connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that prevents the insertion and fixing portion of the sealing member from easily coming loose, while also minimizing deterioration in the assembly of the sealing member. [Solution] The sealing member 12 includes an insertion fixing portion 32 that is inserted into a through hole 26 provided in the housing 11 toward the rear X2 and fixed thereto. The insertion fixing portion 32 has a head 42 that locks onto the periphery of the through hole 26 on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26. The head 42 has a first locking portion 45 that locks onto the periphery of the through hole 26 at the base end of the head 42. The insertion fixing portion 32 includes a slit 43 that extends from the tip of the head 42 to at least the base end, and a pair of divided pieces 44 divided by the slit 43. The housing 11 has a fitting wall 27 that fits into the slit 43 on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26. Each of the pair of divided pieces 44 has a second locking portion 46 that locks onto the rear end of the fitting wall 27.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector. [Background Art]

[0002] For example, a connector housing described in Patent Document 1 includes a main body portion having a cavity that accommodates a terminal fitting. An annular sealing member that seals a gap between the housing and a mating connector fitted to the outer peripheral side of the main body portion is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion of the housing. The sealing member includes, for example, an insertion fixing portion (a locking projection in Patent Document 1) having a large-diameter head at a tip end portion. On the other hand, the connector housing is provided with a through hole into which the insertion fixing portion of the sealing member is inserted. The head of the insertion fixing portion protrudes to the back side of the through hole and is locked to the peripheral edge of the through hole on the back side. Thereby, the sealing member is fixed to the housing. When inserting the insertion fixing portion into the through hole, the head of the insertion fixing portion is crushed and pushed into the through hole. After passing through the through hole, the head of the insertion fixing portion restores its shape on the back side of the through hole, and is thereby locked to the peripheral edge of the through hole. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 63-162470 [Summary of Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the configuration as described above, increasing the outer diameter of the head of the insertion fixing portion of the sealing member increases the engagement margin with respect to the peripheral edge of the through hole of the housing. As a result, it becomes difficult for the insertion fixing portion to come out of the through hole. However, when the outer diameter of the head of the insertion fixing portion increases, the resistance when inserting the insertion fixing portion into the through hole increases, which causes a problem that the assemblability of the sealing member deteriorates.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a connector that makes it difficult for the insertion and fixing portion of the sealing member to come loose, while also suppressing deterioration of the assembly performance of the sealing member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing into which a mating connector is mated, and a sealing member that seals the space between the mating connector and the housing, wherein the sealing member includes an insertion fixing portion that is inserted rearward into and fixed in a through hole provided in the housing, the insertion fixing portion is a connector having a head that engages with the periphery of the through hole on the rear side of the through hole, the head includes a first locking portion that engages with the periphery of the through hole at the base end of the head, the insertion fixing portion includes a slit extending from the tip of the head to at least the base end, and a pair of divided pieces divided by the slit, the housing includes a mating wall that fits into the slit on the rear side of the through hole, and each of the pair of divided pieces includes a second locking portion that engages with the rear end of the mating wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The connector of this disclosure makes it possible to prevent the insertion and fixing portion of the sealing member from coming loose while suppressing deterioration of the assembly of the sealing member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a connector of one embodiment in a partial cross-section. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector in the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the connector according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the housing in the same embodiment, seen from the rear. [Figure 5]Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the insertion and fixing portion of the sealing member being inserted into the through-hole of the housing. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the insertion and fixing portion of the sealing member being inserted into the through-hole of the housing. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. [1] The connector of the present disclosure comprises a housing into which a mating connector is mated, and a sealing member for sealing the space between the mating connector and the housing, wherein the sealing member includes an insertion fixing portion that is inserted rearward into and fixed in a through hole provided in the housing, the insertion fixing portion having a head that engages with the periphery of the through hole on the rear side of the through hole, the head having a first locking portion that engages with the periphery of the through hole at the base end of the head, the insertion fixing portion comprising a slit extending from the tip of the head to at least the base end, and a pair of segmented pieces divided by the slit, the housing having a mating wall that fits into the slit on the rear side of the through hole, and each of the pair of segmented pieces having a second locking portion that engages with the rear end of the mating wall.

[0010] With this configuration, when the insertion fixing portion of the sealing member is inserted into the through hole of the housing, the head of the insertion fixing portion deforms so that the slit narrows (i.e., the pair of divided pieces move closer together). This reduces the resistance when inserting the insertion fixing portion into the through hole, making it possible to reduce the insertion force required to insert the insertion fixing portion into the through hole. When the first locking portion provided at the base end of the head of the insertion fixing portion is locked to the periphery of the through hole on the rear side of the through hole, the second locking portion of each divided piece is locked to the rear end of the fitting wall fitted into the slit. As a result, the insertion fixing portion is locked to the housing by both the first and second locking portions. Therefore, while the insertion fixing portion is difficult to dislodge by the first and second locking portions, the resistance when inserting the insertion fixing portion is reduced by the slit, making it possible to suppress deterioration of the assembly ease of the sealing member.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], each of the pair of divided pieces may be provided with an inclined surface that widens toward the tip so as to move away from each other. With this configuration, when inserting the insertion and fixing part, the inclined surface of the tip of each segmented piece comes into contact with the front end of the fitting wall, guiding the tips of the pair of segmented pieces to separate from each other. This makes it possible to smoothly fit the fitting wall into the slit of the insertion and fixing part when inserting the insertion and fixing part, and as a result, the ease of assembly of the insertion and fixing part can be further improved.

[0012] [3] In the above [1] or [2], the front end of the fitting wall may be provided with a guide surface that guides the tips of the pair of divided pieces to separate from each other when the insertion fixing part is inserted.

[0013] With this configuration, when inserting the insertion and fixing part, the guide surface of the fitting wall can guide the tips of the pair of divided pieces to separate from each other. As a result, when inserting the insertion and fixing part, the fitting wall can be smoothly fitted into the slit of the insertion and fixing part, and as a result, the ease of assembly of the insertion and fixing part can be further improved.

[0014] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the connectors of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, some parts of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of explanation. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ in each drawing. In this specification, "orthogonal" includes not only strictly orthogonal connections but also connections that are approximately orthogonal within the range that provides the function and effect of this embodiment.

[0015] As used herein, the term "tubular" includes not only structures with a continuous circumferential wall along their entire circumference, but also structures formed by combining multiple parts, and structures with notches or other cutouts in the circumferential direction, such as a C-shape. The outer circumferential shape of a "tubular" includes, but is not limited to, circular, elliptical, and polygonal shapes with pointed or rounded corners. A "tubular" is a shape having a through hole in a plan view, and includes those where the outer circumferential shape and the inner circumferential shape of the through hole are the same, or where the outer circumferential shape and the inner circumferential shape of the through hole are different. A "tubular" includes structures having a predetermined length extending along the axial direction from which a central axis passing through the center of the through hole extends, regardless of the magnitude of that length. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "annular" may refer to any structure that forms a loop, or a continuous shape without ends, as well as a generally loop-shaped structure with a gap, such as a C-shape. The shape of an "annular" includes, but is not limited to, circular, elliptical, and polygonal shapes with pointed or rounded corners. Furthermore, in this specification, "facing" means that two faces or members are in a position to face each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. Furthermore, in this specification, "facing" includes both cases where another member is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," etc., in this specification are used merely to distinguish objects and do not rank them. The present invention is not limited to these examples and is shown in the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended.

[0016] In the drawings, mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are illustrated. The front-rear direction of the connector is along the X-axis, and in each drawing, a front X1 along the X-axis and a rear X2 opposite to the front X1 are illustrated. The width direction of the connector is along the Y-axis. The height direction of the connector is along the Z-axis, and in each drawing, an upper Z1 that is one end in the height direction along the Z-axis and a lower Z2 opposite to the upper Z1 are illustrated. Note that the connector can be arranged in any orientation, and is not necessarily used in an attitude where the upper Z1 faces the zenith direction.

[0017] (Configuration of Connector 10) The connector 10 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is, for example, a waterproof connector used in vehicles. The connector 10 includes a housing 11 and a sealing member 12. A mating connector C is fitted into the housing 11 toward the rear X2. The sealing member 12 seals between the mating connector C and the housing 11 in a state where the mating connector C is fitted into the housing 11.

[0018] (Configuration of Housing 11) The housing 11 is entirely formed of, for example, synthetic resin. The housing 11 includes a fitting portion 13 into which the mating connector C is fitted, and a wire lead-out portion 14 extending from the fitting portion 13 toward the rear X2.

[0019] The fitting portion 13 of the housing 11 has a substantially square shape when viewed from a direction along the Z-axis. The fitting portion 13 includes a cylindrical inner peripheral wall portion 21, a cylindrical outer peripheral wall portion 22 provided on the outer periphery of the inner peripheral wall portion 21, a bottom wall portion 23, and a terminal accommodating portion 24 provided inside the inner peripheral wall portion 21. The terminal accommodating portion 24 accommodates an unillustrated terminal that is connected to a mating terminal of the mating connector. A plurality of the terminal accommodating portions 24 are provided, for example. The terminal accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 24 is connected to an electric wire W. The electric wire W is led out to the outside of the housing 11 from the rear end of the wire lead-out portion 14.

[0020] The bottom wall portion 23 of the fitting portion 13 is formed, for example, at the rear end of the outer peripheral wall portion 22, so as to connect the outer peripheral wall portion 22 and the inner peripheral wall portion 21. That is, the bottom wall portion 23 forms the rear end of the groove formed between the inner peripheral wall portion 21 and the outer peripheral wall portion 22. A cylindrical portion of a housing (not shown) of the mating connector C is fitted between the inner peripheral wall portion 21 and the outer peripheral wall portion 22. The sealing member 12 seals the space between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the mating connector C and the inner peripheral wall portion 21.

[0021] (Configuration of the fixing part 25) The bottom wall portion 23 of the fitting portion 13 has fixing portions 25 to which the insertion fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12, described later, is fixed. Multiple fixing portions 25 are provided, for example, depending on the number of insertion fixing portions 32 of the sealing member 12. The fixing portions 25 are provided, for example, at each of the four corners of the bottom wall portion 23.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the fixing portion 25 comprises a through hole 26 that penetrates the bottom wall portion 23 along the X-axis direction, a fitting wall 27, and a cover portion 28. The through hole 26 is formed to decrease in diameter toward the rear X2, for example. The fitting wall 27 is provided on the rear side of the through hole 26. The fitting wall 27 is provided along the height direction (Z-axis direction), for example. The fitting wall 27 is provided so as to bisect the through hole 26 at the center in the Y-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. That is, the fitting wall 27 is provided aligned with the center of the through hole 26. The cover portion 28 is provided to cover the periphery of the fitting wall 27. The cover portion 28 extends from the bottom wall portion 23 toward the rear X2 and opens toward the rear X2. The upper and lower ends of the fitting wall 27 are connected to the inner circumferential surface of the cover portion 28.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, a guide surface 29 is provided at the front end (the end on the front X1 side) of the fitting wall 27. The guide surface 29 is, for example, an R-shaped or tapered surface formed at the corners on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the front end of the fitting wall 27. In this embodiment, the guide surface 29 is formed by, for example, R-chamfering the corners on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the front end of the fitting wall 27 into a curved shape.

[0024] (Configuration of sealing member 12) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sealing member 12 comprises an annular sealing body portion 31 and an insertion and fixing portion 32 integrally formed with the sealing body portion 31. The sealing member 12 as a whole is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The sealing body portion 31 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the inner circumferential wall portion 21 of the housing 11. The sealing body portion 31 has a substantially rectangular shape to match the shape of the inner circumferential wall portion 21. The sealing member 12 includes, for example, a base portion 33 that extends outward from the sealing body portion 31. There are, for example, multiple base portions 33. The base portions 33 are provided, for example, at each of the four corners of the sealing body portion 31. The insertion and fixing portion 32 protrudes rearward X2 from each base portion 33. That is, the sealing member 12 has multiple (four in this embodiment) insertion and fixing portions 32.

[0025] (Configuration of the insertion and fixing part 32) As shown in Figure 3, the insertion and fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 is inserted into and fixed in the through hole 26 of the housing 11. The insertion and fixing portion 32 comprises a root portion 41 extending rearward X2 from the base portion 33 and a head portion 42 provided at the tip of the root portion 41. The head portion 42, when viewed from the front X1, is, for example, substantially circular in shape. The insertion and fixing portion 32 also has a slit 43 formed therein, extending from at least the tip of the head portion 42 (the end on the rearward X2 side) to the base end of the head portion 42 (the end on the front X1 side). That is, the head portion 42 is divided into a pair of segmented pieces 44 by the slit 43. The slit 43 is provided so as to divide the head portion 42 into two equal parts. That is, the pair of segmented pieces 44 divided by the slit 43 are symmetrical in shape. In this embodiment, the front X1 side end of the slit 43 extends to the root portion 41.

[0026] When the insertion fixing portion 32 is fixed to the fixing portion 25, the base portion 41 of the insertion fixing portion 32 is located inside the through hole 26, and the head portion 42 of the insertion fixing portion 32 is located on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26. The head portion 42 has a larger diameter than the base portion 41. The outer diameter of the head portion 42 is largest at the base end (the end on the front X1 side). The head portion 42 has a tapered shape, with the outer diameter decreasing towards the tip.

[0027] The head portion 42 of the insertion fixing portion 32 has a first locking portion 45 that engages with the periphery of the through hole 26 on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26. The first locking portion 45 is provided at the base end (front X1 side end) of the head portion 42. The head portion 42 also has a second locking portion 46 at its tip (rear X2 side end). The second locking portion 46 protrudes inward (towards the side approaching each other) from each tip of the pair of segmented pieces 44. The tip of each segmented piece 44 is provided with an inclined surface 47 that widens toward the tip (i.e. toward the rear X2) toward each other. Each inclined surface 47 is provided on the opposing inner surfaces of the pair of segmented pieces 44.

[0028] With the insertion fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 fixed to the fixing portion 25 of the housing 11, the fitting wall 27 of the fixing portion 25 is fitted into the slit 43, and each second locking portion 46 is locked to the rear end of the fitting wall 27. In the same state, the first locking portion 45 at the base end of each segmented piece 44 is locked to the periphery of the through hole 26.

[0029] (Operation of this embodiment) The manner in which the insertion and fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 is assembled to the fixing portion 25 of the housing 11 will be described along with the operation of this embodiment.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, when assembling the insertion fixing part 32 to the fixing part 25, the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted into the through hole 26 of the fixing part 25 toward the rear X2. At this time, the inclined surfaces 47 provided on the tip end (the end on the rear X2 side) of each segmented piece 44 of the insertion fixing part 32 come into contact with the guide surface 29 at the front end of the fitting wall 27. This guides the tips of the pair of segmented pieces 44 to separate from each other.

[0031] Subsequently, by pushing the head 42 (a pair of divided pieces 44) of the insertion fixing part 32 toward the rear X2 into the through hole 26, each divided piece 44 is inserted into both sides of the fitting wall 27 in the width direction (Y-axis direction), as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the head 42 of the insertion fixing part 32 deforms so that the slit 43 narrows (i.e., the pair of divided pieces 44 move closer to each other) due to contact with the periphery of the through hole 26. As a result, the base end of the head 42, where the first locking part 45 is provided, deforms to narrow in the width direction, reducing the resistance when inserting the head 42 into the through hole 26. After passing through the through hole 26, the head 42 restores its shape (returns to its natural state) on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26, so that the first locking part 45 locks to the periphery of the through hole 26 and each second locking part 46 locks to the rear end of the fitting wall 27. In this way, the head 42 of the insertion fixing part 32 is fixed to the fixing part 25 of the housing 11. When an external force is applied to the insertion fixing part 32 in the forward direction X1, causing it to pull out from the through hole 26, a force is applied to each segmented piece 44, with the contact point with the periphery of the through hole 26 acting as a fulcrum, causing the tip of each segmented piece 44 to move inward. Therefore, the second locking part 46 provided at the tip of each segmented piece 44 is less likely to come off the rear end of the fitting wall 27.

[0032] (Effects of this embodiment) The effects of this embodiment will be described below. (1) The head 42 of the insertion fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 is provided with a first locking portion 45 that locks onto the periphery of the through hole 26 at the base end of the head 42. The insertion fixing portion 32 is provided with a slit 43 that extends from the tip of the head 42 to at least the base end, and a pair of divided pieces 44 divided by the slit 43. The housing 11 is provided with a fitting wall 27 on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26 that fits into the slit 43. Each of the pair of divided pieces 44 is provided with a second locking portion 46 that locks onto the rear end of the fitting wall 27. With this configuration, when the insertion fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 is inserted into the through hole 26 of the housing 11, the head 42 of the insertion fixing portion 32 deforms so that the slit 43 narrows (i.e., the pair of divided pieces 44 move closer to each other). This reduces the resistance when inserting the insertion fixing part 32 into the through hole 26, making it possible to reduce the insertion force required to insert the insertion fixing part 32 into the through hole 26. When the first locking part 45 provided at the base end of the head 42 of the insertion fixing part 32 is locked to the periphery of the through hole 26 on the rear X2 side of the through hole 26, the second locking part 46 of each segmented piece 44 is locked to the rear end of the fitting wall 27 fitted into the slit 43. As a result, the insertion fixing part 32 is locked to the housing 11 by both the first locking part 45 and the second locking part 46. Therefore, while the insertion fixing part 32 is difficult to remove by the first locking part 45 and the second locking part 46, the resistance when inserting the insertion fixing part 32 is reduced by the slit 43, making it possible to suppress deterioration of the assembly performance of the sealing member 12.

[0033] (2) Each tip of the pair of segmented pieces 44 is provided with an inclined surface 47 that widens toward the tip so as to move away from each other. With this configuration, when the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted, the inclined surface 47 of the tip of each segmented piece 44 comes into contact with the front end of the fitting wall 27, which guides the tips of the pair of segmented pieces 44 toward the tip of each other. As a result, when the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted, the fitting wall 27 can be smoothly fitted into the slit 43 of the insertion fixing part 32, and as a result, the ease of assembly of the insertion fixing part 32 can be further improved.

[0034] (3) The front end of the fitting wall 27 is provided with a guide surface 29 that guides the tips of the pair of divided pieces 44 to separate from each other when the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted. With this configuration, when the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted, the guide surface 29 of the fitting wall 27 can guide the tips of the pair of divided pieces 44 to separate from each other. As a result, when the insertion fixing part 32 is inserted, the fitting wall 27 can be smoothly fitted into the slit 43 of the insertion fixing part 32, and as a result, the ease of assembly of the insertion fixing part 32 can be further improved.

[0035] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0036] The number of insertion and fixing portions 32 in the sealing member 12, and the corresponding number of fixing portions 25 in the housing 11, are not limited to the above embodiment and can be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the connector 10.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the outer circumferential shape of the head 42 (a pair of divided pieces 44) of the insertion and fixing portion 32 is substantially circular when viewed from the front X1, but it is not limited to this, and may be substantially polygonal, for example.

[0038] In the insertion and fixing portion 32 of the sealing member 12 in the above embodiment, the front X1 end of the slit 43 extends to the root portion 41, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the front X1 end of the slit 43 may be at the same position as the base end of the head portion 42.

[0039] The fitting wall 27 may have a recess at its rear end into which the second locking portion 46 of each segmented piece 44 fits. This configuration makes it more difficult for the second locking portion 46 of each segmented piece 44 to come off the rear end of the fitting wall 27.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 10 connectors 11 Housing 12 sealing member 13. Fitting part 14. Wire outlet section 21 Inner peripheral wall 22 Outer wall 23 Bottom wall section 24 Terminal housing section 25 Fixed part 26 Through holes 27 Interlocking wall 28 Cover section 29 Guide surface 31 Seal body 32 Insertion and fixing part 33 Base 41. Root area 42 Head 43 slits 44 Split piece 45 First locking section 46 Second locking section 47 Slope C (Mating Connector) W electric wire

Claims

1. The housing into which the mating connector is fitted, It includes a sealing member that seals the space between the mating connector and the housing, The sealing member includes an insertion and fixing portion which is inserted and fixed toward the rear into a through hole provided in the housing, The insertion and fixing portion is a connector having a head that engages with the periphery of the through hole on the rear side of the through hole, The head is provided with a first locking portion at the base end of the head that locks onto the periphery of the through hole, The insertion and fixing portion comprises a slit extending from the tip of the head to at least the base end, and a pair of divided pieces separated by the slit. The housing has a fitting wall on the rear side of the through hole that fits into the slit, Each of the pair of divided pieces is provided with a second locking portion that locks to the rear end of the fitting wall. connector.

2. Each of the pair of divided pieces has an inclined surface at its tip that widens toward the tip so as to move away from each other. The connector according to claim 1.

3. The front end of the fitting wall is provided with a guide surface that guides the tips of the pair of divided pieces to separate from each other when the insertion fixing part is inserted. The connector according to claim 1.

Images