Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector with a variable structure for the wire extraction direction that minimizes the increase in the number of components.SOLUTION: A wire cover member 40 includes a first split cover portion 40A and a second split cover portion 40B that are split along a wiring path of electric wires, and a hinge portion 40C that connects them and rotates them between an open position and a closed position. A wire exit member 50 is coaxial with a cylindrical second wire withdrawal portion 42 of the wire cover member and fits into the tube, and includes a cylindrical wire introduction portion 51 that introduces the electric wires withdrawn from the second wire withdrawal portion. The second wire withdrawal portion is divided into a first split withdrawal portion 42a on the first split cover portion side and a second split withdrawal portion on the second split cover portion side, which are cylindrical in the closed position, and has an inner surface that is a regular polygon in the closed position. The outer surface is formed into a regular polygon similar to the inner surfaces of the wire introduction portion and the second wire withdrawal portion, and has an outer surface that engages with the inner surface of the second wire withdrawal portion to prevent relative rotation around the cylindrical axis with respect to the second wire withdrawal portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] A connector includes a wire with terminals, a connector housing assembled to the end of the wire with terminals, and a connector cover that covers the wire drawn from the connector housing and draws the wire in a specified wire drawing direction. This type of connector is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a connector, even if the mating connector for fitting and connecting is the same, the wire drawing direction in the fitting and connecting state may be changed for each mating device equipped with this mating connector. For example, the connector described in Patent Document 1 above includes a regular octagonal fitting ring assembled to the wire drawing portion of the connector housing, and a connector cover having a regular octagonal fitting groove into which the outer peripheral edge of this fitting ring is fitted. In the connector of this Patent Document 1, since the connector cover can be assembled at each position rotated by 45 degrees with respect to the fitting ring, the wire drawing direction can be changed for each position. However, this conventional connector has a two-part structure in which the fitting ring and the connector cover each combine a pair of split members, and there is room for improvement in reducing the number of parts.

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of realizing a variable structure in the wire drawing direction while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention includes a wire with a terminal having a terminal fitting connected to the end of the wire, a connector housing that houses the terminal fitting and the wire, and has a connector fitting portion that is inserted and fitted along the connector fitting direction with a mating connector, and a first wire drawing portion that draws the wire outwards, and a connector cover that covers the first wire drawing portion together with the wire drawn out from the first wire drawing portion. The connector cover is assembled to the connector housing, and includes a wire cover member that draws in the wire drawn out from the first wire drawing portion and draws it outwards from a cylindrical second wire drawing portion, and a wire outlet member that draws in the wire drawn out from the second wire drawing portion and draws the wire outwards in a wire drawing direction that intersects the connector fitting direction. The wire cover member includes a first divided cover portion and a second divided cover portion that are divided along the routing path of the internal wire, and a hinge portion that connects the first divided cover portion and the second divided cover portion and rotates the first divided cover portion and the second divided cover portion between an open position and a closed position. The wire outlet member has a cylindrical wire introduction portion that is coaxial with the second wire drawing portion and is fitted into the cylinder of the second wire drawing portion, and draws in the wire drawn out from the second wire drawing portion. The second wire drawing portion is divided into a first divided drawing portion on the side of the first divided cover portion that forms a cylinder in the closed position and a second divided drawing portion on the side of the second divided cover portion, and has an inner peripheral surface that becomes a regular polygon in the closed position. The wire introduction portion is formed in a regular polygon similar to the inner peripheral surface of the second wire drawing portion, and has an outer peripheral surface that is locked to the inner peripheral surface of the second wire drawing portion to suppress relative rotation around the cylinder axis with respect to the second wire drawing portion.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] The connector according to the present invention can rotate the wire introduction part relative to the axis of the cylinder within the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part, and hold the wire introduction part within the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part at relative rotation positions corresponding to the number of sides of the regular polygon in the wire introduction part. That is, this connector can rotate the wire introduction part by a certain angle corresponding to the number of sides of the regular polygon within the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part, and hold the wire introduction part within the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part at a desired relative rotation position. Therefore, this connector can change the wire lead-out direction from the wire outlet member by the number of sides of the regular polygon. And this connector is a two-component connector cover formed by assembling the wire cover member and the wire outlet member, and can create a variable structure of the wire lead-out direction. Therefore, the connector according to the present invention does not need to prepare a connector cover for each wire lead-out direction, so that a variable structure of the wire lead-out direction can be realized while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of the connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. Note that FIG. 2 shows the wire cover member 40, which will be described later, in the open position for convenience of explanation.

[0011] Reference numeral 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicates the connector of the present embodiment. This connector 1 includes a wire 10 with terminals, a connector housing 20, and a connector cover 30 (FIGS. 1 to 3).

[0012] The wire 10 with terminals includes a wire 11 and a terminal fitting (not shown) connected to the end of the wire 11 (FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7).

[0013] The connector housing 20 is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. This connector housing 20 houses the terminal fittings and the electric wire 11, and has a connector fitting portion 21 that is inserted and fitted along the connector fitting direction Sc with a mating connector provided in the counterpart device, and a wire lead-out portion (hereinafter referred to as "first wire lead-out portion") 22 for pulling out the electric wire 11 to the outside (FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7). In the connector housing 20 shown here, the electric wire 11 is pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion 22 in a direction opposite to the connector fitting direction Sc of the connector fitting portion 21 with respect to the mating connector.

[0014] The connector 1 shown here includes a plurality of electric wires 10 with terminals (FIGS. 4 to 7). In this connector 1, the electric wires 11 of the respective electric wires 10 with terminals are pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion 22 to the outside, and the respective electric wires 11 are bundled together by an exterior member 15 such as a corrugated tube or an adhesive tape at the tip pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion 22 (FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7).

[0015] The connector cover 30 covers the first wire lead-out portion 22 together with the electric wire 11 pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion 22. And this connector cover 30 pulls out the electric wire 11 outward in the wire lead-out direction intersecting the connector fitting direction Sc. This connector cover 30 includes a wire cover member 40 and a wire outlet member 50 (FIGS. 1 to 7). The wire cover member 40 and the wire outlet member 50 are members that form the connector cover 30 by being assembled to each other, and are each molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0016] The wire cover member 40 is assembled to the connector housing 20, and after drawing in the wire 11 drawn out from the first wire lead-out portion 22 of the connector housing 20, it is drawn out to the outside. This wire cover member 40 is assembled to the connector housing 20 to cover the first wire lead-out portion 22, and has a cylindrical wire introduction portion (hereinafter referred to as the "first wire introduction portion") 41 for drawing in the wire 11 drawn out from the first wire lead-out portion 22 (FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7). And this wire cover member 40 has a cylindrical wire lead-out portion (hereinafter referred to as the "second wire lead-out portion") 42 for drawing out the wire 11 drawn in from the first wire introduction portion 41 to the outside (FIGS. 1 to 3, 6, and 7). In the wire cover member 40 shown here, the wire 11 is drawn out from the second wire lead-out portion 42 in the same direction as the wire lead-out direction from the first wire lead-out portion 22.

[0017] The wire cover member 40 shown here has a first divided cover portion 40A and a second divided cover portion 40B divided along the routing path of the internal wire 11, and a hinge portion 40C that connects the first divided cover portion 40A and the second divided cover portion 40B and rotates the first divided cover portion 40A and the second divided cover portion 40B between an open position and a closed position (FIGS. 1 to 3, 6, and 7).

[0018] In this wire cover member 40, when the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B are in the open position, the first wire introduction part 41 is divided into a first divided introduction part (hereinafter referred to as the "first divided front - stage introduction part") 41a on the side of the first divided cover part 40A and a second divided introduction part (hereinafter referred to as the "second divided front - stage introduction part") 41b on the side of the second divided cover part 40B (Figs. 2, 6, and 7). Also, in this wire cover member 40, when the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B are in the open position, the second wire lead - out part 42 is divided into a first divided lead - out part (hereinafter referred to as the "first divided front - stage lead - out part") 42a on the side of the first divided cover part 40A and a second divided lead - out part (hereinafter referred to as the "second divided front - stage lead - out part") 42b on the side of the second divided cover part 40B (Figs. 3, 6, and 7). In this wire cover member 40, when the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B are in the closed position, the first divided front - stage introduction part 41a and the second divided front - stage introduction part 41b are combined to form a cylindrical first wire introduction part 41, and the first divided front - stage lead - out part 42a and the second divided front - stage lead - out part 42b are combined to form a cylindrical second wire lead - out part 42.

[0019] The hinge part 40C is a so - called living hinge and is integrally formed together with the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B.

[0020] The wire cover member 40 has a locking mechanism 40D for keeping the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B in the closed position (Figs. 1 to 3, 6, and 7). This locking mechanism 40D includes a first locking part 40D1 provided on the first divided cover part 40A and a second locking part 40D2 provided on the second divided cover part 40B, and holds the first divided cover part 40A and the second divided cover part 40B in the closed position by, for example, hooking a claw part or the like of one of them on the other (Figs. 2, 3, 6, and 7).

[0021] The wire outlet member 50 is assembled to the wire cover member 40, draws in the wire 11 drawn out from the second wire lead-out portion 42 of this wire cover member 40, and draws out the wire 11 outward in a wire lead-out direction intersecting the connector fitting direction Sc. This wire outlet member 50 has a cylindrical wire introduction portion (hereinafter referred to as the "second wire introduction portion") 51 that is coaxial with the second wire lead-out portion 42 and is fitted into the cylinder of the second wire lead-out portion 42, and draws in the wire 11 drawn out from this second wire lead-out portion 42 (FIGS. 1 to 7).

[0022] The wire outlet member 50 shown here has a first divided outlet portion 50A and a second divided outlet portion 50B that are divided along the wiring path of the internal wire 11, and a hinge portion 50C that connects the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B and rotates the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B between an open position and a closed position (FIGS. 1 to 7).

[0023] In this wire outlet member 50, when the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are in the open position, the second wire introduction portion 51 is divided into a first divided introduction portion (hereinafter referred to as the "first divided rear-stage introduction portion") 51a on the side of the first divided outlet portion 50A and a second divided introduction portion (hereinafter referred to as the "second divided rear-stage introduction portion") 51b on the side of the second divided outlet portion 50B (FIGS. 3 and 4). In this wire outlet member 50, when the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are in the closed position, the first divided rear-stage introduction portion 51a and the second divided rear-stage introduction portion 51b are combined to form the cylindrical second wire introduction portion 51.

[0024] The hinge portion 50C is a so-called living hinge and is integrally formed together with the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B.

[0025] The wire outlet member 50 has a locking mechanism 50D that keeps the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B in the closed position (Figs. 1 to 7). This locking mechanism 50D includes a first locking portion 50D1 provided on the first divided outlet portion 50A and a second locking portion 50D2 provided on the second divided outlet portion 50B. By hooking a claw portion or the like of one of them on the other, the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are held in the closed position (Figs. 3 and 4).

[0026] Here, in this connector 1, in order to make the routing path of the wire 11 drawn from the wire outlet member 50 correspond to the path for each mating device, the wire drawing direction from the wire outlet member 50 is changed in various directions. In this connector 1, using the cylindrical second wire drawing portion 42 of the wire cover member 40 and the cylindrical second wire introduction portion 51 of the wire outlet member 50, the wire outlet member 50 is relatively rotated around the cylindrical axis of the second wire drawing portion 42, and by holding the wire outlet member 50 at the relative rotation position, the wire drawing direction from the wire outlet member 50 is changed.

[0027] The second wire drawing portion 42 has an inner peripheral surface 42c that forms a regular polygon in the closed position when the first divided cover portion 40A and the second divided cover portion 40B are in the closed position (Fig. 3). And the second wire introduction portion 51 is formed in a regular polygon similar to the inner peripheral surface 42c of the second wire drawing portion 42, and has an outer peripheral surface 51c that is locked to the inner peripheral surface 42c of the second wire drawing portion 42 to suppress relative rotation around the cylindrical axis with respect to the second wire drawing portion 42 (Fig. 3). The second wire introduction portion 51 shown here has an outer peripheral surface 51c that forms a regular polygon in the closed position when the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are in the closed position. The inner peripheral surface 42c is formed by the inner peripheral surfaces of the first divided front-stage drawing portion 42a and the second divided front-stage drawing portion 42b when the first divided front-stage drawing portion 42a and the second divided front-stage drawing portion 42b are combined in the closed position to form the cylindrical second wire drawing portion 42. Also, the outer peripheral surface 51c is formed by the outer peripheral surfaces of the first divided rear-stage introduction portion 51a and the second divided rear-stage introduction portion 51b when the first divided rear-stage introduction portion 51a and the second divided rear-stage introduction portion 51b are combined in the closed position to form the cylindrical second wire introduction portion 51.

[0028] This connector 1 can relatively rotate the second wire introduction part 51 around the cylinder axis inside the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part 42, and hold the second wire introduction part 51 inside the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part 42 at relative rotation positions corresponding to the number of sides of the regular polygon in the second wire introduction part 51. That is, this connector 1 can relatively rotate the second wire introduction part 51 by a fixed angle corresponding to the number of sides of the regular polygon inside the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part 42, and hold the second wire introduction part 51 inside the cylinder of the second wire lead-out part 42 at a desired relative rotation position. Therefore, this connector 1 can change the wire lead-out direction from the wire outlet member 50 by the number of sides of the regular polygon. And this connector 1 is a two-component connector cover 30 formed by assembling the wire cover member 40 and the wire outlet member 50, and can create a variable structure of the wire lead-out direction. Therefore, the connector 1 of the present embodiment does not need to prepare a connector cover for each wire lead-out direction, so a variable structure of the wire lead-out direction can be realized while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0029] Furthermore, the wire outlet member 50 is formed in a regular polygon similar to the outer peripheral surface 51c of the second wire introduction part 51, and has a concentric flange part 53 protruding from the outer peripheral surface 51c of the second wire introduction part 51 (FIGS. 4 to 8). And the wire cover member 40 of the present embodiment has a fitting groove part 43 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first divided front-stage lead-out part 42a and fitting the flange part 53 while leaving a part (FIGS. 6 and 8). This fitting groove part 43 has an insertion port 43a for inserting the flange part 53 in a direction orthogonal to the cylinder axis, a groove bottom wall surface 43b disposed opposite to this insertion port 43a, and a pair of groove side wall surfaces 43c vertically provided from this groove bottom wall surface 43b (FIG. 8). In this fitting groove part 43, the groove bottom wall surface 43b forms a part of a regular polygon similar to the flange part 53. Therefore, this fitting groove part 43 suppresses the relative rotation of the flange part 53 around the cylinder axis by locking the flange part 53 to the groove bottom wall surface 43b.

[0030] The flange portion 53 shown here has a first divided flange portion 53a that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the first divided rear-stage introduction portion 51a and a second divided flange portion 53b that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the second divided rear-stage introduction portion 51b (Figs. 4 and 8). When the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are in the closed position, this flange portion 53 forms a regular polygon by the first divided flange portion 53a and the second divided flange portion 53b combined at the closed position. A part of the first divided flange portion 53a and the second divided flange portion 53b is fitted into the fitting groove portion 43.

[0031] In the connector 1 shown above, the wire 10 with a terminal assembled to the connector housing 20 is housed in the first divided outlet portion 50A of the wire outlet member 50 in the open position (Fig. 4). Then, in this connector 1, with the hinge portion 50C as the rotation center, the first divided outlet portion 50A and the second divided outlet portion 50B are relatively rotated to the closed position, and these are kept in the closed position by the locking mechanism 50D, thereby forming the wire outlet member 50 having the cylindrical second wire introduction portion 51 (Fig. 5).

[0032] Next, in this connector 1, the first wire lead-out portion 22 of the connector housing 20 and the second wire introduction portion 51 of the wire outlet member 50 are housed in the first divided cover portion 40A of the wire cover member 40 in the open position (Figs. 6 and 7). Then, in this connector 1, with the hinge portion 40C as the rotation center, the first divided cover portion 40A and the second divided cover portion 40B are relatively rotated to the closed position, and these are kept in the closed position by the locking mechanism 40D, thereby forming the wire cover member 40 having the cylindrical second wire lead-out portion 42 (Fig. 1).

[0033] Here, when assembling the wire outlet member 50 to the first divided cover portion 40A, in the wire outlet member 50, the flange portion 53 is fitted into the fitting groove portion 43 of the first divided cover portion 40A in accordance with the direction of the desired wire extraction direction. The fitting groove portion 43 shown here has locking projection portions 43d that project from the respective groove side wall surfaces 43c and lock the movement toward the insertion port 43a of the fitted flange portion 53 (FIG. 8). Therefore, in this connector 1, when the first divided cover portion 40A and the second divided cover portion 40B are in the open position, by fitting the flange portion 53 into the fitting groove portion 43, the flange portion 53 can be held in the fitting groove portion 43 by the pair of locking projection portions 43d.

[0034] Here, a cylindrical second wire extraction portion 42 having an inner peripheral surface 42c in the shape of a regular octagon is illustrated, and a cylindrical second wire introduction portion 51 having an outer peripheral surface 51c in the shape of a regular octagon is illustrated. And here, a fitting groove portion 43 and a flange portion 53 in the shape of a regular octagon are illustrated. Therefore, in this illustrated connector 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 to 15, the wire extraction direction of the wire outlet member 50 can be changed in eight directions.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0035] 1 Connector 10 Wired Terminal 11 Wire 20 Connector Housing 21 Connector Fitting Portion 22 First Wire Extraction Portion 30 Connector Cover 40 Wire Cover Member 40A First Divided Cover Portion 40B Second Divided Cover Portion 40C Hinge Portion 42 Second Wire Extraction Portion 42c Inner Peripheral Surface 42a First Divided Front Stage Extraction Portion (First Divided Extraction Portion) 42b Second Divided Front Stage Extraction Portion (Second Divided Extraction Portion) 43 Fitting Groove Portion 43a Insertion Port 43b Bottom wall surface of the groove 43c Side wall surface of the groove 43d Locking projection 50 Wire outlet member 50A First divided outlet part 50B Second divided outlet part 50C Hinge part 51 Second wire introduction part (wire introduction part) 51a First divided rear-stage introduction part (first divided introduction part) 51b Second divided rear-stage introduction part (second divided introduction part) 51c Outer peripheral surface 53 Flange part 53a First divided flange part 53b Second divided flange part Sc Connector fitting direction

Claims

1. A wire with terminals, in which a terminal fitting is connected to the end of the wire, a connector housing that houses the terminal fitting and the wire and has a connector fitting portion that is inserted and fitted along the connector fitting direction with a mating connector, and a first wire lead-out portion for pulling out the wire to the outside, a connector cover that covers the first wire lead-out portion together with the wire pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion, comprising: The connector cover is assembled to the connector housing and includes a wire cover member that draws in the wire pulled out from the first wire lead-out portion and draws it out to the outside through a cylindrical second wire lead-out portion, and a wire outlet member that draws in the wire pulled out from the second wire lead-out portion and draws the wire out to the outside in a wire lead-out direction intersecting the connector fitting direction. The wire cover member includes a first divided cover portion and a second divided cover portion that are divided along the routing path of the internal wire, and a hinge portion that connects the first divided cover portion and the second divided cover portion and rotates the first divided cover portion and the second divided cover portion between an open position and a closed position. The wire outlet member has a cylindrical wire introduction portion that is coaxial with the second wire lead-out portion and is fitted into the cylinder of the second wire lead-out portion and draws in the wire pulled out from the second wire lead-out portion. The second wire lead-out portion is divided into a first divided lead-out portion on the side of the first divided cover portion that forms a cylinder in the closed position and a second divided lead-out portion on the side of the second divided cover portion, and has an inner peripheral surface that becomes a regular polygon in the closed position. The wire introduction portion is formed in a regular polygon similar to the inner peripheral surface of the second wire lead-out portion and has an outer peripheral surface that is locked to the inner peripheral surface of the second wire lead-out portion to suppress relative rotation around the cylinder axis with respect to the second wire lead-out portion. A connector characterized by this.

2. The wire outlet member is formed in a regular polygon similar to the outer peripheral surface of the wire introduction portion and has a concentric flange portion that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the wire introduction portion. The wire cover member has a fitting groove portion that is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first divided lead-out portion and into which the flange portion is fitted while leaving a part. The fitting groove portion has a groove bottom wall surface that forms a part of a regular polygon similar to the flange portion, and restrains relative rotation of the flange portion around the cylinder axis by locking the flange portion to the groove bottom wall surface. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The fitting groove portion includes an insertion port for inserting the flange portion in a direction orthogonal to the cylinder axis, the groove bottom wall surface disposed opposite to the insertion port, a pair of groove side wall surfaces vertically provided from the groove bottom wall surface, and locking protrusions that protrude from the respective groove side wall surfaces and lock the movement of the inserted flange portion toward the insertion port. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The wire outlet member has a first divided outlet portion and a second divided outlet portion divided along the wiring path of the internal wire, and a hinge portion that connects the first divided outlet portion and the second divided outlet portion and rotates the first divided outlet portion and the second divided outlet portion between an open position and a closed position. The wire introduction portion is divided into a first divided introduction portion on the side of the first divided outlet portion that forms a cylindrical shape in the closed position and a second divided introduction portion on the side of the second divided outlet portion. The connector according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that.

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