion 62 has a communication passage 62a. One end of the communication passage 62a is continuous with the central opening 61a of the flange portion 61 and communicates with the inside of the tip tube portion 63. The other end of the communication passage 62a is an opening 62b to which a tip port 70a of a pipe 70 is connected via a fastener 71.

[0038] The tip tube portion 63 contains the cap 40 attached to the cylindrical portion 16. The tip tube portion 63 includes a tip ring portion 64 on the opposite side to the side connected to the flange portion 61. The tip ring portion 64 contacts a part of the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10. Here, it is desirable that at least the peripheral region of the cylindrical portion 16, specifically, the region including the part where the tip ring portion 64 contacts, of the outer surface portion 11b is a smooth surface 11e. Alternatively, the entire outer surface portion 11b may be a smooth surface. The tip tube portion 63 is set to have a smaller thickness than the flange portion 61 and the connection port portion 62. In particular, the tip ring portion 64 is deformed when adsorbed to the outer surface portion 11b. In addition, the tip tube portion 63 is set to a shape that forms a communication space S2 around the entire circumference in opposition to the inner surface portion 41c of the cap 40 when the tip tube portion 63 contains the cap 40.

[0039] Next, a procedure for evaluating the breathability using the pad 60 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the connector 1 is previously assembled to the assembly hole 100c of the case 100. Also, it is assumed that a pressure device (not shown) capable of applying negative pressure toward the pad 60 is previously connected to the connection port 62 of the pad 60 via a pipe 70 through a flow meter.

[0040] First, the worker places the pad 60 on the cap 40 of the connector 1. Then, the worker can check the degree of breathability of the filter 30 by checking the flow rate of the gas with a flow meter while applying negative pressure from the pad 60 as shown by the white arrow in FIG.

[0041] When negative pressure is applied to the pad 60 from the pipe 70, the tip ring 64 comes into close contact with the smooth surface 11e in the direction indicated by the black arrow in Fig. 7, and negative pressure is also applied to the filter 30. As described above, the cap 40 has a plurality of outer grooves 45 formed in advance. Therefore, even if the pad 60 comes into contact with a part of the cap 40, a continuous space is secured from the ventilation passage 17 through the filter 30, the gap space S1, and the outer grooves 45 to the communication passage 62a of the connection port 62, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0042] Next, the effects of the connector 1 will be described.

[0043] First, the connector 1 is assembled to an assembly hole 100c of a case 100 that houses an electrical device, and includes a housing 10 having an electric path 18 that connects the inside and outside of the case 100 and an air passage 17 that connects the inside and outside of the case 100. The connector 1 includes an O-ring 20 that is held in an outer peripheral groove 11d of the housing 10 and serves as a sealing member that seals off water between the assembly hole 100c and the connector 1. The connector 1 includes a cylindrical portion 16 that protrudes from an outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10 and includes an outer vent 17a, which is one of the vents of the air passage 17, on its inner circumference. The connector 1 includes a filter 30 that is fixed inside the cylindrical portion 16 so as to block the outer vent 17a, and that allows the passage of gas but does not allow the passage of liquid. The connector 1 also includes a cap 40 that is removably attached to the cylindrical portion 16 so as to cover the cylindrical portion 16, and that connects the outer ventilation port 17a to the outside of the case 100 through a gap space S1 that faces the outer periphery 16b of the cylindrical portion 16.

[0044] According to the connector 1, the filter 30 prevents the intrusion of water or mud from the outside of the case 100 to the inside through the ventilation passage 17. Here, in the connector 1, the filter 30 is further fixed to the cylindrical portion 16, and a cap 40 is attached to the cylindrical portion 16. When the cap is attached, the filter 30 is covered by the cap 40 while communication between the outer ventilation port 17a and the outside of the case 100 is ensured through the gap space S1, and therefore direct adhesion of water, mud, etc. to the filter 30 is prevented.

[0045] Furthermore, according to the connector 1, the filter 30 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 16 on the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10. Therefore, an operator can expose the filter 30 to the outside of the case 100 by appropriately removing the removable cap 40 from the cylindrical portion 16, and can then easily clean the filter 30.

[0046] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the connector 1 that improves the life of the filter 30. Furthermore, since the life of the filter 30 can be improved, it is also advantageous in that the maintenance costs of the connector 1 can be reduced.

[0047] Additionally, in connector 1, cap 40 may have an outer groove 45 that extends through outer surface portion 41b from open end 41a to a portion of top surface portion 42a.

[0048] Here, it is assumed that there is a pad 60 connected to the housing 10 so as to cover the cap 40 attached to the cylindrical portion 16 of the connector 1 as exemplified above. The pad 60 may have a tip tube portion 63 that contains the cap 40 when connected to the housing 10, and a tip ring portion 64 that contacts the smooth surface 11e that is a part of the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10 when the tip tube portion 63 contains the cap 40. In this case, the worker can directly connect the pad 60 to the housing 10 that is still assembled to the case 100 in the vehicle, and perform an evaluation of the breathability of the connector 1. At this time, the performance evaluation is performed while the connector 1 is in the so-called finished product state, so that a highly accurate evaluation result can be obtained easily without removing it from the case 100. In addition, when the connector 1 is assembled to the case 100, the O-ring 20 that is held in the outer circumferential groove 11d of the housing main body 11 and that seals the gap between the housing 10 and the assembly hole portion 100c is also assembled as it is. Therefore, according to the connector 1, the performance of the O-ring 20 can also be evaluated at the same time, and the evaluation results obtained from the performance evaluation will also be highly accurate.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the connector 1, the cap 40 has an outer groove portion 45, which prevents the pad 60 from sticking to the cap 40 when negative pressure is applied from the pad 60, for example, and allows the performance of the filter 30 to be confirmed in accordance with actual use.

[0050] Furthermore, in the connector 1, at least the area surrounding the cylindrical portion 16 of the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10 may be a smooth surface 11e.

[0051] For example, when the pad 60 is used for evaluating the performance of the connector 1, the tip ring 64 of the pad 60 covering the cap 40 comes into contact with the peripheral region of the cylindrical portion 16 on the outer surface 11b. According to the connector 1, the peripheral region of the cylindrical portion 16 with which the tip ring 64 comes into contact is the smooth surface 11e, so that when negative pressure is applied to the inside of the housing 10 via the pad 60, the outer surface 11b of the housing 10 and the tip ring 64 of the pad 60 can be easily brought into close contact with each other. In other words, leakage from between the outer surface 11b and the tip ring 64 can be prevented.

[0052] As described above, since the cap 40 has the outer groove portion 45, the sticking of the pad 60 can be prevented, and the size of the tip tube portion 63 can be set smaller. Therefore, the range of the smooth surface 11e can also be set narrower on the outer surface portion 11b of the housing 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the housing 10 from becoming larger due to the larger smooth surface 11e.

[0053] So far, the example has been described in which various performance evaluations are performed using pads 60 while connector 1 is still assembled to case 100. However, various performance evaluations regarding connector 1 may also be performed using an evaluation jig 50 described below.

[0054] 9 is a perspective view of the evaluation jig 50 used for evaluating the watertightness. Here, the evaluation of the watertightness of the connector 1 refers to reproducing a state in which the connector 1 is assembled into the assembly hole 100c using the evaluation jig 50, and evaluating the watertightness of the filter 30 or the O-ring 20. The evaluation jig 50 has a jig body 51 and a joint portion 53.

[0055] The jig body 51 is, for example, a flat block body made of metal. The jig body 51 has a mounting hole portion 52 for mounting the connector 1 and a side hole portion 53a. The mounting hole portion 52 includes an inner peripheral surface 52a corresponding to the assembly hole portion 100c, an opening surface 52b opening on the upper surface 51a of the jig body 51, and a bottom surface 52c continuing with the inner peripheral surface 52a. The size of the mounting hole portion 52 is specified on the condition that the connector 1 can be assembled at least assuming that the mounting hole portion 52 is the assembly hole portion 100c and the upper surface 51a is the outer surface 100a of the case 100. The side hole portion 53a communicates the inner peripheral surface 52a of the mounting hole portion 52 with the outside of the evaluation jig 50. In this embodiment, the side hole 53a communicates with the outside via a joint 53 provided on the side surface 51b of the jig body 51. In this case, a first opening 53b, which is one end of the side hole 53a, is provided at the tip of the joint 53 and opens to the outside. A second opening 53c, which is the other end of the side hole 53a, is provided on the inner circumferential surface 52a and opens to the mounting hole 52.

[0056] Next, a procedure for evaluating the watertightness using the evaluation jig 50 will be described. Here, it is assumed that a pressure device (not shown) capable of applying a positive pressure toward the joint part 53 is connected to the joint part 53 of the evaluation jig 50 in advance.

[0057] Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a preparation stage for evaluating watertightness using an evaluation jig 50. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the connector 1 and the evaluation jig 50 during the watertightness evaluation.

[0058] First, as shown in FIG. 10 , the worker places the evaluation jig 50 on a horizontal surface so that the opening surface 52b of the mounting hole portion 52 faces upward, and then fills the mounting hole portion 52 with water WA, and then assembles the connector 1 into the mounting hole portion 52.

[0059] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the worker turns over the evaluation jig 50 with the connector 1 attached thereto, around the joint shaft AX3 as a rotation axis.

[0060] 11, the worker can check for water leakage from the gap between the cap 40 covering the filter 30 or the housing 10 sandwiching the O-ring and the inner circumferential surface 52a by applying positive pressure from the joint portion 53. After checking for water leakage, the connector 1 to be evaluated is removed from the evaluation jig 50 and dried, so that it can be used.

[0061] Next, a procedure for evaluating air permeability using the evaluation jig 50 will be described. Here, it is assumed that a pressure device (not shown) capable of applying positive or negative pressure toward the joint part 53 is connected in advance to the joint part 53 of the evaluation jig 50 via a flow meter.

[0062] First, the worker places the evaluation jig 50 on a horizontal surface so that the opening surface 52b of the mounting hole portion 52 faces upward, and then, the worker attaches the connector 1 to the mounting hole portion 52.

[0063] The operator can then check the degree of breathability of filter 30 by checking the gas flow rate with the flow meter while applying positive pressure from joint 53 as indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 11 or applying negative pressure in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow.

[0064] Here, as described above, the filter 30 is joined to the annular bottom surface 16a formed inside the cylindrical portion 16, for example, by welding. Therefore, when a positive pressure is applied from the joint portion 53, the filter 30 is displaced in a convex shape outward from the welded portion of the filter 30 as a starting point. On the other hand, when a negative pressure is applied from the joint portion 53, the filter 30 is displaced inward from the outer vent hole 17a, which is the inner peripheral end of the annular bottom surface 16a, as a starting point. That is, depending on whether the filter 30 is displaced in a convex shape or a concave shape, the apparent filter diameter may differ, and as a result, a performance difference in terms of breathability may also occur. Therefore, for example, the characteristics of the performance difference may be obtained by measuring the flow rate in advance under both positive and negative pressures using the evaluation jig 50. Then, when the connector 1 is assembled into the actual case 100, negative pressure measurements can be performed using the pad 60, which is easier and more stable to evaluate, and the performance when positive pressure is applied can be predicted based on the performance difference characteristics obtained in advance.

[0065] In this way, the evaluation jig 50 allows evaluation of the waterproofing and breathability of the connector 1 using the completed connector 1 without assembling it into the actual case 100. Therefore, performance evaluation using the evaluation jig 50 has the advantage of making it easier to obtain highly accurate evaluation results.

[0066] Furthermore, the evaluation jig 50 allows evaluation of the watertightness and air permeability of the connector 1 in which the inner air vent 17b is open in the Z direction. In other words, the evaluation jig 50 allows the height of the connector 1 along the Z direction to be set lower for the overall shape of the connector 1 in which evaluation of the watertightness and air permeability can be performed, which is advantageous for making the connector 1 smaller.

[0067] Furthermore, various performance evaluations regarding the connector 1 may be carried out using both the evaluation jig 50 and the pad 60.

[0068] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the connector 1 during a watertightness evaluation or air permeability evaluation using the evaluation jig 50 and the pad 60. FIG.

[0069] A procedure for evaluating the waterproofing property of the connector 1 shown in Fig. 12 will be described. Here, it is assumed that a pressure device (not shown) capable of applying negative pressure to the pad 60 is connected in advance to the connection port 62 of the pad 60 via the pipe 70.

[0070] First, the worker places the evaluation jig 50 on a horizontal surface so that the opening surface 52b of the mounting hole 52 faces upward, and then, after collecting water WA in the mounting hole 52, assembles the connector 1 into the mounting hole 52. The worker also places the pad 60 on the cap 40 of the connector 1. Next, the worker turns over the evaluation jig 50 with the connector 1 assembled thereto, using the joint shaft AX3 as a rotation axis. Then, the worker can check for water leakage from the cap 40 covering the filter 30 by applying negative pressure from the pad 60, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 7. After checking for water leakage, the pad 60 is removed from the cap 40, and the connector 1 to be evaluated is then removed from the evaluation jig 50 and dried to be ready for use.

[0071] Next, a procedure for evaluating the breathability of the connector 1 shown in Fig. 12 will be described. Here, it is assumed that a pressure device (not shown) capable of applying positive or negative pressure to the pad 60 is connected in advance to the connection port 62 of the pad 60 via a pipe 70 through a flow meter.

[0072] First, the worker places the evaluation jig 50 on a horizontal surface so that the opening surface 52b of the mounting hole portion 52 faces upward, and then assembles the connector 1 into the mounting hole portion 52. The worker also places the pad 60 on the cap 40 of the connector 1. The worker can then check the degree of breathability of the filter 30 by checking the flow rate of the gas with a flowmeter while applying positive pressure from the pad 60 as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 7, or applying negative pressure so that the arrow points in the opposite direction. At this time, the joint portion 53 of the evaluation jig 50 may be in an open state.

[0073] In this way, by using the connector 1 that uses the pad 60 in addition to the evaluation jig 50, evaluation of the watertightness and breathability can be performed even if the connector 1 is not assembled to the case 100. Furthermore, since evaluation results can be obtained under conditions that are closer to the state when the connector 1 is assembled to the case 100, it is easy to obtain highly accurate evaluation results.

[0074] Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 Connector 10. Housing 11b External part 11d Outer groove 11e Smooth surface 16 Cylindrical section 16b Outer periphery 17 Ventilation passage 17a Outer Vent 18 Electric Circuit 20 O-ring 30 Filters 40 Cap 41a Open end 41b Outer side 42a Top part 45 Outer groove 100 cases 100c assembly hole S1 Interstitial space

Claims

1. a housing that is attached to an attachment hole of a case that houses an electric device and has an electric path that connects the inside and outside of the case and an air path that connects the inside and outside of the case; a seal member that is held in an outer circumferential groove of the housing and that seals off water between the housing and the mounting hole; a cylindrical portion protruding from an outer surface portion of the housing and including an outer vent hole on an inner periphery thereof, the outer vent hole being one of the vent holes of the vent passage; a filter fixed inside the cylindrical portion so as to close the outer vent hole, the filter allowing gas to pass but not allowing liquid to pass; a cap that is removably attached to the cylindrical portion so as to cover the cylindrical portion, and that connects the outer vent port to the outside of the case through a gap space facing the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the cap has an exterior groove extending through the exterior surface from the open end to a portion of the top surface.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein at least a peripheral area of ​​the cylindrical portion of the outer surface of the housing is a smooth surface.

Images