Shielded Connector

Abstract

To provide a shield connector which allows reduction in the number of components.SOLUTION: A shield connector 1 comprises: a housing 2 which houses a terminal and has a voltage detection hole; a shell 3 which covers the housing with an opening of the hole exposed; a packing which closes the hole; a tabular holding member 5 which holds the packing, and which is fitted to the shell with the packing inserted in the hole; and a bolt 6 which fixes the holding member to the shell. The shell has: a female screw part 37a which is screwed to the bolt; a pair of first wall parts 32 which face each other across the female screw part; and a guide rib 36 which is provided on each of the first wall parts. The female screw part, the pair of first wall parts, and the guide rib extend in an insertion direction in which the packing is inserted into the hole. The holding member has a flat tabular holding part 50 which holds the packing, and the holding part has, on its edge, a cutout which is guided by the guide rib.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are connectors with a voltage detection hole. Patent Document 1 discloses a connector that includes a housing and terminal fittings. The outer surface of the housing has a voltage detection hole into which a voltage detection lead can be inserted to contact the terminal fittings and detect their charged state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-82465 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] It is desirable to be able to reduce the number of parts in a connector having a hole for voltage detection. For example, it is desirable to be able to reduce the number of parts in a structure for fixing a packing that closes the hole.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a shielded connector that allows for a reduction in the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The shielded connector of the present invention comprises a housing that accommodates terminals and has a hole for voltage detection, a shell that covers the housing with the opening of the hole exposed, a gasket that blocks the hole, a plate-shaped retaining member that holds the gasket and is attached to the shell with the gasket inserted into the hole, and a bolt that fixes the retaining member to the shell, wherein the shell has a female threaded portion that screws into the bolt, a pair of first wall portions that face each other with the female threaded portion between them, and guide ribs provided on each of the first wall portions, and the female threaded portion, the pair of first wall portions, and the guide ribs extend in the insertion direction in which the gasket is inserted into the hole, and the retaining member has a flat retaining portion that holds the gasket, and the edge of the retaining portion is provided with a notch that is guided by the guide rib. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The shell of the shielded connector according to the present invention has a female threaded portion that threadably engages with a bolt, a pair of first walls that face each other with the female threaded portion therebetween, and guide ribs provided on each of the first walls. The retaining member has a flat retaining portion that retains the packing, and the edge of the retaining portion is provided with a notch that is guided by the guide rib. The shielded connector according to the present invention has the effect of reducing the number of parts by providing the female threaded portion on the shell. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a shielded connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a shell according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. This embodiment relates to a shielded connector. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the shielded connector according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a shell according to the embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the shielded connector according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section taken along III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a cross-section taken along IV-IV in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows a cross-section taken along VI-VI in Fig. 1.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment includes a housing 2, a shell 3, a packing 4, a retaining member 5, and a bolt 6. The shielded connector 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The shielded connector 1 is connected to a mating device 100 such as an inverter mounted on the vehicle. In FIG. 1 , terminals 7 of the shielded connector 1 are shown by dashed lines. The shielded connector 1 has a plurality of terminals 7 that are connected to terminals 120 of the mating device 100. The terminals 7 are, for example, female terminals. The terminals 7 are accommodated in and held by the housing 2.

[0012] The shell 3 is made of a conductive metal and is fixed to a metal housing 110 of the counterpart device 100, and is grounded to the housing 110. The shell 3 has an accommodating space for accommodating the housing 2, and covers the housing 2.

[0013] In the following description, the width direction of the shielded connector 1 will be referred to as the "first direction X." The first direction X is the direction in which the terminals 7 are arranged. The axial direction of the terminals 7 will be referred to as the "second direction Y." The second direction Y is the mating direction in which the shielded connector 1 is mated with the mating device 100. The first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. A direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y will be referred to as the "third direction Z." The third direction Z is the height direction of the shielded connector 1 and is also the insertion direction in which the packing 4 is inserted. In the second direction Y, the side facing the mating device 100 will be referred to as the front side Y1, and the side opposite the side facing the mating device 100 will be referred to as the rear side Y2.

[0014] The shell 3 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The shell 3 has a top wall 30, a pair of first walls 31 and 32, and a pair of second walls 33 and 34. The top wall 30 is a wall that faces the housing 2 in the third direction Z and, for example, covers the housing 2 from above. The top wall 30 has through holes 30a and 30b. Fastening members that fix the shielded connector 1 to the mating device 100 are inserted into the through holes 30a and 30b.

[0015] The pair of first wall portions 31, 32 are part of the side walls 3A, 3B of the shell 3. The side walls 3A, 3B cover the housing 2 from both sides in the first direction X. The side walls 3A, 3B extend along the third direction Z from the end of the top wall 30 in the first direction X. The side walls 3A, 3B are outer walls of the shell 3 and cover the housing 2 from the sides. The pair of first wall portions 31, 32 are located at the end of the side walls 3A, 3B on the rear side Y2. The pair of first wall portions 31, 32 extend in the third direction Z and face each other in the first direction X.

[0016] The pair of second wall portions 33, 34 face each other in the second direction Y. One second wall portion 33 extends along the third direction Z from an end portion 30d of the top wall 30 in the second direction Y. The other second wall portion 34 is part of the rear wall 3C of the shell 3 and extends in the third direction Z. The rear wall 3C is an outer wall of the shell 3 and covers the housing 2 from the rear side Y2. The second wall portions 33, 34 extend in the first direction X from one first wall portion 31 to the other first wall portion 32. The pair of first wall portions 31, 32 and the pair of second wall portions 33, 34 form a tubular portion 3T that houses the holding portion 50 of the holding member 5.

[0017] The first wall portions 31, 32 have guide ribs 35, 36. The guide ribs 35, 36 guide the holding portion 50 of the holding member 5. The guide rib 35 protrudes from the inner surface 31a of the first wall portion 31 toward the other first wall portion 32. The guide rib 36 protrudes from the inner surface 32a of the first wall portion 32 toward the other first wall portion 31. The guide ribs 35, 36 extend linearly along the third direction Z. The cross-sectional shape of the guide ribs 35, 36 is, for example, rectangular or trapezoidal.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the housing 2 is accommodated in and covered by the shell 3. The housing 2 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 4 , the housing 2 has a protrusion 20 that protrudes toward the top wall 30. The housing 2 has a hole 21 for detecting voltage that penetrates the protrusion 20. The shape of the hole 21 when viewed from the third direction Z is, for example, circular. The hole 21 extends along the third direction Z. The hole 21 connects the internal space that accommodates the terminal 7 with the external space of the housing 2. The housing 2 has one hole 21 for each terminal 7. For example, if the housing 2 holds two terminals 7, two holes 21 are provided. In this case, the two holes 21 are arranged side by side in the first direction X. The hole 21 is formed so that a voltage detection probe can be inserted therein.

[0019] The position of the hole 21 in the second direction Y is a position between the pair of second walls 33, 34. The shell 3 covers the housing 2 with the opening 21a of the hole 21 exposed. The opening 21a is exposed in the space between the pair of second walls 33, 34.

[0020] A conductor for voltage detection is disposed inside the housing 2. The conductor for voltage detection faces the hole 21 in the third direction Z. The conductor for voltage detection may be the terminal 7 or another conductor electrically connected to the terminal 7.

[0021] The packing 4 is a member that closes the hole 21. The packing 4 is molded from an elastically deformable resin such as rubber. The packing 4 has a main body 40 that closes the hole 21 and a protrusion 41 that is held by the holding member 5. The main body 40 has a cylindrical shape and multiple annular lips. The main body 40 prevents water and foreign matter from entering the inside of the housing 2. The protrusion 41 protrudes in the axial direction from the axial end of the main body 40. The protrusion 41 is formed in an axial shape and has an expanded diameter at its tip.

[0022] The holding member 5 is formed from a metal plate. The holding member 5 has a holding portion 50, a fixing portion 51, and a connecting portion 52. The holding member 5 may be conductive. In this case, the holding member 5 can cooperate with the shell 3 to form a shielding unit. The holding portion 50, the fixing portion 51, and the connecting portion 52 each have a flat plate shape. The connecting portion 52 connects the holding portion 50 and the fixing portion 51. The illustrated holding member 5 is bent so that the holding portion 50 and the connecting portion 52 are perpendicular to each other and so that the connecting portion 52 and the fixing portion 51 are perpendicular to each other.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the shape of the holding portion 50 in a plan view is approximately rectangular. The longitudinal direction of the holding portion 50 is the first direction X. The holding portion 50 has a shape that closes the opening of the shell 3. The opening of the shell 3 is surrounded by a pair of first wall portions 31, 32 and a pair of second wall portions 33, 34, and faces the third direction Z. The holding portion 50 faces the housing 2 in the third direction Z and covers the housing 2. In other words, the holding portion 50 is a cover that closes the opening of the shell 3.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the retaining portion 50 has a through hole 50a through which the bolt 6 is inserted. The through hole 50a is disposed, for example, at the center of the retaining portion 50 in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. 4, the retaining portion 50 has a retaining hole 50b that retains the packing 4. The retaining hole 50b penetrates the retaining portion 50 in the plate thickness direction. The protrusion 41 of the packing 4 is inserted into the retaining hole 50b and held. The illustrated retaining portion 50 has two retaining holes 50b corresponding to the two terminals 7. The packing 4 is held with the main body 40 protruding on the side opposite to the fixing portion 51. The retaining member 5 is attached to the shell 3 with the retaining portion 50 protruding from the lower end of the connecting portion 52 toward the rear side Y2. At this time, the fixing portion 51 protrudes from the upper end of the connecting portion 52 toward the front side Y1.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the tip of the fixing portion 51 is curved in an arc shape. As shown in Fig. 4, the fixing portion 51 has a through hole 51a corresponding to the through hole 30a of the shell 3. A fastening member for fixing the shielded connector 1 to the mating device 100 is inserted into the through hole 51a. The top wall 30 of the shell 3 has a recess 30c that accommodates the fixing portion 51. The recess 30c is formed to surround the through hole 30a.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the shell 3 has a support portion 37. The holding portion 50 of the holding member 5 is fixed to the support portion 37. The support portion 37 protrudes from the inner surface 34a of the second wall portion 34 in the second direction Y. The support portion 37 is integral with the second wall portion 34. The support portion 37 has one female thread portion 37a and a support surface 37b. The female thread portion 37a extends along the third direction Z and penetrates the support portion 37. A thread corresponding to the bolt 6 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the female thread portion 37a. The support surface 37b is a plane perpendicular to the third direction Z and supports the holding portion 50. The female thread portion 37a opens into the support surface 37b.

[0027] 4, the retaining member 5 is attached to the shell 3 along the third direction Z. More specifically, the retaining member 5 is attached to the shell 3 while inserting the two packings 4 into the corresponding hole portions 21. The fixing portion 51 is housed in the recess 30c of the shell 3.

[0028] 1 and 2, the holding portion 50 of the holding member 5 is provided with two notches 53, 54. The notch 53 is disposed on an edge portion of the holding portion 50 that faces the first wall portion 31. The position and shape of the notch 53 correspond to the position and shape of the guide rib 35. In other words, the notch 53 is formed so that the guide rib 35 can be inserted into the notch 53 and be guided by the guide rib 35.

[0029] The notch 54 is disposed on an edge of the holding portion 50 that faces the first wall portion 32. The position and shape of the notch 54 correspond to the position and shape of the guide rib 36. In other words, the notch 54 is formed so that the guide rib 36 can be inserted into the notch 54 and be guided by the guide rib 36.

[0030] The work of attaching the holding member 5 to the shell 3 is performed, for example, by a worker. The worker inserts the upper end of the guide rib 35 into the notch 53, and the upper end of the guide rib 36 into the notch 54. The worker then inserts the holding portion 50 of the holding member 5 into the tubular portion 3T of the shell 3. In other words, the worker inserts the holding portion 50 into the accommodation space surrounded by the pair of first wall portions 31, 32 and the pair of second wall portions 33, 34. At this time, the guide rib 35 guides the notch 53, and the guide rib 36 guides the notch 54.

[0031] The guide ribs 35, 36 guide the holding portion 50 along the third direction Z and position the holding portion 50 in the first direction X and the second direction Y. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the guide ribs 35, 36 guide the main body 40 of the packing 4 to the opening 21a of the hole 21. This allows the worker to insert the packing 4 into the corresponding hole 21 without visual confirmation. The main body 40 of the packing 4 is inserted into the hole 21 along the third direction Z. The guide ribs 35, 36 are provided so as to guide the holding portion 50 to a position where insertion of the packing 4 into the hole 21 is completed.

[0032] 4, the width Wd1 of the guide rib 36 increases as it approaches the housing 2 in the third direction Z. The width of the guide rib 35 also increases as it approaches the housing 2. In other words, the gaps between the guide ribs 35, 36 and the notches 53, 54 become narrower as the retaining portion 50 approaches the housing 2.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a state in which the insertion of the packing 4 into the hole 21 is complete. The position of the retaining member 5 shown in FIG. 6 is a closed position in which the hole 21 is closed. At this time, the through hole 50a of the retaining portion 50 faces the female thread portion 37a of the shell 3. In other words, the guide ribs 35, 36 guide the retaining portion 50 to the facing position shown in FIG. 3. The facing position of the retaining portion 50 is a position in which the through hole 50a faces the female thread portion 37a of the shell 3. The guide ribs 35, 36 position the retaining portion 50 with the through hole 50a facing the female thread portion 37a. The guide ribs 35, 36 may position the through hole 50a concentrically with the female thread portion 37a.

[0034] An operator fixes the retaining member 5 to the shell 3 with the bolt 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the bolt 6 is inserted through the retaining portion 50 and screwed into the support portion 37. More specifically, the bolt 6 is inserted into the through-hole 50a of the retaining portion 50 and screwed into the female thread portion 37a of the support portion 37. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the bolt 6 has been screwed into the female thread portion 37a. The bolt 6 fastens the retaining portion 50 to the support portion 37.

[0035] When the bolt 6 is threaded into the support portion 37, a rotational force acts from the bolt 6 on the holding portion 50. In the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment, the guide ribs 35, 36 restrict rotation of the holding portion 50. That is, the guide ribs 35, 36 support the holding portion 50 against the rotational force from the bolt 6 and restrict misalignment of the holding member 5. The guide ribs 35, 36 can, for example, restrict misalignment of the through hole 51a of the fixing portion 51. This allows the shielded connector 1 to be properly fixed to the mating device 100. The guide ribs 35, 36 can also restrict misalignment of the holding hole 50b of the holding portion 50. Therefore, the guide ribs 35, 36 can improve the waterproofing performance of the packing 4.

[0036] Furthermore, the second wall portion 34 of the shell 3 can prevent the bolt 6 from falling off. When attaching the bolt 6 to the female thread portion 37a or removing the bolt 6 from the female thread portion 37a, there is a possibility that the bolt 6 will fall off the fastening tool. Here, as shown in FIG. 6 , the second wall portion 34 protrudes upward beyond the holding portion 50. When the bolt 6 falls off the fastening tool, the second wall portion 34 can catch the bolt 6 and prevent the bolt 6 from falling off the shielded connector 1. For example, if the bolt 6 falls as indicated by the arrow AR1, the second wall portion 34 can support the bolt 6 and prevent the bolt 6 from falling off. The height H1 of the second wall portion 34 along the third direction Z is determined so as to prevent the bolt 6 from falling off.

[0037] As can be seen from Figure 2, in the shell 3 of this embodiment, a tubular portion 3T that houses the retaining portion 50 is formed by a pair of first wall portions 31, 32 and a pair of second wall portions 33, 34. Therefore, even if a bolt 6 that has fallen from a tool rolls on the retaining portion 50, the bolt 6 is stopped by the first wall portions 31, 32 and the second wall portions 33, 34. In the illustrated tubular portion 3T, the height of the second wall portion 34 is the shortest. The height H1 of the second wall portion 34 is determined so that the bolt 6 cannot climb over the second wall portion 34 even if it rolls.

[0038] The second wall portion 33 is formed so that the bolt 6 cannot pass between the holding member 5 and the second wall portion 33. For example, the second wall portion 33 is formed so that no gap that would allow the bolt 6 to pass between the second wall portion 33 and the connecting portion 52 is formed. Moreover, the second wall portion 33 is formed so that no gap that would allow the bolt 6 to pass between the second wall portion 33 and the holding portion 50 is formed.

[0039] The shell 3 of this embodiment can appropriately restrict rotation of the holding portion 50 by using two guide ribs 35, 36. The guide ribs 35, 36 of this embodiment are located on both sides of the bolt 6 in the first direction X. The provision of a guide structure at the longitudinal end of the holding portion 50 effectively restricts rotation of the holding portion 50. In other words, the large distance from the bolt 6 to the guide ribs 35, 36 makes it possible to sufficiently narrow the rotatable angular range of the holding portion 50.

[0040] As described above, the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment has the housing 2, the shell 3, the packing 4, the retaining member 5, and the bolt 6. The housing 2 accommodates the terminals 7 and has the hole 21 for voltage detection. The shell 3 covers the housing 2 with the opening 21a of the hole 21 exposed. The packing 4 closes the hole 21. The retaining member 5 holds the packing 4 and is attached to the shell 3 with the packing 4 inserted in the hole 21. The bolt 6 fixes the retaining member 5 to the shell 3.

[0041] The shell 3 has a female threaded portion 37a that threads onto the bolt 6, a pair of first wall portions 31, 32, and guide ribs 35, 36. The pair of first wall portions 31, 32 face each other with the female threaded portion 37a between them. The guide ribs 35, 36 are provided on each of the first wall portions 31, 32. The female threaded portion 37a, the pair of first wall portions 31, 32, and the guide ribs 35, 36 extend in the insertion direction in which the packing 4 is inserted into the hole 21. The retaining member 5 has a flat retaining portion 50 that retains the packing 4. The edge of the retaining portion 50 is provided with notches 53, 54 that are guided by the guide ribs 35, 36. In the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment, the female threaded portion 37a is provided on the shell 3, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0042] As a comparative connector, a configuration in which a nut member is disposed on the housing instead of the female thread portion 37a will be considered. The configuration of the comparative example has a larger number of parts than the shielded connector of this embodiment. The shielded connector 1 of this embodiment can at least reduce the number of parts compared to the comparative example. Furthermore, the connector of the comparative example requires a step of assembling the nut member to the housing. In contrast, the number of steps required to assemble the shielded connector 1 of this embodiment is reduced.

[0043] The shell 3 of this embodiment has a pair of second walls 33, 34. The pair of second walls 33, 34 extend from one first wall 31 to the other first wall 32 and face each other. The pair of first walls 31, 32 and the pair of second walls 33, 34 form a tubular portion that houses the retaining portion 50. This tubular portion can prevent the bolt 6 from falling out of the shielded connector 1. For example, the tubular portion can cooperate with the retaining portion 50 to form a receptacle that receives the bolt 6.

[0044] The arrangement and configuration of the female thread portion 37a in the shell 3 are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment. The arrangement and configuration of the guide ribs 35, 36 in the shell 3 are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment.

[0045] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 shielded connector 2:Housing, 3:Shell, 3A,3B:Side wall, 3C:Rear wall, 3T:Cylinder part 4: Packing, 5: Retaining member, 6: Bolt, 7: Terminal 20: Protrusion, 21: Hole, 21a: Opening 30: Top wall, 30a, 30b: Through hole 31, 32: First wall, 31a, 31b: Inner surface 33, 34: Second wall portion, 35, 36: Guide rib 37: Support portion, 37a: Female thread portion, 37b: Support surface 50: Holding part, 50a: Through hole, 50b: Holding hole 51: fixing portion, 51a: through hole, 52: connecting portion, 53, 54: notch 100: Counterpart device, 110: Housing, 120: Terminal X: first direction, Y: second direction, Z: third direction

Claims

1. a housing that accommodates the terminal and has a hole for voltage detection; a shell that covers the housing while exposing the opening of the hole; a packing that closes the hole; a plate-shaped holding member that holds the packing and is attached to the shell in a state where the packing is inserted into the hole; a bolt that fixes the retaining member to the shell; Equipped with the shell has a female threaded portion that screws onto the bolt, a pair of first wall portions that face each other with the female threaded portion therebetween, and a guide rib provided on each of the first wall portions, the female thread portion, the pair of first wall portions, and the guide rib extend in an insertion direction in which the packing is inserted into the hole portion, The holding member has a flat plate-shaped holding portion that holds the packing, and an edge of the holding portion is provided with a notch that is guided by the guide rib. Shielded connector.

2. The shell has a pair of second walls, The pair of second wall portions extend from one of the first wall portions to the other of the first wall portions and face each other, The pair of first wall portions and the pair of second wall portions form a cylindrical portion that accommodates the holding portion. The shielded connector according to claim 1 .

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