JP2011100612A - Connector for equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector for equipment in which a crack occurring in a synthetic resin portion in an aperture and the synthetic resin portion to cover a reinforcing plate is prevented and of which manufacturing cost is suppressed by insert molding of the reinforcing plate of metal. <P>SOLUTION: The connector for the equipment is provided with the reinforcing plate 30 of metal having an aperture 31 for terminal fitting insertion, a housing body 10, a flange part 11 in which the reinforcing plate 30 and synthetic resin are insert molded, an equipment side housing part 12 to be housed in a connector installation hole, and a terminal fitting 15 which is supported by the housing body 10 in a state penetrating the aperture 31. A first projection part 35 is formed in the aperture 31 and resin penetrating holes 34 are formed in the reinforcing plate 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector attached to a case of a device.

  Conventionally, as an apparatus connector for fitting an electric wire side connector attached to an end of an electric wire extending from a power source to an apparatus such as a motor housed in a metal case in an electric vehicle, for example, it is described in Patent Document 1 Are known. This connector for equipment includes a connector housing made of synthetic resin formed by insert molding of a terminal fitting, and this connector housing is mounted on a shell made of aluminum die cast. This device connector is attached to the device by tightening a mounting piece provided on the die cast shell.

JP 2009-32500 A

  However, the conventional device connector has a problem that the manufacturing cost is high although sufficient strength is obtained because the shell is made of aluminum die cast. For this reason, in recent years, the structure which can satisfy the specification of an intensity | strength surface at low cost by insert-molding a metal reinforcement board in resin and forming a connector housing is examined.

  However, the connector integrally formed by insert molding the metal reinforcing plate and the synthetic resin member is different in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the synthetic resin portion constituting the connector main body and the metal reinforcing plate, for example. In the cooling process after insert molding, the synthetic resin portion contracts more than the reinforcing plate. Moreover, when configuring this type of insert-molded type connector, the reinforcing plate is formed with an opening for inserting a terminal, and a plurality of terminal fittings are inserted in an insulated state by a synthetic resin housing formed in the opening. Become. In this relation, a large amount of synthetic resin having a long width and a thick state exists in the opening. The amount of shrinkage in a specific direction when the synthetic resin in a certain region cools is a value obtained by multiplying the length dimension in the specific direction in that region by the linear expansion coefficient of the synthetic resin. The amount of shrinkage of the resin is large, particularly in the lateral direction.

In addition, the synthetic resin located in the opening is also pulled from both sides by the synthetic resin covering the reinforcing plate, and a crack may occur in the synthetic resin in the opening. In addition, the synthetic resin covering both sides of the reinforcing plate is also partially displaced from the surface of the reinforcing plate due to the shrinkage, causing a problem that a crack occurs. When a crack occurs in the synthetic resin part, not only the appearance deteriorates, but the adhesion at the interface between the reinforcing plate and the synthetic resin part is lowered to generate a gap, and water enters the connector body from the gap. There is concern.
From the above, it has been considered that practical use of a synthetic resin connector in which a metal reinforcing plate is insert-molded is difficult for a large type.

  The present invention has been completed in view of the above circumstances, preventing cracks occurring in the synthetic resin part covering the synthetic resin part and the reinforcing plate in the opening, and insert-molding the metal reinforcing plate to reduce the manufacturing cost. It aims at providing the connector for apparatus which suppressed.

  As a means for achieving the above object, the present invention provides a connector for a device to be attached to a connector mounting portion provided in a case of a device, and a mounting portion for fixing to the connector mounting portion and an opening for inserting a terminal fitting. A metal reinforcing plate having a portion, a connector housing formed by insert molding of synthetic resin so as to be located in the opening and on both sides of the reinforcing plate, and held in the connector housing in a state of passing through the opening A protruding portion having a shape rising in the opening is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening, and the synthetic resin enters a portion of the reinforcing plate covered with the synthetic resin. It is characterized in that a resin entry hole is formed.

  According to the device connector having such a configuration, a part of the space in the opening is partially divided with the protruding portion as a boundary. As a result, the length of the synthetic resin portion in the direction crossing the protruding portion is divided and shortened as compared to the state without the protruding portion, and the amount of shrinkage of the synthetic resin in that direction is proportionally reduced. In addition, by providing the protrusion, the length of the inner peripheral edge of the opening becomes longer than when there is no protrusion, so that the area where the synthetic resin comes into close contact with the reinforcing plate increases, and the synthetic resin and the reinforcement in the opening are reinforced. Adhesion with the plate is improved. In addition, since the synthetic resin that has entered the resin entrance hole of the reinforcing plate is integrated with the synthetic resin on the surface of the reinforcing plate, the synthetic resin on the surface of the reinforcing plate is caught in the resin entrance hole, and the resin adheres to the surface of the reinforcing plate. The degree is improved and the occurrence of cracks in the synthetic resin can be prevented.

The following configuration may be adopted as an embodiment of the present invention.
The resin entrance hole is formed in a portion of the reinforcing plate where both sides are covered with the synthetic resin. According to such a configuration, the synthetic resin enters the resin entrance hole from both sides, and the shift of the synthetic resin can be further suppressed on both sides.
It is desirable to form the resin entrance hole near the periphery of the reinforcing plate. The effect that the synthetic resin covering the reinforcing plate is pulled from the surroundings due to the shrinking action of the synthetic resin tends to be larger at the end face than at the central part. Since the close contact position is closer to the peripheral edge near the end face portion, the synthetic resin that has entered the resin entrance hole acts effectively, and the generation of cracks can be more effectively prevented.

You may form the said resin approach hole so that it may be scattered along the peripheral part of the said reinforcement board.
According to such a configuration, the place where the synthetic resin adheres is in a state of surrounding the peripheral edge surface portion of the reinforcing plate, so that the crack prevention effect due to the resin that has entered the resin entrance hole is more effectively expressed.
You may provide the anchor groove into which the synthetic resin which covers the both surfaces enters into the both surfaces side of the said reinforcement board. With such a configuration, the number of grooves to which the synthetic resin that covers the reinforcing plate can be closely attached increases, so that shrinkage can be prevented from being biased more and the occurrence of cracks in the synthetic resin can be prevented more reliably.
When the anchor groove is formed in a mesh shape, it is more effective for preventing cracks.
The mounting portion may be constituted by a bolt insertion hole formed in a mounting piece that protrudes from the outer peripheral portion of the reinforcing plate and is exposed from the synthetic resin. With such a configuration, the space between the terminal fittings can be increased by increasing the opening through which the terminal fitting is inserted, and the position of the terminal fitting can be easily changed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device connector that prevents cracks in a synthetic resin portion covering a synthetic resin portion and a reinforcing plate in an opening, and suppresses manufacturing costs by insert molding a metal reinforcing plate. it can.

The front view of the connector for apparatuses which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention Plan view Rear view Side view 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. Sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. Front view of reinforcing plate showing state before insert molding Front view of device connector according to Embodiment 2 Plan view XII-XII sectional view of FIG. Front view of reinforcing plate showing state before insert molding The front view of the reinforcement board which shows the state before insert molding which concerns on Embodiment 3 The front view of the reinforcement board which shows the state before insert molding which concerns on Embodiment 4

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the first embodiment, a device connector attached to a connector mounting portion (not shown) provided in a device case is illustrated. In the following device connectors, the counterpart connector side will be described as the front, and the connector mounting portion side provided in the device case will be described as the back.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the device connector includes a housing body 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the front direction, a flange portion 11 extending outward from the rear outer periphery of the housing body 10, and a rear surface of the flange portion 11. A device-side housing portion 12 that extends rearward and is accommodated in a connector mounting hole (not shown) provided in the device case. And the housing main body 10, the flange part 11, and the apparatus side housing part 12 shown here are equivalent to the connector housing made of a synthetic resin.

  The housing main body 10 is opened on one of the longitudinal side surfaces and is fitted to a fitting portion 13 for fitting a wire-side connector (not shown) attached to the end of the electric wire, and an operation opened on the protruding surface of the housing main body 10. A hole 14 is formed. Three terminal fittings 15 extending to the device-side housing portion 12 are held side by side in the housing main body 10 in a state of extending from the side surface of the housing main body 10 to the fitting portion 13 side. A wire side connection portion 15A that has a hole 15B and is connected to a terminal (not shown) of the wire side connector is formed. The housing body 10 is provided with a nut 16 connected to the first bolt hole 15B on the surface of the electric wire side connection portion 15A on the flange portion 11 side so that bolts can be connected from the work hole 14.

The flange portion 11 is integrally formed in a state in which both the side surfaces and the outer peripheral end surface of the reinforcing plate 30 are covered with a synthetic resin by insert-molding a metal reinforcing plate 30.
As shown in FIG. 7, the reinforcing plate 30 has a trapezoidal plate shape punched and formed by pressing, and is formed with an opening 31 through which the terminal fitting 15 is inserted and an auxiliary opening 32 for fitting detection terminal insertion. The opening 31 has a substantially rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction, and is located at a substantially central portion of the reinforcing plate 30. The auxiliary opening 32 is adjacent to the opening 31 and is set in a substantially rectangular shape having a size of about ３ width of the opening 31 at a position on the short side in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing plate 30.
The terminal fitting 15 held in the device connector passes through the opening 31 to communicate between the housing body 10 and the device-side housing portion 12.

On the rear surface side of the flange portion 11, a device-side housing portion 12 that extends straight rearward at a position slightly laterally shifted from the housing body 10 and a device connector are attached to a device case (not shown). Positioning pin 30A for positioning, auxiliary housing 17 extending rearward at a position slightly away from device-side housing part 12, protrusion 18 projecting from the outer peripheral edge of flange part 11, and outside of flange part 11 A mounting groove 19 that loops along the peripheral edge is formed.
The terminal fitting 15 that connects the housing main body 10 and the device-side housing portion 12 is held in a bent state in the device-side housing portion 12 due to the positional relationship between the housing main body 10 and the device-side housing portion 12.

  The protrusions 18 are formed at a total of eight positions with a space slightly inward from the outer peripheral edge of the flange 11, and the tips thereof have a shape that becomes narrower toward the center. The mounting groove 19 is located outside the protrusion 18, and a sealing member 20 is attached to the mounting groove 19. The seal member 20 is formed with a flange side attachment portion 20A having an attachment hole 20B at a position corresponding to the protrusion portion 18, and the device side connector inserts the protrusion portion 18 of the flange portion 11 into the attachment hole 20B of the seal member 20. Thus, the seal member 20 is mounted in the mounting groove 19 of the flange portion 11.

Three terminal fittings 15 extending rearward from the flange portion 11 are held in the device-side housing portion 12 in an isosceles triangular shape, and a second bolt hole 15D is provided at the tip portion to provide a terminal on the device side (see FIG. A device-side connection portion 15 </ b> C that is bolt-connected to the device is formed. A nut 16 connected to the second bolt hole 15 </ b> D is attached to the device-side housing portion 12.
The positioning pin 30 </ b> A is formed in a cylindrical shape that is slightly narrowed in the rearward direction from two locations on both ends of the flange portion 11. The auxiliary housing 17 extends in the forward direction via the flange portion 11, and a fitting detection terminal 17 </ b> A penetrating through the auxiliary opening 32 of the flange portion 11 is held in the auxiliary housing 17.

Now, the reinforcing plate 30 has an anchor groove 33 that is notched in a mesh shape on both surfaces covered with a synthetic resin, and a resin entry hole 34 that penetrates the reinforcing plate 30 at a position near the peripheral edge of the reinforcing plate 30. A first protrusion 35 that swells from the inner peripheral edge portion into the opening 31 and extends to the center position in the short direction of the opening 31 at a position slightly outside the center in the longitudinal direction of the opening 31, and the longitudinal direction of the opening 31 A second projecting portion 36 that is slightly raised from the inner peripheral edge located on the opposite side of the first projecting portion 35 around the center position into the opening 31 is formed.
The flange portion 11 is provided with a bolt insertion hole 37 </ b> A that is exposed from a synthetic resin that extends from the reinforcing plate 30 positioned inside the flange portion 11 at substantially four corners of the outer peripheral portion and forms the flange portion 11. Is formed.

The device connector of the present embodiment has the above-described configuration, and the operation and effect relating to the contraction when the synthetic resin after the insert molding is solidified will be described.
The synthetic resin located in the opening and both sides of the reinforcing plate 30 constituting the device connector has a larger shrinkage than the metal reinforcing plate 30 due to the coefficient of thermal expansion when solidified by cooling during insert molding. . The opening 31 is horizontally long because the three terminal fittings 15 are arranged side by side, and the synthetic resin located in the opening 31 has a large amount of contraction in the lateral direction.

  In view of this point, the first protrusion 35 and the second protrusion 36 are formed on the inner periphery of the opening 31 so as to divide the longitudinal direction in the opening 31 of the reinforcing plate 30. The inner synthetic resin is short and divided into a plurality of portions, and the amount of shrinkage (linear expansion coefficient × length) of the synthetic resin at that portion can be kept low. In addition, since the length of the inner peripheral edge of the opening 31 is increased, the area where the synthetic resin is in close contact with the reinforcing plate is increased, and the synthetic resin covering both sides of the reinforcing plate 30 is formed in the resin entrance hole 34 and the anchor groove 33. By entering, it comes into close contact with the reinforcing plate 30, and those synthetic resins come into close contact with the surface of the reinforcing plate 30. From the above, it is possible to prevent cracks from occurring in the synthetic resin located in the opening 31 of the reinforcing plate 30 and on both sides.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The device connector of Embodiment 2 is attached to a connector attachment portion (not shown) provided in the case of the device as in Embodiment 1, and the shape of the flange portion 11 is as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. A substantially rectangular shape is formed, and the device-side housing portion 12 is formed directly behind the housing body 10. Further, the housing main body 10 is configured such that the positions of the fitting portion 13 and the work hole 14 are interchanged, and the terminal fitting 15 positioned inside thereof is held in a state of extending straight forward.

On the other hand, the three terminal fittings 15 held inside the device-side housing portion 12 are arranged side by side. For this reason, the terminal metal fitting 15 that connects the housing body 10 and the device-side housing portion 12 is slightly bent in the device-side housing portion 12, but is formed so as to extend on the same surface. .
The auxiliary housing 17 extending in the front-rear direction via the flange portion 11 is formed with a slight lateral shift between the front surface and the rear surface of the flange portion 11, and the fitting detection held by the auxiliary housing 17. The terminal 17 </ b> A is also bent in the auxiliary housing 17 accordingly.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the reinforcing plate 30 positioned in the flange portion 11 has a substantially rectangular plate shape as shown in FIG. 11. The terminal insertion opening 31 formed in the reinforcing plate 30 has an elongated, substantially rectangular shape. The opening 31 is slightly spaced from the four inner peripheral edges into the opening 31 at a position where the longitudinal direction is equally divided into three. A third projecting portion 38 is formed. The auxiliary opening 32 is provided side by side with the opening 31, and the others are substantially the same as in the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the synthetic resin portions located in the opening portion and both sides of the reinforcing plate 30 contract in the cooling process after the insert molding. However, since the synthetic resin in the opening 31 is divided in the lateral direction by the third projecting portion 38 of the opening 31, the amount of contraction in the lateral direction does not increase. Moreover, the resin entrance holes 34 and the anchor grooves 33 formed in the reinforcing plate 30 increase the adhesion between the synthetic resin covering these portions and the reinforcing plate 30, and the synthetic resin is displaced from the surface of the reinforcing plate 30. As a result, the occurrence of cracks can be prevented.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The third embodiment has the same shape as the metal reinforcing plate 30 that is insert-molded in the device connector of the second embodiment, and the resin entry hole 34 that penetrates the reinforcing plate 30 has a peripheral edge of the opening 31 and the auxiliary opening 32. It is formed in a concentrated manner only in the part along the part. Others are the same as those of the reinforcing plate 30 of the second embodiment.

  The reinforcing plate of the third embodiment, like the reinforcing plate 30 of the second embodiment, is in a state in which the third protruding portion 38 divides the synthetic resin in the opening 31 in the lateral direction, so that it is also synthesized in the cooling process after insert molding. The amount of shrinkage of the resin does not increase, and the resin entrance hole 34 and the anchor groove 33 enhance the adhesion of the synthetic resin that covers those portions to prevent displacement from the surface of the reinforcing plate 30 and highly important terminal fittings. 15 and the area where the fitting detection terminal 17A is held, in order to enhance the crack prevention effect, by concentrating the resin entrance holes 34 around the synthetic resin located in the opening 31 and the auxiliary opening 32, cracks in the vicinity thereof The prevention effect is further enhanced.

<Embodiment 4>
Next, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The fourth embodiment has the same shape as the metal reinforcing plate 30 that is insert-molded in the device connector of the second embodiment, and the resin entry holes 34 that penetrate the reinforcing plate 30 are provided at a plurality of locations other than the peripheral portion of the reinforcing plate 30. Is formed. Others are the same as those of the reinforcing plate 30 of the second embodiment.

  Similar to the reinforcing plate 30 of the second embodiment, the third protruding portion 38 is in a state where the synthetic resin in the opening 31 is divided in the lateral direction, so that the shrinkage amount of the synthetic resin in the lateral direction can be suppressed. In addition, the anchor groove 33 can enhance the adhesion between the synthetic resin covering these portions and the reinforcing plate 30, so that the synthetic resin is prevented from shifting from the surface of the reinforcing plate 30 and the number of the resin entry holes 34. The occurrence of cracks can be prevented by further suppressing the shift of the synthetic resin that covers both sides of the reinforcing plate 30 by increasing the number of.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) In the present embodiment, the terminal insertion opening 31 is configured as a loop-shaped hole in which the inner peripheral edge is closed in the reinforcing plate 30, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The inner peripheral edge of the opening 31 may be an opening (notch) that is open at the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing plate 30.
(2) In the present embodiment, the terminal fitting 15 is configured to be connected by a bolt, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and for example, fitted with a female terminal fitting attached to a wire side connector. You may be comprised with the male terminal metal fitting combined.
(3) In the present embodiment, the mesh-shaped anchor grooves 33 are formed on both sides of the reinforcing plate 30, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. A stripe-shaped or broken-line anchor groove may be formed on both sides, or an anchor groove may not be formed.

(4) In the present embodiment, the protrusion formed on the periphery of the opening 31 is configured to rise or slightly rise to the vicinity of the center in the opening 31, but the present invention is not limited to such a mode. Instead, for example, the protruding portion may be configured to extend from one end of the peripheral edge of the opening 31 into the opening 31 and contact the opposite end.
(5) In the present embodiment, the resin entrance hole 34 is configured as a hole that penetrates the reinforcing plate 30, but the present invention is not limited to such an aspect, and for example, the surface of the reinforcing plate 30 is recessed. You may form as a hole of a state.

10: Housing body 11: Flange part 12: Equipment side housing part 30: Reinforcement plate 31: Opening part 33: Anchor groove 34: Resin entry hole 35: First protrusion part 36: Second protrusion part 37: Mounting piece 37A: Bolt Insertion hole (mounting part)
38: Third protrusion

Claims (7)

In the device connector attached to the connector mounting portion provided in the device case,
A metal reinforcing plate having an attaching portion for fixing to the connector attaching portion and an opening for inserting a terminal fitting, and insert molding synthetic resin so as to be positioned in the opening and on both sides of the reinforcing plate. A connector housing, and terminal fittings held by the connector housing in a state of passing through the opening,
A protrusion that forms a shape rising in the opening is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening, and a resin entry hole into which the synthetic resin enters is formed in a portion of the reinforcing plate that is covered with the synthetic resin. A connector for equipment.   The device connector according to claim 1, wherein the resin entrance hole is formed in a portion of the reinforcing plate where both sides are covered with the synthetic resin.   The device connector according to claim 1, wherein the resin entrance hole is formed near a periphery of the reinforcing plate.   The said resin entrance hole is formed so that it may be scattered along the peripheral part of the said reinforcement board, The connector for apparatuses as described in any one of the Claims 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The device connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an anchor groove into which a synthetic resin that covers both surfaces of the reinforcing plate enters is provided.   The device connector according to claim 5, wherein the anchor groove is formed in a mesh shape.   The said attachment part is a bolt insertion hole formed in the attachment piece which protrudes in the outer peripheral part of the said reinforcement board, and is exposed from the said synthetic resin, The Claim 1 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Connector for equipment.

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