JP2002124337A - Waterproof connector for flexible substrate cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waterproof connector for flexible substrate cable, which is easy to manufacture and assemble, and has high waterproofing property and durability. SOLUTION: The structure comprises a housing 11, consisting of an accepting path 21 holding a terminal 15 inside opposing to an end of a flexible substrate cable 2 and a peripheral part 22 forming the accepting path 21, a retainer 12 having a first opening 36 for the flexible substrate cable 2 to pass through and enabled to be inserted into the accepting path 21 and bringing an end of the flexible substrate cable 2 to pass through in a completed inserting condition electrically in contact to the terminal 15, and a lockable cover 13 covering a peripheral part 22, having a second opening 41 for the flexible substrate cable 2 to pass through, and moreover, it is so structured that a flexible sealing member 16 is filled in a space surrounded by the retainer 12 and the cover 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to FPC, FFC,
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector suitably used for a flexible substrate cable such as a flat cable for a film sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FPC (Flexible Print)
ed Cable), FFC (Flexible Fl)
Waterproof connectors are known, in which a connector is attached to an end of a flexible substrate cable such as at Cable, and the connector has a waterproof structure. As a waterproof connector of this type, a waterproof connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-58185 is known.

The waterproof connector has a housing having an opening and a cover member for closing the opening. An O-ring shaped elastic seal member is arranged around the opening of the housing, and an O-ring shaped elastic seal member is arranged at a position corresponding to the cover member. The flexible board cable end is held by the holding member to form a cable assembly. The cable assembly is pressed into place on the housing by pressing the retaining member and latching within the housing. When the cover member is attached to the housing so as to close the opening, the flexible substrate cable is sealed by being sandwiched between the elastic seal member of the cover member and the elastic seal member of the housing,
In addition, the opening of the housing is sealed by the cover member.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned prior art, before the waterproof connector is assembled, a cable assembly is first made by holding the end of the flexible board cable with a holding member, and then the holding member of the cable assembly is made. And a step of making electrical connection with the housing, and a flexible substrate cable is sandwiched between the elastic seal member of the cover member and the elastic seal member of the housing, and the opening of the housing is sealed with the cover member. There is a problem in that a step for sealing is required separately, the number of steps in manufacturing and assembling is increased, and manufacturing time is required. Further, since the elastic seal member disposed around the opening of the housing and the elastic seal member disposed at the corresponding position of the cover member are opposed to each other to be waterproof,
If the provided elastic seal member is not at a predetermined position, the waterproof performance is impaired. However, a gap is generated between the elastic seal members due to the deformation of the flexible board cable or the temporal change of the housing or the cover member, and the waterproof performance is deteriorated. Could not be maintained.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof connector for a flexible board cable which has a structure which is easy to manufacture and assemble, has a high waterproof performance and is excellent in durability.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof connector having a housing having a receiving passage for holding a terminal for a flexible substrate cable end therein and an outer peripheral portion forming the receiving passage. A retainer having a first opening through which the flexible printed circuit cable passes, which can be inserted into the receiving passageway, and which electrically contacts the terminal of the flexible printed circuit cable which is passed when the terminal is completely inserted, to the terminal; A cover having a second opening through which the flexible printed circuit cable passes and which can be locked over the outer peripheral portion, and a flexible seal member filled in a space surrounded by the retainer and the cover. Things. According to this claim 1,
The flexible board cable is passed through the second opening of the cover and the first opening of the retainer and pushed into a position where the flexible board cable can come into contact with the terminal, and the cover covered on the outer peripheral portion is pushed until the retainer is completely inserted into the receiving passage of the housing. When locked to the outer peripheral portion, the end of the flexible substrate cable and the terminal are in electrical contact, and the flexible seal member in the space surrounded by the retainer and the cover is filled in the space, and the space between the outer peripheral portion and the cover is formed. Sealing between the second opening of the cover and the flexible board cable and between the first opening of the retainer and the flexible board cable.

Further, the waterproof connector according to claim 2 is
2. The retainer according to claim 1, wherein a deformed portion is formed on the retainer such that a bent portion is formed before the end of the flexible board cable passed through the first opening reaches the terminal. According to the second aspect, a bent portion for bending the flexible substrate cable is formed between a position where the end of the flexible substrate cable and the terminal are in electrical contact and a portion where the flexible substrate cable passes through the first opening. Therefore, the bent portion provides a margin in the length direction of the flexible board cable, and the flexible board cable has a stress relaxation function.

Further, the waterproof connector according to claim 3 is
In claim 1, the retainer has a temporary insertion position and a full insertion position with respect to the receiving passage, and when the temporary insertion position is shifted to the full insertion position, the flexible board cable end is electrically contacted with the terminal, The cover has a temporary locking position and a full locking position with respect to the protruding portion, and a space between the cover at the temporary locking position and the retainer at the temporary insertion position is formed widely, and a single push-in operation is performed. By the operation, the cover heading from the temporary locking position to the full locking position pushes the retainer from the temporary insertion position to the full insertion position,
Forming a narrow space between the cover at the main locking position and the retainer at the main insertion position is performed in series. According to the third aspect, when the cover is pushed in from the state where the retainer is at the temporary insertion position and the cover is at the temporary locking position, the cover is at the final locking position and the retainer is also at the full insertion position. By one action, which is a push-in operation, electrical connection for bringing the flexible board cable end into contact with the terminal and sealing of the flexible board cable inside the connector are achieved.

The waterproof connector according to claim 4 is
4. The cover according to claim 3, wherein a protrusion is formed around the second opening of the cover toward the retainer, and a fitting portion opened toward the cover is formed around the first opening of the retainer. When the cover toward the full locking position pushes the retainer to the full insertion position, the projection enters the fitting portion. According to this aspect, the flexible sealing member in the space surrounded by the retainer and the cover is received by the fitting portion of the retainer, and further pressed by the projection of the cover, so that the flexible substrate at the first opening of the retainer is formed. The cable is securely sealed.

The waterproof connector according to claim 5 is
The cap according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the cap is formed of a transparent member. According to the fifth aspect, the flexible sealing member filled in the space surrounded by the retainer and the cover is provided between the outer peripheral portion and the cover, between the second opening of the cover and the flexible board cable, and between the first opening of the retainer and the first opening of the retainer. The state where the space between the flexible board cables is sealed can be confirmed from the outside.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a waterproof connector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a completed state of the waterproof connector, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially cross-sectional view of a completed state of the waterproof connector, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of each member constituting the waterproof connector.

Referring to FIG. 3, the waterproof connector 1 includes a housing 11, a retainer 12, and a cover 13. A large number of terminals 15 are held in the housing 11. The sealing member 16 is accommodated.

The housing 11 is formed as a case capable of housing electric components in a waterproof manner. On one end side of the housing 11, an outer peripheral portion 22 forming a receiving passage 21 therein is provided. A first locking projection 23 and a second locking projection 24 for the cover 13 are arranged in a row on the outer peripheral portion 22.

The receiving passage 21 is a substantially square hole, and when the retainer 12 is inserted, the entrance of the receiving passage 21 is closed by the retainer 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 15 is held in the receiving passage 21. The terminal 15 includes a contact piece 151 and a pressing piece 152.
, A base 153 and a lead 154 are integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 2, a large number of the terminals 15 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to correspond to the terminals 17 of the flexible board cable (hereinafter, referred to as a cable) 2.

In FIG. 3, the retainer 12 has an inlet 3
1, both arm portions 32, and both arm portions 32 projecting from the entrance portion 31.
And a core 33 located between them. Inside the both arm portions 32, a first locking concave portion 34 and a second locking concave portion 35 for the housing 11 are arranged in a row. As shown in FIG.
On the side of the housing 11, a first locking projection 39 corresponding to the first locking recess 34 and a second locking projection 40 corresponding to the second locking recess 35 are provided. As shown, the first locking concave portion 34 and the first locking convex portion 39, and the second locking concave portion 3
The position where 5 and the second locking projection 40 are engaged is the full insertion position of the retainer 12. The position where the first locking concave portion 34 and the second locking convex portion 40 are engaged is the temporary insertion position of the retainer 12. This temporary insertion position of the retainer 12 is a state in which the tip of the retainer 12 is protruded from the housing 11, and is clearly shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. As shown in FIG. 2, a locking hole 2 </ b> B is provided on the distal end side of the cable 2, and the locking hole 2 </ b> B is locked by a locking portion (not shown) of the retainer 12, so that the retainer 12 Is kept inserted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inlet 31 of the retainer 12 almost blocks the inlet of the receiving passage 21. A first opening 36 through which the cable 2 passes is formed at the center of the entrance 31.
Is provided. A fitting portion 361 having a substantially V-shaped cross section is formed around the first opening 36. The core 3
3 has a deformed portion 37 which swells toward the contact piece 151, and the cable 2 forms a bent portion 38 by the deformed portion 37. When the contact piece 151 and the pressing piece 152 of the terminal 15 are positioned so as to sandwich the core 33 having the deformed portion 37, a contact portion A is formed between the contact piece 151 and the cable 2.

In FIG. 3, the cover 13 is a molded body made of a transparent material and is formed in a cap shape. A second opening 41 is provided at the front center of the cover 13. As shown in FIG. 1, a first engagement recess 42 corresponding to the first engagement protrusion 23 and a second engagement recess 43 corresponding to the first engagement protrusion 24 are provided on the inner periphery of the cover 13. Is provided. The first engagement protrusion 23 and the first engagement recess 42, and the first
The position where the engagement projection 24 and the second engagement recess 43 are engaged is the final engagement position of the cover 13. First engagement projection 23
The position where the second engagement concave portion 43 is engaged with the cover is the temporary engagement position of the cover. The temporary locking position of the cover 13 is shown in FIG.
This is clearly shown in FIG. The retainer 12 and the cover 13 are not in contact with each other.

In FIG. 1, a second opening 41 of the cover 13 is provided.
, A projection 411 having a substantially mountain-shaped cross section is formed to project toward the retainer 12. The first opening 36 of the retainer 12 and the second opening 41 of the cover 13 are aligned concentrically, and the tip 311 of the retainer 12 is
When it comes into contact with the projection 31, the projection 41 has a substantially mountain-shaped cross section.
1 is in a state in which it does not hit into the fitting portion 361 having a substantially V-shaped cross section.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner surface 1 of the cover 13
31, the inlet 31 of the retainer 12, and the housing 11
A space B surrounded by the end of the outer peripheral portion 22 is formed. The first opening 36 of the retainer 12 and the second opening 41 of the cover 13 are closed when the cable 2 is passed. The closed space B is densely filled with the sealing material 16, and the first opening 36 and the second opening 41 for the cable 2 between the cover 13 and the outer peripheral portion 22 are sealed in a waterproof state. As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, the space B gradually narrows during the assembly. As the sealing material 16 filled in the space B, a gel-like flexible rubber elastic body which is easily deformed by an external force at normal temperature is used.

Next, a procedure for assembling the connector 1 having the above-described structure will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows the retainer 1.
2 is at the temporary insertion position with respect to the housing 11, and the cover 13 is at the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 11. The seal member 16 in the cover 13 exists with a space margin with respect to the space B. Further, the retainer 12 is not sufficiently inserted into the terminal 15, and the contact portion A is in a released state. The distal end 2A of the cable 2 is stripped so that the terminals are exposed. Tip 2A of this cable 2
Is passed through the second opening 41 of the cover 13 and the first opening 36 of the retainer 12, so that the covered portion of the cable 2 forms a bent portion 38 along the slope of the deformed portion 37. At this time, the portion where the terminal of the distal end 2 </ b> A of the cable 2 is exposed extends to a position corresponding to the contact portion A.

In FIG. 4 (b), when the cover 13 is pushed into the housing 11 so as to be in the final locking position,
Before reaching the final locking position, the seal member 16 in the space B is pushed between the inner surface 131 of the cover 13 and the entrance portion 31 of the retainer 12, and flows in the directions of arrows a and b. In particular, the seal member 16 that has flowed in the direction of the arrow a enters between the fitting portion 361 and the protrusion 411 and is pushed between the fitting portion 361 and the protrusion 411, and the seal member 16 becomes the first member of the retainer 12.
Penetrating into the opening 36 and the second opening 41 of the cover 13,
A state is established in which the cable 2 is sealed between the first opening 36 and the second opening 41. Inner surface 131 of cover 13 and retainer 1
When the cover 13 is further pushed in after the second inlet portion 31 abuts, the retainer 12 and the cover 13 are pushed together from the temporary insertion position toward the main insertion position.

In FIG. 4C, when the cover 13 is at the final locking position with respect to the housing 11, the space B is completely filled with the seal member 16, and the overflowing seal member 16 is And the cover 13 is pushed out to the engagement portion, and the waterproof function is achieved. When the retainer 12 is pushed from the temporary insertion position to the main insertion position, the position of the contact piece 151 of the terminal 15 relatively changes to a position where the contact piece 151 contacts the distal end 2A of the cable 2, and the distal end 2A passes through the deformed portion 37 of the retainer 12. Contact piece 15
1 and the pressing piece 15, the electrical connection in which the contact portion A is formed is achieved. At this time, since the cover 13 is formed of a transparent material, the filling condition of the seal member 16 in the space B can be visually checked.

The embodiment described above has the following effects. (1) In the state of FIG. 4A in which the retainer 12 is at the temporary insertion position with respect to the housing 11 and the cover 13 is at the temporary insertion position with respect to the housing 11, the cable 2 is connected to the second opening 41 of the cover 13 and It can easily pass through the second opening 36 of the retainer 12 to the position where the contact portion A is formed. (2) Since the retainer 12 is pushed from the temporary insertion position to the full insertion position in conjunction with the operation of pushing the cover 13 from the temporary engagement position of the housing 11 toward the full engagement position,
The contact portion A is automatically formed without requiring a special operation for pushing the retainer 12. (3) In conjunction with the operation of pushing the cover 13 from the provisionally locked position of the housing 11 toward the fully locked position, the seal member 16 in the space B overflows, and the space between the cover 13 and the housing 11 is automatically increased. A waterproof state between the cover 13 and the cable 2 can be created. Thus, the cover 13
Is pushed from the temporary locking position toward the final locking position, thereby simultaneously achieving the function of forming the electrical contact portion and the function of forming the waterproof state.

(4) Since the deformed portion 37 of the retainer 12 causes the cable 2 to form the bent portion 38,
And the retainer 12 move relative to each other.
Is a portion having a dimensional allowance, and the allowance of the bent portion 38 gives the cable 2 a stress relaxation function.
Thereby, when an external force or the like acts on the cable 2,
The influence is less likely to be exerted on the contact portion A. (5) The cover 1 faces the fitting portion 361 of the retainer 12.
Since the sealing member 16 flows in the middle of the projection 411 of the third opening 3, the first opening 3 at the center of the fitting portion 361 is formed.
6 and the second opening 41 at the center of the protrusion 411 and the cable 2
Sealing is ensured. (6) Since the cover 13 is formed of a transparent material, the sealing member 16 in the space B between the cover 13 and the retainer 12 is provided.
Can be visually checked, and whether or not the waterproof function of the seal member 16 has been reliably achieved can be visually confirmed.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be modified as follows, for example. (1) Although the housing 11 is also used as a case for storing electric equipment, it may be a small one that stores only the terminal 15. (2) The terminal 15 is not limited to the one in which the contact piece 151 and the pressing piece 152 are opposed to each other, but may be the one having only the contact piece 151. (3) The cover 13 is preferably formed of a transparent member, but may be formed of a non-transparent material. In this case, the seal member 16 is sufficiently housed in the cover 13 in advance. (4) The concave / convex engagement of the retainer 12 with respect to the housing 11 at the insertion position may be at one position corresponding to the main insertion position. It may be one place corresponding to the position. In this case, a dimensional intersection or the like for holding the temporary insertion position of the retainer 12 and the temporary locking position of the cover 13 can be provided. (5) In FIG. 1, instead of the inner surface 311 of the cover 13 and the inlet 31 of the retainer 13 contacting each other, the cover 1
The retainer 13 may be pressed by the cover 13 when the protrusion 411 of the third member 3 comes into contact with the fitting portion of the retainer 13.

[0026]

As described above, according to the waterproof connector of the first aspect, the flexible board cable is inserted into the second opening of the cover and the first opening of the retainer, and is pushed to a position where it can come into contact with the terminal. Pressing the cover over the cover, the retainer is completely inserted into the receiving passage of the housing, and the cover is locked to the outer peripheral portion. With the electrical contact between the flexible board cable end and the terminal, the flexible board in the connector is Since the cables are simultaneously sealed, the connector can be easily assembled. Further, the shape of each member of the housing, the retainer and the cover is simple, and the manufacture of each member can be simplified. Furthermore, since the space between the retainer and the cover is filled with the flexible sealing member, the flexible board cable in the connector can be reliably sealed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the flexible board cable has a bent portion formed inside the connector, and the flexible board cable has a stress relaxation function. The durability of the connector is improved.

According to the waterproof connector of the present invention, the retainer and the cover can be attached to the housing in one action after the flexible board cable is inserted, so that the connector can be assembled very easily.

Further, according to the waterproof connector of the present invention, the flexible sealing member filled in the space surrounded by the retainer and the cover is provided for the flexible board cable at the first opening of the retainer and the second opening of the cover. Since the connector is sufficiently wrapped around and the sealing is reliably performed, the waterproof performance of the connector is improved.

Further, according to the waterproof connector of the present invention, the sealed state by the flexible sealing member inside the connector can be checked from the outside, so that the waterproof performance of the connector can be easily checked.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a completed state of a waterproof connector.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a partially sectional view of a completed state of the waterproof connector.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of each member constituting the waterproof connector.

FIG. 4 is a process diagram showing an assembly process of the waterproof connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Waterproof connector 2 Cable (flexible board cable) 2A Tip 11 Housing 12 Retainer 13 Cover 15 Terminal 16 Seal member 17 Terminal 21 Reception passage 22 Outer peripheral part 23 First locking convex part 24 Second locking convex part 34 First locking Concave part 35 Second engaging concave part 36 First opening 361 Fitting part 37 Deformation part 38 Bending part 39 First engaging convex part 40 Second engaging convex part 41 Second opening 42 First engaging concave part 43 Second engaging concave part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hajime Shiohara 1-15-1 Hachigencho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Ishin Engineering Co., Ltd. 5 Macville 2F Japan Crimp Terminal Manufacturing Co., Ltd. First Group Central Office (72) Inventor Nao Mizuno 33-5 Nitsugicho, Nihongicho, Anjo-shi, Aichi Prefecture Macville 2F Japan Crimp Terminal Manufacturing Co., Ltd. First Group Central Office F term (reference) 5E087 EE02 EE14 FF06 FF11 LL04 LL14 MM04 RR12 RR25

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A housing having a receiving passage for holding a terminal for a flexible board cable end therein and an outer peripheral portion forming the receiving passage, a first opening through which the flexible board cable passes, and wherein the first opening is provided in the receiving passage. A retainer that is insertable and electrically contacts the end of the flexible board cable that has been passed when fully inserted into the terminal, and a second opening through which the flexible board cable passes, and is provided to cover the outer peripheral portion. A waterproof connector for a flexible board cable, comprising: a cover that can be stopped; and a flexible seal member filled in a space surrounded by the retainer and the cover. 2. The flexible board according to claim 1, wherein a deformed portion is formed in the retainer such that the flexible board cable end passed through the first opening forms a bent portion before reaching the terminal. Waterproof connector for cable. 3. The retainer has a temporary insertion position and a full insertion position with respect to the receiving passage, and when the temporary insertion position is shifted to the full insertion position, an end of the flexible board cable is electrically contacted with the terminal. The cover has a temporary locking position and a full locking position with respect to the protruding portion, and a space between the cover at the temporary locking position and the retainer at the temporary insertion position is formed widely, and a single push-in operation is performed. By the operation, the cover heading from the temporary locking position to the full locking position pushes the retainer from the temporary insertion position to the full insertion position, and between the cover at the full locking position and the retainer at the full insertion position. The waterproof connector for a flexible board cable according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming the space narrow is performed in series. 4. A projecting portion is formed around the second opening of the cover toward the retainer, and a fitting portion opened toward the cover is formed around the first opening of the retainer. The waterproof connector for a flexible board cable according to claim 3, wherein when the cover toward the final locking position pushes the retainer to the full insertion position, the protrusion enters the fitting portion. 5. The waterproof connector for a flexible board cable according to claim 1, wherein the cap is formed of a transparent member.