Connector unit

Abstract

To provide a connector unit, which can prevent foreign matters from intruding thereinto.SOLUTION: A connector unit 100 comprises: a case 70 whose inside is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area; an interface connector 40 mounted in the non-waterproof area of the case 70; an opening part 73, which is arranged on the non-waterproof area of the case 70, and which a mating connector can be inserted into and pulled from; a drainage hole part 76, which is arranged on the non-waterproof area side of the case, and which has a first hole shape penetrating from an inside to outside of the case in order to drain a water soaking the interface connector 40 is soaked with; groove parts 74K, which are arranged on the non-waterproof area side of the case 70, and which are formed open at least in the outside of the case 70; and a waterproof cap 200 singularly formed to be able to cap the opening part 73 and the drainage hole part 76 from the outside of the case 70. The waterproof cap 200 has fitting protrusions 250 that fit to the groove parts 74K respectively when capping.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for preventing the intrusion of foreign matter into a connector unit. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional connector unit having a drainage structure, there is one that can discharge water to the outside even if water infiltrates inside the device (for example, see Patent Document 1). FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a drainage structure of a connector unit of the conventional technology. The connector unit 100 of FIG. 17 includes a flat printed wiring board 30 having a first region 30a and a second region 30b, an interface connector 40 having a non-watertight structure and mounted on the first region 30a, a waterproof seal member 60 covering the boundary 30c, and a case having an opening 73 and accommodating the printed wiring board 30, the interface connector 40, and the waterproof seal member 60. The waterproof seal member 60 separates the inside of the case 70 into a first region 30a side and a second region 30b side. The second region 30b side in the case 70 is a waterproof region. On the first region 30a side of the case 70, two drainage holes 76 are formed on the lower left and right sides of the front panel portion 74. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7297994 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, depending on the size and position of the drainage hole, water that should be drained may become stuck (trapped) near the drainage outlet of the drainage hole. The phenomenon of trapped drainage (hereinafter also referred to as the "trapping phenomenon") inhibits water from draining from the drainage hole and causes water to accumulate inside the case. This may cause metal parts such as connectors (hereinafter also referred to as "metal parts") to rust.

[0005] Here, if the drainage hole could be made larger so as to prevent the trapping phenomenon, the adhesion of water droplets could be suppressed. However, forming a larger drainage hole poses the problem that it may become easier for foreign matter to enter the inside of the device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector unit that prevents foreign matter from entering the interior. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the connector unit according to the present embodiment includes a case whose interior is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area, a metal part mounted in the non-waterproof area of ​​the case, an opening provided on the non-waterproof area side of the case through which a mating connector can be inserted and removed, a drainage hole portion provided on the non-waterproof area side of the case and having a first hole shape penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case to drain water from the metal part, a groove portion provided on the non-waterproof area side of the case and opening at least to the outside of the case, and a waterproof cap formed as a single unit capable of covering the opening and the drainage hole portion from the outside of the case. The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that fits into the groove portion when the waterproof cap is closed. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The connector unit of this embodiment includes a single waterproof cap that can cover the drainage hole and the opening from the outside of the case. The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that can be inserted into the drainage hole in the area facing the drainage hole, which prevents the waterproof cap from rotating, making it difficult for a gap to occur between the cylindrical part 72 and the waterproof cap 200. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a connector unit according to the present embodiment, in which Figure 1(a) is a perspective view, Figure 1(b) is a side view, and Figure 1(c) is a front view. [Diagram 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the waterproof cap, which is not shown in Figure 1, is displayed on the connector unit 100 shown in Figure 1. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view, Figure 2(b) is a side view, and Figure 2(c) is a front view. [Diagram 3] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the inside of the connector unit 100. Figure 3(a) is a rear view, and Figure 3(b) is an FF cross-sectional view of Figure 3(a). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a printed circuit board 35. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view, and Fig. 6(b) is a side view of the printed wiring board 30 shown in Fig. 6(a). [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing a printed circuit board 35 integrally formed with a waterproof seal member 60. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view. Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view seen from the interface connector 40 side when cut along a plane including the boundary 30c shown in Fig. 6(a). [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an embodiment of a connector unit having a rear cover 80. Figure 8(a) is a rear view, and Figure 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in Figure 8(a). [Figure 9] Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the water guide member 28. Fig. 9(a) is a diagram showing a portion corresponding to the first region 30a of the cylindrical portion 72 in the BB cross-sectional view in Fig. 1(c), Fig. 9(b) is a HH cross-sectional view in Fig. 9(a), and Fig. 9(c) is a perspective view of Fig. 9(b) as viewed from the upper left direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of region Q in FIG. [Figure 11] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining drainage holes 761, 762 and a notch 761 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11(a) is a side view of a region corresponding to the cylindrical portion 72 of the connector unit 100, and Fig. 11(b) is a WW cross-sectional view of Fig. 11(a). [Figure 12] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the effect on drainage caused by providing a cutout portion 761. Fig. 12(a) shows a case where a cutout portion 761 is not provided, and Fig. 12(b) shows a case where a cutout portion 761 is provided. [Figure 13] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the structure of the waterproof cap 200. Fig. 13(a) is a perspective view seen from the surrounding cap 220 side, and Fig. 13(b) is a rear view seen from the surrounding cap 220 side. [Figure 14] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the periphery of the cylindrical portion 72 of the connector unit 100 fitted with the waterproof cap 200. Fig. 14(a) is a diagram showing the waterproof cap 200 in comparison with Fig. 3(b), and Fig. 14(b) is an enlarged view of region X in Fig. 14(a). [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a diagram for explaining drainage holes and cutout portions relating to a modified example of the first embodiment, Figure 15(a) is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of drainage hole portion 761 and drainage hole portion 762 in Figure 11(a), and Figures 15(b) to 15(f) are schematic diagrams showing drainage holes and cutout portions relating to the modified example in the same way as Figure 15(a). [Figure 16]Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining drainage holes and cutouts according to the second embodiment. Fig. 16(a) is a schematic diagram shown in the same format as Fig. 15(a), Fig. 16(b) is a diagram in which drainage holes 761 and 762 in Fig. 16(a) are extracted, Fig. 16(c) is a UU cross-sectional view of Fig. 16(a), and Fig. 16(d) is a VV cross-sectional view of Fig. 16(a). [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a drainage structure of a connector unit according to the prior art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <First embodiment> A connector unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same functions are given the same numbers, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. Note that, although some reference numerals in Figures 1 to 16 described below overlap with the reference numerals described in the prior art in Figure 17, Figures 1 to 16 and Figure 17 are different from each other.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connector unit in this embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view, FIG. 1(b) is a side view, and FIG. 1(c) is a front view. In FIG. 1, a waterproof cap 200, which is one of the components of the connector unit 100, is not shown. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the connector unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 with the waterproof cap, which is not shown in FIG. 1, displayed. FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view, FIG. 2(b) is a side view, and FIG. 2(c) is a front view. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the inside of the connector unit 100. FIG. 3(a) is a rear view, and FIG. 3(b) is an FF cross-sectional view in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit 100. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit 100. Note that in FIG. 3(a), a potting resin 130, which will be described later, is not shown, and in FIG. 3(b), an electronic component 50 is not shown.

[0012] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the connector unit 100 in this embodiment is composed of the following main elements: a printed wiring board 30, an interface connector 40, electronic components 50, a waterproof sealing member 60, a case 70, a rear connector 91, and a waterproof cap 200.

[0013] (Printed Wiring Board 30) The printed wiring board 30 is a single-layer or multi-layer wiring board whose main material is, for example, glass epoxy resin. Figure 6 shows a printed circuit board 35. Figure 6(a) is a perspective view, and Figure 6(b) is a side view of the printed wiring board 30 shown in Figure 6(a).

[0014] 6, the printed wiring board 30 in this embodiment has a flat plate shape consisting of a substantially rectangular upper surface 30A and a lower surface 30B opposite to the upper surface 30A, and has an end 32 having an end face at one end in the length direction, and an end 33 having an end face opposite to the end 32. The printed wiring board 30 has a first region 30a extending from the end 32 toward the end 33, and a second region 30b adjacent to the first region 30a and extending to the end 33. If the boundary surface between the first region 30a and the second region 30b is defined as a boundary 30c, the first region 30a is the region from the end 32 to the boundary 30c in the printed wiring board 30, and the second region 30b is the region from the boundary 30c to the end 33 in the printed wiring board 30.

[0015] An interface connector 40, electronic components 50, and a rear connector 91 are mounted on an upper surface 30A of the printed wiring board 30. In this embodiment, the printed wiring board 30 on which the interface connector 40, electronic components 50, and rear connector 91 are mounted is referred to as a "printed circuit board 35." The printed circuit board 35 is accommodated in a case 70. The printed wiring board 30 has two through holes 31b arranged side by side in the width direction (see one through hole 31b shown in FIG. 10). The through hole 31b has a circular hole and has two ends, an end 31b1 on the upper surface 30A side and an end 31b2 on the lower surface 30B side.

[0016] (Interface Connector 40) On the upper surface 30A of the printed wiring board 30, an interface connector 40 is mounted on the end 32 side of the first region 30a to be connected to a connector of a smartphone or the like. The interface connector 40 is a type of electronic component. As shown in FIG. 6, the interface connector 40 has terminals 42 covered by a shell 41 having a non-watertight structure made of metal, and is positioned so as to face the outside of the case 70 through an opening 73 provided in a front plate portion 74 of the case 70 (FIG. 5). The shell 41 has a first end 41a and a second end 41b. The interface connector 40 has two protrusions 43b (see one protrusion 43b shown in FIG. 10) on the end 41b side of the bottom surface, and protrusions 43c and 43d (FIG. 6(a)) on both side surfaces of the shell 41 in this order from the end 41a side. The protrusions 43b are inserted into through holes 31b (FIG. 10) provided in the printed wiring board 30. Similarly, the protrusions 43c and 43d are inserted into the through holes 31c and 31d, respectively. The protrusions 43b, 43c, and 43d are inserted into the through holes 31b, 31c, and 31d, so that the interface connector 40 is positioned on the printed wiring board 30. The through holes 31b, 31c, and 31d are holes that penetrate the upper surface 30A and the lower surface 30B of the printed wiring board 30, and are formed as non-through holes here. The interface connector 40 in this embodiment is a USB Type-C connector. However, the type of the interface connector 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is an interface connector having a non-watertight structure. For example, other interface connectors such as a USB Type-A connector and an HDMI (registered trademark) connector may be used. Since the interface connector 40 has a non-watertight structure, even if the interface connector 40 is exposed to water through the opening 73, as long as the amount of water is small, the water does not stay inside the interface connector 40 and is drained to the outside of the interface connector 40.

[0017] (Electronic Components 50) On the upper surface 30A of the printed wiring board 30, electronic components 50, which are surface-mount components such as IC chips and capacitors, are mounted on the second region 30b side. As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of electronic components 50 are mounted in the present embodiment. The electronic components 50 in the present embodiment are different types of electronic components from the interface connector 40 and the rear connector 91 described later. However, the number of electronic components 50 on the printed wiring board 30 is not limited to a plurality. As described later, in the present embodiment, the first region 30a side in the case 70 is a non-waterproof region, and the second region 30b side is a waterproof region. Therefore, the electronic components 50 in the present embodiment may include electronic components that require higher waterproofing measures than the interface connector 40. Note that if the connector unit 100 of the present embodiment can be realized without the electronic components 50, the electronic components 50 do not necessarily have to be mounted.

[0018] (Waterproof seal member 60) A waterproof seal member 60 made of a hot melt material is formed on the outer periphery 30c1 of the boundary 30c of the printed wiring board 30. Fig. 7 shows a printed circuit board 35 integrally formed with the waterproof seal member 60. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view. Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view seen from the interface connector 40 side when cut along a plane including the boundary 30c shown in Fig. 6(a).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 7, the waterproof seal member 60 is formed integrally with the printed wiring board 30 while closely adhering to the printed wiring board 30 while covering the outer periphery 30c1 of the boundary 30c in the printed wiring board 30. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the waterproof seal member 60 formed on the printed wiring board 30 has pressing surfaces 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D that press the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 72 when inserted into the case 70. The pressing surfaces 60A and 60B, the pressing surfaces 60B and 60C, the pressing surfaces 60C and 60D, and the pressing surfaces 60D and 60A are continuous, forming a continuous surface as a whole. The pressing surfaces 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D are arranged so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 72 by pressing the inner periphery 72c that faces the outer periphery 30c1, which is the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 72 of the case 70. By configuring the waterproof seal member 60 as described above, the waterproof seal member 60 separates the inside of the case 70 into a first area 30a side and a second area 30b side.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the second region 30b side of the case 70 is a waterproof region. Specific examples of realizing the waterproof region include injecting a potting resin 130 and providing a rear connector 91, as described later.

[0021] By providing the waterproof seal member 60 and making the second region 30b side inside the case 70 a waterproof region, the second region 30b side exhibits a waterproof function not only when water gets in through the opening 73 of the case 70, but also when water gets in from the rear end side of the case 70 (the side of the case 70 opposite the front panel portion 74). Therefore, no matter in what direction the connector unit 100 is attached to other equipment such as the vehicle in which it is mounted, the printed wiring board 30 and electronic components 50 on the second region 30b side inside the case 70 will not be affected by water.

[0022] The waterproof seal member 60 is formed, for example, by insert molding so as to be integrated with the printed wiring board 30. However, the waterproof seal member 60 is not necessarily limited to being formed as a single member, and may be formed, for example, as a non-annular multiple member configured separately from the printed wiring board 30.

[0023] (Case 70) The printed circuit board 35 integrally formed with the waterproof seal member 60 is housed in a case 70. The case 70 is a molded product made of a thermoplastic resin such as ABS. As described above, the waterproof seal member 60 separates the inside of the case 70 into a first region 30a side and a second region 30b side. That is, by implementing a means for realizing a waterproof region, which will be described later, the inside of the case 70 is divided into a non-waterproof region and a waterproof region, with the waterproof seal member 60 as the boundary.

[0024] 1 to 3 and 5, the case 70 has tubular portions 71 and 72 each having a horizontally oval cylindrical shape, and a front plate portion 74 located at the front end of the tubular portion 72. In this example, the front plate portion 74 is formed in a horizontally oval shape having an arc shape. In other words, the case 70 has the front plate portion 74 at one end, and has the tubular portions 71 and 72 protruding from the front plate portion 74 to the other end side.

[0025] The fixing portion 71L is provided on the upper surface side of the front end of the cylindrical portion 71. As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing portion 71L is composed of bases 71L1 and 71L2, a connecting base 71L3, a protruding portion 71L4, and an engagement portion 71Ls. The pair of bases 71L1 and 71L2 are provided upright on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 71 and are approximately rectangular thin plates having a width shorter than the opening 73 so as to face the front plate portion 74 side. The bases 71L1 and 71L2 are arranged in parallel in the order of the base 71L1 and the base 71L2 toward the front plate portion 74. The connecting base 71L3 is provided upright by connecting the pair of bases 71L1 and 71L2. The connecting base 71L3 reinforces the bases 71L1 and 71L2. The protruding portion 71L4 has a substantially horizontally oval cross-sectional shape, and protrudes from the base 71L2 toward the front plate portion 74. The engaging portion 71Ls is provided at the tip of the protruding portion 71L4, and has a substantially horizontally elongated hemispherical shape whose cross-sectional shape is slightly larger than that of the protruding portion 71L4.

[0026] The front plate portion 74 has an opening 73. In this example, the front plate portion 74 has a pair of grooves 74K at a position different from the opening 73. The opening 73 is an opening into which the mating connector of the interface connector 40 can be inserted and removed. The grooves 74K are provided in the front plate portion 74 and are grooves that are open at least on the outside of the front plate portion 74 (the outside of the case 70). That is, the grooves 74K do not necessarily communicate with the internal space of the cylindrical portion 72. The grooves 74K are provided to have a shape slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the mating protrusions 250 of the waterproof cap 200 described later so that the mating protrusions 250 can be inserted therein. In this example, the grooves 74K are formed by cutting out the front plate portion 74 slightly below the center of the left and right edges of the front plate portion 74 across the opening 73. As described later, the grooves 74K are mated with the mating protrusions 250 by inserting the mating protrusions 250 into the grooves 74K.

[0027] In the cylindrical portion 72, i.e., the first region 30a side of the case 70, drainage holes 76 are formed in a total of six places, two on each side surface and two on the bottom surface. In Figs. 1 and 3, subscripts are added to each reference numeral to identify each drainage hole. These openings 73 and drainage holes 76 all lead to the internal space of the cylindrical portion 72. In this example, cutouts 72K are provided from the drainage holes 761, 763 to the groove portion 74K. Due to the groove portion 74K and the cutout portion 72K, when viewed from the side surface side of the cylindrical portion 72, the front plate portion 74 side of the drainage holes 761, 763 is cut out so that the plate thickness of the side surface of the case 70 is thin. Due to this structure, a space (opening) into which the fitting protrusion 250 described later can be inserted is formed in this region (groove portion 74K, cutout portion 72K, drainage holes 761, 763). Furthermore, the groove 74K and the cutout 72K have the same effect as a cutout 761, which will be described later, when the waterproof cap 200 is not attached. The structure of the drainage holes 761 to 764 will be described in detail later.

[0028] The printed circuit board 35 with the waterproof seal member 60 integrally formed is inserted (pressed) into the case 70 from the rear end side of the cylindrical portion 71 (the side opposite to the front plate portion 74 in the case 70). As shown in FIG. 3(a), sliders 71a, 71b, 71c, and 71d are formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 71 in the left and right side regions. When the printed circuit board 35 with the waterproof seal member 60 integrally molded is inserted into the case 70 by pressing, one end in the width direction of the printed wiring board 30 is inserted between the sliders 71a and 71b, and the other end is inserted between the sliders 71c and 71d while being pressed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the interface connector 40, the electronic component 50, the waterproof seal member 60, and the rear connector 91 except for the fitting portion 91a on the printed wiring board 30 are housed in the case 70 together with the printed wiring board 30 at a predetermined position and a predetermined height.

[0029] The inside of the case 70 is separated into a first region 30a side and a second region 30b side by the waterproof seal member 60. That is, when the waterproof seal member 60 is used as the waterproof seal member, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the pressing surfaces 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D of the waterproof seal member 60 press the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 72. As a result, the waterproof seal member 60 separates the inside of the case 70 into the first region 30a side and the second region 30b side.

[0030] (Rear connector 91) A rear connector 91 to be connected to a harness connector (not shown) is mounted on the upper surface 30A of the printed wiring board 30 on the end 33 side of the second region 30b. The rear connector 91 is a type of electronic component. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear connector 91 is composed of a housing 91A and a terminal 92. The housing 91A is cylindrical and includes a fitting portion 91a to be fitted with the harness connector described above and a base portion 91b that covers the base end of the fitting portion 91a. As shown in FIG. 3(a), two terminal press-fitting holes 91c are formed in the base portion 91b. The rear connector 91 in this embodiment has two terminals 92. The terminals 92 are bent into an L-shape, and a pair of protrusions 92a protruding on both sides in the width direction are formed on one side of the L-shape. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the terminals 92 are attached to the housing 91A by pressing one side of the L-shape into the terminal press-fitting hole 91c. One side of the press-fitted terminal 92 is exposed within the fitting portion 91a so as to be connectable to the harness connector described above, while the other side of the L-shape of the terminal 92 is inserted into a through-hole 31a provided on the end portion 33 side of the printed wiring board 30 and connected by soldering.

[0031] (Example 1 for realizing waterproof area: Potting resin 130) After the waterproof seal member 60 and the printed circuit board 35 are housed in the case 70, the potting resin 130 is injected into the second region 30b side of the case 70. Examples of the material of the potting resin 130 include, but are not limited to, urethane resin, epoxy resin, and silicon resin. In FIG. 3(b), the injected potting resin 130 is shown using a symbol, but is shown without a pattern such as diagonal lines so as to be distinguishable from the cylindrical portion 71 and the printed wiring board 30. The potting resin 130 is injected until the second region 30b side of the case 70 is filled with the potting resin 130, as shown in FIG. 3(b). By filling the potting resin 130, the first region 30a side of the case 70 can be made a non-waterproof region, and the second region 30b side can be made a waterproof region.

[0032] (Example 2 for realizing a waterproof area: rear cover 80) The second region 30b side of the case 70 may be left hollow without injecting the potting resin 130, and instead, the cylindrical portion 71 may be provided with a rear cover 80 to make it waterproof.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a connector unit having a rear cover 80. FIG. 8(a) is a rear view, and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 8(a). In FIG. 8(b), the electronic component 50 is not shown. In the connector unit 100 shown in FIG. 8, unlike FIG. 3, the potting resin 130 is not filled in the second region 30b side of the case 70. Instead, the rear end of the cylindrical portion 71 of the case 70, i.e., the end of the case 70 on the second region 30b side, is covered by the rear cover 80. The rear cover 80 has a horizontally oval flat plate having the same shape as the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 71. The contact portion between the rear cover 80 and the case 70, i.e., the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the cylindrical portion 71 and the outer peripheral surface of the rear cover 80, are firmly joined by an adhesive or the like. By covering the rear end of the cylindrical portion 71 with the rear cover 80, the second area 30b side inside the case 70 exhibits a waterproof function.

[0034] When the rear cover 80 is provided, the rear cover 80 may be formed integrally between the fitting portion 91a and the base portion 91b (FIG. 4). As a result, the base portion 91b forms a part of the rear cover 80, and the fitting portion 91a protrudes rearward from the rear cover 80. On the other hand, the rear cover 80 may be formed as a separate body from the rear connector 91. For example, the rear cover 80 may be structured to hold the rear connector 91. The rear cover 80 may be formed from the same material as the waterproof seal member 60, but is not limited to this.

[0035] Even if the second region 30b side of the case 70 is made a waterproof region by providing the rear cover 80, the second region 30b side of the case 70 may be filled with potting resin 130 in order to further enhance this waterproof function. If the potting resin 130 is not injected, a moisture-proof coating may be applied to the printed wiring board 30 from the viewpoint of water resistance, even if the rear cover 80 is provided. As the coating agent, for example, a room temperature fluorine coating agent may be used, or a coating agent containing a urethane-, acrylic-, or silicone-based resin as a film component may also be used.

[0036] Similar to the potting resin 130, the rear cover 80 can provide a waterproof function for the second region 30b side of the case 70, and can also provide the waterproof function at a lower cost than the potting resin 130.

[0037] (Water conducting member 28) A water guide member 28 is formed in the cylindrical portion 72. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the water guide member 28. Fig. 9(a) is a diagram showing a portion corresponding to the first region 30a of the cylindrical portion 72 in the BB cross-sectional view in Fig. 1(c), Fig. 9(b) is a HH cross-sectional view in Fig. 9(a), and Fig. 9(c) is a perspective view of Fig. 9(b) seen from the upper left direction. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of region Q in Fig. 9(a).

[0038] The water guide member 28 is formed below the interface connector 40 on the lower surface 30B side of the printed wiring board 30 so as to protrude from the inner surface of the front plate portion 74 toward the waterproof seal member 60. The water guide member 28 is composed of a base 281, two legs 282, and a reinforcing portion 283. The base 281 has a flat plate shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the front plate portion 74 toward the waterproof seal member 60 as a quadrangular prism with a rectangular bottom.

[0039] The plate thickness of the base 281 is constant up to the area having the surface 281a, as shown in FIG. 10, when the inner surface of the front plate 74 is taken as the starting point, and the area having the surface 281b is formed so as to become thinner toward the waterproof seal member 60 side. That is, the surface 281b is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the surface 281a in a direction away from the lower surface 30B. The two legs 282 are provided by extending in a curved shape from both ends of the longitudinal direction of the base 281. The base 281 and the two legs 282 are connected to each other, forming a C-shape as a whole. At least a part of the base 281 is disposed in a position facing each through hole 31b. The legs 282 have a shape that protrudes from the inner surface of the front plate 74 toward the waterproof seal member 60 side by the same length as the base 281. The thickness of the leg 282 is constant up to a predetermined region corresponding to the surface 281a, but similar to the base 281, the region corresponding to the surface 281b is formed to become thinner toward the waterproof seal member 60. The reinforcing portion 283 extends from the inner surface of the front plate portion 74 toward the waterproof seal member 60 side so as to reinforce the base 281 from the center position in the longitudinal direction of the base 281. The extension length is formed to be slightly shorter than the base 281.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 10, the water guide member 28 has an inclined surface (surface 281b) having a predetermined angle (90 degrees-θ) with respect to the penetrating direction of the through hole 31b, and is disposed so that the shortest distance (distance X in FIG. 10) between the water guide member 28 and the center of gravity of the shape of the end portion 31b2 is shorter than the radius of the largest circle that can be inserted into the shape of the end portion 31b2. That is, in the example of FIG. 10, the water guide member 28 is disposed at a position that maintains the relationship of X<(D / 2). Therefore, when the received water protrudes downward from the end portion 31b2, the water contacts the water guide member 28. In this case, the base portion 281 and the leg portion 282 having the inclined surface become a flow path, and the water that would have stayed in the through hole 31b flows downward. Therefore, the water guide member 28 drains the water that has entered the through hole 31b of the printed wiring board 30 to the outside of the printed wiring board 30. Additionally, the thinned portion of base 281, the curved portion of leg 282, and the thinned portion of leg 282 guide water toward each of these portions.

[0041] Water guide member 28 has a C-shape formed by base 281 and leg parts 282, and has reinforcing parts 283 that reinforce base 281. Water guide member 28 is provided in contact with the inner surface of front plate part 74. Therefore, even if force is applied to front plate part 74 during the operation of inserting or removing the mating connector of interface connector 40 through opening 73, deformation or damage to front plate part 74 is reduced.

[0042] (Drainage hole 76, cutout 761) Six drainage holes 76 are formed in the cylindrical portion 72. On the right side surface of the cylindrical portion 72 (hereinafter also referred to as the "right side surface of the cylindrical portion 72") as viewed from the front plate portion 74 side (FIG. 1(c)), drainage holes 761 and 762 are formed as a set of drainage holes spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other in order from the front plate portion 74 side. On the left side surface of the cylindrical portion 72 (hereinafter also referred to as the "left side surface of the cylindrical portion 72") as viewed from the front plate portion 74 side, drainage holes 763 and 764 are formed as a set of drainage holes spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other in order from the front plate portion 74 side (FIG. 3). On the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 72 as viewed from the front plate portion 74 side, drainage holes 765 and 766 are formed as a set of drainage holes spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other in order from the front plate portion 74 side. Each of the drainage holes 761-766 is formed to penetrate from surface 72A, which is the inner surface, to surface 72B, which is the outer surface, of the cylindrical portion 72. The hole shapes of the drainage holes 76, which are through holes, are approximately rounded quadrilateral hole shapes 76a, 76b, 76c, 76d, 76e, and 76f, in that order of the drainage holes 761-766.

[0043] As described later, a cutout portion 761 is provided between the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762, and between the drainage hole portion 763 and the drainage hole portion 764. In this embodiment, the drainage holes 761 to 764 and the two cutout portions 761 are formed in a symmetrical structure with the FF cross section shown in FIG. 3(a) as the reference plane. The drainage holes 761, 762 and the cutout portion 761 provided between the drainage holes 761, 762 will be described below. Descriptions of the drainage holes 763, 764, the cutout portion 761 provided between the drainage holes 763, 764, and the drainage holes 765, 766 that do not have the cutout portion 761 will be omitted.

[0044] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining drainage holes 761, 762 and a cutout portion 761 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11(a) is a side view of a region corresponding to the tubular portion 72 of the connector unit 100, and Fig. 11(b) is a WW cross-sectional view of Fig. 11(a). For convenience of explanation, Fig. 11(a) does not show the water guide member 28 and the printed wiring board 30 that can be seen from the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762. Fig. 11 shows a configuration without the cutout portion 72K and the groove portion 74K in order to explain the effect of drainage due to the provision of the cutout portion 761.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 11(b), a cutout portion 761 having a length L2 is provided between the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762, which are a pair of drainage holes. The cutout portion 761 has a hole shape that expands the hole shape of the drainage hole while contacting a part of the circumference of the hole shape from the middle of the drainage hole in the penetration direction to the outer surface of the case. That is, the cutout portion 761 is formed so that the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762 cut out the cylindrical portion 72 by a length (length L2) from a position that is a length L1 away from the surface 72A, which is a partway from the inner surface (surface 72A) of the cylindrical portion 72 to the outer surface (surface 72B) in the penetration direction.

[0046] Also, the cutout portion 761 has a substantially rectangular hole shape 761a that expands the hole shape 76a and the hole shape 76b while contacting the end portions 761a and 762a (see FIG. 15(a)) that are part of the circumference of the hole at a position separated by a length L1 from the surface 72A in the drainage hole (761, 762). That is, the cutout portion 761 is formed so as to cut out the tubular portion 72 by a length L2 in the penetration direction (the direction penetrating from the surface 72A to the surface 72B) while having the hole shape 761a starting from the end portions 761a and 762a. As a result, the cutout portion 761 forms a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space (opening) having the hole shape 761a.

[0047] By providing the cutout portion 761, the size and shape of the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762 change at the boundary of the position of length L1 (i.e., starting from the end portions 761a, 762a). The drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762 have the shape and size of hole shapes 76a, 76b, respectively, from the surface 72A to the end portions 761a, 762a at the distance of length L1. The hole shape of the drainage hole portion 761 and the drainage hole portion 762 is a shape in which the three hole shapes of hole shape 76a, hole shape 761a, and hole shape 76b are connected in the portion of length L2 from the end portions 761a, 762a to the surface 72B. That is, the hole shapes of drainage hole portions 761 and 762 become discontinuous from the position of length L1 (ends 761a, 762a), which is halfway in the penetrating direction, and the shape and size change from two hole shapes having hole shapes 76a and 76b to one hole shape having the size of hole shape 76a + hole shape 761a + hole shape 76b.

[0048] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the effect of drainage caused by providing the notch 761. FIG. 12(a) shows a case where the notch 761 is not provided, and FIG. 12(b) shows a case where the notch 761 is provided. The connector unit 100 is assumed to be used by being attached to, for example, a motorcycle or other vehicle, and the posture of the use state is not necessarily maintained in the state shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the connector unit 100 can be used in various postures depending on the usage manner of the user. Therefore, in the following explanation, the explanation will be based on the posture in which the penetration direction of the drainage hole 76 coincides with the direction of gravity, which is considered to promote drainage the most. The direction of gravity (G) in FIG. 12 is vertically upward when viewed from the front of FIG. 12. In addition, the openings of the drainage holes 761, 762 on the surface 72A side are aligned with the drainage hole 76. 1-IN ,76 2-IN The opening on the surface 72B side is a drain hole portion 76 1-OUT , 76 2-OUT The water received by the opening 73 travels through the interface connector 40 and the printed wiring board 30 to reach the surface 72A inside the cylindrical portion 72. Alternatively, the water reaches the surface 72A directly from the interface connector 40. A part of the water that reaches the surface 72A is discharged through the drain hole portion 76. 1-IN , 76 2-INDrain hole 76 1-OUT , 76 2-OUT It flows towards.

[0049] When the cutout portion 761 is not provided (FIG. 12(a)), the drain hole portion 76 1-OUT , 76 2-OUT The water that flows into the drain hole is discharged through the drain hole 76 1-OUT , 76 2-OUT A trapping phenomenon may occur near the drain hole 76. The connector unit 100 is formed with certain restrictions on the shape and size of the drain hole 76 in order to prevent foreign matter from entering the cylindrical portion 72. One cause of the trapping phenomenon is when the size of the hole shape of the drain hole 76 cannot be sufficiently ensured, and liquid does not become large enough to drip.

[0050] When the cutout portion 761 is provided (FIG. 12(b)), the size of the hole shape suddenly expands from hole shape 76a or hole shape 76b to hole shape 76a+hole shape 761a+hole shape 76b at the position of length L1, i.e., at the ends 761a and 762a (see FIG. 15(a)). This sudden change does not occur in all directions around the drainage hole, but is limited to certain directions, namely the ends 761a and 762a (see FIG. 15(a)). In other words, the drainage hole portions 761 and 762 have predetermined ranges cut out around the hole shapes 76a and 76b. The drainage hole portions 76 1-IN , 76 2-INThe water that has entered the cutouts is trapped at the ends 761a and 762a (i.e., the cutout periphery) while maintaining the flow direction from the surface 72A to the surface 72B. On the other hand, in the non-cutout periphery, the drain holes as the drain holes 761 and 762 continue to the surface 72B, so the water tends to continue to flow in the penetration direction. In addition, other water flows in later, accelerating the above-mentioned situation. As a result, the direction of the tip surface of the water near the ends 761a and 762a is inclined at a certain angle from the penetration direction toward the cutout region. In other words, the water that sticks to the non-cutout periphery is closer to the surface 72B than the water that sticks to the cutout periphery, and as a result, the direction of the tip surface of the water near the ends 761a and 762a is likely to be inclined obliquely to the penetration direction.

[0051] Therefore, in the drainage holes 761 and 762 provided with the cutouts 761, the diameter of the droplets that remain near the ends 761a and 762a tends to be larger than when the cutouts 761 are not provided. If droplets with a larger diameter are generated than when the cutouts 761 are not provided, the weight of the droplets becomes heavier than that shown in FIG. 12(a), and the surface tension becomes weaker, making it easier to drip. Therefore, by providing the cutouts 761, the trapping phenomenon can be avoided. Also, depending on conditions such as the amount of water that has entered the drainage holes 761 and 762 and the flow speed, the droplets of water that have been received from the drainage holes 761 and the droplets of water that have been received from the drainage holes 762 come into contact with each other at the cutouts 761, and become even larger droplets. In these cases, by providing the cutout portion 761, the drainage hole portions 761, 762 have a larger hole shape on the surface 72B side, but the hole shape on the surface 72A side still maintains the size of the original hole shapes 76a, 76b, so there is no increase in the risk of foreign matter entering.

[0052] In this way, by providing the cutout portion 761 in the drainage hole portion 76, the diameter of droplets resulting from stagnant water can be made larger and easier to drip compared to when no cutout is provided, so that water that has entered the drainage hole inside the equipment can be actively drained without increasing the risk of foreign matter entering the interior of the equipment.

[0053] (Waterproof Cap 200) Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the structure of the waterproof cap 200. Fig. 13(a) is a perspective view seen from the surrounding cap 220 side, and Fig. 13(b) is a rear view seen from the surrounding cap 220 side. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the periphery of the cylindrical portion 72 of the connector unit 100 with the waterproof cap 200 attached. Fig. 14(a) is a diagram showing the waterproof cap 200 in comparison with Fig. 3(b), and Fig. 14(b) is an enlarged view of area X in Fig. 14(a).

[0054] The waterproof cap 200 mainly comprises a front cap 210, a peripheral cap 220, a connecting belt 230, a fixing portion 240, a fitting protrusion 250, and an attachment / detachment assisting portion 260. The waterproof cap 200 is a single-piece lid capable of covering the front plate portion 74 including the opening 73 and the groove portion 74K, the cutout portion 72K, the drainage hole portion 76, and the cutout portion 761 from the outside of the front plate portion 74 and the cylindrical portion 72. The waterproof cap 200 is a molded product made of, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer.

[0055] The front cap 210 is a lid that mainly covers the front plate portion 74 including the opening 73 and the groove portion 74K, and in this example has a horizontally oval shape that is slightly larger than the shape of the front plate portion 74.

[0056] The peripheral cap 220 is a lid that mainly covers the cylindrical portion 72 from the circumferential direction. The peripheral cap 220 is connected to the front cap 210 and protrudes from the inner surface 210A of the front cap 210. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral cap 220 has a hollow cylindrical shape that can cover almost the entire area of ​​the outside of the cylindrical portion 72. The peripheral cap 220 has an annular lip portion 220L (FIG. 14) near the end of the protruding side. When the waterproof cap 200 is closed, the lip portion 220L engages with an annular protrusion 72P (FIG. 3) provided on the cylindrical portion 71 side of the cylindrical portion 72, and tightens the waterproof cap 200 to the case 70, further improving the waterproof effect and the effect of preventing the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0057] 2 and 5, the connecting belt 230 is a thin plate-like belt having one end connected to the front cap 210 and the other end connected to the fixing part 240. The connecting belt 230, together with the fixing part 240, functions as a chain to prevent the front cap 210 and the peripheral cap 220 connected thereto from coming off the case 70. The connecting belt 230 has elasticity that allows it to withstand bending of 180 degrees or more when the waterproof cap 200 is attached to the cylindrical part 72.

[0058] The fixing portion 240 engages with the fixing portion 71L to lock the case 70 and the waterproof cap 200. The fixing portion 240 has a hole 240a (FIG. 13) that is larger than the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 71L4 and slightly smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the engagement portion 71Ls so that the engagement portion 71Ls can be inserted by pressing and locked with the protrusion 71L4. The case 70 and the waterproof cap 200 are locked by inserting the engagement portion 71Ls into the hole 240a by pressing.

[0059] The fitting protrusion 250 fits into the groove 74K when the waterproof cap 200 is covered on the tubular portion 72. In this example, the fitting protrusion 250 is a protrusion that can be inserted into the area cut out by the notch 72K and the groove 74K. The extension length of the fitting protrusion 250 may be configured to reach the area of ​​the drainage holes 761, 763. That is, the fitting protrusion 250 may be configured to be inserted into a part of the drainage holes 761, 763. The fitting protrusion 250 is formed so as to protrude from the area of ​​the inner surface 210A facing the groove 74K to the front plate portion 74 side when the waterproof cap 200 is covered on the case 70. The fitting protrusion 250 protrudes from the inner surface 210A along the inner surface of the peripheral cap 220 toward the tip side of the peripheral cap 220.

[0060] When the waterproof cap 200 is used to cover the cylindrical portion 72 and the front plate portion 74, the waterproof cap 200 is engaged with the cylindrical portion 71, and then the inner surface 210A (FIG. 13) of the front cap 210 is opposed to the front plate portion 74 to cover the cylindrical portion 72 from the front plate portion 74 side. As a result, the front cap 210 covers the opening 73 and the groove portion 74K. The peripheral cap 220 covers the notch portion 72K, the drain hole portion 76, and the notch portion 761 from the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 72. This prevents foreign matter and water droplets from entering the cylindrical portion 72.

[0061] When the waterproof cap 200 is closed, the fitting protrusion 250 is inserted into the groove portion 74K from the front plate portion 74 side and fits into the groove portion 74K. Here, the tubular portion 72 has a horizontally oval cylindrical shape, and the front plate portion 74 has a horizontally oval circular shape. In other words, the front plate portion 74 has an arc shape. The fitting protrusion 250 is inserted into the groove portion 74K and fits into the groove portion 74K, thereby restricting the waterproof cap 200 from moving (rotating) in the circumferential direction relative to the front plate portion 74.

[0062] If the waterproof cap 200 does not have the fitting protrusion 250, the waterproof cap 200 can rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the front plate portion 74. Since the front plate portion 74 and the cylindrical portion 72 do not have a perfect circular shape, even a slight rotation can cause a gap between the cylindrical portion 72 and the waterproof cap 200. The case 70 has an opening 73 and a drain hole portion 76 that lead to the inside of the cylindrical portion 72. It also has a groove portion 74K, a notch portion 72K, and a notch portion 761 that are connected to them. Therefore, even a small gap can allow water droplets and other foreign matter to enter. In other words, there is a risk that the foreign matter intrusion prevention function will be reduced.

[0063] The waterproof cap 200 included in the connector unit 100 of the present disclosure is prevented from being rotated out of alignment with the tubular portion 72, thereby preventing unintended exposure of the opening 73, the drain hole 76, the groove 74K, the notch 72K, and the notch 761. This improves the reliability of preventing foreign matter and water droplets from entering the tubular portion 72. In addition, the above-mentioned notch 72K and groove 74K also function as the above-mentioned notch 761, and therefore contribute to active drainage when the waterproof cap 200 is not attached.

[0064] <Modification of the first embodiment> Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining drainage holes and cutouts according to a modified example of the first embodiment, Fig. 15(a) is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of drainage hole 761 and drainage hole 762 in Fig. 11(a), and Figs. 15(b) to 15(f) are schematic diagrams showing drainage holes and cutouts according to the modified example similar to Fig. 15(a). In Fig. 15, the areas of the cutouts are shown using dotted lines to distinguish between the drainage holes and the cutouts. The direction of gravity (G) in Fig. 15 is the vertical forward direction when Fig. 15 is viewed from the front.

[0065] The drainage holes may be arranged vertically in the above-mentioned cylindrical portion 72. For example, as shown in Fig. 15(b), a drainage hole portion 761 may be provided horizontally on the right side surface of the cylindrical portion 72, and a drainage hole portion 762 may be provided horizontally below the drainage hole portion 761 (i.e., vertically) at a predetermined distance from the drainage hole portion 761, with a notch portion 761 formed therebetween. The fact that the arrangement direction of the drainage holes is not important has the advantage of increasing the freedom of design.

[0066] The number of sets of drainage holes provided in the cylindrical portion 72 may be more than one. For example, as shown in FIG. 15(c), two sets of drainage holes (drainage hole portions 76) provided at a predetermined distance from each other may be provided. 1-1 ,76 2-1 , and drainage hole portion 76 1-2 ,76 2-2 ) may be provided, and the sets of drainage holes may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance. In this case, a cutout portion 7612 having a substantially cross-shaped hole shape 7612a is formed between each drainage hole. For example, in order to strengthen measures against the intrusion of foreign matter, only drainage holes having a hole shape smaller than the above-mentioned drainage holes 761, 762 may be provided. In this case, by providing a plurality of sets of drainage holes as shown in FIG. 15(c) and appropriately adjusting the number of drainage holes 76 and the size of the cutout portion 761, it is possible to achieve a stronger measure against the intrusion of foreign matter while achieving the same drainage effect as in FIG. 15(a).

[0067] The cutout portion may be provided for each drainage hole. Specifically, the cutout portion may be formed so as to have a hole shape that expands from the middle of the penetration direction to the outside of the case while contacting at least half of the circumference of the drainage hole. For example, as shown in FIG. 15(d), a drainage hole portion 76 having a circular hole shape 76g may be formed. 1-3 When the drain hole 76 is provided, the cutout portion 7613 is 1-3 The cutout portion 7613 is formed to have a hole shape 7613a that enlarges the hole shape 76g while contacting the end portion 763a that corresponds to at least half of the circumference of the drain hole portion 76g. 1-3This is a dedicated cutout portion and is not shared with other drainage holes. Therefore, in Figure 15(d), there is a higher degree of freedom in the direction and shape of the cutout in the cylindrical portion 72 compared to Figure 15(a), and there is a higher degree of freedom in design.

[0068] In the case where the size of the cutout portion can be secured to be larger than that of FIG. 15(d), it may be as shown in FIG. 15(e). In FIG. 15(e), the length of the end portion 763a is set to the drain hole portion 76 1-3 As shown in FIG. 15(e), the cutout portion 7614 has a drain hole portion 76 having a rounded rectangular hole shape 76h. 1-4 The drain hole 76 is in contact with the end 764a (three sides and four corners of the rounded rectangle), which is the majority of the circumference of the drain hole 76, but is not in contact with the end 764b. The cutout portion 7614 has a hole shape 7614a that expands the hole shape 76h of the rounded rectangle. In the case of FIG. 15(e), the drain hole 76 1-4 The majority of the drain hole 76 is included in the cutout 7614. 1-4 In the cutout 7614, the surface in the penetrating direction including the end 764b constitutes a continuous surface from the surface 72A to the surface 72B. Therefore, the water not only stays in the cutout 7614, but also continues to flow in the drainage direction, thereby achieving a dripping effect.

[0069] When the cutout portion has a rounded rectangular hole shape, it may be formed to include and contact at least one side of the circumference of the drainage hole portion 76 and the corners at both ends. For example, as shown in FIG. 15(f), the cutout portion 7615 is formed in the drainage hole portion 76 having the rounded rectangular hole shape 76i. 1-5 The cutout portion 7615 is in contact with one side in the longitudinal direction of the drain hole 765a including both corners of the cutout portion 7615. The cutout portion 7615 has a hole shape 7615a. When the cutout portion 7615 can secure a hole shape of a size equal to or larger than the hole shape 7615a, the cutout portion 7615 can be used as the drain hole portion 76 1-5 The cutout may be formed so as to contact one of the short sides of the drain hole and the end including both corners of the short side. Although the hole shape must be a rounded rectangle, the cutout is not restricted to the condition that it must contact at least half of the circumference of the drain hole, which gives the advantage of allowing greater freedom in design than the case shown in FIG. 15(d).

[0070] The cutout portion according to the first embodiment and its modified example described above has a hole shape that expands the hole shape while contacting a predetermined range on the circumference of the hole shape of the drainage hole from the middle of the penetration direction (direction from surface 72A to surface 72B) to the outside of the cylindrical portion 72 constituting the case 70. In other words, the cutout portion cuts out a predetermined range on the circumference of the hole shape of the drainage hole from the middle of the penetration direction to the outside of the case 70. This makes it possible to increase the diameter of droplets generated from the retained water and make them easier to drip, compared to a case where the cutout portion is not provided. Therefore, in both the first embodiment and its modified example, water that has entered the drainage hole into the device can be actively drained without increasing the risk of foreign matter entering the inside of the device.

[0071] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment is configured to obtain the same effect as the first embodiment by not providing a cutout portion, but by providing a protrusion 77 that extends further outward from a portion of the circumference of the drainage hole beyond the outer surface (surface 72B) of the tubular portion 72.

[0072] Fig. 16 is a diagram for explaining drainage holes and cutouts according to the second embodiment. Fig. 16(a) is a schematic diagram shown in the same format as Fig. 15(a), Fig. 16(b) is a diagram in which drainage holes 761, 762 in Fig. 16(a) are extracted, Fig. 16(c) is a UU cross-sectional view of Fig. 16(a), and Fig. 16(d) is a VV cross-sectional view of Fig. 16(a). In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a pair of drainage holes 761, 762 are provided.

[0073] The cylindrical portion 72 in the second embodiment has a protruding portion 77. The protruding portion 77 is provided on the outer surface (surface 72B) of the cylindrical portion 72, and is connected to three sides that are part of the circumference of each of the drainage hole portions 761 and 762 and two corners (ends 761b and 762b) between them, and protrudes further outward from the surface 72B with a plate thickness t while surrounding a pair of drainage hole portions 761 and 762. The length L3 of the protrusion is appropriately adjusted with reference to the length L2 (FIG. 12) described above. In FIG. 16(b), in order to clearly indicate the range of the ends 761b and 762b, the drainage hole portions 761 and 762 are illustrated with dotted lines, and the ends 761b and 762b are illustrated with thick lines.

[0074] By providing the protrusion 77, the drainage hole portions 761 and 762 are extended further outward from the surface 72B. With the extension of the drainage hole portions 761 and 762, an opening 7616 is formed, which is a space having a hole shape 7616a. That is, two holes, a hole shape 761a and a hole shape 762a, are formed from the surface 72A to the surface 72B, but from the surface 72B to the outside, one hole shape (hole shape 761a + hole shape 7616a + hole shape 762a) is formed. From a different perspective, the opening 7616 can be said to be a cutout of a predetermined range around the hole shape 761a and the hole shape 762a in the drainage hole portions 761 and 762. Therefore, the opening 7616 has a function equivalent to the cutout portion 761, and can actively drain water that has entered the drainage hole into the device without increasing the risk of foreign matter entering the inside of the device.

[0075] <Modification of the second embodiment> As described above, the opening 7616 has the same function as the notch 761. Therefore, in FIGS. 15(a) to (c), instead of providing a notch, a protrusion may be provided that protrudes the area corresponding to the notch further outward from the surface 72B. For example, in the case where the drainage hole 761 and the drainage hole 762 shown in FIG. 15(b) are provided, instead of providing the notch 761, the area corresponding to the notch 761 may be provided as a protrusion that protrudes further outward from the surface 72B. Also, the drainage hole 76 shown in FIG. 15(c) may be provided as a protrusion that protrudes further outward from the surface 72B. 1-1 ,76 2-1, and drainage hole portion 76 1-2 ,76 2-2 In this case, instead of providing the notch 7612, a region corresponding to the notch 7612 may be provided as a protruding portion that protrudes further outward from the surface 72B.

[0076] The protrusion may be provided for each drain hole, similar to the cutout portion 761. Therefore, instead of providing the cutout portion in FIGS. 15(d) to (f), a protrusion may be provided in which the area corresponding to the cutout portion protrudes further outward from the surface 72B. For example, the drain hole portion 76 shown in FIG. 15(d) 1-3 In the case where the drain hole 76 is provided, instead of providing the notch 7613, a region secured by a predetermined thickness (for example, thickness t) from the end 763a may be provided as a protruding portion so as to protrude further outward from the surface 72B. 1-4 In the case where the drain hole 76 is provided, instead of providing the notch 7614, a region secured by a predetermined thickness (for example, thickness t) from the end 764a may be provided as a protruding portion so as to protrude further outward from the surface 72B. 1-5 In this case, instead of providing the cutout portion 7615, a region secured by a predetermined thickness (for example, thickness t) from the end portion 765a may be provided as a protruding portion that protrudes further outward from the surface 72B.

[0077] The protrusions according to the second embodiment and its modified example described above are provided on the outer surface (surface 72B) of tubular portion 72 constituting case 70, and protrude in the penetration direction (from surface 72A to surface 72B) from tubular portion 72 while contacting a predetermined range around the drainage hole. In both the second embodiment and its modified example, water that has entered the drainage hole can be actively drained into the device without increasing the risk of foreign matter entering the device.

[0078] Although the first embodiment and its modified example, and the second embodiment and its modified example have been described above, the hole shape of the drainage hole portion 76 is not limited to the above-mentioned shape, and may be another hole shape. For example, the drainage holes 761, 762, 761-1 ,76 2-1 ,76 1-2 ,76 2-2 ,76 1-4 The hole shape of the drain hole 76 is not limited to a rounded rectangle, but may be a circle, an oval, or another shape. 1-3 The hole shape is not limited to a circle, and may be other shapes such as a rounded rectangle or an oval. The cutout portion 761 may be provided between drainage holes 765 and 766 formed in the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 72. Needless to say, the connector unit 100 described in this embodiment can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 28 Water conducting member 30 Printed wiring board 30A Upper surface 30a First region 30B Bottom surface 30b Second area 30c boundary 30c1 outer circumference 31a through hole 31b~31d through holes 31b1, 31b2 End 31bJ Shaft 32, 33 End 35 Printed circuit board 40 interface connector 41 shell 41a, 41b End 42 terminal 43b~43d Convex portion 50 Electronic component 60 Waterproof seal member 60A~60D Pressing surface 70 Case 71, 72 Cylindrical part 71a~71d Slider 71L Fixing part 71L1,71L2 base 71L3 connection base 71L4 protruding part 71Ls engaging part 71Ls Engagement part 72c Inner circumference 72A, 72B surface 72K cutout 72P Annular protrusion 73 Opening 74 Front plate section 74K Groove section 76 Drain hole 761a~765a end 761b, 762b end 76a~76i Hole shape 761a Hole shape 7612a~7616a Hole shape 761 Notch 7612~7615 Notch 7616 Opening 77 Protrusion 80 Rear cover 91 Rear connector 91A Housing 91a Fitting part 91b Base part 91c Terminal press-fit hole 92 Terminal 92a Protrusion 100 Connector unit 130 Potting resin 281 Base 281a, 281b surface 282 leg 282a, 282b side 283 reinforcement part 200 Waterproof cap 210 Front cap 210A Inner surface 210B Outer surface 220 Circumference cap 220L Lip part 230 Connecting belt 240 Fixing part 240a Hole 250 Fitting protrusion 260 Attachment / detachment assistance part D Diameter L1, L2 Length t thickness x distance

Claims

1. A case whose interior is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area; a metal component mounted within a non-waterproof area of ​​the case; an opening provided in a non-waterproof area of ​​the case, through which a mating connector can be inserted and removed; a drainage hole portion having a first hole shape that is provided on a non-waterproof area side of the case and penetrates from the inside to the outside of the case to drain water from the metal component; A groove portion provided on a non-waterproof area side of the case and having an opening at least to the outside of the case; a waterproof cap that is formed as a single unit and is capable of covering the opening and the drain hole from the outside of the case; The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that fits into the groove when the waterproof cap is closed. Connector unit.

2. a case having a front panel portion having an arc shape and a tubular portion protruding from the front panel portion, the inside of the case being divided into a non-waterproof area on the front panel portion side and a waterproof area on the side away from the front panel portion; A metal component mounted in the non-waterproof area; an opening provided in the front panel portion through which a mating connector can be inserted and removed; a groove portion provided on the front plate portion, the groove portion being at a position different from the opening portion and having an opening at least toward an outside of the front plate portion; a drainage hole portion having a first hole shape that is provided in the cylindrical portion on the non-waterproof area side and penetrates from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical portion in order to drain water from the metal component; a waterproof cap formed as a single unit to cover the case; The waterproof cap is a front cap capable of covering the front plate portion including the opening and the groove portion from the outside of the case; a peripheral cap connected to the front cap and capable of covering the drainage hole portion and at least a portion of the circumference of the cylindrical portion from the outside of the case; a fitting protrusion protruding from a surface of the front cap on a side connected to the peripheral cap so as to fit into the groove when the front plate portion is closed; having Connector unit.

3. a cutout portion in which a predetermined range is cut out from a middle of the drainage hole portion in a penetration direction to an outside of the case, on a circumference of the first hole shape; The connector unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

4. The predetermined range of the cutout portion on the circumference of the first hole shape is at least half of the circumference of the first hole shape. The connector unit according to claim 3 .

5. The first hole shape of the drainage hole is a rounded rectangle, The predetermined range of the cutout portion around the first hole shape is at least one side of the rounded rectangular hole shape and both corners of the sides of the rounded rectangular hole shape. The connector unit according to claim 3 .

6. A case whose interior is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area; a metal component mounted within a non-waterproof area of ​​the case; an opening provided in a non-waterproof area of ​​the case, through which a mating connector can be inserted and removed; a pair of drainage holes provided at a predetermined distance from each other on the non-waterproof area side of the case, each having a first hole shape penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case, for draining water from the metal component; a cutout portion having a second hole shape that is provided between the pair of drainage holes of the case and that expands the first hole shape while contacting a part of the circumference of each of the drainage holes from the middle of the penetration direction of each of the drainage holes to the outside of the case; a waterproof cap that is formed as a single unit and that can cover the drainage hole, the opening, and the notch from the outside of the case; The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that can be inserted into the drainage hole in a region facing the drainage hole. Connector unit.

7. A case whose interior is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area; a metal component mounted within a non-waterproof area of ​​the case; an opening provided in a non-waterproof area of ​​the case, through which a mating connector can be inserted and removed; a drainage hole portion having a first hole shape that is provided on the non-waterproof area side of the case and penetrates from the inside to the outside of the case to drain water from the metal component; a protrusion provided on an outer surface of the case, the protrusion being in contact with a predetermined area on a circumference of the first hole shape and protruding from the case in a penetrating direction; a waterproof cap that is formed as a single unit and that can cover the drainage hole, the opening, and the protrusion from the outside of the case; The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that can be inserted into the drainage hole in a region facing the drainage hole. Connector unit.

8. The predetermined range of the protrusion around the circumference of the first hole shape is at least half of the circumference of the first hole shape. The connector unit according to claim 7.

9. A case whose interior is divided into a waterproof area and a non-waterproof area; a metal component mounted within a non-waterproof area of ​​the case; a pair of drainage holes provided at a predetermined distance from each other on the non-waterproof area side of the case, each having a first hole shape penetrating from the inside to the outside of the case, for draining water from the metal component; a protrusion provided between the pair of drainage hole portions on the outer surface of the case, the protrusion being connected to a portion of the circumference of each of the drainage hole portions and protruding from the case in a penetrating direction; a single waterproof cap capable of covering the pair of drainage holes and the protrusion from the outside of the case; The waterproof cap has a fitting protrusion that can be inserted into the drainage hole in a region facing the drainage hole. Connector unit.

10. The protrusion is provided on an outer surface of the case, and protrudes from the case in a penetrating direction while surrounding the set of drainage hole portions and connecting with a portion of the circumference of each of the drainage hole portions. The connector unit according to claim 9.

11. The hole shape of the drainage hole portion is either a circle, an oval, or a rounded rectangle. A connector unit according to any one of claims 1, 3, or 5 to 9.

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