connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that includes an outer housing and a wire cover that are suitably engaged with each other.SOLUTION: A connector 2000 has an outer housing 200, and a wire cover 100 assembled with the outer housing 200. The connector 2000 further includes a first press-fit engagement portion ZI and a second press-fit engagement portion YI that engage the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 with each other by press-fitting. A first press-fit direction in the first press-fit engagement portion ZI and a second press-fit direction in the second press-fit engagement portion YI intersect each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors, and more particularly to connectors that provide electrical connections. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including an outer housing from which a plurality of electric wires are drawn, and a wire cover that covers the electric wire drawing surface while leaving a space between the outer housing and the wire cover.

[0003] In attaching the wire cover to the outer housing of this connector, first, the locking portion on one side edge of the wire cover is hooked onto the lock receiving portion of the outer housing, and then the locking portion on the other side edge of the wire cover is engaged with the lock receiving portion of the outer housing, thereby attaching the wire cover to the outer housing. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Tyco Electronics Instruction Manual 411-78084-1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The inventors of the present application realized that there were problems to be overcome in the structure of the outer housing and wire cover of a conventional connector, and found it necessary to take measures to address these problems. Specifically, they found the following problems:

[0006] One example of the arrangement of the connector having the above-mentioned wire cover is an arrangement in a location where vibrations are transmitted. In such an arrangement, the vibrations transmitted to the connector may cause a rattle between the wire cover and the outer housing, which may cause the engagement to come off. Furthermore, there is a risk of the conductivity being impaired by the vibrations being transmitted from the electric wire to the terminal contacts of the connector through the wire cover.

[0007] For example, in the connector described in Non-Patent Document 1, the wire cover is attached to the outer housing by hooking and engaging the locking portion of the wire cover with the lock receiving portion of the outer housing. However, in this structure, when vibrations are applied from multiple directions, rattling occurs between the wire cover and the outer housing, which may cause the wire cover to come off the outer housing and / or cause poor contact of the terminal contacts.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and a primary object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector including an outer housing and a wire cover that are more suitably engaged with each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present disclosure provides a connector having an outer housing and a wire cover assembled to the outer housing, the connector having a first press-fit engagement portion and a second press-fit engagement portion that engage the outer housing and the wire cover with each other by clamping, and a first clamping direction at the first press-fit engagement portion and a second clamping direction at the second press-fit engagement portion intersect with each other. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In the connector according to the present disclosure, the outer housing and the wire cover are more suitably engaged with each other.

[0011] More specifically, the connector of the present disclosure has a structure that allows the connector to be press-fitted in two mutually intersecting directions, the first clamping direction and the second clamping direction, thereby achieving stronger assembly between the outer housing and the wire cover. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress rattling caused by vibrations from multiple directions, and to more effectively prevent detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contacts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a connector according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view that illustrates a wire cover of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a partial enlarged view of portion I of the wire cover in FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view that illustrates a schematic view of a housing of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 5A is a perspective cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 4 taken along arrow AA. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a partial enlarged view of a portion II of the wire cover in FIG. 5A. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of the connector of the present disclosure before a wire cover is attached. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing a schematic view of the connector of the present disclosure after the wire cover is attached. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view diagrammatically illustrating the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 8A] 8A is a perspective cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 7 taken along arrow BB. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a partial enlarged view showing a portion III of the connector of FIG. 8A. [Figure 9A]FIG. 9A is a plan cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 7 taken along arrow BB. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a partial enlarged view showing a portion IV of the connector of FIG. 9A. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a side cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 9A taken along arrow CC. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a partial enlarged view showing portion V of the connector of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a top view that typically illustrates a housing of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a schematic enlarged view of a portion VI of the housing in FIG. 11A and also shows a "tapered portion related to the press-fitting." [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is a side view that illustrates a schematic view of a housing of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a schematic enlarged view of a portion VII of the housing in FIG. 12A and also shows a "tapered surface associated with the press fit." [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view that illustrates a schematic diagram of a wire cover of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is a plan sectional view of the wire cover of FIG. 13 taken along the line of arrow DD. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a partial enlarged view showing a portion VIII of the wire cover in FIG. 14A. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a side cross-sectional view of the wire cover shown in FIG. 14A taken along the line of arrow EE. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a partial enlarged view showing a portion IX of the wire cover in FIG. 15A. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a side view that illustrates a schematic diagram of the connector of the present disclosure before the wire cover is attached. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a side view that illustrates the connector of the present disclosure when the wire cover is placed in the temporary assembly position. [Figure 16C]FIG. 16C is a side view that illustrates the connector of the present disclosure after the wire cover has been attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Various elements in the drawings are merely illustrated diagrammatically and illustratively for the purpose of describing the present disclosure, and the appearance, dimensional ratio, and the like may differ from the actual objects.

[0014] Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions are used as necessary. However, the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms does not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, parts with the same reference numerals in multiple drawings refer to the same or equivalent parts.

[0015] First, in order to understand the overall structure of the connector of the present disclosure, an overview of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a connector according to the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the connector according to the present disclosure after assembly. The connector 2000 includes, as main components, a housing 1000, a wire cover 100, and an operating lever 800 rotatably attached to the wire cover 100.

[0017] Although not shown, the housing 1000 supports a plurality of terminals connected to one ends of a plurality of electric wires provided in a mating connector that mates with the present connector 2000. The wire cover 100 is attached to the housing 1000 so as to cover a plurality of electric wires connected to a plurality of terminals. FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a wire cover of the connector of the present disclosure as viewed from above and below. The wire cover 100 has an opening 110 at one end in the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000. A plurality of electric wires (not shown) covered by the wire cover 100 are pulled toward the opening 110 and extend from the opening 110 to the outside of the connector 2000. Furthermore, the wire cover 100 has a press-fitting protrusion 121 and a positioning protrusion 122 protruding from a side wall 120 either outward or inward (see FIG. 3B).

[0018] For the convenience of the following description, the "directions" used in this specification and the drawings are defined as follows. As shown in FIG. 2, in this specification and the drawings, the direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000 is referred to as the "front-rear direction X". In the "front-rear direction X", the direction in which the opening 110 (see FIG. 1) is formed in the wire cover 100 is referred to as the "rear direction X" and the opposite direction is referred to as the "front direction X'". Here, the "rear direction X" essentially means the direction in which the electric wire is drawn out from the opening 110 of the wire cover, and corresponds to the "electric wire drawing direction". In addition, the direction corresponding to the vertical direction in the drawings is referred to as the "vertical direction Z". In the "vertical direction Z", the vertical downward direction (i.e., the direction in which gravity acts) is referred to as the "downward direction Z" and the opposite direction is referred to as the "upward direction Z'". In addition, the direction corresponding to the lateral direction of the connector 2000 is referred to as the "left-right direction Y". In a preferred embodiment, the "front-rear direction X," the "up-down direction Z," and the "left-right direction Y" are each perpendicular to one another.

[0019] In this specification, the term "planar view" refers to the state when the object is viewed from above or below along the vertical direction Z. In addition, in this specification, the term "cross-sectional view" refers to the state when the object is viewed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, i.e., along the horizontal direction Y.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, a housing 1000 of the connector of the present disclosure has an outer housing 200, an inner housing 400, and a front housing 700. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the housing 1000 of the connector of the present disclosure, and Fig. 5A is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the housing 1000 of Fig. 4A with a rear part removed. As shown in the figure, the outer housing 200 may be assembled so as to cover the inner housing 400 and the front housing 700.

[0021] 5B, the outer housing 200 has a raised portion 220, a press-fit groove 221 provided in the raised portion 220, and a protrusion 230. The raised portion 220 may be formed along the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000 so as to protrude from the upper surface 210 of the outer housing 200 in the upward direction Z'. The press-fit groove 221 is a groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000 on the side surface of the raised portion 220 facing the wire cover 100. In addition, the protrusion 230 is formed so as to protrude from the upper surface 210 of the outer housing in the upward direction Z'.

[0022] 1, the outer housing 200 may have a groove 240 penetrating each of two longitudinal side walls along the front-rear direction X. As shown in FIG. 4, a cam member 300 is housed in each groove 240 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction X.

[0023] The cam member 300 in the connector 2000 of the present disclosure may have a generally plate-like shape (see FIG. 1). A plurality of cam grooves 310 are provided on the side surface of the cam member 300, which correspond to cam pins (not shown) of the mating connector.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the operating lever 800 in the connector of the present disclosure extends in a curved manner so as to straddle the wire cover 100 in the left-right direction Y, and is pivotally supported on both sides of the wire cover 100. This rotation operation of the operating lever 800 assists the fitting of the present connector 2000 with the mating connector. Specifically, the operating lever 800 may be assembled so that the cam member 300 in the groove 240 of the outer housing 200 can be slid by the rotation operation. This sliding movement of the cam member 300 draws the cam pin of the mating connector into the cam groove 310 of the cam member 300, completing the fitting of the present connector with the mating connector. In this way, when the connector 2000 is fitted with the mating connector, the operating lever 800 and the cam member 300 act as a multiplier mechanism. In other words, the operating lever and the cam member make it possible to fit the connector 2000 with the mating connector with less force.

[0025] Furthermore, the connector 2000 of the present disclosure may include a retainer 500 that is inserted into the inner housing 400 (see FIG. 1). The retainer 500 can position and fix terminals (not shown) of a mating connector within the inner housing 400.

[0026] Furthermore, the connector of the present disclosure may have a sealant 600 for waterproofing (see FIG. 1). In the present disclosure, the connector 2000 may include a sealant 600 on the inner surface and / or outer periphery of the inner housing 400. The sealant 600 can seal off water between the inner housing 400 and the mating connector.

[0027] In the connector 2000 of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, after a plurality of terminals (not shown) of a mating connector are inserted into the housing 1000, the wire cover 100 to which the operating lever 800 is attached is assembled to the outer housing 200. The connector of the present disclosure is characterized by the assembly structure of the wire cover 100 to the outer housing 200. The assembly structure of the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0028] The connector of the present disclosure has a press-fit engagement portion where the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 are engaged with each other by pressing. The press-fit engagement portion restricts the wire cover 100 and / or the outer housing 200 from moving relatively in the pressing direction. This means that the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 are fixed by pressure in the pressing direction at the press-fit engagement portion. In other words, the connector of the present disclosure has a press-fit engagement portion where the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 engage with each other while interfering with each other, thereby suppressing the relative displacement of the wire cover 100 and / or the outer housing 200 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surfaces where they engage with each other. This means that the press-fit engagement portion can prevent rattling in the pressing direction where pressure is applied. Therefore, it can be understood that the connector of the present disclosure has a wire cover and an outer housing having a vibration suppression structure.

[0029] The connector of the present disclosure has two types of press-fitting engagement parts whose clamping directions intersect with each other. That is, the connector of the present disclosure has a first press-fitting engagement part and a second press-fitting engagement part that mutually engage the outer housing and the wire cover, and the first press-fitting direction in the first press-fitting engagement part and the second press-fitting direction in the second press-fitting engagement part are mutually intersecting directions. By assembling the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 by the two types of press-fitting engagement parts whose clamping directions intersect with each other, the relative displacement of the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 in multiple directions can be more suitably restricted. Therefore, in the connector of the present disclosure, rattling due to vibrations from multiple directions can be more suitably suppressed, and detachment of the wire cover 100 from the outer housing 200 and / or poor contact of the terminal contact parts can be prevented.

[0030] Preferably, the clamping directions of the first press-fitting engagement portion and the second press-fitting engagement portion are orthogonal to each other. In other words, it is preferable that the first clamping direction in the first press-fitting engagement portion and the second clamping direction in the second press-fitting engagement portion are directions that intersect substantially perpendicular to each other. By the clamping directions being orthogonal to each other, it becomes possible to more effectively suppress relative displacement due to vibration from a plurality of directions. Here, "orthogonal to each other" and "intersect substantially perpendicularly" do not have to be completely "orthogonal" or "perpendicular" and include aspects that are slightly deviated therefrom (for example, the angle between the first clamping direction and the second clamping direction is in the range of 90°±20°, for example, up to 90°±10°). For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the connector of the present disclosure has a first press-fitting engagement portion Z in which the first clamping direction is the vertical direction Z. I (See FIG. 10B ), and the second press-fitting engagement portion Y I (See FIG. 9B) The structure of the press-fitting engagement portion will be described below.

[0031] Fig. 10A is a side cross-sectional view of the connector 2000 of the present disclosure shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, Fig. 10B is a side cross-sectional view of the first press-fit engagement portion Z of the connector of Fig. 10A. I As shown in the figure, the wire cover 100 has a press-fit protrusion 121 on the side wall 120, and the outer housing 200 has a press-fit groove 221 provided in the raised portion 220. IIn this case, the press-fit projections 121 and the press-fit grooves 221 engage with each other, thereby assembling the wire cover 100 to the outer housing 200. Therefore, the press-fit engagement between the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 in the first clamping direction may be performed by assembling the wire cover so that the press-fit projections 121 of the wire cover enter the press-fit grooves 221 of the outer housing. In other words, the press-fit projections 121 of the wire cover can be engaged with each other by being press-fitted into the press-fit grooves 221 of the outer housing. This means that the press-fit projections 121 of the wire cover are fixed by receiving pressure from the first clamping direction by the press-fit grooves 221 of the outer housing, i.e., from the vertical direction Z. With this assembly structure, the relative displacement of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 in the vertical direction Z can be more suitably restricted.

[0032] 11A is a top view of a housing 1000 of the connector of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the raised portion 220 of the connector of the present disclosure is provided on the peripheral portion of the upper surface 210 of the outer housing 200 along the longitudinal direction of the outer housing 200. With this structure, the side wall 120 of the wire cover is supported by the raised portion 220, and rattling of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 is more suitably suppressed.

[0033] Fig. 12A is a side view that shows a schematic view of the housing 1000 of the connector of the present disclosure, and Fig. 12B is a partially enlarged view of a portion of the outer housing 200 of Fig. 12A that is related to the press-fit engagement in the first clamping direction. The press-fit groove 221 may be provided to form a groove along the front-rear direction X on the side surface of the raised portion 220 so as to correspond to the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12B, the press-fit groove 221 may be formed by a side protrusion 222 provided on the raised portion 220. The side protrusion 222 may be formed to protrude or protrude from a side surface of the raised portion 220 that faces the side wall 120 of the wire cover toward the side wall 120 of the wire cover. That is, the press-fit groove 221 may be formed by the lower surface 222a of the side projection 222 provided on the side surface of the raised portion 220 facing the wire cover 100, the side surface of the raised portion 220, and the upper surface 210 of the outer housing.

[0034] Also, as shown in FIG. 12B, in the connector of the present disclosure, the press-fit groove 221 may be a tapered groove. In other words, the upper surface of the press-fit groove 221 may be inclined to form an angle with respect to the upper surface 210 of the outer housing. That is, the press-fit groove 221 may be a tapered groove that gradually narrows in the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000. More specifically, the upper surface of the press-fit groove 221 may have an inclined surface that gradually decreases in the rear direction X" so that the press-fit groove 221 gradually narrows in the rear direction X". In a preferred embodiment, the lower surface 222a of the side projection may have a tapered shape, thereby forming the tapered press-fit groove 221 as described above. This means that the lower surface 222a of the side projection provided on the raised portion 220 has an inclined surface that gradually decreases in the rear direction X" of the connector.

[0035] The rear portion of the press-fit groove 221 (i.e., the portion where the width dimension is narrower) may have a width dimension that is the same as or more preferably slightly smaller than the thickness of the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover. That is, it is more preferable that the press-fit groove 221 has a shape that gradually narrows to a width dimension where the rear portion and the press-fit protrusion 121 come into close contact with each other and interfere with each other. In other words, it is more preferable that the lower surface 222a of the side projection has an inclined surface that gradually becomes lower toward the rear so that the engagement with the press-fit protrusion 121 gradually changes from light press-fit to heavy press-fit. In a cross-sectional view, the inclination angle α (see FIG. 12B) that the lower surface 222a of the side projection forms with the upper surface 210 of the outer housing is not particularly limited as long as the rear portion of the lower surface 222a interferes with the press-fit protrusion 121. For example, the inclination angle α can be 5° or more and 45° or less, more preferably 5° or more and 35° or less, for example 30°. This shape allows the press-fit groove 221 and the press-fit protrusion 121 to be press-fitted and engaged more appropriately, and preferably suppresses rattling of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100. The shape of the surface forming the taper is not particularly limited as long as it allows press-fitting and engagement with the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover 100. For example, the surface forming the taper shape may be a flat surface or a curved surface.

[0036] FIG. 14A is a plan sectional view of the wire cover 100 shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 14B shows an enlarged view of the press-fit protrusion 121 in the wire cover of FIG. 14A. As shown in the figure, the press-fit protrusion 121 is provided so as to protrude from the side wall 120 of the wire cover toward the raised portion 220 of the outer housing. Moreover, the side wall 120 of the wire cover on which the press-fit protrusion 121 is provided is preferably the inner wall of the wire cover. In other words, the press-fit protrusion 121 corresponding to the press-fit groove 221 of the outer housing 200 is preferably provided on the inner side of the wire cover 100. That is, the raised portion 220 of the outer housing is positioned so as to face the inner side of the side wall 120 of the wire cover, and the press-fit engagement in the first clamping direction may be performed on the inner side of the wire cover 100. This structure can ensure a larger space for accommodating the electric wires (not shown) of the mating connector in the wire cover 100, compared to a case in which the press-fit projections 121 are provided on the outside of the wire cover 100. Therefore, vibrations that may be transmitted from the electric wires to the terminal contacts of the connector via the wire cover can be more effectively suppressed, and the possibility of causing poor contact can be more effectively reduced.

[0037] FIG. 15A is a side cross-sectional view of the wire cover 100 shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 15B shows an enlarged view of the press-fit protrusion 121 in the wire cover of FIG. 15A. As shown in the figure, the press-fit protrusion 121 corresponding to the press-fit groove 221 of the outer housing is preferably provided at the edge portion of the side wall 120 of the wire cover. More specifically, the press-fit protrusion 121 is preferably arranged at the edge portion of the wire cover so as to protrude from the side wall 120 to either the inside or the outside of the wire cover 100. The press-fit protrusion 121 provided at the edge portion of the side wall 120 of the wire cover enables press-fit engagement with a larger engagement area when press-fitting with the press-fit groove 221 formed between the lower surface 222a of the side protrusion and the upper surface 210 of the outer housing. Therefore, the above-mentioned structure allows the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover to be more stably clamped, making it possible to more suitably suppress rattling of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100.

[0038] Furthermore, when a lever-type connector such as the connector of the present disclosure is mounted in an engine room of an automobile, it can generally be arranged with the wire cover 100 facing upward as shown in FIG. 7 and the like. The inventors have found that in such an arrangement, among the vibrations that may occur during operation, vibrations having a vertical component can be the strongest. Therefore, the connector can be most strongly affected by vertical vibrations. In the connector of the present disclosure, by press-fitting and engaging the wire cover and the outer housing by clamping in the vertical direction Z as described above, it is possible to more appropriately suppress rattling caused by vibrations transmitted to the connector. Therefore, the connector of the present disclosure contributes to preventing unintended detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contact portion.

[0039] In the connector of the present disclosure, the second press-fitting engagement portion Y I The second clamping direction of the second press-fitting engagement portion Y may be the left-right direction Y. I 8A is a perspective cross-sectional view of the connector of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9A is a plan cross-sectional view. Furthermore, each of FIG. 8B and FIG. 9B shows the structure of the second press-fitting engagement portion Y I 11B . As shown in the figure, the press-fit engagement in the second clamping direction may be performed by the side wall 120 of the wire cover interfering with the protruding portion 230 of the outer housing. That is, the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 may be press-fitted and engaged by the side wall 120 of the wire cover interfering with the protruding portion 230 of the outer housing. More specifically, the side wall 120 of the wire cover has a thick portion 120a that is relatively thicker than a thin portion 120b described later, and the thick portion 120a may be engaged with a side surface 230a (see FIG. 11B ) of the protruding portion 230 of the outer housing. In other words, the thick portion 120a of the side wall 120 of the wire cover may be fixed by clamping by interfering with the side surface 230a of the protruding portion 230 of the outer housing. With such a structure, the relative displacement of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 in the left-right direction Y can be suitably restricted.

[0040] FIG. 11A is a top view showing a schematic view of a housing 1000 of the connector of the present disclosure, and FIG. 11B is a partially enlarged view of a portion related to the press-fit engagement in the second clamping direction in the outer housing 200 of the connector of FIG. 11A. As shown in FIG. 11B, in the connector 2000 of the present disclosure, the side surface 230a of the protrusion may be a tapered surface. That is, the side surface 230a of the protrusion may be inclined to form an angle β with respect to the longitudinal axis L. More specifically, the side surface 230a of the protrusion that interferes with the thick portion 120a of the wire cover may have a tapered surface that is gradually inclined in the longitudinal direction of the connector. In other words, the tapered surface of the protrusion 230 may be gradually inclined so as to interfere more strongly with the thick portion 120a in the rear portion. This means that in the connector 2000 of the present disclosure, the side surface 230a of the protrusion and the thick portion 120a of the wire cover are press-fitted into each other at the rear portion of the tapered surface of the side surface 230a of the protrusion. In other words, it is preferable that the side surface 230a of the protrusion has an inclined surface that gradually narrows toward the thick portion in the rear direction X" so that the press-fit engagement with the thick portion 120a of the wire cover gradually changes from light press-fit to heavy press-fit. In a plan view, the inclination angle β (see FIG. 11B) that the side surface 230a of the protrusion makes with the longitudinal axis L is not particularly limited as long as the rear portion of the side surface 230a interferes with the side wall 120 of the wire cover. For example, the inclination angle β can be 5° or more and 40° or less, more preferably 5° or more and 35° or less, for example 25°. This shape allows the side surface 230a of the protrusion and the thick portion 120a to be press-fitted more suitably, and rattling of the outer housing 200 and the wire cover 100 can be suppressed. Note that the shape of the surface forming the taper is not particularly limited as long as the press-fit engagement with the thick portion 120a of the wire cover is possible. For example, the tapered surface may be a flat surface or may be formed by a curved surface.

[0041] Furthermore, in the outer housing 200 assembled with the wire cover 100, the protrusion 230 may be positioned on either the outside or the inside of the side wall 120 of the wire cover, and the bump 220 may be positioned on the other of the outside or the inside of the side wall 120. In other words, the protrusion 230 and the bump 220 of the outer housing may be arranged so that the side wall 120 of the wire cover fits between the protrusion 230 and the bump 220. In other words, the protrusion 230 may be provided so as to contact either the inside or the outside of the side wall 120 of the wire cover, and the bump 220 may be provided so as to contact the other side. In particular, it is preferable that the protrusion 230 is arranged so as to interfere with the outside of the side wall 120 of the wire cover, and the bump 220 is arranged on the inside of the wire cover. In this structure, the protrusion 230 presses the wire cover 100 from the outside, and the protrusion 220 supports the wire cover 100 from the inside, so that the relative displacement in the left-right direction Y can be more suitably suppressed. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the protrusion 220 has a side projection 222 associated with the press-fit engagement in the first clamping direction. In the above-mentioned structure, the protrusion 220 and / or the side projection 222 of the first press-fit engagement part can also contribute to restricting the relative displacement in the second clamping direction. This means that the protrusion 220 and / or the side projection 222 can cooperate with the protrusion 230 to more suitably perform the press-fit engagement in the second clamping direction. The above-mentioned structure more suitably suppresses rattling caused by vibration from multiple directions, and can therefore contribute to preventing detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contact parts.

[0042] Next, a method of assembling the wire cover to the connector of the present disclosure will be described. Figures 16A to 16C are schematic diagrams showing the manner of assembling the wire cover to the connector of the present disclosure over time. In assembling, the wire cover 100 is first placed at a temporary assembling position from above the housing 1000 (see Figure 16B). Press-fit engagement is performed by sliding the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 relatively in the front-rear direction X from the temporary assembling position (see Figure 16C). In other words, assembly is completed by sliding the wire cover 100 relative to the outer housing 200 in the rear direction X". This sliding movement achieves both press-fit engagement in the first clamping direction and press-fit engagement in the second clamping direction. In other words, the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 achieve press-fit engagement by clamping in two intersecting directions by sliding relatively in the front-to-rear direction X. In this way, assembling the wire cover and the outer housing by press-fit engagement in the first clamping direction and the second clamping direction that intersect with each other, the effect of suppressing rattle due to vibrations from multiple directions can be more significant. Therefore, the connector of the present disclosure assembled as described above can more effectively prevent detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contact portions.

[0043] More specifically, in assembling the wire cover in the connector of the present disclosure, in the temporary assembly position shown in FIG. 16B, the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover is disposed adjacent to the press-fit groove 221 of the outer housing in the forward direction X'. At this time, the protrusion 230 of the outer housing is disposed so as to face the thin-walled portion 120b of the wire cover, which will be described later. Next, the wire cover 100 is slid toward the rear direction X". By this sliding movement, the press-fit protrusion 121 of the wire cover is inserted into the press-fit groove 221 of the outer housing. Furthermore, the side surface 230a of the protrusion of the outer housing moves toward the thick-walled portion 120a of the wire cover in conjunction with the sliding movement, and interferes with the thick-walled portion 120a. Then, the assembly is completed by both the press-fit engagement between the press-fit groove 221 and the press-fit protrusion 121 and the press-fit engagement between the protrusion 230 and the thick-walled portion 120a. In this manner, By performing both press-fit engagement by clamping in the up-down direction Z and press-fit engagement by clamping in the left-right direction Y, the connector of the present disclosure achieves stronger fixation between the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200. In other words, stronger assembly can be achieved by press-fit engagement based on two mutually intersecting clamping directions, which in turn shows a remarkable effect in suppressing rattle under high vibration conditions from multiple directions, and detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contact portions can be more suitably prevented.

[0044] In addition, the connector of the present disclosure is excellent in operability for attaching and detaching the wire cover by the above-mentioned assembly. In a lever-type connector mounted on an automobile or the like, the connector may be replaced during maintenance. When the connector is replaced, the worker needs to manually remove the wire cover from the outer housing. In a conventional lever-type connector, when removing the wire cover from the housing, the worker needs to excessively expand the locking portion (engagement portion), which may damage the housing and / or the wire cover. On the other hand, in the connector of the present disclosure, the wire cover is removed by sliding the wire cover and the outer housing relative to each other, and there is no need to deform the wire cover and / or the outer housing. Therefore, in the connector of the present disclosure, deformation and / or damage caused by excessive deformation of the wire cover and / or the outer housing by the worker when attaching and detaching the wire cover is prevented. Furthermore, since the connector can be attached and detached by only sliding movement, the burden on the worker and the working time during the connector replacement work can be significantly reduced.

[0045] When assembling the wire cover in the connector of the present disclosure, the wire cover and the outer housing may have a structure for guiding the wire cover to a temporary assembly position. Specifically, the wire cover 100 may have a positioning protrusion 122 on the side wall 120 (see FIG. 3B), and the outer housing 200 may have a positioned protrusion 223 provided to correspond to the positioning protrusion 122 (see FIG. 5B). In a preferred embodiment, the positioned protrusion 223 of the outer housing is provided adjacent to the forward direction X' of the side protrusion 222 forming the press-fit groove 221 of the raised portion 220, and protrudes in the same direction as the side protrusion 222 from the side of the raised portion 220. The positioning protrusion 122 of the wire cover is provided adjacent to the forward direction X' of the press-fit protrusion 121, and protrudes in the same direction as the press-fit protrusion 121 from the side surface 120 of the wire cover. Moreover, the positioning protrusion 122 is positioned such that the positioned protrusion 223 fits between the positioning protrusion 122 and the press-fit protrusion 121 when the wire cover 100 is disposed at the temporary assembly position. In other words, the positioning protrusion 122 and the press-fit protrusion 121 are adjacent to each other with a gap therebetween so that the positioned protrusion 223 passes between the positioning protrusion 122 and the press-fit protrusion 121 when the wire cover 100 is disposed at the temporary assembly position. With this structure, when the wire cover 100 is assembled, the wire cover 100 is guided to the temporary assembly position by combining the positioning protrusion 122 and the positioned protrusion 223 so that they fit each other. More specifically, the wire cover 100 is positioned at the temporary assembly position by combining the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 so that the positioned protrusion 223 fits between the positioning protrusion 122 and the press-fit protrusion 121. Thereafter, when the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 are slid relatively to each other for press-fit engagement, the positioning protrusion 122 moves in the rear direction X" so as to pass between the positioned protrusion 223 and the upper surface 210 of the outer housing. With the above-described structure, it is possible to more reliably position the wire cover at the temporary assembly position when assembling it. Therefore, the above-described positioning structure can prevent erroneous engagement of the wire cover and contribute to further improving the workability of the assembly work.

[0046] Furthermore, the raised portion 220 of the outer housing may be disposed so as to face the positioning protrusion 122 of the wire cover at the temporary assembly position. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 9A, the raised portion 220 may extend in the longitudinal direction so as to face the positioning protrusion 122 at the temporary assembly position. With this structure, during press-fit engagement, the positioning protrusion 122 slides along the raised portion 220, and the wire cover can be suitably guided to a position where the press-fit engagement is completed. Therefore, the above-mentioned structure more suitably prevents erroneous engagement of the wire cover, which can provide the effect of improving the work efficiency in the assembly work.

[0047] 14B, the wire cover 100 also has a thin portion 120b in which the side wall 120 is relatively thin compared to the thick portion 120a. More specifically, the thin portion 120b may be relatively thin so as to form a recessed shape in which the tapered surface of the protrusion 230 is accommodated at the temporary assembly position. The thin portion 120b may be adjacent to the thick portion 120a, which interferes with the protrusion 230 of the outer housing at the press-fit engagement portion in the second clamping direction, in the longitudinal direction of the connector 2000. More specifically, the thin portion 120b may be disposed adjacent to the thick portion 120a in the rear direction X". In a preferred embodiment, the tapered surface of the protrusion 230 gradually inclines toward the thin portion 120b adjacent to the thick portion 120a. It is more preferred that the thin portion 120b is formed into a concave shape so as to accommodate the tapered surface of the protrusion 230 at the temporary assembly position. With this structure, it is possible to position the tapered surface of the protrusion 230 without interfering with the side wall 120 of the wire cover during temporary assembly. Furthermore, an effect can be obtained that the protrusion 230 can more suitably slide from the thin portion 120b toward the thick portion 120a during the subsequent press-fitting by sliding movement.

[0048] In the connector of the present disclosure, the two types of press-fitting engagement parts having mutually intersecting press-fitting directions may be adjacent to each other to form a pair. In other words, the first press-fitting engagement part of the first press-fitting direction and the second press-fitting engagement part of the second press-fitting direction may be disposed adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first press-fitting engagement part Z I is the second press-fit engagement portion Y I In such a structure, the first press-fitting engagement portion Z I The raised portion 220 and / or the side projection 222 provided on the raised portion 220 may also play a role in supporting the wire cover 100 during press-fit engagement in the second clamping direction. Therefore, arranging the press-fit engagement portion in the first clamping direction and the press-fit engagement portion in the second clamping direction adjacent to each other may help more appropriately suppress rattling of the wire cover.

[0049] Furthermore, when two types of press-fitting engagement parts having mutually intersecting press-fitting directions are arranged adjacent to each other, the press-fitting projection 121 or the positioning projection 122 of the wire cover may be provided on the thin-walled part 120b. More specifically, the positioning projection 122 may be provided on the thin-walled part 120b so as to protrude from the side surface 120 opposite to the side facing the protruding part 230 of the outer housing (see FIG. 14B). As shown in FIG. 14A, in a preferred embodiment, the press-fitting projection 121 or the positioning projection 122 may be arranged so as to protrude to the inside of the wire cover 100 in the thin-walled part 120b formed to have a concave shape on the outside of the wire cover 100. The above-mentioned structure makes it possible to further improve the strength of the thin-walled part 120b of the wire cover.

[0050] In the connector of the present disclosure, one or more pairs of adjacent first and second press-fit engagement parts may be provided. For example, the pairs may be at least two, at least three, at least four, or more. Although the number of pairs of press-fit engagement parts is not particularly limited, the assembly of the wire cover and the outer housing can be stronger as the number of press-fit engagement parts increases. However, the assembly load increases as the number of press-fit engagement parts increases, which increases the load on the worker during the assembly work and the possibility of damage to the wire cover and / or the outer housing. Therefore, when more importance is placed on the strength of the assembly and the assembly load, the number of pairs of press-fit engagement parts is preferably 2 to 6, more preferably 2 to 4.

[0051] The pair of press-fitting engagement parts may be provided at the front and / or rear part of the connector. In other words, the wire cover may be assembled by the pair of press-fitting engagement parts provided at least at one of the front and rear parts of the connector. In order to place more importance on dealing with vibrations that may be transmitted from the electric wire, the electric wire is led out from the rear part of the connector, so that the pair of press-fitting engagement parts is preferably provided at least at the rear part. More preferably, at least one pair of press-fitting engagement parts may be provided at each of the front and rear parts of the connector. Even more preferably, the connector may have four pairs of press-fitting engagement parts, and the four pairs may be arranged symmetrically with each other. In particular, the four pairs may be positioned symmetrically with each other in a plan view of the connector. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the present disclosure, and the "planar view" here corresponds to a planar view of the connector of the present disclosure taken along the downward direction Z". As shown in FIG. 9A, it is more preferable that each of the four pairs is disposed in a symmetrical position with respect to the longitudinal axis L and the short axis S. With the above-described structure, the load on the press-fit engagement portion can be effectively distributed, and rattling due to vibration from multiple directions can be more effectively suppressed.

[0052] In the connector of the present disclosure, the wire cover and the outer housing may include a resin material having insulating properties. Although not particularly limited, the wire cover and the outer housing may include at least one thermosetting resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy resin, phenolic resin, silicone resin, and unsaturated polyester resin. The wire cover and the outer housing may be made of different resin materials.

[0053] Generally, in a lever-type connector such as the connector of the present disclosure, the wire cover is the part that is easiest to replace. Therefore, it is preferable that the outer housing is formed with a strength relatively higher than that of the wire cover so that wear of the press-fit engagement portion due to use of the connector of the present disclosure occurs preferentially in the wire cover that is more easily replaceable. In other words, it is preferable that the outer housing has a higher rigidity than the wire cover. For example, the outer housing may be formed of a material with a relatively higher rigidity than the wire cover. Alternatively, the outer housing may have a relatively higher strength by being formed with a thickness relatively thicker than the wire cover. In this way, when the rigidity of the wire cover is lower than that of the outer housing, the wire cover may wear preferentially, for example, during repeated attachment and detachment operations and / or use under high vibration conditions. This makes it possible to relatively extend the useful life of the outer housing. On the other hand, since the wire cover is relatively easy to replace even if it is worn out, the work efficiency in maintenance and repair of the connector may be improved.

[0054] Furthermore, the connector of the present disclosure may have a locking portion 123a for preventing movement of the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 in the front-rear direction X after the completion of assembly (see FIG. 8A). More specifically, after the wire cover 100 is press-fitted and engaged by the sliding movement, the wire cover 100 may be fixed to the outer housing 200 by the locking portion 123a to prevent relative displacement of the wire cover 100 in the front-rear direction X, which is the sliding movement direction. As shown in FIG. 8A, the locking portion 123a may be formed at the tip of a cantilever beam 123 provided on the side wall 120 of the front portion of the wire cover 100. When assembling the wire cover 100, the wire cover 100 is slid in the rear direction X" from the temporary assembly position, whereby the locking portion 123a is locked to the locked portion 250 of the raised portion 220 provided on the front of the outer housing 200. With the above-described structure, the relative displacement of the wire cover 100 in the front-rear direction X is restricted, and unintentional detachment of the wire cover due to vibration or the like can be prevented.

[0055] The engagement between the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 by the locking portion 123a is performed by the cantilever 123 being slightly bent in the left-right direction Y during the sliding movement. Therefore, it is preferable that the press-fitting engagement portion in the second clamping direction, which is clamping in the left-right direction Y, is provided at a position that does not impede the function of the cantilever 123. In other words, it is preferable that the press-fitting engagement portion in the second clamping direction is disposed so as to avoid the vicinity of the tip of the cantilever 123 having the locking portion 123a. With the above-mentioned structure, the movement of the cantilever 123 is not impeded during the sliding movement, and more suitable assembly of the wire cover 100 and the outer housing 200 can be realized. Furthermore, with the above-mentioned structure, the relative displacement of the wire cover and the outer housing in the up-down direction Z, the left-right direction Y, and the front-rear direction X is restricted. Therefore, a more significant effect of suppressing rattling due to vibration from multiple directions can be obtained, and detachment of the wire cover from the outer housing and / or poor contact of the terminal contact portion can be more suitably prevented.

[0056] The present disclosure has been described above, but it merely shows typical examples within the scope of application of the present disclosure. The connector of the present disclosure does not need to have a lever or other force multiplier mechanism. In addition, the connector of the present disclosure does not need to be a waterproof connector equipped with a seal member. In addition to the above, the configurations listed in the above embodiments can be selected or appropriately changed to other configurations without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] A connector equipped with the wire cover and outer housing of the present disclosure can be suitably used in various technical fields requiring electrical connections. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1000 Housing 2000 Connectors 100 Wire Cover 110 Aperture 120 side wall 120a Thick part 120b Thin section 121 Press-fit protrusion 122 Positioning protrusion 123 Cantilever beam 123a Locking part 200 Outer housing 210 Top 220 Ridge 221 Press-fit groove 222 Side protrusion 222a Underside of side projection 223 Positioned protrusion 230 Protrusion 230a Side of protrusion 240 Groove 250 Locked part 300 Cam member 310 Cam groove 400 Inner Housing 500 Retainer 600 Sealing material 700 Front Housing 800 Control lever 900 End parts Y I Second press-fit engagement part Z I First press-fit engagement part L Longitudinal axis S short axis X Anteroposterior direction X' forward direction X” rearward Y left / right direction Z vertical direction Z' upward direction Z” downward

Claims

1. A connector having an outer housing and a wire cover assembled to the outer housing, A connector having a first press-fit engagement portion and a second press-fit engagement portion that engage the outer housing and the wire cover with each other by pressure applied by clamping, and a first clamping direction at the first press-fit engagement portion and a second clamping direction at the second press-fit engagement portion intersect with each other.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first clamping direction and the second clamping direction have an orthogonal relationship to each other.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein in the first press-fit engagement portion, the wire cover has a press-fit protrusion on a side wall, while the outer housing has a press-fit groove provided in a raised portion on the upper surface, and the press-fit protrusion and the press-fit groove engage with each other.

4. The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the raised portion is provided on a peripheral edge of the upper surface along a longitudinal direction of the outer housing.

5. 5. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the press-fit groove is a tapered groove.

6. The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the tapered groove narrows gradually in the longitudinal direction of the connector.

7. The connector according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the side wall is an inner wall of the wire cover.

8. 8. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the outer housing has a protrusion on an upper surface thereof at the second press-fitting engagement portion, and the side wall of the wire cover and a side surface of the protrusion engage with each other.

9. The connector according to claim 8 , wherein a side surface of the protrusion is a tapered surface.

10. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the tapered surface slopes gradually in a longitudinal direction of the connector.

11. A connector as described in any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein in the outer housing assembled with the wire cover, the protrusion is positioned on one of the outer and inner sides of the side wall of the wire cover, and the raised portion is positioned on the other of the outer and inner sides of the side wall.

12. The side wall of the wire cover has a relatively thick portion and a relatively thin portion, The connector according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the thick portion and the thin portion are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the connector.

13. The wire cover and the outer housing are assembled by sliding the wire cover and the outer housing relative to each other, The connector according to claim 12 , wherein the sliding movement causes both the engagement between the press-fit projection and the press-fit groove and the engagement between the thick portion and a side surface of the protruding portion.

14. The wire cover has a positioning protrusion on the side wall, while the outer housing has a positioning protrusion on the raised portion, The connector according to claim 13 , wherein the positioning projection and the positioned projection fit together when the wire cover and the outer housing are combined.

15. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first press-fitting engagement portion and the second press-fitting engagement portion are adjacent to each other.

16. 16. The connector according to claim 15, wherein there are four pairs of adjacent first and second press-fit engagement portions, and the four pairs are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another in a plan view.

17. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the outer housing has a rigidity higher than that of the wire cover.

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