Waterproof connector with circuit board

Abstract

We provide a waterproof connector with a circuit board that offers reliable waterproofing despite its simple structure. [Solution] The waterproof connector 100 with a substrate has a substrate 11 having a flexible planar conductor 12, a mating cover 21 having a mating portion 23 into which the mating connector 110 is fitted, and a sealing member 31 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21. The mating cover 21 has a locking portion 22 for attachment to the substrate 11, and the substrate 11 has a locking portion 14 which is the part into which the locking portion 22 is locked. With the sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21, the locking portion 22 of the mating cover 21 is locked to the locking portion 14 of the substrate 11, thereby waterproofing the space between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21 with the sealing member 31.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a waterproof connector with a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a waterproof connector with a substrate that can waterproof the terminals of the substrate is known. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, as shown in FIGS. 65 to 67, a substrate-side connector (1) having a base (11) and an extension tube (12) connected to the base (11) and having a convex portion formed on the side surface is provided. A waterproof connector with a substrate in which a lower rubber ring (1121) is sandwiched between a substrate (300) to which a terminal (13) is connected and the base (11) is disclosed.

[0003] In the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 1, particularly as shown in FIG. 66, four connector-side screw-through holes are provided on the inner peripheral side of the lower rubber ring (1121) on the back surface of the substrate-side connector (1). Further, particularly as shown in FIG. 67, on the substrate (300), substrate-side screw-through holes are provided at locations corresponding to the connector-side screw-through holes. That is, the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has a configuration in which when fixing the substrate-side connector (1) to the substrate (300), screws are passed through the substrate-side screw-through holes and the connector-side screw-through holes from the back surface side of the substrate (300) in a state where the positions of the connector-side screw-through holes provided in the substrate-side connector (1) and the substrate-side screw-through holes provided in the substrate (300) are aligned.

[0004] Also, for example, in Patent Document 2 below, as shown in FIG. 68, a waterproof connector with a substrate including a dispensing seal (100) including a base seal (102) installed in a cavity (310) is disclosed. The waterproof connector with a substrate exhibits a sealing property between the substrate (302) and the connector housing (304) by pushing the connector housing (304) toward the substrate (302) side so as to compress the dispensing seal (100).

[0005] Furthermore, the reference numerals used in the description of prior art documents are enclosed in parentheses to distinguish them from embodiments of this disclosure. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3246222 Gazette [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 11608895 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 1 had a risk of the substrate (300) deforming due to the tightening force of the screws when attaching the substrate-side connector (1) to the substrate (300). Furthermore, due to the structure through which the screws pass, the area around the substrate-side screw holes installed in the substrate (300) was not properly sealed, resulting in insufficient waterproofing between the substrate (300) and the substrate-side connector (1). Moreover, this problem is particularly pronounced with substrates having flexible planar conductors, such as flexible substrates, and it was difficult to waterproof connectors including substrates having flexible planar conductors using the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0008] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 does not disclose a specific method for fixing and installing the connector housing (304) to the substrate (302). If the connector housing (304) is fixed and installed to the substrate (302) by utilizing the frictional force generated between the connector housing (304) and the dispensing seal (100), the connector housing (304) will continue to be subjected to a force that expands toward the outer circumference of the connector housing (304) due to the rubber reaction force received from the dispensing seal (100). As a result, the bonding force between the substrate (302) and the housing (304) is weak, and there is a problem that the waterproofing between the substrate (302) and the connector assembly (300) is not complete.

[0009] Furthermore, in the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 2, the sealing portion between the connector housing (304) and the dispensing seal (100) is covered all around by the connector housing (304), making it impossible to see the sealing portion from the outside. In other words, with the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 2, it was difficult to confirm whether the waterproof connector with a substrate was reliably sealed by the sealing portion after assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, both the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 2 had the problem that connection stability could not be ensured unless the terminals on the connector side were connected by soldering or the like, which increased the amount of work required for soldering.

[0011] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a waterproof connector with a circuit board that can reliably provide waterproofing despite its simple structure. Furthermore, the purpose is to provide a waterproof connector with a circuit board that makes it easy to confirm whether it is properly sealed after assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, this disclosure aims to provide a waterproof connector with a circuit board that can reduce the man-hours required for assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure comprises a substrate having a flexible planar conductor, a mating cover having a mating portion into which a mating connector is fitted, and a sealing member that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover, wherein the mating cover has a locking portion for attachment to the substrate, and the substrate has a locking portion which is the portion into which the locking portion is locked, and the sealing member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover, and the locking portion of the mating cover is locked to the locking portion of the substrate, thereby providing waterproofing between the substrate and the mating cover by the sealing member.

[0014] In other words, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure, by inserting a sealing member between the substrate and the mating cover and locking the mating cover against the substrate while pressing it, waterproofing can be reliably achieved between the substrate and the mating cover despite the simple configuration. This effect that can be achieved by this disclosure can be stably realized even when the substrate has a flexible planar conductor.

[0015] Furthermore, in the waterproof connector with a substrate according to this disclosure, the sealing portion in which the sealing member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover is exposed to the outside around the entire circumference of the mating cover. Therefore, the sealing portion in which the sealing member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover can be visually confirmed from the outside around the entire circumference of the mating cover, making it easy to confirm whether the waterproof connector with a substrate is securely sealed.

[0016] Furthermore, another waterproof connector with a substrate according to the present disclosure comprises a substrate having a flexible planar conductor, a mating cover having a mating portion into which a mating connector is fitted and a holding portion having a metal terminal inside, and a sealing member that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover, wherein the mating cover has a locking portion for attachment to the substrate, the substrate has a locked portion which is the portion into which the locking portion is locked, and the metal terminal has a locked portion which is held by the holding portion and a springy contact portion which contacts the planar conductor, wherein the sealed member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover while the locked portion of the metal terminal is held by the holding portion of the mating cover, and the locking portion of the mating cover is locked by the locked portion of the substrate, thereby waterproofing the space between the substrate and the mating cover by the sealing member while maintaining contact between the contact portion and the planar conductor due to the springiness of the contact portion of the metal terminal.

[0017] Furthermore, in other waterproof connectors with substrates of this disclosure, the retaining portion is formed as a retaining hole into which the metal terminal is inserted and which has a hooked portion into which the metal terminal is hooked, and the retained portion of the metal terminal has a protruding portion that is press-fitted into the retaining hole and a hooked portion that hooks onto the hooked portion, and by inserting the metal terminal into the retaining hole, the protruding portion is press-fitted into the retaining hole and the hooked portion hooks onto the hooked portion, thereby the metal terminal can be held inside the mating cover.

[0018] In other waterproof connectors with substrates according to this disclosure, the springiness of the contact portion of the metal terminal maintains contact between the contact portion and the substrate. Therefore, it is not necessary to pre-connect and fix the metal terminal to the substrate by soldering or brazing, thereby reducing the man-hours required to assemble the waterproof connector with substrate.

[0019] Furthermore, in other waterproof connectors with substrates according to this disclosure, the mating cover may be formed integrally with the retaining portion.

[0020] Also, in another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the fitting cover includes at least a fitting cover main body portion having the fitting portion, a first insulator having the holding portion, and a second insulator joined to the first insulator. With the held portion of the metal terminal held by the holding portion of the first insulator, an insulator joined body in which the second insulator is joined to the first insulator is formed, and the insulator joined body is inserted into the fitting cover main body portion. It can be formed by doing so.

[0021] Also, in another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the metal terminal has a substantially L shape, the contact portion is formed on one end side, and the held portion is formed on the other end side. The metal terminal can be supported by sandwiching the linear portion on the one end side of the metal terminal between the first insulator and the second insulator.

[0022] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the substrate has a lining portion on the surface opposite to the surface where the fitting cover is installed, and the engaged portion is formed at the location where the lining portion is installed. It can be set to be.

[0023] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the substrate has a cover member on the surface opposite to the surface where the fitting cover is installed, and the engaged portion is formed on the cover member. It can be set to be.

[0024] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the locking portion of the fitting cover can be a locking claw having a claw shape.

[0025] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the sealing member can be made of any one of rubber material, plastic material or elastomer material.

[0026] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the sealing member can have a through-hole through which the locking portion can be inserted.

[0027] Also, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the fitting cover and the sealing member can be integrated by two-color molding.

[0028] Furthermore, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure or another waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, the cover member has a protruding portion protruding toward the planar conductor side, and the protruding portion can press the sealing member through the planar conductor.

Advantages of the Invention

[0029] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a waterproof connector with a substrate that can surely exhibit waterproof performance with a simple structure. Also, it is possible to provide a waterproof connector with a substrate that can be easily confirmed whether it is surely sealed even after assembly.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a waterproof connector with a substrate that can reduce the man-hours required for assembly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view when the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the first embodiment is viewed from above the front. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view when the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the first embodiment is viewed from below the back. <000**********8> [Figure 3]This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a right side view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the VV line section. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line VI-VI. [Figure 7] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment, viewed from the front and above. [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment, viewed from the lower rear. [Figure 9] This figure shows the disassembled state of the circuit board included in the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 10] This figure shows a connector assembly including a waterproof connector with a substrate according to the first embodiment. Figure (a) shows the state before the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the first embodiment and the mating connector are mated, and Figure (b) shows the state after the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the first embodiment and the mating connector are mated. [Figure 11] This is a front view of a connector assembly including a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along line XII-XII. [Figure 13] Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along line XIII-XIII. [Figure 14] This figure shows the disassembled state of the circuit board included in the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the second embodiment. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 15]This figure shows a circuit board included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the second embodiment. Figure (a) shows a perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows a perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 16] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the second embodiment, viewed from the front and above. [Figure 17] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the second embodiment, viewed from the lower rear. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the second embodiment, as seen from the front and above. [Figure 19] This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a second embodiment. [Figure 20] Figure 19 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XX-XX. [Figure 21] This figure shows examples of possible modified forms of the substrate-mounted waterproof connector of the present disclosure. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view, and Figure (b) shows a perspective view from the front and above. [Figure 22] The figures show other possible variations of the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, with Figure (a) showing an exploded perspective view and Figure (b) showing a perspective view from the front and above. [Figure 23] This figure illustrates a method for attaching a cover member to a planar conductor, relating to yet another possible modification of the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure. Figure (a) shows the state before the cover member is attached to the planar conductor, Figure (b) shows the state in which the cover member is raised vertically in the direction of the planar conductor, and Figure (c) shows the state in which the cover member is fixed to the planar conductor by sliding the cover member to the right from the state in Figure (b). [Figure 24] This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a substrate according to yet another possible modified form of the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the present disclosure. [Figure 25] This is a right side view of a waterproof connector with a substrate according to yet another possible modified form of the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the present disclosure. [Figure 26]Figure 24 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXVI-XXVI. [Figure 27] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along line XXVII-XXVII in Figure 25. [Figure 28] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment, as seen from the front and above. [Figure 29] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment, as seen from the lower rear. [Figure 30] This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a third embodiment. [Figure 31] This is a right side view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a third embodiment. [Figure 32] Figure 30 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXII-XXXII. [Figure 33] Figure 30 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXIII-XXXIII. [Figure 34] Figure 31 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXIV-XXXIV. [Figure 35] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment, viewed from the front and above. [Figure 36] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment, viewed from the lower rear. [Figure 37] This figure shows the disassembled state of a circuit board included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 38] This figure shows a mating cover and metal terminals included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a third embodiment. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view of the mating cover and metal terminals viewed from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows an exploded perspective view of the mating cover and metal terminals viewed from the rear and below. [Figure 39]This figure shows a mating cover included in a waterproof connector with a substrate according to a third embodiment, with subdivision (a) showing a top view and subdivision (b) showing a bottom view. [Figure 40] This is a right side view of a metal terminal included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the third embodiment. [Figure 41] This figure shows a connector assembly including a waterproof connector with a substrate according to a third embodiment. Figure (a) shows the state before the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the third embodiment and the mating connector are mated, and Figure (b) shows the state after the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the third embodiment and the mating connector are mated. [Figure 42] This is a front view of a connector assembly including a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a third embodiment. [Figure 43] Figure 42 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXXIII-XXXXIII. [Figure 44] Figure 42 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXXIV-XXXXIV. [Figure 45] This figure shows the disassembled state of a circuit board included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment. Figure (a) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows an exploded perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 46] This figure shows a circuit board included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment. Figure (a) shows a perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) shows a perspective view of the circuit board as seen from the rear and below. [Figure 47] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment, viewed from the front and above. [Figure 48] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment, viewed from the lower rear. [Figure 49] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment, as seen from the front and above. [Figure 50] This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 51] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along line XXXXXXX-XXXXXI in Figure 50. [Figure 52] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXXXII-XXXXXII in Figure 50. [Figure 53] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment, as seen from the front and above. [Figure 54] This is a perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment, as seen from the lower rear. [Figure 55] This is a front view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 56] This is a right side view of a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 57] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXXXVII-XXXXXVII in Figure 55. [Figure 58] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the section along the line XXXXXVIII-XXXXXVIII in Figure 56. [Figure 59] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment, viewed from the front and above. [Figure 60] This is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment, viewed from the lower rear. [Figure 61] This figure shows a mating cover and metal terminals included in a waterproof connector with a substrate according to the fifth embodiment. Figure (a) is a partially exploded perspective view of the mating cover and metal terminals viewed from the front and above, and Figure (b) is a partially exploded perspective view of the mating cover and metal terminals viewed from the rear and below. [Figure 62] This figure shows a first insulator, a second insulator, and a metal terminal included in a waterproof connector with a circuit board according to the fifth embodiment. Figure (a) is an exploded perspective view of the first insulator, the second insulator, and the metal terminal viewed from the front and above, and Figure (b) is an exploded perspective view of the first insulator, the second insulator, and the metal terminal viewed from the rear and below. [Figure 63]This figure shows a first insulator and a second insulator included in a waterproof connector with a substrate according to the fifth embodiment, where subdivision (a) is a rear view of the first insulator and subdivision (b) is a front view of the second insulator. [Figure 64] This figure shows the metal terminals included in the waterproof connector with a substrate according to the fifth embodiment, where Figure (a) is a perspective view of the metal terminals as seen from the front and above, and Figure (b) is a right side view of the metal terminals. [Figure 65] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Figure 66] This is a perspective view of the substrate-side connector, which constitutes the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1, as seen from the lower rear. [Figure 67] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Figure 68] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a waterproof connector with a substrate disclosed in Patent Document 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] Preferred embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, the drawings define a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction. In this specification, the first direction is the front-to-back direction. In the drawings, the front-to-back direction is indicated as the X direction. Specifically, the front is the +X direction and the rear is the -X direction. In this specification, the second direction is the left-to-right direction. In the drawings, the left-to-right direction is indicated as the Y direction. Specifically, the right is the +Y direction and the left is the -Y direction. Furthermore, in this specification, the third direction is the up-and-down direction. In the drawings, the up-and-down direction is indicated as the Z direction. Specifically, the up is the +Z direction and the down is the -Z direction. However, the first direction (X direction), the second direction (Y direction), and the third direction (Z direction) as defined herein do not limit the direction in which the waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure can be used. The waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure can be used in any direction.

[0033] Furthermore, the following embodiments and examples of modifications are not intended to limit the inventions claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments and examples of modifications are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0034] [First Embodiment] First, the configuration of the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13. As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate according to the first embodiment includes a substrate 11, terminals 41 connected to the substrate 11, a mating cover 21 having a mating portion 23 into which a mating connector 110 (described later) is fitted, and a sealing member 31 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21.

[0035] As shown in Figure 9, the substrate 11 has a flexible planar conductor 12 and a backing portion 13 on the back surface of the planar conductor 12. In the first embodiment, the back surface of the flexible planar conductor 12 on which the backing portion 13 is installed is the surface opposite to the surface on which the mating cover 21 is installed relative to the substrate 11. Also in the first embodiment, the planar conductor 12 is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits). In addition to FPCs, any flexible substrate such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) can be used for the substrate 11. Furthermore, rigid substrates that do not have flexibility and any flat plate-shaped components can also be used.

[0036] The planar conductor 12 has a terminal forming portion 12A and an extension portion 12B extending from the terminal forming portion 12A in a first direction, which is the front-to-back direction (±X direction). The terminal forming portion 12A has a plurality of connection portions 15 formed in the center, and a plurality of pins 42 of the terminal 41, which will be described later, can be connected to these connection portions 15. The extension portion 12B has a planar conductor through hole 16 that penetrates in a third direction, which is the up-and-down direction (±Z direction), and a locking portion of the fitting cover 21, which will be described later, can be inserted through it.

[0037] The backing portion 13 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A to prevent deformation of the flexible terminal forming portion 12A. The backing portion 13 also has locking portions 14 in the front center, rear center, left center, and part of the right center, which can engage with the locking claws 22 that serve as the locking part of the fitting cover 21, which will be described later. In the first embodiment, the backing portion 13 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A. However, the area in which the backing portion 13 is installed only needs to include the area in which the locking portions 14 that can engage with the locking part of the fitting cover 21 are formed. In other words, the backing portion 13 may be installed in a configuration that covers only a part of the back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A.

[0038] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the mating cover 21 has a mating portion 23 that opens in the third direction, the vertical direction (±Z direction), into which the mating connector 110 (described later) is fitted from above the opening; a mating cover body portion 24 formed to cover the periphery of the opening; and locking claws 22 as locking portions formed at the lower center of each circumferential surface of the mating cover body portion 24.

[0039] A seal receiving surface 25 is formed on the lower end face of the fitting cover body portion 24, which the seal member 31 contacts. The locking claw 22 extends downward, and the portion formed as a claw shape 22a protrudes toward the center of the fitting cover body portion 24 (towards the inside of the fitting cover body portion 24), and is configured so that the claw shape 22a can be hooked onto the locking portion 14 of the substrate 11.

[0040] The sealing member 31 can be made of any of the following materials: rubber, plastic, or elastomer. The sealing member 31 according to the first embodiment is made of rubber, for example, and as shown in Figure 8, has a sealing body portion 32 whose upper surface abuts against a sealing receiving surface 25 formed on the fitting cover 21, and a pair of through holes 33a, each of which are ring-shaped through holes formed in a pair of flange portions 33 that protrude in the left-right direction (±Y direction), which is the second direction.

[0041] The through holes 33a are formed in the left and right centers of the seal body 32, allowing the left and right locking claws 22 formed on the mating cover body 24 to be inserted through them (see Figures 1 and 2). By forming through holes 33a in the seal member 31 through which the locking claws 22 can be inserted, and by inserting the left and right locking claws 22 formed on the mating cover body 24 into the pair of through holes 33a and pre-attaching the seal member 31 to the mating cover 21, the positioning of the seal member 31 can be easily performed when sandwiching the seal member 31 between the mating cover 21 and the substrate 11, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 100. In the first embodiment, the seal member 31 was configured to have two through holes 33a in the left and right centers, but the through holes 33a in this disclosure can be formed in any number and position depending on the number and position of the locking claws 22 on the mating cover 21. Furthermore, the through hole 33a only needs to be large enough to allow one or more locking claws 22 of the fitting cover 21 to pass through it.

[0042] Terminal 41 has a plurality of pins 42 and a pin holding portion 43 that holds the plurality of pins 42. As shown in Figure 12, the plurality of pins 42 are connected to a plurality of connection portions 15 on the circuit board 11 and electrically connected to the mating terminal 111 on the mating connector 110, thereby enabling the transfer of electrical signals, power, etc.

[0043] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate in the first embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the substrate 11 is assembled by installing a backing portion 13 on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A of the planar conductor 12. Next, the multiple pins 42 of the terminal 41 are connected and fixed to the multiple connection portions 15 formed on the planar conductor 12 of the substrate 11. This connection and fixing can be carried out using methods such as soldering or brazing. Furthermore, the locking claws 22 of the mating cover 21 are inserted into the through holes 33a of the sealing member 31 to position and temporarily install the sealing member 31 relative to the mating cover 21. Subsequently, by pushing the locking claw 22 of the mating cover 21 downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 11, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the claw-shaped portion 22a of the locking claw 22 is hooked onto the locking portion 14 formed on the backing portion 13, thereby locking the locking claw 22 and the locking portion 14 together, and the assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 100 in the first embodiment is completed.

[0044] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate has a sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21, and the mating cover 21 can be locked to the substrate 11 while being pressed against it, thereby properly waterproofing the space between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21. In particular, as shown in Figure 5, the claw-shaped portions 22a of the two locking claws 22 installed at the front and rear of the mating cover 21 catch on the locking portions 14 formed at the front and rear of the backing portion 13 of the substrate 11, so that the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21 are securely fixed and held in the front-rear and up-down directions. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6 in particular, the claw-shaped portions 22a of the two locking claws 22 installed on the left and right sides of the mating cover 21 catch on the locking portions 14 formed on the left and right sides of the backing portion 13 of the substrate 11, thereby securely fixing and holding the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21 in the left-right and up-down directions. As a result, a waterproof connector 100 with a substrate that reliably provides waterproofing between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0045] Furthermore, as is clear from Figures 3 and 4, in the first embodiment, the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate has the sealing member 31 exposed around the entire circumference of the mating cover 21, except for some areas where the locking claws 22 are formed. With this configuration, in the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate in the first embodiment, the sealed portion where the sealing member 31 is sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21 can be seen from the outside around the entire circumference of the mating cover 21, making it easy to confirm whether the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate is securely sealed.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate of the first embodiment can be used to form a connector assembly 120 by fitting the mating connector 110 into the mating portion 23 of the mating cover 21.

[0047] Here, with respect to the mating connector 110, as shown in Figure 12, the first waterproof member 115 is positioned between the mating cable 113 of the mating connector 110 and the mating housing 112 that covers the side of the mating terminal 111. The first waterproof member 115 is also positioned between multiple mating cables 113. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, when the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate according to the first embodiment and the mating connector 110 are mated, the second waterproof member 116 is positioned between the mating housing 112 and the mating cover body 24. In other words, when the mating connector 110 is mated to the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate in the first embodiment, the gap between the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate and the mating connector 110 can be sealed using the first waterproof member 115 and the second waterproof member 116, so that waterproofing can be reliably achieved between the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate and the mating connector 110. Furthermore, as described above, by sandwiching the sealing member 31 between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21, and engaging the locking claw 22 of the mating cover 21 with the locking portion 14 of the substrate 11, waterproofing can be reliably achieved between the substrate 11 and the mating cover 21. In other words, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, by fitting the mating connector 110 into the mating portion 23 of the mating cover 21 of the waterproof connector 100 with a substrate in the first embodiment, a connector assembly 120 with a complete waterproof effect can be obtained.

[0048] The first embodiment, which is one possible embodiment of the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, has been described above with reference to Figures 1 to 13. However, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the first embodiment above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the first embodiment above. Therefore, other embodiments and modified forms from among the various embodiments that the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure can take will be described below. In the embodiments and modified forms described below, components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0049] [Second Embodiment] A waterproof connector 200 with a substrate according to the second embodiment will be explained using Figures 14 to 20.

[0050] The waterproof connector 200 with a substrate according to the second embodiment, as shown in Figures 16 to 18, includes a substrate 211, terminals 41 connected to the substrate 211, a mating cover 221 having a mating portion 23 into which the mating connector 110 is fitted, and a sealing member 31 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221.

[0051] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the substrate 211 includes a flexible planar conductor 12, a backing portion 13 provided on the back side of the terminal forming portion 12A of the planar conductor 12, and a cover member 214 formed to cover the terminal forming portion 12A and the backing portion 13 from the back side.

[0052] The cover member 214 has a projection 215 that protrudes upward (+Z direction) toward the substrate 211 side, a cover member through hole 216 through which the locking claw 222 of the fitting cover 221 can be inserted, and a locking portion 213 formed on the inner wall of the cover member through hole 216 that can engage the claw shape 222a of the locking claw 222.

[0053] As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the mating cover 221 has a mating portion 23 that opens in the third direction, the vertical direction (±Z direction), into which the mating connector 110 is fitted from above the opening, a mating cover body portion 24 formed to cover the periphery of the opening, and locking claws 222 that serve as locking portions formed below the center of each circumferential surface of the mating cover body portion 24.

[0054] The locking claw 222 extends downward, and the portion formed as a claw shape 222a protrudes in the direction opposite to the center of the fitting cover body 24 (outward from the fitting cover body 24), and is configured so that the claw shape 222a can be hooked onto the locking portion 213 of the substrate 11.

[0055] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 200 with a substrate in the second embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, first, a backing portion 13 is installed on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A of the planar conductor 12, and then the substrate 211 is assembled by attaching the planar conductor 12 with the backing portion 13 to the cover member 214 so that the back surface of the backing portion 13 and the upper surface of the cover member 214 come into contact. Next, the multiple pins 42 of the terminal 41 are connected and fixed to the multiple connection portions 15 formed on the planar conductor 12 of the substrate 211. This connection and fixing can be carried out using methods such as soldering or brazing. Furthermore, the locking claws 222 of the mating cover 221 are inserted into the through holes 33a of the sealing member 31 to position and temporarily install the sealing member 31 relative to the mating cover 221. Subsequently, by pushing the locking claw 222 of the mating cover 221 downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 211, as shown in Figures 18 to 20, the claw-shaped portion 222a of the locking claw 222 is hooked onto the locking portion 213 formed on the cover member 214, thereby locking the locking claw 222 and the locking portion 213 together, and completing the assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 200 in the second embodiment.

[0056] In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 20, the waterproof connector 200 with a substrate has a sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221, and the mating cover 221 is locked to the substrate 211 while being pressed against it, thereby providing waterproofing between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221. At this time, the claw-shaped portions 222a of the four locking claws 222 located on the front, left, right, and rear of the mating cover 221 catch on the locations where the locking portions 213 are formed on the front, left, right, and rear of the cover member 214 of the substrate 211, thereby ensuring that the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221 are securely fixed and held in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions. As a result, a waterproof connector 200 with a substrate that provides reliable waterproofing between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0057] Furthermore, in the waterproof connector 200 with a substrate according to the second embodiment, the mating cover 221 not only presses the sealing member 31 from above, but the projection 215 formed on the cover member 214 is shaped to protrude upward (i.e., to protrude toward the planar conductor 12), and is configured to press the sealing member 31 from below via the planar conductor 12. By adopting this configuration, in the waterproof connector 200 with a substrate according to the second embodiment, the sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221 is pressed from above and below, so that the gap between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221 can be reliably sealed. Therefore, the waterproof performance between the substrate 211 and the mating cover 221 can be further enhanced according to the waterproof connector 200 with a substrate according to the second embodiment.

[0058] While preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to each of the embodiments described above.

[0059] In the first embodiment, with a sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 11 and the fitting cover 21, the locking claw 22 having an inwardly formed claw shape 22a on the fitting cover 21 was engaged with the locking portion 14 on the substrate 11. In the second embodiment, with a sealing member 31 sandwiched between the substrate 211 and the fitting cover 221, the locking claw 222 having an outwardly formed claw shape 222a on the fitting cover 221 was engaged with the locking portion 213 on the substrate 211. However, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0060] [Examples of transformed forms] For example, the waterproof connector 300 with a substrate shown in Figure 21 is an example of a modified form that the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure can take, and this waterproof connector 300 with a substrate includes a substrate 311, terminals 41 connected to the substrate 311, a mating cover 321 having a mating portion 23 into which the mating connector 110 is fitted, and a sealing member 31 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 311 and the mating cover 321.

[0061] The substrate 311 has a flexible planar conductor 12 and a backing portion 313 formed on the back surface of the planar conductor 12. The backing portion 313 has a locking portion 314 with a convex shape that can be hooked onto a locking hole 322, which serves as a locking part of the fitting cover 321, at the center of the front-rear and left-right sides.

[0062] The mating cover 321 has four locking holes 322 formed in the lower center of each circumferential surface of the mating cover body 24. The locking holes 322 are formed to penetrate from the inside to the outside of the mating cover 321.

[0063] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 300 with a substrate according to the modified form example will be described. First, the substrate 311 is assembled by installing the backing portion 313 on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 12A of the planar conductor 12. Next, the multiple pins 42 of the terminal 41 are connected and fixed to the multiple connection portions 15 formed on the planar conductor 12 of the substrate 211 using means such as soldering. Furthermore, the sealing member 31 is positioned and temporarily fixed by inserting the locking hole 322 of the mating cover 321 into the through hole 33a of the sealing member 31. After that, the waterproof connector 300 with a substrate according to the modified form example is completed by inserting and locking the locking portion 314 formed on the backing portion 313 into the locking hole 322 of the mating cover 321.

[0064] [Another example of a modified form] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the terminal 41 had a plurality of pins 42 and a pin holding portion 43 that holds the plurality of pins 42. However, the terminals according to this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the waterproof connector 400 with a substrate shown in Figure 22 is an example of another possible modification of the waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 22, the terminal 441 of the waterproof connector 400 with a substrate according to this other modification is configured to have a plurality of pins 42 and a pin holding portion 443 that holds the plurality of pins 42 and covers the entire circumference of the circumferential surface of the plurality of pins 42. Thus, for the terminals of this disclosure, any shape of terminal can be used as long as it can be housed inside the mating cover body portion 24 that forms the mating cover 21.

[0065] [Another example of a modified form] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments and modified examples described above, the locking portion of the mating cover 21, 221, 321 is formed as a locking claw 22, 222 or a locking hole 322 having a claw shape 22a, 222a, and locks with the locking portion 14, 213, 314 of the substrate 11, 211, 311, thereby providing waterproofing between the substrate 11, 211, 311 and the mating cover 21, 221, 321. However, the waterproof connector with a substrate according to this disclosure can use any locking means other than those described above.

[0066] For example, the substrate and the mating cover can be locked together by sliding the cover member of the substrate. That is, in the waterproof connector 500 with a substrate according to yet another modified form example shown in Figures 23 to 27, the locking portion of the mating cover 521 has locking claws 522 (522a, 522b) formed on the front and rear of the mating cover 521, and locking pieces 523 (523c, 523d) formed on the left and right sides. In addition, the locking portion 513 formed on the cover member 514 of the waterproof connector 500 with a substrate has rail grooves 513a, 513b formed on the front and rear of the cover member 514, a guide hole 513c formed on the left side, and a guide groove 513d formed on the right side.

[0067] Here, we will describe an assembly method for a waterproof connector 500 with a substrate, which is an example of yet another modified form. First, the terminal 41 is connected to the planar conductor 12, and the planar conductor 12 and the backing portion 13 are integrated into a temporary substrate 518. The fitting cover 521, with the locking piece 523 inserted through the through hole 33a of the sealing member 31, is brought into contact with the temporary substrate 518 from above, and the cover member 514 is positioned below the backing portion 13 (as shown in Figure 23(a)). Next, the cover member 514 is moved upward and brought into contact with the backing portion 13 (as shown in Figure 23(b)). At this time, the locking claws 522 (522a, 522b) formed on the front and rear of the fitting cover 521 are inserted into the rail grooves 513a, 513b formed on the front and rear of the cover member 514 and locked in place, while the locking piece 523 (523c) formed on the left side of the fitting cover 521 is inserted into the guide hole 513c formed on the left side of the cover member 514. Finally, by sliding the cover member 514 horizontally to the right (+Y direction), the left side surface of the locking piece 523 (523d) formed on the right side of the fitting cover 521 comes into contact with the left side surface of the guide groove 513d formed on the right side of the cover member 514, while the left side surface of the locking piece 523 (523c) formed on the left side of the fitting cover 521 comes into contact with the left inner wall surface of the guide hole 513c formed on the left side of the cover member 514 (as shown in Figure 23(c)). Through the above operations, it is possible to assemble a waterproof connector 500 with a circuit board according to yet another modified form example.

[0068] In another modified example of the waterproof connector 500 with a substrate, as shown in Figures 26 and 27, a sealing member 31 is sandwiched between the substrate 511 and the mating cover 521, and the mating cover 521 is locked in place by pressing it against the substrate 511, thereby providing waterproofing between the substrate 511 and the mating cover 521. In particular, as shown in Figure 26, the locking claws 522 (522a, 522b) formed on the front and rear of the mating cover 521 catch on the rail grooves 513a, 513b formed on the front and rear of the cover member 514 on the substrate 511, thereby ensuring that the substrate 511 and the mating cover 521 are securely fixed and held in the front-rear and up-down directions. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 27 in particular, the left side surface of the locking piece 523 (523c) formed on the left side of the mating cover 521 abuts against the left inner wall surface of the guide hole 513c formed on the left side of the cover member 514 in the substrate 511, and the left side surface of the locking piece 523 (523d) formed on the right side of the mating cover 521 abuts against the left side surface of the guide groove 513d formed on the right side of the cover member 514, thereby ensuring that the substrate 511 and the mating cover 521 are securely fixed and held in both the left-right and up-down directions. By employing such locking means, a waterproof connector 500 with a substrate according to yet another modified form can be easily assembled.

[0069] In the embodiments and modified examples described above, the fitting cover 24 and the sealing member 31 were formed as separate parts. However, the fitting cover and the sealing member of this disclosure may be formed as a single unit by two-color molding. With this configuration, the positioning work of the sealing member 31, which is performed when sandwiching the sealing member 31 between the fitting cover 21 and the substrate 11, can be omitted. In this case, it becomes unnecessary to form a through hole 33a in the sealing member 31 through which the locking portion (locking claw 22) of the fitting cover 24 can be inserted, thereby reducing the material required for manufacturing the sealing member 31 and improving the degree of design freedom.

[0070] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the claw shapes 22a of the locking claws 22 on the fitting cover 21 were all formed facing inward in the opening direction of the fitting cover 21. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the claw shapes 222a of the locking claws 222 on the fitting cover 221 were all formed facing outward in the opening direction of the fitting cover 221. However, the claw shapes of the locking claws of the fitting cover according to this disclosure do not need to be formed in the same direction, either inward or outward. For example, the claw shapes of the locking claws on the front and rear of the fitting cover may be formed facing outward, while the claw shapes of the locking claws on the left and right of the fitting cover may be formed facing inward. Also, the claw shapes of the locking claws of this disclosure may be formed not only inward or outward, but in both inward and outward directions.

[0071] Furthermore, in the embodiments and modified examples described above, the fitting cover had a total of four locking parts formed in the front, rear, left, and right directions. However, for the locking parts of this disclosure, it is sufficient for one or more to be formed at any position.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the substrate 211 had a flexible planar conductor 12, a backing portion 13 provided on the back side of the terminal forming portion 12A of the planar conductor 12, and a cover member 214 formed to cover the terminal forming portion 12A and the backing portion 13 from the back side. However, in the waterproof connector with a substrate of this disclosure, the backing portion is not essential if the substrate has a cover member. If the backing portion is omitted, the cover member only needs to be formed to cover the terminal forming portion from the back side.

[0073] It is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0074] [Third Embodiment] Referring to Figures 28 to 44, the configuration of the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate according to the third embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 28 to 36, the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate according to the third embodiment includes a substrate 611, a mating cover 621 having a mating portion 623 into which a mating connector 910 (described later) is fitted, and a holding hole 626 inside which a metal terminal 650 (described later) is held, and a sealing member 631 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621.

[0075] As shown in Figure 37, the substrate 611 has a flexible planar conductor 612 and a backing portion 613 on the back surface of the planar conductor 612. In the third embodiment, the back surface of the flexible planar conductor 612 on which the backing portion 613 is installed is the surface opposite to the surface on which the mating cover 621 is installed relative to the substrate 611. Also in the third embodiment, the planar conductor 612 is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits). In addition to FPCs, any flexible substrate such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) can be used for the substrate 611. Furthermore, rigid substrates that do not have flexibility and any flat-shaped components can also be used.

[0076] The planar conductor 612 has a terminal forming portion 612A and an extension portion 612B extending from the terminal forming portion 612A in a first direction, which is the rearward direction (-X direction). The terminal forming portion 612A has a plurality of connection portions 615 formed in the center, and these connection portions 615 can be connected to contact portions 651 of the metal terminal 650, which will be described later. The extension portion 612B has a planar conductor through hole 616 that penetrates in a third direction, which is the vertical direction (±Z direction), and a locking portion of the fitting cover 621, which will be described later, can be inserted through it.

[0077] The backing portion 613 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A, thereby preventing deformation of the flexible terminal forming portion 612A. The backing portion 613 also has locking portions 614 in the front center, rear center, left center, and part of the right center, which can engage with the locking claws 622 of the fitting cover 621, which will be described later. In the third embodiment, the backing portion 613 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A. However, the area in which the backing portion 613 is installed only needs to include the area in which the locking portions 614 that can engage with the locking portion of the fitting cover 621 are formed. In other words, the backing portion 613 may be installed in a configuration that covers only a part of the back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A.

[0078] As shown in Figures 35 and 36, the mating cover 621 has a mating portion 623 that opens upward (+Z direction), which is the third direction, and into which the mating connector 910, described later, is fitted from the upper side, which is the opening side; a mating cover body portion 624 formed to cover the periphery of the opening; locking claws 622 as locking portions formed at the lower center of each circumferential surface of the mating cover body portion 624; and a retaining hole 626 inside the mating cover body portion 624 for holding the metal terminal 650. In this embodiment, the mating cover body portion 624, the locking claws 622, and the retaining hole 626 of the mating cover 621 are integrally formed by injection molding, but each part may be manufactured individually, or only some of the parts may be integrally formed.

[0079] A seal receiving surface 625 is formed on the lower end face of the fitting cover body 624, which the seal member 631 abuts against. The locking claw 622 extends downward, and the portion formed as a claw shape 622a protrudes toward the center of the fitting cover body 624 (towards the inside of the fitting cover body 624), and is configured so that the claw shape 622a can be hooked onto the locking portion 614 of the substrate 611.

[0080] As shown in Figure 39, the retaining holes 626 are formed as multiple holes into which multiple metal terminals 650 are inserted. Each of the multiple retaining holes 626 has a hooked portion 627 formed therein, as shown in Figure 32, into which a hooked portion 654 (described later) formed on the retained portion 652 of the metal terminal 650 catches when the metal terminal 650 is inserted into the retaining hole 626.

[0081] The sealing member 631 can be made of any of the following materials: rubber, plastic, or elastomer. The sealing member 631 according to the third embodiment is made of rubber, for example, and as shown in Figure 36, has a sealing body portion 632 whose upper surface abuts against a sealing receiving surface 625 formed on the fitting cover 621, and a pair of through holes 633a formed in the shape of rings that penetrate through each of a pair of flange portions 633 that protrude in the left-right direction (±Y direction), which is the second direction.

[0082] The through holes 633a are formed in the left and right centers of the seal body 632, allowing the left and right locking claws 622 formed on the mating cover body 624 to be inserted through them (see Figures 28 and 29). By forming through holes 633a in the seal member 631 through which the locking claws 622 can be inserted, and by inserting the left and right locking claws 622 formed on the mating cover body 624 into the pair of through holes 633a and pre-attaching the seal member 631 to the mating cover 621, the positioning of the seal member 631 can be easily performed when sandwiching the seal member 631 between the mating cover 621 and the substrate 611, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 600. In the third embodiment, the sealing member 631 is configured to have two through holes 633a in the left center and right center. However, the through holes 633a in this disclosure can be formed in any number and position depending on the number and position of the locking claws 622 of the fitting cover 621. Furthermore, it is sufficient for the through holes 633a to allow one or more locking claws 622 of the fitting cover 621 to be inserted through them.

[0083] As shown in Figure 38, multiple metal terminals 650 are formed so as to correspond to the positions of multiple connection portions 615 on the substrate 611, and are inserted into each of the multiple retaining holes 626 on the mating cover 621. As shown in Figure 40, each metal terminal 650 has a springy contact portion 651 on its lower end for contacting the planar conductor 612 on the substrate 611, a retained portion 652 connected to the contact portion 651 and held in a retaining hole 626 formed inside the mating cover body portion 624, and a mating terminal contact portion 655 extending upward from the retained portion 652 and contacting the mating terminal 911 on the mating connector 910.

[0084] Each contact portion 651 is formed to curve outward in the first direction, which is the front-to-back direction (±X direction), and when pressed from below to above, it exhibits spring-like properties that act downward.

[0085] The retained portion 652 has a protruding portion 653 formed inward in the first direction, which is the front-to-back direction (±X direction), and a hooking portion 654 formed outward in the front-to-back direction. The protruding portion 653 is a protruding shape that contributes to press-fitting the retained portion 652 into the retaining hole 626 formed inside the fitting cover body portion 624 by inserting the metal terminal 650 into the retaining hole 626. On the other hand, the hooking portion 654 is formed so as to hook onto the hooked portion 627 of the retaining hole 626 when the metal terminal 650 is inserted into the retaining hole 626. In other words, the hooking portion 654 and the hooked portion 627 work together to provide a retaining function so that the metal terminal 650 inserted into the retaining hole 626 does not come out.

[0086] As shown in Figure 43, the mating terminal contact portion 955 is configured to be able to transmit electrical signals, power, etc., by electrically connecting with the mating terminal 911 of the mating connector 910.

[0087] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate in the third embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figures 35 and 36, the substrate 611 is assembled by installing a backing portion 613 on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A of the planar conductor 612. Next, the metal terminal 650 is inserted into the retaining hole 626 from the lower side of the mating cover 621. At this time, the protruding portion 653 of the metal terminal 650 is press-fitted into the retaining hole 626 of the mating cover 621, and the hooking portion 654 of the metal terminal 650 is hooked onto the hooked portion 627 formed in the retaining hole 626. Next, the locking claw 622 of the mating cover 621 is inserted into the through hole 633a of the sealing member 631 to position and temporarily install the sealing member 631 relative to the mating cover 621. Subsequently, by pushing the locking claw 622 of the mating cover 621 downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 611, as shown in Figures 28 to 34, the claw-shaped portion 622a of the locking claw 622 is hooked onto the locking portion 614 formed on the backing portion 613, locking the locking claw 622 and the locking portion 614 together, and the assembly of the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate in the third embodiment is completed. At this time, as shown in Figure 32, as the mating cover 621 is pushed downward toward the substrate 611, the contact portion 651 of the metal terminal 650 is pressed upward by the substrate 611, causing a spring action that acts downward, and maintaining contact between the contact portion 651 and the connecting portion 615.

[0088] In the third embodiment, as shown in Figures 33 and 34, the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate allows the mating cover 621 to be locked to the substrate 611 while pressing it against the substrate 611, with the sealing member 631 sandwiched between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621. This ensures proper waterproofing between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621. In particular, as shown in Figure 33, the claw-shaped portions 622a of the two locking claws 622, which are installed in front of and behind the mating cover 621, catch on the locking portions 614 formed in front of and behind the backing portion 613 of the substrate 611, thereby ensuring that the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621 are securely fixed and held in the front-rear and up-down directions. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 34 in particular, the claw-shaped portions 622a of the two locking claws 622 installed on the left and right sides of the mating cover 621 catch on the locking portions 614 formed on the left and right sides of the backing portion 613 of the substrate 611, thereby securely fixing and holding the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621 in the left-right and up-down directions. As a result, a waterproof connector 600 with a substrate that reliably provides waterproofing between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0089] Furthermore, in the third embodiment of the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate, as is clear from Figures 30 and 31, the sealing member 631 is exposed around the entire circumference of the mating cover 621, except for some areas where the locking claws 622 are formed. With this configuration, in the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate in the third embodiment, the sealed portion where the sealing member 631 is sandwiched between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621 can be seen from the outside around the entire circumference of the mating cover 621, making it easy to confirm whether the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate is securely sealed.

[0090] In the first and second embodiments, the connection of the terminal 41 to the substrates 11 and 211 was achieved by connecting and fixing the multiple pins 42 of the terminal 41 to the multiple connection portions 15 formed on the planar conductor 12 of the substrates 11 and 211 using methods such as soldering or brazing. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 32, the metal terminal 650 maintains contact between the contact portion 651 and the connection portion 615 of the substrate 611 due to the springiness of the contact portion 651 that is directed downward. In other words, with the metal terminal 650 in the third embodiment, the contact between the contact portion 651 and the connection portion 615 of the substrate 611 is maintained by the springiness of the contact portion 615, so it is not necessary to connect and fix the metal terminal 650 to the substrate 611 in advance by soldering or brazing, and the man-hours required for assembling the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate can be reduced.

[0091] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the fitting cover body portion 624, the locking claw 622, and the retaining hole 626 of the fitting cover 621 were integrally formed. This significantly reduces the man-hours required to assemble the fitting cover 621 compared to when each part is manufactured individually.

[0092] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, as shown in Figures 41 and 42, the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate can be assembled into a connector assembly 620 by fitting the mating connector 910 into the mating portion 623 of the mating cover 621.

[0093] Here, with respect to the mating connector 910, as shown in Figure 43, the first waterproof member 915 is positioned between the mating cable 913 of the mating connector 910 and the mating housing 912 that covers the side of the mating terminal 911. The first waterproof member 915 is also positioned between multiple mating cables 913. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 43 and 44, when the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate according to the third embodiment is mated with the mating connector 910, the second waterproof member 916 is positioned between the mating housing 912 and the mating cover body 624. In other words, when the mating connector 910 is mated with the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate according to the third embodiment, the gap between the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate and the mating connector 910 can be sealed using the first waterproof member 915 and the second waterproof member 916, so that waterproofing can be reliably achieved between the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate and the mating connector 910. Furthermore, as described above, by sandwiching the sealing member 631 between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621, and engaging the locking claw 622 of the mating cover 621 with the locking portion 614 of the substrate 611, waterproofing can be reliably achieved between the substrate 611 and the mating cover 621. That is, as shown in Figures 43 and 44, by fitting the mating connector 910 into the mating portion 623 of the mating cover 621 of the waterproof connector 600 with a substrate in the third embodiment, a connector assembly 620 with a complete waterproof effect can be obtained.

[0094] The third embodiment, which is one possible embodiment of the waterproof connector with a substrate of the present disclosure, has been described above with reference to Figures 28 to 44. However, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the third embodiment above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the third embodiment above. In the embodiments described below, components that are the same or similar as those in the third embodiment described above may be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description may be omitted.

[0095] [Fourth Embodiment] A waterproof connector 700 with a substrate according to the fourth embodiment will be described using Figures 45 to 52.

[0096] The waterproof connector 700 with a substrate according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in Figures 47 to 50, includes a substrate 711, a mating cover 721 having a mating portion 623 into which the mating connector 910 is fitted and a holding hole 626 inside which a metal terminal 650 is held, and a sealing member 631 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721.

[0097] As shown in Figures 45 and 46, the substrate 711 includes a flexible planar conductor 612, a backing portion 713 provided on the back side of the terminal forming portion 612A of the planar conductor 612, and a cover member 714 formed to cover the terminal forming portion 612A and the backing portion 713 from the back side.

[0098] The backing portion 713 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A, thereby preventing deformation of the flexible terminal forming portion 612A. In addition, the backing portion 713 has inner locking pieces 713b in the front center, rear center, left center, and a part of the right center, which are locking portions that can engage with the inner claw shape 722b formed on the locking claw 722, which serves as a locking portion of the fitting cover 721 described later.

[0099] The cover member 714 has a projection 715 that protrudes upward (+Z direction) toward the substrate 711 side, a cover member through hole 716 through which the locking claw 722 of the fitting cover 721 can be inserted, and an outer locking piece 713a formed on the inner wall of the cover member through hole 716 and acting as a locking part that can engage the outer claw shape 722a formed on the locking claw 722.

[0100] As shown in Figures 47 and 48, the mating cover 721 has a mating portion 623 that opens in the third direction, the vertical direction (±Z direction), into which the mating connector 910 is fitted from above the opening, a mating cover body portion 624 formed to cover the periphery of the opening, and locking claws 722 that serve as locking portions formed below the center of each circumferential surface of the mating cover body portion 624.

[0101] The locking claw 722 extends downward, and the portion formed as an outer claw shape 722a protrudes in the direction opposite to the center of the fitting cover body 624 (outward direction of the fitting cover body 624), and is configured so that the outer claw shape 722a can be hooked onto the outer locking piece 713a of the cover member 714 on the substrate 711, which serves as a locking portion. In addition, the locking claw 722 has an inner claw shape 722b that protrudes in the direction towards the center of the fitting cover body 624 (inward direction of the fitting cover body 724), and is configured so that the inner claw shape 722b can be hooked onto the inner locking piece 713b of the backing portion 713 on the substrate 711, which serves as a locking portion.

[0102] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 700 with a substrate in the fourth embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 47 and 48, first, a backing portion 713 is installed on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A of the planar conductor 612, and then the substrate 711 is assembled by attaching the planar conductor 612 with the backing portion 713 to the cover member 714 so that the back surface of the backing portion 713 and the upper surface of the cover member 714 come into contact. Next, the metal terminal 650 is inserted into the retaining hole 626 from the lower side of the mating cover 721. At this time, the protruding portion 653 formed on the retained portion 652 of the metal terminal 650 press-fits the retained portion 652 into the retaining hole 626 of the mating cover 721, and the hooking portion 654 of the metal terminal 650 hooks onto the hooked portion 627 formed in the retaining hole 626. Furthermore, the locking claws 722 of the fitting cover 721 are inserted into the through-holes 633a of the sealing member 631, thereby positioning and temporarily installing the sealing member 631 relative to the fitting cover 721.

[0103] Subsequently, by pushing the locking claw 722 of the mating cover 721 downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 711, as particularly shown in Figure 51, the outer claw shape 722a of the locking claw 722 is hooked onto the outer locking piece 713a formed on the cover member 714, and the inner claw shape 722b of the locking claw 722 is hooked onto the inner locking piece 713b formed on the backing portion 713, thereby locking the locking claw 722 and the locking portion, and completing the assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 700 in the fourth embodiment. At this time, as shown in Figure 52, as the mating cover 621 is pushed downward toward the substrate 611, the contact portion 651 of the metal terminal 650 is pressed upward by the substrate 711, exhibiting a spring action that acts downward, and maintaining contact between the contact portion 651 and the connection portion 615.

[0104] In the fourth embodiment, as shown in Figure 51, the waterproof connector 700 with a substrate can be waterproofed between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 by inserting a sealing member 631 between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 and locking the mating cover 721 into place while pressing it against the substrate 711. At this time, the outer claw shape 722a of the four locking claws 722 located at the front, left, right, and rear of the mating cover 721 catches on the locations where the outer locking pieces 713a, which serve as locking parts, are formed on the front, left, right, and rear of the cover member 714 of the substrate 711, and the inner claw shape 722b of the locking claws 722 catches on the locations where the inner locking pieces 713b, which serve as locking parts, are formed on the front, left, right, and rear of the backing portion 713 of the substrate 711, thereby securely fixing and holding the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions. As a result, a waterproof connector 700 with a substrate that reliably provides waterproofing between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0105] Furthermore, in the waterproof connector 700 with a substrate according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in Figures 51 and 52, the mating cover 721 not only presses the sealing member 631 from above, but the projection 715 formed on the cover member 714 is configured to press the sealing member 631 from below via the planar conductor 612 due to its upward-projecting shape (i.e., a shape that projects toward the planar conductor 612 side). By adopting this configuration, in the waterproof connector 700 with a substrate according to the fourth embodiment, the sealing member 631 sandwiched between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 is pressed from above and below, so that the gap between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 can be reliably sealed. Therefore, the waterproof performance between the substrate 711 and the mating cover 721 can be further enhanced according to the waterproof connector 700 with a substrate according to the fourth embodiment.

[0106] [Fifth Embodiment] Referring to Figures 53 to 64, the configuration of the waterproof connector 800 with a substrate according to the fifth embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 53 to 60, the waterproof connector 800 with a substrate according to the fifth embodiment includes a substrate 811, a mating cover 821 having a mating portion 823 into which the mating connector 910 is fitted and a holding hole 826 inside which a metal terminal 850 is held, and a sealing member 631 that provides sealing when sandwiched between the substrate 811 and the mating cover 821.

[0107] As shown in Figures 59 and 60, the substrate 811 has a flexible planar conductor 812 and a backing portion 813 on the back surface of the planar conductor 812. In the fifth embodiment, the back surface of the flexible planar conductor 812 on which the backing portion 813 is installed is the surface of the substrate 811 opposite to the surface on which the mating cover 821 is installed. Also in the fifth embodiment, the planar conductor 812 is made of FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits).

[0108] The planar conductor 812 has a terminal forming portion 812A and an extension portion 812B extending from the terminal forming portion 812A in a first direction, which is the rearward direction (-X direction). The terminal forming portion 812A has a plurality of connection portions 815 formed near its center, and each of these connection portions 815 can be connected to a contact portion 851 of the metal terminal 850, which will be described later.

[0109] The backing portion 813 is attached to the entire back surface of the terminal forming portion 812A, thereby preventing deformation of the flexible terminal forming portion 812A. In addition, the backing portion 813 has locking portions 814 on the left front side, left rear side, right front side, and part of the right rear side, which can engage with the locking claws 822 that serve as locking parts of the fitting cover 821, which will be described later.

[0110] As shown in Figure 61, the mating cover 821 is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the second direction, the left-right direction (±Y direction), and includes a mating portion 823 that opens in the first direction, the front (+X direction), and the third direction, the downward (-Z direction), into which the mating connector 910 is fitted from the front; a mating cover body portion 824 formed to cover the periphery of the opening; locking claws 822 formed as locking parts below the mating cover body portion 824 on the left front side, left rear side, right front side, and right rear side; positioning claws 828 formed in the left center and right center; a first insulator 861 having a holding hole 826 for holding the metal terminal 850; and a second insulator 862 joined to the first insulator 861.

[0111] As shown in Figure 57, the fitting cover body portion 824 has a first receiving portion 824d that abuts from the front with the first edge portion 861d (described later) of the first insulator 861, a second receiving portion 824e that abuts from the rear with the second edge portion 861e (described later) of the first insulator 861, a third receiving portion 824f that abuts from below with the third edge portion 862f (described later) of the second insulator 862, and a fourth receiving portion 824g that abuts from below with the fourth edge portion 862g (described later) of the second insulator 862.

[0112] The locking claw 822 extends downward, and the portion formed as a claw shape 822a protrudes toward the center of the fitting cover body 824 (towards the inside of the fitting cover body 824), and is configured so that the claw shape 822a can be hooked onto the locking portion 814 of the substrate 811.

[0113] The positioning claw 828 extends downward and can be inserted into the through hole 633a formed in the sealing member 631 (see Figures 53 and 54).

[0114] As shown in Figure 57, the first insulator 861 can be housed inside the mating cover body 824 while joined with the second insulator. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 62 and 63, the first insulator 861 has a retaining hole 826 into which a metal terminal 850 is inserted, a first support portion 861a on its rear surface for supporting the metal terminal 850, a second insulator insertion hole 861b in the upper center of the plurality of retaining holes 826 into which the insertion piece 862b of the second insulator 862 can be inserted, a joining piece 861c having a claw shape on its left and right sides, a first edge portion 861d that abuts against the first receiving portion 824d of the mating cover body 824, and a second edge portion 861e that abuts against the second receiving portion 824e of the mating cover body 824.

[0115] As shown in Figure 58, the retaining holes 826 are formed as multiple holes that penetrate in the first direction, the front-to-back direction (±X direction), into which multiple metal terminals 850 are inserted. Each of the multiple retaining holes 826 has a hooked portion 827 formed therein, as shown in Figure 57, into which a hooked portion 854 formed on the retained portion 852 of the metal terminal 850 catches when the metal terminal 850 is inserted into the retaining hole 826.

[0116] As shown in Figures 62 and 63, the second insulator 862 includes a second support portion 862a that supports the metal terminal 850, an insertion piece 862b formed in the upper center and inserted into the second insulator insertion hole 861b of the first insulator 861, connecting piece receiving portions 862c formed on the left and right sides respectively and into which the connecting piece 861c of the first insulator 861 catches, a third edge portion 862f formed at the lower rear and in contact with the third receiving portion 824f of the fitting cover body portion 824, and a fourth edge portion 862g formed above and in contact with the fourth receiving portion 824g of the fitting cover body portion 824.

[0117] As shown in Figure 64, the metal terminal 850 is substantially L-shaped and has a springy contact portion 851 on one end, the lower end, for contacting the planar conductor 612 of the substrate 811; a wing portion 856 formed on a straight portion extending above the contact portion 851 and extending in the left-right direction; a retained portion 852 on the other end, the front end, which is held in a retaining hole 826 formed in the first insulator 861; and a mating terminal contact portion 855 formed extending from the retained portion 852 to the front end and in contact with the mating terminal 911 of the mating connector 910.

[0118] Each contact portion 851 is formed to curve outward in the first direction, which is the front-to-back direction (±X direction), and when pressed from below to above, it exhibits spring-like properties that act downward.

[0119] The retained portion 852 has a protruding portion 853 formed inward in the third direction, which is the vertical direction (±Z direction), and a hooking portion 854 formed outward in the vertical direction. The protruding portion 853 functions to press-fit the retained portion 852 into the retaining hole 826 formed in the first insulator 861 when the retained portion 852 of the metal terminal 850 is inserted into the retaining hole 826. The hooking portion 854 is formed to hook onto the hooking portion 827 of the retaining hole 826.

[0120] The mating terminal contact portion 855 is configured to be able to transmit electrical signals, power, etc., by electrically connecting with the mating terminal 911 of the mating connector 910.

[0121] The wing portion 856 is formed in a location that is sandwiched between the first support portion 861a of the first insulator 861 and the second support portion 862a of the second insulator 862 when the first insulator 861 and the second insulator 862, in which the metal terminal 850 is inserted into the holding hole 826, are joined together.

[0122] The first insulator 861 can hold the metal terminal 850 by inserting the metal terminal 850 into the holding hole 826. At this time, the first support portion 861a of the first insulator 861 and the front surface of the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 are in contact with each other.

[0123] The second insulator 862 can be formed by inserting its insertion piece 862b into the second insulator insertion hole 861b of the first insulator 861, while the metal terminal 850 is held by the first insulator 861, thereby forming an insulator joint 865 in which the second insulator 862 is joined to the first insulator 861. At this time, the joining piece 861c of the first insulator 861 catches on the joining piece receiving portion 862c of the second insulator 862, thereby maintaining a state in which the first insulator 861 and the second insulator 862 are sufficiently joined. In addition, the second support portion 862a of the second insulator 862 and the rear surface of the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 are in contact with each other. In other words, the wing portion 856 is sandwiched between the first support portion 861a of the first insulator 861 and the second support portion 862a of the second insulator 862, with both its front and rear surfaces being held securely, and the straight portion of the lower end, which is one end of the metal terminal 850, is stably held in place.

[0124] Here, the assembly method of the waterproof connector 800 with a substrate in the fifth embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figures 59 and 60, the substrate 811 is assembled by installing a backing portion 613 on the back surface of the terminal forming portion 612A of the planar conductor 612. Next, with the mating terminal contact portion 855 side of the metal terminal 850 facing the rear surface side of the first insulator 861, the metal terminal 850 is inserted into the holding hole 826, causing the protruding portion 853 formed on the retained portion 852 of the metal terminal 850 to be press-fitted into the holding hole 826 of the first insulator 861, and the hooking portion 854 formed on the retained portion 852 of the metal terminal 850 to hook onto the hooked portion 827 formed in the holding hole 826. At this time, the first support portion 861a of the first insulator 861 and the front surface of the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 are in contact with each other.

[0125] Next, the insertion piece 862b of the second insulator 862 is inserted into the second insulator insertion hole 861b of the first insulator 861 to form an insulator joint 865 in which the second insulator is joined to the first insulator. At this time, the joining piece 861c of the first insulator 861 catches on the joining piece receiving portion 862c of the second insulator 862, thereby maintaining a state in which the first insulator 861 and the second insulator 862 are sufficiently joined. In addition, the second support portion 862a of the second insulator 862 and the rear surface of the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 are in contact with each other.

[0126] Next, the insulator assembly 865 is inserted through the lower opening of the fitting cover body 824, thereby housing the insulator assembly 865 inside the fitting cover body 824. At this time, as shown in Figure 57, the first edge portion 861d of the first insulator 861 abuts against the first receiving portion 824d formed inside the fitting cover body 824 from the front, the second edge portion 861e of the first insulator 861 abuts against the second receiving portion 824e from the rear, the third edge portion 862f of the second insulator 862 abuts against the third receiving portion 824f from below, and the fourth edge portion 862g of the second insulator 862 abuts against the fourth receiving portion 824g from below.

[0127] Furthermore, the positioning claw 828 of the mating cover 821 is inserted into the through hole 633a of the sealing member 631 to position and temporarily install the sealing member 631 relative to the mating cover 821. Then, the locking claw 822 of the mating cover 821 is pushed downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 811 side, so that the claw-shaped portion 822a of the locking claw 822 is hooked onto the locking portion 814 formed on the backing portion 813, as shown in Figures 53 to 58, and the locking claw 822 and the locking portion 814 are locked together, completing the assembly of the substrate-equipped waterproof connector 800 in the fifth embodiment. At this time, as shown in Figure 57, when the mating cover 821 is pushed downward toward the substrate 811 side, the contact portion 851 of the metal terminal 850 is pressed upward toward the substrate 811, thereby exhibiting a spring-like action acting downward, and maintaining contact between the contact portion 851 and the connecting portion 815.

[0128] In the fifth embodiment, as shown in Figures 57 and 58, the waterproof connector 800 with a substrate has a sealing member 631 sandwiched between the substrate 811 and the mating cover 821, and the mating cover 821 can be locked to the substrate 811 while being pressed against it, thereby properly waterproofing the space between the substrate 811 and the mating cover 821. In particular, as shown in Figure 58, the claw-shaped portions 622a of the locking claws 622 installed on the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear of the mating cover 821 catch on the locking portions 814 formed on the left front, left rear, right front, and right rear of the backing portion 813 of the substrate 811, thereby securely fixing and holding the substrate 811 and the mating cover 821 in the left-right and up-down directions. As a result, a waterproof connector 800 with a substrate that reliably waterproofs the space between the substrate 811 and the mating cover 821 can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0129] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the metal terminal 850 is substantially L-shaped, and the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 is sandwiched between the first insulator 861 and the second insulator 862 to form an insulator joint 865, and the metal terminal 850 is housed inside the mating cover body 824. With this configuration, even an L-shaped metal terminal 850 that could not be housed if a retaining hole was integrally formed inside the mating cover body can be housed inside the mating cover body 824.

[0130] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the wing portion 856 of the metal terminal 850 is sandwiched on both its front and rear surfaces by the first support portion 861a of the first insulator 861 and the second support portion 862a of the second insulator 862. In other words, by sandwiching the metal terminal 850 between the first insulator 861 and the second insulator 862, the metal terminal 850 is fixedly supported, thereby maintaining a stable connection with the substrate 811 and the mating connector 910.

[0131] Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, the insulator joint 865 housed inside the fitting cover body 824 has the first edge 861d of the first insulator 861 in contact with the first receiving portion 824d formed inside the fitting cover body 824 from the front, the second edge 861e of the first insulator 861 in contact with the second receiving portion 824e from the rear, the third edge 862f of the second insulator 862 in contact with the third receiving portion 824f from below, and the fourth edge 862g of the second insulator 862 in contact with the fourth receiving portion 824g from below. In other words, since the insulator joint 865 housed inside the mating cover body 824 is in contact with the mating cover body 824 at both its front and rear ends, even when the mating connector 910 is fitted into the mating portion 823 from the front of the mating cover 821, the insulator joint 865 does not move inside the mating cover body 824, and a stable connection with the mating connector 910 can be established. Furthermore, since the upper part of the insulator joint 865 housed inside the mating cover body 824 is in contact with the mating cover body 824, even when the circuit board 811 is pushed in from the bottom of the mating cover 821, the insulator joint 865 does not move inside the mating cover body 824, and a stable connection with the circuit board 811 can be established.

[0132] While preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications or improvements can be made to each of the embodiments described above.

[0133] For example, in the fifth embodiment, the metal terminal 850 was substantially L-shaped. However, the waterproof connector with a substrate according to this disclosure is applicable to metal terminals of any shape. That is, by forming an insulator joint by sandwiching the metal terminal between two insulators and housing the insulator joint in the mating cover body, metal terminals of various shapes can be housed inside the mating cover body.

[0134] It is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 100 Waterproof connector with circuit board (of the first embodiment) 200 Waterproof connector with circuit board (of the second embodiment) 300 (Example of modified form) Waterproof connector with circuit board 400 (Another variant example) Waterproof connector with circuit board 500 (Another variant example) Waterproof connector with circuit board 600 Waterproof connector with circuit board (of the third embodiment) 700 Waterproof connector with circuit board (of the fourth embodiment) 800 Waterproof connector with circuit board (of the fifth embodiment) 11 circuit boards 12 Planar Conductors 12A terminal forming part 12B Extension 13. Backing section 14 Locked part 15 Connection part 16 Planar conductor through holes 21 Fitting cover 22 Locking claw (locking part) 22a Claw shape 23 Fitting part 24 Fitting cover main body 25 Seal receiving surface 31 sealing member 32 Seal body 33. Tsuba (guard) 33a Through hole 41 terminals 42 pins 43 Pin holding part 110 Other connector 111 Mating terminal 112 Opposite Housing 113 Other side cable 115 First waterproofing member 116 Second waterproofing component 120 Connector Assembly 211 circuit board 213 Locked part 214 Cover component 215 Protrusion 216 Through hole in cover member 221 Fitting cover 222 Locking claw (locking part) 222a Claw shape 311 circuit board 313 Backing section 314 Locked part 321 Fitting cover 322 Lock hole (locking part) 441 terminals 443 Pin holding part 511 circuit board 513 Locked part 513a Rail groove 513b Rail groove 513c Guide hole 513d Guide groove 514 Cover component 518 Temporary circuit board 521 Mating cover 522 Locking claw (locking part) 522a (Front) locking claw (locking part) 522b (Rear) Locking claw (locking part) 523 Lock piece (locking part) 523c (Left) Locking piece (locking part) 523d (Right-side) locking piece (locking part) 611 circuit board 612 Planar conductor 612A Terminal formation part 612B Extension 613 Backing section 614 Locked part 615 Connection part 620 Connector Assembly 621 Mating cover 622 Locking claw (locking part) 622a Claw shape 623 Fitting part 624 Fitting cover main body 625 Seal receiving surface 626 Holding hole (holding part) 627 Hooked part 631 Sealing member 632 Seal body 633 Tsuba (guard) 633a Through hole 650 Metal terminal 651 Contact area 652 Holding part 653 Protruding part 654 Hook part 655 Contact area of ​​the mating terminal 711 circuit board 713 Backing section 713a Outer locked piece (locked part) 713b Inner locked piece (locked part) 714 Cover component 715 Protrusion 716 Through hole in cover member 721 Fitting cover 722 Locking claw (locking part) 722a Outside claw shape 722b Inner claw shape 811 circuit board 812 Planar conductor 812A Terminal formation part 812B Extension 813 Backing section 814 Locked part 815 Connection part 821 Mating cover 822 Locking claw (locking part) 822a Claw shape 823 Fitting part 824 Fitting cover main body 824d First receiving section 824e Second receiving section 824f Third receiving section 824g 4th receiving section 826 Holding hole (holding part) 827 Hooked part 828 Positioning claw 850 metal terminal 851 Contact area 852 Holding part 853 Protruding part 854 Hook part 855 Contact area of ​​the mating terminal 856 Hanebe 861 First Insulator 861a 1st support part 861b Second insulator insertion hole 861c joint piece 861d First edge 861e Second edge 862 Second Insulator 862a 2nd support part 862b Insertion 862c Joint piece receiving part 862f Third edge 862g, fourth edge 910 Mating connector 911 Mating terminal 912 Opposite Housing 913 Other side cable 915 First waterproofing member 916 Second waterproofing component

Claims

1. A substrate having a flexible planar conductor, A mating cover having a mating portion into which the mating connector is fitted, A sealing member that provides sealing performance when sandwiched between the substrate and the fitting cover, It has, The aforementioned fitting cover has a locking portion for attaching it to the substrate, The substrate has a locking portion which is the portion to which the locking portion is engaged, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the sealing member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover, and the locking portion of the mating cover is engaged with the locking portion of the substrate, thereby waterproofing the space between the substrate and the mating cover with the sealing member.

2. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 1, The substrate has a backing portion on the side opposite to the side on which the mating cover is installed. A waterproof connector with a circuit board, characterized in that the locking portion is formed at the location where the backing portion is installed.

3. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 1, The substrate has a cover member on the side opposite to the side on which the fitting cover is installed. A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the locking portion is formed on the cover member.

4. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the locking portion of the mating cover is a locking claw having a claw shape.

5. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the sealing member is made of one of the following materials: rubber, plastic, or elastomer.

6. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The waterproof connector with a substrate is characterized in that the sealing member has a through hole through which the locking portion can be inserted.

7. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the mating cover and the sealing member are integrated by two-color molding.

8. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 3, The cover member has a projection that protrudes toward the planar conductor side, The aforementioned projection is characterized by pressing the sealing member via the planar conductor, thereby providing a waterproof connector with a substrate.

9. A substrate having a flexible planar conductor, A mating cover having a mating portion into which the mating connector is fitted, and a retaining portion inside that holds metal terminals, A sealing member that provides sealing performance when sandwiched between the substrate and the fitting cover, It has, The aforementioned fitting cover has a locking portion for attaching it to the substrate, The substrate has a locking portion which is the portion to which the locking portion is engaged, The metal terminal has a portion to be held by the holding portion and a contact portion having spring properties for contacting the planar conductor. A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the sealed member is sandwiched between the substrate and the mating cover while the retained portion of the metal terminal is held by the retaining portion of the mating cover, and the locking portion of the mating cover is engaged with the locked portion of the substrate, thereby maintaining contact between the contact portion and the planar conductor due to the spring properties of the contact portion of the metal terminal, while the space between the substrate and the mating cover is waterproofed by the sealed member.

10. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9, The holding portion is formed as a holding hole into which the metal terminal is inserted and which has a hooking portion into which the metal terminal is hooked. The retained portion of the metal terminal has a protruding portion that is press-fitted into the retaining hole and a hooking portion that hooks onto the retained portion, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the metal terminal is inserted into the retaining hole, causing the protruding portion to be press-fitted into the retaining hole, and the hooking portion to catch on the hooked portion, thereby holding the metal terminal inside the mating cover.

11. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the mating cover is integrally formed with the retaining portion.

12. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, The mating cover comprises at least a mating cover body having the mating portion, a first insulator having the holding portion, and a second insulator joined to the first insulator, and is formed by joining the second insulator to the first insulator while the held portion of the metal terminal is held by the holding portion of the first insulator, and inserting the insulator joint into the interior of the mating cover body.

13. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 12, The metal terminal is substantially L-shaped, with the contact portion formed on one end and the retained portion formed on the other end. A waterproof connector with a circuit board, characterized in that the metal terminal is supported by sandwiching the straight portion of one end of the metal terminal between the first insulator and the second insulator.

14. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, The substrate has a backing portion on the side opposite to the side on which the mating cover is installed. A waterproof connector with a circuit board, characterized in that the locking portion is formed at the location where the backing portion is installed.

15. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, The substrate has a cover member on the side opposite to the side on which the fitting cover is installed. A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the locking portion is formed on the cover member.

16. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the locking portion of the mating cover is a locking claw having a claw shape.

17. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the sealing member is made of one of the following materials: rubber, plastic, or elastomer.

18. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, The waterproof connector with a substrate is characterized in that the sealing member has a through hole through which the locking portion can be inserted.

19. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 9 or 10, A waterproof connector with a substrate, characterized in that the mating cover and the sealing member are integrated by two-color molding.

20. A waterproof connector with a substrate according to claim 15, The cover member has a projection that protrudes toward the planar conductor side, The aforementioned projection is characterized by pressing the sealing member via the planar conductor, thereby providing a waterproof connector with a substrate.

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