Connector

The connector design addresses the challenge of maintaining a secure connection between inner and outer housings by incorporating a retainer with a secondary lock portion and a seal member, resulting in a simplified configuration that prevents easy detachment.

JP2025057902APending Publication Date: 2025-04-09SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023167735
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-09-28
Publication Date
2025-04-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing connectors face challenges in maintaining a secure connection between the inner and outer housings without increasing the complexity or number of components.

Method used

The connector design includes an electric wire member with a terminal, an internal housing for the wire member, an external housing with intersecting openings, a seal member for waterproofing, a retainer to hold the seal member, and a secondary lock portion that secures the primary lock portion, all of which work together to simplify the configuration and enhance the locking mechanism.

Benefits of technology

This configuration effectively prevents the inner and outer housings from being easily detached, achieving a secure and reliable connection while maintaining a simple structure without additional components.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 2025057902000001_ABST
    Figure 2025057902000001_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of hardly deviating an outer housing and an inner housing with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An L-type connector 1 comprises: an inner housing 11 that houses a tip end of an electric wire in all terminals; and an outer housing 3 that houses the inner housing 11. The connector 1 comprises: a seal member 35 that prevents water of a peripheral edge of a second open 23 into which a mating terminal is inserted in the outer housing 3; and a retainer 37 that holds the seal member 35. The retainer 37 includes a secondary lock part 52 that locks a primary lock part 26 that engages the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a connector in which a mating direction of a mating connector is set to a direction intersecting with the electric wire is well known. The connector in Patent Document 1 includes an electric wire with a terminal, an inner housing that accommodates the electric wire with the terminal, and an outer housing that accommodates the inner housing. The outer housing has an electric wire lead-out opening that receives the inner housing in the inner insertion direction, and a housing fitting opening in which a mating direction of the mating connector is set to a direction perpendicular to the inner insertion direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-164945 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inner housing accommodates an electric wire with a terminal to which a mating connector is connected. Therefore, in order to maintain the connection between the electric wire with the terminal and the mating connector, it is necessary to make the inner housing difficult to fall off from the outer housing. However, even if measures are taken to prevent the inner housing from coming off the outer housing, it is undesirable for the number of parts of the connector to increase or the structure to become complicated. Therefore, a measure that can prevent the inner housing from falling off with a simple configuration was needed.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that has a simple configuration and is capable of making it difficult for an outer housing and an inner housing to come off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector that solves the above problem comprises an electric wire member having a terminal at a tip to which a mating terminal is connected in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, an internal housing that accommodates the tip of the electric wire member together with the terminal, an external housing having a first opening that accommodates the internal housing and that is arranged so as to intersect with a second opening that accommodates the mating terminal, a sealing member that waterproofs the periphery of the second opening, and a retainer that holds the sealing member attached to the external housing, wherein the retainer has a secondary locking portion that locks a primary locking portion that engages the external housing and the internal housing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure can make it difficult for the outer housing and the inner housing to come off with a simple configuration. [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 perspective view of the electric wire member, the inner housing, and the shield shell. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wire member having an internal housing with a shield shell removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connector taken along a plane direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first retainer lock. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing insertion of the assembly into the outer housing. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the installation of the seal member and the retainer on the outer housing. [Figure 11] 11(a) and 11(b) are explanatory views showing how the first retainer lock is engaged. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a first retainer lock according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a first retainer lock according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector disclosed herein comprises an electric wire member having a terminal at a tip thereof to which a mating terminal is connected in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, an inner housing that accommodates the tip of the electric wire member together with the terminal, an outer housing having a first opening that accommodates the inner housing and that is provided so as to intersect with a second opening that accommodates the mating terminal, a sealing member that waterproofs an edge of the second opening, and a retainer that holds the sealing member attached to the outer housing, wherein the retainer has a secondary locking portion that locks a primary locking portion that engages the outer housing and the inner housing.

[0010] According to this configuration, the outer housing and the inner housing are locked by the primary locking portion. Also, the retainer is provided with a secondary locking portion that locks the primary locking portion to make it difficult for the primary locking portion to come off. In this way, since the retainer provided for holding the seal member is provided with a secondary locking portion that locks the primary locking portion, it is possible to firmly lock the outer housing and the inner housing without adding any parts. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the inner housing and the outer housing to come off with a simple configuration.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the retainer has a retainer lock that engages with the outer housing to hold the seal member, and the secondary locking portion is formed integrally with the retainer lock. With this configuration, the retainer lock is provided with the secondary locking portion, so that the retainer lock can have the function of the secondary locking portion. Therefore, the shape of the retainer can be simplified compared to when the retainer lock and the secondary locking portion are provided separately.

[0012] [3] In the above [2], a plurality of the retainer locks are formed, the primary locking portion is provided on the inner housing and engages with an engaged portion of the outer housing, and the secondary locking portion is formed on one of the plurality of retainer locks that engages with the engaged portion. According to this configuration, the secondary locking portion is formed only on a specific retainer lock among the plurality of retainer locks of the retainer. Therefore, even if a secondary locking portion that locks the primary locking portion is provided on the retainer, it is not necessary to change the shape of all the retainer locks.

[0013] [4] In the above [2] or [3], the retainer lock has a snap-fit ​​portion that utilizes the elasticity of the material to engage with the external housing, and the secondary locking portion is installed on the tip of the pair of snap-fit ​​portions and presses the primary locking portion from above when the snap-fit ​​portions engage with the external housing. With this configuration, the primary locking portion can be firmly locked by the frame-shaped secondary locking portion having snap-fit ​​portions at both ends as legs. This further contributes to preventing unintentional removal of the primary locking portion.

[0014] [5] In the above [4], the snap-fit ​​portion has a protrusion that engages with the outer housing and a leg portion having the protrusion at its tip, and the leg portion and the secondary lock portion are formed to the same thickness. With this configuration, the secondary lock portion does not protrude excessively in the protrusion direction of the snap-fit ​​portion. Therefore, when the retainer is attached, if the protrusion of the snap-fit ​​portion slides up the inner surface of the outer housing while the retainer lock is bent, the secondary lock portion is less likely to come into contact with the primary lock portion. Therefore, unintended removal of the primary lock portion when the retainer is attached is less likely to occur.

[0015] [6] In the above [4], the snap-fit ​​portion has a protrusion that engages with the outer housing, and the protrusion has a sloped portion on the surface located on the side where the snap-fit ​​portion is inserted. With this configuration, when the protrusion of the snap-fit ​​portion slides up the inner surface of the outer housing while the retainer lock is bent, even if the protrusion comes into contact with the primary locking portion, the disengagement force applied to the primary locking portion can be released by the sloped portion. Therefore, unintended disengagement of the primary locking portion when the retainer is attached is less likely to occur.

[0016] [7] In any one of [1] to [6] above, a positioning portion is provided for positioning the inner housing relative to the outer housing in the insertion direction. With this configuration, the inner housing can be positioned in an optimal position relative to the outer housing. This makes it possible to reliably transition the primary locking portion to the locked state.

[0017] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configurations may be exaggerated or simplified. In addition, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ from the actual ones.

[0018] (Connector 1) As shown in Fig. 1, the connector 1 includes an electric wire member 2 and an outer housing 3 that accommodates the tip of the electric wire member 2. The connector 1 is a substantially L-shaped connector in which the length direction of the electric wire member 2 (X-axis direction in Fig. 1) intersects with the direction in which a mating connector 4 is connected to the connector 1 (Z-axis direction in Fig. 1). The connector 1 includes a plurality of electric wire members 2 (a pair in this example). In the connector 1, the mating connector 4 is connected to a head 6 provided at the tip of a body portion 5 in the outer housing 3 in which the electric wire member 2 is arranged.

[0019] (Electric wire material 2) As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire member 2 includes an electric wire 8 and a terminal 9 fixed to the tip of the electric wire 8. The electric wire 8 has an electric wire structure in which, for example, a core wire is covered with an insulating coating. For example, a twisted wire, a columnar conductor, a tubular conductor, or a combination of these is used for the core wire. For example, a metal material such as a copper-based or aluminum-based material is used for the core wire. For example, an insulating material such as a synthetic resin is used for the insulating coating. For example, a synthetic resin mainly composed of a polyolefin-based resin such as cross-linked polyethylene or cross-linked polypropylene is used for the insulating coating. The tip of the electric wire 8 is fixed to the terminal 9 by a crimping ring 8a.

[0020] Each of the terminals 9 has a mating terminal connection portion 9a for connecting a mating terminal 10 of the mating connector 4. The mating terminal connection portion 9a is open on the side facing the mating connector 4 (the lower side of the paper in the case of FIG. 2). The terminals 9 are, for example, bus bar terminals in which a part of the terminal 9 is bent and fixed to a core wire of the electric wire 8. The pair of terminals 9 are arranged symmetrically. A plurality of mating terminals 10 (two in this example) are provided according to the number of terminals 9 that the connector 1 has.

[0021] (Inner housing 11) 2 and 3, the connector 1 includes an inner housing 11 that accommodates the tip of the electric wire member 2 inside the outer housing 3. The inner housing 11 has an insertion hole 12 into which the tip of the electric wire member 2 (terminal 9, etc.) is inserted. The inner housing 11 has a structure in which a plurality of parts are assembled, for example. In this example, the inner housing 11 is fixed to an upper housing part 11a and a lower housing part 11b, for example, by a claw fitting structure that utilizes the elasticity of the material.

[0022] An exposure hole 11c (see FIG. 3) is formed in the bottom of the inner housing 11, which exposes the mating terminal connection portion 9a of the terminal 9 to the outside. A lance 14 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 8) for positioning the terminal 9 is formed in the inner housing 11. In this example, a protrusion 14a (shown in FIG. 8) formed at the tip of the lance 14 engages with a recess 13 of the terminal 9.

[0023] (Shield Shell 16) 2 and 3, the connector 1 includes a shield shell 16 as a measure against radiation noise from the electric wire member 2. The shield shell 16 has an insertion hole 17 for inserting the inner housing 11. The shield shell 16 has an opening 18 (see FIG. 3) for exposing the inner housing 11 contained therein. The shield shell 16 has a plurality of protrusions 19 that position the electric wires 8 relative to the shield shell 16 by, for example, elastic deformation. The shield shell 16 has a plurality of protrusions 20 that position the shield shell 16 relative to the outer housing 3 by, for example, elastic deformation.

[0024] (External housing 3) 1, the outer housing 3 has a first opening 22 that accommodates the inner housing 11 and a second opening 23 that accommodates the mating terminal 10. The first openings 22 are formed on the side surface of the body 5, and a plurality of the first openings 22 (two in this example) are arranged side by side according to the number of the electric wire members 2. The second openings 23 are formed on the bottom surface of the head 6. The first openings 22 and the second openings 23 are arranged in intersecting directions. That is, the direction in which the electric wire members 2 are inserted into the outer housing 3 (X-axis direction in the figure) and the direction in which the mating connector 4 is connected to the outer housing 3 (Y-axis direction in the figure) intersect with each other (orthogonal in this example).

[0025] A seal member 24 is provided between the outer housing 3 and the electric wires 8 to seal a gap between the outer housing 3 and the electric wires 8. The seal member 24 is, for example, a rubber ring. A plurality of seal members 24 (two in this example) are provided according to the number of electric wires 8.

[0026] (Primary lock part 26) As shown in Fig. 4, the connector 1 has a primary locking portion 26 that engages the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11. In this example, the primary locking portion 26 is provided on the inner housing 11 by a hook-shaped locking structure that engages with the outer housing 3 by utilizing the elasticity of the material. A recess 27 that is recessed a predetermined amount from the surroundings is formed in the bottom of the inner housing 11. The primary locking portion 26 is formed in this recess 27 in a shape that extends in the insertion direction of the inner housing 11 into the outer housing 3 (the X-axis direction in Fig. 4). A predetermined space 28 exists between the bottom surface of the inner housing 11 and the primary locking portion 26.

[0027] The primary locking portion 26 has a flexible portion 29 extending in the direction in which the internal housing 11 is inserted into the external housing 3, and an engaging claw 30 formed at the tip of the flexible portion 29. The flexible portion 29 bends when the internal housing 11 is inserted into the external housing 3. The engaging claw 30 engages with an engaged portion 31 provided on the inner surface of the second opening 23 in the external housing 3. The engaged portion 31 is, for example, a corner portion at the back of the inner circumferential wall of the second opening 23. As described above, the primary locking portion 26 is provided in the internal housing 11, and engages with the engaged portion 31 of the external housing 3.

[0028] (Assembly 32 of wire member 2, inner housing 11, and shield shell 16) 3, the connector 1 has a pair of assemblies 32 (first assembly 32a, second assembly 32b) of the electric wire member 2, the inner housing 11, and the shield shell 16. In this example, the first assembly 32a and the second assembly 32b are formed in shapes that are symmetrical in the width direction of the connector 1 (Y-axis direction in FIG. 3). That is, the first assembly 32a and the second assembly 32b are not formed in the same shape, but in shapes that are line-symmetrical.

[0029] (Positioning of the inner housing 11 in the insertion direction) 5, the connector 1 has a positioning portion 34 that positions the internal housing 11 relative to the external housing 3 in the insertion direction. In this example, the positioning portion 34 includes a protruding first positioning portion 34a formed on the side surface of the internal housing 11 and a protruding second positioning portion 34b formed on the inner surface of the external housing 3. The positioning portion 34 is provided such that the first positioning portion 34a is disposed at a corner of the rectangular end surface of the internal housing 11. Two positioning portions 34 are provided, one for the first assembly 32a and one for the second assembly 32b.

[0030] (Sealing member 35) As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the connector 1 includes a seal member 35 that waterproofs the periphery of the second opening 23. As shown in Figure 4, the seal member 35 is attached to a step portion 36 formed on the edge of the second opening 23 in the head 6 of the outer housing 3. As shown in Figure 6, the seal member 35 is made of, for example, an annular elastic member. The seal member 35 is, for example, a rubber ring. The outer and inner surfaces of the seal member 35 are formed into a lip shape.

[0031] (Retainer 37) 6, the connector 1 includes a retainer 37 that holds a seal member 35 attached to the outer housing 3. The retainer 37 has a flange 38 formed in the circumferential direction, and a guide wall 39 that guides the attachment of the retainer 37 to the outer housing 3. The flange 38 supports the seal member 35 from below. The guide wall 39 stands at the base end of the flange 38 in the insertion direction of the retainer 37. A plurality of guide walls 39 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the flange 38.

[0032] The retainer 37 has a retainer lock 40 that engages with the outer housing 3 to hold the seal member 35. In this example, a plurality of (four in this example) retainer locks 40 are formed on the retainer 37. The retainer locks 40 include a first retainer lock 41 that engages a protrusion shape with the outer housing 3, and a second retainer lock 42 that engages a hole shape with the outer housing 3.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 7, the first retainer lock 41 has a snap-fit ​​structure that utilizes the elasticity of the material to engage with the external housing 3. The snap-fit ​​structure of this example is a type of hook-shaped lock structure. The first retainer lock 41 of this example has a pair of snap-fit ​​portions 43 that are elastically deformable. The snap-fit ​​portion 43 has a protrusion 44 that engages with the external housing 3 and a leg portion 45 having the protrusion 44 at its tip. A groove portion 43a of a predetermined width is formed between the pair of snap-fit ​​portions 43. The protrusion 44 has a slope portion 46 on a surface located on the side where the snap-fit ​​portion 43 is inserted.

[0034] 6, the second retainer lock 42 has a snap-fit ​​structure that utilizes the elasticity of the material to engage with the outer housing 3. The second retainer lock 42 of this example has a slit 47 that engages with the outer housing 3. The slit 47 is formed in a shape that extends in the insertion direction of the retainer 37.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 8, the first retainer lock 41 (only one is shown in Fig. 8) is assembled to the outer housing 3 by engaging a protrusion 44 with an engaged portion 31 located at the base end of the second opening 23. The primary locking portion 26 and the first retainer lock 41 are engaged with the same engaged portion 31. The second retainer lock 42 is assembled to the outer housing 3 by engaging a slit 47 with a protruding portion 48 (only one is shown in Fig. 8) formed on the inner surface of the outer housing 3.

[0036] (Assembly of the outer housing 3 and the mating connector 4) 8, the outer housing 3 is assembled to the mating connector 4 by fitting a circumferential wall 50 of the mating connector 4 into a groove 49 formed on the periphery of the tip of the head 6. When the circumferential wall 50 is fitted into the groove 49, the seal member 35 attached to the outer housing 3 is elastically deformed by the wall surface of the circumferential wall 50 and comes into close contact. This ensures close contact between the seal member 35 and the circumferential wall 50. The outer housing 3 may be fixed to the mating connector 4 by another fixing mechanism (not shown).

[0037] (Secondary locking part 52) 4, the retainer 37 has a secondary locking portion 52 that locks the primary locking portion 26 that engages the inner housing 11 and the outer housing 3. In this way, the retainer 37 of this example not only has a holding function for holding the seal member 35, but also has a locking function for preventing the primary locking portion 26 from being unintentionally removed.

[0038] 6, the secondary locking portion 52 is formed on one of the multiple retainer locks 40 that is to engage with the engaged portion 31. In the case of this example, the secondary locking portion 52 is formed on two of the four retainer locks 40 (first retainer locks 41, second retainer locks 42).

[0039] 7, the secondary locking portion 52 is formed integrally with the retainer lock 40 (in this example, the first retainer lock 41). Specifically, the secondary locking portion 52 is mounted on the tips of the pair of snap fit portions 43, and presses the primary locking portion 26 from above when the snap fit portions 43 are engaged with the outer housing 3. In this way, the first retainer lock 41 not only has the function of engaging with the outer housing 3, but also has the function of pressing down the primary locking portion 26 from above to make it difficult to come off.

[0040] The leg portion 45 and the secondary locking portion 52 are formed to have the same thickness. Specifically, the thickness W1 of the secondary locking portion 52 and the thickness W2 of the leg portion 45 of the first retainer lock 41 are set to be the same.

[0041] Next, the operation of the connector 1 of this embodiment will be described. (Assembly of connector 1) 9, an assembly 54 in which the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 are integrated is inserted into the outer housing 3. The assembly 54 of the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 is inserted into the first opening 22 of the outer housing 3. In this example, the assemblies 54 of the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 are inserted into the two first openings 22 of the outer housing 3, respectively.

[0042] 4, when the assembly 54 of the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 is inserted all the way into the first opening 22 of the outer housing 3, the primary locking portion 26 (in this example, the engaging claw 30) of the inner housing 11 engages with the engaged portion 31 of the outer housing 3. This fixes the assembly 54 of the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 to the outer housing 3. The primary locking portion 26 also serves the purpose of provisional engagement, provisionally fixing the inner housing 11 to the outer housing 3.

[0043] 5, the insertion position of the assembly 54 when it is inserted into the outer housing 3 is determined by the positioning portion 34. That is, the positioning in the insertion direction is determined by the first positioning portion 34a of the inner housing 11 coming into contact with the second positioning portion 34b of the outer housing 3. In the case of this example, the primary locking portion 26 engages with the engaged portion 31 of the outer housing 3 at the timing when the first positioning portion 34a and the second positioning portion 34b come into contact with each other.

[0044] 10, after the assembly 54 of the inner housing 11 and the shield shell 16 is attached to the outer housing 3, the seal member 35 is attached to the outer housing 3. The seal member 35 is attached to a step portion 36 formed on the periphery of the second opening 23 of the outer housing 3. After the seal member 35 is attached, a retainer 37 is attached to the outer housing 3.

[0045] 11(a), when the retainer 37 is inserted into the second opening 23 of the outer housing 3 in attachment of the retainer 37, the protrusion 44 of the first retainer lock 41 rides up on the inner surface of the second opening 23. Then, the first retainer lock 41 is bent by the height of the protrusion 44 with the base end as a fulcrum, and the protrusion 44 slides up on the inner surface of the second opening 23. As shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, when the retainer 37 is inserted all the way into the second opening 23, the protrusion 44 of the first retainer lock 41 is positioned above the engaged portion 31.

[0046] In this example, a sloped surface 46 is formed on the upper surface of the projection 44. Therefore, even if the position of the first retainer lock 41 is misaligned and the projection 44 comes into contact with the primary locking portion 26 during the upward movement, the force applied from the projection 44 to the primary locking portion 26 is released by the sloped surface 46. This makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of the primary locking portion 26 being unintentionally disengaged due to contact with the first retainer lock 41.

[0047] 11(b), when the first retainer lock 41 reaches the top of the inner surface of the second opening 23, the deflection of the first retainer lock 41 is released, and the protrusion 44 engages with the engaged portion 31. That is, the first retainer lock 41 is engaged with the engaged portion 31. When the first retainer lock 41 engages with the engaged portion 31, the second retainer lock 42 also engages with a protruding portion 48 on the inner surface of the second opening 23.

[0048] When the first retainer lock 41 engages with the engaged portion 31, the secondary locking portion 52 of the first retainer lock 41 supports the primary locking portion 26 of the inner housing 11 from above. In other words, when the first retainer lock 41 engages with the engaged portion 31, the primary locking portion 26 is locked by the secondary locking portion 52. In this manner, the inner housing 11 is fixed to the outer housing 3 by the double lock of the primary locking portion 26 and the secondary locking portion 52.

[0049] (Function of Retainer 37) 4 and 11(b), the retainer lock 40 of the retainer 37 is provided with a secondary locking portion 52 that locks the primary locking portion 26 that locks the inner housing 11 to the outer housing 3. Therefore, the retainer 37 of this example has a function of preventing the primary locking portion 26 from coming out of the lock, in addition to the original function of holding the seal member 35. Therefore, since the retainer 37 has multiple functions, it is possible to reduce the number of parts required for the connector 1, compared to the case where a part is provided for each function.

[0050] (Advantages of double locking) 4 and 11(b), the inner housing 11 is fixed to the outer housing 3 by a double lock structure in which the primary locking portion 26, which locks the inner housing 11 to the outer housing 3, is locked by a secondary locking portion 52 provided on a retainer lock 40 (first retainer lock 41 in this example) of the retainer 37. This makes it possible to strongly fix the inner housing 11 to the outer housing 3, making it difficult for the inner housing 11 to come off.

[0051] Additionally, the secondary locking portion 52 is positioned perpendicular to the portion where the primary locking portion 26 engages with the engaged portion 31 of the outer housing 3 (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 4, etc.). Therefore, even if a force that moves the primary locking portion 26 in the vertical direction acts on the primary locking portion 26 when the connector 1 is subjected to rattle, vibration, shock, etc., the secondary locking portion 52 can restrict the movement. Therefore, in this respect as well, it can be seen that the primary locking portion 26 is highly effective in preventing unintentional removal.

[0052] (Effects of the embodiment) According to the configuration of the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The connector 1 includes an electric wire member 2, an outer housing 3, an inner housing 11, a seal member 35, and a retainer 37. The electric wire member 2 has a terminal 9 at its tip to which a mating terminal 10 is connected in a direction intersecting the length direction. The inner housing 11 accommodates the tip of the electric wire member 2 together with the terminal 9 inside. The outer housing 3 has a first opening 22 for accommodating the inner housing 11, which intersects with a second opening 23 for accommodating the mating terminal 10. The seal member 35 waterproofs the periphery of the second opening 23. The retainer 37 holds the seal member 35 attached to the outer housing 3. The retainer 37 has a secondary locking portion 52 for locking a primary locking portion 26 that engages the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11.

[0053] According to this configuration, the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11 are locked by the primary locking portion 26. Furthermore, the retainer 37 is provided with a secondary locking portion 52 that locks the primary locking portion 26 to make it difficult for the primary locking portion 26 to come off. In this way, since the retainer 37 provided to hold the seal member 35 is provided with the secondary locking portion 52 that locks the primary locking portion 26, it is possible to firmly lock the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11 without adding any parts. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11 to come off with a simple configuration.

[0054] (2) The retainer 37 has a retainer lock 40 that engages with the outer housing 3 to hold the seal member 35. The secondary locking portion 52 is formed integrally with the retainer lock 40. With this configuration, the retainer lock 40 is provided with the secondary locking portion 52, so that the retainer lock 40 can have the function of the secondary locking portion 52. Therefore, the shape of the retainer 37 can be simplified compared to when the retainer lock 40 and the secondary locking portion 52 are provided separately.

[0055] (3) A plurality of retainer locks 40 are formed. The primary locking portion 26 is provided on the inner housing 11 and engages with the engaged portion 31 of the outer housing 3. The secondary locking portion 52 is formed on one of the plurality of retainer locks 40 that engages with the engaged portion 31. With this configuration, the secondary locking portion 52 is formed only on a specific retainer lock 40 (in this example, the first retainer lock 41) among the plurality of retainer locks 40 of the retainer 37. Therefore, even when the secondary locking portion 52 that locks the primary locking portion 26 is provided on the retainer 37, there is no need to change the shape of all of the retainer locks 40.

[0056] (4) The retainer lock 40 has snap-fit ​​portions 43 that utilize the elasticity of the material to engage with the outer housing 3. The secondary locking portion 52 is mounted on the tips of the pair of snap-fit ​​portions 43, and presses the primary locking portion 26 from above when the snap-fit ​​portions 43 are engaged with the outer housing 3. This configuration makes it possible to firmly lock the primary locking portion 26 by the frame-shaped secondary locking portion 52 having the snap-fit ​​portions 43 at both ends as legs. This further contributes to preventing unintentional removal of the primary locking portion 26.

[0057] (5) The snap-fit ​​portion 43 has a protrusion 44 that engages with the outer housing 3, and a leg portion 45 having the protrusion 44 at its tip. The leg portion 45 and the secondary lock portion 52 are formed to have the same thickness. With this configuration, the secondary lock portion 52 does not protrude excessively in the protrusion direction of the protrusion 44 of the snap-fit ​​portion 43. Therefore, when the retainer 37 is attached, if the protrusion 44 of the snap-fit ​​portion 43 slides up the inner surface of the outer housing 3 while the retainer lock 40 (in this example, the first retainer lock 41) is in a bent state, the secondary lock portion 52 is unlikely to come into contact with the primary lock portion 26. Therefore, unintended detachment of the primary lock portion 26 is unlikely to occur when the retainer 37 is attached.

[0058] (6) The projection 44 has a sloped portion 46 on the surface located on the side where the snap-fit ​​portion 43 is inserted. With this configuration, when the projection 44 of the snap-fit ​​portion 43 slides up the inner surface of the outer housing 3 while the retainer lock 40 (first retainer lock 41 in this example) is in a bent state, even if the projection 44 comes into contact with the primary locking portion 26, the disengagement force acting on the primary locking portion 26 can be released by the sloped portion 46. Therefore, unintended disengagement of the primary locking portion 26 when the retainer 37 is attached is less likely to occur.

[0059] (7) The connector 1 has a positioning portion 34 that positions the inner housing 11 relative to the outer housing 3 in the insertion direction. This configuration makes it possible to position the inner housing 11 at an optimal position relative to the outer housing 3. This allows the primary locking portion 26 to reliably transition to the locked state.

[0060] (Other embodiments) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0061] 12, the secondary locking portion 52 may have, for example, a protrusion 56 that protrudes in the same direction as the protrusion 44. It is preferable that the protrusion 56 has a shape that protrudes to the same extent as the protrusion 44.

[0062] 13, the first retainer lock 41 may have a structure having only one protrusion 59 that presses the primary locking portion 26 from above. In this structure, the protrusion 59 presses the primary locking portion 26 from above, thereby locking the primary locking portion 26. In this case as well, the primary locking portion 26 can be double-locked. Also, the shape of the first retainer lock 41 can be simplified.

[0063] The groove portion 43a in the first retainer lock 41 into which the primary locking portion 26 is fitted is not limited to a shape having a hole formed along the height direction, and may be a recessed shape only in the area where the primary locking portion 26 is located.

[0064] The first retainer lock 41 may have a cantilever shape in which the snap fit portion 43 is provided on only one side of the secondary lock portion 52. The primary locking portion 26 is not limited to a structure that hooks onto a corner, but may be a structure that fits into a recess, for example.

[0065] The primary locking portion 26 may be provided at any position on the inner housing 11. The primary locking portion 26 does not necessarily have to be provided on the inner housing 11, and may be formed on the outer housing 3, for example. In this case, the primary locking portion 26 of the outer housing 3 engages with the inner housing 11.

[0066] The secondary locking portion 52 may be formed on the second retainer lock 42 instead of the first retainer lock 41, as long as the inner housing 11 is engaged (provisionally engaged) with the outer housing 3 near the second retainer lock 42.

[0067] All of the retainer locks 40 may be provided with the secondary locking portions 52. The positioning portion 34 may be formed on only one of the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 11. Furthermore, the positioning portion 34 may be omitted from the connector 1.

[0068] The secondary locking portion 52 may be formed on the retainer 37 as a separate member from the retainer lock 40 . The connector 1 may omit the shield shell 16.

[0069] The number of electric wire members 2 may be one or three or more. Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Connector 2. Electrical wiring materials 3 External housing 4 Mating Connector 5. Torso 6 head 8 Electric wire 8a Crimping ring 9 Terminals 9a Mating terminal connection part 10 Mating terminal 11 Inner housing 11a Upper housing part 11b Lower housing part 11c exposure hole 12 Insertion hole 13 Recess 14. Lance 14a Protrusion 16 Shield Shell 17 Insertion hole 18 Openings 19 Protrusion 20 protrusion 22 First opening 23 Second Opening 24 Sealing material 26 Primary lock section 27 Recess 28 Space 29 Flexible part 30 Engagement claw 31 Engaged part 32 Assembly 32a First Assembly 32b Second Assembly 34 Positioning part 34a First positioning part 34b Second positioning part 35 Sealing material 36 Stepped part 37 Retainer 38 Flange 39 Guide Wall 40 Retainer lock 41 First retainer lock 42 Second retainer lock 43 Snap fit part 43a Groove 44 Protrusion 45 Legs 46 Slope 47 Slit 48 Protrusion 49 Groove 50 All around wall 52 Secondary locking section 54 Assembly 56 Protrusion 59 Projection piece

Claims

1. an electric wire member having a terminal at a tip end thereof to which a mating terminal is connected in a direction intersecting with the length direction; an inner housing that accommodates the tip of the electric wire member together with the terminal; an outer housing having a first opening for accommodating the inner housing and a second opening for accommodating the mating terminal; a seal member for waterproofing a periphery of the second opening; a retainer for holding the seal member attached to the outer housing; The retainer has a secondary locking portion that locks a primary locking portion that engages the outer housing and the inner housing.

2. the retainer has a retainer lock that engages with the outer housing to retain the seal member; The connector of claim 1 , wherein the secondary locking portion is integrally formed with the retainer lock.

3. The retainer lock is formed in plurality, the primary locking portion is provided on the inner housing and is engaged with an engaged portion of the outer housing, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the secondary locking portion is formed on one of the plurality of retainer locks that is adapted to engage with the engaged portion.

4. The retainer lock has a snap-fit ​​portion that utilizes the elasticity of the material to engage with the outer housing, 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the secondary locking portion is bridged between tips of the pair of snap-fit ​​portions and presses the primary locking portion from above when the snap-fit ​​portions are engaged with the external housing.

5. The snap-fit ​​portion has a protrusion that is engaged with the outer housing and a leg portion having the protrusion at a tip thereof, The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the leg portion and the secondary locking portion are formed to the same thickness.

6. The snap-fit ​​portion has a protrusion that is engaged with the outer housing, The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the projection has a sloped portion on a surface positioned toward where the snap-fit ​​portion is inserted.

7. The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising a positioning portion for positioning the inner housing relative to the outer housing in an insertion direction.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Connector

    JP2019164945A