connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of achieving both of improvement of a cut-off performance by a seal member and improvement of workability in an operation for attaching the seal member to an electric wire and a housing.SOLUTION: A connector 1 comprises: an electric wire 70; a terminal metal fitting 60 to which a conductive core wire 71 of the electric wire 70 is electrically connected; and a housing 10 that houses the metal fitting 60. The housing 10 includes: a lead outlet 17 into which the electric wire 70 is inserted and let out; a seal member 20 that is arranged so as to surround the electric wire 70 to block a gap between an inner wall surface of the lead outlet 17 and an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 70; and a holder 30 that nips the seal member 20 in a space from a predetermined place 16 of the housing 10 so as to be inserted into the lead outlet 17 to apply a pressure along an axial direction of the electric wire 70, and thus, blocks the gap by expanding the seal member 20 to a direction crossed to the axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector including an electric wire, a terminal fitting to which a conductor core wire of the electric wire is electrically connected, and a housing that accommodates the terminal fitting. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, connectors have been proposed that include a seal member (e.g., a packing) that liquid-tightly separates the terminal accommodating chamber from the outside in order to prevent liquids such as water from entering the terminal accommodating chamber in the housing. In this type of connector, for example, a seal member is provided so as to seal an outlet through which an electric wire extending from a terminal accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber is drawn to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-004850 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the connector having the above-mentioned seal member, an annular seal member may be used to seal between the inner wall surface of the outlet and the outer circumferential surface of the wire. In order to improve the waterproof performance of such a seal member, it is possible to increase the thickness of the seal member in the radial direction of the wire (i.e., to make it thicker). However, if the seal member is made thicker in this way, the seal member is strongly pressed against the wire and the outlet, and a large frictional force is generated between them, so that the work of inserting the wire into the seal member and the work of pushing the seal member into the outlet may become difficult. In particular, when an electric wire with a large outer diameter (a so-called thick electric wire) is used, these operations tend to become difficult. On the other hand, if the thickness of the seal member in the radial direction of the wire is reduced (i.e., made thin) in order to facilitate these operations, gaps are likely to occur between the wire or the outlet and the seal member, so that the waterproof performance originally required of the seal member may be impaired. In this way, it is generally difficult to achieve both the improvement of the waterproof performance of the seal member and the improvement of the workability of attaching the seal member to the wire or the housing.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector which can achieve both improved waterproofing performance by the seal member and improved workability in attaching the seal member to the electric wire and the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the connector according to the present invention comprises the following components [1] to [ 2 ] is one of its features. [1] A connector comprising: an electric wire; a terminal fitting to which a conductor core wire of the electric wire is electrically connected; and a housing that accommodates the terminal fitting and through which the electric wire is drawn from an inside to an outside, The housing includes: a withdrawal port through which the electric wire is inserted and withdrawn; a seal member disposed to surround the electric wire and seal a gap between an inner wall surface of the outlet and an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire; a holder that is inserted into the outlet and sandwiches the seal member between the outlet and a predetermined portion of the housing, presses the seal member along the axial direction of the electric wire, and spreads the seal member in a direction intersecting the axial direction to seal the gap. death , The housing includes: The holder further includes a bolt fastening structure for applying an external force for pressing the seal member to the holder directly or indirectly using a bolt, the housing includes a main body having a box-like shape in which the electric wire and the conductive path connected to the terminal fitting are arranged, and an electric wire accommodating portion having a cylindrical shape extending from the main body along the axial direction of the electric wire and having the outlet on an extending end side, The connector further includes a first shell member arranged to cover the wire accommodating portion and in contact with the holder, and a second shell member arranged to cover the main body and separate from the first shell member, The first shell member and the second shell member are The first shell member is configured to exert the external force on the holder when the first shell member is fastened to the second shell member by using the bolt. It is a connector. [ 2 ] [1] To In the connector described, The sealing member is a hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and a protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the hole toward the electric wire and extending in a circumferential direction of the hole, wherein only a periphery of a protruding end of the protrusion is in contact with the electric wire when the seal member is not pressed against the holder; It is a connector.

[0007] According to the connector of the configuration of [1] above, the seal member (e.g., packing) attached to the outlet of the housing is pressed by the holder, sandwiched between the holder and a predetermined part of the housing, and spread in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire, thereby sealing the gap between the electric wire and the outlet. Therefore, for example, it is possible to realize that the seal member when not pressed by the holder has a size (e.g., the above-mentioned thin shape) suitable for attachment to the electric wire and fitting into the outlet, and the seal member when pressed by the holder has a size (e.g., the above-mentioned thick shape) that tightly seals the gap between the electric wire and the outlet. Furthermore, by inserting the holder into the outlet, it is easy to increase the pressing force exerted on the seal member, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the pressing force on the seal member due to a positional deviation of the holder itself. In this way, the connector of this configuration can achieve both an improvement in the water-stopping performance by the seal member and an improvement in the workability of attaching the seal member to the electric wire and the housing.

[0008] As a further advantage, since the seal member is pressed against the holder and deformed into a shape suitable for sealing, it is possible to apply a single type of seal member of a common shape to many types of electric wires with different outer diameters. In other words, the connector having the above configuration can improve the versatility of the seal member.

[0009] Furthermore, the above[ 1 According to the connector having the above configuration, the seal member is pressed by the holder, which receives an external force (so-called fastening force) due to the bolt fastening structure of the housing. Therefore, the holder can be pressed against the seal member with a stronger and more stable force than when the holder is pressed against the seal member by a method such as hooking the holder on the housing. This allows the seal member to seal the gap between the electric wire and the outlet more tightly, improving the watertightness of the seal member. Furthermore, it is possible to more firmly prevent the pressure on the seal member from decreasing due to misalignment of the holder itself, thereby impairing the watertightness of the seal member.

[0010] Furthermore, the above[ 1 According to the connector having the above configuration, the outlet can be sealed by pressing the holder against the seal member during the process of fastening the shell member surrounding the outlet to the fastening object (for example, another shell member surrounding another portion of the housing) with a bolt. This improves the productivity of the connector compared to a case where the process of pressing the holder against the seal member is performed separately and independently.

[0011] the above[ 2According to a connector having the above configuration, when the seal member is not pressed against the holder, only the periphery of the protruding end of the protruding portion (so-called lip portion) provided in the hole of the seal member comes into contact with the electric wire (so-called lightly wrapped state). Note that "periphery of the protruding end" refers to the area consisting of the protruding end and its periphery. Therefore, when attaching the seal member, the work of inserting the electric wire into the hole of the seal member is easier than when most of the protruding portion comes into contact with the electric wire. Furthermore, such a lightly wrapped state makes it possible to suppress unintended displacement of the seal member. Therefore, the productivity of the connector can be improved. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can achieve both improved waterproofing performance by the seal member and improved workability in attaching the seal member to the electric wires and the housing.

[0013] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading the following description of the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 3(a). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 3(b), illustrating the state before each component is assembled into the housing. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5(a) is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a state in which each part is being assembled into a housing, and FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 5(a). [Figure 6]FIG. 6(a) is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a state in which the components have been completely assembled into the housing, and FIG. 6(b) is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 6(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The connector 1 shown in Fig. 1 functions as a relay connector that electrically connects a pair of electric wires 70 extending from an electric wire accommodating portion 12 of a housing 10 to a mating connector (not shown) that is fitted into a connector portion 13 of the housing 10.

[0016] For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used for the "front-rear direction", "up-down direction", "width direction", "front", "rear", "up" and "down" as shown in FIG. 1 etc. The "front-rear direction", "up-down direction" and "width direction" are perpendicular to each other. The up-down direction coincides with the fitting direction of the connector portion 13 and the mating connector. The front-rear direction coincides with the extending direction of the pair of electric wires 70 from the electric wire accommodating portion 12.

[0017] 3 etc., each electric wire 70 is composed of a metal conductor core wire 71 and an insulating coating 72 that covers the conductor core wire 71. A metal terminal 60 is attached to one end of the electric wire 70 so as to be electrically connected to the conductor core wire 71. The terminal 60 has a shape that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0018] 2 and 3, the connector 1 mainly includes a housing 10, a pair of packings 20, a holder 30, a first shell member 40, and a second shell member 50. Each of the members constituting the connector 1 will be described below in order.

[0019] First, the housing 10 will be described. The housing 10 is a resin molded product, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, integrally includes a main body 11, an electric wire accommodating portion 12 extending rearward from the rear end of the main body 11, and a connector portion 13 protruding upward from the upper end of the main body 11. Thus, the housing 10 has a substantially L-shape when viewed in the width direction.

[0020] The main body 11 has a generally rectangular box shape as shown in Figures 2 and 3. A generally rectangular opening 10a that penetrates the main body 11 in the vertical direction is formed in the lower part of the main body 11 (see Figure 3(a)). The opening 10a is liquid-tightly closed by a resin cover member 96 fitted with a rubber packing 97 (see Figure 3(a)) (see Figures 2 and 3(a)).

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the wire accommodating section 12 is a cylindrical section extending in the front-rear direction and having a long hole shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from the rear. Inside the wire accommodating section 12, a pair of wire accommodating holes 14 are provided extending in the front-rear direction and aligned in the width direction. Each wire accommodating hole 14 has a circular cross-sectional shape. Each wire accommodating hole 14 penetrates in the front-rear direction and communicates with the internal space of the main body 11. An electric wire 70 connected to a terminal 60 is accommodated in the wire accommodating hole 14.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connector portion 13 is a cylindrical portion extending in the vertical direction and having a long hole shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from above. A pair of terminal accommodating holes 15 are provided inside the connector portion 13 so as to extend in the vertical direction and be aligned in the width direction. Each terminal accommodating hole 15 penetrates in the vertical direction and communicates with the internal space of the main body portion 11. A metal terminal 80 is accommodated and fixed in the terminal accommodating hole 15. The terminal 80 has a shape that extends in the vertical direction.

[0023] 3(a), an annular stepped surface 16 facing rearward is formed on the inner wall surface of each electric wire accommodating hole 14. The portion of each electric wire accommodating hole 14 rearward of the stepped surface 16 functions as an outlet 17 for pulling out the electric wire 70. As will be described in detail later, the stepped surface 16 functions as a stopper that determines the insertion depth of the packing 20 inserted into the outlet 17, and also holds the packing 20 by sandwiching it between the holder 30.

[0024] A flange portion 18 that projects upward and to both sides in the width direction is integrally provided at the upper portion of the boundary between the main body portion 11 and the electric wire accommodating portion 12 in the housing 10. A pair of bolt insertion holes 19 are formed at both ends in the width direction of the flange portion 18 so as to penetrate therethrough in the front-rear direction. When the connector 1 is assembled, a pair of bolts 95 (see FIG. 2, etc.) are inserted into the pair of bolt insertion holes 19.

[0025] Next, the pair of packings 20 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, each packing 20 is a rubber seal member having a substantially cylindrical shape with a hole 21. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, a pair of inner lip portions 22 are provided on the inner wall surface of the hole 21 of the packing 20 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction, and a pair of outer lip portions 23 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the packing 20 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0026] In the non-elastically deformed state of the packing 20, only the periphery of the top of the inner lip portion 22 (i.e., the periphery of the protruding end) provided on the inner surface of the hole portion 21 of the packing 20 is in contact with the electric wire 70. In other words, the packing 20 and the electric wire 70 are in a so-called lightly wrapped state. Furthermore, in the non-elastically deformed state of the packing 20, the outer diameter of the packing 20 (the outer diameter of the top of the outer lip portion 23) is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet 17 of the housing 10. The pair of packings 20 are inserted into the inside of the pair of outlets 17 of the housing 10 with the electric wires 70 inserted into the holes 21, respectively, and are sandwiched between the holder 30 and the step surface 16 of the housing 10 and pushed outward as described below, thereby fulfilling the function of sealing the gap between the inner wall surface of the outlet 17 and the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire 70. In addition, the contact of "only the top periphery" (only the periphery of the protruding end) of the inner lip portion 22 with the electric wire 70 can be rephrased as, for example, the rate of change (C=(AB) / A) between the protruding height (A) of the inner lip portion 22 from the inner surface of the hole before the electric wire 70 is inserted and the protruding height (B) of the inner lip portion 22 from the inner surface of the hole after the electric wire 70 is inserted is 50% or less.

[0027] Next, the holder 30 will be described. The holder 30 is a resin molded product, and as shown in Fig. 2 to Fig. 4, is composed of a pair of cylindrical parts 31 aligned in the width direction corresponding to the pair of outlets 17 of the housing 10, and a connecting part 33 connecting the pair of cylindrical parts 31 in the width direction. The inner diameter of the hole 32 of the cylindrical part 31 is equal to or larger than the outer diameter of the electric wire 70, and the outer diameter of the cylindrical part 31 is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet 17 of the housing 10.

[0028] With the electric wires 70 inserted through the holes 32, the pair of cylindrical portions 31 of the holder 30 are inserted inside the pair of outlets 17 of the housing 10, thereby preventing the pair of gaskets 20 inserted into the pair of outlets 17 from falling off rearward. Furthermore, the holder 30 also functions to sandwich the gaskets 20 between itself and the stepped surface 16 of the housing 10 and press them in the front-rear direction. This function will be described in detail later.

[0029] Next, the first shell member 40 will be described. The first shell member 40 is formed by performing processes such as pressing and bending on a metal plate. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the first shell member 40 includes a first cylindrical portion 41 and a second cylindrical portion 42 connected to the front side of the first cylindrical portion 41.

[0030] The first cylindrical portion 41 has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction and has a long hole shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from the rear, corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of the wire accommodating portion 12 of the housing 10. The second cylindrical portion 42 has a larger diameter over the entire circumferential direction than the first cylindrical portion 41. The second cylindrical portion 42 has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction and has a long hole shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from the rear, corresponding to the outer circumferential shape of a packing 94 (see FIGS. 2, 5, and 6) that is attached to a position adjacent to the rear side of the flange portion 18 on the outer periphery of the wire accommodating portion 12.

[0031] An inner flange portion 43 extending radially inward around the entire circumference is provided on the rear end edge of the first cylindrical portion 41. When the connector 1 is assembled, the inner flange portion 43 comes into contact with the outer circumferential edge portion of the rear end portion of the holder 30 and presses the outer circumferential edge portion of the rear end portion of the holder 30 forward (see also FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0032] An outer flange portion 44 is provided at the front end edge of the second cylindrical portion 42, extending radially outward over the entire circumference. A pair of bolt insertion holes 45 are formed at both widthwise ends of the outer flange portion 44 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction in correspondence with the pair of bolt insertion holes 19 of the housing 10. When the connector 1 is assembled, a pair of bolts 95 (see FIG. 2, etc.) are inserted into the pair of bolt insertion holes 45. The first shell member 40 performs a shielding function to prevent leakage of electromagnetic noise from the inside by attaching the first and second cylindrical portions 41, 42 to the electric wire accommodating portion 12 of the housing 10 so as to cover the electric wire accommodating portion 12 (i.e., the pair of outlets 17).

[0033] Next, the second shell member 50 will be described. The second shell member 50 is a so-called die-cast product formed by casting a metal such as aluminum. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the second shell member 50 has a substantially rectangular flat bottom wall 51, a pair of substantially rectangular flat side walls 52 rising upward from both widthwise edges of the bottom wall 51, and a substantially rectangular flat front wall 53 rising upward from the front edge of the bottom wall 51 and connecting to the pair of side walls 52, and has a box-like shape that opens rearward and upward.

[0034] A pair of bolt insertion holes 54 are formed in the rear end edges of the pair of side walls 52 so as to penetrate in the front-rear direction in correspondence with the pair of bolt insertion holes 19 of the housing 10. A pair of bolts 95 (see FIG. 2, etc.) are inserted into the pair of bolt insertion holes 54. The second shell member 50 is attached to the housing 10 so as to cover the main body portion 11 and the connector portion 13 of the housing 10, thereby fulfilling a shielding function for preventing the leakage of electromagnetic noise from the inside. The components constituting the connector 1 have been described above.

[0035] Next, the procedure for assembling the connector 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 6. First, the pair of terminals 80 are inserted from below toward above into the pair of terminal accommodating holes 15 of the connector section 13 of the housing 10, accommodated, and fixed. A flexible electric wire 92 and a joint terminal 98 are previously assembled to each of the pair of terminals 80. Specifically, the terminal 80 is crimped to one end of the flexible electric wire 92, and the joint terminal 98 is crimped to the other end of the flexible electric wire 92. Next, a series of operations for accommodating the pair of electric wires 70 in the electric wire accommodating section 12 is performed, which will be described below.

[0036] In order to accommodate the pair of electric wires 70 in the electric wire accommodating portion 12, the pair of electric wires 70 are first inserted from one end of the pair through the first and second tubular portions 41 and 42 of the first shell member 40, the pair of holes 32 of the holder 30, and the holes 21 of the pair of packings 20 in this order. At this time, since the inner lip portion 22 of the hole 21 of the packing 20 and the electric wires 70 are in the above-mentioned lightly wrapped state, no large frictional force is generated between the packing 20 and the holder 30 and the electric wires 70. Therefore, the operation of inserting the pair of electric wires 70 through the pair of holes 32 of the holder 30 and the holes 21 of the pair of packings 20 becomes easy. Furthermore, unintended positional deviation of the packing 20 is also suppressed.

[0037] Next, the terminals 60 are connected to the ends of the pair of electric wires 70 so as to be electrically connected to the conductor core wires 71. Next, the packing 94 is attached to the outer periphery of the electric wire accommodating portion 12 at a position adjacent to the rear side of the flange portion 18 (see Figs. 2, 5 and 6). Note that the packing 94 may be attached before the above-mentioned pair of electric wires 70 is inserted through each of the members.

[0038] Next, a pair of terminals 60 connected to one ends of the pair of electric wires 70 are inserted through a pair of outlets 17 of the housing 10. Then, with the tips (front ends) of the pair of terminals 60 positioned in the internal space of the main body 11 of the housing 10, the pair of joint terminals 98 and the pair of terminals 60 are fastened to a pair of nuts 91 fixed at predetermined positions on the inner wall of the main body 11 using a pair of bolts 93 (see FIG. 3(a)). Specifically, with the joint terminal 98 disposed on the nut 91 side (upper side in FIG. 3(a)) and the terminal 60 disposed on the bolt 93 side (lower side in FIG. 3(a)), the joint terminal 98 and the terminal 60 are fastened together by the nuts 91 and the bolts 93. As a result, the pair of joint terminals 98 and the pair of terminals 60 are fastened to the inner wall of the main body 11. As a result, the front-rear direction position of the pair of electric wires 70 connected to the pair of terminals 60 with respect to the housing 10 is defined. This fastening operation can be performed by inserting a fastening tool or the like into the internal space of the main body 11 through the opening 10a while the opening 10a of the main body 11 is open.

[0039] Furthermore, by the above-mentioned fastening, the pair of terminals 60 and the pair of terminals 80 are electrically connected to each other via the pair of joint terminals 98 and the pair of flexible wires 92. Thereafter, the opening 10a of the main body 11 is closed by the lid member 96 to which the packing 97 is attached.

[0040] Next, as shown in Fig. 5, the pair of gaskets 20 and the holder 30 are moved forward relative to the pair of electric wires 70, and the pair of gaskets 20 and the pair of cylindrical portions 31 of the holder 30 are inserted in this order into the inside of the pair of outlets 17. At this time, the pair of gaskets 20 are inserted to a position in the front-rear direction where there is a gap between the pair of step surfaces 16 of the housing 10 (see Fig. 5(b)), and the holder 30 is inserted until the front end surfaces of the pair of cylindrical portions 31 abut against the rear end surfaces of the pair of gaskets 20. In this state, the rear end of the holder 30 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the electric wire accommodating portion 12 (the pair of outlets 17) of the housing 10 (see Fig. 5(a)).

[0041] At this time, as described above, the inner lip portion 22 of the hole portion 21 of the packing 20 and the electric wire 70 are in the above-mentioned lightly wrapped state, and the outer diameter of the packing 20 and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 31 of the holder 30 are equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the outlet 17, so that no large frictional force is generated between the packing 20 and the holder 30 and the electric wire 70 and the outlet 17. This makes it easy to insert the pair of packings 20 and the pair of cylindrical portions 31 of the holder 30 into the pair of outlets 17.

[0042] Next, the first shell member 40 is moved forward relative to the pair of electric wires 70, and attached (extra-fitted) to the electric wire accommodating portion 12 so that the first and second tubular portions 41, 42 cover the electric wire accommodating portion 12 (i.e., the pair of outlet ports 17) of the housing 10 and so that the inner flange portion 43 of the first shell member 40 contacts the outer circumferential edge portion of the rear end portion of the holder 30 (see FIG. 5(a)). At this time, a gap H in the front-rear direction exists between the front end surface of the outer flange portion 44 of the first shell member 40 and the rear end surface of the flange portion 18 of the housing 10 (see FIG. 5(a)).

[0043] Next, the second shell member 50 is moved upward from below the main body portion 11 of the housing 10 relative to the main body portion 11, and attached to the housing 10 in a manner immovable relative to the main body portion 11 so as to cover the main body portion 11 and the connector portion 13. At this time, the pair of side walls 52 are located in front of the flange portion 18 of the housing 10, and the rear end faces of the pair of side walls 52 (rear end edges of the pair of bolt insertion holes 54) are in close contact with the front end face of the flange portion 18 in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 5(a)). The second shell member 50 may be attached to the housing 10 before the first shell member 40 is attached to the electric wire accommodating portion 12.

[0044] Next, the first shell member 40 and the second shell member 50 are fastened together using a pair of bolts 95 (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 5(a)). For this purpose, as shown in Fig. 2, the pair of bolts 95 are inserted from the rear into the pair of bolt insertion holes 45 of the first shell member 40, the pair of bolt insertion holes 19 of the housing 10, and the pair of bolt insertion holes 54 of the second shell member 50, in that order, and screwed into a pair of nuts (not shown) located in front of the pair of bolt insertion holes 54.

[0045] As a result, the first shell member 40 moves forward relative to the second shell member 50 (i.e., the housing 10) so that the gap H (see FIG. 5(a)) becomes smaller due to the axial force generated by screwing in the pair of bolts 95. Accordingly, the inner flange portion 43 of the first shell member 40 presses the outer circumferential edge portion of the rear end portion of the holder 30 forward, and the front ends of the pair of cylindrical portions 31 of the holder 30 press the pair of gaskets 20 forward, so that the holder 30 and the pair of gaskets 20 move forward as a unit relative to the housing 10 (the pair of withdrawal openings 17).

[0046] Such movement of the holder 30 and the pair of packings 20 continues until the pair of packings 20 abut against the pair of step surfaces 16. At the time when the pair of packings 20 abut against the pair of step surfaces 16, the gap H still remains. Therefore, even after the pair of packings 20 abut against the pair of step surfaces 16, the pair of cylindrical portions 31 of the holder 30 press the pair of packings 20 forward due to the axial force generated by the further screwing-in of the pair of bolts 95.

[0047] As a result, each packing 20 is pressed in the front-rear direction while being sandwiched between the cylindrical portion 31 of the holder 30 and the stepped surface 16 of the housing 10 in the front-rear direction, and is elastically deformed so as to be crushed in the front-rear direction and spread radially inward and outward. This elastic deformation causes the inner lip portion 22 of the packing 20 to come into pressing contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 70, and the outer lip portion 23 of the packing 20 to come into pressing contact with the inner wall surface of the outlet 17 of the housing 10 (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0048] As the pair of bolts 95 are screwed in, the outer flange portion 44 of the first shell member 40 and the flange portion 18 of the housing 10 come into close contact with each other (the gap H disappears), and when the pair of bolts 95 are tightened with a specified torque, the first shell member 40 and the second shell member 50 are fastened together (see FIG. 6), completing the assembly of the connector 1. As a result, the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.

[0049] In the assembled state of the connector 1, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the inner lip portion 22 of each packing 20 is crushed by being in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire 70 with sufficient pressing force due to the above-mentioned elastic deformation of the packing 20, and the outer lip portion 23 is crushed by being in close contact with the inner wall surface of the outlet 17 with sufficient pressing force. As a result, the pair of packings 20 reliably seal the gap between the inner wall surfaces of the pair of outlets 17 and the outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of electric wires 70. At this time, the change rate (C) of the protruding height of the inner lip portion 22 from the inner surface of the hole is greater than 50%. Furthermore, the packing 94 reliably seals the gap between the inner wall surface of the second tubular portion 42 of the first shell member 40 and the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire accommodating portion 12 of the housing 10.

[0050] In this manner, in the present embodiment, during the fastening operation of the first shell member 40 and the second shell member 50, the holder 30 is pressed against the pair of gaskets 20 to elastically deform the pair of gaskets 20, thereby simultaneously sealing the pair of outlets 17. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, by adjusting the length of the holder 30 in the front-rear direction, a single type of gasket 20 having a common shape can be applied to many types of electric wires 70 having different outer diameters.

[0051] Specifically, as the outer diameter of the electric wire 70 becomes smaller (i.e., as the radial gap between the electric wire 70 and the outlet 17 becomes larger), a holder 30 having a larger front-rear length is used. As a result, as the outer diameter of the electric wire 70 becomes smaller, the amount of squeezing of the packing 20 in the front-rear direction becomes larger, and the amount of expansion of the packing 20 in the radially inward and outward directions also becomes larger. As a result, when a single type of packing 20 is used, regardless of the size of the outer diameter of the electric wire 70, the inner lip portion 22 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 70 with an appropriate pressing force and crushed, and the outer lip portion 23 is pressed against the inner wall surface of the outlet 17 with an appropriate pressing force and crushed, thereby making it possible to properly seal the outlet 17.

[0052] <Actions and Effects> As described above, according to the connector 1 of the present embodiment, the packing 20 attached to the outlet 17 of the housing 10 is pressed by the holder 30 along the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the electric wire 70, and is sandwiched between the step surface 16 of the housing 10 and spread out in the radial direction of the electric wire 70. Therefore, it is possible to realize that the packing 20 in a state where it is not pressed by the holder 30 has a size (for example, the above-mentioned thin shape) suitable for mounting on the electric wire 70 and fitting into the outlet 17, and the packing 20 in a state where it is pressed by the holder 30 has a size (for example, the above-mentioned thick shape) that tightly seals the gap between the electric wire 70 and the outlet 17. Furthermore, by inserting the holder 30 into the inside of the outlet 17, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the pressing force on the packing 20 due to unintentional displacement of the holder 30 itself in the axial direction (front-rear direction). Furthermore, since the packing 20 is pressed by the holder 30 into a shape suitable for sealing, a single type of packing 20 having a common shape can be applied to many types of electric wires 70 having different outer diameters, improving the versatility of the packing 20. In this way, the connector 1 according to this embodiment can achieve both improved watertight performance by the packing 20 and improved workability in attaching the packing 20 to the electric wires 70 and the housing 10.

[0053] Furthermore, the packing 20 is pressed by the holder 30 which receives an external force (so-called fastening force, axial force) due to the bolt fastening structure of the housing 10. Therefore, the holder 30 can be pressed against the packing 20 with a stronger fastening force than when the holder 30 is pressed against the packing 20 by a method such as hooking the holder 30 to the housing 10. This allows the packing 20 to more tightly seal the gap between the electric wire 70 and the outlet 17, thereby improving the water-stopping performance of the packing 20. Furthermore, it is possible to more firmly prevent the holder 30 itself from being unintentionally displaced, thereby reducing the pressing force on the packing 20.

[0054] Furthermore, during the operation of fastening the first shell member 40 surrounding the outlet 17 to the second shell member 50 with the bolts 95, the holder 30 can be pressed against the packing 20 to seal the outlet 17. This improves the productivity of the connector 1 compared to the case where the operation of pressing the holder 30 against the packing 20 is performed separately and independently.

[0055] Furthermore, when the packing 20 is not pressed against the holder 30, only the periphery of the top (periphery of the protruding end) of the inner lip portion 22 provided in the hole portion 21 of the packing 20 contacts the electric wire 70 (i.e., the above-mentioned lightly wrapped state is achieved). Therefore, when attaching the packing 20 to the housing 10, the work of inserting the electric wire 70 into the hole portion 21 of the packing 20 becomes easier than when most of the inner lip portion 22 contacts the electric wire 70. Furthermore, such a lightly wrapped state can suppress unintended positional displacement of the packing 20. Therefore, the productivity of the connector 1 can be improved.

[0056] <Other forms> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications, improvements, etc. are possible. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the packing 20 is pressed by the holder 30 which receives an external force (so-called fastening force, axial force) due to the bolt fastening structure of the housing 10. In contrast, the holder 30 may be configured to be pressed against the packing 20 by a method such as hooking the holder 30 onto the housing 10. Specifically, for example, the holder 30 and the housing 10 may be provided with a locking mechanism for locking the holder 30 to the housing 10 in a state in which the holder 30 is pressed against the packing 20.

[0058] Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the connector 1 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [4]. [1] A connector (1) comprising: an electric wire (70); a terminal fitting (60) to which a conductor core wire (71) of the electric wire (70) is electrically connected; and a housing (10) that accommodates the terminal fitting (60) and through which the electric wire (70) is drawn from the inside to the outside, The housing (10) is an outlet (17) through which the electric wire (70) is inserted and drawn out; a seal member (20) arranged to surround the electric wire (70) in order to seal a gap between an inner wall surface of the outlet (17) and an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire (70); a holder (30) that is inserted into the outlet (17) to sandwich the seal member (20) between the holder and a predetermined portion (16) of the housing (10) and presses the seal member (20) along the axial direction of the electric wires (70) and spreads the seal member (20) in a direction intersecting the axial direction, thereby sealing the gap. Connector(1). [2] The connector (1) according to the above [1], The housing (10) is The holder (30) further includes a bolt fastening structure for applying an external force for pressing the seal member (20) to the holder (30) directly or indirectly using a bolt (95). Connector(1). [3] The connector (1) according to the above [2], a shell member (40) surrounding the outlet (17) and contacting the holder (30), The shell member (40) is When the shell member (40) is fastened to a fastening object (50) by using the bolt (95), the external force is applied to the holder (30). Connector(1). [4] In the connector (1) according to any one of the above [1] to [3], The sealing member (20) is the sealing member (20) has a hole (21) through which the electric wire (70) is inserted, and a protrusion (22) protruding from an inner surface of the hole (21) toward the electric wire (70) and extending in a circumferential direction of the hole (21), and when the sealing member (20) is not pressed against the holder (30), only the periphery of the protruding end of the protrusion (22) comes into contact with the electric wire (70); Connector(1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Connector 10. Housing 16 Step surface (specified location) 17 Drawer 20 Packing (sealing material) 21 Hole 22 Lip portion (protrusion portion) 30 Holder 40 First shell member (shell member) 50 Second shell member (object to be fastened) 60 Terminal (Terminal metal fitting) 70 Electric wire 71 Conductor core wire 95 volts

Claims

1. A connector comprising: an electric wire; a terminal fitting to which a conductor core wire of the electric wire is electrically connected; and a housing that accommodates the terminal fitting and through which the electric wire is drawn from an inside to an outside, The housing includes: a withdrawal port through which the electric wire is inserted and withdrawn; a seal member disposed to surround the electric wire and seal a gap between an inner wall surface of the outlet and an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire; a holder that is inserted into the outlet and sandwiches the seal member between the outlet and a predetermined portion of the housing, presses the seal member along an axial direction of the electric wire, and spreads the seal member in a direction intersecting the axial direction to seal the gap, The housing includes: The holder further includes a bolt fastening structure for applying an external force for pressing the seal member to the holder directly or indirectly using a bolt, the housing includes a main body having a box-like shape in which the electric wire and the conductive path connected to the terminal fitting are arranged, and an electric wire accommodating portion having a cylindrical shape extending from the main body along the axial direction of the electric wire and having the outlet on an extending end side, The connector further includes a first shell member arranged to cover the wire accommodating portion and in contact with the holder, and a second shell member arranged to cover the main body and separate from the first shell member, The first shell member and the second shell member are The first shell member is configured to exert the external force on the holder when the first shell member is fastened to the second shell member by using the bolt. connector.

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, The sealing member is a hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and a protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the hole toward the electric wire and extending in a circumferential direction of the hole, wherein only a periphery of a protruding end of the protrusion is in contact with the electric wire when the seal member is not pressed against the holder; connector.

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