Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of suppressing displacement of an electric wire.SOLUTION: A connector 1 includes: a housing 5 having a terminal accommodation chamber 23 therein; an electric wire 3 led out to the outside through an opening part connected to the terminal accommodation chamber 23 of the housing 5; a water-stopping part 8 disposed so as to block a space between an inner surface of the opening part and an outer surface of the electric wire 3; and a cover 9 attached to the housing 5 on an outer side of the water-stopping part 8. The cover 9 has: a restricting part 91 which is disposed so as to face the water-stopping part 8 and restricts the displacement of the water-stopping part 8 to the outside; a through hole 92 which is provided in the restricting part 91 and through which the electric wire 3 is inserted; and a slit 93 which extends in a predetermined direction from a hole edge of the through hole 92, and communicates with the outside of a peripheral edge of the restricting part 91. When the cover 9 is mounted on the housing 5, the width of the slit 93 is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector including a housing that can be fitted to a mating component, an electric wire that is drawn out to the outside through an opening connected to a terminal accommodation chamber of the housing, a water stop component disposed so as to block between an inner surface of the opening and an outer surface of the electric wire, and a cover attached to the housing on an outer side of the water stop component.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a connector having a function of detecting whether a housing of a connector is in a fitting position where it is properly fitted to a mating component and the connector and the mating component are properly fitted (hereinafter also referred to as a "fitted state") by using a fitting assurance part (CPA) has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The fitting assurance part is generally used for a housing having a lock arm that can switch between maintaining and releasing the above-described fitted state. Specifically, interference between the fitting assurance part and the lock arm is avoided only when the housing is in the fitting position (that is, the above-described fitted state), and the lock arm and the fitting assurance part are configured so that the fitting assurance part is mounted at a predetermined target mounting position. In other words, when the connector and the mating component are not in the fitted state, the fitting assurance part interferes with the lock arm and is not mounted at the target mounting position. That is, it is possible to detect whether the connector and the mating component are in the fitted state based on whether the fitting assurance part can be mounted at such a target mounting position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in conventional connectors, generally, in order to suppress the intrusion of water or the like from the outside of the connector into the terminal accommodation chamber, a cylindrical rubber plug shaped to surround the electric wire is attached to the electric wire, and when the terminal is accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber, the gap between the opening of the terminal accommodation chamber and the electric wire is blocked by the rubber plug. However, when the connector is actually used by being mounted on a vehicle or the like, depending on the direction and magnitude of the external force applied to the electric wire, the rubber plug may deform as the electric wire is displaced, resulting in a gap between the rubber plug and the opening of the terminal accommodation chamber or between the rubber plug and the electric wire, and there is a possibility that the waterproof property of the rubber plug is impaired.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector capable of suppressing displacement of an electric wire.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above-described object, the connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following.

[0008] A connector including a housing having a terminal accommodation chamber therein, an electric wire drawn out to the outside through an opening connected to the terminal accommodation chamber of the housing, a water stop component disposed so as to block between the inner surface of the opening and the outer surface of the electric wire, and a cover attached to the housing on the outer side of the water stop component, wherein the cover is provided with a regulating portion disposed to face the water stop component and regulating displacement of the water stop component to the outer side thereof, a through hole through which the electric wire is inserted provided in the regulating portion, and a slit extending in a predetermined direction from the hole edge of the through hole and communicating outside the peripheral edge of the regulating portion, and when the cover is attached to the housing, the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire. It is a connector.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the connector of the present invention, the cover attached to the housing is provided with a slit through which an electric wire is passed when the cover is attached to the electric wire, and a through hole through which the electric wire attached through the slit is inserted. Further, when the cover is attached to the housing, the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire. Therefore, even if an external force acts on the electric wire in any direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire in a state where the cover is attached to the housing, the displacement of the electric wire is suppressed by the hole wall of the through hole. In particular, even when the electric wire tries to displace in the direction of entering the slit, the electric wire does not enter the slit because the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire. Therefore, the connector of this configuration can suppress the displacement of the electric wire.

[0010] As described above, the present invention has been briefly described. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The connector 1 (see FIG. 1) is a female connector connected to the electric wire 3. The mating connector 2 (see FIG. 1) is a male connector connected to the electric wire 4. The female housing 5 of the connector 1 (see FIG. 1) is capable of mating with the male housing 11 of the mating connector 2 (see FIG. 1) as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Note that the female housing 5 corresponds to the "housing" in the present invention. In this example, the connector 1 will be mated with the mating connector 2, but the connector 1 may be mated with other mating parts (for example, a connector mounting port of a mating device).

[0013] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper" and "lower" are defined. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction" and "upper-lower direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-rear direction coincides with the mating direction between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2. For the connector 1, the front side in the mating direction where the mating connector 2 mates is defined as the front side, and the opposite rear side in the mating direction is defined as the rear side.

[0014] When the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are mated, the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 reach a completely mated state (see FIG. 8) through a state where the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are in the middle of mating (see FIG. 7). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the former state is referred to as the "unmated state", and the latter state is referred to as the "mated state".

[0015] First, the connector 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the connector 1 includes a female housing 5, a terminal module 6 housed in the female housing 5, a fitting guarantee part 7 provided movably in the front-rear direction on the upper part of the female housing 5, a packing 8 that closes the gap between the electric wire 3 extending from the terminal module 6 and the female housing 5, and a cover 9 provided on the female housing 5 so as to cover the rear end surface of the packing 8. Hereinafter, the configurations of the respective components constituting the connector 1 will be described in order. In the following, the "fitting guarantee part" will be abbreviated as "CPA".

[0016] First, the female housing 5 will be described. The resin-made female housing 5 integrally includes a substantially rectangular tube-shaped rectangular tube part 21 and a substantially cylindrical tube part 22 located on the front side of the rectangular tube part 21, and has a shape extending in the front-rear direction. The cylindrical part 22 of the female housing 5 is inserted into a fitting recess formed inside the hood part 61 (see FIG. 1) of the male housing 11 of the mating connector 2, so that the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are fitted together (see FIG. 8).

[0017] Inside the female housing 5, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, a terminal accommodation chamber 23 penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The terminal module 6 is housed in the terminal accommodation chamber 23. The terminal module 6 is a female terminal having a shape extending in the front-rear direction, and an electric wire 3 is connected to the rear end portion thereof so as to extend rearward. When the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are fitted together, a male terminal (not shown) housed in the male housing 11 and connected to the electric wire 4 (see FIG. 1) is inserted into the front end portion of the terminal accommodation chamber 23.

[0018] At both left and right ends in the lateral direction of the upper wall 24 of the female housing 5 (more specifically, the square tube portion 21), as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of ribs 25 rising upward are integrally provided so as to extend in the front region of the square tube portion 21 and face each other in the lateral direction. The space sandwiched by the pair of ribs 25 functions as a space (so-called slide space) for accommodating the CPA 7 and guiding it in the front-rear direction. The pair of ribs 25 function to guide the CPA 7 moving in the front-rear direction on the upper wall 24 of the square tube portion 21 in the front-rear direction. At the upper end portions of the front regions of the pair of ribs 25, a pair of protrusions 26 protruding inward in the lateral direction and facing each other in the lateral direction are integrally formed (see FIG. 2).

[0019] On the upper part of the female housing 5 (more specifically, the cylindrical portion 22), as shown in FIG. 2, a lock mechanism 27 is provided. The lock mechanism 27 has a function of being able to switch between maintaining and releasing the fitting state between the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 by engaging with a locked hole 62 (see FIG. 1) provided on the upper part of the hood portion 61 of the male housing 11 of the mating connector 2.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the lock mechanism 27 has a pair of lock arms 28 extending rearward in a cantilever shape at intervals in the lateral direction from the front end portion of the upper part of the cylindrical portion 22 of the female housing 5. The pair of lock arms 28 can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction and extend to a position above the front end portion of the upper wall 24 of the square tube portion 21 of the female housing 5. On the pair of lock arms 28, a lock protrusion 29 connecting the middle portion in the front-rear direction in the lateral direction and an operation portion 31 connecting the tip end portion (rear end portion) in the lateral direction are integrally formed.

[0021] The operation portion 31 is located above the front end portion of the upper wall of the square tube portion 21, and the lateral dimension of the operation portion 31 is smaller than the lateral interval between the pair of protrusions 26. For this reason, with the elastic deformation of the pair of lock arms 28 in the vertical direction, the operation portion 31 can move vertically in the space between the pair of protrusions 26 provided on the pair of ribs 25.

[0022] The locking hole 62 of the male housing 11 engages with the locking projection 29 of the locking mechanism 27, thereby maintaining the fitting state of the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 (see Fig. 8). In this fitting state, by pushing the operation portion 31 downward, the locking projection 29 moves downward and the engagement between the locking projection 29 and the locking hole 62 is released, enabling the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 to be separated in the front-rear direction.

[0023] At the tip portions of the pair of locking arms 28 (i.e., the lower part of the operation portion 31), a pair of protrusions 35 protruding outward in the left-right direction are integrally formed (see Fig. 2). When the pair of locking arms 28 elastically deform upward, the pair of protrusions 35 interfere with the pair of protrusions 26 in the vertical direction, thereby functioning to prevent the pair of locking arms 28 from deforming excessively upward.

[0024] On the outer peripheral surfaces of both ends in the left-right direction of the rear end portion of the female housing 5, as shown in Fig. 2, a pair of left-right groove portions 36 are formed so as to be recessed inward in the left-right direction and extend forward from the rear end of the female housing 5. On the bottom surface of each groove portion 36, an engagement protrusion 37 protruding outward in the left-right direction is formed. A pair of engagement frame portions 96 (described later) of the cover 9 are to be inserted into the pair of groove portions 36.

[0025] In the lower region of the rear end surface of the female housing 5, as shown in Fig. 3, a pair of left-right accommodation grooves 38 are formed so as to be recessed forward and extend in an arc shape along the opening edge of the rear end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber 23. A pair of left-right protrusions 98 (see Fig. 3, etc.) of the cover 9 are to be accommodated in the pair of left-right accommodation grooves 38.

[0026] Next, CPA7 will be described. The resin-made CPA7 shown in Fig. 2 is provided on the upper wall 24 of the square tube portion 21 of the female housing 5 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. CPA7 has a substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped main body portion 41 extending in the front-rear direction. At the upper rear part of the main body portion 41, a CPA operation portion 42 that protrudes upward and extends in the left-right direction is provided. The left-right dimension of the main body portion 41 is smaller than the left-right interval between the pair of ribs 25. Therefore, the main body portion 41 can move in the front-rear direction within the space sandwiched by the pair of ribs 25 while being guided by the pair of ribs 25.

[0027] An arm portion 43 extending forward is integrally formed at the center in the left-right direction on the front surface of the main body portion 41. At the tip of the arm portion 43 (i.e., the front end portion), a protrusion 44 that engages with the lock protrusion 29 of the lock mechanism 27 is formed so as to protrude upward. The left-right dimension of the arm portion 43 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the main body portion 41.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 7, in the un-fitted state before the fitting of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 (the state of the connector 1 alone), CPA7 is arranged at the initial position shown in Fig. 5 on the upper wall 24 of the square tube portion 21 of the female housing 5. Then, within the space sandwiched by the pair of ribs 25 of the female housing 5, while guiding the CPA7 (the main body portion 41 thereof) by the pair of ribs 25, the CPA operation portion 42 is pressed forward to move CPA7 forward. Such forward movement of CPA7 continues until the protrusion 44 located at the tip of the arm portion 43 of CPA7 engages with the rear surface of the lock protrusion 29 of the lock mechanism 27 of the female housing 5. When the protrusion 44 of CPA7 engages with the rear surface of the lock protrusion 29 of the female housing 5, CPA7 cannot move forward from that position. That is, in the un-fitted state, CPA7 cannot move to the target mounting position shown in Fig. 6 (see Fig. 8).

[0029] Next, the packing 8 and the cover 9 will be described. The rubber packing 8 is a member disposed in the gap between the outer surface of the electric wire 3 extending from the terminal module 6 and the inner surface of the rear end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber 23 of the female housing 5, and exhibits a water-stopping function of closing the gap to prevent water from entering the terminal accommodation chamber 23 from the outside. As shown in FIG. 2, the packing 8 has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction, and an annular flange portion 8a protruding radially outward is provided at its rear end portion. The outer peripheral shape of the packing 8 corresponds to the shape of the inner surface of the rear end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber 23, and the inner peripheral shape of the packing 8 corresponds to the shape of the outer surface of the electric wire 3.

[0030] The resin cover 9 is a member assembled to the rear end portion of the female housing 5 so as to cover the rear end surface of the packing 8, and exhibits a function of suppressing the dropping (separation) of the packing 8 from the female housing 5 and suppressing the displacement of the electric wire 3 extending from the terminal module 6. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the cover 9 has a flat lid wall portion 91 disposed so as to close the rear end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber 23 of the female housing 5. The outer peripheral shape of the lid wall portion 91 corresponds to the shape of the rear end opening of the terminal accommodation chamber 23 of the female housing 5.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, a through hole 92 through which the electric wire 3 extending in the front-rear direction is inserted is formed in the central portion of the lid wall portion 91. A slit 93 extending in the vertical direction and communicating the lower end portion of the hole edge of the through hole 92 and the lower end portion of the outer peripheral edge of the lid wall portion 91 is formed in the lid wall portion 91. The width (lateral interval) of the slit 93 is smaller than the diameter (outer diameter) of the electric wire 3 (see the broken line in FIG. 4). Further, a slit 94 extending upward from the upper end portion of the hole edge of the through hole 92 and slits 95 extending from the upper end portion of the slit 94 to both left and right sides are formed in the lid wall portion 91. The width (lateral interval) of the slit 94 is also smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 3 (see the broken line in FIG. 4).

[0032] By forming the slits 94 and 95, the vicinity of the slit 95 in the lid wall portion 91 (i.e., the vicinity region of the upper end of the lid wall portion 91) functions as a hinge-like deformable connecting portion 91b that connects the pair of left and right lower regions 91a of the lid wall portion 91 sandwiching the slit 93 so that the pair of left and right lower regions 91a can be displaced to widen the width of the slit 93. Thereby, when inserting the electric wire 3 through the slit 93 to the through hole 92, the width of the slit 93 can be easily increased.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of left and right engaging frame body portions 96 are integrally formed at both ends in the left-right direction of the lid wall portion 91 so as to project forward. Each engaging frame body portion 96 is elastically deformable in the left-right direction. A peripheral wall 97 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral edge of the lid wall portion 91 located above the pair of engaging frame body portions 96 so as to project forward and extend along the outer peripheral edge of the lid wall portion 91. On the pair of left and right outer peripheral edges of the lid wall portion 91 located between the pair of engaging frame body portions 96 and the slit 93, corresponding to the pair of left and right housing grooves 38 (see FIG. 3) of the female housing 5, a pair of protrusions 98 are integrally formed so as to project forward and extend in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge of the lid wall portion 91.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, on the lid wall portion 91, a pair of left and right ribs 99 are formed that extend along the hole edge of the through hole 92 and project rearward. A pair of left and right ribs 101 are formed that extend downward along both side edges of the slit 93 from the lower ends of the pair of left and right ribs 99 and project rearward. A pair of left and right tapered ribs 102 are formed that continuously extend downward and outward in the left-right direction in an inclined manner from the lower ends of the pair of left and right ribs 101. Further, a pair of left and right ribs 103 are formed that extend radially outward of the through hole 92 from the upper portions of the pair of left and right ribs 99 and project rearward. By forming the rib 99, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 3 when the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 3 inserted through the through hole 92 abuts against the hole edge of the through hole 92. By forming the rib 101, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 3 when inserting the electric wire 3 through the slit 93 into the through hole 92. By forming the tapered rib 102, when inserting the electric wire 3 through the slit 93 into the through hole 92, it becomes easier to guide the electric wire 3 into the slit 93. The rib 103 functions to reinforce the rib 99.

[0035] The packing 8 and the cover 9 are assembled to the female housing 5 as follows. First, one end of the electric wire 3 is inserted through the through hole 92 of the cover 9 and the through hole of the packing 8. For the cover 9, as described above, one end of the electric wire 3 can be inserted through the through hole 92 of the cover 9 by inserting one end of the electric wire 3 through the slit 93 into the through hole 92. Next, one end of the electric wire 3 is connected to the rear end portion of the terminal module 6. Next, the terminal module 6 to which the electric wire 3 is connected is housed in the terminal housing chamber 23 from the rear side through the rear end opening of the terminal housing chamber 23 of the female housing 5. Next, the packing 8 inserted through the electric wire 3 is disposed in the gap between the inner surface of the rear end opening of the terminal housing chamber 23 and the outer surface of the electric wire 3 in a state where the flange portion 8a abuts against the rear end surface of the female housing 5 through the rear end opening of the terminal housing chamber 23 of the female housing 5 (see also FIGS. 7 and 8). Thereby, the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the packing 8 are in close contact with the inner surface of the rear end opening of the terminal housing chamber 23 and the outer surface of the electric wire 3, respectively, so that the water-stopping function of the packing 8 described above is exhibited (see also FIG. 6).

[0036] Next, the cover 9 inserted through the electric wire 3 is attached to the rear end portion of the female housing 5. In the state where the cover 9 is completely attached to the rear end portion of the female housing 5, the pair of engaging frame portions 96 of the cover 9 are inserted into the pair of groove portions 36 of the female housing 5, the hole edges at the front end portions of the pair of engaging frame portions 96 are engaged with the pair of engaging protrusions 37, and the peripheral wall 97 of the cover 9 covers the rear end portion of the upper wall 24 of the female housing 5, and the pair of left and right protrusion portions 98 of the cover 9 are accommodated in the pair of left and right accommodation grooves 38 of the female housing 5. By the engagement between the hole edges of the pair of engaging frame portions 96 and the pair of engaging protrusions 37, the cover 9 (and thus the packing 8) is prevented from falling off (separating) from the female housing 5. Further, in this example, the peripheral wall 97 of the cover 9 is arranged so as to cover the rear end portion of the upper wall 24 of the female housing 5 (see FIGS. 1 and 7), so that the rearward movement (falling off) of the CPA7 arranged on the upper wall 24 of the female housing 5 is prevented (see FIG. 7).

[0037] Furthermore, even when an external force in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire 3 acts on the electric wire 3 extending to the outside of the female housing 5 through the through hole 92 of the cover 9, the displacement of the electric wire 3 is suppressed by the hole wall of the through hole 92. In particular, when a downward external force acts on the electric wire 3, the electric wire 3 tries to move from the through hole 92 to the slit 93. However, since the width of the slit 93 is smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 3, the electric wire 3 cannot move from the through hole 92 to the slit 93 and stays in the through hole 92, thereby suppressing the displacement of the electric wire 3. Similarly, when an upward external force acts on the electric wire 3, the electric wire 3 tries to move from the through hole 92 to the slit 94. However, since the width of the slit 94 is smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 3, the electric wire 3 cannot move from the through hole 92 to the slit 94 and stays in the through hole 92, thereby suppressing the displacement of the electric wire 3.

[0038] Furthermore, when the pair of left and right protruding portions 98, which are arc-shaped and curved and provided on the cover 9, are received in the pair of left and right accommodating grooves 38, which are arc-shaped and curved and provided on the female housing 5, even if an external force is applied to the electric wire 3 in the left-right direction, the curved protruding portions 98 abut against the groove inner surface of the curved accommodating groove 38, thereby suppressing deformation such that the width of the slit 93 of the cover 9 increases (that is, making it easier for the electric wire 3 to move from the through hole 92 to the slit 93). As described above, displacement of the electric wire 3 is suppressed, so that deformation of the packing 8 caused by the displacement of the electric wire 3 is suppressed, and thus reduction of the water-stopping function of the packing 8 caused by the deformation of the packing 8 is suppressed. The connector 1 has been described above.

[0039] Next, the fitting operation between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the connector 1, which is connected to the electric wire 3 and has the CPA 7 locked in the initial position, is fitted to the mating connector 2. This fitting operation is performed such that the cylindrical portion 22 of the female housing 5 is inserted into the fitting recess in the hood portion 61 of the male housing 11, and the terminal module 6 (female terminals), which is housed in the female housing 5 and connected to the electric wire 3, is connected to the male terminals, which are housed in the male housing 11 and connected to the electric wire 4. This fitting operation is continued until the locked hole 62 of the male housing 11 engages with the locking projection 29 of the locking mechanism 27 of the female housing 5.

[0040] The edge of the locked hole 62 moves over the upper portion of the locking projection 29 of the locking mechanism 27, which is temporarily elastically deformed downward by pressing from the edge of the locked hole 62, and then moves to the rear side of the locking projection 29 of the locking mechanism 27 that has elastically returned, so that the locked hole 62 and the locking projection 29 engage with each other (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are maintained in the fitted state.

[0041] Furthermore, when the edge of the locked hole 62 moves to the rear side of the locking protrusion 29, the edge of the locked hole 62 pushes down the protrusion 44 of the CPA 7 located on the rear side of the locking protrusion 29, causing the arm portion 43 of the CPA 7 to elastically deform downward and releasing the engagement between the protrusion 44 and the locking protrusion 29. That is, the CPA 7 becomes movable to the forward target mounting position (see FIG. 6). Then, by pushing the CPA 7 (the CPA operation portion 42 thereof) forward in this state, the CPA 7 moves to the target mounting position shown in FIG. 8 while maintaining the state where the arm portion 43 is elastically deformed downward. When the CPA 7 reaches the target mounting position, the protrusion 44 gets over the lower part of the locking protrusion 29, and the arm portion 43 elastically returns, causing the protrusion 44 to move to the front side of the locking protrusion 29. Thereby, the CPA 7 is locked at the target mounting position.

[0042] With the CPA 7 at the target mounting position, the CPA 7 fulfills the function of ensuring that the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are in a fitted state. Further, in the state where the CPA 7 is at the target mounting position, as shown in FIG. 8, since the protrusion 45 of the CPA 7 is in contact with the operation portion 31 of the locking mechanism 27, the operation portion 31 cannot move downward. Thereby, it is suppressed that the engagement margin between the locking protrusion 29 and the locked hole 62 becomes smaller due to the unintentional downward movement of the operation portion 31. That is, it is suppressed that the so-called engagement force becomes smaller. In this way, the CPA 7 also fulfills the function of preventing the release of the engagement between the locking protrusion 29 and the locked hole 62 caused by the downward elastic deformation of the locking mechanism 27 (the so-called double locking function).

[0043] On the other hand, when the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are in an unfitted state, since the edge of the locked hole 62 of the male housing 11 does not push down the protrusion 44 of the CPA 7, the engagement between the protrusion 44 and the locking protrusion 29 is not released. For this reason, the CPA 7 cannot move from the initial position to the target mounting position. In this way, since the CPA 7 cannot move from the initial position to the target mounting position, the unfitted state between the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 can be easily detected. The fitting operation between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 has been described above.

[0044] In the fitted state of the female housing 5 and the male housing 11, the terminal module 6 housed in the female housing 5 and the male terminal housed in the male housing 11 are electrically connected. As a result, the electric wire 3 connected to the terminal module 6 and extending from the female housing 5 and the electric wire 4 connected to the male terminal and extending from the male housing 11 are electrically connected.

[0045] Next, for maintenance etc., the operation when separating the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 from the state shown in Fig. 8 (the state where the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 are in the fitted state and the CPA 7 is in the target mounting position) will be described.

[0046] To separate the female housing 5 and the male housing 11, first, by pulling the CPA operation part 42 of the CPA 7 backward, the CPA 7 is returned from the target mounting position to the initial position. Next, the operation part 31 of the lock mechanism 27 is pushed downward toward the space sandwiched by the pair of ribs 25. As a result, the lock projection 29 of the lock mechanism 27 that has been elastically deformed downward moves downward. As a result, the engagement between the lock projection 29 and the locked hole 62 is released, and the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 can be separated in the front-rear direction, so the female housing 5 and the male housing 11 can be separated.

[0047] <Function and Effect> As described above, according to the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the cover 9 attached to the female housing 5 suppresses the displacement of the packing 8 to the outside by the lid wall part 91 of the cover 9. Further, when the cover 9 is attached to the female housing 5 with the electric wire 3 inserted through the through hole 92 of the cover 9, the width of the slit 93 is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire 3. Therefore, even if an external force acts on the electric wire 3 in any direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire 3, the displacement of the electric wire 3 is suppressed by the hole wall of the through hole 92. Therefore, the connector 1 according to the present embodiment can suppress the displacement of the electric wire 3 as compared with the conventional connector.

[0048] Furthermore, the cover 9 is configured such that a connecting portion 91b connecting a pair of left and right lower regions 91a sandwiching the slit 93 can be deformed in a hinge shape so that the pair of left and right lower regions 91a can be displaced to widen the width of the slit 93. Thereby, when inserting the electric wire 3 through the slit 93 to the through hole 92, since the width of the slit 93 can be easily increased, the workability of the work of attaching the cover 9 to the electric wire 3 can be improved.

[0049] Furthermore, the pair of curved left and right protrusions 98 of the cover 9 are received in the pair of curved left and right housing grooves 38 of the female housing 5. Thereby, even when an external force acts on the electric wire 3 in any direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire 3, the curved protrusions 98 abut against the groove inner surface of the curved housing groove 38, so that a deformation that increases the width of the slit 93 of the cover 9 can be suppressed.

[0050] <Other embodiments> Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0051] Here, the features of the embodiments of the connector 1 according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed in [1] to [3] below.

[0052] [1] A connector (1) comprising a housing (5) having a terminal accommodation chamber (23) therein, an electric wire (3) drawn out to the outside through an opening connected to the terminal accommodation chamber (23) of the housing (5), a water stop component (8) disposed so as to block between the inner surface of the opening and the outer surface of the electric wire (3), and a cover (9) attached to the housing (5) on the outer side of the water stop component (8), wherein the cover (9) is A restricting part (91) arranged to face the water-stop part (8) and restricting displacement of the water-stop part (8) to the outside; a through-hole (92) provided in the restricting part (91) through which the electric wire (3) is inserted; and a slit (93) extending in a predetermined direction from the hole edge of the through-hole (92) and communicating with the outside of the peripheral edge of the restricting part (91). When the cover (9) is attached to the housing (5), the width of the slit (93) is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire (3). Connector (1).

[0053] According to the connector having the configuration of [1] above, the cover attached to the housing is provided with a slit through which the electric wire is passed when attaching the cover to the electric wire, and a through-hole through which the electric wire attached through the slit is inserted. Further, when the cover is attached to the housing, the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire. Therefore, even when an external force acts on the electric wire in any direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire in a state where the cover is attached to the housing, the displacement of the electric wire is suppressed by the hole wall of the through-hole. In particular, even when the electric wire tries to displace in the direction of entering the slit, since the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire, the electric wire does not enter the slit. Therefore, the connector of this configuration can suppress displacement of the electric wire.

[0054] [2] In the connector (1) described in [1] above, the cover (9) has a connecting part (91b) connecting one side part (91a) and the other side part (91a) of the cover (9) sandwiching the slit (93), the connecting part (91b) is deformable in a hinge shape so that the one side part (91a) and the other side part (91a) can be displaced so as to widen the width of the slit (93). Connector (1).

[0055] According to the connector having the configuration of [2] above, a connecting portion that connects one side portion and the other side portion that sandwich the slit is deformable in a hinge shape so that the one side portion and the other side portion can be displaced so as to widen the width of the slit. Thereby, when inserting the electric wire through the slit to the through hole, since the width of the slit can be easily increased, the workability of the work of attaching the cover to the electric wire can be improved.

[0056] [3] In the connector (1) described in [2] above, the cover (9) has a protruding portion (98) that protrudes toward the housing (5) and is curved so as to surround the electric wire (3), the housing (5) has a receiving groove (38) that is curved so as to be able to receive the protruding portion (98), when the cover (9) is attached to the housing (5), the protruding portion (98) is inserted into the receiving groove (38), connector (1).

[0057] According to the connector having the configuration of [3] above, the curved protruding portion of the cover is received in the curved receiving groove of the housing. Thereby, no matter in which direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire an external force acts on the electric wire, the curved protruding portion abuts against the groove inner surface of the curved receiving groove, suppressing the occurrence of deformation such that the width of the slit of the cover increases.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0058] 1 Connector 3 Electric wire 5 Female housing (housing) 8 Packing (water stop part) 9 Cover 23 Terminal accommodation chamber 38 Receiving groove 91 Cover wall portion (restricting portion) 91a Lower region (one side portion and the other side portion) 91b Connecting portion 92 Through-hole 93 Slit 98 Protrusion

Claims

1. A connector comprising a housing having a terminal accommodation chamber therein, an electric wire drawn out to the outside through an opening connecting to the terminal accommodation chamber of the housing, a water-stop component disposed so as to block between the inner surface of the opening and the outer surface of the electric wire, and a cover attached to the housing on the outer side of the water-stop component, wherein the cover, has a restricting portion disposed to face the water-stop component and restricting displacement of the water-stop component to the outer side thereof, a through-hole provided in the restricting portion through which the electric wire is inserted, and a slit extending in a predetermined direction from the hole edge of the through-hole and communicating outside the peripheral edge of the restricting portion, and when the cover is attached to the housing, the width of the slit is smaller than the diameter of the electric wire, a connector.

2. In the connector according to Claim 1, the cover, has a connecting portion connecting one side portion and the other side portion of the cover sandwiching the slit, wherein the connecting portion, is deformable in a hinge shape such that the one side portion and the other side portion are displaceable so as to widen the width of the slit, a connector.

3. In the connector according to Claim 2, the cover, has a protruding portion protruding toward the housing and curved so as to surround the electric wire, wherein the housing, has a receiving groove curved so as to be able to receive the protruding portion, and when the cover is attached to the housing, the protruding portion is inserted into the receiving groove, a connector.

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