Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector with which it is possible to improve waterproofness without increasing component counts.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: an inner housing 21; an outer housing 22; and a seal member 60 located between these. The outer housing includes a pressing part 35 that comes into contact with the rear face of the seal member 60. The inner housing includes an electric wire lead-out face 28 which is in contact with the front face of the seal member 60, and a plurality of projections 33 projecting rearward of the electric wire lead-out face 28. Some projections 33 have engagement parts which are engaged with the outer housing. The seal member 60 includes, as an integral body, an inner seal part 61 where a seal hole 62 in close contact with an electric wire 200 is formed and an outer seal part 65 in close contact with a mating hood and facing a fitting space between the inner housing and the outer housing. A plurality of through holes in close contact with the projections 33 is formed in the outpour seal part 65.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a female housing and a male housing that can be fitted to each other. The female housing houses a plurality of female terminals connected to the terminal portions of electric wires. A mounting hole is formed on the rear end side of the female housing, and a bulk rubber plug (hereinafter referred to as "rubber plug") is housed in the mounting hole. The rubber plug is restricted from coming out backward by a rubber plug retainer attached to the female housing. A plurality of through holes that are in close contact with the electric wires connected to the respective female terminals are formed in the rubber plug. Further, a sealing member is attached to the female housing separately from the rubber plug. The sealing member is disposed between the front surface of the female housing and the inner surface of the hood portion of the male housing.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a sealing member that seals between a female housing and a male housing. Patent Documents 3-8 disclose rubber plugs provided in joint connectors and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Patent Document 7

Patent Document 8

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, with the connector mounted on a vehicle or the like, water such as muddy water or rainwater may enter the gap between the female housing and the male housing. If water has entered the gap between the housings, when the connector fitting is detached for repair work, there is a risk that the water will deeply penetrate into the connector from the back side of the hood portion. On the other hand, it was possible to adopt a configuration in which a seal ring is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the female housing and the seal ring prevents water from entering the above gap. However, providing a seal ring separately from the rubber plug and the seal member has a problem that the number of parts increases.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector capable of improving waterproof performance without increasing the number of parts.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present disclosure includes an inner housing that houses a terminal fitting connected to the end portion of an electric wire, an outer housing that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing and defines a fitting space between the inner housing, and a seal member disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing. The outer housing has a pressing portion that contacts the rear surface of the seal member. The inner housing has a wire lead-out surface that contacts the front surface of the seal member, and a plurality of protrusions that protrude rearward from the wire lead-out surface. At least one of the plurality of protrusions has a locking portion that is locked to the outer housing. The seal member integrally has an inner seal portion in which a seal hole that closely adheres to the electric wire is formed, and an outer seal portion that faces the fitting space and closely adheres to a mating hood disposed in the fitting space. A plurality of through holes that closely adhere to the protrusions are formed in the outer seal portion. The connector is as described above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector capable of improving waterproof performance without increasing the number of parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure (1) An inner housing that houses a terminal fitting connected to the end of a wire, an outer housing that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing and defines a fitting space between the inner housing, and a seal member disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing. The outer housing has a pressing portion that contacts the rear surface of the seal member, and the inner housing has a wire drawing surface that contacts the front surface of the seal member and a plurality of protrusions that protrude rearward from the wire drawing surface. At least one of the plurality of protrusions has a locking portion that is locked to the outer housing. The seal member integrally has an inner seal portion in which a seal hole that closely adheres to the wire is formed, and an outer seal portion that closely adheres to a mating hood disposed in the fitting space facing the fitting space. A plurality of through holes that closely adhere to the protrusions are formed in the outer seal portion.

[0011] According to the configuration of (1) above, since the outer seal portion is disposed in a liquid-tight manner between the mating hood and the inner housing, it is possible to prevent water from entering between the mating hood and the inner housing in the fitted state. In particular, since the outer seal portion and the inner seal portion are integrally provided on the seal member, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the outer seal portion and the inner seal portion are provided separately.

[0012] Further, by locking the locking portion of the protrusion to the outer housing, the inner housing and the outer housing can be held in a connected state. Here, since the through hole of the seal member closely adheres to the protrusion, sealing between the through hole and the protrusion can be achieved.

[0013] (2) In the connector according to (1) above, the plurality of protrusions include a plate-shaped first protrusion located at both upper and lower ends of the inner housing with its plate surface facing in the vertical direction, and a plate-shaped second protrusion located at both left and right ends of the inner housing with its plate surface facing in the horizontal direction. The plurality of through holes include a first through hole formed long in the horizontal direction so as to be in close contact with the plate surface of the first protrusion at a position corresponding to the first protrusion, and a second through hole formed long in the vertical direction so as to be in close contact with the plate surface of the second protrusion at a position corresponding to the second protrusion. It is preferable that it has these.

[0014] According to the configuration of (2) above, by each first through hole being in close contact with each first protrusion and each second through hole being in close contact with each second protrusion, the sealing member is arranged so as to be positionable in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the inner housing.

[0015] (3) In the connector according to (2) above, the inner housing and the outer housing have an outer shape that is longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, and it is preferable that the locking portion is formed on the first protrusions respectively arranged on both left and right sides of both upper and lower ends of the inner housing.

[0016] According to the configuration of (3) above, by the locking portions of each first protrusion being locked to the outer housing, it is possible to prevent the inner housing and the outer housing in the connected state from shifting relative to each other.

[0017] (4) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (3) above, the pressing portion has an inner opposing surface facing the inner seal portion from the rear, an outer opposing surface facing the outer seal portion from the rear, and a step surface in the front-rear direction located between the inner opposing surface and the outer opposing surface. The inner opposing surface is located in front of the outer opposing surface via the step surface and is preferably configured to be in close contact with the rear surface of the inner seal portion.

[0018] According to the configuration of (4) above, a seal member can be held in a compressed state between the inner opposing surface of the pressing portion and the wire lead-out surface of the inner housing. Further, since the amount of compression by which the outer opposing surface of the pressing portion compresses the outer seal portion can be reduced or eliminated, the outer seal portion can be maintained in a constant shape (a desired shape that allows for a constant degree of crushing, etc.) before being brought into close contact with the hood portion.

[0019] (5) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (4) above, a tip recess for accommodating the outer seal portion is formed on the opening end side of the inner surface of the mating hood, and a tab and a protruding wall of the mating terminal fitting protrude and are arranged inside the mating hood. It is preferable that the protruding wall has a portion that protrudes ahead of the tip of the tab.

[0020] According to the configuration of (5) above, since the outer seal portion can be accommodated in the tip recess, interference between the mating hood and the outer seal portion can be avoided without enlarging the entire mating hood. On the other hand, if the opening end side of the inner surface of the mating hood is widened by the tip recess, foreign matter such as a finger is likely to enter the inside of the mating hood, and there is a concern that the tab may interfere with the foreign matter and be damaged. In that regard, according to the configuration of (5) above, since the foreign matter can contact the protruding wall at a position ahead of the tab and avoid contact with the tab, a situation where the tab is damaged can be avoided.

[0021] (6) In the connector according to any one of (1) to (5) above, a plurality of cavities in which the terminal fittings are arranged are formed in the inner housing, the rear ends of the plurality of cavities open on the wire lead-out surface, and the portion of the wire lead-out surface that contacts the front surface of the seal member preferably forms a lattice shape by a frame-shaped portion that partitions the rear ends of the plurality of cavities.

[0022] According to the configuration of (6) above, since the frame-shaped portion of the inner housing can bite into the front surface of the seal member, a state in which each cavity and each seal hole communicate can be appropriately maintained.

[0023] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this exemplification, and is indicated by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0024] <Embodiment 1> As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 10 of Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure includes an inner housing 21, an outer housing 22, a front seal member 90, a front holder 24, a seal member 60, a lever 70, and a terminal fitting 80. The inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22 are connected to each other to form an integral housing 20. The housing 20 is configured to be fitted into a mating hood 110 of a mating connector 100. In the following description, regarding the front-rear direction, the front in the mutual fitting direction of the connector 10 and the mating connector 100 is taken as the front. The up-down direction is based on the up-down direction in each figure except FIG. 9. The left-right direction is based on the left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the front is represented by the symbol X, the right is represented by the symbol Y, and the upper is represented by the symbol Z. These direction references do not necessarily coincide with the direction references in the state where the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown).

[0025] (Mating Connector 100) As shown in FIG. 3, the mating connector 100 includes a mating hood 110 and a mating terminal fitting 180. The mating terminal fitting 180 is made of metal and is formed in a pin shape as a whole. The mating terminal fitting 180 has a tab 181 that extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes into the mating hood 110. The mating terminal fitting 180 is electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown) outside the mating hood 110.

[0026] The counterpart hood 110 is made of synthetic resin, is longer in the left - right direction than in the up - down direction, and has a rectangular tube shape with the back surface closed. On the outer surfaces of both the left and right sides of the counterpart hood 110, a pair of cylindrical cam pins 111 (only one is shown in FIG. 3) are formed to protrude. Each cam pin 111 is engageable with a lever 70 as will be described later.

[0027] On the front - end side (opening - end side) of the inner surface of the counterpart hood 110, a tip recess 112 is formed. The tip recess 112 is partitioned by a stepped surface 113 along the radial direction on the inner surface of the counterpart hood 110 and a sealed surface 114 extending forward from the radially outer end of the stepped surface 113, and is open in front of the stepped surface 113. The front - end side of the inner surface of the counterpart hood 110 extends wider in the radial direction than the back - side portion (portion other than the tip recess 112) of the inner surface of the counterpart hood 110 due to the tip recess 112.

[0028] Inside the counterpart hood 110, a plurality of tabs 181 are arranged to protrude. On the back surface of the counterpart hood 110, a plurality of cylindrical portions 115 that individually surround the base portions of the respective tabs 181 protrude. Each tab 181 and each cylindrical portion 115 are arranged in a plurality of stages in the up - down direction and in a plurality of rows in the left - right direction inside the counterpart hood 110.

[0029] Inside the counterpart hood 110, a plurality of protruding walls 116 protrude. Each protruding wall 116 has a plate - like shape with the plate surface facing in the up - down direction and is arranged side - by - side in the left - right direction at the middle portion in the up - down direction inside the counterpart hood 110. Each tab 181 and each cylindrical portion 115 are arranged in two - stage portions on both the upper and lower sides sandwiching each protruding wall 116. The tip (front - end) of each protruding wall 116 is located ahead (forward) of the tip of each tab 181 and is arranged along the left - right direction. For example, if a foreign object such as a finger tries to enter the inside of the hood portion, the foreign object will interfere with the opening end (including the tip recess 112) of the counterpart hood 110 and the protruding wall 116, making it possible to avoid contact between the tab 181 and the foreign object.

[0030] (Inner housing 21, terminal fitting 80, front seal member 90 and front holder 24) The inner housing 21 is made of synthetic resin and has a rectangular outer shape that is longer in the left - right direction than in the up - down direction as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the inner housing 21 is configured to be fitted inside the mating hood 110. A plurality of cavities 23 are formed through the inner housing 21 in the front - rear direction. Each cavity 23 is arranged in a plurality of rows in the up - down direction and a plurality of columns in the left - right direction so as to correspond to each tab 181 (see FIG. 4). A terminal fitting 80 is inserted and housed in each cavity 23 of the inner housing 21.

[0031] The terminal fitting 80 is integrally formed by bending a conductive metal plate or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal fitting 80 is in contact with the tab 181 at the front part and is electrically connected to the mating terminal fitting 180, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the end part of the electric wire 200 at the rear part.

[0032] The inner housing 21 is formed with a plurality of receiving portions 25 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) for receiving each protruding wall 116. The receiving portion 25 extends in the front - rear direction at the middle part of the inner housing 21 in the up - down direction and is open to the front of the inner housing 21. On the front surface of the inner housing 21, a surrounding cylindrical portion 26 that surrounds the front end portion of the receiving portion 25 is formed to protrude forward. Also, a front seal member 90 is attached to the front surface of the inner housing 21.

[0033] The front seal member 90 is made of rubber such as silicone rubber and has a plate - like shape with the thickness in the front - rear direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the front seal member 90 has a rectangular outer shape that is long in the left - right direction in a front view and is sized to cover the front surface of the inner housing 21. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the front seal member 90 has a plurality of first front seal holes 91 that are in close contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the respective surrounding cylindrical portions 26 and a plurality of second front seal holes 92 that are in close contact with the outer peripheral surfaces of the respective cylindrical portions 115 of the mating hood 110.

[0034] The front holder 24 is made of synthetic resin and is attached to the inner housing 21 in a state of covering the front surface of the front seal member 90 as shown in FIG. 1. The front seal member 90 is restricted from coming out forward by the front holder 24. The front holder 24 has hole portions through which the cylindrical portions 115 and the protruding walls 116 of the mating hood 110 can be inserted.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, a protruding wall 27 is formed to protrude radially outward at the rear end portion of the inner housing 21. The protruding wall 27 has a plate shape with its plate surface facing in the front-rear direction and is formed over the entire circumference at the rear end portion of the inner housing 21. The rear surface of the inner housing 21 is configured as a wire lead-out surface 28 from which a plurality of electric wires 200 connected to the respective terminal fittings 80 are led out. The wire lead-out surface 28 is arranged along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction including the rear surface of the protruding wall 27. The rear ends of the respective cavities 23 are open on the wire lead-out surface 28. Among the respective cavities 23, the spaces between the rear ends of the cavities 23 adjacent in the vertical direction are partitioned in a frame shape by a plurality of horizontal frame portions 31 extending long in the horizontal direction on the wire lead-out surface 28. The respective horizontal frame portions 31 are arranged side by side at regular intervals in the vertical direction. Also, among the respective cavities 23, the spaces between the rear ends of the cavities 23 adjacent in the horizontal direction are partitioned by a plurality of vertical frame portions 32 extending short in the vertical direction. The respective vertical frame portions 32 are arranged side by side at regular intervals in the horizontal direction. The respective horizontal frame portions 31 and the respective vertical frame portions 32 intersect at right angles to each other. The wire lead-out surface 28 forms a lattice shape by the respective horizontal frame portions 31 and the respective vertical frame portions 32 except for the outer peripheral portion (the portion where the respective protrusions 33, 34 described later protrude).

[0036] The inner housing 21 has a plurality of protrusions 33, 34 protruding from the outer peripheral portion (the upper and lower end portions and the left and right end portions described later) of the wire lead-out surface 28. The respective protrusions 33, 34 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction so as to surround the respective cavities 23 on the wire lead-out surface 28. In the space between the respective protrusions 33, 34 adjacent in the circumferential direction, the rubber portion between the respective through holes 66, 67 of the outer seal portion 65 of the seal member 60 described later is arranged (see FIG. 8).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4, each protruding portion is composed of a plurality of first protruding portions 33 arranged at intervals in the left - right direction at the upper and lower ends of the wire - drawing surface 28, and a plurality of second protruding portions 34 arranged at intervals in the up - down direction at the left and right sides of the wire - drawing surface 28.

[0038] Each first protruding portion 33 has a rectangular - plate shape in plan view and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the up - down direction. Each first protruding portion 33 is arranged on both the left - right sides and the left - right center side at the upper and lower ends of the wire - drawing surface 28. Among each first protruding portion 33, each pair of first protruding portions 33 arranged on both the left - right sides at the upper and lower ends of the wire - drawing surface 28 has a locking portion 29 at the rear. The locking portion 29 is configured as a rectangular hole penetrating the first protruding portion 33 in the plate - thickness direction (up - down direction). A locking portion 46, which will be described later, of the outer housing 22 is fitted and locked to the locking portion 29. Among each first protruding portion 33, each first protruding portion 33 arranged on the left - right center side at the upper and lower ends of the wire - drawing surface 28 does not have a locking portion 29 and has a predetermined thickness as a whole.

[0039] Each second protruding portion 34 has a rectangular - plate shape in side view and is arranged with the plate surface facing in the left - right direction. Each second protruding portion 34 is arranged in pairs on both the upper and lower sides at the left and right ends of the wire - drawing surface 28. Each second protruding portion 34 does not have a locking portion 29 and has a predetermined thickness as a whole. The dimension of the second protruding portion 34 in the up - down direction is smaller than the dimension of the first protruding portion 33 in the left - right direction. Also, the interval between adjacent second protruding portions 34 in the up - down direction is smaller than the interval between adjacent first protruding portions 33 in the left - right direction.

[0040] (Outer housing 22 and lever 70) The outer housing 22 is made of synthetic resin and has a cap shape (cylindrical shape) as a whole. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer housing 22 surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing 21 and is connected to the inner housing 21. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer housing 22 has a pressing portion 35 that is rectangular in front view and is longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction, and a peripheral wall portion 36 that protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of the pressing portion 35. As shown in FIG. 2, a fitting space 37 is formed in the housing 20 so as to be open between the inner housing 21 (including the front holder 24) and the peripheral wall portion 36 and in front of the pressing portion 35. As shown in FIG. 1, a mating hood 110 can be fitted into the fitting space 37 of the housing 20.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the pressing portion 35 holds a seal member 60 sandwiched in the front-rear direction between the pressing portion 35 and the wire lead-out surface 28 of the inner housing 21. A plurality of insertion holes 38 are formed in the pressing portion 35 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction. Each insertion hole 38 is arranged in a plurality of stages in the up-down direction and in a plurality of rows in the left-right direction so as to correspond to each cavity 23. A terminal fitting 80 can be inserted into each insertion hole 38 of the outer housing 22.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the pressing portion 35 has an inner opposing surface 39 that faces the inner seal portion 61 (to be described later) of the seal member 60 from the rear. The inner opposing surface 39 of the pressing portion 35 is a surface where the front ends of the respective insertion holes 38 are open, and is arranged along the up-down direction and the left-right direction. Further, the pressing portion 35 has an outer opposing surface 41 that faces the outer seal portion 65 (to be described later) of the seal member 60 from the rear on the outer peripheral side of the inner opposing surface 39. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressing portion 35 has a stepped surface 42 in the front-rear direction between the inner opposing surface 39 and the outer opposing surface 41. The outer opposing surface 41 is located behind the inner opposing surface 39 via the stepped surface 42.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, the outer housing 22 has a plurality of insertion holes 43 and 44 that penetrate the outer peripheral portion (upper and lower end portions and left and right end portions, which will be described later) of the pressing portion 35. The front ends of the respective insertion holes 43 and 44 open to the outer facing surface 41 of the pressing portion 35. The rear end portions (tip end portions) of the respective protrusions 33 and 34 of the inner housing 21 are inserted into the respective insertion holes 43 and 44 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). Among the inner surfaces of the respective insertion holes 43 and 44, the radially inner surface close to the inner facing surface 39 is configured as an inner end surface 45 that is flush and continuous with a stepped surface 42 (see FIG. 6).

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, each insertion hole is composed of a plurality of first insertion holes 43 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction at the upper and lower end portions of the pressing portion 35, and a plurality of second insertion holes 44 arranged at intervals in the up-down direction at the left and right end portions of the pressing portion 35.

[0045] Each first insertion hole 43 is shaped to be able to fit the rear end portion of each first protrusion 33. Each first insertion hole 43 has a slit shape that extends long in the left-right direction on both the left and right sides and the left-right center side at the upper and lower end portions of the pressing portion 35. Further, the outer housing 22 has a plurality of engaged portions 46 that can be engaged with the locking portions 29 of the respective first protrusions 33 (see FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 6, the engaged portions 46 protrude from the inner end surface 45 of each first insertion hole 43 arranged on both the left and right sides of the upper and lower end portions of the pressing portion 35 into the interior of each first insertion hole 43. Each first insertion hole 43 arranged on the left-right center side of the upper and lower end portions of the pressing portion 35 does not have an engaged portion 46, and the entire inner end surface 45 is arranged along the left-right direction and the front-rear direction.

[0046] Each second insertion hole 44 is shaped to be able to fit the rear end portion of each second protrusion 34. Each second insertion hole 44 has a slit shape that extends vertically and is long in the vertical direction on both the upper and lower sides of the left and right ends of the pressing portion 35. Each second insertion hole 44 does not have a locked portion 46, and the entire inner end face 45 is arranged along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. The vertical dimension of the second insertion hole 44 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the first insertion hole 43. Also, the interval between adjacent second insertion holes 44 in the vertical direction is smaller than the interval between adjacent first insertion holes 43 in the left-right direction.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6, the peripheral wall portion 36 has a rectangular tubular shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the vertical direction. A pair of cylindrical support shafts 47 project and are formed on the outer surfaces of the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion 36. A lever 70 is rotatably supported on each support shaft 47. A lever lock portion 48 projects rearward at the upper left and right central portions of the peripheral wall portion 36 (see FIGS. 1 and 10).

[0048] The lever 70 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in FIG. 2, has a generally U-shaped form as a whole, and has an operation portion 71 that extends long in the left-right direction and a pair of arm portions 72 that project parallel to each other from both the left and right end portions of the operation portion 71. The lever 70 is arranged to straddle the outer housing 22 from above, and is rotatable between a temporary locking position and a main locking position with respect to the housing 20 in a state where each arm portion 72 is supported by each support shaft 47. An elastic lock portion 73 is formed at the left and right central portions of the operation portion 71. The elastic lock portion 73 is elastically deformable and is locked to the lever lock portion 48 at the main locking position as shown in FIG. 1. Cam grooves 74 that can engage with the respective cam pins 111 of the mating hood 110 are formed on the inner surfaces of the respective arm portions 72.

[0049] When the lever 70 is in the temporary locking position, the mating hood 110 is shallowly fitted into the fitting space 37, and each cam pin 111 is disposed at the entrance of each cam groove 74. In this state, while gripping the operation portion 71, the lever 70 is rotated toward the main locking position. Then, each cam pin 111 slides along the groove surface of each cam groove 74, the mating hood 110 is drawn toward the housing 20, and the fitting between the mating hood 110 and the housing 20 proceeds with a low fitting force. When the lever 70 reaches the main locking position and the elastic locking portion 73 is locked to the lever locking portion 48, the rotation of the lever 70 with respect to the housing 20 is stopped and the mating hood 110 is held in a fitted state with the housing 20 (see FIG. 1).

[0050] (Sealing member 60) The sealing member 60 is made of rubber such as silicone rubber, and as shown in FIG. 7, has a plate shape or a mat shape with the thickness oriented in the front-rear direction. The sealing member 60 is formed thicker in the front-rear direction than the front sealing member 90. The sealing member 60 has a rectangular outer shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and is sized to cover the wire lead-out surface 28 of the inner housing 21. The sealing member 60 has an inner sealing portion 61 that faces the wire lead-out surface 28 of the inner housing 21 from the rear. As shown in FIG. 1, the front surface of the inner sealing portion 61 is arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions so as to be in close contact with the wire lead-out surface 28 of the inner housing 21. Similarly, the rear surface of the inner sealing portion 61 is arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions so as to be in close contact with the inner facing surface 39 of the pressing portion 35 of the outer housing 22.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the inner seal portion 61 is formed with a plurality of seal holes 62 penetrating in the front-rear direction (thickness direction). Each seal hole 62 is arranged in a plurality of rows in the vertical direction and a plurality of columns in the left-right direction so as to communicate with each cavity 23. After the terminal fitting 80 passes through each seal hole 62 of the inner seal portion 61, the electric wire 200 is inserted in a liquid-tight manner. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of inner circumferential inner lips 63 are formed side by side in the front-rear direction on the inner circumferential surface of each seal hole 62. Each inner circumferential inner lip 63 extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface of the seal hole 62 and is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire 200 in a compressed state.

[0052] A plurality of recesses 64 are formed side by side in the left-right direction in the middle portion in the vertical direction of the inner seal portion 61. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, each recess 64 is recessed in the front surface and the rear surface of the inner seal portion 61, respectively. Each seal hole 62 is arranged in two rows on both the upper and lower sides sandwiching each recess 64. Each recess 64 and each seal hole 62 are arranged at the same position and at the same pitch in the left-right direction.

[0053] The seal member 60 has an outer seal portion 65 on the outer peripheral portion of the seal member 60 on the outer peripheral side of the inner seal portion 61. In the case of the first embodiment, the outer seal portion 65 forms a boundary with the inner seal portion 61 at a position connecting the radially inner surfaces close to the inner seal portion 61 among the inner surfaces of the respective through holes 66 and 67 described later (the position of the broken line in FIGS. 7 and 8 and the position facing the outer facing surface 41). The front and rear surfaces of the outer seal portion 65 are flush with and continuous with the front and rear surfaces of the inner seal portion 61. A plurality of through holes 66 and 67 are formed penetrating in the front-rear direction in the outer seal portion 65. The front end portions (base end portions) of the respective protrusions 33 and 34 of the inner housing 21 are inserted into the respective through holes 66 and 67.

[0054] Each through hole is composed of a plurality of first through holes 66 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction at both the upper and lower end portions of the outer seal portion 65 and a plurality of second through holes 67 arranged at intervals in the vertical direction at both the left and right end portions of the outer seal portion 65. As shown in FIG. 7, each first through-hole 66 has a slit shape that extends longitudinally in the left-right direction on both the left and right sides and the left-right center side at both the upper and lower ends of the outer seal portion 65. As shown in FIG. 9, each first through-hole 66 has a shape that can fit the front end portion of each first protrusion 33. A plurality of inner peripheral outer lips 68 are formed side by side in the front-rear direction on the inner peripheral surface of each first through-hole 66. Each inner peripheral outer lip 68 extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of each first through-hole 66 and is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of each first protrusion 33 in a compressed state.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, each second through-hole 67 has a slit shape that extends longitudinally in the up-down direction on both the upper and lower sides at both the left and right ends of the outer seal portion 65. As shown in FIG. 10, each second through-hole 67 has a shape that can fit the front end portion of each second protrusion 34. A plurality of inner peripheral outer lips 68 are also formed side by side in the front-rear direction on the inner peripheral surface of each second through-hole 67. Each inner peripheral outer lip 68 extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of each second through-hole 67 and is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of each second protrusion 34 in a compressed state. As shown in FIG. 7, the dimension of the second through-hole 67 in the up-down direction is smaller than the dimension of the first through-hole 66 in the left-right direction. Also, the interval between adjacent second through-holes 67 in the up-down direction is smaller than the interval between adjacent first through-holes 66 in the left-right direction.

[0056] The outer peripheral surface of the outer seal portion 65 faces the fitting space 37 in the connected state of the outer housing 22 and the inner housing 21. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of outer lips 69 are formed side by side in the front-rear direction on the outer peripheral surface of the outer seal portion 65. Each outer lip 69 extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the outer seal portion 65 (see FIG. 7) and is in close contact with the sealed surface 114 of the tip recess 112 of the mating hood 110 in a compressed state in the fitted state of the housing 20 and the mating hood 110. The outer seal portion 65 is disposed so as to be able to contact the protruding wall 27 from the rear.

[0057] (Operation of the connector 10) When assembling the inner housing 21, the seal member 60, and the outer housing 22, as shown in FIG. 8, each protrusion 33, 34 of the inner housing 21 is inserted into each through-hole 66, 67 of the seal member 60. Specifically, the front end portion of each first protrusion 33 is inserted into each first through-hole 66 in a fitting state, and each inner peripheral outer lip 68 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of each first protrusion 33 (see FIG. 9). Thereby, the seal member 60 is held in a state where displacement in the vertical direction with respect to the inner housing 21 is restricted. Further, the front end portion of each second protrusion 34 is inserted into each second through-hole 67 in a fitting state, and each inner peripheral outer lip 68 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of each second protrusion 34 (see FIG. 10). Thereby, the seal member 60 is held in a state where displacement in the left-right direction with respect to the inner housing 21 is restricted.

[0058] Subsequently, the outer housing 22 is attached to the inner housing 21 from the rear of the seal member 60. The rear end portion of each first protrusion 33 of the inner housing 21 is inserted into each first insertion hole 43 of the outer housing 22 in a fitting state, and the rear end portion of each second protrusion 34 of the inner housing 21 is inserted into each second insertion hole 44 of the outer housing 22 in a fitting state (see FIGS. 9 and 10). As shown in FIG. 9, on both the left and right sides of the upper and lower ends of each of the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22, the locked portion 46 of each first insertion hole 43 is inserted into and locked to the locking portion 29 of each first protrusion 33. Thereby, the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22 are connected while restricting play in the vertical and horizontal directions with the seal member 60 sandwiched therebetween.

[0059] In a state where the inner housing 21 is held by the outer housing 22, the inner seal portion 61 of the seal member 60 is compressed in the front - rear direction between the wire - drawing surface 28 of the inner housing 21 and the inner opposing surface 39 of the outer housing 22 (see FIG. 1). The inner opposing surface 39 of the outer housing 22 contacts the rear surface of the inner seal portion 61 in a close - contact state and presses the inner seal portion 61 toward the wire - drawing surface 28 of the inner housing 21. The longitudinal frame portion 32 and the transverse frame portion 31 formed on the wire - drawing surface 28 of the inner housing 21 contact so as to bite into the portion surrounding the opening edge of the front end of each seal hole 62 on the front surface of the inner seal portion 61. Thereby, each seal hole 62 is arranged in a state where it can communicate with each cavity 23 facing each other. On the other hand, the outer seal portion 65 is arranged in a non - compressed state or a state compressed with a compression force smaller than that of the inner seal portion 61 between the outer seal portion 65 of the seal member 60 and the protruding wall 27. For this reason, each outer peripheral lip 69 of the outer seal portion 65 can be maintained in a certain shape before close - contact with the mating hood 110.

[0060] In the above state, the terminal fitting 80 connected to the end of the electric wire 200 is assembled to the housing 20 from the rear. The terminal fitting 80 is inserted into the cavity 23 through the seal hole 62 from the insertion hole 38. The electric wire 200 is sealed in close contact with the inner peripheral inner lip 63 inside the seal hole 62 and is further drawn out from the insertion hole 38 to the outside of the housing 20. Then, based on the rotation operation of the lever 70, the mating hood 110 is fitted to the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 1, when the mating hood 110 is fitted to the housing 20, the outer peripheral portion of the outer seal portion 65 and the protruding wall 27 are inserted into the tip recess 112 of the mating hood 110. The stepped surface 113 of the tip recess 112 faces the protruding wall 27 so as to be able to contact from the front. Each outer peripheral lip 69 of the outer seal portion 65 is sealed in close contact with the sealed surface 114 of the tip recess 112.

[0061] Incidentally, in a conventional waterproof connector, when the connector is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) or the like, there is a possibility that water such as muddy water or rainwater may enter the inside of the connector through the gap between the inner housing and the mating hood. However, in the case of the first embodiment, each outer peripheral lip 69 of the outer seal portion 65 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tip recess 112 of the mating hood 110, so that a structure is formed in which no gap is generated between the tip side of the mating hood 110 and the inner housing 21. For this reason, it is possible to prevent water from entering between the inner housing 21 and the mating hood 110, and it is possible to avoid water from flowing into the back surface side of the mating hood 110. Even if a little water enters the back surface side of the mating hood 110 by any chance, since the front seal member 90 is attached to the front surface side of the inner housing 21, the possibility of water entering the inside (cavity 23) of the inner housing 21 is extremely low. In particular, since it is difficult for water to stay on the back surface side of the mating hood 110 due to the outer seal portion 65, there is little concern that water will enter the inside (cavity 23) of the inner housing 21 when performing the repair work of the connector 10.

[0062] As described above, the connector 10 of the first embodiment includes an inner housing 21 in which the terminal fitting 80 is accommodated, an outer housing 22 that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing 21 and defines a fitting space 37 between the inner housing 21, and a seal member 60 disposed between the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22. The outer housing 22 has a pressing portion 35 that contacts the rear surface of the seal member 60. The inner housing 21 has a wire drawing surface 28 that contacts the front surface of the seal member 60, and a plurality of protrusions 33, 34 that protrude rearward from the wire drawing surface 28. The plurality of protrusions 33, 34 include a protrusion 33 having a locking portion 29 that can be locked to the outer housing 22. The seal member 60 integrally has an inner seal portion 61 in which a seal hole 62 that is in close contact with the wire 200 is formed, and an outer seal portion 65 that faces the fitting space 37 and is in close contact with the mating hood 110 disposed in the fitting space 37. A plurality of through holes 66, 67 that are in close contact with the respective protrusions 33, 34 are formed in the outer seal portion 65.

[0063] Since the outer seal portion 65 is disposed in a liquid-tight manner between the mating hood 110 and the inner housing 21, it is possible to prevent water from entering between the mating hood 110 and the inner housing 21 in the fitted state. Moreover, since the outer seal portion 65 and the inner seal portion 61 are integrally provided on the seal member 60, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the case where the outer seal portion 65 and the inner seal portion 61 are provided separately, and it is also possible to contribute to the miniaturization of the connector 10.

[0064] In addition, by locking the locking portion 29 of each protrusion 33 to the outer housing 22, the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22 can be held in a connected state. Here, since the through holes 66 and 67 of the seal member 60 are in close contact with the protrusions 33 and 34, sealing between the through holes 66 and 67 and the protrusions 33 and 34 can also be achieved.

[0065] In the case of the first embodiment, the plurality of protrusions include a plate-shaped first protrusion 33 located at the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 21 with the plate surface facing in the vertical direction, and a plate-shaped second protrusion 34 located at the left and right ends of the inner housing 21 with the plate surface facing in the horizontal direction. The plurality of through holes include a first through hole 66 formed to be long in the horizontal direction so as to be in close contact with the plate surface of the first protrusion 33 at a position corresponding to the first protrusion 33, and a second through hole 67 formed to be long in the vertical direction so as to be in close contact with the plate surface of the second protrusion 34 at a position corresponding to the second protrusion 34. By the first through holes 66 being in close contact with the first protrusions 33 and the second through holes 67 being in close contact with the second protrusions 34, the seal member 60 is disposed so as to be positionable in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the inner housing 21.

[0066] In the case of the first embodiment, the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22 have an outer shape that is longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. The locking portion 29 is formed on the first protrusion 33 disposed on the left and right sides of the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 21, respectively. By locking the locking portion 29 of each first protrusion 33 to the outer housing 22, it is possible to prevent the inner housing 21 and the outer housing 22 in the connected state from being displaced relative to each other.

[0067] Also, in the case of the first embodiment, the pressing portion 35 has an inner opposing surface 39 that faces the inner seal portion 61 from the rear, an outer opposing surface 41 that faces the outer seal portion 65 from the rear, and a stepped surface 42 in the front-rear direction located between the inner opposing surface 39 and the outer opposing surface 41. The inner opposing surface 39 is located in front of the outer opposing surface 41 via the stepped surface 42 and is configured to be in close contact with the rear surface of the inner seal portion 61. Thereby, the seal member 60 can be held in a compressed state between the inner opposing surface 39 of the pressing portion 35 and the wire lead-out surface 28 of the inner housing 21. On the other hand, since the amount of compression by which the outer opposing surface 41 of the pressing portion 35 compresses the outer seal portion 65 can be reduced or eliminated, the outer seal portion 65 can be maintained in a certain shape before being in close contact with the hood portion.

[0068] Also, in the case of the first embodiment, a tip recess 112 for accommodating the outer seal portion 65 is formed on the opening end side of the inner surface of the mating hood 110. Inside the mating hood 110, the tab 181 of the mating terminal fitting 180 and the protruding wall 116 protrude and are arranged. The protruding wall 116 has a portion that protrudes ahead of the tip of the tab 181. By accommodating the outer seal portion 65 in the tip recess 112, interference between the mating hood 110 and the outer seal portion 65 can be avoided without significantly increasing the overall size of the mating hood 110. On the other hand, when the opening end side of the inner surface of the mating hood 110 is widened by the tip recess 112, foreign objects such as fingers are likely to enter the inside of the mating hood 110, and there is a concern that the tab 181 may interfere with the foreign object and be damaged. In that regard, according to the above configuration, since the foreign object can be prevented from interfering with the protruding wall 116 and coming into contact with the tab 181, a situation where the tab 181 is damaged can be avoided.

[0069] Furthermore, in the case of the first embodiment, a plurality of cavities 23 in which the terminal fittings 80 are arranged are formed in the inner housing 21, and the rear ends of the plurality of cavities 23 are open on the wire drawing surface 28. The portion of the wire drawing surface 28 that contacts the front surface of the seal member 60 forms a lattice shape by the vertical frame portion 32 and the horizontal frame portion 31 (the front end portion of the inter-pole wall) that partition the rear ends of the plurality of cavities 23. According to this, since the vertical frame portion 32 and the horizontal frame portion 31 can bite into the front surface of the seal member 60, the state in which each cavity 23 communicates with each seal hole 62 can be properly maintained.

[0070] [Other Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] It should be considered that the above-described first embodiment is illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In the case of the first embodiment, among the plurality of protrusions 33 and 34, some of the protrusions 33 had the locking portions 29. On the other hand, according to other embodiments, all the protrusions may have locking portions. In this case, it is preferable that locked portions are formed in all the through holes in the outer housing. Further, according to other embodiments, the locking portion may be formed only on one protrusion. Alternatively, the locking portion may be formed on the second protrusion instead of the first protrusion. In the case of the first embodiment, based on the rotation operation of the lever 70, the housing 20 was configured to be fitted to the mating hood 110 with a low fitting force. On the other hand, according to other embodiments, the connector 10 may not include a lever, and the housing may be manually fitted to the mating hood. In the case of the first embodiment, the locking portion 29 was formed in a hole shape in the protrusion 33, and the locked portion 46 was formed in a protruding shape in the through hole 66. On the other hand, according to other embodiments, the locking portion may be formed in a protruding shape on the protrusion, and the locked portion may be formed in a hole shape or a concave shape in the through hole. In the case of the first embodiment, a plurality of protruding walls protruded side by side inside the mating hood 110. On the other hand, according to other embodiments, only one protruding wall may be formed to extend long in the left-right direction inside the mating hood 110. Alternatively, the protruding wall may have a cross shape or a gate shape when viewed from the front.

Explanation of Symbols

[0071] 10…Connector 20…Housing 21…Inner Housing 22…Outer Housing 23…Cavity 24…Front Holder 25…Receiving Portion 26…Surrounding Cylindrical Portion 27…Protruding Wall 28…Wire Lead-out Surface 29…Locking Portion 31…Horizontal Frame Portion 32…Vertical Frame Portion 33…First Protrusion (Protrusion) 34…Second Protrusion (Protrusion) 35…Pressing Portion 36…Peripheral Wall Portion 37…Fitting Space 38…Insertion Hole 39…Inner Opposing Surface 41…Outer Opposing Surface 42…Step Surface 43…First Insertion Hole (Insertion Hole) 44…Second Insertion Hole (Insertion Hole) 45…Inner End Surface 46…Locked Portion 47…Support Shaft 48…Lever Locking Portion 60…Sealing Member 61…Inner Sealing Portion 62…Sealing Hole 63…Inner Peripheral Inner Lip 64…Recessed Portion 65…Outer Sealing Portion 66…First Through Hole (Through Hole) 67…Second Through Hole (Through Hole) 68…Inner Peripheral Outer Lip 69…Outer Peripheral Lip 70…Lever 71…Operation Portion 72…Arm Portion 73…Elastic Locking Portion 74…Cam Groove 80…Terminal Fitting 90… Front seal member 91… First front seal hole 92… Second front seal hole 100… Mate connector 110… Mate hood 111… Cam pin 112… Tip recess 113… Step surface 114… Sealed surface 115… Cylindrical part 116… Protruding wall 180… Mate terminal fitting 181… Tab 200… Electric wire

Claims

1. An inner housing that houses a terminal fitting connected to the end of a wire, an outer housing that surrounds the outer periphery of the inner housing and defines a fitting space between the inner housing and the outer housing, and a seal member disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing, wherein the outer housing has a pressing portion that contacts the rear surface of the seal member, the inner housing has a wire lead-out surface that contacts the front surface of the seal member and a plurality of protrusions that protrude rearward from the wire lead-out surface, at least one of the plurality of protrusions has a locking portion that is locked to the outer housing, the seal member integrally has an inner seal portion in which a seal hole that closely adheres to the wire is formed and an outer seal portion that closely adheres to a mating hood disposed in the fitting space and facing the fitting space, the outer seal portion has a plurality of through holes formed therein that closely adhere to the protrusions, a connector.

2. The plurality of protrusions include a plate-shaped first protrusion located at upper and lower both ends of the inner housing with its plate surface facing in the vertical direction and a plate-shaped second protrusion located at left and right both ends of the inner housing with its plate surface facing in the horizontal direction, the plurality of through holes include a first through hole formed long in the horizontal direction so as to closely adhere to the plate surface of the first protrusion at a position corresponding to the first protrusion and a second through hole formed long in the vertical direction so as to closely adhere to the plate surface of the second protrusion at a position corresponding to the second protrusion, the connector according to claim 1.

3. The inner housing and the outer housing have an outer shape that is longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, the locking portion is formed on the first protrusions respectively disposed on both left and right sides of upper and lower both ends of the inner housing, the connector according to claim 2.

4. The pressing portion has an inner opposing surface that faces the inner seal portion from the rear, an outer opposing surface that faces the outer seal portion from the rear, and a step surface in the front-rear direction located between the inner opposing surface and the outer opposing surface, the inner opposing surface is located in front of the outer opposing surface via the step surface and is configured to closely adhere to the rear surface of the inner seal portion, the connector according to claim 1.

5. A tip recess for accommodating the outer seal portion is formed at an opening end side of the inner surface of the mating hood, Inside the mating hood, a tab of the mating terminal fitting and a protruding wall are arranged to protrude. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the protruding wall has a portion that protrudes beyond the tip of the tab. **Claim 6** A plurality of cavities in which the terminal fittings are arranged are formed in the inner housing. At the wire lead-out surface, the rear ends of the plurality of cavities are open. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a portion of the wire lead-out surface that contacts the front surface of the seal member forms a lattice shape by a frame-shaped portion that partitions the rear ends of the plurality of cavities.

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