JP2000133371A - Liquid-tight connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid-tight connector capable of certainly preventing a filler put in a housing from leaking out through a gap between a terminal and the inner wall surface of a terminal insert hole. SOLUTION: A liquid-tight connector 10 is equipped with a housing 11, a terminal 13 inserted through a terminal insert hole 12 penetrating the housing 11, and a filler 16 to fill at least the gap 15 between the terminal 13 and the inner wall surface 14 of the hole 12 for sealing it 15 liquid-tightly. A flexible contacting piece 17 to be put in tight attachment in such a condition as deflecting over the whole circumference of the surface of the terminal inserted 13 is protrusively installed continuously on the inner wall surface 14 of insert hole 12 at its open end on the housing forefront side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid-tight connector for connecting electric wires to each other, and more particularly, to a liquid-tight connector attached to a through hole formed in a case filled with liquid.
The present invention relates to a liquid-tight connector for connecting an electric wiring provided inside the case and an electric wiring provided outside the case in a liquid-tight manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in an automatic transmission of an automobile,
Electrical wiring such as solenoid valves and various sensors disposed inside the transmission case to control the transmission is connected to the transmission case through a connector attached to a through hole formed in the transmission case. It is designed to be connected to a control unit provided outside. However, since the oil inside the transmission case is filled with oil for lubricating the transmission, the connectors are arranged inside and outside the transmission case so that the oil inside the transmission case does not leak outside. It must have a structure that can connect the provided wiring.

[0003] Conventionally, a liquid-tight connector 1 as shown in FIG. 5 has been used. The liquid-tight connector 1 is liquid-tight between a housing 2, a terminal 4 inserted into a terminal insertion hole 3 provided through the housing 2, and a gap between the terminal 4 and an inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole 3. The housing 5 includes a filler 5 filled in the gap to seal the housing 2 and an O-ring 6 mounted on an outer surface of the housing 2.

When the liquid-tight connector 1 is fitted into a through hole 8 formed through the transmission case 7, for example, the O-ring 6 comes into close contact with the inner wall surface of the through hole 8.
The oil 9 filled inside the transmission case 7 does not leak outside from between the housing 2 and the inner wall surface of the through hole 8. In addition, the gap between the terminal 4 and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole 3 is filled with the filler 5 in a liquid-tight manner and sealed, so that the oil 9 that has entered the housing 2 passes through the gap. There is no leakage to the outside of the transmission case 7.

[0005]

However, the terminal 4
Is manufactured by press-forming a strip-shaped conductive metal plate, so that its thickness and width vary. Similarly, when the housing 2 is injection-molded from an insulating resin material, the thickness and width of the cross section of the terminal insertion hole 3 also vary. Thus, when the large finished terminal 4 and the small finished terminal insertion hole 3 are combined, the terminal insertion force is greatly increased, the assembling workability is reduced, and the terminal may be deformed. . On the other hand, when the small finished terminal 4 and the large finished terminal insertion hole 3 are combined, the gap between them becomes wide as shown in FIG.

The filling material 5 is configured to be cured by filling the housing 2 with a liquid thermoplastic resin material and then performing heat treatment integrally with the housing 2 and the terminals 4. Thereby, when the gap between the terminal insertion hole 3 and the terminal 4 is wide, as shown by the arrow D in FIG.
The liquid filler 5 before hardening leaks from the gap between the two.

In particular, if a low-viscosity filler is used to increase the efficiency of the operation of filling the housing 2 with the filler 5,
Leakage is more likely to occur. Contrary to this, when a filler having a high viscosity is used, the time required for the filling operation becomes longer and air bleeding is difficult, and the workability is reduced because viscosity and hardness are not particularly related.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to reliably prevent a filler filled in a housing from leaking from a gap between a terminal and an inner wall surface of a terminal insertion hole. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid-tight connector.

[0009]

The object of the present invention is to provide a housing, a terminal inserted into a terminal insertion hole penetrating the housing, and a gap between at least the terminal and an inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole. And a filler filled in the gap to liquid-tightly seal the terminal, the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole can be adhered to the inner surface of the terminal through the entire surface of the inserted terminal while flexing. This is achieved by a liquid-tight connector characterized in that the flexible contact pieces are continuously projected.

According to the above configuration, the flexible contact piece is bent and adheres over the entire periphery of the terminal surface, so that there is no gap between the terminal and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole, and the filler filled in the housing is filled with the terminal material. Does not leak to the outside of the housing from between the terminal wall and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole. In addition, since the flexible contact piece is in close contact with the terminal surface while being elastically deformed and bent, the force required to insert the terminal into the terminal insertion hole does not increase significantly.

Preferably, the flexible contact piece is protruded from an opening end of the terminal insertion hole on the front end side of the housing, so that the flexible contact piece can be attached to the housing with a slight modification of a molding die. It can be integrally molded. Preferably, the flexible contact piece has a thin lip shape at the tip, so that the tip is easily bent and the adhesion to the terminal surface is further enhanced.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A liquid-tight connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a vertical sectional view and a partially enlarged view of a liquid-tight connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a housing shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an arrow in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1.

A liquid-tight connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is a conventional liquid-tight connector 1 shown in FIG.
It has almost the same overall structure as. That is, the liquid-tight connector 10 includes a housing 11 and the housing 1.
Terminal 13 inserted into terminal insertion hole 12 penetrated in 1
A filler 16 such as an epoxy resin filled in the gap 15 between the terminal 13 and the inner wall surface 14 of the terminal insertion hole 12 to seal the gap 15 in a liquid-tight manner; And an O-ring 6 mounted on the surface.

Thus, when the liquid-tight connector 10 is fitted into the through hole 8 formed through the transmission case 7, the O
Since the ring 6 is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the through hole 8, the oil 9 filled inside the transmission case 7 does not leak out from between the housing 11 and the inner wall surface of the through hole 8. Also, the inner wall surface 1 of the terminal 13 and the terminal insertion hole 12
Since the filler 15 is filled and sealed in the gap 15 with the liquid 4 in a liquid-tight manner, the oil that has entered the housing 11 does not leak out of the transmission case through the gap 15. .

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the terminal insertion hole 12 can be closely attached to the inner wall surface 14 at the opening end on the front end side of the housing while bending over the entire surface of the terminal 13 to be inserted. Flexible contact pieces 17 are continuously provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible contact piece 17 has a thin lip shape at the tip, and the tip easily bends following the surface of the terminal 13 inserted into the terminal insertion hole 12. You can do it.

The amount of protrusion of the flexible contact piece 17 is set so that the leading end of the flexible contact piece 17 contacts the surface of the terminal 13 irrespective of the thickness and width of the terminal 13. Have been. Therefore, when the terminal 13 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 12 as shown in FIG. 1, the flexible contact piece 17 comes into close contact with the surface of the terminal 13 while bending so as to fall toward the tip end side of the housing 11. As a result, the filler 16 filled in the housing 11 is
There is no leakage to the outside of the housing 11 from the gap 15 between the terminal 3 and the inner wall surface 14 of the terminal insertion hole 12.

Further, since the flexible contact piece 17 can be brought into close contact with the surface of the terminal 13 while elastically deforming and bending, the force required to insert the terminal 13 into the terminal insertion hole 12 is equal to this force. There is no significant increase as compared with the case where the flexible contact piece 17 is not provided. Further, since the flexible contact piece 17 is bent and adheres over the entire surface of the terminal 13, the flexible contact piece 17 can be positioned at the center with respect to the terminal insertion hole 12 while elastically supporting the terminal 13. 1
The accuracy of fitting with the mating terminal 3 (not shown) also increases.

Incidentally, the liquid-tight connector of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the liquid-tight connector can be appropriately changed based on the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the flexible contact piece 17
Is protruded from the opening end of the terminal insertion hole 12 on the front end side of the housing, and the molding die of the housing 2 in the conventional liquid-tight connector 1 shown in FIG.
The housing 11 according to the present invention is configured to be integrally formed. However, the projecting position of the flexible contact piece is not limited to the opening end on the front end side of the housing, but may be any position on the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole. Furthermore, by making the thinned portion concave at the base end of the flexible contact piece, the flexible contact piece can be more easily bent.
The force required for terminal insertion can be further reduced.

[0019]

As is clear from the above description, in the liquid-tight connector of the present invention, the flexible contact piece continuously projecting from the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole is bent over the entire periphery of the terminal surface. As a result, there is no gap between the terminal and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole, and the filler filled in the housing does not leak out of the housing from between the terminal and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole. In addition, since the flexible contact piece is in close contact with the terminal surface while being elastically deformed and bent, the force required to insert the terminal into the terminal insertion hole does not increase significantly. Therefore, it is possible to provide a good liquid-tight connector that can surely prevent the filler filled in the housing from leaking out of the gap between the terminal and the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view and a partially enlarged view of a liquid-tight connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the housing shown in FIG.

3 is a view in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along arrow AA in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional liquid tight connector.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part of the liquid-tight connector shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Liquid-tight connector 11 Housing 12 Terminal insertion hole 13 Terminal 14 Inner wall surface 15 Gap 16 Filler 17 Flexible contact piece

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A housing, a terminal inserted into a terminal insertion hole penetrating the housing, and a gap between at least the terminal and an inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole for liquid-tight sealing. In a liquid-tight connector having a filling material to be filled, flexible contact pieces that can be closely contacted while bending over the entire surface of the terminal to be inserted are continuously provided on the inner wall surface of the terminal insertion hole. A liquid-tight connector characterized by being made. 2. The liquid-tight connector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible contact piece protrudes from an opening end of the terminal insertion hole on the front end side of the housing. 3. The liquid-tight connector according to claim 1, wherein the flexible contact piece has a lip shape with a thin end.