Connector

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of preventing omission of assembling a seal or a seal retainer.　This connector comprises a wire harness 3 to which a harness side terminal 30 is attached, and a female housing 10 inside of which the shield shell 2 is disposed. The female housing 10 is provided with a holding part body 12 and a harness holding part 11, and includes a wire seal 7 that is attached to the harness holding part 11, a seal retainer 8 that regulates extraction of the wire seal 7, and a cover 9 covering the seal retainer 8. The cover 9 is provided with a retainer confirmation hole 94 and a second seal confirmation hole 95 to enable confirmation of the seal retainer 8 and the wire seal 7 attached to the harness holding part 11. The seal retainer 8 is provided with a first seal confirmation hole 82 to enable confirmation of the wire seal 7. The second seal confirmation hole 95 is configured to enable confirmation of the wire seal 7 through the first seal confirmation hole 82.

Description

connector

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector that is attached to, for example, a wire harness and connected to a device such as a motor.

[0002] Electrical equipment installed in automobiles and other vehicles is connected to other electrical equipment and power supplies via wire harnesses, which are bundles of insulated electric wires, to form electrical circuits. In this case, the wire harness is connected to the electrical equipment and power supplies using connectors attached to each of the electrical equipment and power supplies.

[0003] For example, a harness-side connector such as that shown in Patent Document 1 is connected to an equipment-side connector provided on an equipment such as a motor. Specifically, a terminal of the connector provided on the harness side is connected to a terminal of the connector provided on the equipment side, and the connectors are electrically connected to each other.

[0004] Some of these connectors have a seal inside the housing that seals the gap between the wires inserted into the housing and the housing, and a seal retainer that prevents the seal from slipping out. This prevents water from entering the housing and ensures waterproofing. However, if a connector is used without the seal or seal retainer installed, there is a risk of water entering the housing and causing a short circuit or other problems.

[0005] JP 2012-109035 A

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can prevent forgetting to assemble a seal or a seal retainer.

[0007] The present invention is a connector that mates with a mating connector to connect terminals provided on the respective connectors, the connector comprising: an electric wire having a terminal attached to a tip thereof; and a housing in which the terminal is disposed; the housing is provided with a terminal accommodating portion in which the terminal is disposed; and a wire holding portion that communicates with the terminal accommodating portion and holds the electric wire; the housing has a wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted; a seal that is attached to the wire holding portion to seal the gap between the electric wire and the electric wire holding portion; a seal retainer that is attached to the wire holding portion and prevents the seal from being removed from the wire holding portion; and a cover that is attached to the wire holding portion and covers the seal retainer; the cover is provided with a confirmation portion that allows the seal retainer and the seal attached to the wire holding portion to be confirmed from the outside in the direction of attachment to the wire holding portion; the seal retainer is provided with a seal confirmation portion that allows the seal to be confirmed; and the confirmation portion is configured to allow the seal to be confirmed via the seal confirmation portion.

[0008] The confirmation portion and the seal confirmation portion may be a through hole or a notch, or may be a highly visible member that constitutes part or all of the cover or the seal retainer. Furthermore, the confirmation portion and the seal confirmation portion may be configured to be able to be confirmed by various methods, such as visual confirmation, confirmation by image processing, or confirmation of position using laser light or a probe, etc.

[0009] This invention prevents forgetting to assemble the seal and the seal retainer to the connector. Specifically, the housing includes a terminal accommodating section for accommodating the terminal therein, and a wire holding section for holding the wire has a wire insertion hole for inserting the wire. The housing further includes a seal for sealing the gap between the wire and the wire holding section, a seal retainer for preventing the seal from being removed from the wire holding section, and a cover for covering the seal retainer. The cover further includes a confirmation portion that allows the seal retainer and the seal attached to the wire holding section to be confirmed from the outside in the direction of attachment to the wire holding section, and the seal retainer includes a seal confirmation portion that allows the seal to be confirmed via the seal confirmation portion. Therefore, when assembly is complete, the seal and the seal retainer arranged inside the connector can be confirmed from the confirmation portion from the outside of the connector.

[0010] In other words, if at least one of the seal and the seal retainer cannot be confirmed by the confirmation portion, it means that at least one of the seal and the seal retainer is not assembled to the housing, so it is possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the seal or the seal retainer to the connector. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as a short circuit caused by inadvertent water seepage into the inside of a connector that has forgotten to have the seal or the seal retainer assembled.

[0011] As an aspect of the present invention, the seal confirmation portion may penetrate the seal retainer in the mounting direction. According to this invention, the seal can be confirmed by the seal confirmation portion having a simple structure.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the confirmation portion may be a viewing window that can be seen from the outside in the mounting direction. Compared to when the confirmation portion is formed as a notch or the like, this window-shaped confirmation portion can prevent a decrease in the strength of the cover.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the viewing window may penetrate the cover in the mounting direction. According to this invention, the seal and the seal retainer can be confirmed through the viewing window, which has a simple structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the viewing window that penetrates in the mounting direction can ensure stable waterproofing without reducing the watertightness provided by the seal, like, for example, a confirmation hole that penetrates in the direction of contact between the seal mounted on the wire holding portion and the wire holding portion.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the seal confirmation portion provided on the seal retainer may be a retainer-side seal confirmation portion, and the confirmation portion may be provided with a cover-side retainer confirmation portion that confirms the seal retainer and a cover-side seal confirmation portion that confirms the seal via the retainer-side seal confirmation portion.

[0016] According to this invention, the cover-side seal confirmation portion provided on the cover allows the seal to be confirmed from the outside via the retainer-side seal confirmation portion, and the cover-side retainer confirmation portion allows the seal retainer to be confirmed from the outside. Therefore, the cover-side retainer confirmation portion and the retainer-side seal confirmation portion allow the seal and the seal retainer to be confirmed individually, so it can be reliably confirmed that the seal and the seal retainer are installed inside the wire holding portion.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the electric wires may be provided, and a plurality of the seals, seal retainers, and covers may be provided in accordance with the number of the electric wires. According to this invention, the connector can be easily assembled.

[0018] More specifically, the seals, seal retainers, and covers, each of which is provided in a number corresponding to the number of electric wires, can be inserted one by one and installed in the installation direction, which improves the operability of the seals, seal retainers, and covers and the ease of assembling the connector compared to when multiple electric wires are inserted into one seal, seal retainer, and cover.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, a locking and fixing portion that locks and fixes the cover to the housing may be provided. This allows the cover to be easily attached and fixed to the housing. Furthermore, the cover attached to the housing can be removed by releasing the lock of the locking and fixing portion. Therefore, even if confirmation from the confirmation portion reveals that the seal or the seal retainer has been left attached, the cover can be removed from the housing and the seal or the seal retainer can be easily attached in the attachment direction.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, the electric wire may be provided with a shielding layer surrounding the conductor, and a shielding shell surrounding the terminal may be provided inside the housing, and the shielding layer and the shielding shell may be electrically connected.

[0021] This invention makes it possible to configure an inner shield type connector. In particular, with an inner shield type connector, unlike an outer shield type connector in which the shield shell surrounds the outside, it is not possible to achieve a seal between the shield shell and the housing. Therefore, it is necessary to separately provide the seal that is attached to the inside of the housing in the installation direction to seal, and the seal retainer that prevents the seal from slipping out. However, because the seal and seal retainer attached to the housing can be seen from the outside, it is possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the seal and seal retainer, and the inner shield type connector can be reliably assembled.

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector that can prevent forgetting to assemble a seal or a seal retainer.

[0023] 14. A schematic perspective view of a connector connection structure. A schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure in a separated state. A schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure in a separated state. A schematic exploded perspective view of a harness-side connector. A schematic exploded perspective view of a harness-side connector. An explanatory diagram of a female housing. An explanatory diagram of a female housing. A schematic enlarged front view of a female housing. An explanatory diagram of a wire seal. An explanatory diagram of a seal retainer. An explanatory diagram of a cover. A schematic bottom view of the harness-side connector in an assembled state. An explanatory diagram of the harness-side connector in an assembled state. A schematic bottom view of a harness-side connector in another embodiment. A cross-sectional view taken along the arrows H-H in FIG. 14.

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 13. Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a connector connection structure A, Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure A in a separated state as viewed from the lower side Hd, and Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the connector connection structure A in a separated state as viewed from the upper side Hu. Figure 4 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the harness-side connector 1 as viewed from the lower side Hd, and Figure 5 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the harness-side connector 1 as viewed from the upper side Hu. In Figures 4 and 5, a portion of the shielding layer 34 is exposed to clarify the structure of the wire harness 3.

[0025] Fig. 6(a) shows a schematic front view of the female housing 10 as viewed from the rear side Db, Fig. 6(b) shows a schematic side view of the female housing 10 as viewed from the right side Wr, Fig. 7(a) shows a schematic bottom view of the female housing 10 as viewed from the lower side Hd, Fig. 7(b) shows a schematic enlarged view of part b in Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 shows a schematic enlarged front view of the holder main body 12.

[0026] Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic bottom view of the wire seal 7 as viewed from the lower side Hd, and Fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 9(a). Fig. 10(a) shows a schematic bottom view of the seal retainer 8 as viewed from the lower side Hd, and Fig. 10(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 10(a). Fig. 10(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in Fig. 10(a). Fig. 11(a) shows a schematic bottom view of the cover 9 as viewed from the lower side Hd, and Fig. 11(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Fig. 11(a). Fig. 11(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in Fig. 11(a).

[0027] Figure 12 shows a schematic bottom view of the harness side connector 1 in an assembled state as viewed from the lower side Hd, Figure 13(a) shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the F-F arrow view in Figure 12, and Figure 13(b) shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the G-G arrow view in Figure 12.

[0028] Here, the direction in which the harness-side connector 1 and the device-side connector 200 are attached to and detached from each other in FIG. 1 is defined as the depth direction D. The direction in which the harness-side connector 1 is attached to the device-side connector 200 is defined as the depth side Db, and the direction in which the harness-side connector 1 is detached from the device-side connector 200 is defined as the front side Df. Directions perpendicular to the depth direction D are defined as the width direction W and the height direction H. The left side along the width direction W is defined as the left side Wl, and the right side along the width direction W is defined as the right side Wr. The upper side in FIG. 1 is defined as the upper side Hu, and the lower side is defined as the lower side Hd. The same applies to FIGS. 2 to 13 below. However, these directions do not define the directions with respect to the configurations of the harness-side connector 1, the device-side connector 200, and the connector connection structure A.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector connection structure A is a connection structure that electrically connects, for example, a harness-side connector 1 attached to a wire harness 3 that bundles coated electric wires, by fitting it with an equipment-side connector 200 provided on equipment such as a motor equipped in an automobile or the like.

[0030] First, a brief description will be given of the device-side connector 200 that is connected to the harness-side connector 1 (described later) to form the connector connection structure A. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the device-side connector 200 includes two device-side terminals 201 and a male housing 210 that accommodates the device-side terminals 201.

[0031] The device-side terminal 201 is a rectangular metal flat plate that is long in the depth direction D, and is electrically connected to an electrical component main body (not shown) that is arranged inside the housing 100. Two device-side terminals 201 are provided such that their main surfaces that extend along the depth direction D and height direction H face each other at a predetermined distance in the width direction W.

[0032] The male housing 210 is for holding the device side terminal 201 inside, and is provided with a fixed base 211 that is fixed to the housing 100 described below, and a hood portion 212 that stands upright from the fixed base 211.

[0033] The fixed base 211 is a plate-like body that is generally rectangular in front view when viewed from the insertion direction (the front side Df) of the harness-side connector 1 into the device-side connector 200. The hood portion 212 is an annular wall that extends from the fixed base 211 toward the front side Df so as to surround a central portion of the fixed base 211.

[0034] The device-side connector 200, which is configured by holding the device-side terminals 201 inside the hood portion 212 of the above-mentioned male housing 210, is assembled to the housing 100 of a device such as a motor equipped in an automobile or the like, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0035] Next, the harness-side connector 1 that constitutes the connector connection structure A by connecting to the device-side connector 200 that is assembled to the housing 100 of a device such as a motor mounted on an automobile or the like will be described.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the harness side connector 1 is composed of a box-shaped female housing 10, a shield shell 2 housed inside the female housing 10, a wire harness 3 inserted into the female housing 10, and a locking lever 4, housing seal 5, housing seal cover 6, wire seal 7, seal retainer 8, and cover 9 attached to the female housing 10.

[0037] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the female housing 10 has a box-like shape with openings on the lower side Hd and the rear side Db, and is integrally formed with a cylindrical harness holding portion 11 and a holding portion main body 12 provided on the upper side Hu of the harness holding portion 11.

[0038] The harness holding portion 11 is a cylindrical body that is rectangular in bottom view and is slightly longer in the width direction W than in the depth direction D. As shown in Figure 7 (a), it has two insertion holes 111 that penetrate in the height direction H, a locking recess 112 and a locking protrusion 115 provided at the lower end of the harness holding portion 11, a locking connection portion 113 provided on the outer surface of the front side Df, and locking shaft portions 114 provided on both side surfaces in the width direction W.

[0039] The insertion holes 111 are rectangular holes in bottom view that are longer in the depth direction D than in the width direction W, and two insertion holes 111 are arranged side by side in the width direction W. The two insertion holes 111 arranged side by side in the width direction W are separated by a partition wall 116.

[0040] As shown in Figures 7(a) and (b), the locking recess 112 is a recess at the lower end of the harness holding portion 11, in which a portion of the inner surface facing the insertion hole 111 is recessed toward the upper side Hu, and is formed to a size that allows the locking extension portion 81 of the seal retainer 8, which will be described later, to be placed therein.

[0041] The locking recesses 112 are provided at the lower end of the harness holding portion 11, which is rectangular in bottom view and slightly longer in the width direction W than in the depth direction D, at positions that are the center of each side of each of the insertion holes 111, which is rectangular in bottom view and longer in the depth direction D than in the width direction W. Therefore, the locking recesses 112 are provided at a total of seven locations at the lower end of the harness holding portion 11, which is rectangular in bottom view and slightly longer in the width direction W than in the depth direction D: one at the center in each of the depth directions D, two at a predetermined interval in each of the width directions W, and one at the center of the partition wall 116 extending in the depth direction D.

[0042] As shown in the enlarged view of part a in Figure 4, the locking connection part 113 has a roughly box-like shape with an open lower side Hd, and is configured to be lockable by inserting the locking lever 4 described later from the lower side Hd.

[0043] The locking connection part 113 is formed by a pair of protruding pieces protruding from the harness holding part 11 and a connector that connects the tips of the protruding pieces in the width direction W. The locking connection part 113 is provided in the center part in the width direction W of the outer surface of the front side Df of the harness holding part 11.

[0044] The locking shaft 114 is a support part that rotatably supports the locking lever 4 described later, and is a substantially cylindrical body that protrudes outward in the width direction W from both side surfaces of the harness holding part 11 in the width direction W. More specifically, the locking shaft 114 is composed of a cylinder that protrudes in the width direction W from the side surfaces of the harness holding part 11 in the width direction W, and protruding portions that protrude in a rectangular shape from both ends of the cylinder in the depth direction D toward both ends in the depth direction D (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0045] The locking shaft portions 114 configured in this manner are provided in two locations on each of the widthwise W side surfaces of the harness holding portion 11, at positions above Hu and opposite the locking connection portion 113 in the widthwise W direction.

[0046] The locking protrusion 115 is a fixing portion that locks with the cover 9 described later to fix the cover 9, and is formed to protrude in the depth direction D from the side surfaces of the front side Df and the rear side Db of the harness holding portion 11, as shown in the enlarged view of portion a in Figure 4 and Figure 7(a).

[0047] Specifically, the locking projections 115 have an upper side Hu surface that is generally horizontal, and a lower side Hd surface that slopes outward in the depth direction D as it approaches the upper side Hu. The locking projections 115 configured in this manner are provided in four locations, two at a time, spaced a predetermined distance apart in the width direction W near the lower end of the surface of the harness holding portion 11 along the width direction W.

[0048] The harness holding portion 11 and the harness holding portion main body 12, which is arranged on the upper side Hu of the harness holding portion 11 and forms a female housing 10, have a box-like shape with openings on the lower side Hd and the rear side Db, and are composed of a housing bottom surface portion 121 arranged on the front side Df along the height direction H, and a housing side wall portion 122 standing upright from the housing bottom surface portion 121.

[0049] The length of the holding portion main body 12 in the depth direction D is longer than the length of the harness holding portion 11 in the depth direction D, and the end face on the front side Df is flush with the harness holding portion 11 in a side view. Therefore, the holding portion main body 12 protrudes from the end of the upper side Hu of the harness holding portion 11 to the back side Db (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0050] The housing bottom surface portion 121 has a thickness substantially equal to that of the plate-like body constituting the harness holding portion 11, and is formed in a substantially square shape when viewed from the rear side Db. The housing bottom surface portion 121 is disposed on the front side Df of the holding portion main body 12, and has a pair of extension wall portions 123 extending upward from the partition wall 116 of the harness holding portion 11 to the upper side Hu, and a restricting protrusion 124 facing the extension wall portions 123 in the width direction W, as shown in FIG.

[0051] The extension wall 123 provided on the housing bottom surface 121 stands at a predetermined height from the housing bottom surface 121, and has a first locking rib 125 that protrudes outward and a cylindrical protrusion 126 that protrudes toward the rear side Db. The extension wall 123 stands at a height that is approximately one-fourth the length of the holder main body 12 in the depth direction D.

[0052] The first locking rib 125 is inclined so as to move away from the extension wall portion 123 as it approaches the upper side Hu, and has a surface at its tip that follows the width direction W (see FIG. 6( a)). The protrusion 126 is provided on the upper side Hu of the first locking rib 125 and has a cylindrical rectangular parallelepiped shape when viewed from the front, and protrudes at a predetermined height from the housing bottom surface portion 121 toward the opening on the back side Db of the holder main body 12.

[0053] The restricting protrusion 124 provided on the housing bottom surface portion 121 is formed in a generally triangular cross section and has a surface along the width direction W and a surface that slopes outward in the width direction W as it approaches the lower side Hd. The restricting protrusion 124 is provided on the housing bottom surface portion 121 at a position opposite the first locking rib 125 in the width direction W.

[0054] The housing side wall portion 122, which together with the housing bottom portion 121 constitutes the holding portion main body 12, stands upright from the outer edge of the housing bottom portion 121 toward the rear side Db, and as shown in Figure 8, has a double-wall structure consisting of an outer wall 122a and an inner wall 122b arranged inside the outer wall 122a.

[0055] The outer wall 122a is a wall having a predetermined thickness, and has a rib 127 protruding in the width direction W and an insertion window 128 formed by cutting out a portion thereof. Since the holding portion main body 12 has an opening on the lower side Hd as described above, the outer wall 122a arranged on the lower side Hd is provided only at a portion where the holding portion main body 12 protrudes from the harness holding portion 11.

[0056] The ribs 127 protrude a predetermined length from the inner surface of the outer wall 122a toward the inner wall 122b, and are formed over the entire length in the depth direction D of the holding portion main body 12. The ribs 127 configured in this manner are provided in four locations in the vicinity of the upper end of the surface of the outer wall 122a along the height direction H, two locations at a predetermined interval in the height direction H, that is, at positions opposing each other in the width direction W.

[0057] The insertion window 128 is formed by cutting out the outer wall 122a in the depth direction D. More specifically, the insertion window 128 is formed by cutting out the outer wall 122a on the side Hd below the rib 127, with a length substantially equal to the length of the harness holding portion 11 in the depth direction D. Two insertion windows 128 configured in this manner are provided in the outer wall 122a at positions opposite each other in the width direction W. As shown in FIG. 8 , by providing the insertion window 128, an insertion space 128a that is substantially rectangular in front view is formed between the outer wall 122a and the inner wall 122b on the side Hd below the rib 127.

[0058] The inner wall 122b is a wall that forms a rectangle that is approximately one size smaller than the rectangle formed by the outer wall 122a. Similarly to the outer wall 122a, the inner wall 122b arranged on the lower side Hd is provided only at a portion where the holding portion main body 12 protrudes from the harness holding portion 11.

[0059] A space that is approximately rectangular and annular in front view is formed between the outer wall 122 a and the inner wall 122 b configured in this manner. The holder main body 12, which is configured by the housing bottom surface portion 121 and the housing side wall portions 122 (122 a, 122 b), has an open front side Df and a lower side Hd of the internal space that communicates with the insertion hole 111.

[0060] The shield shell 2 housed inside the harness-side connector 1 has a box-like shape tapered at the tip, and is integrally formed with a cylindrical harness insertion portion 21 and a box-shaped terminal holding portion 22 provided on the upper side Hu of the harness insertion portion 21. The shield shell 2 is made of a conductive material.

[0061] The shield shell 2 configured in this manner accommodates harness-side terminals 30 of the wire harness 3 described later therein, and is electrically connected to the shield layer 34 of the shielded electric wire 31 to provide a shielding function.

[0062] 4 and 5, the wire harness 3 is composed of a harness terminal 30 and a shielded electric wire 31 connected to the harness terminal 30. The shielded electric wire 31 is composed of, from the center toward the outer diameter, a conductive core wire 32, an insulating inner coating layer 33, a shield layer 34 made of braided metal wires such as copper wires, and an insulating outer coating layer 35, which are arranged in this order.

[0063] At the end of the upper side Hu of the shielded electric wire 31, the outer coating layer 35 is peeled off to expose the shielding layer 34, which is electrically connected to the shield shell 2 as described above. The shielding layer 34 is not limited to a braided metal wire, and may be a metal foil or the like. As shown in Figures 4 and 5 , the harness terminal 30 is composed of a wire connecting portion 301 connected to the end of the upper side Hu of the shielded electric wire 31, and a terminal connecting portion 302.

[0064] The terminal connection portion 302 has a pair of side walls facing each other in the width direction W, and the device-side terminals 201 are inserted between the side walls and connected to the device-side connector 200. The wire harness 3 configured in this manner is made up of two wires arranged side by side along the width direction W (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0065] A locking lever 4 that fixes the connection state to the device-side connector 200 is pivotally supported on a locking shaft 114 and assembled to the female housing 10. The locking lever 4 has a generally gate-like shape in plan view, and is formed to be generally rectangular U-shaped in plan view and generally L-shaped in side view.

[0066] The female housing 10 is provided with a housing seal 5 that seals the connection between the device-side connector 200 and the female housing 10, and a housing seal cover 6 that prevents the housing seal 5 from falling off.

[0067] The wire seal 7 is a member that is assembled to the female housing 10 through which the wire harness 3 is inserted, thereby sealing the gap between the shielded electric wire 31 inserted through the insertion hole 111 and the harness holding portion 11. As shown in Fig. 9(a) , the wire seal 7 is a plate-shaped rubber member that has approximately the same shape as the outer edge that forms the insertion hole 111 in a plan view, and has a circular seal hole 71.

[0068] In a plan view of the wire seal 7, the seal hole 71 is provided closer to the front side Df than the center portion in the depth direction D. The inner diameter of the seal hole 71 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the shielded electric wire 31. In this embodiment, since the wire harness 3 is configured with two wires, two wire seals 7 are provided according to the number of wire harnesses 3. The two wire seals 7 are arranged side by side in the width direction W when attached to the harness holding portion 11 of the female housing 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0069] The seal retainer 8 is a component that is laminated on the wire seal 7 assembled to the female housing 10 to prevent the wire seal 7 from falling out of the insertion hole 111 and to hold the inserted wire harness 3.

[0070] 10( a), the seal retainer 8 is a plate-like body having substantially the same shape as the wire seal 7 in a plan view. The seal retainer 8 includes a locking extension 81 that protrudes outward, a circular first seal confirmation hole 82 that penetrates in the plate thickness direction (height direction H), and an electric wire insertion hole 83 through which the shielded electric wire 31 of the wire harness 3 is inserted.

[0071] The locking extension portion 81 is a rectangular piece that extends a predetermined length from a portion of the outer edge of the seal retainer 8. Specifically, the locking extension portion 81 is formed to be slightly smaller than the size of the locking recess 112 in a plan view. Note that the locking extension portion 81 is provided in a total of four locations at positions that face the locking recess 112 in the height direction H when assembled to the female housing 10.

[0072] As shown in FIGS. 10( a) and 10(b), the first seal confirmation hole 82 is a circular through hole located near a corner on the far side Db and right side Wr of the seal retainer 8, i.e., spaced apart from the outer edge of the seal retainer 8 and the wire insertion hole 83. The wire insertion hole 83 has a larger diameter than the first seal confirmation hole 82 in a plan view of the seal retainer 8. Specifically, the inner diameter of the wire insertion hole 83 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shielded electric wire 31. The wire insertion hole 83 is located closer to the near side Df than the center in the depth direction D in a plan view, i.e., at a position opposite the seal hole 71 in the height direction H when assembled to the female housing 10. A plurality of elastic pieces 831 protrude from the inner edge of the wire insertion hole 83.

[0073] 10(c), the elastic piece 831 is integrally formed of a plate body 831a protruding toward the upper side Hu and a block body 831b provided at the tip of the plate body 831a. The seal retainer 8 including the elastic piece 831 is made of a flexible and elastic material.

[0074] The elastic pieces 831 configured in this manner are provided at ten locations at equal intervals around the entire circumferential direction of the inner edge that forms the wire insertion hole 83. The diameter of an imaginary circle (referred to as a first imaginary circle C1) formed by the outer edge on the inside of the block body 831b is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the shielded wire 31 (see FIG. 10(a)).

[0075] In this embodiment, since the wire harness 3 is configured with two wires, two seal retainers 8 are provided in accordance with the number of wire harnesses 3. The two seal retainers 8 are arranged side by side in the width direction W when attached to the harness holding portion 11 of the female housing 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0076] The cover 9 is a member that is assembled to the female housing 10 to cover the insertion hole 111 together with the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8. As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the cover 9 is integrally formed of a cover bottom surface portion 91 along the depth direction D and a cover side wall portion 92 that stands upright from the cover bottom surface portion 91.

[0077] When viewed in a plane, the cover bottom portion 91 is a roughly rectangular plate-like body larger than the insertion hole 111, and has a cover protrusion portion 93 with a cylindrical protrusion, a retainer confirmation hole 94 consisting of a circular through hole, and a second seal confirmation hole 95.

[0078] 11(a) and 11(b), the cover protrusion 93 is provided on the front side Df of the center of the cover 9 in the depth direction D, and has a circular cover hole 931 penetrating in the height direction H. The inner diameter of the cover hole 931 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of a virtual circle (referred to as a second virtual circle C2) formed by the outer edge of the block body 831b (see FIG. 11(a)).

[0079] 11A, the retainer confirmation hole 94 is provided near a corner on the rear side Db and left side Wl of the cover 9. The inner diameter of the retainer confirmation hole 94 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8.

[0080] The second seal confirmation hole 95 is provided at a predetermined distance in the width direction W from the retainer confirmation hole 94. Specifically, the second seal confirmation hole 95 is provided at a position opposite the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8 in the height direction H when assembled to the female housing 10. The inner diameter of the second seal confirmation hole 95 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the retainer confirmation hole 94.

[0081] That is, the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are positioned so that their positions in the depth direction D are aligned with the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8. The retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are also positioned at a distance from each other, and are also positioned at a distance from the outer edge of the cover bottom portion 91 and the cover hole 931.

[0082] The cover sidewall portion 92 extends from three outer edges, excluding one of two outer edges along the depth direction D, of the cover bottom surface portion 91, which is generally rectangular in plan view, and has a cover locking hole 921 penetrating a portion of the cover sidewall portion 92. As shown in Figures 11(b) and 11(c) , the cover locking hole 921 is a hole that is generally rectangular in front view, and is formed by penetrating from an end of the lower side Hd of the cover sidewall portion 92 to a predetermined height in the height direction H. The cover locking hole 921 configured in this manner is provided in a total of two locations at positions corresponding to the locking protrusions 115 when the cover is assembled to the female housing 10.

[0083] In this embodiment, since the wire harness 3 is composed of two wires, two covers 9 are provided in accordance with the number of wire harnesses 3. The two covers 9 are arranged side by side in the width direction W when attached to the harness holding portion 11 of the female housing 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0084] Of the covers 9 arranged in parallel, the cover 9 arranged on the right side Wr has the cover side wall portion 92 standing upright from a part other than the outer edge of the left side Wl of the cover bottom portion 91. And, the cover side wall portion 92 of the cover 9 arranged on the left side Wl stands upright from a part other than the outer edge of the right side Wr of the cover bottom portion 91.

[0085] The harness side connector 1 described above, in which each element is configured as described above, accommodates the shield shell 2 and wire harness 3 inside the female housing 10, has a housing seal 5 and a housing seal cover 6 attached to the holding portion main body 12, has a wire seal 7, a seal retainer 8, and a cover 9 attached in this order from the upper side Hu to the lower side Hd in the insertion hole 111 through which the wire harness 3 is inserted, and has a shielded electric wire 31 led out from the cover hole 931 of the cover 9 (see Figure 12).

[0086] The inner diameter of the cover hole 931 is formed slightly smaller than the second imaginary circle C2 of the seal retainer 8 stacked on the upper side Hu of the cover 9. Therefore, when the cover 9 is assembled to the female housing 10, the inner peripheral surface of the cover hole 931 presses the elastic piece 831 inward (toward the center of the shielded electric wire 31) (see FIG. 13( a)). This allows the elastic piece 831 and the inner peripheral surface of the cover hole 931 to hold the shielded electric wire 31 in the height direction H.

[0087] Therefore, the seal retainer 8 does not move inadvertently relative to the shielded wire 31, and the wire seal 7 can be prevented from falling off from the insertion hole 111. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the relative movement of the extracted shielded wire 31 with respect to the female housing 10. This makes it possible to stabilize the connection state with the device-side connector 200 connected to the harness-side connector 1, for example.

[0088] Furthermore, the cover 9 is provided with a retainer confirmation hole 94 and a second seal confirmation hole 95, which are circular through-holes, and the seal retainer 8 is provided with a first seal confirmation hole 82. Therefore, by visually checking the retainer confirmation hole 94 of the cover 9 from the lower side Hd, it is possible to check the interior (upper side Hu) through the retainer confirmation hole 94 (see FIG. 13(a)).

[0089] In this embodiment, the seal retainer 8 is attached to the upper side Hu of the cover 9, and therefore the seal retainer 8 can be seen through the retainer confirmation hole 94. In this way, since the interior can be checked through the retainer confirmation hole 94, it is possible to prevent, for example, the cover 9 from being erroneously attached without the seal retainer 8 attached.

[0090] Furthermore, since the second seal confirmation hole 95 provided in the cover 9 is connected to the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8 in the height direction H, when the second seal confirmation hole 95 is viewed from the lower side Hd, the inside (upper side Hu) of the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed through the first seal confirmation hole 82 (see Figure 13 (b)).

[0091] In this embodiment, the wire seal 7 is assembled to the upper side Hu of the seal retainer 8, and therefore the wire seal 7 can be confirmed through the first seal confirmation hole 82 and the second seal confirmation hole 95. In this way, the inside of the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed through the first seal confirmation hole 82 and the second seal confirmation hole 95, which makes it possible to prevent, for example, the cover 9 from being erroneously assembled without the wire seal 7 assembled.

[0092] As described above, the first seal confirmation hole 82 is a hole that penetrates the seal retainer 8, and the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are holes that penetrate the cover bottom surface portion 91. However, the first seal confirmation hole 82 is disposed at a distance from the outer edge of the seal retainer 8 and the electric wire insertion hole 83, and the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are disposed at a distance from each other, that is, from the outer edge of the cover bottom surface portion 91 and the cover hole 931. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the strength of the seal retainer 8 and the cover 9 and a decrease in the watertightness of the wire seal 7 due to the first seal confirmation hole 82, retainer confirmation hole 94, and second seal confirmation hole 95 that are through holes.

[0093] A brief description of the connection method of the connector connection structure A follows. First, the harness-side connector 1 is placed on the front side Df of the device-side connector 200 fixed to the housing 100 so that the holding portion main body 12 faces the depth direction D, and the harness-side connector 1 is then moved to the rear side Db. This allows the hood portion 212 to be inserted into the space formed between the outer wall 122a and the inner wall 122b, thereby forming the connector connection structure A. At this time, the locking lever 4 is pivoted to maintain the connection between the device-side connector 200 and the harness-side connector 1 in the connector connection structure A.

[0094] In this manner, when the device-side connector 200 and the harness-side connector 1 are connected, the harness-side terminal 30 is in contact with the device-side terminal 201. This allows electrical connection to the electrical equipment body arranged inside the housing 100, and electrical continuity can be established between the device-side terminal 201 and the harness-side terminal 30 electrically connected to the shielded electric wire 31.

[0095] The harness-side connector 1 configured in this manner is fitted with the device-side connector 200 to connect the terminals (the harness-side terminal 30 and the device-side terminal 201) provided on each connector. The harness-side connector 1 is provided with a wire harness 3 having the harness-side terminal 30 attached to its tip, and a female housing 10 in which the harness-side terminal 30 and the shield shell 2 are disposed.

[0096] The female housing 10 also has a holding portion main body 12 in which the harness side terminals 30 and the shield shell 2 are arranged, and a harness holding portion 11 that communicates with the holding portion main body 12 and holds the wire harness 3, and has an insertion hole 111 through which the wire harness 3 is inserted.

[0097] Furthermore, the device is provided with a wire seal 7 that is attached to the harness holding portion 11 to seal the gap between the wire harness 3 and the harness holding portion 11, a seal retainer 8 that is attached to the harness holding portion 11 to prevent the wire seal 7 from coming out of the harness holding portion 11, and a cover 9 that is attached to the harness holding portion 11 to cover the seal retainer 8.

[0098] The cover 9 is provided with a retainer confirmation hole 94 and a second seal confirmation hole 95 that allow the seal retainer 8 and the wire seal 7 attached to the harness holding portion 11 to be confirmed from the outside (the lower side Hd) in the direction of attachment to the harness holding portion 11. Furthermore, the seal retainer 8 is provided with a first seal confirmation hole 82 that allows the wire seal 7 to be confirmed, and the second seal confirmation hole 95 is configured so that the wire seal 7 can be confirmed through the first seal confirmation hole 82.

[0099] This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 to the female housing 10. More specifically, the female housing 10 is configured together with the holding portion main body 12 in which the harness side terminals 30 and the shield shell 2 are disposed, and the harness holding portion 11 that holds the wire harness 3 has an insertion hole 111 through which the wire harness 3 is inserted.

[0100] A wire seal 7 that seals the gap between the wire harness 3 and the harness holding portion 11, a seal retainer 8 that prevents the wire seal 7 from coming out of the harness holding portion 11, and a cover 9 that covers the seal retainer 8 are attached.

[0101] Furthermore, the cover 9 is provided with a retainer confirmation hole 94 and a second seal confirmation hole 95 that allow the seal retainer 8 and wire seal 7 attached to the harness holding portion 11 to be confirmed from the outside (the lower side Hd) in the direction of attachment to the harness holding portion 11, and the seal retainer 8 is provided with a first seal confirmation hole 82 that allows the wire seal 7 to be confirmed. The second seal confirmation hole 95 is configured so that the wire seal 7 can be confirmed through the first seal confirmation hole 82. Therefore, when assembly is complete, the wire seal 7 and seal retainer 8 arranged inside can be confirmed from the outside of the female housing 10 through the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95.

[0102] In other words, if at least one of the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 cannot be confirmed through the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95, it means that at least one of the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 has not been assembled to the female housing 10. This makes it possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the wire seal 7 or the seal retainer 8 to the female housing 10. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions such as short circuits caused by inadvertent water seepage into the harness-side connector 1 when the wire seal 7 or the seal retainer 8 has been forgotten to be assembled.

[0103] Furthermore, because the first seal confirmation hole 82 penetrates the seal retainer 8 in the installation direction (height direction H), the wire seal 7 can be confirmed through the simply structured first seal confirmation hole 82. Furthermore, the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are formed in a window shape that can be seen from the outside in the installation direction (the lower side Hd). As a result, compared to when the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 are formed as notches or the like, the window-like shape prevents a decrease in the strength of the cover 9.

[0104] In addition, since the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 penetrate the cover 9 in the installation direction (height direction H), the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed using the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95, which have a simple structure.

[0105] In addition, the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95, which penetrate in the installation direction (height direction H), can ensure stable waterproofing without reducing the watertightness provided by the wire seal 7, as is the case with confirmation holes that penetrate in the contact direction (width direction W) between the wire seal 7 attached to the harness holding portion 11 and the harness holding portion 11.

[0106] Furthermore, a first seal confirmation hole 82 is provided in the seal retainer 8, and a retainer confirmation hole 94 for confirming the seal retainer 8 and a second seal confirmation hole 95 for confirming the wire seal 7 via the first seal confirmation hole 82 are provided in the cover 9. As a result, the wire seal 7 can be confirmed from the outside via the first seal confirmation hole 82 using the second seal confirmation hole 95 provided in the cover 9, and the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed from the outside using the retainer confirmation hole 94. Therefore, the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed individually using the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the first seal confirmation hole 82, so it can be reliably confirmed that the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 are attached inside the harness holding portion 11.

[0107] Furthermore, since two wire harnesses 3 are provided and two wire seals 7, seal retainers 8 and covers 9 are provided in accordance with the number of wire harnesses 3, the female housing 10 can be easily assembled.

[0108] More specifically, the wire seals 7, seal retainers 8, and covers 9, each of which is provided in accordance with the number of wire harnesses 3, can be inserted one by one and installed in the installation direction (height direction H). Therefore, compared to the case where a plurality of wire harnesses 3 are inserted into one wire seal 7, seal retainer 8, and cover 9, respectively, the operability of the wire seals 7, seal retainers 8, and covers 9 is improved, and the ease of assembly of the harness-side connector 1 can be improved.

[0109] In addition, a locking protrusion 115 is provided to lock and fix the cover 9 to the female housing 10. This allows the cover 9 to be easily attached and fixed to the female housing 10. Furthermore, the cover 9 attached to the female housing 10 can be removed by releasing the locking of the locking protrusion 115.

[0110] Therefore, even if checking through the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95 reveals that the wire seal 7 or the seal retainer 8 has been forgotten to be assembled, the cover 9 can be removed from the female housing 10 and the wire seal 7 or the seal retainer 8 can be easily installed in the installation direction (height direction H).

[0111] In addition, the wire harness 3 is provided with a shielding layer 34 surrounding the core wire 32, and inside the female housing 10, a shielding shell 2 surrounding the harness side terminal 30 and the shielding shell 2 is provided, and the shielding layer 34 and the shielding shell 2 are electrically connected.

[0112] This allows for the construction of an inner shield type harness-side connector 1. In particular, in the case of an inner shield type harness-side connector 1, sealing cannot be achieved between the shield shell 2 and the female housing 10 as in an outer shield type connector in which the shield shell surrounds the outside. For this reason, it is necessary to separately provide a wire seal 7 that is attached to the inside of the female housing 10 in the attachment direction (height direction H) to provide sealing, and a seal retainer 8 that prevents the wire seal 7 from slipping out. However, because the wire seal 7 and seal retainer 8 attached to the female housing 10 can be confirmed from the outside (the lower side Hd), it is possible to prevent forgetting to assemble the wire seal 7 or seal retainer 8.

[0113] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-described embodiments, the mating connector of this invention corresponds to the device-side connector 200 of the embodiment, and similarly thereafter, the terminals correspond to the harness-side terminals 30 and the device-side terminals 201, the connector corresponds to the harness-side connector 1, the electric wires correspond to the wire harness 3, the casing corresponds to the female housing 10, the terminal accommodating portion corresponds to the holding portion main body 12, the electric wire holding portion corresponds to the harness holding portion 11, the electric wire insertion hole corresponds to the insertion hole 111, the seal corresponds to the wire seal 7, the seal retainer corresponds to the seal retainer 8, the cover corresponds to the cover 9, the mounting direction corresponds to the rear side Db, the confirmation portion, the viewing window and the through hole correspond to the first seal confirmation hole 82, the retainer confirmation hole 94 and the second seal confirmation hole 95, the seal confirmation portion and the retainer-side seal confirmation portion correspond to the first seal confirmation hole 82, The cover side retainer confirmation portion corresponds to the retainer confirmation hole 94, the cover side seal confirmation portion corresponds to the second seal confirmation hole 95, the locking fixing portion corresponds to the locking protrusion 115, the conductor corresponds to the core wire 32, the shielding layer corresponds to the shielding layer 34, and the shielding shell corresponds to the shielding shell 2, but this invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments, and many embodiments can be obtained.

[0114] For example, in the above description, the retainer confirmation hole 94, the second seal confirmation hole 95, and the first seal confirmation hole 82 are formed as through holes, but are not limited to this. For example, they may be notches cut into parts of the wire seal 7, the seal retainer 8, and the cover 9, or the cover 9 and the seal retainer 8 may be partially or entirely made of a highly visible material. Furthermore, while the retainer confirmation hole 94, the second seal confirmation hole 95, and the first seal confirmation hole 82 are formed as circular holes, they are not limited to this and may be polygonal, for example.

[0115] In the above description, the retainer confirmation hole 94, the second seal confirmation hole 95, and the first seal confirmation hole 82 are confirmed visually, but they may be confirmed by various methods, such as confirmation by image processing, or confirmation of position using laser light or a probe, etc. In such cases, for example, the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 may be configured in a color different from that of the cover 9, or the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 may be configured from a material different from that of the cover 9. In addition, while the second seal confirmation hole 95 is configured concentrically with the first seal confirmation hole 82, the present invention is not limited to this as long as the wire seal 7 can be confirmed.

[0116] Furthermore, in the above description, two through holes (retainer confirmation hole 94 and second seal confirmation hole 95) are provided in the cover 9, and installation of the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed through these holes. However, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, a single through hole 96 may be provided in the cover 9 at a position corresponding to the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8 in the assembled state. Note that Figure 14 shows a schematic bottom view of the harness-side connector 1 in another embodiment, and Figure 15 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H in Figure 14.

[0117] Specifically, by forming the through hole 96 larger than the first seal confirmation hole 82 of the seal retainer 8, it is possible to confirm the installation of both the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 with a single through hole 96, as shown in Figures 14 and 15. Furthermore, compared to when two through holes are provided in the cover 9, the workability of the cover 9 can be improved.

[0118] Although the through hole 96 is configured concentrically with the first seal confirmation hole 82, it is not limited to this as long as the wire seal 7 can be confirmed, and it can be formed in any appropriate shape as long as the installation of both the wire seal 7 and the seal retainer 8 can be confirmed through the through hole 96.

[0119] In addition, in the above description, wire seals 7, seal retainers 8, and covers 9 corresponding to the number of wire harnesses 3 were used, but it is also possible to use wire seals 7 having seal holes 71 corresponding to the number of wire harnesses 3, seal retainers 8 having wire insertion holes 83 corresponding to the number of wire harnesses 3, or covers 9 having cover holes 931 corresponding to the number of wire harnesses 3.

[0120] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...Harness side connector 2...Shield shell 3...Wire harness 7...Wire seal 8...Seal retainer 9...Cover 10...Female housing 11...Harness holding portion 12...Holding portion main body 31...Shielded electric wire 32...Core wire 34...Shield layer 82...First seal confirmation hole 94...Retainer confirmation hole 95...Second seal confirmation hole 111...Insertion hole 115...Latching protrusion 200...Device side connector 201...Device side terminal Db...Mounting direction

Claims

1. A connector which mates with a mating connector to connect terminals provided on the respective connectors, comprising: an electric wire having a terminal attached to a tip; and a housing in which the terminal is disposed, the housing being provided with: a terminal accommodating portion in which the terminal is disposed; and an electric wire holding portion communicating with the terminal accommodating portion and holding the electric wire; a seal having an electric wire insertion hole through which the electric wire is inserted and attached to the electric wire holding portion to seal the gap between the electric wire and the electric wire holding portion; a seal retainer attached to the electric wire holding portion and restricting removal of the seal from the electric wire holding portion; and a cover attached to the electric wire holding portion and covering the seal retainer, the cover being provided with a confirmation portion by which the seal retainer and the seal attached to the electric wire holding portion can be confirmed from the outside in the direction of attachment to the electric wire holding portion, and the seal retainer being provided with a seal confirmation portion by which the seal can be confirmed, the confirmation portion being configured to be able to confirm the seal via the seal confirmation portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the seal confirmation portion penetrates the seal retainer in the mounting direction.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation portion is a viewing window that can be viewed from the outside in the mounting direction.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the viewing window penetrates the cover in the mounting direction.

5. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the seal confirmation portion provided on the seal retainer is a retainer side seal confirmation portion, and the confirmation portion is provided with a cover side retainer confirmation portion that confirms the seal retainer, and a cover side seal confirmation portion that confirms the seal via the retainer side seal confirmation portion.

6. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a plurality of said electric wires are provided, and a plurality of said seals, said seal retainers and said covers are provided in accordance with the number of said electric wires.

7. The connector according to claim 6, further comprising a locking and fixing portion for locking and fixing the cover to the housing.

8. The connector according to claim 6, wherein the electric wire is provided with a shielding layer surrounding a conductor, and a shielding shell is provided inside the housing surrounding the terminal, and the shielding layer and the shielding shell are electrically connected.

Images