Connector and method for manufacturing connector

Abstract

To provide a structure capable of suppressing deterioration in sealing performance even if an electric wire is changed to an electric wire with a different thickness, or a terminal is changed to a terminal with a different plate thickness, in a connector including a terminal crimped to a terminal of an electric wire, a housing and a rubber stopper.SOLUTION: A connector 1A includes a terminal 2A, a housing 4 and a rubber stopper 5. The terminal 2A has a connection part 21 connected to a mating terminal, a crimp part 25A crimped to a terminal of an electric wire 3A, and a coupling part 22 connecting between the connection part 21 and the crimp part 25. The housing 4 includes a cavity 40 housing the terminal 2A, and an electric wire housing part 43 continuous to the cavity 40. In the coupling part 22, there is formed a step 26 such that a central axis L of the electric wire housing part 43 coincides with a central axis of the electric wire 3A located inside the electric wire housing part 43. The rubber stopper 5 seals between the outer periphery of the electric wire 3A and the inner surface of the electric wire housing part 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector having a terminal crimped onto an end of an electric wire. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a conventional connector, connector 501 shown in Fig. 4 is known (see Patent Document 1). This connector 501 includes terminal 502 crimped to an end of electric wire 510, housing 503 accommodating terminal 502, and rubber plug 506 attached to electric wire 510.

[0003] Terminal 502 is obtained by pressing a metal plate, and its middle part is bent at a right angle to form an L-shape as a whole. Connection part 522 formed at the end of terminal 502 opposite electric wire 510 is positioned outside housing 503 and is connected to a mating terminal.

[0004] Housing 503 has a cavity that accommodates terminal 502 and an electric wire accommodating portion that is continuous with the cavity. One end of electric wire 510, to which rubber plug 506 is attached, is accommodated in the electric wire accommodating portion, and the other end side of electric wire 510 is led out of housing 503 from the outlet of the electric wire accommodating portion.

[0005] Rubber plug 506 is formed in an annular shape, and is attached to electric wire 510 to seal the gap between the outer periphery of electric wire 510 and the inner surface of the electric wire receiving portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-254688 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Connector 501 had a problem that when electric wire 510 was changed to one having a different thickness, or when terminal 502 was changed to one having a different plate thickness, the central axis of the electric wire accommodating portion of housing 503 and the central axis of the electric wire became misaligned, and rubber stopper 506 became misaligned, thereby reducing the sealing performance.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a structure in a connector having a terminal crimped to the end of an electric wire, a housing, and a rubber stopper, which can suppress a decrease in sealing performance even when an electric wire of a different thickness or a terminal of a different plate thickness is used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The connector of the present invention comprises a terminal, a housing, and a rubber stopper, the terminal having a connection portion connected to a mating terminal, a crimping portion crimped to an end of an electric wire, and a connecting portion connecting the connection portion and the crimping portion, a step is formed in the connecting portion, the housing has a cavity that accommodates the terminal and an electric wire accommodating portion continuous with the cavity, the rubber stopper is attached to the electric wire and seals the gap between the outer periphery of the electric wire and the inner surface of the electric wire accommodating portion, and the central axis of the electric wire accommodating portion coincides with the central axis of the electric wire located within the electric wire accommodating portion.

[0010] The method for manufacturing a connector of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned connector, which comprises the steps of selecting one of a plurality of electric wires having different thicknesses, setting the selected electric wire and the terminal in a crimping die, and crimping the crimping portion to the electric wire using the crimping die, while at the same time forming the step using the crimping die so that the central axis of the electric wire accommodating portion coincides with the central axis of the electric wire positioned within the electric wire accommodating portion. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, by forming a step in the connecting portion of the terminal so that the central axis of the wire accommodating portion coincides with the central axis of the wire located within the wire accommodating portion, depending on the thickness of the wire to be connected or the plate thickness of the terminal, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sealing performance of the connector. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connector that is not the present invention but is a prerequisite for the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crimping portion of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A "connector" and a "manufacturing method for a connector" according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a connector that is not the present invention but is a premise of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crimping portion of Fig. 1.

[0014] First, a description will be given of the connector 1. The connector 1 shown in Fig. 2 includes a terminal 2 crimped to an end of an electric wire 3, a housing 4, and a rubber plug 5.

[0015] The electric wire 3 is a round covered electric wire in which a conductive core wire 31 is covered with an insulating covering 32. At an end portion of the electric wire 3, the covering 32 is removed and the core wire 31 is exposed.

[0016] The terminal 2 is obtained by subjecting a metal plate to press processing or the like. The terminal 2 has a connection portion 21 to be connected to a mating terminal, a crimping portion 25 crimped to an end of the electric wire 3, and a linking portion 22 connecting the connection portion 21 and the crimping portion 25. The connection portion 22 of the terminal 2 is bent at a right angle, and is formed into an L-shape as a whole. The right-angled portion of the linking portion 22 is called a bent portion and is given a reference symbol 24. A locking hole 23 to which a lance 44 of the housing 4 is locked is formed on the connection portion 21 side of the bent portion 24 of the linking portion 22. The crimping portion 25 is formed in a strip shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 3, and is crimped to the exposed core wire 31 of the electric wire 3.

[0017] The housing 4 is made of insulating synthetic resin. The housing 4 has a cavity 40 that accommodates the terminal 2, an electric wire accommodating portion 43 that is continuous with the cavity 40, and a lance 44 that is engaged with the locking hole 23 of the terminal 2. The cavity 40 has a first cavity 41 that accommodates the connecting portion 21 side of the bending portion 24 of the coupling portion 22, and a second cavity 42 that accommodates the crimping portion 25 side of the bending portion 24 of the coupling portion 22 and the crimping portion 25. The connecting portion 21 is positioned outside the housing 4. The electric wire accommodating portion 43 is continuous with the second cavity 42 and extends in a direction away from the first cavity 41. The dashed line L in FIG. 2 represents the central axis of the electric wire accommodating portion 43.

[0018] The rubber plug 5 is formed in an annular shape and is attached to one end of the electric wire 3 to which the terminal 2 is crimped. One end of the electric wire 3 to which the rubber plug 5 is attached is housed in the electric wire accommodating portion 43, and the other end side of the electric wire 3 is led out of the housing 4 from the outlet of the electric wire accommodating portion 43. The rubber plug 5 seals between the outer periphery of the electric wire 3 and the inner surface of the electric wire accommodating portion 43.

[0019] The central axis of the electric wire 3 positioned in the electric wire accommodating portion 43 coincides with the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43. Therefore, the rubber plug 5 is uniformly compressed in the circumferential direction, and exhibits uniform sealing performance in the circumferential direction.

[0020] Next, a connector 1A according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The connector 1A shown in Fig. 1 includes a terminal 2A crimped to an end of an electric wire 3A, a housing 4, and a rubber plug 5. That is, the connector 1 in Fig. 2 and the connector 1A in Fig. 1 have the same housing 4 and rubber plug 5, but the electric wires 3, 3A have different thicknesses, and the terminals 2, 2A differ in the presence or absence of a step 26 described below.

[0021] The electric wire 3A is a round covered electric wire in which a conductive core wire 31 is covered with an insulating covering 32. At an end portion of the electric wire 3A, the covering 32 is removed to expose the core wire 31. The electric wire 3A is thicker than the electric wire 3 described above.

[0022] The terminal 2A is obtained by subjecting a metal plate to press processing or the like. Like the above-described terminal 2, the terminal 2A has a connection portion 21, a crimping portion 25 crimped to an end of the electric wire 3A, and a linking portion 22. A bent portion 24 and a locking hole 23 are formed in the linking portion 22. A step 26 is formed on the linking portion 22 on the crimping portion 25 side of the bent portion 24. This step 26 is formed in order to shift the central axis of the electric wire 3A fixed by the crimping portion 25 to the connection portion 21 side.

[0023] The housing 4 of the connector 1A is the same as the housing 4 of the connector 1.

[0024] The rubber plug 5 of the connector 1A is the same as the rubber plug 5 of the connector 1. The rubber plug 5 is attached to one end of the electric wire 3A to which the terminal 2A is crimped. The one end of the electric wire 3A to which the rubber plug 5 is attached is housed in the electric wire accommodating portion 43, and the other end side of the one end is led out of the housing 4 from the outlet of the electric wire accommodating portion 43. The rubber plug 5 seals the gap between the outer periphery of the electric wire 3A and the inner surface of the electric wire accommodating portion 43.

[0025] The central axis of the electric wire 3A located in the electric wire accommodating portion 43 coincides with the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43 due to the step 26 formed in the connecting portion 22. Therefore, the rubber plug 5 is uniformly compressed in the circumferential direction, and exhibits uniform sealing performance in the circumferential direction.

[0026] That is, since the electric wire 3A is thicker than the electric wire 3, if the step 26 is not formed in the connecting portion 22, the central axis of the electric wire 3A will be misaligned with the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43. In that case, the rubber plug 5 will be compressed non-uniformly in the circumferential direction, and the sealing performance will be reduced. Therefore, in the connector 1A of this example, in order to suppress the deterioration of the sealing performance, the step 26 is formed in the connecting portion 22 so that the central axis of the electric wire 3A coincides with the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43.

[0027] In this example, in order to align the central axis of the electric wire 3A, which is thicker than the electric wire 3, with the central axis L of the electric wire housing portion 43, the step 26 is formed so as to shift the central axis of the electric wire 3A toward the connection portion 21 (the left side in FIG. 1). When an electric wire thinner than the electric wire 3 is used, the step is formed so as to shift the central axis of the thinner electric wire toward the opposite side to the connection portion 21 (the right side in FIG. 1). The amount of the step is also adjusted according to the diameter size of the electric wire used.

[0028] An example of a manufacturing method of the connector 1A will be described. First, one of a plurality of types of electric wires with different thicknesses is selected. In this example, the electric wire 3A is selected. Then, the coating 32 at the end of the electric wire 3A is removed to expose the core wire 31. Then, the rubber plug 5 is attached to the electric wire 3A. Next, the terminal (terminal 2 shown in FIG. 2 before crimping) without the step 26 and the electric wire 3A are set in a crimping die, and the crimping part 25 is crimped to the core wire 31 of the electric wire 3A by the crimping die, and the step 26 is formed in the connecting part 22 at the same time. Then, the terminal 2A crimped to the electric wire 3A is assembled to the housing 4, and the rubber plug 5 is pushed into the electric wire accommodating part 43. Through these steps, the connector 1A is manufactured.

[0029] The crimping die has a portion for crimping crimping portion 25 and a portion for forming step 26 in connecting portion 22, and therefore crimping (crimping) and step formation can be performed simultaneously. In addition, the crimping die can adjust the height (amount of step) of step 26, and can form step 26 so that the central axis of the electric wire coincides with central axis L of electric wire accommodating portion 43 even if the size of the electric wire is changed.

[0030] In this way, by forming the step 26 in the coupling portion 22 so that the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43 coincides with the central axis of the electric wire 3A located in the electric wire accommodating portion 43 according to the thickness of the electric wire 3A to be connected, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the sealing performance of the connector 1A. That is, even if the electric wire 3 of the connector 1 is changed to a thick electric wire 3A, by processing the terminal 2 to form a terminal 2A with the step 26 added thereto, it is possible to eliminate the misalignment between the central axis of the electric wire 3A and the central axis L of the electric wire accommodating portion 43, and therefore it is possible to eliminate the deviation of the rubber plug 5. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration in the sealing performance of the connector 1A.

[0031] In the above-described embodiment, a step is formed at the connecting portion of the terminal according to the wire size, but in the present invention, a step may be formed at the connecting portion according to the plate thickness of the terminal. For example, the terminal 2 of the connector 1 may be changed to another terminal having a larger plate thickness, and a step 26 may be formed at the connecting portion 22 of this terminal to eliminate the misalignment between the central axis of the wire 3 and the central axis L of the wire accommodating portion 43.

[0032] The above-described embodiment merely shows a typical form of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still provided even with such modifications, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1A Connector 2A terminal 3A electric wire 4. Housing 5 Rubber stopper 21 Connection 22 Connecting part 25 Crimping section 26 Steps 40 Cavity 43 Wire storage section

Claims

1. The connector includes a terminal, a housing, and a rubber plug. The terminal has a connection portion to be connected to a mating terminal, a crimping portion crimped to an end of an electric wire, and a coupling portion connecting the connection portion and the crimping portion, and a step is formed in the coupling portion, The housing has a cavity that accommodates the terminal and an electric wire accommodating portion that is continuous with the cavity, the rubber plug is attached to the electric wire to seal between an outer periphery of the electric wire and an inner surface of the electric wire accommodating portion, The central axis of the electric wire receiving portion coincides with the central axis of the electric wire located in the electric wire receiving portion. A connector characterized by:

2. The terminal is bent at a right angle on the connection portion side from the step of the coupling portion, and is formed into an L shape as a whole.

2. The connector according to claim 1 .

3. A method for manufacturing the connector according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: Select one wire from multiple wires of different thicknesses, The selected electric wire and the terminal are set in a crimping die; The crimping die crimps the crimping portion to the electric wire, and at the same time, the crimping die forms the step so that the central axis of the electric wire accommodating portion coincides with the central axis of the electric wire positioned in the electric wire accommodating portion. A method for manufacturing a connector comprising the steps of:

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