connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that allows the orientation direction of the electric wires to be changed to three or more different directions, regardless of the shape of the housing. [Solution] The connector 10 comprises a housing 11 and a cover 12 attached to the housing. The cover 12 is positioned to cover the electric wire 19 extending rearward from the housing 11. The cover 12 has a relay cover 13. The relay cover 13 has a housing lock portion 39 that locks onto the housing 11 and at least three cover lock portions 42. The connector 10 is configured such that when adjacent at least three cover lock portions 42 are connected sequentially by a virtual straight line S1, it forms a regular polygon when viewed from the rear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] The connector component described in Patent Document 1 includes a connector housing in which a cavity is formed, and a cover member attached to the connector housing from above. The outer peripheral shape of the upper part of the connector housing is circular in plan view. Three or more locking portions for locking with the cover member are provided on the outer surface of the connector housing. Each locking portion is arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the connector housing. The cover member has a locking receiving portion locked to the locking portion and a regulating portion extending from the cavity. The regulating portion determines the orientation direction of the electric wire.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of Patent Document 1, since the outer peripheral shape of the connector housing is formed in a circular shape as described above, there is a situation where the degree of freedom in determining the arrangement (such as the interval between adjacent ones) of each locking portion provided on the outer surface of the connector housing is high. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, the attachment direction of the cover member to the connector housing can be changed in three or more directions, and thus the orientation direction of the electric wire can be changed in three or more directions. However, different from Patent Document 1, for example, when the outer peripheral shape of the connector housing is rectangular and locking portions are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of each of the four sides, no matter how the arrangement of each locking portion is devised, there may be a case where the attachment direction of the cover member to the connector housing cannot be changed in three or more directions. Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a connector that can change the orientation direction of electric wires to three or more directions, regardless of the shape of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The connector of this disclosure comprises a housing and a cover fitted to the housing, wherein the cover is arranged to cover a wire extending rearward from the housing, and the cover has a relay cover, the relay cover having a housing lock portion that locks to the housing and at least three cover lock portions, and is configured such that when at least three adjacent cover lock portions are connected in sequence by a virtual straight line, it forms a regular polygon in a rear view. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, a connector can be provided that allows the orientation direction of the electric wires to be changed to three or more directions, regardless of the shape of the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the housing in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a rear view of the housing in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the split relay cover in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a rear view of the relay cover in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the split orientation cover that constitutes the right side of the orientation cover in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a perspective view of the split orientation cover that constitutes the left side of the orientation cover in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view of the orientation cover in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a rear view of the connector of Embodiment 1, showing the orientation cover attached to the relay cover with the fourth opening facing downwards. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a rear view of the connector of Embodiment 1, showing the orientation cover attached to the relay cover with the fourth opening facing to the right. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the connector of Embodiment 2 before the pair of split relay covers are connected. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the connector of Embodiment 2, in which the electric wire extends backward from the corrugated tube attached to the relay cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure]

[0009] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The connector disclosed herein is (1) The device comprises a housing and a cover attached to the housing, wherein the cover is positioned to cover a wire extending rearward from the housing, and the cover has a relay cover, the relay cover having a housing lock portion that locks to the housing and at least three cover lock portions, and is configured such that when at least three adjacent cover lock portions are connected in sequence with a virtual straight line, it forms a regular polygon when viewed from the rear.

[0010] According to the configuration described in (1) above, since the intermediate cover attached to the housing is provided with at least three cover locking parts in the arrangement described above, the orientation direction of the electric wire can be changed to at least three or more directions, regardless of the shape of the housing.

[0011] (2) In the connector according to (1) above, the outer peripheral shape of the rear portion of the housing may be a shape other than a regular polygon and a perfect circle when viewed from the back of the housing.

[0012] According to the configuration of (2) above, the degree of freedom of the outer peripheral shape of the rear portion of the housing can be increased.

[0013] (3) In the connector according to (2) above, the cover has, in addition to the relay cover, an orientation cover attached to the relay cover. The orientation cover has at least three cover lock portions to be locked to the cover lock portion at positions corresponding to the cover lock portion. The relay cover has a cylindrical shape and has a first opening facing the rear surface of the housing at the front end and a second opening at the rear end. The orientation cover has a cylindrical shape and has a third opening communicating with the second opening at one end and a fourth opening facing a direction different from that of the third opening at the other end, which is preferable.

[0014] According to the configuration of (3) above, with each cover lock portion locked to each cover lock portion and the third opening communicating with the second opening, the orientation cover is attached to the relay cover. The electric wire extending rearward from the housing is inserted through the first opening and the second opening of the relay cover, and further through the third opening and the fourth opening of the orientation cover, and is led out to the outside of the orientation cover. Here, since the direction of the fourth opening can be changed to at least three directions different from the direction of the third opening, the orientation direction (routing direction) of the electric wire led out to the outside of the orientation cover from the fourth opening can also be changed to at least three directions. In addition, since all the cover lock portions can be locked to the cover lock portions, the mounting state of the relay cover and the orientation cover can be stably maintained.

[0015] (4) In the connector according to (3) above, it is preferable that at least one of the relay cover and the orientation cover has a tube mounting portion to which a corrugated tube can be mounted.

[0016] According to the configuration described in (4) above, it is also possible to lead out the electric wire from the corrugated tube attached to the tube mounting section.

[0017] (5) In the connector described in any of (1) to (4) above, the relay cover is composed of a pair of divided relay covers that are divided into two in the circumferential direction, each of the pair of divided relay covers has relay mating surfaces that face each other at both ends in the circumferential direction, at least one of the pair of divided relay covers has a relay covering portion that protrudes toward the other in a direction intersecting the circumferential direction and extends beyond the relay mating surface to cover the outer surface of the other, and the cover lock portion is preferably arranged in the pair of divided relay covers away from the relay covering portion in the circumferential direction.

[0018] According to the configuration of (5) above, for example, cleaning water such as high-pressure cleaning water can be prevented from entering the interior of each segmented intermediate cover by the intermediate cover portion. In particular, since the intermediate cover portion and the cover lock portion can be arranged in the circumferential direction on each segmented intermediate cover, it is space-efficient and can contribute to miniaturization of the intermediate cover. [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure]

[0019] Specific examples of embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims as defined by the claims. [Embodiment 1] A specific example of Embodiment 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 10 according to Embodiment 1 comprises a housing 11 and a cover 12 attached to the housing 11. The cover 12 consists of a relay cover 13 and an orientation cover 14. The connector 10 is fitted into a mating housing (not shown). In Figure 1, the X, Y, and Z directions represent the front, left, and up directions, respectively. In the following description, the up-down direction is synonymous with the height direction, and the left-right direction is synonymous with the width direction. The references for these directions do not necessarily coincide with the references for directions when the connector 10 is mounted on a vehicle or the like (not shown).

[0020] (Housing 11) The housing 11 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figure 3, has a housing body portion 15 and a rectangular tubular hood portion 16 that protrudes forward from the housing body portion 15. As shown in Figure 4, the housing body portion 15 and the hood portion 16 have an outer circumference shape in which the left-right dimension is longer than the vertical dimension. A mating connector is fitted inside the hood portion 16.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the housing body 15 has a plurality of cavities 17. In this embodiment 1, each cavity 17 is arranged in two rows vertically and in three columns horizontally. A terminal fitting (not shown) is inserted into each cavity 17 from the rear. The terminal fitting is secured by a lance 18 protruding from the inner wall of the cavity 17. An electric wire 19 is connected to the rear of the terminal fitting by crimping. The electric wire 19 extends rearward from each cavity 17. Although not shown, a rubber stopper is attached to the outer surface of the electric wire 19. The rubber stopper is inserted into the cavity 17 and is in close contact with the inner surface of the cavity 17.

[0022] A pair of housing locking parts 20 are provided at the rear of the housing body 15. Each housing locking part 20 protrudes outward from the left and right sides of the housing body 15. Each housing locking part 20 has a convex shape when viewed from the side.

[0023] The housing body 15 has a pair of side walls on both the left and right sides, flanking each cavity 17. The rear end surface of each side wall is configured as a pair of stopper portions 21. Each stopper portion 21 has an end surface that extends elongated in the vertical direction. When the intermediate cover 13 is attached to the housing 11, the housing lock portion 20 engages with the housing lock portion 39 of the intermediate cover 13 (described later), and each stopper portion 21 is positioned to face and abut against the stopper portion 59 of the intermediate cover 13 (described later).

[0024] The housing body 15 has a pair of protruding portions 22. Each protruding portion 22 is formed to protrude from the left and right sides of the housing body 15. Each protruding portion 22 extends vertically in a rib-like manner. Each protruding portion 22 is positioned in front of each housing lock portion 20. When the intermediate cover 13 is attached to the housing 11, with the housing lock portions 20 engaging with the housing lock portions 39 of the intermediate cover 13 (described later), each protruding portion 22 is positioned facing the housing lock portion 39 from the front.

[0025] (Relay Cover 13) The relay cover 13 is made of synthetic resin and has a flat rectangular tube shape, as shown in Figure 2. The relay cover 13 is attached to the housing 11 from the rear. The relay cover 13 has a first opening 23 that opens at the front end and a second opening 24 that opens at the rear end. The relay cover 13 has a relay through hole 25 that extends in the front-rear direction from the first opening 23 to the second opening 24. The electric wires 19 extending from each cavity 17 are inserted through the relay through hole 25 from the first opening 23 and extend rearward from the second opening 24.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the relay cover 13 is composed of a pair of divided relay covers 26 that are divided in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment 1, each divided relay cover 26 has the same shape as the others. Each divided relay cover 26 has a relay mating surface 27 at its circumferential end. Each divided relay cover 26 is assembled integrally by having one inverted vertically relative to the other and bringing their relay mating surfaces 27 together in the circumferential direction.

[0027] In the following, for convenience, the configuration of the right-hand split relay cover 26 in Figure 1 will be described primarily. The vertical orientation of the right-hand split relay cover 26 is the opposite of the vertical orientation of the left-hand split relay cover 26. Similarly, the horizontal orientation is also reversed between the right-hand and left-hand split relay cover 26.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the segmented relay cover 26 has an upper wall 28, a lower wall 29, and side walls 30, and is open in the front-rear and left-right directions. The segmented relay cover 26 has a relay cover main body 31 located at the front, an orientation cover mounting part 32 located at the rear, and an inclined part 33 located in the middle of the front-rear section (excluding both front and rear ends). The left-right dimension of the orientation cover mounting part 32 is smaller than the left-right dimension of the relay cover main body 31. The relay cover main body 31 and the orientation cover mounting part 32 are connected by the inclined part 33. The left-right dimension of the inclined part 33 gradually decreases from the front to the rear.

[0029] The relay cover body 31 has a relay locking portion 34 and a relay locked portion 35. The relay locking portion 34 and the relay locked portion 35 are locking parts that maintain each divided relay cover 26 in an assembled state. The relay locking portion 34 is claw-shaped and is located at the left end of the upper surface of the relay cover body 31. The relay locking portion 34 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the relay cover body 31. The relay locked portion 35 is projecting and is located at the left end of the lower surface of the relay cover body 31. The relay locked portion 35 protrudes to the left from the lower surface of the relay cover body 31. A relay locking hole 36 is formed through the relay locked portion 35 in the vertical direction. When each segmented relay cover 26 is assembled to one another, one relay locking portion 34 fits into the relay locking hole 36 of the other, and the relay locking portion 34 and the relay locked portion 35 of the other are locked to each other, and the relay locked portion 35 and the relay locking portion 34 of the other are locked to each other. In this way, each segmented relay cover 26 is connected as a single unit.

[0030] The main body of the relay cover 31 has a relay rib 37. The relay rib 37 is located at the left end of the upper surface of the main body of the relay cover 31. The relay rib 37 is located behind the relay locking portion 34 and extends in a rib shape in the left-right direction. When each divided relay cover 26 is assembled with the others, the relay rib 37 is located adjacent to the relay locking portion 35 of the left divided relay cover 26.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, a drainage section 38 is provided in the side wall 30 of the main body 31 of the intermediate cover. The drainage section 38 is formed by recessing a part of the side wall 30 to the left. The drainage section 38 has a slit extending vertically at its rear end, allowing water that has entered the interior of each segmented intermediate cover 26 in the assembled state to be drained through the slit.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, a stopper portion 59 is provided on the inside of the main body portion 31 of the relay cover. The stopper portion 59 is flat and its surface is oriented in the front-to-back direction. When the relay cover 13 is attached to the housing 11, the stopper portion 59 abuts against the stopper portion 21, thereby preventing the relay cover 13 from moving forward.

[0033] A housing lock portion 39 protruding forward is formed on the side wall 30 of the main body portion 31 of the relay cover. The housing lock portion 39 is a flat plate with its surface oriented in the left-right direction. The housing lock portion 39 has a housing mounting hole 40 that penetrates in the left-right direction. When the relay cover 13 is attached to the housing 11, each housing-locked portion 20 fits into the housing mounting hole 40 and is locked to each housing lock portion 39.

[0034] The orientation cover mounting section 32 has a relay cover section 41 at the left end of the upper surface of the upper wall 28. The relay cover section 41 extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes horizontally from above the relay mating surface 27 toward the left. As shown in Figure 6, when each divided relay cover 26 is assembled to each other, each relay cover section 41 extends beyond the relay mating surfaces 27 that are abutted against each other and covers the outer surface of the opposing divided relay cover 26.

[0035] The orientation cover mounting section 32 is provided with multiple cover locking sections 42. Each cover locking section 42 is claw-shaped and protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the orientation cover mounting section 32. Two cover locking sections 42 are provided for each segmented relay cover 26. When the segmented relay covers 26 are assembled together, the outer circumferential shape of the orientation cover mounting section 32 (excluding the relay cover section 41) is a square shape with rounded corners when viewed from the rear. The rear end of each cover locking section 42 is located at the rear end of the relay cover 13.

[0036] In this embodiment 1, each cover lock portion 42 is provided on the outer surface of the orientation cover mounting portion 32, one on each of the four outer sides when viewed from the rear. When the divided relay covers 26 are assembled together, the upper wall 28 of the right divided relay cover 26 is provided with a relay cover portion 41, and no cover lock portion 42 is provided. The upper wall 28 of the left divided relay cover 26 is provided with a cover lock portion 42 at a position slightly to the left. The side wall 30 of the right divided relay cover 26 is provided with a cover lock portion 42 at its upper end. The side wall 30 of the left divided relay cover 26 is provided with a cover lock portion 42 at its lower end. The lower wall 29 of the right divided relay cover 26 is provided with a cover lock portion 42 at a position slightly to the right. The lower wall 29 of the left divided relay cover 26 is provided with a relay cover portion 41, and no cover lock portion 42 is provided.

[0037] In this first embodiment, when each divided relay cover 26 is assembled to one another, if adjacent cover lock portions 42 (more specifically, the centers of each cover lock portion 42) are connected sequentially by a virtual straight line S1, the virtual straight line S1 is configured to form a square. Specifically, when viewed from the rear of the relay cover 13, each cover lock portion 42 is arranged at equal intervals of 90 degrees with respect to the center of the relay cover 13. Furthermore, the cover lock portions 42 provided on the lower wall 29 of one orientation cover mounting portion 32 and the upper wall 28 of the other orientation cover mounting portion 32 are arranged in the circumferential direction (left-right direction) in relation to the corresponding relay cover portion 41.

[0038] (Orientation cover 14) The orientation cover 14 is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in Figure 2, has a rectangular tubular shape overall. The orientation cover 14 has a third opening 43 at one end that opens forward and a fourth opening 44 at the other end that opens in directions intersecting the front-rear direction (upward, downward, leftward, and rightward in this embodiment 1). The orientation cover 14 is curved between the third opening 43 and the fourth opening 44. The orientation cover 14 is attached to the relay cover 13 from the rear. The orientation cover 14 has an orientation through hole 45 that extends from the third opening 43 to the fourth opening 44. When the orientation cover 14 is attached to the relay cover 13, the third opening 43 communicates with the second opening 24. The electric wire 19 extending from the second opening 24 is housed in the orientation through hole 45 from the third opening 43 and led out to the outside of the orientation cover 14 from the fourth opening 44. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the vertical and horizontal directions refer to the vertical and horizontal directions when the electric wire 19 is led downward from the fourth opening 44 of the orientation cover 14.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the orientation cover 14 is circumferentially (left-right) divided into a pair of divided orientation covers 46A and 46B. Divided orientation cover 46A constitutes the right side of the orientation cover 14. Divided orientation cover 46B constitutes the left side of the orientation cover 14. Divided orientation covers 46A and 46B each have orientation mating surfaces 47A and 47B at their circumferential ends. Divided orientation covers 46A and 46B are assembled integrally by abutting their orientation mating surfaces 47A and 47B against each other in the circumferential direction.

[0040] As shown in Figure 7, the divided orientation cover 46A has a side portion 48A that demarcates the right end of the orientation through hole 45, a back portion 49A located on the curved outer side of the orientation through hole 45, and an inner wall portion 50A located on the curved inner side of the orientation through hole 45. The divided orientation cover 46A has its front end (the divided end of the third opening 43) open forward, its entire length open to the left, and its lower end (the divided end of the fourth opening 44) open downward.

[0041] An orientation cover portion 51A is provided at the left end of the back portion 49A. The orientation cover portion 51A protrudes from above and behind the orientation mating surface 47A toward the left. The orientation cover portion 51A has a curved shape that follows the back portion 49A.

[0042] Multiple cover-locking portions 60A are provided at the front ends of the side portion 48A and the inner wall portion 50A. Each cover-locking portion 60A is in the shape of a projection and protrudes forward. A cover-locking hole 52A is formed through each cover-locking portion 60A. The rear end of each cover-locking portion 60A is located at the front end of the divided orientation cover 46A.

[0043] An orientation locking portion 53A is formed at the lower part of the inner wall portion 50A, protruding forward. A projection-shaped orientation locking portion 54A is formed at the lower end of the back portion 49A, protruding to the left. The orientation locking portion 53A and the orientation locking portion 54A are locking parts that maintain the assembled state of the divided orientation covers 46A and 46B. The orientation locking portion 53A locks the orientation locking portion 54B of the divided orientation cover 46B, which will be described later. An orientation locking hole 55A is formed in the orientation locking portion 54A, penetrating in the front-to-back direction. The orientation locking portion 53B of the divided orientation cover 46B, which will be described later, fits into the orientation locking hole 55A and locks the orientation locking portion 54A.

[0044] A pair of orientation ribs 56A are provided at the lower part of the inner wall portion 50A. An orientation locking portion 53A is positioned between each orientation rib 56A in the vertical direction. Each orientation rib 56A has a rib shape that extends elongated in the left-right direction.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, a tube mounting portion 57A is provided on the lower inner circumferential surface of the divided orientation cover 46A. The tube mounting portion 57A is formed in a bellows shape with repeated bumps and dips at regular intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the divided orientation cover 46A.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8, the divided orientation cover 46B has a side portion 48B that demarcates the left end of the orientation through hole 45, a back portion 49B located on the curved outer side of the orientation through hole 45, and an inner wall portion 50B located on the curved inner side of the orientation through hole 45. The divided orientation cover 46B has its front end open forward, its entire length open to the right, and its lower end open downward.

[0047] An orientation covering portion 51B is provided at the right end of the inner wall portion 50B. The orientation covering portion 51B protrudes to the right of the orientation mating surface 47B. The orientation covering portion 51B has a curved shape that follows the inner wall portion 50B.

[0048] The lower part of the back portion 49B is provided with an orientation locking portion 53B that protrudes to the rear. The lower end of the inner wall portion 50B is provided with an orientation locking portion 54B that is in the shape of a projection and protrudes to the right. The orientation locking portion 53B and the orientation locking portion 54B are locking parts that maintain the divided orientation covers 46A and 46B in the assembled state. The orientation locking portion 53B locks the orientation locking portion 54A. An orientation locking hole 55B is formed in the orientation locking portion 54B, penetrating it in the front-to-back direction. The orientation locking portion 53A fits into the orientation locking hole 55B and locks the orientation locking portion 54B.

[0049] A pair of orientation ribs 56B are provided at the lower part of the back portion 49B. An orientation locking portion 53B is positioned between each orientation rib 56B in the vertical direction. Each orientation rib 56B has a rib shape that extends elongated in the left-right direction.

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, a tube mounting portion 57B is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the divided orientation cover 46B. The tube mounting portion 57B is formed in a bellows shape with repeated indentations and protrusions at regular intervals. The intervals between the indentations and protrusions of the tube mounting portions 57A and 57B are set to be the same. When the divided orientation covers 46A and 46B are assembled together, the indentations and protrusions of the corrugated tube 58 interlock with the tube mounting portions 57A and 57B to lock them in place. As a result, the corrugated tube 58 is mounted on the tube mounting portions 57A and 57B.

[0051] Multiple cover-locking portions 60B are provided at the front ends of the back portion 49B and the side portions 48B. Each cover-locking portion 60B is in the shape of a projection and protrudes forward. A cover-locking hole 52B is formed through each cover-locking portion 60B. The rear end of each cover-locking portion 60B is located at the front end of the divided orientation cover 46B.

[0052] As shown in Figure 9, when the divided orientation covers 46A and 46B are assembled together, the outer periphery of the front part of the orientation cover 14 (excluding the orientation covering parts 51A and 51B) is a square shape with rounded corners when viewed from the front. In this embodiment 1, each cover-locking part 60A and 60B is provided on the outer periphery of the orientation cover 14, one on each of the four sides when viewed from the front. The back part 49A is provided with an orientation covering part 51A, but no cover-locking part 60A. The side part 48A is provided with a cover-locking part 60A at its upper end. The inner wall part 50A is provided with a cover-locking part 60A at a position slightly to the right. The back part 49B is provided with a cover-locking part 60B. The side part 48B is provided with a cover-locking part 60B at its lower end. The inner wall part 50B is provided with an orientation covering part 51B, but no cover-locking part 60B.

[0053] In this embodiment 1, when adjacent covered locking parts 60A and 60B (the centers of each covered locking part 60A and 60B) are connected sequentially by a virtual straight line S2, the virtual straight line S2 is configured to form a square. Specifically, when each covered locking part 60A is connected to each other, each covered locking part 60B is connected to each other, the covered locking part 60A provided on the side part 48A and the covered locking part 60B provided on the back part 49B, and the covered locking part 60A provided on the inner wall part 50A and the covered locking part 60B provided on the side part 48B are connected by a virtual straight line S2, a square can be drawn.

[0054] The square drawn by the virtual line S2 and the square drawn by the virtual line S1 are congruent to each other. The cover lock portion 60A provided on the inner wall portion 50A of the divided orientation cover 46A is arranged alongside the orientation cover portion 51B. The cover lock portion 60B provided on the back portion 49B of the divided orientation cover 46B is arranged alongside the orientation cover portion 51A.

[0055] (Assembly procedure for connector 10) Next, the assembly procedure for the connector 10 will be described. From the rear of the housing 11, terminal fittings with wires 19 attached to their ends are inserted into each cavity 17. In this embodiment 1, the outer circumference of the wires 19 is covered with corrugated tubing 58. The wires 19 extend outwards from each cavity 17.

[0056] The interlocking surfaces 27 are brought together, and each interlocking locking part 34 is locked to each interlocking locking part 35, thus combining the divided interlocking covers 26. The first opening 23 of the interlocking cover 13 is positioned opposite the rear surface of the housing 11. The electric wire 19 is inserted through the interlocking through hole 25 from the first opening 23, and the end of the electric wire 19 is pulled out to the rear from the second opening 24. Each housing locking part 39 is locked to each housing locking part 20. This completes the installation of the interlocking cover 13 on the housing 11.

[0057] The orientation mating surfaces 47A and 47B are butted together, and the orientation locking portions 54A and 54B are locked into the orientation locking portions 53B and 53A respectively, and the divided orientation covers 46A and 46B are combined. The electric wire 19 extending from the second opening 24 is inserted through the orientation through hole 45 from the third opening 43, and the end of the electric wire 19 is led out from the fourth opening 44. Each cover lock portion 42 fits into the corresponding cover lock holes 52A and 52B, locking the respective cover lock portions 60A and 60B. This puts the orientation cover 14 into place on the relay cover 13. Then, the third opening 43 of the orientation cover 14 is in communication with the second opening 24. The corrugated tube 58 is attached to the tube mounting portions 57A and 57B by the alignment and interlocking of their respective protrusions and recesses. As shown in Figure 10, when the orientation cover 14 is attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing downwards, the orientation covers 51A and 51B are continuous with each relay cover 41 without any steps. With this, the assembly of the connector 10 is completed.

[0058] (Function of connector 10) As shown in Figure 10, when the orientation cover 14 is attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing downwards, the electric wire 19 can be oriented downwards. At this time, each relay cover portion 41 and orientation cover portions 51A, 51B are arranged continuously in the direction of extension of the electric wire 19. Even if cleaning water such as high-pressure cleaning water is applied to the orientation cover 14 and relay cover 13, the relay cover portion 41 and orientation cover portions 51A, 51B can prevent the cleaning water from entering the cover through the gap between the mating surfaces (relay mating surface 27, orientation mating surfaces 47A, 47B). From the state in Figure 10, with the orientation cover 14 rotated 90 degrees circumferentially relative to the relay cover 13, the orientation cover 14 can be attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing to the right, as shown in Figure 11. This allows the electric wire 19 to be oriented to the right. From the state shown in Figure 11, if the orientation cover 14 is rotated another 90 degrees circumferentially relative to the relay cover 13, the result is an inverted version of Figure 10. In other words, the orientation cover 14 can be attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing upwards. This allows the electric wire 19 to be oriented upwards. From the inverted version of Figure 10, if the orientation cover 14 is rotated another 90 degrees circumferentially relative to the relay cover 13, the result is a horizontally inverted version of Figure 11. In other words, the orientation cover 14 can be attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing left. This allows the electric wire 19 to be oriented to the left.

[0059] According to this embodiment 1, since the squares drawn by the virtual lines S1 and S2 are congruent to each other, the mounting positions of each covered lock portion 60A and 60B relative to each cover lock portion 42 can be selected as described above. At this time, the orientation cover 14 can be attached to the relay cover 13 with the fourth opening 44 facing any direction from the four directions of up, down, left, and right, so that the orientation direction of the electric wire 19 can be changed to one of four directions.

[0060] In this embodiment 1, the outer periphery of the housing body 15 is rectangular when viewed from the rear. Therefore, if locking parts corresponding to each cover locking part 42 were provided on each of the four sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of the housing body 15, and the orientation cover 14 were directly attached to the housing body 15, it would be impossible to change the mounting direction of the orientation cover 14 to three or more directions. In contrast, in this embodiment 1, a relay cover 13 is attached to the housing 11, and adjacent cover locking parts 42 can be connected sequentially with a virtual straight line S1 to form a square. As a result, even if the outer periphery of the rear of the housing 11 is rectangular when viewed from the rear, the orientation direction of the electric wire 19 can be changed to three or more directions. As a result, the degree of freedom of the shape of the housing 11 can be increased.

[0061] The two cover lock portions 42 provided on the upper wall 28 and the lower wall 29 are arranged alongside their respective intermediate cover portions 41. Therefore, both the intermediate cover portion 41, which prevents water from entering from the intermediate mating surface 27, and each cover lock portion 42 can be provided on the intermediate cover 13 in a space-efficient manner. This allows for miniaturization of the connector 10.

[0062] [Embodiment 2] Next, the connector 10C according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The connector 10C of Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that the relay cover 13 is provided with a tube mounting portion 57C. Otherwise, it is the same as Embodiment 1, and the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as or equivalent to those in Embodiment 1, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0063] As shown in Figure 12, the relay cover 13 is divisible into a pair of divided relay covers 26, similar to Embodiment 1. The tube mounting portion 57C is provided on the inner circumferential surface of each divided relay cover 26. The tube mounting portion 57C is formed in a bellows shape with repeated indentations and protrusions at regular intervals. As shown in Figure 13, a corrugated tube 58 can be mounted on the tube mounting portion 57C.

[0064] Similar to Embodiment 1, the orientation cover 14 can be attached to the relay cover 13, allowing the orientation direction of the electric wire 19 to be changed in four directions. Furthermore, as described above, a corrugated tube 58 can be attached to the relay cover 13, so if the orientation cover 14 is not attached to the relay cover 13, the electric wire 19 can be oriented backward through the corrugated tube 58 from the second opening 24. Thus, in Embodiment 2, the orientation direction of the electric wire 19 can be changed in five different directions, including the four directions of up, down, left, and right, as well as backward. [Other embodiments of this disclosure]

[0065] In these two embodiments, each cover lock portion was provided on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate cover. In contrast, in other embodiments, each cover lock portion may be provided on the rear end surface of the intermediate cover.

[0066] In this first embodiment, the orientation cover was provided with a tube mounting section. In contrast, in other embodiments, the intermediate cover may be provided with a tube mounting section, and the orientation cover may not be provided with a tube mounting section.

[0067] In these two embodiments, the relay cover was divisible into a segmented relay cover. In contrast, in other embodiments, the relay cover may be a single, indivisible unit.

[0068] In these embodiments 1 and 2, the orientation cover was divisible into a segmented orientation cover. In contrast, in other embodiments, the orientation cover may be a single, indivisible unit.

[0069] In these two embodiments, adjacent cover lock sections were connected sequentially by virtual lines to form a square. In contrast, in other embodiments, the regular polygon drawn by the virtual lines does not have to be a square. For example, five cover lock sections may be provided, and a regular pentagon may be drawn by virtual lines connecting adjacent cover lock sections in sequence. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 10,10C… Connector 11… Housing 12…cover 13…Relay Cover 14…Orientation Cover 15…Main housing section 16…Food Department 17…Cavity 18... Lance 19...Electric wire 20...Housing locking part 21... Stopper Department 22...Protrusion 23...First opening 24…Second opening 25…Relay hole 26…Split relay coverage 27…Relay connection surface 28... Upper wall 29... Lower wall 30…Side wall 31…Relay cover main body 32...Orientation cover mounting section 33…Slope part 34…Relay and locking section 35... Relay locking section 36…Relay locking hole 37…Relay rib 38…Drainage section 39…Housing lock section 40…Housing mounting holes 41…Relay Cover 42...Cover lock section 43…Third opening 44…Fourth opening 45…Orientation through-holes 46A, 46B… Split orientation cover 47A, 47B... Orientation mating surfaces 48A, 48B... Side 49A,49B…back 50A,50B…Inner wall part 51A, 51B... Orientation covering 52A, 52B... Cover lock holes 53A, 53B... Orientation locking section 54A, 54B…Orientation locked part 55A, 55B... Orientation locking holes 56A, 56B…Oriented Ribs 57A, 57B, 57C... Tube mounting section 58... Corrugated tubing 59...Stoppered part 60A, 60B... Covered locking part S1, S2… virtual lines

Claims

1. It comprises a housing and a cover attached to the housing, The cover is positioned to cover the wires extending rearward from the housing. The aforementioned cover has a relay cover, The relay cover has a housing lock portion that engages with the housing and at least three cover lock portions, A connector configured such that, when at least three adjacent cover lock portions are connected sequentially by virtual straight lines, a regular polygon is formed when viewed from the rear.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential shape of the rear of the housing is a shape other than a regular polygon and a perfect circle when viewed from the rear of the housing.

3. The aforementioned cover has, in addition to the relay cover, an orientation cover that is attached to the relay cover. The orientation cover has at least three cover-locked portions that are locked to the cover-lock portion at positions corresponding to the cover-lock portion, The relay cover is cylindrical in shape, has a first opening at its front end facing the rear surface of the housing, and a second opening at its rear end. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the orientation cover is cylindrical and has a third opening at one end that communicates with the second opening, and a fourth opening at the other end that faces in a direction different from the third opening.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the relay cover and the orientation cover has a tube mounting portion on which a corrugated tube can be attached.

5. The relay cover is composed of a pair of divided relay covers that are divided into two in the circumferential direction. Each of the pair of divided relay covers has a relay mating surface that faces each other at both ends in the circumferential direction. Of the pair of divided relay covers, at least one has a relay cover portion that protrudes toward the other in a direction intersecting the circumferential direction and extends beyond the relay mating surface and covers the outer surface of the other, The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover lock portion is arranged in a pair of divided relay covers at a distance from the relay cover portion in the circumferential direction.

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