JP2017098193A - Waterproof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to waterproof a waterproof connector held in a movable state, and to fix the waterproof connector to a standby housing after fitting. An opening case 71 is provided in a case 70 of a device in which a standby connector 80 is accommodated, and the waterproof connector 20 is provided in a cover 10 that closes the opening 71. A side housing 85 is externally fitted, and is provided on the outer surface of the housing 21 so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction, and the housing 21 is provided on the standby side housing 85. Are fitted to the outer periphery of the housing 21 and the press-fitting rib 49 that fixes the housing 21 and the standby-side housing 85 by being crushed in pressure contact with the inner surface of the standby-side housing 85. A waterproof rubber 60 for sealing between the outer surface of the housing 21 and the inner surface of the standby housing 85; Provided. [Selection] Figure 5

Description

  The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a waterproof connector.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to perform a fastening operation between a terminal block terminal and a bus bar in a device case, there is a device case provided with a working opening. After the bolt fastening operation is completed, a service cover that closes the opening is attached to the case so that water or dust does not enter the device from the opening. By the way, as a part of safety measures, an interlock circuit may be provided to cut off an electric circuit in the device when the service cover is removed from the case. Specifically, an interlock circuit is configured by fitting a standby connector provided in the device and an interlock connector attached to the service cover. In this fitted state, the electrical circuit in the device is It can be energized. On the other hand, when the service cover is removed from the case and the interlock connector is detached from the standby connector, the interlock circuit is interrupted and the electrical circuit in the device is also interrupted.

  As an example of a service cover to which an interlock connector constituting such an interlock circuit is attached, one disclosed in JP 2012-248415 A is known. In this service cover, when the interlock connector and the standby connector are fitted, the interlock connector is attached to the cover so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the fitting direction in order to absorb the positional deviation between the two. Yes.

JP 2012-248415 A

  However, in the configuration of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-248415 (the above Patent Document 1), the connector does not have a waterproof structure, and the waterproof function depends on a waterproof seal provided on the service cover. Therefore, if water enters the opening, water may enter the connector portion. Further, since the interlock connector is attached in a movable state with respect to the service cover, there is a problem that the interlock connector is likely to vibrate with respect to the standby connector due to the vibration of the vehicle.

  In the waterproof connector disclosed in the present specification, an opening that faces the standby connector is provided in a case of a device that houses the standby connector, and the waterproof connector provided in a cover that closes the opening of the case A standby housing of the standby connector is externally fitted, a housing held by the cover in a state movable in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction, and a mating terminal accommodated in the standby housing; A terminal fitting that is connectable, is provided on the outer surface of the housing, and is crushed in pressure contact with the inner surface of the standby housing when the housing is fitted to the standby housing. A press-fitting rib for fixing the housing and the standby housing, and an outer periphery of the housing, Serial sealing between the outer surface and the inner surface of the waiting-side housing of the housing and a waterproof rubber.

  According to such a configuration, when the cover is attached to the case, the housing is held so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction even if the housing is displaced with respect to the standby connector. Therefore, it is possible to absorb the misalignment with the standby connector and to securely fit the standby connector. When the housing is fitted to the standby connector, the press-fit rib is pressed against the standby housing and is crushed so that the housing that can move in the direction perpendicular to the fitting direction and the standby housing are integrated. Fixed to. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the housing from rattling with respect to the standby side housing, and it is possible to suppress the housing from vibrating with respect to the standby side housing due to the vibration of the vehicle. Moreover, since the space between the housing and the standby housing is sealed by the waterproof rubber, it is possible to suppress water from entering the connecting portion of the terminal fitting regardless of the waterproof property between the cover and the case.

As an embodiment of the waterproof connector disclosed in this specification, the following configuration may be adopted.
The housing may have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the fitting direction, and a plurality of the press-fitting ribs may be provided separately on opposite sides.
In such a configuration, since the housing and the standby housing are fixed at a plurality of locations, vibration of the housing can be further suppressed.

The terminal fitting is connected to a covered electric wire, and the covered electric wire has a waterproof rubber plug for terminal fitting that seals between an outer peripheral surface of the covered electric wire and a cavity of the housing in which the terminal fitting is accommodated. It is good also as a structure provided.
With such a configuration, waterproofness can be ensured even when water enters the coated electric wire side.

  According to the waterproof connector disclosed in this specification, the waterproof connector held in a movable state can be waterproofed and fixed to the standby housing after fitting.

The front view of the service cover with which the interlock connector concerning an embodiment was equipped Side view Bottom view 3 is an enlarged bottom view of the main part of FIG. Sectional view with interlock connector mated to standby connector

<Embodiment>
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
In the present embodiment, a service cover 10 (an example of a “cover”) that closes a working opening 71 of a case 70 of an electric device mounted on a vehicle is illustrated. The opening 71 of the case 70 is provided as a work hole into which a bolt fastening tool or the like is inserted in order to bolt the conductive members (not shown) connected to the electrical equipment. In the following description, in the vertical direction, the upper direction in FIGS. 1 and 5 (the direction in which the interlock connector 20 is detached) is defined as the upper direction, and the lower direction in FIGS. 1 and 5 (the fitting direction of the interlock connector 20) is defined as the lower direction. To do. Further, the left-right direction will be described with reference to the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the front-rear direction will be described with reference to the left-right direction in FIG. 2, and the left side in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an interlock mechanism is provided between the service cover 10 and the electrical device in the case 70 to turn on / off the power supply to the electrical device when the service cover 10 is attached / detached. . As a part of the interlock mechanism, the electrical device in the case 70 is provided with a standby connector 80 fixed so as to face the opening 71.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the standby connector 80 fixed in the case 70 includes a tab-like male terminal 81 (an example of a “mating terminal”) and a standby housing 85. The standby housing 85 includes a hood portion 87 that is externally fitted to the housing 21 of an interlock connector 20 (an example of a “waterproof connector”) described later. And the upper end part of the food | hood part 87 becomes the guide part 89 which has a taper surface which spreads outside.

As shown in FIG. 1, the service cover 10 includes a synthetic resin cover body 11 and an interlock connector 20 that is held in a movable state by the cover body 11.
The cover body 11 has a horizontally long shape in the width direction (left-right direction), and metal collars 13 are insert-molded at both ends. Then, a bolt (not shown) is inserted into the collar 13 portion and fixed to the case 70. A mounting seat 15 for movably mounting the interlock connector 20 is provided on the lower surface side of the cover body 11.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the interlock connector 20 can be fitted to a standby connector 80 provided in the case 70. The interlock connector 20 is mounted on the housing 21, a synthetic resin housing 21, a pair of female terminals 50 (an example of a “terminal fitting”), a covered electric wire W connecting the pair of female terminals 50, and the housing 21. Waterproof rubber 60.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the housing 21 is formed in a vertically long shape as a whole. The housing 21 includes a housing body 23, a front holder 45, and a retainer 25 that locks the female terminal 50. The housing main body 23 includes a fitting portion 27 that accommodates the female terminal 50 and is fitted in the standby housing 85, and a wire accommodating portion 29 that accommodates the covered electric wire W connected to the female terminal 50. .

  The fitting part 27 has a substantially prismatic shape with rounded corners as a whole. In the fitting portion 27, a pair of cavities 31 that can accommodate the female terminals 50 are formed side by side so as to penetrate vertically. A lance 33 is provided in the cavity 31, and when the female terminal 50 is inserted from above the cavity 31 to the normal position, it is primarily locked to the female terminal 50. A mounting hole in which the retainer 25 can be mounted is provided above the lance 33 in the fitting portion 27. After the female terminal 50 is primarily locked by the lance 33, the female terminal 50 is secondarily locked by mounting the retainer 25 in the mounting hole. Moreover, the front-end | tip part 35 in which the front holder 45 and the waterproof rubber 60 are mounted | worn among the fitting parts 27 has the dimension of the front-back and left-right direction smaller than the other part of the fitting part 27. FIG.

  On the other hand, the wire accommodating portion 29 has a width dimension larger than that of the fitting portion 27, and an accommodating space communicating with the cavity 31 is provided in the electric wire accommodating portion 29 to accommodate the covered electric wire W. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, an engaging portion 37 is provided on the side edge of the upper end portion of the wire accommodating portion 29. The engaging portion 37 can be fitted into an engaging groove 17 provided in the mounting seat 15 of the cover body 11 and extending in the front-rear and left-right directions. The engaging groove 17 is opened rearward, and the engaging portion 37 can be inserted from the rear. Each engaging portion 37 is fitted with the engaging groove 17 in a state having a clearance, and the electric wire accommodating portion 29 is movable within the clearance dimension. ing.

  Further, the mounting seat 15 is provided with an elastic locking piece that is locked to the locked portion 39 of the electric wire housing portion 29 when the interlock connector 20 is assembled to the mounting seat 15. In the interlock connector 20, when the engaging portion 37 of the wire receiving portion 29 is fitted in the normal position of the engaging groove 17, the locked portion 39 of the wire receiving portion 29 is locked by the elastic locking piece. Thus, it is held so as not to fall off the mounting seat 15. In this way, the interlock connector 20 is held by the mounting seat 15 in a state in which it can move in the front-rear and left-right directions perpendicular to the fitting direction between the clearances of the engagement grooves 17 and the engagement portions 37. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the female terminal 50 includes a connection portion 51 that can be connected to the male terminal 81, and a barrel portion 53 that is integrally formed with the connection portion 51 above the connection portion 51. The connecting portion 51 has a rectangular tube shape that opens up and down. When the male terminal 81 enters from below and contacts the elastic contact piece in the connecting portion 51, the female terminal 50 and the male terminal 81 are electrically connected. Connected.

  The barrel portion 53 is crimped to the exposed core wire and the insulation coating of the coated electric wire W at the end of the coated electric wire W, respectively. A waterproof rubber plug 55 for terminal metal fittings is inserted into the covered electric wire W, and the waterproof rubber plug 55 for terminal metal fittings is caulked together with the insulation coating of the covered electric wire W by the barrel portion 53. The waterproof rubber plug 55 for terminal metal fitting is housed in the cavity 31, so that the space between the outer peripheral surface of the covered electric wire W and the cavity 31 and the inner surface is sealed in a watertight manner.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the front holder 45 is attached to the distal end portion 35 of the fitting portion 27. The front holder 45 is made of synthetic resin like the housing body 23 and is formed in a bottomed rectangular tube shape. The front holder 45 has a bottom portion 45A having a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, and four side surface portions 45B that rise upward from the bottom portion 45A. When the front holder 45 is attached to the distal end portion 35 of the fitting portion 27, the shape is substantially the same as the inner shape of the hood portion 87, and there is a slight gap between the hood portion 87 and the hood portion 87. ing. Further, a terminal insertion hole 47 through which the male terminal 81 can be inserted is provided in the bottom 45 </ b> A of the front holder 45 in accordance with the opening position of the cavity 31.

  A locking structure for locking the front holder 45 to the distal end portion 35 of the fitting portion 27 is provided on the inner surface of the side surface portion 45 </ b> B of the front holder 45. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a press-fit rib 49 is provided on the outer surface of the side surface portion 45 </ b> B of the front holder 45 so as to be pressed against the inner surface of the hood portion 87. Two press-fitting ribs 49 are provided on each surface of the side surface portion 45B of the square cylindrical front holder 45, and have a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the bottom. In addition, a substantially triangular tapered surface 49A is provided at the lower end of the press-fitting rib 49 so as to gradually incline outward from the bottom 45A side to increase the outer dimension. The press-fitting rib 49 protrudes toward the outside very gently even above the tapered surface 49A. The outer dimension of the front holder 45 at the protruding portion of the press-fitting rib 49 is larger than the inner dimension of the hood portion 87. The press-fitting rib 49 is provided at a substantially lower half position of the front holder 45 in the vertical direction, and is provided at the outer periphery of the position where the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 are connected.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the waterproof rubber 60 is formed of a resin such as a rubber material having elasticity, and a plurality of lip portions 61 are provided on the outer periphery over the entire circumference. The waterproof rubber 60 is fitted to the upper end position of the tip portion 35 of the fitting portion 27 in a manner protruding outward. The waterproof rubber 60 is fitted above the press-fit rib 49. The outer peripheral dimension of the lip part 61 is larger than the inner dimension of the hood part 87. When the fitting part 27 is fitted into the hood part 87, the lip part 61 is crushed and the inner circumference of the hood part 87 is reached. The entire surface is in close contact with the surface, and the space between the fitting portion 27 and the hood portion 87 is sealed in a watertight manner.

The present embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation and effect thereof will be described below.
First, assembly of the interlock connector 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5. When the interlock connector 20 is assembled, a pair of female terminals 50 connected by a single covered wire W are inserted into the cavities 31 from above the housing body 23. When each female terminal 50 is inserted to the proper position, the female terminal 50 is primarily locked by the lance 33. At this time, the waterproof rubber plug 55 for the terminal metal fitting attached and fixed to the female terminal 50 and the covered electric wire W seals the space between the outer peripheral surface of the covered electric wire W and the cavity 31 in a watertight manner.

  When the female terminal 50 is accommodated in the normal position in the cavity 31, the retainer 25 is attached. When the retainer 25 is mounted, the female terminal 50 is secondarily locked. On the other hand, when the female terminal 50 is accommodated in the normal position in the cavity 31, the covered electric wire W is accommodated in the electric wire accommodating portion 29. Then, the waterproof rubber 60 is attached to the distal end portion 35 of the fitting portion 27, and then the front holder 45 is attached to the distal end portion 35. In this way, the interlock connector 20 is completed.

  When the interlock connector 20 is completed, the engagement portion 37 of the interlock connector 20 is inserted into the engagement groove 17 in the mounting seat 15 from behind and fitted therein, and the interlock connector 20 is assembled to the mounting seat 15. When the engaging portion 37 is assembled at the normal position in the engaging groove 17, the locked portion 39 of the wire accommodating portion 29 is locked by the elastic locking piece so that the interlock connector 20 does not fall off the mounting seat 15. It is prevented from coming off. Accordingly, the interlock connector 20 is held in a state in which it can move in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the service cover 10.

Next, assembly of the service cover 10 to the case 70 will be described with reference to FIGS.
When the service cover 10 is attached to the opening 71 of the case 70, the interlock connector 20 and the standby connector 80 are arranged face to face so that the connectors 20 and 80 are fitted together, and the opening 71 is serviced. The cover 10 is attached so as to be closed.

  Here, it is assumed that when the service cover 10 is attached to the case 70, the shaft centers of the interlock connector 20 and the standby connector 80 are slightly shifted due to dimensional tolerances such as the attachment positions of the connectors 20 and 80. . In this case, the interlock connector 20 is movable in the front, rear, left, and right (direction orthogonal to the fitting direction) with respect to the service cover 10 by the clearance, so that the fitting portion 27 is the guide portion 89. The fitting portion 27 of the interlock connector 20 is centered and securely fitted into the standby side housing 85 of the standby connector 80. When the fitting portion 27 and the standby housing 85 are fitted, the male terminal 81 comes into contact with the elastic contact piece of the connecting portion 51 of the female terminal 50, so that the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 are electrically connected. Are connected to form an interlock circuit.

  Thus, in the interlock connector 20 of this embodiment, it is hold | maintained at the mounting seat 15 in the state which can be moved, and the position shift with respect to the standby connector 80 can be corrected. On the other hand, even if the vehicle vibration is transmitted to the interlock connector 20 even after the normal connection with the standby connector 80, the interlock connector 20 is in the clearance between the interlock connector 20 and the standby connector 80. There is concern that the contact between the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 may slide and wear due to vibration.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the press-fitting rib 49 is provided on the front holder 45 attached to the distal end portion 35 of the fitting portion 27. When the fitting portion 27 is fitted to the hood portion 87, the press-fitting rib 49 is crushed by being pressed against the inner surface of the hood portion 87, thereby fixing the fitting portion 27 and the hood portion 87. At this time, since the press-fitting ribs 49 are provided at a plurality of positions on the side surface portion 45B facing each other, the fitting portion 27 is firmly fixed to the hood portion 87 even when a force in various directions is applied. Become. The front holder 45 is attached at the end of the assembly of the interlock connector 20 and can be removed without removing other parts. Therefore, the press-fitting rib 49 is crushed by repeated fitting of the interlock connector 20. Can be easily replaced.

  In this way, after the interlock connector 20 and the standby connector 80 are fitted, the press-fitting ribs 49 are pressed against the inner surface of the hood portion 87 and crushed, so that the fitting portion 27 is front, rear, left, right, left in the standby side housing 85. Prevents rattling. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the contact between the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 from being slightly slid and worn due to the vibration of the interlock connector 20 in the standby-side housing 85. It can prevent that connection reliability falls between the female terminals 50. FIG. In addition, since the press-fitting rib 49 is provided on the outer periphery of the position where the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 are connected, compared to the case where the press-fitting rib is provided at a position away from the contact position of the female terminal 50 in the vertical direction. Thus, transmission of vibration to the female terminal 50 can be reduced, and fine sliding wear of both terminals 50 and 81 can be more effectively prevented.

  Further, when the fitting portion 27 is fitted to the hood portion 87, the lip portion 61 of the waterproof rubber 60 is crushed by the inner surface of the hood portion 87, thereby closely contacting the inner peripheral surface of the hood portion 87 over the entire circumference. The space between the fitting portion 27 and the hood portion 87 is sealed in a watertight manner. In this way, the contact portion between the male terminal 81 and the female terminal 50 can be waterproofed without depending on the waterproof function of the service cover 10 by being sealed watertight by the waterproof rubber 60 and the waterproof rubber plug 55 for terminal fitting. Can do. In addition, it can also suppress that the fitting part 27 vibrates by the vibration transmitted from the outside by the waterproof rubber 60 being crushed and closely_contact | adhered between the fitting part 27 and the hood part 87. FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the service cover 10 is attached to the case 70, the interlock connector 20 is front and rear, left and right (fitted) even if the interlock connector 20 is displaced with respect to the standby connector 80. Since it is held by the service cover 10 so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the mating direction), it is possible to absorb misalignment with the standby connector 80 and to be securely fitted to the standby connector 80. When the interlock connector 20 is fitted into the standby connector 80, the press-fit rib 49 is pressed against the standby housing 85 and is crushed, so that the housing 21 and the standby side are movable in the front-rear and left-right directions. The housing 85 is fixed integrally. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the housing 21 from rattling with respect to the standby-side housing 85 and to suppress the housing 21 from vibrating with respect to the standby-side housing 85 due to the vibration of the vehicle. Further, since the space between the housing 21 and the standby housing 85 is sealed by the waterproof rubber 60, water intrusion to the connection portion of the female terminal 50 is suppressed regardless of the waterproof property between the service cover 10 and the case 70. be able to.

<Other embodiments>
The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiment described with reference to the above description and drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope.
(1) In the said embodiment, although the terminal metal fitting accommodated in the interlock connector 20 was made into the female terminal 50, it is good also as a male terminal and making the other party a female terminal.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the waterproof rubber plug 55 for the terminal metal fitting is attached to the covered electric wire W. However, if the inside of the housing is watertight, the waterproof rubber plug for the terminal metal fitting may not be provided.

  (3) In the above embodiment, the fitting portion 27 has a substantially prismatic shape with rounded corners, but may have a cylindrical shape.

  (4) In the above-described embodiment, two press-fitting ribs 49 are provided on each side surface part 45B.

  (5) In the above embodiment, the cover side connector attached to the service cover 10 is the interlock connector 20 constituting the interlock circuit. It may be a connector.

  (6) In the above embodiment, the press-fitting rib 49 is provided in the front holder 45 that is separate from the housing main body 23. However, when the front holder is not attached, it may be provided in the housing main body. Moreover, even if there is a front holder, it may be provided on the housing body.

10. Service cover (cover)
11 ... Cover body 15 ... Mounting seat 20 ... Interlock connector (waterproof connector)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Housing 23 ... Housing main body 27 ... Fitting part 29 ... Electric wire accommodating part 31 ... Cavity 35 ... Tip part 45 ... Front holder 45A ... Bottom part 45B ... Side face part 49 ... Press-fit rib 49A ... Tapered surface 50 ... Female terminal (terminal metal fitting) )
55 ... Waterproof rubber plug 60 for terminal fittings ... Waterproof rubber 70 ... Case 71 ... Opening 80 ... Standby connector 81 ... Male terminal (mating terminal)
85 ... Standby housing 87 ... Hood W ... Coated wire

Claims (3)

The case of the device containing the standby connector is provided with an opening facing the standby connector, and is a waterproof connector provided in a cover that closes the opening of the case,
A housing held on the cover in a state in which a standby housing of the standby connector is fitted and movable in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction;
It is connectable with a counterpart terminal accommodated in the standby housing, and a terminal fitting accommodated in the housing;
A press-fit rib provided on an outer surface of the housing, and fixed to the housing and the standby housing by being crushed in pressure contact with an inner surface of the standby housing when the housing is fitted into the standby housing; ,
A waterproof connector comprising a waterproof rubber that is attached to an outer periphery of the housing and seals between an outer surface of the housing and an inner surface of the standby housing. The housing has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the fitting direction,
The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the press-fitting ribs are provided separately on opposing sides. The terminal fitting is connected to a covered electric wire,
The said covering electric wire is provided with the waterproof rubber plug for terminal fittings which seals between the outer peripheral surface of this covering electric wire, and the cavity of the said housing in which the said terminal fitting was accommodated. Waterproof connector.

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