Connector

Abstract

According to the present invention, a first connector (11) has a first housing (20) that is fixed to a position corresponding to an opening (14) in an outer wall (15) of a device housing (13). A second connector (12) has a second housing (30) that is fitted to the first housing (20) in a fitting direction (D1) along an axis (L1) of a connector (10). The first housing (20) has a first fixing part that is fixed to the outer wall (15) by a first bolt, and a seal attachment groove (24) that faces a surface (15a) of the outer wall (15) in the fitting direction (D1). The second housing (30) has a second fixing part (33) that is fixed to the outer wall (15) by a second bolt (B2) which is mounted in the fitting direction (D1). A seal member (40) attached to the seal attachment groove (24) abuts the surface (15a) of the outer wall (15) in the fitting direction (D1).

Description

connector

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a sealing member that seals between the first connector and the equipment housing. The equipment housing has an outer wall with an opening. The first connector has a first housing fixed at a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall. The second connector has a second housing that fits into the first housing fixed to the outer wall of the equipment housing. The second housing, while fitted into the first housing, is fixed to the outer wall of the equipment housing with bolts. This bolt fixation assists in connecting the second connector to the first connector. The first housing also has an insertion portion that is inserted into the opening in the outer wall of the equipment housing. The sealing member is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and the inner peripheral surface of the opening in the outer wall. This seals the equipment housing to prevent water from entering.

[0003] JP 2012-238465 A

[0004] When the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing is reduced, it is difficult to ensure the penetration length of the opening that penetrates the outer wall, and if the penetration length of the opening is short, there is a risk that the sealing ability of the seal member interposed between the insertion portion of the first housing and the opening cannot be ensured.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector that can ensure sealing performance regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of an equipment housing.

[0006] The connector of the present disclosure is a connector comprising a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a sealing member that seals between the first connector and the equipment housing, wherein the equipment housing has an outer wall having an opening, the first connector has a first housing fixed at a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall, the second connector has a second housing that is fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along the axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt and a seal mounting groove that faces the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, and the seal member attached to the seal mounting groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction.

[0007] According to the connector of the present disclosure, it is possible to ensure sealing performance regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing.

[0008] Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector according to the embodiment. Fig. 3 is a front view showing a peripheral portion of an opening in a device housing according to the embodiment. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a first housing and a seal member in the connector according to the embodiment. Fig. 5 is an explanatory view for explaining an assembly mode of the connector according to the embodiment.

[0009] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The connector of the present disclosure includes: [1] a connector including a first connector fixed to an equipment housing, a second connector connected to the first connector, and a seal member that seals between the first connector and the equipment housing, wherein the equipment housing has an outer wall having an opening, the first connector has a first housing fixed to a position in the outer wall corresponding to the opening, the second connector has a second housing that is fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along an axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt and a seal mounting groove that faces a surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, and the seal member attached to the seal mounting groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction.

[0010] With this configuration, the gap between the first housing and the device housing is sealed by the seal member that contacts the surface of the outer wall of the device housing in the fitting direction of the second housing, thereby ensuring a seal between the first housing and the device housing regardless of the thickness of the outer wall of the device housing.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the sealing member may be annular about the axis, the first housing may have only one first fixed portion, the second housing may have only one second fixed portion, and the angle θ [°] between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion about the axis may be set within the range of 90° < θ < 270°.

[0012] With this configuration, since there is only one first fixing portion and one second fixing portion, the number of bolt fixing steps during connector assembly can be reduced. The angle θ between the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion about the axis is set within the range of 90°<θ<270°. This allows the fixing forces of the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion against the outer wall to abut the outer wall in a circumferentially balanced manner. As a result, the sealing performance of the sealing member can be improved.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], the angle θ may be set to 180°. This configuration allows the seal member to abut against the outer wall in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction. As a result, the sealing performance of the seal member can be further improved.

[0014] [4] In the above [2] or [3], the sealing member may have a first portion closest to the first fixing portion and a second portion located 180° opposite the first portion around the axis, and the thickness of the sealing member in the direction along the axis may be smallest at the first portion, increase from the first portion to the second portion, and be largest at the second portion.

[0015] With this configuration, before the second connector is connected, there is a risk that the 180° opposite side of the first fixing portion of the first housing may lift up from the outer wall of the device housing. Even in this state, the above configuration makes it possible to prevent a gap from occurring between the seal member and the outer wall of the device housing because the thickness of the second portion of the seal member is increased.

[0016] [Details of the Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of connectors of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for the sake of convenience, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios of each part may differ between drawings. Furthermore, in this specification, "parallel" does not only mean strictly parallel, but also includes roughly parallel within the scope of the functions and effects of this embodiment.

[0017] It should be noted that the term "annular" as used herein may refer to any structure that forms a loop, or to continuous shapes with no ends, as well as generally loop-shaped structures with gaps, such as C-shapes. It should be noted that "annular" shapes include, but are not limited to, circles, ellipses, and polygons with sharp or rounded corners.

[0018] In addition, "facing" in this specification refers to surfaces or components facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. In addition, "facing" in this specification includes both cases where a component separate from the two components is interposed between the two components, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two components.

[0019] (Connector 10) As shown in Figure 1, the connector 10 includes a first connector 11 and a second connector 12. The first connector 11 is attached to, for example, an equipment housing 13 of an in-vehicle device. The second connector 12 is connected to the first connector 11 attached to the equipment housing 13. Note that only a portion of the equipment housing 13 is shown in the drawings. The first connector 11 and the second connector 12 are connected to each other along an axis L1 of the connector 10. Note that in the following description, the direction along the axis L1 may be simply referred to as the "axial direction."

[0020] 1 and 3 , the equipment housing 13 has an outer wall 15 with an opening 14. The opening 14 penetrates the outer wall 15. That is, the opening 14 connects the inside and outside of the equipment housing 13. The outer wall 15 has a first screw hole 16 and a second screw hole 17. A first bolt B1 for attaching the first connector 11 to the outer wall 15 is fixed in the first screw hole 16. A second bolt B2 for assisting in connecting the second connector 12 to the first connector 11 is fixed in the second screw hole 17. The first bolt B1 and the second bolt B2 are each attached along an axis L1.

[0021] (First Connector 11) As shown in FIG. 1 , the first connector 11 has a first housing 20 fixed to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The first housing 20 is formed of, for example, synthetic resin. The first housing 20 includes a first fixing portion 21 and an insertion portion 22. For example, only one first fixing portion 21 is provided on the first housing 20. The first fixing portion 21 has a first insertion hole 21a through which a first bolt B1 is passed. The first fixing portion 21 is fixed to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 by the first bolt B1. The first housing 20 has, for example, a positioning recess 23 that fits into the positioning protrusion 18 of the device housing 13. The insertion portion 22 is inserted into the opening 14 of the device housing 13 along the axis L1.

[0022] 2 and 4, the first housing 20 has a seal mounting groove 24. The seal mounting groove 24 is formed in the first housing 20 at a position axially facing the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. The seal mounting groove 24 has, for example, an annular shape centered on the axis L1. In other words, the seal mounting groove 24 has an annular shape when viewed in the axial direction.

[0023] 2 , the first connector 11 includes first terminals 25 accommodated inside the first housing 20 and first electric wires 26 connected to the first terminals 25. For example, a plurality of first terminals 25 are provided. For example, a plurality of first electric wires 26 are provided corresponding to the number of first terminals 25. The first electric wires 26 are drawn out from the insertion portion 22 to the outside of the first housing 20 and enter the inside of the device housing 13. The first electric wires 26 are electrically connected to internal components (not shown) provided inside the device housing 13.

[0024] (Second Connector 12) As shown in FIG. 1 , the second connector 12 has a second housing 30 that is fitted into the first housing 20. The second housing 30 has, for example, an inner housing 31 and an outer housing 32 that partially covers the outside of the inner housing 31. The inner housing 31 is formed, for example, from a synthetic resin. The outer housing 32 is a shield shell formed, for example, from a metal. The inner housing 31 and the outer housing 32 are assembled to each other. The outer housing 32 has a second fixing portion 33 that is fixed to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 by a second bolt B2 that is attached in the fitting direction D1. For example, only one second fixing portion 33 is provided on the second housing 30. The second fixing portion 33 has a second insertion hole 33a through which the second bolt B2 is passed.

[0025] 2 , the second connector 12 includes second terminals 34 housed inside the inner housing 31 and second electric wires 35 connected to the second terminals 34. For example, a plurality of second terminals 34 are provided. For example, a plurality of second electric wires 35 are provided corresponding to the number of second terminals 34.

[0026] The second housing 30 is fitted to the first housing 20 fixed to the outer wall 15 in a fitting direction D1 along the axis L1. When the second housing 30 is fitted to the first housing 20, the second terminal 34 is connected to the first terminal 25. This establishes electrical continuity between the first terminal 25 and the second terminal 34.

[0027] (Sealing Member 40) As shown in Fig. 2, the connector 10 includes a sealing member 40 that provides a seal between the first connector 11 and the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The sealing member 40 is formed of elastic rubber or the like. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the sealing member 40 has an annular shape centered on the axis L1. The sealing member 40 is attached to the seal mounting groove 24 of the first housing 20. The sealing member 40 and the seal mounting groove 24 are elongated, for example, along a direction perpendicular to the axis L1.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4 , the seal member 40 has a first portion 41 closest to the first fixing portion 21 and a second portion 42 located 180° opposite the first portion 41 about the axis L1. The thickness of the seal member 40 along the axis L1 is smallest at the first portion 41, gradually increases from the first portion 41 to the second portion 42, and is largest at the second portion 42. For example, the depth of the seal mounting groove 24 along the axis L1 is smallest at a position corresponding to the first portion 41, gradually increases from the position corresponding to the first portion 41 to the position corresponding to the second portion 42, and is largest at the position corresponding to the second portion 42. The protrusion ratio of the seal member 40 from the seal mounting groove 24 is set uniformly throughout the entire circumferential direction of the seal member 40. The protrusion ratio is the ratio of the amount of protrusion of the seal member 40 from the seal mounting groove 24 to the thickness of the seal member 40.

[0029] 2, the seal member 40 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 in the fitting direction D1. That is, the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the first housing 20 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the axial direction.

[0030] The seal member 40 includes a lip portion 40a that protrudes toward the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. The lip portion 40a is formed in an annular shape along the circumferential direction of the seal member 40, extending over the entire circumference of the seal member 40. For example, a pair of lip portions 40a are provided. Each lip portion 40a abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. When the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the first housing 20 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15, each lip portion 40a is crushed by abutting against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. This allows each lip portion 40a to closely contact the surface 15a of the outer wall 15, ensuring sealing performance. The protruding length of each lip portion 40a (the depth of the groove between each lip portion 40a) is set to a uniform length over the entire circumference of the seal member 40, for example.

[0031] 3, the first fixing portion 21 has a first axis CL1. The first axis CL1 is parallel to the axis L1 of the connector 10. The first axis CL1 coincides with the axis of the first insertion hole 21a and the axis of the first bolt B1.

[0032] The second fixing portion 33 has a second axis CL2. The second axis CL2 is parallel to the axis L1 of the connector 10. The second axis CL2 coincides with the axis of the second insertion hole 33a and the axis of the second bolt B2.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the angle between the first axis CL1 and the second axis CL2, which are centered on the axis L1, is defined as θ [°]. The angle θ is set within the range of 90° < θ < 270°. Within the above range, the angle θ in this embodiment is set within the range of 170° < θ < 190°. Furthermore, the angle θ in this embodiment is set to 180° within the range of 170° < θ < 190°. In other words, the first fixed portion 21 and the second fixed portion 33 are provided at positions that are point-symmetric with respect to the axis L1.

[0034] The operation of this embodiment will now be described. When assembling the connector 10, first, the first connector 11 is assembled to the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. More specifically, the first fixing portion 21 of the first housing 20 is fastened to the outer wall 15 with the first bolt B1. At this time, the seal member 40 provided in the seal mounting groove 24 abuts in the axial direction against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 around the opening 14. In other words, the seal member 40 is sandwiched between the seal mounting groove 24 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the axial direction.

[0035] 5 shows a state in which the first connector 11 is fixed to the outer wall 15 and before the second connector 12 is attached. In this state, the first fixing portion 21 is fixed to the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 by the fastening force of the first bolt B1. At this time, the first fixing portion 21 is the only fixing point of the first housing 20 to the outer wall 15, and therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the elasticity of the seal member 40 causes the first housing 20 on the 180° opposite side from the first fixing portion 21 to rise above the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. Even in this state, in this embodiment, the thickness of the seal member 40 described above makes it difficult for a gap to form between the seal member 40 and the surface 15a of the outer wall 15.

[0036] After the first connector 11 is attached to the outer wall 15, the second connector 12 is mated with the first connector 11 in the mating direction D1. At this time, the second fixing portion 33 of the outer housing 32 is fastened to the outer wall 15 by the second bolt B2 to apply a mating force to the second connector 12 in the mating direction D1. The fastening force of the second bolt B2 causes the portion of the first housing 20 raised above the outer wall 15, i.e., the portion 180° opposite the first fixing portion 21, to come into contact with the surface 15a of the outer wall 15. In this way, by fastening the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 by the first bolt B1 and the second bolt B2, respectively, the first housing 20 is fixed to the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 with the entire circumferential direction of the seal member 40 compressed in the axial direction.

[0037] The effects of this embodiment are described below. (1) The first housing 20 has a first fixing portion 21 fixed to the outer wall 15 by a first bolt B1 and a seal mounting groove 24 facing the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. The second housing 30 has a second fixing portion 33 fixed to the outer wall 15 by a second bolt B2 attached in the fitting direction D1. The seal member 40 attached to the seal mounting groove 24 abuts against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 in the fitting direction D1. With this configuration, the gap between the first housing 20 and the device housing 13 is sealed by the seal member 40 abutting against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 in the fitting direction D1 of the second housing 30. Therefore, because a seal is not formed between the insertion portion 22 of the first housing 20 and the inner circumferential surface of the opening 14, it is possible to ensure sealing between the first housing 20 and the outer wall 15 regardless of the thickness of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13.

[0038] (2) The seal member 40 has an annular shape centered on the axis L1 of the connector 10. The first housing 20 has only one first fixing portion 21. The second housing 30 has only one second fixing portion 33. The angle θ between the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 about the axis L1 is set within the range of 90°<θ<270°. With this configuration, since there is only one first fixing portion 21 and only one second fixing portion 33, the number of bolt fixing steps required in assembling the connector 10 can be reduced. Furthermore, since there is only one first fixing portion 21 and only one second fixing portion 33, this contributes to the miniaturization of the first housing 20 and the second housing 30 in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis L1. The angle θ between the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 about the axis L1 is set within the range of 90°<θ<270°. This allows the sealing member 40 to be brought into contact with the outer wall 15 in a circumferentially balanced manner by the fixing forces of the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portion 33 against the outer wall 15. As a result, the sealing performance of the sealing member 40 can be improved.

[0039] (3) The angle θ is set within the range of 170°<θ<190°. This configuration allows the seal member 40 to abut against the outer wall 15 in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction. As a result, the sealing performance of the seal member 40 can be further improved.

[0040] (4) The angle θ is set to 180°. This configuration allows the seal member 40 to abut against the outer wall 15 in a more balanced manner in the circumferential direction. As a result, the sealing performance of the seal member 40 can be further improved.

[0041] (5) The seal member 40 has a first portion 41 closest to the first fixing portion 21 and a second portion 42 located 180° opposite to the first portion 41 about the axis L1. The thickness of the seal member 40 in the direction along the axis L1 is smallest at the first portion 41, increases from the first portion 41 to the second portion 42, and is largest at the second portion 42. Before the second connector 12 is connected, there is a risk that the portion of the first housing 20 180° opposite to the first fixing portion 21 may lift up from the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13. Even in this state, with the above configuration, the increased thickness of the second portion 42 of the seal member 40 makes it possible to prevent a gap from forming between the seal member 40 and the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13.

[0042] (Modifications) This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0043] The outer housing 32 may be omitted from the second housing 30 in the above embodiment. In this case, the second fixing portion 33 may be provided on the inner housing 31. The first housing 20 may include two or more first fixing portions 21. Furthermore, the second housing 30 may include two or more second fixing portions 33.

[0044] The thickness of the seal member 40 in the axial direction may be uniform throughout the circumferential direction. In the above embodiment, the angle θ between the first fixing portion 21 (first axis CL1) and the second fixing portion 33 (second axis CL2) about the axis L1 may be set within the range of 90°<θ<270°.

[0045] In the seal member 40 of the above embodiment, the number of lip portions 40a that abut against the surface 15a of the outer wall 15 of the device housing 13 may be one or three or more. In the seal member 40 of the above embodiment, the protruding length of the lip portions 40a in the axial direction (the depth of the groove between each lip portion 40a) may correspond to the thickness of the seal member 40. That is, the protruding length of the lip portions 40a may be set to be smallest at a position corresponding to the first portion 41, gradually increase from the position corresponding to the first portion 41 to the position corresponding to the second portion 42, and be largest at the position corresponding to the second portion 42.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the connector 10 of the embodiment is fastened to the equipment housing 13 by the first bolt B1 and the second bolt B2, the bolt shaft of the first bolt B1 may be in contact only with the equipment housing 13 (e.g., the first screw hole 16) and the first fixing portion 21 (e.g., the first insertion hole 21a) of the first connector 11, and the bolt shaft of the second bolt B2 may be in contact only with the equipment housing 13 (e.g., the second screw hole 17) and the second fixing portion 33 (e.g., the second insertion hole 33a) of the second connector 12, and the bolt shaft of the first bolt B1 may not be in contact with the second connector 12, and the bolt shaft of the second bolt B2 may not be in contact with the first connector 11.

[0047] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the surface 15 a of the outer wall 15 of the equipment housing 13 may be referred to as a support surface or seat surface that supports the connector 10. This seat surface may be a plane perpendicular to the axis L1 of the connector 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , the first connector 11 of the embodiment may include a stopper flange that extends perpendicular to the axis L1 of the connector 10 and / or parallel to the surface 15 a of the equipment housing 13, an insertion portion 22 perpendicular to the stopper flange, and a cylindrical hood that houses the first terminal 25 and is perpendicular to the stopper flange. The first fixing portion 21 of the first connector 11 may be included in the stopper flange or may be included in a stopper tab that further protrudes radially from the stopper flange. The stopper flange and / or the stopper tab may include a stopper surface that is perpendicular to the axis L1 of the connector 10 and / or that can directly contact the surface 15 a of the equipment housing 13. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the first insertion hole 21 a (first axis CL1) of the first connector 11 can be provided only at a first angular position around the axis L1 of the connector 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the second insertion hole 33 a (second axis CL2) of the second connector 12 can be provided only at a second angular position around the axis L1 of the connector 10. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first portion 41 of the seal member 40 can be at or near the first angular position around the axis L1 of the connector 10, and the second portion 42 of the seal member 40 can be at or near the second angular position around the axis L1 of the connector 10. As shown in FIG. 4 , the seal mounting groove 24 of the first connector 11 has a groove opening on the stopper surface of the first connector 11 and may be referred to as an annular groove having a non-uniform groove depth.

[0048] The embodiments and modified examples disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0049] 10 Connector 11 First connector 12 Second connector 13 Device housing 14 Opening 15 Outer wall 15a Surface 16 First screw hole 17 Second screw hole 18 Positioning protrusion 20 First housing 21 First fixing portion 21a First insertion hole 22 Insertion portion 23 Positioning recess 24 Seal mounting groove 25 First terminal 26 First electric wire 30 Second housing 31 Inner housing 32 Outer housing 33 Second fixing portion 33a Second insertion hole 34 Second terminal 35 Second electric wire 40 Seal member 40a Lip portion 41 First portion 42 Second portion θ Angle B1 First bolt B2 Second bolt CL1 First axis CL2 Second axis D1 Mating direction L1 Connector axis

Claims

1. A connector comprising: a first connector fixed to an equipment housing; a second connector connected to the first connector; and a seal member providing a seal between the first connector and the equipment housing, wherein the equipment housing has an outer wall having an opening, the first connector has a first housing fixed to a position corresponding to the opening in the outer wall, the second connector has a second housing fitted to the first housing in a fitting direction along the axis of the connector, the first housing has a first fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a first bolt and a seal mounting groove facing a surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction, the second housing has a second fixing portion fixed to the outer wall by a second bolt attached in the fitting direction, and the seal member attached to the seal mounting groove abuts against the surface of the outer wall in the fitting direction.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is annular about the axis, the first housing has only one first fixed portion, the second housing has only one second fixed portion, and an angle θ [°] between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion about the axis is set within the range of 90° < θ < 270°.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the angle θ is set to 180°.

4. A connector as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the sealing member has a first portion closest to the first fixed portion and a second portion located 180° opposite the first portion with respect to the axis as the center, and the thickness of the sealing member in the direction along the axis is smallest at the first portion, increases from the first portion to the second portion, and is largest at the second portion.

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