Housing unit and connector

Abstract

To provide a housing unit that can achieve both easiness of inspection as to whether a predetermined member is properly arranged in a terminal storage chamber of a housing, and durability of the member during use.SOLUTION: A housing unit 2 comprises: a housing 30 that has a terminal storage chamber 34 capable of storing a terminal 11; and a cover 40 that is mounted on the housing 30. The cover 40 has first engagement parts 56, 66 that are engaged with the housing 30, second engagement parts 51a, 61a that can be engaged with an exterior part 20 into which an electric wire 12 connected with the terminal 11 is to be inserted, peripheral wall parts 51, 61, 63 that define a passage-like internal space S between the first engagement parts 56, 66 and the second engagement parts 51a, 61a, and a through hole group 67 that is provided on the peripheral wall parts 51, 61, 63, and in which a plurality of through holes 68 are arranged, which penetrate the peripheral wall part 63 so as to allow visual recognition of a storage port 34a of the terminal storage chamber 34 from the outside of the internal space S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing unit including a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber and a cover, and to a connector using the housing unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a connector has been proposed that includes a housing having a terminal receiving chamber in which a terminal of a terminal-equipped electric wire is received, a corrugated tube that protects the electric wire of the terminal-equipped electric wire, and a cover that engages with both the housing and the corrugated tube to connect them (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-274532 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional connector, a packing is inserted into the receiving opening of the terminal receiving chamber of the housing to seal the gap between the receiving opening and the electric wire, and the surrounding wall of the cover is not provided around the receiving opening of the terminal receiving chamber, so that the inside can be checked. Therefore, in the conventional connector, although it is easy to perform product inspection such as whether the packing is inserted into the receiving opening of the terminal receiving chamber, foreign objects (for example, when the connector is applied to an automobile, water jets during a car wash, stones flying while driving, etc.) can easily reach the inside of the connector from the outside, and depending on the environment in which the connector is used, the functions of the packing and the electric wire may be impaired by the contact of such foreign objects with the packing and the electric wire. On the other hand, if the surrounding wall of the cover is provided so as to completely cover the periphery of the receiving opening of the terminal receiving chamber, the intrusion of foreign objects can be suppressed, but the packing and the electric wire cannot be visually confirmed from the outside, so product inspection becomes difficult.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a housing unit that can adequately protect components placed inside a cover attached to a housing while also allowing the components to be easily viewed from outside the cover, and a connector using the housing unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the housing unit and connector according to the present invention are characterized as follows.

[0007] A housing unit including a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber capable of accommodating a terminal, and a cover attached to the housing, The cover is A first engagement portion that engages with the housing; a second engaging portion engageable with an exterior component through which an electric wire connected to the terminal is to be inserted; A peripheral wall portion defining a passage-shaped internal space between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion; a through hole group provided in the peripheral wall portion, the through hole group including a plurality of through holes arranged to penetrate the peripheral wall portion so that the accommodation opening of the terminal accommodation chamber is visible from outside the internal space; It is a housing unit.

[0008] A connector comprising an electric wire with a terminal in which a terminal with a water stop valve is connected to an electric wire, an exterior part through which the electric wire is inserted, and the housing unit described above, The terminal is inserted into the receiving opening and received in the terminal receiving chamber, The water stop valve is disposed so as to be inserted into the receiving opening together with the terminal to close the receiving opening. It is a connector. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the housing unit and the connector of the present invention, the cover attached to the housing includes a first engaging portion that engages with the housing, a second engaging portion that can engage with an exterior component (e.g., a corrugated tube), and a peripheral wall portion that defines an internal space between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. Furthermore, a through hole group consisting of a plurality of through holes is provided on the peripheral wall portion. As a result, even if the opening area of ​​each through hole constituting the through hole group is reduced, the through hole group as a whole functions like a mesh, so that the internal space of the cover can be visually confirmed from the outside. Therefore, for example, as in the connector of the present invention, when a terminal with a water stop valve is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing, if the opening area of ​​the through holes constituting the through hole group is sufficiently reduced, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space from the outside of the connector and coming into contact with the water stop valve or the electric wire, and it is possible to easily determine from the outside of the connector whether the water stop valve is properly disposed in the receiving opening of the terminal accommodating chamber. Therefore, the housing unit and connector of this configuration are capable of both adequately protecting the components placed inside the cover attached to the housing and easily visually inspecting those components from outside the cover.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a top view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a bottom view of the connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a connector 1 (see FIG. 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 includes a terminal-fitted electric wire 10, a corrugated tube 20 into which an electric wire 12 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal-fitted electric wire 10 is inserted, and a housing unit 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing unit 2 includes a housing 30 in which a terminal 11 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal-fitted electric wire 10 is accommodated, a cover 40 attached to the housing 30, and a fitting detection member 70, a front holder 80, and a packing 90 attached to the housing 30.

[0013] For ease of explanation, the "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", and "left-right direction" are defined below as shown in Figure 1 etc. The "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", and "left-right direction" are perpendicular to each other. The front-rear direction coincides with the mating direction of the connector 1 and the mating connector (not shown). Each of the components that make up the connector 1 will be explained below in order.

[0014] First, the electric wire with terminal 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the electric wire with terminal 10 includes a female metal terminal 11 and an electric wire 12 having one end (front end) connected to the terminal 11. The electric wire 12 is composed of a metal conductor core wire and a resin insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the conductor core wire, and the terminal 11 is electrically connected to the conductor core wire exposed at one end (front end) of the electric wire 12 by removing the insulating coating. A substantially cylindrical rubber stopcock 13 is provided at the rear end of the terminal 11, and both the electric wire 12 and the stopcock 13 are crimped by the terminal 11 so that the stopcock 13 is in close contact with the outer periphery of one end (front end) of the insulating coating of the electric wire 12. The stopcock 13 is accommodated together with the terminal 11 in an accommodation opening 34a of a terminal accommodation chamber 34 of the housing 30 (described later) (see Fig. 7, etc.).

[0015] Next, the corrugated tube 20 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the resin corrugated tube 20 has a long, generally cylindrical shape, and is a member through which the electric wire 12 of the electric wire with terminal 10 is inserted to protect the electric wire 12. The outer circumferential surface of the corrugated tube 20 is provided with annular peaks 21 and annular valleys 22 arranged alternately along the axial direction (see Fig. 7, etc.).

[0016] Next, each component constituting the housing unit 2 will be described. First, the housing 30 will be described. As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the resin housing 30 integrally includes a terminal accommodating portion 31 having a shape extending in the front-rear direction and an outer tubular portion 32 having a cylindrical shape covering the outer periphery of the front region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 and extending in the front-rear direction. An annular gap 33 is defined between the front region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 and the outer tubular portion 32. When the housing 30 is fitted to a mating housing (not shown) (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "fitting"), a cylindrical hood portion (not shown) of the mating housing is inserted into the annular gap 33. The rear region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 is located behind the outer tubular portion 32 and is exposed to the outside.

[0017] The terminal accommodating portion 31 is provided with a plurality of (four in this example) terminal accommodating chambers 34 extending in the front-rear direction and aligned in the left-right direction (see Figs. 2, 7, etc.). Each terminal accommodating chamber 34 penetrates in the front-rear direction. The rear end opening of the terminal accommodating chamber 34 forms an accommodating opening 34a into which the terminal 11 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 and the water stop cock 13 are inserted. The terminal accommodating chamber 34 is provided with a cantilever-shaped lance 35 that extends forward and inward at an angle. The lance 35 functions to lock the terminal 11 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 34 in the correct position.

[0018] A locking mechanism 36 is provided on the upper surface of the rear region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 exposed to the outside (see Figs. 2, 7, etc.). The locking mechanism 36 has a locking portion 36a (see Fig. 7) that engages with a locking protrusion (not shown) provided on the hood portion of the mating housing when mated, and serves to maintain the mated state between the housing 30 and the mating housing.

[0019] A pair of left and right extensions 37 are provided on both left and right side walls of the outer tube portion 32 so as to cover both left and right sides of the lock mechanism portion 36 and extend rearward from the both left and right side walls (see FIG. 2). The pair of extensions 37 also function as protective walls that protect the lock mechanism portion 36 from the outside. The pair of extensions 37 are provided with a pair of left and right engagement protrusions 38 that protrude outward in the left and right direction and extend in the up and down direction (see FIG. 2). Furthermore, an engagement protrusion 39 that protrudes downward and extends in the left and right direction is provided at the rear end of the lower wall of the outer tube portion 32 (see FIG. 7). When the cover 40 is attached to the housing 30, the engagement protrusions 38 and the engagement protrusions 39 are engaged with an engagement recess 56 (see FIGS. 2 and 5) and an engagement portion 66 (see FIG. 7) of the cover 40, which will be described later, respectively.

[0020] Next, the cover 40 will be described. The cover 40 functions to connect the housing 30 and the corrugated tube 20 to each other by engaging with both of them. As shown in Fig. 2, the resin cover 40 includes an upper cover 50 and a lower cover 60. The upper cover 50 and the lower cover 60 are connected to each other by a hinge portion 41 so as to be openable and closable between an open state (see Fig. 2) and a closed state (see Figs. 1 and 6, etc.).

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the upper cover 50 integrally includes an upper cylindrical portion 51 having a semi-cylindrical shape that is the upper half of a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of left and right engagement portions 52 located on both the left and right sides of the upper cylindrical portion 51, and a pair of left and right extension portions 53 extending forward from the pair of engagement portions 52. A plurality of protrusions 51a extending in a semi-circular arc shape that is convex upward when viewed from the front-rear direction are provided on the inner surface (lower surface) of the upper cylindrical portion 51 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction at intervals equal to the intervals between adjacent peak portions 21 of the corrugated tube 20 (see Fig. 7). As shown in Fig. 6, the right engagement portion 52 is provided with an engagement protrusion 54 that engages with an engagement protrusion 64 of the lower cover 60 (described later) in the closed state, and the left engagement portion 52 is provided with an engagement protrusion 55 that engages with an engagement protrusion 65 of the lower cover 60 (described later) in the closed state. As shown in FIG. 5, the inner surfaces (surfaces facing each other) of the pair of left and right extending portions 53 are provided with a pair of left and right engaging recesses 56 that are recessed outward in the left-right direction, extend in the up-down direction, and open downward.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the lower cover 60 integrally includes a lower cylindrical portion 61 having a semi-cylindrical shape that is the lower half of a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of left and right engagement portions 62 located on both the left and right sides of the lower cylindrical portion 61, and a substantially flat extending portion 63 extending forward from the lower cylindrical portion 61 and the pair of engagement portions 62. On the inner surface (the surface facing upward in the closed state) of the lower cylindrical portion 61, a plurality of protrusions 61a extending in a semicircular arc shape that is convex downward when viewed from the front-rear direction are provided so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction at intervals equal to the intervals between the adjacent peak portions 21 of the corrugated tube 20 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 6, the engagement portion 62 located on the right side in the closed state is provided with an engagement protrusion 64, and the engagement portion 62 located on the left side in the closed state is provided with an engagement protrusion 65. As shown in FIG. 7, the front end of the extending portion 63 is provided with an engagement portion 66 that protrudes upward in the closed state and extends in the left-right direction.

[0023] 2 and 4, the extension portion 63 of the lower cover 60 is provided with a through hole group 67 in which a plurality of through holes 68 penetrating in the plate thickness direction (the up-down direction in the closed state) are arranged. Specifically, in the through hole group 67, the plurality of through holes 68 are lined up along the left-right direction to form a hole row 69, and the plurality of hole rows 69 are arranged so as to be lined up in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. The effect of providing such a through hole group 67 will be described later.

[0024] Next, the fitting detection member 70 will be described. The fitting detection member 70 shown in Fig. 2 is made of resin, and as shown in Fig. 7, is attached to the upper surface of the rear region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 of the housing 30 so as to cover the lock mechanism portion 36 from above and to be slidable in the front-rear direction. Although a detailed description of the structure of the fitting detection member 70 will be omitted, the fitting detection member 70 has a function of detecting a semi-fitted state between the housing 30 and the mating housing, and a so-called double locking function of suppressing release of the engagement state between the lock protrusion of the mating housing and the lock portion 36a of the lock mechanism portion 36 when the housing 30 and the mating housing are completely fitted to each other.

[0025] Next, the front holder 80 will be described. The front holder 80 shown in Fig. 2 is made of resin, and is attached to the terminal accommodating portion 31 so as to cover the front region of the terminal accommodating portion 31 from the front and so that a detection plate portion 81, which is a part of the front holder 80, is inserted into the gap 35a on the back side of the lance 35, as shown in Fig. 7. Although a detailed description of the structure of the front holder 80 is omitted, the front holder 80 has a function of detecting a state in which the terminal 11 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 is partially inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 34, and a so-called double locking function of suppressing release of an engagement state between the portion of the terminal 11 that engages with the lance 35 and the lance 35 when the terminal 11 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 34 at a normal position.

[0026] Next, the packing 90 will be described. The annular packing 90 shown in Fig. 2 is made of rubber, and as shown in Fig. 7, is attached so as to fit closely to a front-rear direction position corresponding to the vicinity of the innermost portion of the annular gap 33 on the outer circumferential surface of the terminal accommodating portion 31. The packing 90 functions to seal the annular gap between the hood portion of the mating housing and the terminal accommodating portion 31 when mated. Each of the components that make up the housing unit 2 has been described above.

[0027] Next, the procedure for assembling the connector 1 will be described. First, the terminal 11 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 and the water stop cock 13 are inserted in this order through the accommodation opening 34a into the terminal accommodation chamber 34 of the housing 30 to which the fitting detection member 70, the front holder 80, and the packing 90 have already been attached. As a result, the terminal 11 is accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber 34 at a regular position where it engages with the lance 35, and the water stop cock 13 is disposed in the accommodation opening 34a. By disposing the water stop cock 13 in the accommodation opening 34a, the annular gap between the electric wire 12 (insulating coating) of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 and the accommodation opening 34a is sealed. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as water from entering the contact portion of the terminal 11 through the terminal accommodation chamber 34 in which the terminal 11 is accommodated. 2, in this example, the terminal 11 and the water stop cock 13 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10 are inserted into two of the four terminal accommodating chambers 34, while a rubber seal 14 that seals the accommodating opening 34a is inserted into the remaining two of the four terminal accommodating chambers 34, instead of the terminal 11 and the water stop cock 13 of the terminal-attached electric wire 10. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as water from entering the contact portion of the terminal 11 through the terminal accommodating chambers 34 in which the terminal 11 is not accommodated.

[0028] Next, the cover 40 is attached to the housing 30 so that the corrugated tube 20, through which the electric wires 12 of the multiple (two in this example) electric wires with terminal 10 are collectively inserted, and the housing 30 are connected to each other via the cover 40. For this purpose, first, with the cover 40 maintained in the open state (see FIG. 2), the pair of engaging protrusions 38 of the housing 30 are inserted into the pair of engaging recesses 56 of the upper cover 50, whereby the upper cover 50 is provisionally fixed to the housing 30. Next, the lower cover 60 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the front, so that the multiple valleys 22 at the tip (front end) of the corrugated tube 20 are sandwiched in the vertical direction between the multiple protrusions 51a of the upper cover 50 and the multiple protrusions 61a of the lower cover 60 (see FIG. 7), the engagement portion 66 of the lower cover 60 engages with the engagement protrusion 39 of the housing 30 (see FIG. 7), and the engagement protrusions 54, 55 of the upper cover 50 engage with the engagement protrusions 64, 65 of the lower cover 60, respectively (see FIG. 6), so that the cover 40 is in the closed state. The closed state of the cover 40 is maintained by the engagement of the engagement protrusions 54, 55 of the upper cover 50 with the engagement protrusions 64, 65 of the lower cover 60. In this manner, with the cover 40 in the closed state, the cover 40 and the housing 30 are connected to each other by the engagement of the engagement recesses 56 and the engagement portions 66 of the cover 40 with the engagement protrusions 38 and 39 of the housing 30, and the cover 40 and the corrugated tube 20 are connected to each other by the engagement of the ridges 51a, 61a of the cover 40 with the valley portions 22 of the corrugated tube 20. As a result, the corrugated tube 20 and the housing 30 are connected to each other via the cover 40. With the above, the assembly of the connector 1 is completed, and the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.

[0029] 7, when the connector 1 is in an assembled state, the cover 40 (=upper cover 50+lower cover 60) in the closed state defines a passage-like internal space S extending in the front-rear direction between the engagement recesses 56 and the engagement portions 66 and the protrusions 51a, 61a by a peripheral wall portion formed by the upper cylindrical portion 51 of the upper cover 50 and the lower cylindrical portion 61 and the extending portion 63 of the lower cover 60. The peripheral wall portion covers the accommodation opening 34a of the terminal accommodation chamber 34 of the housing 30 located in the internal space S so as to be isolated from the outside.

[0030] On the other hand, in the assembled state of the connector 1, the through-hole group 67 consisting of the plurality of through-holes 68 provided in the extension portion 63 of the lower cover 60 is arranged so that the accommodation opening 34a of the terminal accommodation chamber 34 can be seen from the outside of the internal space S (see Figs. 7 and 8). As a result, even if the opening area of ​​each of the through-holes 68 constituting the through-hole group 67 is made small, the through-hole group 67 functions as a net as a whole, so that the internal space S of the cover 40 can be seen. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily check whether the stopcock 13 is properly arranged in the accommodation opening 34a of the terminal accommodation chamber 34 of the housing 30 into which the terminal 11 and the stopcock 13 are inserted. Furthermore, if the opening area of ​​the through-holes 68 constituting the through-hole group 67 is made sufficiently small, it is possible to prevent foreign objects such as water and stones from entering the internal space S of the cover 40 from the outside of the connector 1.

[0031] <Actions and Effects> As described above, according to the connector 1 (housing unit 2) of this embodiment, the cover 40 attached to the housing 30 includes a first engagement portion (engagement recess 56 and engagement portion 66) that engages with the housing 30, a second engagement portion (protrusions 51a, 61a) that can engage with the corrugated tube 20 through which the electric wire 12 connected to the terminal 11 can be inserted, and a peripheral wall portion (upper cylindrical portion 51 of the upper cover 50, and lower cylindrical portion 61 and extension portion 63 of the lower cover 60) that defines an internal space S between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion. Furthermore, the peripheral wall portion is provided with a through hole group 67 composed of a plurality of through holes 68. As a result, even if the opening area of ​​each of the through holes 68 that constitute the through hole group 67 is reduced, the through hole group 67 functions as a net as a whole, making it possible to visually confirm the internal space S of the cover 40. Therefore, for example, when inserting the terminal 11 with the stopcock 13 into the terminal accommodating chamber 34 of the housing 30, it is possible to easily check whether the stopcock 13 is properly positioned in the accommodating opening 34a of the terminal accommodating chamber 34. Furthermore, by making the opening area of ​​the through holes 68 constituting the through hole group 67 sufficiently small, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as water or stones from entering the internal space S of the cover 40 from outside the connector 1. Therefore, the connector 1 (housing unit 2) according to this embodiment can achieve both ease of checking whether the stopcock 13 is properly positioned in the terminal accommodating chamber 34 of the housing 30 and durability of the stopcock 13 during use.

[0032] Furthermore, the plurality of through holes 68 are lined up along a predetermined direction (left-right direction) to form a hole row 69, and the plurality of hole rows 69 are arranged so as to be lined up in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction (front-rear direction) to form a through hole group 67. As a result, the through holes 68 are regularly arranged in a lattice pattern (for example, a triangular lattice pattern, a square lattice pattern, a hexagonal lattice pattern, etc.), so that the internal space S can be easily viewed from outside the cover 40 regardless of the angle at which the cover 40 is viewed from the outside.

[0033] Furthermore, a sealer 14 that seals the accommodation opening 34a is attached to the accommodation opening 34a of the terminal accommodation chambers 34 that do not accommodate the terminal 11 among the multiple terminal accommodation chambers 34. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter such as water from entering the contact portion of the terminal 11 through the terminal accommodation chambers 34 that do not accommodate the terminal 11. Furthermore, for the same reason as above, it is possible to easily visually check from the outside of the connector 1 through the through-hole group 67 whether the sealer 14 is properly arranged or not.

[0034] <Other forms> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications, improvements, etc. are possible. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the terminals 11 and the stopcocks 13 of the terminal-attached electric wires 10 are inserted into some of the multiple terminal accommodating chambers 34, and the rubber seals 14 that seal the accommodating openings 34a are inserted into the remaining terminal accommodating chambers 34 instead of the terminals 11 and the stopcocks 13 of the terminal-attached electric wires 10. Alternatively, the terminals 11 and the stopcocks 13 of the terminal-attached electric wires 10 may be inserted into all of the multiple terminal accommodating chambers 34.

[0036] Here, the features of the embodiments of the housing unit 2 and the connector 1 according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [4].

[0037] [1] A housing unit (2) including a housing (30) having a terminal accommodating chamber (34) capable of accommodating a terminal (11), and a cover (40) attached to the housing (30), The cover (40) is a first engagement portion (56, 66) that engages with the housing (30); a second engaging portion (51a, 61a) engageable with an exterior component (20) through which an electric wire (12) connected to the terminal (11) is to be inserted; a peripheral wall portion (51, 61, 63) defining a passage-like internal space (S) between the first engagement portion (56, 66) and the second engagement portion (51a, 61a); a through hole group (67) in which a plurality of through holes (68) are arranged in the peripheral wall portion (51, 61, 63) so that the receiving opening (34a) of the terminal receiving chamber (34) is visible from outside the internal space (S), Housing unit (2).

[0038] According to the housing unit described in [1] above, the cover attached to the housing includes a first engaging portion that engages with the housing, a second engaging portion that can engage with an exterior component (e.g., a corrugated tube), and a peripheral wall portion that defines an internal space between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. Furthermore, a through hole group consisting of a plurality of through holes is provided on the peripheral wall portion. As a result, even if the opening area of ​​each through hole constituting the through hole group is reduced, the through hole group as a whole functions like a mesh, making it possible to visually check the internal space of the cover from the outside. Therefore, for example, when a terminal with a water stop valve is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing, if the opening area of ​​the through holes constituting the through hole group is sufficiently reduced, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space from the outside of the connector and coming into contact with the water stop valve or the electric wire, and it is possible to easily determine from the outside of the connector whether the water stop valve is properly disposed in the receiving opening of the terminal accommodating chamber. Therefore, the housing unit of this configuration can adequately protect the components placed inside the cover attached to the housing, while also allowing the components to be easily viewed from the outside of the cover.

[0039] [2] In the housing unit (2) described in [1] above, The through hole group (67) is The plurality of through holes (68) are arranged in a predetermined direction to form a hole row (69), and the plurality of hole rows (69) are arranged in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. Housing unit (2).

[0040] According to the housing unit described in [2] above, a plurality of through holes are arranged in a predetermined direction to form a hole row, and a plurality of the hole rows are arranged in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction to form a through hole group. This allows the through holes to be regularly arranged in a lattice pattern (e.g., a triangular lattice pattern, a square lattice pattern, a hexagonal lattice pattern, etc.), thereby suppressing variations in visibility of the internal space depending on the angle at which the cover is viewed from the outside.

[0041] [3] A connector (1) comprising: an electric wire (10) with a terminal (11) with a water stop valve (13) connected to an electric wire (12); an exterior part (20) through which the electric wire (12) is inserted; and the housing unit (2) according to the above [1] or [2], The terminal (11) is inserted into the receiving opening (34a) and received in the terminal receiving chamber (34), The stopcock (13) is inserted into the receiving opening (34a) together with the terminal (11) so as to close the receiving opening (34a). Connector(1).

[0042] According to the connector described in [3] above, the cover attached to the housing includes a first engaging portion that engages with the housing, a second engaging portion that can engage with an exterior part (e.g., a corrugated tube) through which an electric wire connected to the terminal can be inserted, and a peripheral wall portion that defines an internal space between the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. Furthermore, a through hole group consisting of a plurality of through holes is provided on the peripheral wall portion. As a result, even if the opening area of ​​each through hole constituting the through hole group is reduced, the through hole group as a whole functions like a mesh, so that the internal space of the cover can be visually confirmed from the outside. Therefore, when a terminal with a water stop valve is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing, if the opening area of ​​the through holes constituting the through hole group is sufficiently reduced, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the internal space from the outside of the connector and coming into contact with the water stop valve or the electric wire, and it is possible to easily determine from the outside of the connector whether the water stop valve is properly disposed in the receiving opening of the terminal accommodating chamber. Therefore, a connector of this configuration is capable of both properly protecting stopcocks, etc. placed inside a cover attached to the housing, and easily visually inspecting the stopcocks, etc. from outside the cover.

[0043] [4] In the connector (1) described in the above [3], The housing (30) has a plurality of the terminal accommodating chambers (34), the terminal receiving chamber (34) is not receiving the terminal (11) therein, and a seal (14) is inserted into the receiving opening (34a) of the terminal receiving chamber (34) to close the receiving opening (34a). Connector(1).

[0044] According to the connector described in [4] above, a seal is attached to the accommodating opening of a terminal accommodating chamber that does not accommodate a terminal among the multiple terminal accommodating chambers. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the contact portion of the terminal through the terminal accommodating chamber that does not accommodate a terminal. Furthermore, for the same reason as above, it is possible to easily visually check through the through-hole group from outside the connector whether the seal is properly arranged or not. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Connector 2 Housing Unit 10 Wires with terminals 11 Terminal 12 Electric wire 13 Stopcock 14 Sealing body 20 Corrugated tube (exterior part) 30 Housing 34 Terminal housing 34a Storage area 40 Cover 51 Upper cylindrical part (peripheral wall part) 51a Projection (second engagement part) 56 Engagement recess (first engagement portion) 61 Lower cylindrical part (peripheral wall part) 61a Projection (second engagement part) 63 Extension part (peripheral wall part) 66 Engagement portion (first engagement portion) 67 Through hole group 68 Through hole 69 hole row S interior space

Claims

1. A housing unit including a housing having a terminal accommodating chamber capable of accommodating a terminal, and a cover attached to the housing, The cover is A first engagement portion that engages with the housing; a second engaging portion engageable with an exterior component through which an electric wire connected to the terminal is to be inserted; a peripheral wall portion defining a passage-like internal space between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion; a through hole group provided in the peripheral wall portion, the through hole group including a plurality of through holes arranged to penetrate the peripheral wall portion so that the accommodation opening of the terminal accommodation chamber is visible from outside the internal space; Housing unit.

2. 2. The housing unit according to claim 1, The through hole group is The plurality of through holes are arranged in a predetermined direction to form a hole row, and the plurality of hole rows are arranged in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. Housing unit.

3. A connector comprising: an electric wire with a terminal in which a terminal with a water stop valve is connected to an electric wire; an exterior part through which the electric wire is inserted; and the housing unit according to claim 1 or 2, The terminal is inserted into the receiving opening and received in the terminal receiving chamber, The water stop valve is disposed so as to be inserted into the receiving opening together with the terminal to close the receiving opening. connector.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 3, The housing has a plurality of the terminal accommodating chambers, a sealing body that is inserted into the accommodation opening of the terminal accommodation chamber in which the terminal is not accommodated among the plurality of terminal accommodation chambers to close the accommodation opening, connector.

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