JP2004342415A - Waterproof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waterproof connector that is superior in absorbing vibration of a wire. <P>SOLUTION: A collective rubber stopper 30 on which a through-hole 32 capable of having a female terminal fitting 10 and a wire W inserted into it is opened, and a holder 40 for holding the collective rubber stopper 30 are mounted on a housing 20 capable of housing a female terminal fitting 10 connected to the terminal part of the wire W. When the wire W is inserted into the through-hole 32, a peripheral part 35 of the through-hole closely contacts with the wire W, and the periphery of the wire W is sealed. A pressure contact part 43 is arranged on the holder 40, and a recess 34 capable of receiving the pressure contact part 43 is formed on the collective rubber stopper 30. When the holder 40 is mounted on a regular locking position against the housing 20, the pressure contact part 43 is press fitted into the recess 34 and pressure contacts the periphery of the through-hole 32, and consequently, the peripheral part 35 of the through-hole 32 can be pressed toward inside of an axial direction, and compressed between the wire W and itself. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as an example of a waterproof connector, a connector described in Patent Literature 1 below is known. In this device, a collective rubber plug having a plurality of insertion holes through which terminal fittings and electric wires can be inserted is mounted on the rear side of the housing, and a holder for holding the collective rubber plug is mounted on the rear side. When the terminal fitting is inserted into the insertion hole and housed in the cavity of the housing while the collective rubber stopper is held by the holder, the inner peripheral edge of the insertion hole is closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire, thereby sealing around the electric wire. .
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-21989
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, for example, when a device to which the other end of the electric wire (the end on the lead-out side when viewed from the housing) is connected is mounted in a place where vibration frequently occurs, the vibration propagates through the electric wire. Since there is a concern that the terminal metal fittings in the housing may be adversely affected, measures have been required for them.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and has as its object to satisfactorily absorb vibration of an electric wire.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector housing in which a terminal fitting connected to a terminal of an electric wire can be accommodated in a connector housing, and an insertion hole through which the terminal fitting and the electric wire can be inserted. A rubber plug provided with a holder for holding the rubber plug is assembled, and the periphery of the insertion hole can be sealed around the electric wire by closely adhering to the inserted electric wire, In the holder, when the holder is assembled at a predetermined position with respect to the connector housing, by pressing the rubber stopper around the insertion hole, the peripheral portion of the insertion hole is pressed radially inward. The present invention is characterized in that a pressure contact portion capable of being compressed between the electric wire and the electric wire is provided.
[0006]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the device according to the first aspect, the plurality of insertion holes are provided in a row in a row and a row, and the press contact portion is vertically and horizontally shifted from each of the insertion holes in the rubber plug. The feature is that it is arranged so as to be pressed against the position where it is pressed.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the pressing portion is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is pressed against the rubber plug so as to surround the insertion hole. However, it has features.
[0007]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the rubber stopper according to any one of the first to third aspects is provided with a concave portion capable of receiving the press contact portion, and the concave portion has a diameter dimension corresponding to the press contact portion. It is characterized in that it is set smaller than the diameter dimension of.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the holder and the connector housing are provided with a temporary locking position where the press contact portion is not in contact with the rubber stopper. The present invention is characterized in that holding means capable of holding the holder are provided at two positions, that is, a final locking position where the pressing portion is pressed against the rubber plug.
[0008]
Function and effect of the present invention
<Invention of claim 1>
When the terminal fitting and the electric wire are inserted into the insertion hole and the holder is assembled at a predetermined position with respect to the connector housing, the periphery of the insertion hole of the rubber plug is pressed by the pressure contact portion, so that the periphery of the insertion hole has a diameter. It is pressed inward in the direction and is compressed between the electric wires. Thereby, the hardness of the peripheral portion of the insertion hole is increased, so that the vibration absorbing performance for the electric wire can be improved.
[0009]
<Invention of Claim 2>
Since the press-contact portion is made to press against each insertion hole of the rubber stopper at a position shifted vertically and horizontally, even when the pitch between the insertion holes is narrowed, it is possible to satisfactorily compress the periphery of the insertion hole, This is suitable for miniaturization.
<Invention of Claim 3>
Since the press-contact portion formed in a substantially cylindrical shape can press the entire circumference of the insertion hole, the peripheral portion of the insertion hole can be uniformly compressed.
[0010]
<Invention of Claim 4>
By adjusting the difference in diameter between the concave portion and the press contact portion, the hardness of the peripheral portion of the insertion hole, that is, the vibration absorbing performance can be appropriately set as necessary. Further, as compared with the case where the concave portion is not provided, the force required for assembling the holder can be reduced.
<Invention of claim 5>
The terminal fitting is inserted into the connector housing while the holder is held at the temporary locking position with respect to the connector housing. At this time, since the pressure contact portion is not in contact with the rubber stopper, the insertion resistance when the terminal fitting is inserted is reduced, and the workability is improved. Further, since the holder and the rubber plug can be temporarily held in the connector housing, the handling is simplified. After that, by holding the holder at the final locking position, the pressure contact portion can be pressed against the rubber stopper.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, a waterproof connector provided with a collective rubber plug 30 for sealing a plurality of electric wires W at a time is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, a connector housing 20 made of synthetic resin (hereinafter simply referred to as a housing 20), a female terminal fitting 10 connected to an electric wire W housed in the housing 20, and a housing 20 It is composed of a collective rubber plug 30 that can seal around the electric wire W and a holder 40 that is attached to the housing 20 and can hold the collective rubber plug 30. In the following description, the direction in which the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the housing 20 will be referred to as the front direction, and the opposite extraction direction will be referred to as the rear direction.
[0012]
The female terminal fitting 10 has a configuration in which a main body 11 that can be conductively connected to a mating male terminal fitting and a barrel part 12 that presses and connects an electric wire W are connected back and forth. Of these, the main body 11 is formed in a substantially box shape, and has such a size that its outer shape projects beyond the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W.
[0013]
The housing 20 is provided with cavities 21 into which the female terminal fittings 10 connected to the terminals of the electric wires W can be inserted from the rear at equal intervals in three chambers in the height and width directions. On the rear surface of the housing 20, an accommodation room 22 capable of accommodating the collective rubber stopper 30 and the holder 40 is provided to open rearward. All cavities 21 are open in the accommodation room 22. On both outer side surfaces of the rear part of the housing 20, a pair of a pair of a permanent locking holding portion 23 and a temporary locking holding portion 24 for holding the holder 40 are provided so as to protrude outward in a state of being arranged in front and rear. ing.
[0014]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the collective rubber stopper 30 is formed in a substantially square (substantially square) plate shape. Lip 31 for keeping the liquid-tight state is provided in a state in which three lips are arranged in front and rear. The collective rubber stopper 30 is provided with an insertion hole 32 through which the female terminal fitting 10 and the electric wire W can be inserted. The three insertion holes 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the height direction and the width direction (length and width), and communicate with each cavity 21 when the collective rubber stopper 30 is stored in the storage chamber 22. The arrangement is as follows. On the inner peripheral surface of each insertion hole 32, there are provided three lips 33 in a row in front and rear to closely contact the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W and keep the both surfaces liquid-tight.
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the holder 40 is formed in a substantially square plate shape having a size similar to that of the collective rubber stopper 30. The holder 40 is provided with an insertion hole 41 through which the female terminal fitting 10 and the electric wire W can be inserted. The three insertion holes 41 are arranged at equal intervals in the height direction and the width direction so as to communicate with the insertion holes 32 and the cavities 21 of the collective rubber plug 30 when mounted on the housing 20. It is arranged. Therefore, the pitch in the height direction and the width direction between the insertion holes 41 in the holder 40 is substantially the same as the pitch between the insertion holes 32 of the collective rubber plug 30 and the pitch between the cavities 21. Each insertion hole 41 is formed in a rectangular shape so that the main body 11 of the female terminal fitting 10 can be inserted.
[0016]
On both outer side surfaces of the holder 40, a pair of holding pieces 42 extending forward and forming a cantilever shape are provided. The holding piece 42 is selectively locked to the housing 20 at two different positions in the front-rear direction by being locked by the temporary locking holding portion 24 and the final locking holding portion 23 of the housing 20. I can do it. More specifically, in a state where the holding piece 42 is locked to the holding portion 24 for temporary locking, the holder 40 is not housed in the housing chamber 22 as shown in FIG. Are also located at the rear position, and the mounting position of the holder 40 is a temporary locking position. On the other hand, in a state where the holding piece 42 is locked to the full locking holding portion 23, as shown in FIG. 6, the holder 40 is completely stored in the storage chamber 22 and is flush with the rear surface of the housing 20, In addition, the holder 40 is disposed in contact with the rear surface of the collective rubber plug 30, and the mounting position of the holder 40 is a final locking position.
[0017]
On the front surface of the holder 40, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of press-contact portions 43 which can be pressed against the respective insertion holes 32 of the rubber plug are provided. The rear surface is provided with the same number of concave portions 34 as can receive the pressure contact portions 43. The press contact portion 43 is formed in a substantially columnar shape that protrudes forward from the front surface of the holder 40, and the peripheral edge of the tip is chamfered. As shown in FIG. 1, the press contact portions 43 are disposed at positions obliquely displaced from the respective insertion holes 41 in the holder 40, that is, at positions displaced in the height direction and the width direction (length and width). A total of 16 holes are arranged at positions vertically and horizontally shifted from each of the insertion holes 41 by half the pitch in the height direction and half the pitch in the width direction between the insertion holes 41. The press contact portions 43 are arranged at regular intervals of four in the height direction and the width direction, and the pitch in the height direction and the width direction between the press contact portions 43 is the pitch between the insertion holes 41. Is almost the same as
[0018]
On the other hand, the concave portions 34 are arranged corresponding to the respective press-contact portions 43, and as shown in FIG. 2, the collective rubber plug 30 is displaced obliquely from the respective insertion holes 32, that is, shifted in the height direction and the width direction. More specifically, a total of 16 pieces are arranged at positions shifted vertically and horizontally from each insertion hole 32 by half the pitch in the height direction and half the pitch in the width direction between the insertion holes 32. The recesses 34 are arranged at regular intervals of four in the height direction and the width direction, and the pitch between the recesses 34 in the height direction and the width direction is substantially equal to the pitch between the insertion holes 32. It is the same. As shown in FIG. 3, each concave portion 34 is formed in a substantially circular groove shape that opens rearward so as to allow the press contact portion 43 to enter. Each recess 34 has a depth dimension that is about half the thickness dimension of the collective rubber plug 30, and a diameter dimension A thereof is set smaller than an outer diameter dimension B of the press contact portion 43. Accordingly, the press-contact portion 43 is press-fitted while pushing and expanding the concave portion 34, and accordingly, the peripheral portion 35 (including the two rear lips 33) of the insertion hole 32 is pressed inward in the radial direction. At the same time as being compressed with the electric wire W to increase its hardness. At this time, since the four concave portions 34 surrounding one insertion hole 32 are arranged at positions substantially separated from the insertion hole 32 by substantially the same distance, the pressing force acting from each press contact portion 43 on the peripheral portion 35 Can be made substantially uniform.
[0019]
Then, when the holder 40 is attached to the housing 20 at the temporary locking position, as shown in FIG. 4, the press contact portion 43 separates (retreats) rearward from the collective rubber plug 30 to be in a non-contact state. The recess 34 is disposed so as to face the front and rear. On the other hand, when the holder 40 is mounted at the final locking position, the press-contact portion 43 is press-fitted into the recess 34 as shown in FIG.
[0020]
The present embodiment has the above structure, and its operation will be described below. In order to assemble the waterproof connector, the collective rubber plug 30 is accommodated from the rear in the accommodation chamber 22 from the state shown in FIG. 3, and then the holder 40 is attached to the housing 20 from the rear side. At this time, by holding the holding piece 42 with the holding portion 24 for temporary locking, the holder 40 is mounted at the temporary locking position as shown in FIG. Thereby, the collective rubber stopper 30 and the holder 40 can be temporarily held in the housing 20 and handled integrally, so that the handling is simplified.
[0021]
With the holder 40 mounted in the temporary locking position as described above, an operation of inserting the female terminal fittings 10 connected to the electric wires W into the cavities 21 of the housing 20 is performed. When the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 32 of the collective rubber plug 30 after passing through the insertion hole 41 of the holder 40, the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the front cavity 21 while elastically expanding the diameter of the insertion hole 32. Is done. At this time, since the press contact portion 43 does not enter the concave portion 34, the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 escapes toward the concave portion 34 during the insertion process of the female terminal fitting 10. Therefore, the insertion resistance of the female terminal fitting 10 is reduced, and the insertion work is facilitated. In a state where the female terminal fitting 10 is inserted into the cavity 21 to the normal depth, the electric wire W is inserted into the insertion hole 32 and the lip 33 comes into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W as shown in FIG.
[0022]
When all the female terminal fittings 10 have been inserted, the holder 40 is pushed forward from the temporary locking position to move to the final locking position. As shown in FIG. 6, the holder 40 is held at the main locking position by the holding piece 42 being detached from the temporary locking holding section 24 and locking to the final locking holding section 23. In this process, each press-contact portion 43 is press-fitted (press-contact) while pushing (expanding) the corresponding concave portion 34, and the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 is pressed radially inward, so that the press-contact portion 43 is pressed. And the wire W is compressed and deformed. As a result, the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 has a higher hardness than other portions of the collective rubber plug 30. Therefore, a device (not shown) to which the rear end (the end opposite to the end to which the female terminal fitting 10 is connected) of the electric wire W drawn rearward from the housing 20 is connected, for example, in an engine room of an automobile. Even when mounted in a place where frequent vibrations can occur, such as nearby, the vibration transmitted to the electric wire W can be satisfactorily absorbed by the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 which is locally hardened in the collective rubber stopper 30. Can be. This makes it difficult for external vibrations to be transmitted to the female terminal fitting 10 in the housing 20, thereby preventing a situation in which, for example, the contact portion is worn when the female terminal fitting 10 is in contact with a mating male terminal fitting. be able to. In addition, the sealing property between the electric wire W and the insertion hole 32 is improved by compressing the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32. Further, the outer peripheral end (including the lip 31) of the collective rubber plug 30 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the storage chamber 22 by the press-contact portion 43 pressed into the concave portion 34 arranged on the outermost periphery of the collective rubber stopper 30. Since it is compressed, the sealing property between the storage chamber 22 and the collective rubber stopper 30 is improved.
[0023]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the periphery of the insertion hole 32 is pressed radially inward by the pressure contact portion 43 provided on the holder 40 being pressed around the insertion hole 32 of the collective rubber plug 30. And compressed between the wire W. Thereby, the hardness of the peripheral edge portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 can be increased, so that the vibration absorption performance for the electric wire W can be improved.
[0024]
In addition, since the pressure contact portion 43 is pressed against a position of the collective rubber plug 30 that is vertically and horizontally shifted from each of the insertion holes 32, even if the pitch between the insertion holes 32 is narrow, the pressure contact space (the pressure contact portion 43 and the concave portion) 34 can be sufficiently secured, and the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 can be satisfactorily compressed. This is suitable for a small waterproof connector.
[0025]
Further, a concave portion 34 capable of receiving the press contact portion 43 is provided in the collective rubber plug 30 and the diameter A of the concave portion 34 is set to be smaller than the diameter B of the press contact portion 43. By appropriately adjusting the difference between the diameters, the hardness of the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32, that is, the vibration absorption performance can be appropriately set as needed. In addition, since the press contact portion 43 enters into the concave portion 34, the holder 40 is assembled at the final locking position as compared with a case where the press contact portion presses against the rear surface of the collective rubber plug without forming a concave portion. The force required for the operation can be reduced.
[0026]
In addition, by inserting the female terminal fitting 10 in a state where the female terminal fitting 10 is held in the temporary locking position with respect to the housing 20, the press contact portion 43 is not in contact with the collective rubber plug 30. 10 can be easily inserted. Moreover, when the female terminal fitting 10 passes through the insertion hole 32, the peripheral edge 35 of the insertion hole 32 escapes to the concave portion 34 side, so that the insertion resistance of the female terminal fitting 10 is reduced, and the insertion work is further facilitated. Has become. Further, since the holder 40 and the collective rubber plug 30 can be temporarily held in the housing 20 and handled integrally, the handling is simplified.
[0027]
<Second embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the shape of the press contact portion 43A and the concave portion 34A is changed. In the second embodiment, the same structures as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0028]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9A, the press contact portion 43A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that projects forward from the front surface of the holder 40 and surrounds the insertion hole 41. Are provided. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A, the concave portion 34A is formed in an annular groove shape that opens rearward on the rear surface of the collective rubber plug 30 and surrounds the insertion hole 32. Nine in total are provided for each insertion hole 32. The groove width C (diameter) of the recess 34A is set smaller than the thickness D (diameter) of the press contact portion 43A. Therefore, when the holder 40 is moved to the final locking position in a state where the electric wire W is inserted through the insertion hole 32, as shown in FIG. 9B, the press contact portion 43A is pressed into the recess 34A and the insertion hole 32 is pressed. Is pressed inward in the radial direction to be compressed with the electric wire W. At this time, the pressure contact portion 43A formed in a substantially cylindrical shape can press the entire circumference of the insertion hole 32, so that the peripheral portion 35 of the insertion hole 32 can be uniformly compressed, and the vibration against the electric wire W can be reduced. Good absorption performance is obtained.
[0029]
<Third embodiment>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, a case where no concave portion is formed in the collective rubber stopper 30 will be described. In the third embodiment, the same structures as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 10A, the inner edge portion 44 of the press contact portion 43B facing the insertion hole 32 is formed in a gentle taper shape, in other words, the protrusion height gradually increases toward the outside in the radial direction. It is formed as follows. Thereby, when the holder 40 is moved to the final locking position and the press contact portion 43B is pressed around the insertion hole 32, as shown in FIG. 10B, the insertion hole 32 is formed by the inner edge portion 44 of the press contact portion 43B. Is pressed inward in the radial direction to be compressed with the electric wire W. As described above, according to the third embodiment, compared to the case where the exclusive collective rubber stopper having the concave portion is required in the first and second embodiments, the ordinary collective rubber stopper having no concave portion is used. Since it can be used, cost can be reduced.
[0031]
<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, and furthermore, besides the following, within the scope not departing from the gist. Can be implemented with various modifications.
(1) In the first embodiment described above, the pressure contact portion and the concave portion are arranged substantially at the center between the insertion holes, but the arrangement can be changed arbitrarily. It is also possible to change the shape of the press contact portion into a prismatic shape or the like, and to change the shape of the concave portion accordingly.
[0032]
(2) In the second embodiment described above, the shape of the pressure contact portion is cylindrical, but may be changed to a rectangular tube or the like, and the shape of the concave portion may be changed accordingly. It is.
(3) In the first and second embodiments described above, the concave portion has a groove-like shape that opens only to the rear in the collective rubber plug, but the concave portion has a hole shape that penetrates the collective rubber plug back and forth. Are also included in the present invention.
[0033]
(4) In each of the embodiments described above, the waterproof connector provided with the collective rubber stopper is illustrated. However, the present invention is also applicable to an individual type waterproof rubber stopper individually mounted in each cavity.
(5) In each of the embodiments described above, the female connector provided with the female terminal fitting is illustrated, but the present invention is also applicable to the male connector provided with the male terminal fitting.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a collective rubber stopper. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIGS. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing a state in which a collective rubber stopper is accommodated and the holder is mounted at a temporary locking position. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 8 is a rear view of the collective rubber plug. FIG. 9A is a plan sectional view showing a state in which the holder is mounted at the temporary locking position and an electric wire is inserted, and FIG. FIG. 10 (A) shows a state in which a holder according to a third embodiment of the present invention is mounted in a temporary locking position and an electric wire is inserted. Sectional plan view (B) cross-sectional plan view showing a state of mounting the holder according to the third embodiment of the present locking position of the present invention Description of Reference Numerals]
10 Female terminal fittings (terminal fittings)
20 ... housing (connector housing)
23 ... Main locking holding part (holding means)
24... Temporary locking holding part (holding means)
30: Bulk rubber stopper (rubber stopper)
32 insertion hole 34 recess 35 peripheral edge 40 holder 42 holding piece (holding means)
43 ... Press-contact part W ... Electric wire

Claims (5)

In the connector housing, a terminal fitting connected to the terminal of the electric wire can be accommodated, and a rubber plug provided with an insertion hole through which the terminal fitting and the electric wire can be inserted, and a holder for holding the rubber plug, Is assembled, and the periphery of the insertion hole can be sealed around the electric wire by being in close contact with the inserted electric wire,
When the holder is assembled at a predetermined position with respect to the connector housing, the holder is pressed into contact with the rubber stopper around the insertion hole, thereby pressing the peripheral edge of the insertion hole radially inward. A waterproof connector comprising a press-contact portion capable of being compressed between an electric wire and the electric wire. In a configuration in which the plurality of insertion holes are provided vertically and horizontally, the press-contact portion is arranged so as to press-contact each of the through-holes of the rubber plug at a position shifted vertically and horizontally. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein 2. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the pressure contact portion is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is pressed against the rubber plug so as to surround the insertion hole. 3. 4. The rubber plug according to claim 1, wherein the rubber stopper is provided with a concave portion capable of receiving the press contact portion, and a diameter of the concave portion is set smaller than a diameter of the press contact portion. 5. The waterproof connector according to any of the above. The holder and the connector housing are provided with the holder at two positions, a temporary locking position where the pressure contact portion is not in contact with the rubber plug, and a full locking position where the pressure contact portion is pressed against the rubber plug. The waterproof connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a holding means capable of holding.

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