connector

Abstract

To provide a connector excellent in waterproofness.SOLUTION: A connector 1 to be fitted to a partition wall P defining a space liquid-tightly separated from the outside comprises: a first connector 3 which is located outside the space, and which has a terminal having one end connected to an electric wire; a second connector 5 which is located inside the space and fitted to the partition wall P, and which has a terminal 60 and a housing 51 for holding the terminal 60; a packing 77 which is externally fitted to the housing 51 so as to shut out water between the housing 51 and the partition wall P; a holder 75 which is assembled to the housing 51 so as to restrict detachment of the packing 77 from the housing 51; and a water shut-out member 90 which shuts out water into a through-hole 84 on the housing 51. The holder 75 has a locking part 86 which is inserted into the through-hole 84 so as to be locked to a locking protrusion 85 protruding inside the through-hole 84.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Connectors have been proposed in the past that allow male and female connectors to be mated and separated (i.e., unmated) with a low insertion and removal force. One conventional connector has a gear on one connector and a rack gear on the other connector, and the engagement of the gear and rack gear reduces the insertion and removal force required when mating and separating the male and female connectors (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-43743 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-9614 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional connectors, including the connector described above, are sometimes mounted to, for example, a vehicle panel separating the interior and exterior of an automobile. The interior of an automobile is generally liquid-tightly isolated to prevent the intrusion of water and other contaminants from outside the vehicle. When a connector is mounted in such a location, the connector must have a high level of waterproofing. Therefore, conventional connectors have various waterproof structures to prevent the intrusion of water and other contaminants into the vehicle interior.

[0005] However, even if a connector has various waterproof structures, there is still a risk that water or the like may enter the vehicle interior through the connector. In other words, further improvements in the waterproofing of connectors are desired.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector that is excellent in waterproof properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector according to the present invention has the following features.

[0008] A connector attached to a partition wall that defines a space that is liquid-tightly isolated from the outside, A wire is connected to the outside of the space. No. 1 Terminals and a first housing that holds the first terminal. a first connector having The space is located inside the space and is attached to the partition wall. A second terminal connected to the first terminal Terminal and No. 2 Hold the terminal No. 2 a second connector having a housing; The aforementioned No. 2 The housing is provided with the No. 2 a packing that seals the gap between the housing and the partition wall; The aforementioned No. 2 The packing is assembled to the housing. No. 2 a holder that prevents the cartridge from being removed from the housing; The aforementioned No. 2 The housing is a terminal accommodating chamber into which the second terminal is inserted; The second terminal accommodating chamber is provided at a position different from the terminal accommodating chamber. a through hole passing through the housing from the inside to the outside; a locking projection projecting into the through hole, The holder is a locking portion that is inserted into the through hole and locked to the locking projection, The first connector and the second connector The connector is The terminal receiving chamber is disposed between an end of the first housing of the first connector on the second connector side and an end of the terminal receiving chamber of the second connector on the first connector side. Further provided is a water-stopping member that stops water from entering the through hole. It is a connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The connector according to the present invention will be described below. In the connector of this configuration, the locking portion of the holder is inserted into the through hole of the housing of the second connector, and the locking portion is locked to the locking protrusion provided in the through hole, thereby enabling the connector to be made smaller. Furthermore, the connector is provided with a waterproofing member that seals the through hole of the second connector, thereby preventing water and other liquids from passing through the through hole and entering the space liquid-tightly isolated from the outside.

[0010] Specifically, for example, if a scratch occurs in the electric wire connected to the terminal of the first connector, water or the like may enter the connector through the scratch. In other words, if the connector is not provided with a waterproofing member, water that has entered the connector as described above may flow along the electric wire of the first connector, pass through the housing of the second connector and the through-hole, and enter the space. However, the connector of this configuration uses the waterproofing member to waterproof the through-hole, thereby preventing water or the like from entering the space.

[0011] In this way, the connector of this configuration has excellent waterproof properties.

[0012] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 2 with the slide member removed. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector start to be fitted together. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, showing the completed mating state of the first connector and the second connector. [Figure 7] 7 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a rear view of the housing of the second connector shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view of the rear holder shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the first connector 3 shown in Fig. 2 with a slide member 2 removed. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector 3 shown in Fig. 2.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 (particularly FIGS. 2 and 4), a connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first connector 3, a second connector 5, a slide member 2 movable relative to the first connector 3 in the connector fitting direction, a transmission gear member 6 rotatably supported on a support shaft 32 of the first connector 3, a first rack gear portion 23 provided on the slide member 2, a second rack gear portion 53 provided on the second connector 5, a packing 77 fitted to the housing 51 of the second connector 5 to seal water between the housing 51 and a partition wall P, a rear holder 75 attached to the housing 51 to prevent the packing 77 from coming off the housing 51, and a waterproof member 90 for sealing water in a through hole 84 of the housing 51. The connector 1 is attached to the partition wall P, which defines a space liquid-tightly isolated from the outside. More specifically, the connector 1 is inserted through a hole provided in the partition wall P (see FIG. 10).

[0016] The first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are fitted and connected to each other by butting their respective tip ends together.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 4, the first connector 3 has a housing 31 and female terminals 43. The housing 31 is molded from an electrically insulating synthetic resin. The female terminals 43 are formed from a conductive metal material and are shaped like a cylindrical rod.

[0018] The female terminal 43 is accommodated in a terminal accommodating chamber 40 formed at the rear of the housing 31. The connection end of the female terminal 43 accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 40 is engaged with a guide portion 46 provided at the front end of the housing 31. After a packing 42 is attached to the outer periphery of the front end of the guide portion 46, a front holder 41 is fixed to the front end of the guide portion 46. The female terminal 43 has a connection hole 49 (see FIG. 10) that communicates with the guide hole of the guide portion 46. A male terminal 60 can be inserted into the guide hole of the guide portion 46, to the front end of which the front holder 41 is fixed.

[0019] Further, a connecting hole 48 is formed at the rear end of the female terminal 43, and a conductor 44 of a power supply cable 45 that is drawn out from the rear end of the housing 31 is inserted into this connecting hole 48 and connected by crimping (see FIG. 10). A seal member 70 is attached to the power supply cable 45 that is drawn out from the rear end of the housing 31, and the cable is liquid-tightly sealed to the housing 31. Removal of the seal member 70 is prevented by a rear holder 47 that is attached to the rear end of the housing 31.

[0020] The housing 31 is integrally formed with a cylindrical portion 37 having an elliptical cross section and a slide support portion 38 having a rectangular cross section provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 37 .

[0021] A rack insertion groove 35 extending rearward from the front end in the connector fitting direction is formed on the upper surface of the slide support portion 38, and a base portion 55 of a second rack gear portion 53 (described later) is inserted through the rack insertion groove 35 in the connector fitting direction. A rack guide 33 extending partway along the rack insertion groove 35 in the connector fitting direction is also provided on the upper surface of the slide support portion 38. A slide locking portion 33a is provided on the upper surface of the rear end of the rack guide 33 in the connector fitting direction. Furthermore, a support shaft 32 for rotatably supporting the transmission gear member 6 is provided vertically on the upper surface of the slide support portion 38.

[0022] A pair of slide guide grooves 34 are recessed along the upper and lower surfaces of both side surfaces of the slide support portion 38 in the connector fitting direction. In addition, slide restriction grooves 36 are recessed into both side surfaces of the slide support portion 38, extending rearward from the front ends in the connector fitting direction. The rear ends of the slide restriction grooves 36 in the connector fitting direction do not communicate with the rear surface of the slide support portion 38, but are dead ends.

[0023] The transmission gear member 6, which is rotatably supported on the support shaft 32 of the housing 31, is formed in a generally fan shape and has a shaft hole 61 supported on the support shaft 32, a driven gear portion 63 that meshes with the first rack gear portion 23, and a driving gear portion 65 that is provided on the opposite side of the support shaft 32 from the driven gear portion 63 and meshes with the second rack gear portion 53. Here, the gear ratio of the driven gear portion 63 is set larger than the gear ratio of the driving gear portion 65.

[0024] The second connector 5 has a housing 51 and male terminals 60. The housing 51 is molded from an electrically insulating synthetic resin and has a terminal holding portion 81 and a hood portion 51a extending forward from the terminal holding portion 81 in the connector fitting direction.

[0025] 8, the terminal holding portion 81 has terminal accommodating chambers 82 that penetrate in the connector fitting direction and into which the male terminals 60 are inserted, a plurality of (four in this example) through holes 84 that penetrate the housing 51 from the inside to the outside along the connector fitting direction, and locking protrusions 85 that protrude shortly into the holes provided in each of the through holes 84. Locking portions 86 of the rear holder 75, which will be described later, are inserted into the through holes 84, and locking holes 87 of the locking portions 86, which will be described later, are locked into the locking protrusions 85.

[0026] A pair of fitting holes 59 with a circular cross section are formed inside the hood portion 51a, and male terminals 60 are provided in the centers of these fitting holes 59 along their axial directions. The male terminals 60 protruding from the rear end of the second connector 5 are connected to a circuit such as a power source.

[0027] A packing 77 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rear portion of the housing 51. The rear holder 75 is attached to the rear end of the second connector 5 in the connector fitting direction. The rear holder 75 prevents the packing 77 from coming off.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 9, the rear holder 75 has a plurality of (four in this example) locking portions 86 extending forward in the connector fitting direction. The locking portions 86 have a cantilevered shape and are configured to be elastically deformable. The locking portions 86 are each provided with a locking hole 87 that penetrates in the vertical direction, and the locking protrusions 85 of the second connector 5 are inserted into the locking hole 87, and the locking protrusions 85 abut against the edge of the locking hole 87, thereby locking the locking portions 86 and the locking protrusions 85 (see Fig. 10).

[0029] A second rack gear portion 53 extending rearward from the front end in the connector fitting direction is provided on the upper surface of the housing 51. The second rack gear portion 53 of the housing 51 is formed at the upper end of a base portion 55 extending along the connector fitting direction of the hood portion 51a. When the second connector 5 is fitted to the first connector 3, the second rack gear portion 53 protrudes from the upper surface of the slide support portion 38 of the housing 31 through the rack insertion groove 35 and can mesh with the drive gear portion 65 of the transmission gear member 6.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the slide member 2 is a frame body with a U-shaped cross section having three flat surfaces that substantially cover the top surface and both side surfaces of the slide support portion 38 of the housing 31. A first rack gear portion 23 is formed on an inner wall surface at one of the recessed corners of the slide member 2 so as to extend along the connector fitting direction. Slide guide rails 24 are provided on both inner wall surfaces of the slide member 2 to protrude along the connector fitting direction and slide into slide guide grooves 34 recessed in both side surfaces of the slide support portion 38. In addition, slide protrusions 26 are provided on the front end of both inner wall surfaces of the slide member 2 in the connector fitting direction and slide into slide restriction grooves 36 recessed in both side surfaces of the slide support portion 38.

[0031] A slide locking portion 25 consisting of a flexible arm formed by a pair of slits extending rearward from the front end in the connector fitting direction is formed on the upper wall of the slide member 2. A stopper projection 27 and an abutment projection 28 are provided on the free end of the slide locking portion 25, projecting downward from the upper wall.

[0032] Furthermore, a plurality of anti-slip ribs 30 extending in a direction intersecting the connector fitting direction are protruded from both outer wall surfaces of the slide member 2. Also, a slider 29 constituting the fitting assurance mechanism of the slide member 2 is disposed on one side wall of the slide member 2.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the slide member 2 is inserted from the front of the housing 31 in the connector fitting direction so that the slide guide rails 24 are fitted into the slide guide grooves 34 of the slide support portions 38, respectively.

[0034] When the slide member 2 is inserted a predetermined amount, the stopper protrusion 27 of the slide locking portion 25 abuts against the slide locking portion 33a of the rack guide 33, but the slide locking portion 25 elastically deforms upward due to the action of the inner tapered surface, allowing the stopper protrusion 27 to pass through the slide locking portion 33a.

[0035] 2, when the slide protrusion 26 slidably fitted in the slide restriction groove 36 reaches the rear end of the slide restriction groove 36, the slide member 2 is restricted from moving rearward in the connector mating direction. Furthermore, when an attempt is made to move the slide member 2 forward in the connector mating direction, the stopper protrusion 27 of the slide locking portion 25 abuts against the slide locking portion 33a, but the action of the inner tapered surface prevents the slide locking portion 25 from elastically deforming upward, and the movement is restricted. Therefore, the slide member 2 is held in its initial position relative to the first connector 3 by the engagement of the pair of slide locking portions 25, 33a.

[0036] The first connector 3 and the second connector 5 to which the slide member 2 is attached in this manner can be fitted together by butting their respective tip ends together.

[0037] When mating the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 of the connector 1, the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are slightly mated together so that the driving gear portion 65 of the transmission gear member 6 is engaged with the second rack gear portion 53 of the second connector 5, as shown in Figure 5.

[0038] At this time, the tip of the second rack gear portion 53, whose base portion 55 is inserted and guided into the rack insertion groove 35 of the slide support portion 38, abuts against the abutment protrusion 28 of the slide locking portion 25 as a release portion, causing the slide locking portion 25 to elastically deform upward. This causes the stopper protrusion 27 formed on the slide locking portion 25 to also move upward, and the restriction on movement of the slide member 2 by the slide locking portion 33a is released. This allows the slide member 2 to move forward in the connector fitting direction.

[0039] Therefore, when the slide member 2, which is movable relative to the first connector 3, is moved in the connector mating direction (leftward in Figure 5), the driven gear portion 63 of the transmission gear member 6, which is journaled to the first connector 3, is rotated counterclockwise in Figure 5 by the first rack gear portion 23 provided on the slide member 2.

[0040] When the transmission gear member 6 is rotated, the driving gear portion 65 provided on the opposite side of the driven gear portion 63 moves the second rack gear portion 53 provided on the housing 51 of the second connector 5 in the direction of mating with the first connector 3 (to the right in Figure 5).

[0041] Therefore, by moving the slide member 2 in the connector fitting direction, the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 can be completely fitted together as shown in FIG. 5 (see FIG. 6).

[0042] 10, when the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are mated, a waterproof member 90 is arranged between the second connector 5 side end (upper end on the paper) of the housing 31 of the first connector 3 and the first connector 3 side end (lower end on the paper) of the terminal accommodating chamber 82 of the second connector 5. The waterproof member 90 serves to waterproof the through hole 84 of the second connector 5.

[0043] In connector 1, the inside of connector 1 is waterproofed by packing 42, sealing member 70, etc. in addition to waterproofing member 90. Here, for example, if a scratch occurs in the coating of cable 45 located on the first connector 3 side, water or the like may enter the inside of connector 1 through the scratch. In other words, if connector 1 does not have waterproofing member 90, water that has entered the inside of connector 1 as described above may travel along cable 45, pass through housing 51 of second connector 5 and through hole 84, and enter the space liquid-tightly isolated from the outside by partition wall P.

[0044] In this way, in connector 1, watertight member 90 seals through-hole 84 and thereby prevents water and other contaminants from entering the space liquid-tightly isolated from the outside. As shown in Fig. 10, watertight member 90 has a shape corresponding to the end of terminal accommodating chamber 82 of second connector 5 on the first connector 3 side (the lower end on the paper surface).

[0045] Furthermore, when disengaging the first connector 3 and the second connector 5, the slide member 2 is moved relative to the first connector 3 in the direction opposite to the connector mating direction, causing the transmission gear member 6 to rotate in the opposite direction to that when mated, and the driving gear portion 65 can move the second rack gear portion 53 provided on the housing 51 of the second connector 5 in the direction to disengage (i.e., separate) the first connector 3.

[0046] <Actions and Effects> According to the connector 1 of this embodiment, the locking portion 86 of the rear holder 75 is inserted into the through hole 84 of the housing 51 of the second connector 5, and the locking portion 86 is locked with the locking protrusion 85 provided in the through hole 84, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the connector 1. Furthermore, the connector 1 is provided with a water-stopping member 90 that seals the through hole 84 of the second connector 5, and thereby makes it possible to prevent water and the like from passing through the through hole 84 and entering the space that is liquid-tightly isolated from the outside.

[0047] In this way, the connector 1 according to this embodiment has excellent waterproof properties.

[0048] Furthermore, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 51 has a plurality of through holes 84 and a plurality of locking projections 85 corresponding to each of the through holes 84, and the rear holder 75 has a plurality of locking portions 86 corresponding to the plurality of locking projections 85. As a result, the connector 1 according to this embodiment is prevented from having the rear holder 75 come off the housing 51, which in turn prevents the packing 77 from coming off. In other words, the connector 1 according to this embodiment maintains high waterproof properties.

[0049] In addition, further effects of the connector 1 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0050] According to the connector 1 of this embodiment, when the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are not mated, the slide member 2 is held in its initial position by the engagement of the pair of slide locking portions 25, 33a, so that when the first connector 3 and the second connector 5 are mated, the first rack gear portion 23 and the second rack gear portion 53 can be reliably engaged with the driven gear portion 63 and the driving gear portion 65 of the transmission gear member 6.

[0051] Furthermore, according to the connector 1 of this embodiment, the engagement of the pair of slide engagement portions 25, 33a for holding the slide member 2 in the initial position is released by the tip end of the second rack gear portion 53, which is the release portion, as the two housings are mated, making it easy to work with.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the connector 1 of this embodiment, the transmission gear member 6 is rotated by the slide member 2 which is movable relative to the first connector 3 along the connector fitting direction, so there is no rotational trajectory larger than the connector size, as in a lever-type connector, for example, and the operating space can be reduced.

[0053] Specifically, for example, if a scratch occurs in the cable 45 of the first connector 3, water or the like may enter the connector 1 through the scratch. In other words, if the connector 1 were not provided with the waterproofing member 90, water that has entered the connector 1 as described above would travel along the cable 45, pass through the housing 51 of the second connector 5 and the through-hole 84, and enter the space. However, the connector 1 according to this embodiment uses the waterproofing member 90 to waterproof the through-hole 84, thereby preventing water or the like from entering the space.

[0054] Furthermore, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, the first rack gear portion 23 and the second rack gear portion 53, and the driven gear portion 63 and the driving gear portion 65 of the transmission gear member 6 transmit power through meshing teeth. This allows for smooth movement, and the load is shared by multiple teeth and contact points, which is advantageous in terms of strength.

[0055] <Other forms> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0056] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the connector according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] and [2]. [1] A connector (1) that is attached to a partition wall (P) that defines a space that is liquid-tightly isolated from the outside, a first connector (3) located on the outer side of the space and having a terminal one end of which is connected to an electric wire; a second connector (5) located inside the space and attached to the partition wall (P), the second connector (5) having terminals (male terminals 60) and a housing (51) for holding the terminals; a packing (77) that is fitted to the housing (51) to seal off water between the housing (51) and the partition wall (P); a holder (rear holder 75) assembled to the housing (51) to prevent the packing (77) from coming off the housing (51), The housing (51) a through hole (84) passing through the housing from the inside to the outside; a locking projection (85) projecting into the through hole, The holder (rear holder 75) is a locking portion (86) that is inserted into the through hole (84) and locked to the locking projection (85); The connector (1) is The device further includes a water-stopping member (90) that stops water from entering the through-hole (84). Connector(1). [2] In the connector (1) described in [1] above, The housing (51) A plurality of the through holes (84); a plurality of the locking projections (85) provided corresponding to the plurality of through holes, The holder (rear holder 75) is a plurality of the locking portions (86) corresponding to the plurality of the locking projections (85); The water-stopping member (90) The plurality of through holes (84) are waterproofed. Connector(1). [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 connector 3 First Connector 5 Second Connector 31 Housing 42 Gasket 43 female terminal 45 Cable 51 Housing 60 Male terminal (terminal) 70 Sealing material 75 Rear holder (holder) 77 Gasket 81 Terminal holding part 82 Terminal housing 84 Through Hole 85 Locking protrusion 86 Locking part 87 Locking hole 90 Water-stopping material P bulkhead

Claims

1. A connector attached to a partition wall that defines a space that is liquid-tightly isolated from the outside, a first connector located on the outer side of the space and including a first terminal having one end connected to an electric wire and a first housing for holding the first terminal; a second connector located inside the space and attached to the partition wall, the second connector having a second terminal connected to the first terminal and a second housing holding the second terminal; a packing that is fitted to the second housing and that seals off water between the second housing and the partition wall; a holder that is assembled to the second housing and that prevents the packing from coming off the second housing, The second housing includes: a terminal accommodating chamber into which the second terminal is inserted; a through hole provided at a position different from the terminal accommodating chamber and passing through the inside and outside of the second housing; a locking projection projecting into the through hole, The holder is a locking portion that is inserted into the through hole and locked to the locking projection, The connector consisting of the first connector and the second connector is The connector further includes a waterproofing member disposed between an end of the first housing of the first connector on the second connector side and an end of the terminal accommodating chamber of the second connector on the first connector side, the waterproofing member sealing the through hole. connector.

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, The second housing includes: A plurality of the through holes; a plurality of the locking projections provided corresponding to the plurality of through holes, The holder is a plurality of the locking portions corresponding to the plurality of locking projections; The water-stopping member is The plurality of through holes are waterproofed. connector.

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