JP2010067370A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain common use of a rubber plug in a connector in which any of various kinds of terminal metal fittings having various total lengths in a state that each of the metal fittings has an electric wire crimped thereto respectively is inserted into a common housing. <P>SOLUTION: A section covered with an insulated coating 32 of a front end of electric wire 30Al (or 30Cu) and a front end of the cylindrical rubber plug 40 externally fitted on the insulated coating 32 are crimped together with an insulation barrel section 25 of the terminal metal fitting 20Al (or 20Cu), and a lip section 44 of an outer periphery of the rubber plug 40 closely contacts an inner periphery of a cavity 11 while the terminal metal fitting 20Al (or 20Cu) is inserted into the cavity 11. A locking section 46 for positioning the lip section 44 to the housing 10 by locking from its back to the housing 10 is formed on the rubber plug 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a connector having a structure in which a terminal fitting is inserted from the rear into a cavity of a housing. The terminal fitting has a terminal connecting portion as a means for connecting to the counterpart terminal at the front end side portion, an open barrel-shaped wire barrel portion behind the terminal connecting portion, and an insulation barrel portion at the rear end portion. have. A conductor exposed by removing the insulating coating at the front end portion of the electric wire is connected to the wire barrel portion by crimping. A portion of the front end portion of the electric wire that is covered with an insulating coating and a front end portion of a cylindrical rubber plug that is externally fitted to the insulating coating are pressure-bonded together on the insulation barrel portion.

The terminal fitting inserted into the cavity is secured against the housing by the lance at a position on the front end side of the wire barrel portion. Further, in a state where the terminal fitting is inserted and secured in a normal position, the rubber plug seals the space between the outer periphery of the insulating coating and the inner periphery of the cavity in a liquid-tight manner.
JP 2006-244904 A

  Conventionally, copper is generally used as a conductor material, but in recent years, aluminum conductors have been used for the purpose of reducing the weight of electric wires. When an aluminum conductor is crimped to a wire barrel part, in order to remove the oxide film formed on the surface of the conductor, the tightening in the wire barrel part must be stronger than in the case of a copper conductor. If tightening is strengthened, the wire barrel portion extends in the front-rear direction, and the entire length of the terminal fitting becomes longer.

  Therefore, when the terminal metal fitting and the rubber plug are made common between the case where the copper electric wire is used and the case where the aluminum electric wire is used, the distance from the front end of the terminal metal fitting to the rubber plug is different. In this case, if the copper wire housing is diverted to the aluminum wire, the rear end portion of the rubber plug protrudes from the rear end of the cavity to the outside of the housing, and there is a concern that the waterproof performance is deteriorated.

  As a countermeasure against this, it is conceivable to use a dedicated rubber plug that matches the length of the terminal fitting when the aluminum wire is crimped. However, in this case, two types of rubber plugs, that is, a rubber plug for copper wires and a rubber plug for aluminum wires are required, which is not preferable in terms of cost.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above situation, and in a connector for inserting a plurality of types of terminal fittings having different overall lengths into a common housing in a state where a wire is crimped, a rubber plug can be shared. The purpose is to plan.

  As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a housing having a cavity formed therein, and a terminal fitting inserted into the cavity from the rear, wherein the terminal fitting has a front end side. A terminal connecting portion provided in the portion and connected to the counterpart terminal, a wire barrel portion provided behind the terminal connecting portion, and an insulation barrel portion provided in the rear end portion. A conductor exposed by removing the insulation coating at the front end of the electric wire is connected to the wire barrel portion by crimping, and the insulation barrel portion is covered with the insulation coating of the front end portion of the electric wire. And a front end portion of a cylindrical rubber plug that is externally fitted to the insulating coating, and in a state where the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity, a lip on the outer periphery of the rubber plug In the connector that is closely attached to the inner periphery of the cavity, the rubber stopper locks the lip portion with respect to the housing by locking the rubber plug from behind. It is characterized in that is formed.

  The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention of claim 1, the locking portion is locked to the rear end surface of the housing.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the one according to the first or second aspect, the rubber plug is elastically stretched in the front-rear direction between the crimping portion to the insulation barrel portion and the lip portion. It is characterized by the fact that possible stretchable parts are formed.

<Invention of Claim 1>
Regardless of the total length of the terminal fitting, the locking portion is locked to the housing, so that the lip portion is positioned with respect to the housing, so the sealing performance varies due to the difference in the overall length of the terminal fitting. There is nothing to do. Since there is no need to change the type of rubber plug according to the total length of the terminal fitting, only one type of rubber plug is required.

<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the locking portion is locked to the rear end surface of the housing, the locking state of the locking portion can be visually confirmed.

<Invention of Claim 3>
When a terminal fitting having a short overall length is inserted into the cavity, the easily stretchable portion arranged in front of the lip portion is elastically extended, so that the lip portion does not shift forward from the normal position.

<Embodiment 1>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The connector of the present embodiment includes a housing 10, terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu, electric wires 30Al and 30Cu, and a rubber plug 40.

  The housing 10 is made of hard synthetic resin, and a cavity 11 is formed inside the housing 10 so as to penetrate the housing 10 in the front-rear direction. The front end of the cavity 11 has a small opening on the front end surface of the housing 10 as a tab insertion opening 12 into which a tab (not shown) of a mating terminal is inserted. The rear end of the cavity 11 is largely opened as a terminal insertion port 13 on the rear end surface of the housing 10. The cavity 11 is formed with a lance 14 that cantilevered forward along the inner wall thereof. The rear end portion of the inner periphery of the cavity 11 is a sealing surface 15 having a circular cross section. Further, the peripheral edge portion of the terminal insertion port 13 of the rear end surface of the housing 10 is a flat locking surface 16 perpendicular to the front-rear direction (the insertion direction of the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu with respect to the cavity 11).

  The terminal fittings 20Al, 20Cu are elongated in the front-rear direction as a whole, and a rectangular tube-shaped terminal connection portion 21 is formed at the front end side portion, and a wire connection portion 22 is formed behind the terminal connection portion 21. A tab of the mating terminal is inserted into the terminal connection portion 21 from the front through the tab insertion port 12 and is connected to be conductive. The terminal connection portion 21 is formed with a locking hole 23 that can be locked with the lance 14. In the process of inserting the terminal fittings 20 Al and 20 Cu into the cavity 11, the lance 14 is elastically bent into the bending space due to interference with the terminal connection portion 21, and the terminal fittings 20 Al and 20 Cu are brought into contact with the front wall 17 of the cavity 11. When it comes into contact and reaches the normal insertion position, the lance 14 is elastically restored and locked in the locking hole 23, and the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu are held in a retaining state by this locking action.

  The wire connection part 22 has an open barrel-like wire barrel part 24 connected to the rear end of the terminal connection part 21 and an open barrel-like shape located behind the wire barrel part 24, that is, at the rear end part of the terminal fittings 20Al, 20Cu. It is comprised from the insulation barrel part 25. FIG. The wire barrel portion 24 has a configuration in which a pair of first caulking pieces 27 are raised from the left and right side edges of the first bottom wall 26 connected to the terminal connection portion 21. The insulation barrel portion 25 has a form in which a pair of second caulking pieces 29 are raised from the left and right side edges of the second bottom wall 28 connected to the rear end of the first bottom wall 26.

  The electric wire connecting portion 22 is connected to the front end portions of the electric wires 30Al and 30Cu. The terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu used in the connector of the present embodiment are of one type before the electric wires 30Al and 30Cu are crimped. The terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu include a conductor called a copper electric wire 30Cu and an aluminum electric wire 30Al. Two types of materials with different materials of 31Al and 31Cu are used. The copper electric wire 30Cu has a configuration in which the conductor 31Cu is made of copper or a copper alloy, and the outer periphery of the conductor 31Cu is surrounded by an insulating coating 32. The aluminum wire 30Al has a configuration in which the conductor 31Al is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the outer periphery of the conductor 31Al is surrounded by an insulating coating 32.

  Since aluminum has a lower electrical conductivity (electric resistance) than copper, the cross-sectional area of the conductor 31Al of the aluminum electric wire 30Al is larger than the cross-sectional area of the conductor 31Cu of the copper electric wire 30Cu in order to ensure an equivalent current value. ing. That is, the outer diameter of the conductor 31Al of the aluminum electric wire 30Al is larger than the outer diameter of the conductor 31Cu of the copper electric wire 30Cu. On the other hand, regarding the outer diameter of the electric wires 30Al and 30Cu including the insulating coating 32, the outer diameter of the copper electric wire 30Cu and the outer diameter of the aluminum electric wire 30Al are taken into consideration that the rubber plug 40 common to the electric wires 30Al and 30Cu is externally fitted. Are the same dimensions. That is, the thickness of the insulating coating 32 of the aluminum electric wire 30Al is thinner than the insulating coating 32 of the copper electric wire 30Cu. In both the copper electric wire 30Cu and the aluminum electric wire 30Al, the insulating coating 32 is removed at the front end portion thereof, and the front end portions of the conductors 31Al and 31Cu are exposed by a predetermined length.

  The rubber plug 40 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and a front end side portion of the rubber plug 40 is a crimping portion 41 to be crimped to the insulation barrel portion 25. The inner diameter of the crimping portion 41 is constant over the entire length of the crimping portion 41 and is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the electric wires 30Al and 30Cu. At the front end of the crimping part 41, a diameter-enlarged part 42 for retaining is formed. A seal portion 43 is formed at the rear end portion of the rubber plug 40. A lip portion 44 is formed on each of the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the seal portion 43. The lip portion 44 has a form protruding continuously in a rib shape over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the outer peripheral lip portion 44 is larger than the diameter-expanded portion 42 of the crimping portion 41, and is larger than the inner diameter of the seal surface 15 of the cavity 11. In the drawing, the lip portion on the inner peripheral side is not shown. In a state where the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu are inserted into the cavity 11, the seal portion 43 seals between the outer periphery of the electric wire 30 and the seal surface 15 of the cavity 11 in a liquid-tight manner.

  An easy-to-extend portion 45 is formed between the pressure-bonding portion 41 and the seal portion 43 in the rubber plug 40. The stretchable part 45 has a cylindrical shape thinner than the crimping part 41 and the seal part 43, the front end of the stretchable part 45 is continuous with the rear end of the crimping part 41, and the rear end of the stretchable part 45 is the seal part 43. It is connected to the front end. A substantially front half region from the front end to the substantially central position in the front-rear direction of the easily extendable portion 45 has a tapered shape that gradually increases in diameter toward the rear, and from the substantially center position in the front-rear direction of the easily extendable portion 45 to the rear end. The substantially latter half region has a tapered shape that gradually decreases in diameter toward the rear. The thickness of the easily stretchable portion 45 is substantially constant from the front end to the rear end. In the state where the stretchable portion 45 is not elastically bent, the maximum outer diameter of the stretchable portion 45 is smaller than the outer diameter of the lip portion 44 and the inner diameter of the seal surface 15 as shown in FIG.

  At the rear end of the seal portion 43 of the rubber plug 40, a locking portion 46 that is concentric with the seal portion 43 is formed. The outer diameter of the locking portion 46 is larger than the outer diameter of the lip portion 44 and the inner diameter of the seal surface 15 of the cavity 11. The locking portion 46 comes into contact with the locking surface 16 on the rear end surface of the housing 10 with the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu inserted into the cavity 11.

  The rubber plug 40 is attached to the electric wire connecting portion 22 together with the electric wire 30. When attaching the electric wire 30 to the electric wire connecting portion 22, the rubber plug 40 is fitted on the front end portion of the electric wire 30 in advance, and the front end portions of the exposed conductors 31 Al and 31 Cu are connected to the first bottom of the wire barrel portion 24. While being placed on the wall 26, the crimping portion 41 of the rubber plug 40 is placed on the second bottom wall 28 of the insulation barrel portion 25. In this state, when the first caulking piece 27 is deformed and wound around the conductors 31Al and 31Cu, the conductors 31Al and 31Cu are surrounded by the wire barrel portion 24, and the conductors 31Al and 31Cu and the wire barrel portion 24 are pressure-bonded so as to be conductive. The At the same time, when the second crimping piece 29 is deformed and wound around the crimping portion 41, the crimping portion 41 is surrounded by the insulation barrel portion 25 together with the portion surrounded by the insulating coating 32 of the electric wire 30, and the rubber plug 40 And the electric wire 30 are crimped to the inner housing 10.

  As described above, the copper wire 30Cu and the aluminum wire 30Al are crimped to the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu. When the aluminum wire 30Al is crimped, the oxide film formed on the surface of the conductor 31Al is removed. Therefore, the tightening force in the wire barrel portion 24 is made stronger than that in the case of the copper electric wire 30Cu. Therefore, compared to the case of the copper wire 30Cu, in the terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected, the first bottom wall 26 and the first caulking piece 27 extend greatly in the front-rear direction, and the aluminum wire 30Al is crimped. The front / rear length LB (see FIG. 1) of the wire barrel portion 24 is longer than the front / rear length Lb (see FIG. 2) of the wire barrel portion 24 when the copper wire 30Cu is crimped. Therefore, the total length LA of the terminal fitting 20Al connected to the aluminum electric wire 30Al is longer than the total length La of the terminal fitting 20Cu connected to the copper electric wire 30Cu. That is, in the state before being inserted into the cavity 11, the dimension from the front end of the terminal fitting 20Cu to which the copper wire 30Cu is connected to the rear end of the rubber plug 40 is from the front end of the terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected. It becomes shorter than the dimension to the rear end of the stopper 40.

  When the terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected is inserted to the proper position in the cavity 11, as shown in FIG. 1, the easily stretchable portion 45 hardly undergoes elastic deformation, and the locking portion 46 locks the housing 10. Abuts against surface 16. That is, the longitudinal length LC of the easily extendable portion 45 in the inserted state is relatively large. The terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected has a long overall length, but the stretchable portion 45 is not elastically deformed, and the longitudinal length of the stretchable portion 45 remains relatively short. The distance LS to the front end of the 40 seal portions 43 is slightly longer than the overall length of the seal portion 43. Therefore, the seal portion 43 does not come off rearward from the seal surface 15 of the cavity 11, and the lip portion 44 is correctly positioned within the range of the seal surface 15 of the cavity 11, and high sealing performance is exhibited by the lip portion 44.

  When the terminal fitting 20Cu to which the copper wire 30Cu is connected is inserted into the cavity 11, the locking portion 46 comes into contact with the locking surface 16 before the terminal fitting 20Cu reaches the normal insertion position. Further insertion operation (advance) of the seal portion 43 is restricted. Therefore, after that, as the insertion of the terminal fitting 20Cu proceeds, the easily stretchable portion 45 is deformed so as to elastically extend in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the longitudinal length Lc of the easily extendable portion 45 in the state in which the terminal fitting 20Cu is normally inserted is the longitudinal length LC of the easily extendable portion 45 when the terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected is inserted. Longer than As a result, the distance LS from the rear end of the cavity 11 to the front end of the seal portion 43 of the rubber plug 40 has the same dimension as the distance LS of the terminal fitting 20Al to which the aluminum wire 30Al is connected. Therefore, even when the terminal fitting 20Cu connected to the copper electric wire 30Cu is inserted, the same high sealing performance as when the terminal fitting 20Al connected to the aluminum electric wire 30Al is inserted is exhibited.

  According to the present embodiment, the total lengths LA and La of the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu change between when the copper wire 30Cu is connected and when the aluminum wire 30Al is connected, but the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu are inserted into the cavity 11. In this state, since the locking portion 46 is locked to the housing 10, the lip portion 44 is positioned with respect to the housing 10, so that the sealing performance is caused by the difference in the overall lengths LA and La of the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu. Does not fluctuate. Since there is no need to change the type of the rubber plug 40 in accordance with the overall lengths LA and La of the terminal fittings 20Al and 20Cu, only one type of rubber plug 40 is required.

Further, since an easily stretchable portion 45 that is elastically stretchable in the front-rear direction is formed between the crimping portion 41 and the lip portion 44 to the insulation barrel portion 25 in the rubber plug 40, the copper having a short overall length is formed. When the terminal fitting 20Cu on the electric wire 30Cu side is inserted into the cavity 11, the easily stretchable portion 45 disposed in front of the lip portion 44 is elastically extended. As a result, the lip portion 44 can be prevented from shifting forward from the normal position, and the lip portion 44 can be securely brought into close contact with the seal surface 15.
Moreover, since the latching | locking part 46 is latched in the state exposed to the rear end surface of the housing 10, the latching state of the latching | locking part 46 can be confirmed visually from the back of the housing 10. FIG. it can.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) Although the locking portion is formed at the rear end of the rubber plug in the above embodiment, the locking portion may be formed at a position in front of the rear end of the rubber plug.
(2) In the above embodiment, the locking portion is formed at a position behind the lip portion, but the locking portion may be formed at a position ahead of the lip portion.
(3) In the above embodiment, the locking portion is brought into contact with the outside of the cavity (the rear end surface of the housing), but the locking portion may be locked inside the cavity.
(4) In the above embodiment, the locking portion is formed in an annular shape that is continuous over the entire circumference. However, the locking portion may be formed only in a part in the circumferential direction, with an interval in the circumferential direction. A plurality may be formed.
(5) In the above embodiment, the locking portions are formed at only one place in the front-rear direction. However, the locking portions may be formed at a plurality of positions spaced in the front-rear direction.
(6) In the above-described embodiment, the easily stretchable portion is formed on the rubber plug. However, the rubber plug may not be formed with the easily stretchable portion, and the entire rubber plug may be stretched.

Sectional drawing showing the state which inserted the terminal metal fitting which connected the aluminum electric wire in the housing in Embodiment 1 Sectional view showing the terminal fitting with a copper wire connected inserted into the housing

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing 11 ... Cavity 20Al, 20Cu ... Terminal metal fitting 21 ... Terminal connection part 24 ... Wire barrel part 25 ... Insulation barrel part 40 ... Rubber plug 41 ... Crimp part to an insulation barrel part 44 ... Lip part 45 ... Easily extension Part 46 ... Locking part

Claims (3)

A housing having a cavity formed therein;
A terminal fitting inserted into the cavity from behind,
The terminal fitting is
A terminal connection portion provided at the front end side portion and connected to the counterpart terminal;
A wire barrel portion provided behind the terminal connection portion; and
An insulation barrel provided at the rear end,
The wire barrel part is connected by crimping a conductor exposed by removing the insulation coating at the front end of the wire,
In the insulation barrel portion, a portion of the front end portion of the wire that is covered with the insulating coating and a front end portion of a cylindrical rubber plug that is externally fitted to the insulating coating are pressure-bonded together,
In the state where the terminal fitting is inserted into the cavity, the connector is configured such that the outer peripheral lip of the rubber plug is in close contact with the inner periphery of the cavity.
The rubber plug is formed with a locking portion for positioning the lip portion with respect to the housing by locking with respect to the housing from the rear.   The connector according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is locked to a rear end surface of the housing.   The easily stretchable portion that is elastically stretchable in the front-rear direction is formed between the pressure-bonding portion to the insulation barrel portion and the lip portion in the rubber plug. Item 2. The connector according to item 2.

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