connector

Abstract

To disclose a connector capable of improving a holding force of an electric wire and stably maintaining an external force breaking performance.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises: a connector housing 16; an electric wire 12 that is projected to an external part of the connector housing 16; an electric wire hold part 22 that integrally has a main body part 92 that holds a projection part 20 of the electric wire 12 and a metal bolt insertion cylinder part 94 that is extended so as to penetrate the main body part 92; a metal shield shell 24 that covers the connector housing 16; and a metal pressing part 26 that is fastened with a bolt 184 inserting the bolt insertion cylinder part 94 to the shield shell 24 while nipping the electric wire hold part 22 between the shield shells 24 to a first direction. The bolt insertion cylinder part 94 includes a projection end part 120 projected from the main body part 92, and the main body part 92 is separated from each shield shell 24 or the pressing part 26 by contacting a projection end part 120 to each shield shell 24 or the pressing part 26 while separating gaps 178 and 180.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Connectors have traditionally been used to electrically connect in-vehicle devices. Such connectors include a connector housing, terminals housed in the connector housing, and electric wires connected to the terminals. The electric wires are drawn out from the wire outlet of the connector housing. The drawn-out electric wires are subjected to external forces such as vibrations when mounted in the vehicle. If the external forces applied to the electric wires are transmitted to the terminals, stress is applied to the contacts between the terminals and the mating terminals, potentially resulting in problems such as contact wear. Therefore, connectors are required to have so-called external force blocking capabilities, which prevent the external forces applied to the electric wires from being transmitted to the terminals. For this reason, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a resin rear holder that is assembled to the connector housing while holding the electric wires. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-54393 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the rear holder is assembled by a locking claw-shaped locking portion provided at the tip of an elastic protruding piece provided on the connector housing, which elastically deforms, overcomes the locked portion provided on the rear holder, and then elastically returns to its original position to engage with the locked portion. Therefore, a small gap is unavoidable between the locking portion and the locked portion, and there is a risk that external forces transmitted to the electric wire will be transmitted to the terminal side due to rattle caused by this gap. Furthermore, because the locking portion, the locked portion, and the rear holder that holds the electric wire are all made of resin, there is a risk that further gaps will occur due to creep of the resin in high-temperature environments, further deteriorating the connector's ability to block external forces.

[0005] Therefore, a connector is disclosed that can improve the wire holding force and stably maintain external force blocking performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] a metal shield shell fixed to the connector housing to cover the connector housing; and a metal pressing portion fastened to the shield shell by a bolt inserted through the bolt insertion portion while sandwiching the wire holding portion between the shield shell and the metal shield shell in the first direction. The bolt insertion portion has a protruding end portion protruding from the main body portion on at least one side in the first direction, and the protruding end portion abuts the shield shell or the pressing portion, thereby separating the main body portion from the shield shell or the pressing portion via a gap. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the connector of the present disclosure, the wire holding force can be improved and the external force blocking performance can be stably maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the cross section taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the IV-IV cross section in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the VV cross section in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector shown in FIG. 1 from the bottom side. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view showing a first holding portion constituting the connector shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the first holding portion is provided with a bolt insertion cylindrical portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the first holding portion shown in FIG. 8, from the bottom side, in a state where the first holding portion is provided with a bolt insertion cylindrical portion. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view showing a shield shell that constitutes the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a connector according to another embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure> First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The connector of the present disclosure comprises: a wire holding portion integrally including: a connector housing having an electric wire outlet; an electric wire connected to a terminal accommodated in the connector housing and drawn out from the electric wire outlet to the outside of the connector housing; a main body made of synthetic resin that holds a protruding portion of the electric wire protruding to the outside from the electric wire outlet; and a metal bolt insertion tube that extends through the main body in a first direction that is a direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wire; a metal shield shell that is fixed to the connector housing and covers the connector housing; and a metal pressing portion that is bolted to the shield shell by a bolt that inserts through the bolt insertion tube while sandwiching the electric wire holding portion between itself and the shield shell in the first direction, wherein the bolt insertion tube has a protruding end that protrudes from the main body on at least one side in the first direction, and the protruding end abuts the shield shell or the pressing portion, thereby separating the main body from the shield shell or the pressing portion via a gap.

[0010] According to this structure, a synthetic resin main body of the wire holding part holds a protruding portion of the wire protruding to the outside from the wire outlet of the connector housing. The wire holding part integrally has a metal bolt insertion tube part extending through the main body part in a first direction, which is a direction intersecting the axial direction of the wire. The connector further has a metal shield shell fixed to the connector housing and covering the connector housing, and a pressing part arranged opposite the shield shell in the first direction, and with the wire holding part sandwiched between the shield shell and the pressing part, the pressing part is bolt-fastened to the shield shell by a bolt inserted through the bolt insertion tube part of the wire holding part. Here, the bolt insertion tube part of the wire holding part has a protruding end part protruding from the main body part on at least one side in the first direction, and the protruding end part abuts the shield shell or the pressing part. Therefore, the wire holding portion that holds the wire in the main body can be stably clamped between the shield shell and the pressing portion by the axial force of the bolt with the protruding end of the metal bolt insertion tube directly abutting at least against the shield shell or the pressing portion. As a result, compared to the conventional structure in which rattles due to gaps in the connecting structure of the rear holder that holds the wire cannot be avoided, the wire holding portion that holds the wire can be securely clamped between the shield shell and the pressing portion in the bolt insertion tube, thereby improving the holding force of the wire.

[0011] In addition, because a gap is formed between the opposing surfaces of the main body of the wire holding part and the shield shell or the pressing part on the side where the protruding end of the bolt insertion tube protrudes from the main body, the gap can absorb expansion of the synthetic resin main body in high-temperature environments. As a result, it is possible to prevent problems such as the resin expansion of the wire holding part cutting into the wire insulation at high temperatures, causing the insulation to creep and not return to its compressed shape, creating a gap between the insulation and the wire holding part, which deteriorates the external force blocking performance. Therefore, it is possible to suppress or prevent deterioration of the wire holding power due to high-temperature usage environments, and to stably maintain the external force blocking performance of the connector.

[0012] It is preferable that the bolt insertion tube portion has a pair of protruding end portions protruding from the main body portion on both sides in the first direction, and that the pair of protruding end portions abut against the shield shell and the pressing portion, thereby separating the main body portion from the shield shell and the pressing portion across the gap.

[0013] The bolt insertion tube portion of the wire holding portion has a pair of protruding ends protruding from the main body portion on both sides in the first direction, and the pair of protruding ends abut the shield shell and the pressing portion, respectively. Therefore, the wire holding portion that holds the wire in the main body portion can be stably clamped between the shield shell and the pressing portion by the axial force of the bolt with the protruding ends of the metal bolt insertion tube directly abutting the shield shell or the pressing portion. As a result, the wire holding portion that holds the wire can be more reliably clamped between the shield shell and the pressing portion in the bolt insertion tube portion, thereby further improving the holding force of the wire.

[0014] In addition, since the main body of the wire holding part is separated by a gap from both the opposing surfaces of the shield shell and the pressing part, it can further absorb the expansion of the main body made of synthetic resin in a high-temperature environment, thereby further reducing the pressing force on the wire insulation and the risk of insulation creep.

[0015] Preferably, the protruding end of the bolt insertion tube protrudes from the main body in the first direction by 0.5 mm or more. By setting the protruding dimension of the protruding end from the main body in the first direction to 0.5 mm or more, it is possible to advantageously absorb resin expansion of the main body at high temperatures and advantageously reduce the pressure exerted on the wire insulation and the risk of creep. Note that a gap of 0.6 mm or more is more preferable, but an excessive gap is not necessary to avoid an increase in size.

[0016] The main body of the electric wire holding part has a first holding part and a second holding part that sandwich and hold the electric wire from both sides in the first direction and are assembled together to form the main body, and a first recess that accommodates the electric wire and comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire is opened on a contact surface of the first holding part with the second holding part, and a second recess that accommodates the electric wire and comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire is opened on a contact surface of the second holding part with the first holding part, and when the first holding part and the second holding part are assembled, the first recess and the second recess are connected to form an electric wire through hole, the first retaining portion has a first bolt insertion cylindrical portion that penetrates the first retaining portion in the first direction and has a pair of protruding end portions that protrude on both sides in the first direction, the second retaining portion has a second bolt insertion cylindrical portion that penetrates the second retaining portion in the first direction and has a pair of protruding end portions that protrude on both sides in the first direction, and the pressing portion, the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion, the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion, and the shield shell are stacked in order in the first direction and bolted together by the bolt.

[0017] The main body of the electric wire holding part is divided into a first holding part and a second holding part that are assembled from both sides in the first direction. Simply by assembling the first holding part and the second holding part with the electric wire sandwiched therebetween, the first recess of the first holding part and the second recess of the second holding part are connected to form an electric wire insertion hole. This makes it easy to attach the electric wire holding part to an electric wire drawn out of the connector housing. Moreover, the divided first holding part and second holding part each have a first bolt insertion tube part and a second bolt insertion tube part that penetrate and protrude in the first direction, and the pressing part, the first bolt insertion tube part, the second bolt insertion tube part, and the shield shell are overlapped in order in the first direction and fastened with a bolt. This makes it possible to ensure strong holding performance of the electric wire holding part while improving the ease of assembling the electric wire holding part to the electric wire.

[0018] It is preferable that the gap between the main body and the shield shell or the pressing portion in the first direction is determined by the following formula 1. (Formula 1) Gap > (a×(t1-t2)×c) + (b×(t1-t2)×d) In Equation 1, a is the plate thickness dimension of the first holding portion or the second holding portion in the first direction, b is the plate thickness dimension of the pressing portion or the shield shell at the portion that contacts the first holding portion or the second holding portion in the first direction, c is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the first holding portion or the second holding portion, d is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the pressing portion or the shield shell, t1 is the heat resistance temperature of the wire insulation, and t2 is room temperature (within the range of 5°C to 35°C).

[0019] By setting the gap between the opposing surfaces of the main body and the shield shell or the main body and the pressing portion in the first direction so as to satisfy Formula 1, it is possible to advantageously absorb the resin expansion of the main body at high temperatures and advantageously reduce the pressing force applied to the wire insulation and the risk of creep. Note that an excessive gap is not necessary to avoid an increase in size.

[0020] Preferably, the first recess of the first retaining portion and the second recess of the second retaining portion extend further in the protruding direction of the electric wire from the electric wire outlet port beyond the first bolt insertion tube portion and the second bolt insertion tube portion, respectively, and an elastic locking piece and a locking claw portion connecting the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are respectively provided on one side of the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion on the extending end side of the first recess and the second recess. The first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are connected to each other by locking engagement of the elastic locking piece and the locking claw portion at a position of the electric wire retaining portion that is spaced apart in the protruding direction of the electric wire from the first and second bolt insertion tube portions that are bolt-fastened between the shield shell and the pressing portion. This further effectively suppresses the transmission of external force to the electric wire. Furthermore, the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion can be temporarily held with the electric wire sandwiched therebetween before the bolt is fastened, thereby improving the assembly workability of the connector.

[0021] It is preferable that at least one of the first recess and the second recess has wire pressure ribs at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Because at least one of the first recess and the second recess has multiple wire pressure ribs spaced apart in the circumferential direction, the wire pressure ribs can be inserted into the wire insulation, thereby advantageously suppressing displacement of the wire, for example, displacement around the circumferential direction. Furthermore, because the wire pressure ribs are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, deformation of the wire insulation is advantageously tolerated, allowing the wire pressure ribs to be inserted into the insulation advantageously. It is preferable that the wire pressure ribs be provided at the same circumferential pitch in both the first recess and the second recess. This distributes stress, thereby achieving more stable wire retention.

[0022] It is preferable that the plurality of wire pressing ribs provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction are provided in at least one of the first recess and the second recess in a distributed manner at two locations spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the wire. This is because, since the plurality of wire pressing ribs arranged at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction are provided in a distributed manner at two locations spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the wire, displacement of the wire in the axial direction can be advantageously suppressed, and more stable holding of the wire can be achieved.

[0023] It is preferable that a waterproof member that prevents water from entering the connector housing is fitted around the electric wire, and the electric wire holding portion has a retainer function that prevents the waterproof member from coming off to the outside. When the connector has a waterproof member, the strong fixing force between the shield shell of the electric wire holding portion and the pressing portion can be used to make the electric wire holding portion also function as a retainer for the waterproof member. This makes it possible to ensure high functionality of the connector with a small number of parts.

[0024] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Specific examples of the connector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0025] <Embodiment 1> A connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. The connector 10 electrically connects on-board devices, and the on-board devices are electrically connected to electric wires 12 extending in the lower left direction in FIG. 1, and terminals of a mating on-board device (not shown) are electrically connected from above in FIG. 1. Note that the connector 10 can be positioned in any orientation, but in the following description, the upper side will be referred to as the upper side in FIG. 3, the lower side as the lower side in FIG. 3, the front side as the left side in FIG. 2, the rear side as the right side in FIG. 2, the left side as the lower side in FIG. 2, and the right side as the upper side in FIG. 2. Note that, for multiple identical components, only some of the components will be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals may be omitted for the other components.

[0026] <Connector 10> The connector 10 of the first embodiment includes a connector housing 16 having an electric wire outlet 14 and terminals 18 accommodated in the connector housing 16. An electric wire 12 is connected to the terminal 18 and is drawn out of the connector housing 16 through the electric wire outlet 14. The connector 10 also includes a wire holding portion 22 that holds a portion 20 of the electric wire 12 protruding from the connector housing 16, a metal shield shell 24 that is fixed to the connector housing 16 and covers the connector housing 16, and a metal pressing portion 26 that is bolted to the shield shell 24 and sandwiches the wire holding portion 22 between itself and the shield shell 24. Note that the first embodiment includes a pair of terminals 18, 18 and a pair of electric wires 12, 12, and each electric wire 12 is connected to each terminal 18.

[0027] <Wire 12> As shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the electric wires 12 are coated electric wires. That is, the electric wires 12 are configured by covering the periphery of a core wire 28 with an insulating coating 30 made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, in the first embodiment, each electric wire 12 extends in the front-rear direction as a whole and is curved upward at the rear end. At the rear end (upper end) of the electric wire 12, the insulating coating 30 is stripped off to expose the core wire 28. The terminal 18 is fixed to this exposed core wire 28 by welding or the like, so that the electric wire 12 is electrically connected to the terminal 18.

[0028] <Terminal 18> The terminals 18 are made of metal and have a generally cylindrical contact portion 32 that opens in the vertical direction. A tab-shaped terminal of a mating in-vehicle device is inserted into this contact portion 32, and the contact portion 32 and the mating terminal come into contact with each other, thereby electrically connecting each terminal 18 of the connector 10 to the terminal of the mating in-vehicle device. The lower end of each contact portion 32 is provided with a flat plate-shaped portion that extends in the vertical direction. These flat plate-shaped portions are wire connection portions 34, to which the exposed core wires 28 at the upper ends of the electric wires 12 are fixed.

[0029] <Connector housing 16> The connector housing 16 is made of insulating synthetic resin. As shown in Fig. 6 and other figures, the connector housing 16 of the first embodiment is made up of multiple members, including a cylindrical housing 38 having a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall 36, an upper housing 40 assembled to the cylindrical housing 38, and a lower housing 44 whose upper opening 42 is covered by the upper housing 40.

[0030] 4, the cylindrical housing 38 is provided with a generally rectangular cylindrical retaining tubular portion 46 extending vertically on the inner circumferential side of the peripheral wall 36, and the contact portion 32 of the terminal 18 is inserted into and held in the retaining tubular portion 46 when assembling the connector 10. In the first embodiment, since a pair of terminals 18 is provided, a pair of retaining tubular portions 46 is provided side by side in the left-right direction in the cylindrical housing 38. Since a terminal of a mating in-vehicle device is assembled from above to the contact portion 32 held in the retaining tubular portion 46, an upper opening of the retaining tubular portion 46 is a terminal assembly opening 48 into which the mating terminal is assembled.

[0031] In addition, approximately frame-shaped engaging frame bodies (not shown) are provided on both front and rear sides of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 36, and these engaging frame bodies engage with engaging protrusions (not shown) provided on both front and rear sides of the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 54 of the upper housing 40 (described later), thereby allowing the cylindrical housing 38 to be assembled to the upper housing 40.

[0032] The upper housing 40 includes a cover plate 50 that extends in the vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction), and the cover plate 50 is sized to cover the upper opening 42 of the lower housing 44. A through-hole 52 is formed in the cover plate 50, penetrating it in the thickness direction (up-down direction), and a generally cylindrical tubular portion 54 that protrudes upward is formed on the outer periphery of the through-hole 52. In other words, the inner hole of the tubular portion 54 extending in the up-down direction and the through-hole 52 provided in the cover plate 50 are mutually connected, and a communication hole 56 is formed that penetrates the tubular portion 54 and the cover plate 50 in the up-down direction. In addition, the cover plate 50 is provided with engagement frames 58 on both left and right sides thereof, protruding downward.

[0033] 3, 4 and 6, a substantially cylindrical inner insertion tube portion 60 is provided on the underside of the cover plate portion 50 of the upper housing 40, and enters the lower housing 44 when the upper housing 40 is assembled to the lower housing 44. That is, the outer periphery of the cover plate portion 50 is provided with the inner insertion tube portion 60 that protrudes downward, and the inner hole of the inner insertion tube portion 60 also communicates with the communication hole 56 in the upper housing 40.

[0034] The cylindrical portion 54 of the upper housing 40 is inserted into the peripheral wall 36 of the cylindrical housing 38 to assemble the upper housing 40 and the cylindrical housing 38, and an annular waterproof rubber 62 is attached in an externally inserted state to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 54, between the upper housing 40 and the cylindrical housing 38 in the vertical direction. This prevents water from entering through the assembly area between the upper housing 40 and the cylindrical housing 38. In addition, an O-ring 64 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 60, which is inserted into the lower housing 44. This O-ring 64 is compressed between the inner cylindrical portion 60 and the lower housing 44, preventing water from entering through the assembly area between the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 44.

[0035] The lower housing 44 has a generally rectangular box shape that opens upward and includes a bottom wall 66 and a peripheral wall 68 that protrudes upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 66. Specifically, the peripheral wall 68 includes a front wall 70, a rear wall 72, and left and right side walls 74, 74, each of which extends in the vertical direction. The front wall 70 is provided with a generally circular electric wire outlet 14 that penetrates the front wall 70 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction). In the first embodiment, a pair of electric wires 12, 12 is provided, and therefore a pair of electric wire outlets 14, 14 are formed side by side in the left-right direction in the front wall 70. Furthermore, the front wall 70 is provided with a storage tube 76 that protrudes forward, and this storage tube 76 covers the pair of electric wire outlets 14, 14 from the outside. The storage tube 76 has an outer shape that is long in the left-right direction and is generally rectangular or oval with rounded corners.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7 , the tubular housing 76 accommodates a waterproof rubber 78, which serves as a waterproof member made of an elastic material such as rubber. The waterproof rubber 78 has a shape that generally corresponds to the tubular housing 76, and has insertion holes 80, 80 that penetrate the front wall 70 in the thickness direction at positions corresponding to the wire outlets 14, 14. The waterproof rubber 78 is formed to be slightly larger than the tubular housing 76, and when the connector 10 is assembled, the waterproof rubber 78 is assembled to the tubular housing 76 in a generally compressed state. This prevents water from entering the connector housing 16 through the wire outlets 14. Note that for ease of viewing, FIG. 7 shows the connector housing 16 (the tubular housing 38, the upper housing 40, and the lower housing 44) in an assembled state, and does not illustrate the wire holding portion 22 and the pressing portion 26.

[0037] Nuts 82 (the nuts on the rear wall 72 are not shown) are provided substantially embedded in the rear wall 72 and the left side wall 74. The nuts 82 are fastened with bolts 186, which will be described later, when the connector housing 16 and the shield shell 24 are fixed together. Furthermore, the upper end of the outer surface of each side wall 74 is provided with engaging claws 84 with which the engaging frames 58 of the upper housing 40 engage when the upper housing 40 is assembled.

[0038] 7, a through-hole penetrating the bottom wall portion 66 in the vertical direction is provided, and this through-hole constitutes a voltage detection hole 86. In the first embodiment, a pair of voltage detection holes 86, 86 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. That is, although not shown, an exposed core portion where the insulating coating 30 is stripped is provided in the middle portion of each electric wire 12 in the longitudinal direction, and by inserting a voltage detection probe or the like through each voltage detection hole 86 and bringing the voltage detection probe or the like into contact with the exposed core portion, it is possible to check, for example, whether each electric wire 12 is in a conducting state. Each of these voltage detection holes 86 can be sealed with a plug member 158, which will be described later.

[0039] Specifically, a cylindrical portion 88 protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 66, and the above-mentioned voltage detection hole 86 is configured including the inner hole of the cylindrical portion 88. That is, in the first embodiment, a pair of cylindrical portions 88, 88 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. In short, each voltage detection hole 86 opens into the lower surface of the connector housing 16 (the bottom wall portion 66 of the lower housing 44) through the inner hole of each cylindrical portion 88. In addition, a circular recess 90 opening downward is formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 66 between the left-right directions of the cylindrical portions 88 protruding downward.

[0040] <Wire holding part 22> 5, the electric wire holding portion 22 integrally includes a main body 92 made of synthetic resin that holds the protruding portion 20 of each electric wire 12 protruding to the outside from each electric wire outlet 14, and a metal bolt insertion tube portion 94 that extends through the main body 92 in a first direction that is a direction intersecting the axial direction of each electric wire 12 (the front-rear direction at the position where the electric wire holding portion 22 is disposed). In the first embodiment, the first direction that is the direction in which the bolt insertion tube portion 94 extends is the up-down direction that is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (front-rear direction) of each electric wire 12.

[0041] In particular, the electric wire holding portion 22 of the first embodiment can be disassembled and assembled in the vertical direction, and is composed of an upper electric wire holding portion 96 and a lower electric wire holding portion 98. In the first embodiment, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 are composed of the same member, and one member (for example, the upper electric wire holding portion 96) can become the other member (for example, the lower electric wire holding portion 98) by turning it upside down. Therefore, in the following explanation, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 will be mainly explained with reference to Figures 8 and 9, and the explanation of the lower electric wire holding portion 98 will be partially omitted.

[0042] That is, the synthetic resin main body 92 that holds each electric wire 12 can also be disassembled and reassembled in the vertical direction, and the main body 92 is composed of an upper first holding portion 100 and a lower second holding portion 102. That is, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 has the first holding portion 100, and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 has the second holding portion 102. The first holding portion 100 and the second holding portion 102 have the same shape.

[0043] Similarly, the bolt insertion tube portion 94 can also be disassembled in the vertical direction. The bolt insertion tube portion 94 has a generally cylindrical shape overall and is provided with a bolt insertion hole 104 that penetrates in the vertical direction. The bolt insertion tube portion 94 is composed of a first bolt insertion tube portion 108, which is an upper cylindrical portion, and has an upper bolt insertion hole 106, and a second bolt insertion tube portion 112, which is a lower cylindrical portion, and has a lower bolt insertion hole 110. The bolt insertion hole 104 that penetrates the bolt insertion tube portion 94 in the vertical direction is composed of the upper bolt insertion hole 106 and the lower bolt insertion hole 110. That is, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 has the first bolt insertion tube portion 108, and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 has the second bolt insertion tube portion 112. The first bolt insertion tube portion 108 and the second bolt insertion tube portion 112 have the same shape.

[0044] The upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 are assembled together by sandwiching each electric wire 12 from both sides in the first direction (vertical direction), so that each electric wire 12 is held by the electric wire holding portion 22. In short, the electric wire holding portion 22 is configured by assembling one member with another member that is inverted upside down, and each electric wire 12 is held. The upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 extend as a whole in the axial direction (front-to-back direction) of each electric wire 12.

[0045] Furthermore, in the first holding portion 100 of the upper electric wire holding portion 96, a first recess 114 that accommodates each electric wire 12 and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of each electric wire 12 is formed on a contact surface with the second holding portion 102 of the lower electric wire holding portion 98, i.e., on a surface where the first holding portion 100 and the second holding portion 102 overlap. The first recess 114 extends over the entire length of the first holding portion 100 in the front-rear direction. In the first embodiment, since a pair of electric wires 12 is provided, a pair of first recesses 114 is provided in the first holding portion 100 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0046] The first retaining portion 100 includes a connecting portion 116 that connects the pair of first recesses 114, 114 in the left-right direction, and protruding portions 118 that protrude on both left-right sides from a rear portion of each first recess 114. The connecting portion 116 is provided over substantially the entire length of the first retaining portion 100 (each first recess 114) in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). Each protruding portion 118 has a substantially rectangular outer shape in a plan view. The first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 is disposed in each protruding portion 118 in a substantially embedded state. In the first embodiment, the first retaining portion 100 and the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 are integrally formed, and the upper electric wire retaining portion 96 is formed as an integrally molded product of the first retaining portion 100 that includes the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108.

[0047] The lengthwise dimension (vertical dimension) of each of these first bolt insertion cylindrical portions 108 is slightly larger than the vertical dimension of each protruding portion 118 (substantially equal to the vertical dimension of the first holding portion 100). As a result, the ends on both sides of the lengthwise direction of each first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 (both vertical ends) form protruding end portions 120 that protrude further on both sides in the vertical direction than each protruding portion 118 (first holding portion 100).

[0048] The protruding dimension α (see FIG. 5) of the portion of each protruding end 120 that protrudes upward beyond the first holding portion 100 (each protruding portion 118) is not limited, but is preferably 0.5 mm or greater, and more preferably 0.6 mm or greater. By setting the protruding dimension α of each protruding end 120 to 0.5 mm or greater, gaps 178, 180 (described below) can be stably formed, allowing for expansion of the resin (main body portion 92) in a high-temperature environment. The upper limit of the protruding dimension α of each protruding end 120 is not limited, but is set to, for example, 1.0 mm or less. This prevents the gaps 178, 180 from becoming unnecessarily large, thereby preventing the connector 10 from becoming too large.

[0049] In addition, an electric wire pressing rib 122 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of each first recess 114 that is overlapped with each electric wire 12. In the first embodiment, the electric wire pressing ribs 122 are provided at multiple locations on the inner peripheral surface in the rear part of each first recess 114, spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, and as shown in Fig. 5, the protruding tip portion of each electric wire pressing rib 122 has a substantially hemispherical shape. In the first embodiment, each electric wire pressing rib 122 in each first recess 114 extends straight downward, and the central axis direction of the protruding tip portion that has a substantially hemispherical shape is the up-down direction. In particular, in the first embodiment, the electric wire pressing ribs 122 provided at multiple locations in the circumferential direction are distributed at two locations that are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of each electric wire 12 (the longitudinal direction of each first recess 114, that is, the front-rear direction). Specifically, a plurality of wire pressing ribs 122 spaced apart in the circumferential direction are provided at positions that generally correspond to the front and rear end portions of each protrusion 118 in the front-rear direction.

[0050] Furthermore, on both left and right sides of the front part of each first recess 114 in the first holding part 100, there are provided elastic locking pieces 124 that protrude toward the contact surface (overlapping surface) with the second holding part 102, and locking claws 126 that can engage with the elastic locking pieces 124. In other words, each first recess 114 in the first holding part 100 extends further beyond each first bolt insertion cylinder part 108 in the protruding direction of each electric wire 12 from each electric wire withdrawal port 14 (direction from rear to front), and the elastic locking pieces 124 and the locking claws 126 are provided on the extending end side (front end side) of each first recess 114 in the first holding part 100.

[0051] As described above, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 have the same shape and are arranged upside down relative to each other. That is, in the second holding portion 102 of the lower electric wire holding portion 98, a second recess 128 that accommodates each electric wire 12 and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of each electric wire 12 is opened on the contact surface with the first holding portion 100 of the upper electric wire holding portion 96. The second holding portion 102 is provided with a pair of second recesses 128, 128 that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

[0052] In the second retaining portion 102, the pair of second recesses 128, 128 are connected by a connecting portion 116, and a protruding portion 118 protruding on both left and right sides is provided at the rear portion of each second recess 128. A second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 is disposed in a substantially embedded state in each of these protruding portions 118. In the first embodiment, the lower electric wire retaining portion 98 is formed as an integrally molded part of the second retaining portion 102 including the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112. Furthermore, the ends on both sides of the length of each second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 (both ends in the vertical direction) form protruding end portions 120 that protrude on both sides in the vertical direction beyond each protruding portion 118 (second retaining portion 102). The protruding dimension β (see Figure 5) of the protruding end 120 of each second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 from the second retaining portion 102 is set to a value similar to the protruding dimension α of the protruding end 120 of each first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 from the first retaining portion 100.

[0053] Furthermore, a plurality of wire pressing ribs 122 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of each second recess 128 that is laid over each electric wire 12. The shape, arrangement, etc. of each wire pressing rib 122 provided in each second recess 128 are similar to those of each electric wire pressing rib 122 provided in each first recess 114. Furthermore, in the second holding part 102, elastic locking pieces 124 and locking claws 126 that can be engaged with each other are provided on both left and right sides of a front portion of each second recess 128.

[0054] As will be described later, when assembling the upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98, The first recesses 114 and the second recesses 128 are overlapped and connected to each other to form a wire through hole 130 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The wire pressing ribs 122 in the first recesses 114 and the wire pressing ribs 122 in the second recesses 128 are arranged in a substantially annular shape on the inner peripheral surface of the wire through hole 130. By providing such wire pressing ribs 122, the wire pressing ribs 122 bite into the insulating coating 30 of each electric wire 12 during assembly of the connector 10, thereby improving the holding force of the electric wires 12 by the wire holding portion 22.

[0055] <Shield Shell 24> 1 and other figures, the lower portion of the connector housing 16 having the above-described structure is accommodated in a metal shield shell 24. As also shown in Fig. 10, the shield shell 24 has a generally box-like shape that opens upward as a whole, and includes a bottom wall 132 that is generally rectangular in plan view, a rear wall portion 134 and a pair of side walls 136, 136 that protrude upward from the rear and both left and right sides of the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 132. The area surrounded by the bottom wall 132, the rear wall portion 134, and the pair of side walls 136, 136 defines an accommodating recess 138 in which the connector housing 16 is accommodated.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the front portion of the bottom wall 132 extends further forward than each side wall portion 136, and this extending portion constitutes a forward extending portion 140. A bolt hole 142 into which a bolt 184, which will be described later, can be fastened is formed in the forward extending portion 140. Therefore, by placing the electric wire holding portion 22 on the forward extending portion 140, and then overlapping the pressing portion 26 from above the electric wire holding portion 22 and fastening the bolt 184, the electric wire holding portion 22 can be sandwiched between the forward extending portion 140 and the pressing portion 26, both of which are made of metal, in the vertical direction.

[0057] Furthermore, in the bottom wall 132 of the shield shell 24, on which the bottom wall portion 66 of the connector housing 16 is overlapped, insertion holes 144, through which the cylindrical portions 88 projecting downward from the bottom wall portion 66 are inserted, are formed so as to penetrate the bottom wall 132 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). These insertion holes 144 are formed at positions corresponding to the cylindrical portions 88, and a pair of insertion holes 144, 144 are provided spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Between the insertion holes 144 in the left-right direction, a cylindrical circular protrusion 146 projecting upward from the bottom wall 132 is provided, and the inner hole of this circular protrusion 146 forms a bolt hole 148 into which a bolt 166, described later, can be fastened.

[0058] Furthermore, the rear wall 134 and the left side wall 136 of the shield shell 24 are provided with bolt insertion holes 150 (the bolt insertion holes in the rear wall 134 are not shown) through which bolts 186, which will be described later, are inserted, at positions corresponding to the nuts 82 provided in the rear wall 72 and the left side wall 74 of the connector housing 16. An external connection portion 152 that protrudes rearward is provided at the upper end of the rear wall 134, and a bolt insertion hole 154 that penetrates the external connection portion 152 in the thickness direction (vertical direction) is formed. Terminal portions provided at the ends of external electric wires, etc. (not shown), are overlapped with each other in the external connection portion 152, and bolts, not shown, are inserted and fastened through the bolt insertion holes 154, thereby electrically connecting the shield shell 24 and the external electric wires, etc. Furthermore, a positioning portion 156 is formed at the left end of the rear end surface of the external connection portion 152, with which a claw portion 172 of a voltage detection hole sealing member 160, which will be described later, can engage. The positioning portion 156 is configured to have a relatively concave shape with both left and right sides of the engagement position of the claw portion 172 protruding rearward.

[0059] In the first embodiment, an electric detection hole sealing member 160 including plug members 158 that seal each electric detection hole 86 of the connector housing 16 is attached to the underside of the shield shell 24. Two plug members 158 are provided, one for each electric detection hole 86, and the pair of plug members 158, 158 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each plug member 158 has a generally cylindrical shape overall and is formed from an elastic material such as rubber. The maximum outer diameter of the portion of each plug member 158 that is inserted into each electric detection hole 86 is larger than the inner diameter of each cylindrical portion 88 that constitutes each electric detection hole 86, and each plug member 158 is fixed to each electric detection hole 86 by inserting each plug member 158 into each electric detection hole 86 from below in a generally press-fit state.

[0060] Each plug member 158 is attached to a plug member holder 162 that holds the plug member 158. The plug member holder 162 extends in the front-to-rear direction as a whole while bending along the bottom wall 132, rear wall portion 134, and external connection portion 152 of the shield shell 24, and is formed of, for example, metal. That is, one end (front end) of the plug member holder 162 is provided with a holding portion 164 that holds each plug member 158, and a bolt insertion hole 168 through which a bolt 166 is inserted is formed in the center of the holding portion 164 in the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, the other end (rear end) of the plug member holder 162 is formed with a bolt insertion hole 170, and when the plug member holder 162 is fixed to the shield shell 24, the bolt insertion hole 170 and the bolt insertion hole 154 in the external connection portion 152 are connected to each other. Furthermore, a claw portion 172 is formed at the other end (rear end) of the plug member holder 162, and when the plug member holder 162 is fixed to the shield shell 24, the claw portion 172 is adapted to engage with a positioning portion 156 provided at the rear end of the external connection portion 152.

[0061] In the first embodiment, these plug members 158 and the plug member holder 162 are integrally formed to constitute the voltage detection hole sealing member 160. This voltage detection hole sealing member 160 is overlapped and fixed to the connector housing 16 from below via the shield shell 24, whereby each voltage detection hole 86 is sealed by each plug member 158. That is, each plug member 158 is press-fitted into each voltage detection hole 86 (each cylindrical portion 88) opening downward through the insertion hole 144 of the shield shell 24, and the claw portion 172 is engaged with the positioning portion 156 of the external connection portion 152, and a bolt 166 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 168 and fastened to the bolt hole 148 of the shield shell 24, whereby the voltage detection hole sealing member 160 can be fixed to the shield shell 24. In short, by releasing the bolts 166 from the shield shell 24, grasping the voltage detection hole sealing member 160 (plug member holder 162) and pulling out each plug member 158 from each voltage detection hole 86 (each cylindrical portion 88), each voltage detection hole 86 opens downward through each insertion hole 144 in the shield shell 24.

[0062] <Pressing section 26> The pressing portion 26 is a member that is bolted to the shield shell 24 while sandwiching the electric wire holding portion 22 between itself and the shield shell 24 in a first direction (vertical direction) that is a direction intersecting the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the electric wires 12. In the first embodiment, the pressing portion 26 is bolted to the shield shell 24 in a state in which the pressing portion 26 is overlapped from above with the electric wire holding portion 22 placed on the forward extending portion 140 of the shield shell 24.

[0063] 1 and 3, the pressing portion 26 has a pressing wall portion 174 that covers and presses the electric wire holding portion 22 from above. The pressing wall portion 174 is substantially rectangular in plan view, and bolt insertion holes 176, 176 that penetrate in the vertical direction are formed on both the left and right sides of the pressing wall portion 174. In other words, when the pressing portion 26 is fixed to the shield shell 24, the electric wire holding portion 22 is sandwiched between the pressing wall portion 174 and the forward extending portion 140 in the vertical direction.

[0064] As described above, in the upper electric wire holding portion 96 of the electric wire holding portion 22, the protruding end portion 120, which is the end of the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108, protrudes upward more than the first holding portion 100, and in the lower electric wire holding portion 98, the protruding end portion 120, which is the end of the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112, protrudes downward more than the second holding portion 102. Therefore, when the pressing portion 26 is fixed to the shield shell 24, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the pressing wall portion 174 and the protruding end portion 120 of the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 abut against each other, and a gap 178 is formed between the first holding portion 100 and the pressing wall portion 174. In addition, the forward extending portion 140 and the protruding end portion 120 of the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 abut against each other, and a gap 180 is formed between the second holding portion 102 and the forward extending portion 140. That is, the protruding ends 120 of the first and second bolt insertion tube portions 108, 112 protrude from the first and second retaining portions 100, 102 on both the up-down direction and abut against the pressing wall portion 174 and the forward extending portion 140, thereby separating the first and second retaining portions 100, 102 from the pressing wall portion 174 and the forward extending portion 140 by gaps 178, 180. Although it is difficult to see in Figures 3 and 5 because the lightening holes in the first retaining portion 100 and the second retaining portion 102 are shown, the upper end surface of the first retaining portion 100 and the lower end surface of the second retaining portion 102 are located on the same plane as the end faces of the protrusions 118 provided on the first and second retaining portions 100, 102.

[0065] The vertical dimensions of these gaps 178, 180 are set by the protrusion dimension α of the first bolt insertion tube portion 108 from the first retaining portion 100 and the protrusion dimension β of the second bolt insertion tube portion 112 from the second retaining portion 102, and may also be determined by the following (Equation 1). (Formula 1) Gap > (a×(t1-t2)×c) + (b×(t1-t2)×d) In the above formula (1), a (see FIG. 5) is the thickness of the first holding portion 100 or the second holding portion 102 in the first direction (vertical direction). b (see FIG. 5) is the thickness of the pressing portion 26 or the shield shell 24 at a portion that comes into contact with the first holding portion 100 or the second holding portion 102 in the first direction (vertical direction), and in the first embodiment, is the thickness of the pressing wall portion 174 or the forward extending portion 140. c is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the main body portion 92 (the first holding portion 100 and the second holding portion 102), and d is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the pressing portion 26 or the shield shell 24. t1 is the heat resistance temperature of the insulating coating 30 of each electric wire 12, and t2 is room temperature (for example, within a range of 5°C to 35°C).

[0066] A cylindrical portion 182 that protrudes forward is provided at the front end of the pressing wall portion 174, and the inner hole of the cylindrical portion 182 is open on both front and rear sides. When the connector 10 is assembled, the cylindrical portion 182 covers the front portions of the wire holding portions 22 (first holding portion 100 and second holding portion 102).

[0067] <Assembly method of connector 10> The following describes a specific example of a method for assembling the connector 10. However, the method for assembling the connector 10 is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0068] First, the insulating coating 30 is stripped from the end of each electric wire 12 to expose the core wire 28, and each terminal 18 is fixed thereto. Thereafter, the end of each electric wire 12 to which each terminal 18 is fixed is inserted into the communicating hole 56 of the upper housing 40, and the end of each electric wire 12 opposite the end to which each terminal 18 is fixed is inserted into each electric wire outlet 14 of the lower housing 44, while bending each electric wire 12 so that the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 44 face each other in the vertical direction. Then, the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 44 are brought close to each other in the vertical direction, and the engaging frames 58 of the upper housing 40 are engaged with the engaging claws 84 of the lower housing 44, thereby fixing the upper housing 40 and the lower housing 44 to each other.

[0069] Furthermore, the end of each electric wire 12 opposite to the side to which each terminal 18 is fixed is inserted into each insertion hole 80 in the waterproof rubber 78, and the waterproof rubber 78 is housed in the housing tubular portion 76 of the lower housing 44. Also, the waterproof rubber 62 and the tubular housing 38 are assembled to the upper housing 40 from above. This completes the connector housing 16 with each electric wire 12 assembled.

[0070] Next, the upper wire holding portion 96 and the lower wire holding portion 98 are brought up to face the protruding portions 20 of the electric wires 12 protruding to the outside from each electric wire outlet 14 from both the up and down sides, and the upper wire holding portion 96 and the lower wire holding portion 98 are brought close to each other. Then, the elastic locking pieces 124 and the locking claws 126 of the upper and lower wire holding portions 96, 98 are engaged with each other to assemble the upper and lower wire holding portions 96, 98 to each other. As a result, the bolt insertion holes 106 of each first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 and the bolt insertion holes 110 of each second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 are communicated with each other in the up and down direction, and the bolt insertion holes 104 of the electric wire holding portion 22 are formed. Thereafter, the front portion of the electric wire holding portion 22 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 182 of the pressing portion 26, so that the bolt insertion holes 104 of the electric wire holding portion 22 and the bolt insertion holes 176 of the pressing portion 26 communicate with each other in the vertical direction.

[0071] Then, the lower portion of the connector housing 16 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 138 of the shield shell 24, and the electric wire holding portion 22 is placed on the forward extending portion 140 of the shield shell 24. Thereafter, the pressing portion 26 and the electric wire holding portion 22 are fixed to the shield shell 24 with the bolts 184. That is, by placing the electric wire holding portion 22 on the forward extending portion 140, the pressing portion 26 (pressing wall portion 174), the first bolt insertion cylindrical portions 108, the second bolt insertion cylindrical portions 112, and the shield shell 24 (forward extending portion 140) are overlapped in order in the vertical direction, and the respective bolt insertion holes 176, 106, 110 and bolt holes 142 are communicated and are bolt-fastened with the respective bolts 184.

[0072] Furthermore, bolts 186 are inserted into the shield shell 24 from the rear and left and fastened to the nuts 82 provided on the connector housing 16, thereby fixing the shield shell 24 and the connector housing 16 together with the bolts 186. When the bottom wall 132 of the shield shell 24 and the bottom wall portion 66 of the connector housing 16 are overlapped to accommodate the connector housing 16 in the accommodating recess 138, the cylindrical portions 88 are inserted into the insertion holes 144, and the circular protrusion 146 is inserted into the circular recess 90. Therefore, the insertion holes 144 and the cylindrical portions 88, as well as the circular protrusion 146 and the circular recess 90, can effectively position the shield shell 24 and the connector housing 16.

[0073] Thereafter, the voltage detection hole sealing members 160 are placed on the shield shell 24 from below and fastened with bolts 166, thereby sealing each voltage detection hole 86 with each plug member 158. In this way, the connector 10 is completed.

[0074] 3, in the assembled state of the connector 10, the wire holding portion 22 is located in front of the waterproof rubber 78 provided in the connector housing 16. As a result, the wire holding portion 22 prevents the waterproof rubber 78 from coming off to the outside, and the wire holding portion 22 has a retainer function that prevents the waterproof rubber 78 from coming off to the outside.

[0075] According to the connector 10 of the first embodiment, the wire holding portion 22, which holds the protruding portion 20 of each wire 12 from the connector housing 16, is sandwiched between the pressing portion 26 (pressing wall portion 174) and the shield shell 24 (forward extending portion 140), both of which are made of metal. In particular, the wire holding portion 22 includes each metal bolt insertion tube portion 94 that is integrally formed with the main body portion 92 made of synthetic resin, and the protruding end portions 120 of the bolt insertion tube portions 94 protrude from the main body portion 92 on both sides in the vertical direction and directly abut against the pressing portion 26 (pressing wall portion 174) and the shield shell 24 (forward extending portion 140). By fixing the wire holding portion 22 with a bolt in this state, the axial force of each bolt 184 can be stably applied between the pressing portion 26 and the shield shell 24. Therefore, the wire holding portion 22 can be firmly held between the shield shell 24 and the pressing portion 26, and rattle caused by vibration between the upper wire holding portion 96 and the lower wire holding portion 98 is suppressed. As a result, the holding force of the wire holding portion 22 for each wire 12 is improved, and external forces caused by vibration or the like are prevented from being transmitted to the terminals 18 provided at the ends of each wire 12.

[0076] Furthermore, the protruding end 120 of the bolt insertion tube portion 94 protrudes outward in the vertical direction from the main body portion 92 that constitutes the electric wire holding portion 22, and gaps 178, 180 are provided between the main body portion 92 (first and second holding portions 100, 102) and the pressing portion 26 (pressing wall portion 174) in the vertical direction and between the main body portion 92 and the shield shell 24 (forward extending portion 140) in the vertical direction. The provision of these gaps 178, 180 allows expansion and deformation of the first and second holding portions 100, 102, which are made of synthetic resin, in a high-temperature environment, and thus bites into each insulating coating 30 in a high-temperature environment are suppressed compared to when no gaps are provided, thereby advantageously reducing the risk of creep failure of the insulating coating 30. As a result, even when the expansion deformation of the first and second holding portions 100, 102 is released in a room temperature environment, for example, each insulating coating 30 can stably return to its initial shape, and gaps are prevented from being formed between each insulating coating 30 and the first and second holding portions 100, 102. This prevents a decrease in the holding performance of the wire holding portion 22 even when exposed to a high temperature environment, for example, and allows the wire holding portion 22 to maintain good holding of each electric wire 12.

[0077] In particular, because the bolt insertion tube portions 94 protrude on both sides of the main body portion 92 in the first direction (vertical direction), gaps 178, 180 can be formed on both sides of the main body portion 92 (first and second retaining portions 100, 102) in the vertical direction, and expansion and deformation of the first and second retaining portions 100, 102 can be more stably tolerated in a high-temperature environment. As a result, even in a room-temperature environment, for example, the occurrence of gaps between the insulating coatings 30 and the first and second retaining portions 100, 102 is more reliably prevented, further suppressing deterioration in retaining performance.

[0078] In the bolt insertion tube portion 94, the protrusion dimensions α and β from the main body portion 92 are preferably set to 0.5 mm or more. This allows stable formation of gaps 178 and 180 between the main body portion 92 (first and second holding portions 100 and 102) and the pressing portion 26 and the shield shell 24.

[0079] The vertical dimensions of the gap 178 between the first holding part 100 and the pressing part 26 and the gap 180 between the second holding part 102 and the shield shell 24 may be determined by the above-mentioned (Equation 1). This also makes it possible to stably form the gaps 178, 180.

[0080] The wire holding portion 22 is composed of an upper wire holding portion 96 on the upper side and a lower wire holding portion 98 on the lower side. That is, the main body 92 is composed of a first holding portion 100 and a second holding portion 102, and the bolt insertion tube portion 94 is composed of a first bolt insertion tube portion 108 and a second bolt insertion tube portion 112. By dividing the wire holding portion 22 into upper and lower portions in this manner, the upper wire holding portion 96 and the lower wire holding portion 98 can be assembled from both the upper and lower sides of each wire 12 in the vertical direction, thereby improving the workability of the assembly work. In particular, by using the same member for the upper wire holding portion 96 and the lower wire holding portion 98, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs, labor for parts management, and the like.

[0081] Moreover, the first holding portion 100 and the second holding portion 102 each include a resilient locking piece 124 and a locking claw 126 that can be engaged with each other. This allows the first holding portion 100 (upper electric wire holding portion 96) and the second holding portion 102 (lower electric wire holding portion 98) to be assembled to each other while having the same shape. Furthermore, the locking mechanism between each resilient locking piece 124 and each locking claw 126 allows the electric wire holding portion 22 to be temporarily fixed to each electric wire 12 before being fixed to the shield shell 24 with a bolt. This allows the fastening work with each bolt 184 to be performed stably.

[0082] In particular, the elastic locking pieces 124 and the locking claws 126 are provided at the front portions of the first and second holding portions 100, 102, and the first and second bolt insertion tube portions 108, 112, through which the bolts 184 are inserted, are provided at the rear portions of the first and second holding portions 100, 102. That is, the front portions of the first and second holding portions 100, 102 can be fixed by the locking mechanism, and the rear portions of the first and second holding portions 100, 102 can be fixed by bolt fastening, which more reliably prevents gaps from occurring between the first and second holding portions 100, 102 and the electric wires 12 on both the front and rear sides of the first and second holding portions 100, 102.

[0083] Wire pressing ribs 122 are provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surfaces of each of the first recesses 114 and each of the second recesses 128. These wire pressing ribs 122 bite into the insulating coating 30 of each of the electric wires 12, thereby more reliably preventing displacement of each of the electric wires 12 within the electric wire holding portion 22. In particular, in the first embodiment, the wire pressing ribs 122 are provided in the first and second holding portions 100, 102 near the first and second bolt insertion tube portions 108, 112 through which the bolts 184 are inserted. This allows the tightening force of each bolt 184 to be applied to the wire pressing ribs 122, thereby improving the holding performance of each of the electric wires 12 by the wire pressing ribs 122.

[0084] Furthermore, on the inner peripheral surfaces of each of the first recesses 114 and each of the second recesses 128, the plurality of wire pressing ribs 122 spaced apart in the circumferential direction are provided at two locations spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, which is the axial direction of each of the electric wires 12. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the displacement of each of the electric wires 12 in the front-rear direction and the swinging displacement (twisting) in the up-down direction relative to the electric wire holding portion 22.

[0085] The wire holding portion 22 is fixed to the front of the waterproof rubber 78 provided in the connector housing 16, and the wire holding portion 22 prevents the waterproof rubber 78 from coming off to the outside. As a result, the wire holding portion 22 not only has the function of holding the wires, but also functions as a retainer that prevents the waterproof rubber 78 from coming off, and there is no need to provide separate members for holding the individual wires and for preventing the waterproof rubber from coming off, which reduces the number of parts in the connector 10 and simplifies the structure.

[0086] <Modification> Although the first embodiment has been described above as a specific example of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to this specific description. Modifications, improvements, etc., within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure, are included in the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications of the embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0087] (1) In the above embodiment, the upper electric wire holding portion 96 and the lower electric wire holding portion 98 have the same structure, and the protrusion dimension α of the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion 108 from the first holding portion 100 and the protrusion dimension β of the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 112 from the second holding portion 102 are equal. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the structures of the upper electric wire holding portion and the lower electric wire holding portion may be different from each other. In other words, the protrusion dimension α of the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion from the first holding portion and the protrusion dimension β of the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion from the second holding portion may be different from each other. Specifically, as in the connector 190 shown in FIG. 11 , the protrusion dimension of the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion 192 from the second holding portion 194 may be set to zero, and no gap may be provided between the second holding portion 194 and the shield shell 24 (forward extending portion 140). Therefore, in the connector according to the present disclosure, the bolt insertion tube portion may protrude from the main body portion on only one side in the first direction (vertical direction), and the main body portion may be separated from one of the shield shell and the pressing portion by a gap.

[0088] (2) In the above embodiment, two electric wires 12, 12 are provided, but the number of electric wires may be one, or three or more.

[0089] (3) In addition to the embodiment in which the upper and lower wire holding portions are separate, the wire holding portion may have a structure in which one end of the upper and lower wire holding portions is hingedly connected to each other by a hinge portion. In this case, the upper and lower wire holding portions can be opened and closed around the hinge portion. After the upper and lower wire holding portions are opened to sandwich the wire therebetween, the other end of the upper and lower wire holding portions can be fixed to each other to hold the wire. Furthermore, the main body of the wire holding portion may be formed as a single resin part having a wire through-hole extending therethrough and a single bolt insertion tube embedded therein. In such a case, for example, before connecting a terminal to the wire, the wire may be inserted through the wire through-hole and the wire holding portion may be attached to the protruding portion of the wire in advance.

[0090] (4) In the above embodiment, the wire pressing ribs 122 are provided on both the inner circumferential surface of each first recess 114 in the first holding portion 100 and the inner circumferential surface of each second recess 128 in the second holding portion 102. However, either one of them may be provided, or no wire pressing ribs may be provided. Even when wire pressing ribs are provided, the wire pressing ribs are not limited to being formed in a semicircular ring shape on the inner circumferential surface of each first recess and / or each second recess as in the above embodiment. Any shape may be employed, such as a protrusion shape, a shape extending in the axial direction of each wire, or a spiral shape. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the wire pressing ribs 122 provided in each of the first and second recesses 114, 128 protrude in the vertical direction. However, the wire pressing ribs may protrude in the radial direction of each of the first and second recesses (wire through holes). Furthermore, the wire pressing ribs in each first recess and the wire pressing ribs in each second recess do not need to be provided at the same positions in the front-rear direction, and may be provided at different positions in the front-rear direction.

[0091] (5) In the above embodiment, the connector housing 16 and the shield shell 24 are fixed together by fastening the bolts 186. However, for example, an engaging protrusion and an engaging frame may be provided to engage with each other, and the connector housing and the shield shell may be fixed together by the engagement of these.

[0092] (6) The shape of the connector housing 16 described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and the shape of the connector housing is not limited. For example, a voltage detection hole is not essential to the connector according to the present disclosure, and the voltage detection hole and voltage detection hole sealing member may not be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10 Connector (embodiment 1) 12 Electric wire 14 Wire outlet 16 Connector housing 18 terminals 20 Protruding parts 22 Wire holding part 24 Shield Shell 26 Pressing part 28 core wires 30 Insulation coating 32 Contact point 34 Wire connection 36 Peripheral wall 38 Cylindrical housing 40 Upper housing 42 Upper opening 44 Lower housing 46 Holding cylinder part 48 Terminal assembly port 50 Lid plate part 52 Through hole 54 Cylindrical part 56 Communication hole 58 Engagement frame 60 Inner cylinder part 62 Waterproof rubber 64 O-rings 66 Bottom wall 68 Peripheral wall section 70 Front wall 72 Back wall 74 Side wall 76 Storage tube 78 Waterproof rubber (waterproof material) 80 Insertion hole 82 Nut 84 Engagement claw 86 Voltage Test Hole 88 Cylindrical part 90 circular recess 92 Main body 94 Bolt insertion tube 96 Upper wire holding part 98 Lower wire holding part 100 1st holding part 102 Second holding part 104,106 Bolt insertion holes 108 First bolt insertion tube 110 Bolt insertion hole 112 Second bolt insertion tube 114 First Recess 116 Connection section 118 Protrusion 120 Protruding end 122 Wire retaining rib 124 Elastic lock piece 126 Locking claw 128 Second Recess 130 Electrical wire through hole 132 Bottom wall 134 Rear wall 136 Side wall 138 Storage recess 140 Front extension 142 bolt holes 144 Insertion hole 146 Circular convex part 148 bolt holes 150 bolt hole 152 External connection part 154 Bolt insertion hole 156 Positioning part 158 Plug member 160 Voltage detection hole sealing material 162 Plug member holder 164 Holding part 166 volts 168,170 Bolt insertion holes 172 Claw 174 Pressurized wall 176 Bolt insertion hole 178,180 gap 182 Cylindrical part 184,186 volts 190 Connector (Figure 11) 192 Second bolt insertion tube 194 Second holding part

Claims

1. a connector housing having an electric wire outlet; an electric wire connected to a terminal accommodated in the connector housing and drawn out from the electric wire drawing outlet to the outside of the connector housing; an electric wire holding portion integrally including a synthetic resin main body portion that holds a protruding portion of the electric wire protruding to the outside from the electric wire drawing port, and a metal bolt insertion tube portion that extends through the main body portion in a first direction that is a direction intersecting an axial direction of the electric wire; a metallic shield shell fixed to the connector housing to cover the connector housing; a metal pressing portion that is bolt-fastened to the shield shell by a bolt that passes through the bolt insertion tube portion while sandwiching the wire holding portion between the metal pressing portion and the shield shell in the first direction, the bolt insertion tube portion has a protruding end portion that protrudes from the main body portion on at least one side in the first direction, and the protruding end portion abuts against the shield shell or the pressing portion, thereby separating the main body portion from the shield shell or the pressing portion by a gap.

2. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the bolt insertion tube portion has a pair of protruding end portions protruding from the main body portion on both sides in the first direction, and the pair of protruding end portions abut against the shield shell and the pressing portion, thereby separating the main body portion from the shield shell and the pressing portion across the gap.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the protruding end of the bolt insertion tube portion protrudes from the main body portion in the first direction by a protruding dimension of 0.5 mm or more.

4. the main body of the electric wire holding part has a first holding part and a second holding part that sandwich and hold the electric wire from both sides in the first direction and are assembled to each other to form the main body, a first recess that receives the electric wire and contacts an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire is formed in a contact surface of the first holding portion that contacts the second holding portion; a second recess that receives the electric wire and contacts the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire is formed in a contact surface of the second holding portion that contacts the first holding portion; When the first holding portion and the second holding portion are assembled, the first recess and the second recess are connected to each other to form an electric wire through hole, the first retaining portion includes a first bolt insertion cylindrical portion having a pair of protruding end portions that penetrate the first retaining portion in the first direction and protrude on both sides in the first direction, the second retaining portion includes a second bolt insertion cylindrical portion having a pair of protruding end portions that penetrate the second retaining portion in the first direction and protrude on both sides in the first direction, The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the pressing portion, the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion, the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion, and the shield shell are stacked in order in the first direction and fastened together by the bolt.

5. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the main body and the shield shell or the pressing portion in the first direction is determined by the following formula 1: (Formula 1) Gap > (a x (t1 - t2) x c) + (b x (t1 - t2) x d) In Equation 1, a is the plate thickness dimension of the first retaining portion or the second retaining portion in the first direction, b is the plate thickness dimension of the pressing portion or the shield shell at the location that contacts the first retaining portion or the second retaining portion in the first direction, c is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the first retaining portion or the second retaining portion, d is the linear expansion coefficient of the material of the pressing portion or the shield shell, t1 is the heat resistance temperature of the insulation of the electric wire, and t2 is room temperature (within the range of 5°C to 35°C).

6. the first recess of the first holding portion and the second recess of the second holding portion further extend beyond the first bolt insertion cylindrical portion and the second bolt insertion cylindrical portion in a protruding direction of the electric wire from the electric wire drawing outlet, 5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein an elastic locking piece and a locking claw portion are respectively provided on one and the other of the first and second retaining portions on the extended end sides of the first and second recesses, connecting the first and second retaining portions.

7. 7. The connector according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first recess and the second recess is provided with wire-pressing ribs at a plurality of locations spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction.

8. 8. The connector of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first recess and the second recess has a plurality of wire pressing ribs provided at multiple locations spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction, the wire pressing ribs being distributed in two locations spaced apart from each other in the axial direction of the wire.

9. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a waterproof member is fitted onto the electric wire to prevent water from entering the connector housing, and the electric wire holding portion has a retainer function to prevent the waterproof member from coming off to the outside.

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