Shielded Connectors

Abstract

To provide a shield connector capable of cooling a housing.SOLUTION: A shield connector 1 comprises: a housing 2 which is fitted in a through hole of a wall part having an edge part adjoining a flow passage 200 of travel wind of a vehicle, the wall part having a first wall surface facing upstream against the travel wind and the through hole; a terminal 3 which is held by the housing and inserted into the through hole; a shell 4 which has a flange part 42 facing upstream against the travel wind, and is fixed to the wall part on an upstream side of the travel wind to cover the housing; and an enclosure member 6 which forms a space part 9 surrounding the housing between the flange part and first wall surface, wherein the flange part is provided with an air intake 45a for taking the outside air into the space part and an air outlet 46a discharging the air in the space part to the outside with negative pressure generated by the travel wind, the air outlet is open facing the side of the edge part, and the distance from the air intake to the edge part is longer than the distance from the air outlet to the edge part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shielded connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are shielded connectors. Patent Document 1 discloses a shielded connector that includes terminals, a synthetic resin housing that houses the terminals, a heat transfer body that is fixed to a fixing part provided on the housing and in contact with the terminals, and a metal shield shell that is disposed along the outer surface of the fixing part so as to eliminate an air layer that occurs between the fixing part and the heat transfer body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-072009 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is still room for improvement in suppressing temperature rise in shielded connectors. For example, if airflow could be created around the housing that holds the terminals, a cooling effect could be expected.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a shielded connector capable of cooling the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The shielded connector of the present invention comprises a wall portion having an edge portion adjacent to a flow path of wind from a vehicle traveling, the wall portion having a first wall surface facing the upstream side of the traveling wind, and a through hole, a housing that fits into the through hole, a terminal held by the housing and inserted into the through hole, a shell that has a flange portion facing the upstream side of the traveling wind and is fixed to the upstream side of the traveling wind relative to the wall portion and covers the housing, and an enclosing member that forms a space portion surrounding the housing between the flange portion and the first wall surface, the flange portion being provided with an intake port for taking in outside air into the space portion, and an exhaust port for discharging air in the space portion to the outside by negative pressure generated by the traveling wind, the exhaust port opening toward the edge portion, and the distance from the intake port to the edge portion being longer than the distance from the exhaust port to the edge portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The shielded connector according to the present invention includes an enclosing member that forms a space surrounding the housing between the flange of the shell and a first wall surface of the wall. The flange is provided with an intake port that takes in outside air into the space and an exhaust port that exhausts air from the space to the outside by negative pressure generated by wind while the vehicle is running, and the exhaust port opens toward the edge, and the distance from the intake port to the edge is longer than the distance from the exhaust port to the edge. The shielded connector according to the present invention has the effect of forming an air flow around the housing to cool the housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shielded connector according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wall portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a wall portion according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a shell according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shell according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a shell according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a rear view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the shield connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a shielded connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 14. This embodiment relates to a shielded connector. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wall portion according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wall portion according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Figs. 6 to 8 are perspective views of a shell according to the embodiment, Fig. 9 is a rear view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Fig. 10 is a side view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, and Figs. 11 to 14 are cross-sectional views of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. Fig. 11 shows a cross section taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 shows a cross section taken along line XII-XII in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 shows a cross section taken along line XIII-XIII in Fig. 11.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment is fixed to a wall 110. The shielded connector 1 is connected to a device mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. The wall 110 is, for example, a wall constituting a housing 100 of a device such as an inverter. The wall 110 is formed of, for example, a conductive metal. As described below, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment has an enclosing member 6 that forms a space 9 around the housing 2. The shielded connector 1 uses negative pressure generated by a running wind W to generate an air flow in the space 9 to cool the housing 2.

[0012] 2, the shielded connector 1 has a housing 2, terminals 3, a shell 4, a boot 5, and an enclosing member 6. The housing 2 holds the terminals 3 and fits into through holes in a wall portion 110. The shell 4 accommodates and holds the housing 2. The shell 4 is fixed to the wall portion 110 by fastening members BT, and is grounded to the wall portion 110. The boot 5 is a waterproof member that is attached to the shell 4 and covers the electric wires 10.

[0013] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the wall portion 110 has an edge portion 110a adjacent to the flow path 200 of the traveling wind W. In the following description, the flow direction of the traveling wind W in the flow path 200 is referred to as a first direction X. The illustrated first direction X is a direction perpendicular to the vehicle vertical direction Z. The first direction X is typically the vehicle front-rear direction. A direction perpendicular to each of the first direction X and the vehicle vertical direction Z is referred to as a second direction Y. The second direction Y is typically the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The illustrated wall portion 110 is perpendicular to the first direction X. The edge portion 110a is an end portion of the wall portion 110 on the side of the flow path 200. The flow path 200 of this embodiment is located on the lower side Z2 of the wall portion 110 in the vehicle vertical direction Z, and therefore the edge portion 110a is a lower end portion of the wall portion 110. The illustrated edge portion 110a extends in the second direction Y. The wall portion 110 has a first wall surface 111 facing the upstream side X1 of the running wind W, a second wall surface 115 facing the downstream side X2, a through hole 112, and a pair of support portions 113.

[0015] The first wall surface 111 is a wall surface of the wall portion 110 facing the external space, and is a flat surface. The first direction X in this embodiment is perpendicular to the first wall surface 111. That is, the running wind W flows in a direction perpendicular to the first wall surface 111. The through hole 112 penetrates the wall portion 110 along the first direction X. The wall portion 110 in this embodiment has a cylindrical fitting portion 114. The fitting portion 114 protrudes from the first wall surface 111 toward the upstream side X1 in the first direction X. The shape of the fitting portion 114 when viewed from the first direction X is a substantially elliptical shape. The through hole 112 includes the inner circumferential surface of the fitting portion 114. That is, the through hole 112 penetrates from the second wall surface 115 to the tip of the fitting portion 114.

[0016] The support portion 113 supports the shell 4 of the shielded connector 1. The pair of support portions 113 are disposed on both sides of the fitting portion 114 in the second direction Y. The support portions 113 protrude from the first wall surface 111 toward the upstream side X1. The support portions 113 have a rectangular column shape. The support portions 113 are provided with holes 113a into which fastening members BT such as bolts are inserted. The holes 113a are, for example, screw holes.

[0017] 4, a terminal block 120 is disposed on the downstream side X2 of the wall portion 110. A mating terminal 130 to be connected to the shield connector 1 is disposed on the terminal block 120. The housing 100 has a wall portion 140 extending along the flow path 200.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 5, the housing 2 holds the terminals 3. The housing 2 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The housing 2 has a cylindrical shape with a substantially oval cross-sectional shape. The illustrated housing 2 holds two terminals 3 arranged side by side in the second direction Y. In other words, the second direction Y is the width direction of the housing 2.

[0019] The housing 2 has a main body 20, a fitting portion 21, and an abutment portion 22. The main body 20 has a cylindrical shape. The main body 20 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 41 of the shell 4 and is held by the shell 4. The fitting portion 21 is a portion that is inserted into the through hole 112 of the wall portion 110. The fitting portion 21 is provided at an end portion of the housing 2 in the axial direction. The terminal 3 has a flat connecting portion 31 that protrudes from the fitting portion 21. The terminal 3 is inserted into the through hole 112 of the wall portion 110 together with the fitting portion 21. The connecting portion 31 is provided with a through hole 31a that penetrates the connecting portion 31 in the plate thickness direction.

[0020] The contact portion 22 is a portion that contacts the tip surface of the fitting portion 114. The contact portion 22 is a flange portion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction from the boundary between the main body 20 and the fitting portion 21. The electric wire 10 connected to the terminal 3 is drawn out from the main body 20 toward the side opposite to the fitting portion 21 side.

[0021] The shielded connector 1 has an annular packing 7 attached to the fitting portion 21, and a front holder 8. The packing 7 seals between the wall surface of the through hole 112 and the fitting portion 21. The packing 7 is molded from a synthetic resin such as silicone. The front holder 8 is engaged with the housing 2 to hold the packing 7. The front holder 8 is molded from an insulating synthetic resin, for example.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the shell 4 has a tubular portion 41 and a flange portion 42. The shell 4 is formed of a conductive metal. The tubular portion 41 is a portion into which the main body 20 of the housing 2 is inserted. The cross-sectional shape of the tubular portion 41 is a substantially elliptical shape. A braid covering the electric wire 10 is fixed to an end portion 41a of the tubular portion 41 on the upstream side X1. The flange portion 42 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the first direction X from an end portion of the tubular portion 41 on the downstream side X2. A peripheral wall 42a is provided on the outer edge of the flange portion 42. The peripheral wall 42a is erected toward the downstream side X2 of the first direction X. The peripheral wall 42a is provided with a through hole 42b into which the fastening member BT is inserted.

[0023] The flange portion 42 has a first portion 43 and a second portion 44. The first portion 43 protrudes to one side in the second direction Y relative to the cylindrical portion 41. The second portion 44 protrudes to the other side in the second direction Y relative to the cylindrical portion 41. In other words, the first portion 43 and the second portion 44 protrude in opposite directions relative to the cylindrical portion 41. The first portion 43 and the second portion 44 have a surface facing the upstream side X1 and a surface facing the downstream side X2 in the first direction X.

[0024] The first portion 43 is provided with an intake section 45, and the second portion 44 is provided with an exhaust section 46. The intake section 45 is a section that takes in air to cool the housing 2. The exhaust section 46 is a section that exhausts the air that has cooled the housing 2. The intake section 45 and the exhaust section 46 protrude toward the upstream side X1 in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. 7, the intake section 45 has an intake port 45a and a first hood section 45b. The exhaust section 46 has an exhaust port 46a and a second hood section 46b.

[0025] The hood portions 45b, 46b are walls that rise toward the upstream side X1 in the first direction X. The hood portions 45b, 46b are shaped like a gutter extending in the vehicle up-down direction Z. The ends of the hood portions 45b, 46b on the upper side Z1 are closed. An intake port 45a is provided at an end of the first hood portion 45b on the lower side Z2, and an exhaust port 46a is provided at an end of the second hood portion 46b on the lower side Z2.

[0026] The raised height of the hood parts 45b, 46b increases from the upper side Z1 to the lower side Z2. The intake port 45a is an opening provided at the lower end of the first hood part 45b and faces the lower side Z2. The exhaust port 46a is an opening provided at the lower end of the second hood part 46b and faces the lower side Z2. In this embodiment, the intake port 45a and the exhaust port 46a are rectangular in shape. The intake part 45 and the exhaust part 46 can prevent foreign matter and moisture from entering the inside of the shielded connector 1 by the hood parts 45b, 46b.

[0027] The boot 5 shown in Fig. 2 etc. is a member that is attached to the shell 4 and covers the electric wire 10 and the braid. The boot 5 is molded, for example, from synthetic rubber having insulating elasticity. The boot 5 is fitted and fixed to the tubular portion 41 of the shell 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the shell 4 is fixed to the upstream side of the wall portion 110.

[0028] The surrounding member 6 is a member that forms a space 9 surrounding the housing 2. The surrounding member 6 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The surrounding member 6 is made of a soft material such as urethane resin that can fit the flange portion 42 and the first wall surface 111 of the shell 4. The surrounding member 6 has a through hole 61 that forms the space 9 between itself and the housing 2.

[0029] Fig. 9 shows the shielded connector 1 before the shell 4 is fixed to the wall portion 110 and before the boot 5 and the surrounding member 6 are attached. As shown in Fig. 9, the positions of the intake port 45a and the exhaust port 46a are different in the vehicle vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, with respect to the position ZC of the central axis of the tube portion 41, the exhaust port 46a is located on the lower side Z2 and the intake port 45a is located on the upper side Z1.

[0030] Distance L1 from intake port 45a to edge portion 110a is longer than distance L2 from exhaust port 46a to edge portion 110a. Distances L1 and L2 are distances in the vehicle up-down direction Z. In other words, the shortest distance from intake port 45a to flow path 200 is longer than the shortest distance from exhaust port 46a to flow path 200. By arranging intake port 45a far from flow path 200, foreign matter carried by running wind W is less likely to enter intake port 45a.

[0031] 10, 11, and 12 show the shielded connector 1 to which the boot 5 and the surrounding member 6 are attached. As shown in FIG. 10, the connection portion 31 of the terminal 3 protrudes from the wall portion 110 toward the downstream side X2 and is connected to the mating terminal 130. FIG. 11 shows a cross section of the shielded connector 1 as seen from the wall portion 110 side. The cross section position of FIG. 11 is a position passing through the peripheral wall 42a of the shell 4. As shown in FIG. 11, the surrounding member 6 surrounds the flange portion 42 of the shell 4. The surrounding member 6 is in close contact with the peripheral wall 42a of the flange portion 42. Also, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12, the surrounding member 6 is in close contact with the first wall surface 111 of the wall portion 110. That is, the surrounding member 6 forms a space portion 9 between the flange portion 42 and the first wall surface 111.

[0032] The space 9 is formed to surround the housing 2. That is, a gap through which air can flow is formed between the inner circumferential surface of the surrounding member 6 and the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 11, the space 9 includes an upper passage 91, a lower passage 92, an intake side space 93, and an exhaust side space 94. The upper passage 91 is a passage formed on the upper side Z1 with respect to the housing 2. The lower passage 92 is a passage formed on the lower side Z2 with respect to the housing 2. The intake side space 93 and the exhaust side space 94 are adjacent to the housing 2 in the second direction Y. The intake side space 93 communicates with the external space via the intake port 45a. The exhaust side space 94 communicates with the external space via the exhaust port 46a. Thus, the shape of the space 9 in this embodiment is a ring shape surrounding the housing 2.

[0033] The shielded connector 1 of this embodiment forms an air flow in the space 9 by utilizing the negative pressure of the traveling wind W. FIG. 13 shows a cross section including the exhaust part 46 of the shell 4. As shown in FIG. 13, when the vehicle is traveling, the traveling wind W is generated in the flow path 200, and the air pressure in the flow path 200 decreases. As described above, the shortest distance from the intake port 45a to the flow path 200 is longer than the shortest distance from the exhaust port 46a to the flow path 200. Therefore, the effect of the decrease in air pressure in the flow path 200 on the exhaust port 46a is greater than the effect of the decrease in air pressure on the intake port 45a. That is, the pressure of the exhaust port 46a is lower than the pressure of the intake port 45a. Therefore, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment can generate an air flow in the space 9 by the air pressure difference between the intake port 45a and the exhaust port 46a.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 13, the air in the exhaust side space 94 is sucked out to the outside space through the exhaust port 46a. The exhaust port 46a faces the flow path 200, and can efficiently exhaust the air in the space portion 9 toward the flow path 200. As shown in FIG. 14, while the air is sucked out from the exhaust port 46a, the air is sucked into the space portion 9 through the intake port 45a. Therefore, in the space portion 9, an air flow from the intake side space 93 toward the exhaust side space 94 is generated. The air flowing through the upper passage 91 and the air flowing through the lower passage 92 cool the housing 2 and the shell 4. In addition, the air flowing through the space portion 9 can cool the fitting portion 114 of the wall portion 110. That is, the air flowing through the space portion 9 can cool the fitting portion 21 of the housing 2 through the fitting portion 114.

[0035] The housing 2 and the shell 4 are cooled, thereby cooling the shielded connector 1. The cooling effect of air circulation can suppress the temperature rise inside the connector, so that it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the shielded connector 1 and to take measures against heat generation at the same time. For example, one possible way to suppress heat generation is to increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the terminals 3 to reduce electrical resistance. However, this tends to result in an increase in the size of the shielded connector 1. In contrast, in the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment, the cooling effect of air circulation makes it possible to increase the current flow while suppressing the increase in size of the connector.

[0036] The shielded connector 1 of this embodiment may be a connector that supplies power to a motor in a hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like. In such vehicles, power is consumed by the motor during acceleration. Therefore, when the shielded connector 1 is energized, a cooling effect is exerted by the traveling wind W. In addition, the cooling effect using the traveling wind W continues in the space portion 9 during driving, not only during acceleration. In other words, regardless of whether the shielded connector 1 is energized or not, the housing 2 is cooled while the vehicle is running. Therefore, in the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment, temperature rise is appropriately suppressed.

[0037] As described above, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment includes the housing 2, the terminal 3, the shell 4, and the surrounding member 6. The housing 2 fits into the through hole 112 of the wall 110. The wall 110 has an edge 110a adjacent to the flow path 200 of the vehicle's traveling wind W, and has a first wall surface 111 facing the upstream side X1 of the traveling wind W, and a through hole 112. The terminal 3 is held by the housing 2 and inserted into the through hole 112. The shell 4 has a flange portion 42 facing the upstream side X1 of the traveling wind W. The shell 4 is fixed to the wall 110 on the upstream side X1 of the traveling wind W, and covers the housing 2. The surrounding member 6 forms a space portion 9 surrounding the housing 2 between the flange portion 42 and the first wall surface 111.

[0038] The flange portion 42 is provided with an intake port 45a for taking in outside air into the space portion 9, and an exhaust port 46a for discharging air in the space portion 9 to the outside by negative pressure generated by the traveling wind W. The exhaust port 46a opens toward the edge portion 110a. A distance L1 from the intake port 45a to the edge portion 110a is longer than a distance L2 from the exhaust port 46a to the edge portion 110a. In the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust port 46a is at a lower pressure than the intake port 45a, and an air flow can be formed around the housing 2. Therefore, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment can cool the housing 2 by using the traveling wind W.

[0039] The shell 4 of this embodiment has a tubular portion 41 into which the housing 2 is inserted. The flange portion 42 has a first portion 43 and a second portion 44. The first portion 43 protrudes to one side in the width direction of the housing 2 relative to the tubular portion 41. The second portion 44 protrudes to the other side in the width direction relative to the tubular portion 41. The air intake 45a is disposed in the first portion 43, and the air exhaust 46a is disposed in the second portion 44. Thus, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment can form an air flow around the housing 2 along the width direction of the housing 2.

[0040] The shell 4 of this embodiment has a first hood portion 45b and a second hood portion 46b that are raised toward the upstream side X1 of the traveling wind W. The intake port 45a is an opening provided at the lower end of the first hood portion 45b and faces the lower side Z2. The exhaust port 46a is an opening provided at the lower end of the second hood portion 46b and faces the lower side Z2. This configuration prevents foreign matter from entering the space portion 9.

[0041] The arrangement of the intake port 45a and the exhaust port 46a is not limited to the illustrated arrangement. For example, the intake port 45a and the exhaust port 46a may be arranged side by side in the vehicle vertical direction Z. In this case, the intake port 45a may be arranged on the upper side Z1 with respect to the housing 2, and the exhaust port 46a may be arranged on the lower side Z2 with respect to the housing 2.

[0042] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Shielded connector 2: housing; 3: terminal; 4: shell; 5: boot; 6: enclosing member 7: Packing, 8: Front holder, 9: Space, 10: Electric wire 20: main body, 21: fitting portion, 22: contact portion 41: cylindrical portion, 42: flange portion, 42a: peripheral wall 43:First part, 44:Second part 45: intake section, 45a: intake port, 45b: first hood section 46: exhaust section, 46a: exhaust port, 46b: second hood section 91: upper passage, 92: lower passage, 93: intake space, 94: exhaust space 100: housing, 110: wall portion, 110a: edge portion, 111: first wall surface 112: Through hole, 113: Support part, 114: Fitting part, 115: Second wall surface 120: Terminal block, 130: Terminal, 140: Wall 200: Flow path W: Driving wind X: First direction, X1: Upstream side, X2: Downstream side Y: Second direction, Z: Vehicle up-down direction

Claims

1. a wall portion having an edge portion adjacent to a flow path of a traveling wind of the vehicle and a first wall surface facing an upstream side of the traveling wind, and a through hole; and a housing that fits into the through hole of the wall portion; a terminal held by the housing and inserted into the through hole; a shell having a flange portion facing the upstream side of the running wind, the shell being fixed to the wall portion on the upstream side of the running wind and covering the housing; a surrounding member that forms a space surrounding the housing between the flange portion and the first wall surface; Equipped with The flange portion is provided with an air intake port for taking in outside air into the space portion, and an exhaust port for discharging the air in the space portion to the outside by negative pressure generated by the running wind, The exhaust port is open toward the edge portion, The distance from the intake port to the edge is greater than the distance from the exhaust port to the edge. Shielded connector.

2. the shell has a tubular portion into which the housing is inserted, the flange portion has a first portion that protrudes toward one side in a width direction of the housing relative to the cylindrical portion, and a second portion that protrudes toward the other side in the width direction relative to the cylindrical portion, the air inlet is disposed in the first portion; The exhaust port is disposed in the second portion.

2. The shielded connector according to claim 1.

3. The shell has a first hood portion and a second hood portion that protrude toward the upstream side of the running wind, The air intake port is an opening provided at a lower end of the first hood portion and faces downward in the vehicle up-down direction, The exhaust port is an opening provided at a lower end of the second hood portion and faces downward in the vehicle up-down direction.

3. The shielded connector according to claim 1 or 2.

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