Connector and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a connector in which damage to a collective sealing part is suppressed.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises an electric wire 40 that has a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42 that covers the outer circumference of the core wire 41, a terminal 50 that is connected to the core wire 41, an inner housing 20 that has a terminal accommodation part 21 to accommodate the terminal 50 in the inside, a rear holder 60 that is attached to a rear portion of the inner housing 20, and a collective seal part 70 that is mounted to the rear holder 60. The rear holder 60 includes an electric wire insertion hole 65 which the electric wire 40 is inserted through, the collective seal part 70 comes with an inner seal part 71 that seals the electric wire 40 inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 65, and the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 comes with a sheath part 43 and a body part 44 that are separate from each other, the sheath part 43 being disposed forward of the body part 44 and being slidingly movable to the core wire 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the connector. [Background technology]

[0002] A known connector for accommodating a terminal-attached electric wire in which a terminal is connected to a core wire exposed from the end of the electric wire is the connector described in JP 2019-145208 A (Patent Document 1 below). This connector includes a terminal having a terminal body and a sliding portion, a connector housing having a cavity for accommodating the terminal, and a rear holder that engages with the rear end of the terminal. When the sliding portion is held in the full-lock position relative to the terminal body, the upper abutment portion of the sliding portion abuts against the upper connection piece of the terminal body from above and presses it downward, and the lower abutment portion of the sliding portion abuts against the lower connection piece of the terminal body from below and presses it upward. This causes the core wire to be clamped between the upper and lower connection pieces, electrically connecting the electric wire and the terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-145208 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above connector is a non-waterproof connector, and to waterproof this connector, first the connector housing is used as an inner housing, an outer housing is provided that is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner housing, and the inner housing is accommodated by the outer housing and the rear holder so as to surround it. Then, a one-piece rubber plug is attached to the rear end of the inner housing to waterproof the electric wires inserted into the electric wire insertion holes, and a rubber ring is attached between the rear holder and the outer housing to waterproof the inside of the rear holder and the inside of the outer housing.

[0005] However, in the above-described waterproof connector configuration, when an electric wire is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole, the core wire exposed at the tip of the electric wire may damage the seal portion of the one-piece rubber plug. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure comprises an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire, a terminal connected to the core wire, an inner housing having a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the terminal inside, a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the inner housing, and an all-in-one seal portion attached to the rear holder, wherein the rear holder has a wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and the all-in-one seal portion comprises an inner seal portion that seals the electric wire inserted into the wire insertion hole, and the insulating coating of the electric wire comprises a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion is arranged forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, damage to the block seal portion in the connector can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of the connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a front view of a rear holder integrally formed with a block seal portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of only the rear holder. [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view of the EE cross section of FIG. 10 as seen obliquely from above and in front. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view of only the rear holder. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the electric wire is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole and the sheath portion is in contact with the inner seal portion. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the wire is further pushed forward from the state shown in FIG. 14, causing the sheath portion to slide relative to the core wire. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, showing a state in which the wire is further pushed forward from FIG. 15, the core wire reaches the inside of the terminal, and the main body is sealed by the inner seal portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The connector of the present disclosure comprises an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire, a terminal connected to the core wire, an inner housing having a terminal accommodating portion that accommodates the terminal inside, a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the inner housing, and an all-in-one seal portion attached to the rear holder, wherein the rear holder has a wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, and the all-in-one seal portion comprises an inner seal portion that seals the electric wire inserted into the wire insertion hole, and the insulating coating of the electric wire comprises a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion is arranged forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire.

[0011] With this configuration, when the electric wire is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole with the front end of the core wire protected by the sheath, the front end of the core wire is prevented from coming into contact with the inner seal portion of the main seal portion, thereby preventing damage to the main seal portion.

[0012] (2) It is preferable that the inner seal portion seals the main body portion.

[0013] With this configuration, waterproofing can be ensured by the overall seal portion.

[0014] (3) Preferably, the connector further includes an outer housing that is assembled to the rear holder with the inner housing accommodated therein, and an outer seal portion that seals between the rear holder and the outer housing.

[0015] According to this configuration, the provision of the outer housing and the outer seal portion makes it possible to waterproof the interior of the inner housing and the rear holder.

[0016] (4) It is preferable that the outer seal portion is formed integrally with the overall seal portion.

[0017] According to this configuration, the outer seal portion is provided integrally with the overall seal portion, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0018] (5) It is preferable that the block seal portion and the rear holder are formed as a single member.

[0019] With this configuration, it is not necessary to attach the collective seal portion to the rear holder, which reduces the number of attachment steps. For example, the collective seal portion and the rear holder may be formed into a single member by two-color molding.

[0020] (6) A method for manufacturing a connector according to the present disclosure includes a connector including an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire, a terminal, an inner housing having a terminal accommodating portion, a rear holder having an electric wire insertion hole, and an all-in-one seal portion attached to the rear holder and sealing the electric wire inserted into the electric wire insertion hole, the method including the steps of: accommodating the terminal inside the terminal accommodating portion; attaching the rear holder having the all-in-one seal portion attached to a rear portion of the inner housing; cutting off a front end of the insulating coating of the electric wire to form a sheath portion and a main body portion disposed behind the sheath portion; sliding the sheath portion forward relative to the core wire to protect the front end of the core wire with the sheath portion; inserting the electric wire, whose front end is protected by the sheath portion, into the electric wire insertion hole of the rear holder so that the front end of the core wire reaches the inside of the terminal; and connecting the core wire to the terminal.

[0021] This method of manufacturing a connector includes the steps of forming a sheath on the insulating coating and protecting the front end of the core wire with the sheath, which prevents the front end of the core wire from coming into contact with the collective seal when inserting the electric wire into the electric wire insertion hole, thereby preventing damage to the collective seal.

[0022] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to exemplary embodiments. 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.

[0023] <Embodiment> An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 16. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow Z is defined as upward, the direction indicated by arrow X as forward, and the direction indicated by arrow Y as leftward. Note that, for multiple identical components, only some of the components may be designated by reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the other components may be omitted.

[0024] [connector] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 10 is configured to include an inner housing 20, an outer housing 30, a seal ring 35, terminals 50, electric wires 40, a rear holder 60, and an all-in-one seal portion 70.

[0025] [Electric wire] The electric wire 40 includes a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42, which is an insulating synthetic resin that surrounds the outer periphery of the core wire 41. The insulating coating 42 is stripped off at the end of the electric wire 40, exposing the core wire 41. The core wire 41 is a so-called single-core wire, which is made of a single metal wire. The core wire 41 may also be a twisted wire made by twisting together multiple thin metal wires. The metal that makes up the core wire 41 can be selected appropriately from any metal as needed, such as copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. The core wire 41 in this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy.

[0026] [Sheath, main body] The insulating coating 42 includes a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44 that is separate from the sheath portion 43 and is disposed rearward of the sheath portion 43. The sheath portion 43 is slidable relative to the core wire 41 in the extension direction (front-rear direction) of the electric wire 40. The sheath portion 43 is formed by being cut off from the main body portion 44 using a wire stripper or the like.

[0027] Terminal The terminal 50 is a female terminal and includes a metal terminal body 51 and a sliding portion 52 that can slide relative to the terminal body 51. The terminal body 51 is formed into a predetermined shape by known methods such as press working, cutting, and casting. The metal constituting the terminal body 51 can be selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and other metals as needed. The terminal body 51 of this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the terminal body 51. The metal constituting the plating layer can be selected from tin, nickel, silver, and other metals as needed. The terminal body 51 of this embodiment is tin-plated.

[0028] [Terminal body] 4, the terminal body 51 includes a rectangular connecting tubular portion 51A into which a mating male terminal (not shown) is inserted, a rectangular base portion 51B disposed behind the connecting tubular portion 51A, and an upper connecting piece 51C and a lower connecting piece 51D extending rearward from the base portion 51B. The front end of the connecting tubular portion 51A is open so that the mating male terminal can be inserted.

[0029] An elastically deformable elastic contact piece 51E is disposed on the side wall of the connecting tubular portion 51A. A male terminal inserted into the connecting tubular portion 51A comes into contact with the elastic contact piece 51E. A metal lance 53 formed by cutting and raising a part of the connecting tubular portion 51A is provided on the front end of the upper wall of the connecting tubular portion 51A.

[0030] The upper connection piece 51C is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction, with the rear end of the upper wall of the base 51B as a fulcrum. The lower connection piece 51D is formed so as to be elastically deformable in the vertical direction, with the rear end of the lower wall of the base 51B as a fulcrum. The upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are formed to have approximately the same length in the front-to-rear direction.

[0031] The terminal body 51 further includes a terminal window 51F that opens upward at a position rearward of the connecting tube portion 51A and forward of the base portion 51B. The front end of the core wire 41 is detectable through the terminal window 51F when the core wire 41 is disposed in the space between the upper connecting piece 51C and the lower connecting piece 51D. "Detectable" includes being able to visually confirm the core wire 41 from the outside by an operator, being detectable from the outside by a camera (not shown), and being able to electrically detect the front end of the core wire 41 by inserting a probe (not shown) from the outside.

[0032] [Slide section] The slide portion 52 has a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. The slide portion 52 is formed by known methods such as cutting, casting, and pressing, as needed. The metal constituting the slide portion 52 can be selected from copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and other metals as needed. The slide portion 52 of this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. A plating layer may be formed on the surface of the slide portion 52. The metal constituting the plating layer can be selected from tin, nickel, silver, and other metals as needed. The slide portion 52 of this embodiment is tin-plated.

[0033] The cross-sectional shape of the slide portion 52 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the region of the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided, so that the slide portion 52 can be fitted onto the region of the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided.

[0034] An upper contact portion 52A protruding downward is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall of the slide portion 52. A lower contact portion 52B protruding upward is provided on the upper surface of the lower wall of the slide portion 52.

[0035] The slide portion 52 is fitted onto the area of ​​the terminal body 51 where the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D are provided, and is slidable between a temporary locking position (the position of the slide portion 52 in FIGS. 14 to 16) and a full locking position (the position of the slide portion 52 in FIG. 4) that is set forward of the temporary locking position. When the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position with respect to the terminal body 51, the upper contact portion 52A contacts the upper surface of the upper connection piece 51C from above, and the lower contact portion 52B contacts the lower surface of the lower connection piece 51D from below.

[0036] When the slide portion 52 is held in the full-locking position relative to the terminal body 51, the upper contact portion 52A presses the upper connection piece 51C from above, causing the upper connection piece 51C to elastically deform downward. Furthermore, the lower contact portion 52B presses the lower connection piece 51D from below, causing the lower connection piece 51D to elastically deform upward. As a result, when the core wire 41 is arranged in the space between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D while extending in the front-to-rear direction, and the slide portion 52 holds the terminal body 51 in the full-locking position, the core wire 41 is sandwiched from above and below by the elastically deformed upper connection piece 51C and lower connection piece 51D. In other words, the upper connection piece 51C is pressed downward by the upper abutment portion 52A, thereby contacting the core wire 41 from above, and the lower connection piece 51D is pressed upward by the lower abutment portion 52B, thereby contacting the core wire 41 from below.

[0037] The front portion of the upper connection piece 51C protrudes downward, and the rear portion of the lower connection piece 51D protrudes upward, with these protruding portions offset in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, the core wire 41 is held in a bent state in the up-down direction. In this way, the core wire 41 and the terminal 50 are electrically connected and are held in a state where they are firmly prevented from coming loose even when the wire 40 is pulled backward.

[0038] 16, a jig abutment portion 54 that protrudes upward from the upper wall is provided at the front end of the slide portion 52. A jig (not shown) abuts against the jig abutment portion 54 from behind, and the slide portion 52 is pushed forward by the jig, thereby allowing the slide portion 52 to move forward.

[0039] [Inner housing] As shown in FIG. 2, the inner housing 20 is made of insulating synthetic resin and has a terminal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates a plurality of terminals 50. The inner housing 20 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction and extends in the horizontal direction. The terminal accommodating portion 21 has a plurality of cavities 21A that penetrate the inner housing 20 in the front-to-rear direction. The plurality of cavities 21A are arranged in parallel with intervals in the horizontal direction and are stacked in two tiers, one above the other. The cavities 21A formed on the upper tier and the cavities 21A formed on the lower tier are positioned at positions offset in the horizontal direction when viewed from above. The number of cavities 21A is arbitrary, and the number of tiers in the case of vertical stacking is also arbitrary.

[0040] A male terminal (not shown) can be inserted into the cavity 21A from the front. As shown in Figure 4, a terminal 50 can be inserted into the cavity 21A from the rear, and the terminal 50 can be accommodated inside the terminal accommodating portion 21.

[0041] When the terminal 50 is accommodated in the cavity 21A, a connector window 21B is formed in the terminal accommodating portion 21 at a position corresponding to the terminal window 51F of the terminal 50. The connector window 21B allows the terminal window 51F to communicate with the outside. The terminal window 51F of the terminal 50 can be detected through the connector window 21B. This makes it possible to detect the front end of the core wire 41 from the outside through the connector window 21B and the terminal window 51F.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 2, the inner housing 20 has a partition wall 22 that separates the upper cavity 21A from the lower cavity 21A. The partition wall 22 extends rearward from the rear end of the cavity 21A. Partition walls 23 that extend in the front-rear direction and protrude upward and downward are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the partition wall 22. These partition walls 23 electrically insulate the terminals 50 accommodated in each cavity 21A from the terminals 50 adjacent to them in the left-right direction.

[0043] A temporary locking portion 24 protruding outward is provided near the rear end of each of the left and right side walls of the inner housing 20, and a full locking portion 25 is provided in front of this temporary locking portion 24.

[0044] 4, the front end of the upper cavity 21A is provided with a lance hole 26 that opens upward, and the front end of the lower cavity 21A is provided with a lance hole 26 that opens downward. The lance 53 of the terminal 50 is engaged with the inner wall of the lance hole 26, thereby holding the terminal 50 housed in the cavity 21A.

[0045] [Rear holder] 4 and 5, the rear holder 60 is made of insulating synthetic resin and includes a holder base 62, a holder main body 61 protruding forward from the holder base 62, and a cylindrical protective wall 63 disposed on the outer periphery of the holder main body 61 and protruding forward from the holder base 62. The rear holder 60 is formed by injection molding the insulating synthetic resin.

[0046] The holder main body 61 has a box-shaped holder hood portion 61A that opens forward, and a seal mounting portion 61B that is provided adjacent to the rear side of the holder hood portion 61A. The holder hood portion 61A is adapted to be fitted onto the rear portion of the inner housing 20. As shown in FIG. 2, roughly gate-shaped lock receiving portions 64 are provided at the front end portions of both left and right side walls of the holder hood portion 61A. As shown in FIG. 5, the lock receiving portions 64 are adapted to be elastically engaged with the temporary-locking portion 24 and the full-locking portion 25 of the inner housing 20.

[0047] The temporary locking portion 24 of the inner housing 20 and the lock receiving portion 64 of the holder main body 61 are engaged with each other, so that the rear holder 60 is held in a temporary locking position (see FIGS. 14 to 16) relative to the inner housing 20. The full locking portion 25 of the inner housing 20 and the lock receiving portion 64 of the holder main body 61 are engaged with each other, so that the rear holder 60 is held in a full locking position (the position of the rear holder 60 shown in FIG. 5) relative to the inner housing 20.

[0048] 8 and 10, the rear holder 60 has a plurality of wire insertion holes 65 through which the wires 40 are inserted. The wire insertion holes 65 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction and in two rows, one above the other. Each wire insertion hole 65 is provided at a position corresponding to each cavity 21A of the inner housing 20. The inner diameter of each wire insertion hole 65 is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insulating coating 42 of the wire 40.

[0049] 9, a partition wall receiving portion 61C is provided near the center in the vertical direction on the rear wall of the holder hood portion 61A. This partition wall receiving portion 61C is open forward, and the vertical dimension of the opening is set to be the same as or slightly larger than the vertical thickness dimension of the partition wall 22 of the inner housing 20.

[0050] 14, when the rear holder 60 is held in the temporary locking position relative to the inner housing 20, the partition wall receiving portion 61C of the holder main body 61 is located rearward of the rear end edge of the partition wall 22 of the inner housing 20. As shown in FIG. 4, when the rear holder 60 is held in the full locking position relative to the inner housing 20, the partition wall 22 of the inner housing 20 fits into the opening of the partition wall receiving portion 61C of the holder main body 61. This prevents the rear holder 60 from being displaced in the up-down direction relative to the inner housing 20.

[0051] 9, a step 61D is formed on the inner wall of the holder hood portion 61A at the front end position of the wire insertion hole 65. This step 61D abuts against the rear end of the slide portion 52 from behind when the rear holder 60 moves from the temporary locking position to the full locking position with respect to the inner housing 20. This keeps the terminal 50 housed in the cavity 21A of the inner housing 20 and prevented from slipping out rearward.

[0052] 11 and 13, the seal mounting portion 61B is composed of a pair of upper and lower mounting walls 61E. The front end of the upper mounting wall 61E is connected to the rear end of the upper wall of the holder hood portion 61A, and the rear end of the upper mounting wall 61E is connected to the holder base 62. The front end of the lower mounting wall 61E is connected to the rear end of the lower wall of the holder hood portion 61A, and the rear end of the lower mounting wall 61E is connected to the holder base 62. An all-in-one seal portion 70 is attached integrally to the seal mounting portion 61B by two-color molding.

[0053] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the protective wall 63 has a cylindrical shape that opens forward. When viewed from the front, the protective wall 63 has an oval shape that is long in the left-right direction. The holder main body 61 is housed inside the protective wall 63. A pair of through holes 63A are provided on both the left and right side walls of the protective wall 63. As shown in Figures 6 and 12, the through hole 63A has a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction when viewed from the side.

[0054] 12 and 13, the space between the pair of upper and lower mounting walls 61E coincides with the through-hole 63A when the rear holder 60 is viewed from the side. Therefore, the lower surface of the upper mounting wall 61E and the upper edge of the through-hole 63A are located at the same height, and the upper surface of the lower mounting wall 61E and the lower line of the through-hole 63A are located at the same height.

[0055] [Bulk sealing section] The collective seal portion 70 is made of rubber and, as shown in Figure 7, is configured to include an inner seal portion 71 arranged between a pair of mounting walls 61E and an outer seal portion 72 arranged on the outer periphery of the inner seal portion 71.

[0056] The inner seal portion 71 seals the electric wire 40 inserted in the electric wire insertion hole 65. As shown in Fig. 9, the inner seal portion 71 has an inner peripheral lip 71A whose inner diameter is smallest near the center in the front-rear direction. The inner diameter of the inner peripheral lip 71A is smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 40.

[0057] The outer seal portion 72 has an outer peripheral lip 72A formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer seal portion 72. The outer peripheral lip 72A is provided around the entire circumference of the outer seal portion 72. The outer peripheral lip 72A is covered by the protective wall 63. The outer seal portion 72 provides a seal between the outer housing 30 and the rear holder 60.

[0058] [Outer housing] As shown in Fig. 4, the outer housing 30 is made of insulating synthetic resin and includes a housing accommodating portion 31, a seal accommodating portion 32 disposed on the rear side of the housing accommodating portion 31, a front hood portion 33 disposed on the outer periphery of the housing accommodating portion 31 and opening forward, and a rear hood portion 34 disposed on the rear side of the front hood portion 33 and opening rearward. As shown in Fig. 3, the front wall of the housing accommodating portion 31 is provided with a plurality of terminal entrance holes 31A arranged to correspond to the positions of the plurality of cavities 21A of the inner housing 20. The terminal entrance holes 31A are holes through which male terminals (not shown) to be connected to terminals 50 enter from the front.

[0059] The interior of housing accommodating portion 31 and the interior of seal accommodating portion 32 are in communication. The front-to-rear dimension of housing accommodating portion 31 is larger than the front-to-rear dimension of seal accommodating portion 32, and is approximately three times the front-to-rear dimension of seal accommodating portion 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical dimension of seal accommodating portion 32 is larger than the vertical dimension of housing accommodating portion 31, and as shown in FIG. 5, the left-to-right dimension of seal accommodating portion 32 is larger than the left-to-right dimension of housing accommodating portion 31.

[0060] The outer seal 72 of the main seal 70 is housed in a sealed state inside the seal housing 32. The housing housing 31 has a rear housing housing 31B that houses the holder hood 61A. The rear hood 34 is made up of the rear housing housing 31B and the seal housing 32.

[0061] 5, the rear hood portion 34 has a locking protrusion 34A that engages with the inner wall of the through-hole 63A to hold the protective wall 63 of the rear holder 60 attached along the outer peripheral surface of the rear hood portion 34 (a state in which the rear hood portion 34 is fitted into the protective wall 63). The locking protrusion 34A is located near the front end of the seal accommodating portion 32. When the rear hood portion 34 is fitted into the protective wall 63, an outer peripheral lip 72A of the outer seal portion 72 comes into close contact with the seal accommodating portion 32, thereby sealing the gap between the outer housing 30 and the rear holder 60.

[0062] The front hood portion 33 extends radially outward from the front end of the rear hood portion 34, and then extends forward to the front end of the housing reception portion 31. A seal ring 35 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the housing reception portion 31. A mating hood portion (not shown) of a mating housing can enter between the outer peripheral surface of the housing reception portion 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the front hood portion 33, and the seal ring 35 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the mating hood portion and the outer peripheral surface of the housing reception portion 31, thereby sealing the mating housing and the outer housing 30.

[0063] [Connector manufacturing method] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the connector 10 of this embodiment will be described. The method for manufacturing the connector 10 is not limited to the following description.

[0064] The terminal body 51 and the slide portion 52 are formed by a known method. The slide portion 52 is attached to the terminal body 51 from behind, and the slide portion 52 is held in the provisionally locked position. In this way, the terminal 50 is obtained.

[0065] The inner housing 20, outer housing 30, and rear holder 60 are formed by injection molding synthetic resin. The terminals 50 are inserted into the cavity 21A of the inner housing 20 from the rear. The rear holder 60 and the collective seal portion 70 are integrally formed by injecting liquid rubber, which is the raw material for the collective seal portion 70, into the rear holder 60 using two-color molding. As a result, the inner seal portion 71 and the outer seal portion 72 are made from a single member, which reduces the number of parts and also reduces the number of man-hours by eliminating the process of attaching the collective seal portion 70.

[0066] The rear holder 60 is assembled to the rear end of the inner housing 20 from behind. Then, the front end of the lock receiving portion 64 of the rear holder 60 abuts against the temporary-locking portion 24 of the inner housing 20 from behind, causing the lock receiving portion 64 to expand and deform. When the rear holder 60 is further pushed forward, the lock receiving portion 64 returns to its original deformation, and the lock receiving portion 64 of the rear holder 60 elastically engages with the temporary-locking portion 24 of the inner housing 20. This holds the rear holder 60 in the temporary-locking position relative to the inner housing 20. In this state, the holder hood portion 61A of the rear holder 60 is disposed at a position spaced rearward from the rear end of the inner housing 20.

[0067] The insulating coating 42 is stripped off at the end of the electric wire 40 to expose a core wire 41 of a predetermined length. The front end of the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 is cut off with a wire stripper or the like to form a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44. The sheath portion 43 is slid forward relative to the core wire 41, thereby protecting the front end of the core wire 41 with the sheath portion 43 (see FIG. 2).

[0068] When the electric wire 40, in which the front end of the core wire 41 is protected by the sheath portion 43, is inserted into the electric wire insertion hole 65 of the rear holder 60, the sheath portion 43 comes into contact with the inner seal portion 71, as shown in Fig. 14. In this manner, in this embodiment, the front end of the core wire 41 is protected by the sheath portion 43, so that the front end of the core wire 41 is less likely to come into contact with the inner seal portion 71 and damage the inner seal portion 71. When the electric wire 40 is pushed further forward, the core wire 41 is fed forward while the sheath portion 43 remains in contact with the inner seal portion 71, as shown in Fig. 15.

[0069] When the wire 40 is pushed further forward, the front end of the core wire 41 is introduced into the slide portion 52 from the rear end thereof. Then, as shown in FIG. 16 , the front end of the core wire 41 enters the interior of the terminal body 51 and reaches the space between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D. During this time, the sheath portion 43 is pushed from the rear into the body portion 44, and is positioned forward of the inner seal portion 71. The inner peripheral lip 71A is adapted to be in close contact with the body portion 44.

[0070] By detecting the front end of the core wire 41 visually or with a probe or the like in the terminal window 51F visible from the connector window 21B, it can be confirmed that the core wire 41 has reached a predetermined position.

[0071] Next, when a jig (not shown) is pressed against the jig abutment portion 54 from behind and the slide portion 52 is slid forward, the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position relative to the terminal body 51. When the slide portion 52 is held in the full locking position relative to the terminal body 51, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper abutment portion 52A of the slide portion 52 abuts against the upper connection piece 51C of the terminal body 51 from above and presses it downward. Also, the lower abutment portion 52B of the slide portion 52 abuts against the lower connection piece 51D of the terminal body 51 from below and presses it upward. As a result, the core wire 41 is sandwiched between the upper connection piece 51C and the lower connection piece 51D from above and below, and the terminal 50 and the electric wire 40 are electrically connected.

[0072] Next, the rear holder 60 is pushed further forward relative to the inner housing 20. As a result, the front end of the lock receiving portion 64 of the rear holder 60 rides up onto the full-engagement locking portion 25 and is deformed to expand. When the rear holder 60 is pushed further forward, the lock receiving portion 64 is restored to its original shape and is elastically locked to the full-engagement locking portion 25 of the inner housing 20. This holds the rear holder 60 in the full-engagement position relative to the inner housing 20. In this state, the holder hood portion 61A of the rear holder 60 is fitted onto the rear portion of the inner housing 20, and the inner housing 20 and the rear holder 60 are integrally formed.

[0073] 4, when the rear holder 60 is held in the full locking position relative to the inner housing 20, the inner circumferential lip 71A is in close contact with the main body portion 44. This ensures the sealing performance of the inner seal portion 71. If, unlike this embodiment, the inner circumferential lip 71A were in close contact with the boundary between the sheath portion 43 and the main body portion 44, water could enter through the gap between the sheath portion 43 and the main body portion 44.

[0074] Next, the rear holder 60 is assembled to the outer housing 30 from behind, thereby accommodating the inner housing 20 inside the housing accommodating portion 31. The protective wall 63 of the rear holder 60 expands and deforms, riding on the locking protrusion 34A of the outer housing 30. When the rear holder 60 is further pushed forward, the protective wall 63 returns to its original shape, and the locking protrusion 34A elastically engages with the inner wall of the through-hole 63A. This maintains the rear holder 60 attached to the outer housing 30. In this state, the outer seal portion 72 of the block seal 70 is accommodated inside the seal accommodating portion 32, and the outer peripheral lip 72A is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the seal accommodating portion 32. This completes the manufacture of the connector 10.

[0075] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the embodiment, the following actions and effects are achieved. The connector 10 according to the embodiment comprises an electric wire 40 having a core wire 41 and an insulating coating 42 covering the outer periphery of the core wire 41, a terminal 50 connected to the core wire 41, an inner housing 20 having a terminal accommodating portion 21 that accommodates the terminal 50 therein, a rear holder 60 attached to the rear portion of the inner housing 20, and an all-in-one seal portion 70 attached to the rear holder 60, wherein the rear holder 60 has a wire insertion hole 65 through which the electric wire 40 is inserted, and the all-in-one seal portion 70 has an inner seal portion 71 that seals the electric wire 40 inserted into the wire insertion hole 65, and the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 comprises a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44 that are separate from each other, and the sheath portion 43 is arranged forward of the main body portion 44 and is slidable relative to the core wire 41.

[0076] With this configuration, by inserting the electric wire 40 into the electric wire insertion hole 65 with the front end of the core wire 41 protected by the sheath portion 43, it is possible to prevent the front end of the core wire 41 from coming into contact with the inner seal portion 71 of the batch seal portion 70. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the batch seal portion 70.

[0077] In this embodiment, the inner seal portion 71 seals the main body portion 44 .

[0078] With this configuration, waterproofing by the collective seal portion 70 can be ensured.

[0079] The connector 10 according to the embodiment further includes an outer housing 30 that is assembled to the rear holder 60 with the inner housing 20 housed therein, and an outer seal portion 72 that seals between the rear holder 60 and the outer housing 30.

[0080] According to this configuration, the outer housing 30 and the outer seal portion 72 are provided, thereby making it possible to waterproof the inside of the inner housing 20 and the rear holder 60.

[0081] In this embodiment, the outer seal portion 72 is integrally formed with the overall seal portion 70 .

[0082] According to this configuration, the outer seal portion 72 is provided integrally with the overall seal portion 70, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0083] In this embodiment, the batch seal portion 70 and the rear holder 60 are configured as a single member.

[0084] With this configuration, the number of steps required for attachment can be reduced because there is no need to attach the collective seal portion 70 to the rear holder 60. For example, the collective seal portion 70 may be molded into the rear holder 60 by two-color molding, thereby forming them into a single member.

[0085] A method for manufacturing a connector (10) according to an embodiment includes an electric wire (40) having a core wire (41) and an insulating coating (42) covering the outer periphery of the core wire (41), a terminal (50), an inner housing (20) having a terminal accommodating portion (21), a rear holder (60) having an electric wire insertion hole (65), and an all-in-one seal portion (70) that is attached to the rear holder (60) and seals the electric wire (40) inserted into the electric wire insertion hole (65), and the method includes the steps of accommodating the terminal (50) inside the terminal accommodating portion (21), and forming the all-in-one seal portion (70) on the rear portion of the inner housing (20). a step of attaching the rear holder 60 to which the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 is attached, a step of cutting off the front end of the insulating coating 42 of the electric wire 40 to form a sheath portion 43 and a main body portion 44 arranged behind the sheath portion 43, a step of sliding the sheath portion 43 forward relative to the core wire 41 to protect the front end of the core wire 41 with the sheath portion 43, a step of inserting the electric wire 40, the front end of which is protected by the sheath portion 43, into the electric wire insertion hole 65 of the rear holder 60, and allowing the front end of the core wire 41 to reach the inside of the terminal 50, and a step of connecting the core wire 41 and the terminal 50.

[0086] This manufacturing method for the connector 10 includes the steps of forming the sheath portion 43 on the insulating coating 42 and protecting the front end portion of the core wire 41 with the sheath portion 43, and therefore, when inserting the electric wire 40 into the electric wire insertion hole 65, it is possible to prevent the front end portion of the core wire 41 from coming into contact with the batch seal portion 70. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the batch seal portion 70.

[0087] <Other embodiments> (1) In the above embodiment, the outer seal portion 72 is formed integrally with the bulk seal portion 70, but this is not limited thereto and may be different. The outer seal portion may be separate from the bulk seal portion. (2) In the above embodiment, the batch seal portion 70 and the rear holder 60 are configured as a single member, but this is not limitative, and the batch seal portion and the rear holder may be configured as separate members. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10: Connector 20: Inner housing 21: Terminal housing 21A: Cavity 21B: Connector window 22: Bulkhead 23: Partition wall 24: Temporary locking part 25: Main locking part 26: Lance Hall 30: Outer housing 31: Housing compartment 31A: Terminal entry hole 31B: Rear housing compartment 32: Seal housing 33: Front hood 34: Rear hood 34A: Lock protrusion 35: Seal ring 40: Electric wire 41: Core wire 42: Insulation coating 43: Scabbard part 44: Main body 50: Terminal 51: Terminal body 51A: Connecting tube 51B: Base 51C: Upper connecting piece 51D: Lower connection piece 51E: Elastic contact piece 51F: Terminal window 52: Slide section 52A: Upper contact part 52B: Lower contact part 53: Lance 54: Jig contact part 60: Rear holder 61: Holder body 61A: Holder hood part 61B: Seal mounting part 61C: Partition wall support 61D: Step 61E: Mounting wall 62: Holder base 63: Protective wall 63A: Through hole 64: Lock receiving part 65: Wire insertion hole 70: Overall seal part 71: Inner seal part 71A: Inner lip 72: Outer seal part 72A: Peripheral lip

Claims

1. an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the outer periphery of the core wire; a terminal connected to the core wire; an inner housing having a terminal accommodating portion for accommodating the terminal therein; a rear holder attached to a rear portion of the inner housing; a batch seal portion attached to the rear holder, the rear holder has an electric wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted, the collective seal portion includes an inner seal portion that seals the electric wire inserted into the electric wire insertion hole, The insulating coating of the electric wire includes a sheath portion and a main body portion that are separate from each other, The sheath portion is disposed forward of the main body portion and is slidable relative to the core wire.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the inner seal seals the main body.

3. an outer housing that is assembled to the rear holder with the inner housing accommodated therein; 3. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising an outer seal portion that seals between the rear holder and the outer housing.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the outer seal portion is integrally formed with the block seal portion.

5. 5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the block seal portion and the rear holder are formed as a single member.

6. A method for manufacturing a connector including: an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering an outer periphery of the core wire; a terminal; an inner housing having a terminal accommodating portion; a rear holder having an electric wire insertion hole; and an all-in-one seal portion attached to the rear holder and sealing the electric wire inserted into the electric wire insertion hole, accommodating the terminal in the terminal accommodating portion; attaching the rear holder to the rear side of the inner housing, the rear holder having the block seal attached thereto; a step of cutting off a front end portion of the insulating coating of the electric wire to form a sheath portion and a main body portion disposed behind the sheath portion; a step of sliding the sheath portion forward relative to the core wire to protect the front end portion of the core wire with the sheath portion; a step of inserting the electric wire, the front end of which is protected by the sheath portion, into the electric wire insertion hole of the rear holder so that the front end of the core wire reaches inside the terminal; and connecting the core wire and the terminal.

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