JP2011165322A - Elastic seal member for waterproof connector and waterproof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an elastic seal member for a waterproof connector which can be molded with a simple molding die, inserting a terminal with moderate force without adversely affecting connector performance and without variation, as a closing film blocking a through-hole evenly breaks at terminal insertion, and can secure superb terminal insertion workability. <P>SOLUTION: For a mat seal 20 arranged at a wire outlet part 19 at the rear of an outer housing 10, taking a thick plate shape provided with a plurality of through-holes 22 for terminals 5 and wires 6 to be inserted into, and having an inner periphery lip of each through-hole adhered to an outer periphery of each wire as the terminal and the wire are inserted into each through-hole, a closing film 24 is provided at an inlet at a terminal insertion side of each through-hole to block the through-hole at non-insertion of the terminal and to be broken through by the inserted terminal at insertion of the terminal, with a cross-shape V-letter groove 25 fitted on an outer face of each closing film 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an elastic seal member (also referred to as a waterproof plug, a waterproof rubber plug, or a mat seal) for a waterproof connector, and a waterproof connector using the elastic seal member.

  For example, a thick-walled mat seal (elastic seal member) is disposed in the wire lead-out portion at the rear of the connector housing having a terminal accommodating chamber, and the electric wires extending backward from the terminals accommodated in the connector housing, A waterproof connector is known that is inserted into each insertion hole of the mat seal, and an annular seal lip provided on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole is brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire, thereby sealing between the electric wire and the connector housing. Yes.

  When assembling a waterproof connector using this type of mat seal, insert a terminal attached to the tip of the wire from the rear of the mat seal into each insertion hole of the mat seal that is mounted in the connector housing in advance. The inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole of the mat seal is in close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire. In this case, the mat seal insertion hole is provided corresponding to the terminal housing chamber of the connector housing, and the terminal that has passed through the mat seal insertion hole is inserted into the corresponding terminal housing chamber and positioned and fixed.

  By the way, when making a waterproof connector, there is no problem if the terminals are arranged in all the terminal accommodating chambers because there is no space, but if there is an empty terminal location where no terminals are provided, there will be a problem. . That is, in that case, since there is no electric wire in a portion where there is no terminal, the insertion hole of the portion of the mat seal remains in an open state. Therefore, in such a case, under the present circumstances, the plug is individually fitted into the insertion hole at the empty terminal portion to close the insertion hole.

  However, it is troublesome and expensive to install the plug.

  Therefore, a mat seal (elastic seal member) is provided so that an individual plug mounting operation can be abolished by providing a sealing film that can be pierced by the terminal itself when the terminal is inserted inside the mat seal insertion hole. For example, it is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the insertion hole of the mat seal disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  In the mat seal 120, as shown in FIG. 6A, the mat seal 120 is positioned between a plurality of annular seal lips 123 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 122 to close the insertion hole 122. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 6B, the closing film 126 is pierced by the terminal 102 when the terminal 102 is inserted. The thick portions 126a and 126b are formed, and the portion connecting the thick portions 126a and 126b is formed as a thin portion 126f. In addition, the thick portions 126a and 126b on both sides are arranged with their positions shifted in the terminal insertion direction (that is, the axial direction of the insertion hole 122), and the joint with the thin portion 126f is parallel to the terminal insertion direction. Steps 126c and 126d are provided.

French Patent Invention No. 2844645

  However, in the conventional mat seal 120 of FIG. 6, the closing film 126 is disposed between the annular seal lips 123 inside the insertion hole 122, so that the insertion hole 122 is formed on both sides of the insertion hole 122. There was a problem that the pin mold had to be disposed, and the mold became complicated. Further, since the thick portions 126a and 126b and the thin portion 126f are connected via the steps 126c and 126d parallel to the terminal insertion direction, when the closing film 126 is broken by being pushed by the terminal 102, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, it is only necessary to break evenly in the middle of the thin portion 126f, but there is also a high possibility of breakage at the steps 126c and 126d. Then, only one of the pieces is elongated and the seal lip 123 and the electric wire There is a possibility that the contact performance of the connector will be affected, or the terminal 102 may be entangled and the residue may adhere to the contact portion, adversely affecting the connector performance. In addition, when the positions to be broken are not uniform, variations in force at the time of the break are likely to occur, so that the insertion workability of the terminal 102 may be deteriorated.

  In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention can be molded with a simple mold, and the closing film that closes the insertion hole at the time of inserting the terminal has a uniform breaking method, which adversely affects the connector performance. And a waterproof connector using the waterproof connector, and a waterproof connector using the waterproof connector, which can insert a terminal with an appropriate force without variation and ensure good terminal insertion workability The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the elastic seal member of the invention of claim 1 is arranged in a wire lead-out portion at a rear portion of the connector housing, so that the wire extends backward from the terminal accommodated in the connector housing. An elastic seal member that stops water between the connector housing and has a thick plate shape having a plurality of insertion holes into which the terminals and electric wires are inserted, and the terminals and electric wires are inserted into the respective insertion holes. In the elastic seal member for a waterproof connector, the annular sealing lip on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole is brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire, and the gap between the insertion hole and the electric wire is sealed. A closing film that closes the insertion hole when the terminal is not inserted and is pierced by the inserted terminal when the terminal is inserted is provided at the inlet of the terminal insertion side of the terminal, and the inner surface of the closing film Other at least one outer surface, said radial groove having a center point in the center of the cross section of the insertion hole is formed, the bottom of the groove is characterized in that there is a thickness minimum of the thin portion.

  An elastic sealing member according to a second aspect of the invention is the elastic sealing member for a waterproof connector according to the first aspect, wherein a cross-shaped V-groove is formed as the groove.

  A waterproof connector according to a third aspect of the invention is characterized in that the elastic seal member for a waterproof connector according to the first or second aspect and the connector housing are integrally formed by two-color molding or insert molding. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the terminal attached to the tip of the electric wire is inserted into the insertion hole of the elastic seal member, the front end of the terminal is abutted against the outer surface of the closing film provided at the inlet portion of the insertion hole. By pushing in, the closing film can be pierced from the smallest part of the film thickness (bottom part of the groove). In other words, since the crack progresses along the groove starting from the center point of the radial groove, the closing film can be pierced by the terminal with an appropriate force. Therefore, by inserting the terminal while breaking through the closing film as it is, the annular seal lip on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire, and the gap between the electric wire and the insertion hole is reliably sealed. Can do.

  At this time, since the closing film always breaks uniformly starting from the center of the radial groove (the center of the closing film), the closing film does not extend unnecessarily long, and the contact portion between the seal lip and the electric wire The required connector performance can be ensured without affecting the terminal or being tangled with the terminal and causing the residue to adhere to the contact portion of the terminal. Further, since the position where the closing film is torn is uniform, variation in force at the time of breaking is less likely to occur, and the terminal insertion workability is improved. In addition, since the closing film is arranged at the entrance of the insertion hole, it is only necessary to arrange a pin mold on one side of the insertion hole to form the insertion hole, avoiding complication of the molding mold Can do. In addition, the empty terminal portion where the terminal is not inserted remains with the insertion hole closed by the closing film, so that the trouble of individually mounting the plug is not necessary, and the cost can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the cross-shaped V-groove is formed, the starting point at the time of breaking is further clarified by the effect of the V-notch, and a reasonable breakage at the time of inserting the terminal becomes possible.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the elastic seal member and the connector housing are integrated, the handling of the parts becomes easy.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the outer housing with a mat seal | sticker which is a main part of the waterproof connector of embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the outer housing with the same mat seal. It is a rear view which shows the structure of the outer housing with the same mat seal. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the outer housing with the same mat seal. It is the perspective view which made the cross section the principal part which takes out and shows only a mat seal | sticker. (A) is an expanded sectional view of the penetration hole of the conventional mat seal, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the closure film was torn by insertion of the terminal.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The waterproof connector 1 of the present embodiment includes an outer housing (connector housing) 10 and an inner housing (not shown) made of a molded product of hard synthetic resin, and a mat seal (elastic seal member) made of a molded product of an elastic material such as rubber. 20 and a plurality of terminals 5 attached to the tip of the electric wire 6.

  1 to 4 show an integral component of the outer housing 10 with a mat seal before the inner housing is mounted. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged configuration of only the mat seal 20.

  Although not shown, the inner housing is provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers into which the terminals 5 (see FIG. 4) attached to the front ends of the electric wires 6 can be inserted from the rear end. The rear wall surface of the housing where the rear end opens is a seal set surface that is in close contact with the front surface 21 </ b> A of the mat seal 20.

  The outer housing 10 has a cylindrical hood portion 11 that extends forward, and a rear wall 12 that closes the rear end of the hood portion 11, and a terminal accommodating chamber of the inner housing is formed on the rear wall 12. A square hole 13 having a size larger than the area is formed, and a terminal can be inserted into each terminal accommodating chamber of the inner housing through the square hole 13.

  The mat seal 20 is disposed in the electric wire drawing portion 19 (see FIG. 4) at the rear portion of the outer housing 10 to stop water between the outer housing 10 and the inner housing and the electric wires 6. It is integrally formed on the inner surface side of the rear wall 12 of the outer housing 10 so as to cover the square hole 13 of the housing 10, and the seal setting surface at the rear end of the inner housing is in close contact with the front surface 21 </ b> A of the mat seal 20. It has become.

  The mat seal 20 includes a thick, substantially rectangular plate-shaped seal body 21 in which the front surface 21A and the rear surface 21B are parallel to each other, and the wires 6 that pass through the wire lead-out portion 19 are inserted into the seal body 21, respectively. A plurality of insertion holes 22 are provided. On the inner peripheral surface of each insertion hole 22, an annular inner peripheral lip (annular seal lip) 23 that is in close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire 6 is provided in a plurality of stages at intervals in the axial direction. The attached terminal 5 is inserted through the insertion hole 22 while expanding the insertion hole 22 by utilizing the elasticity of the mat seal 20, so that the terminal 5 passes through the insertion hole 22 and then moves backward from the terminal 5. An inner peripheral lip 23 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the extending electric wire 6, whereby the gap between the insertion hole 22 and the electric wire 6 is sealed.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the insertion hole 22 is closed at the terminal insertion side entrance of each insertion hole 22 of the mat seal 20 so as to be flush with the rear surface 21 </ b> B of the seal body 21 when the terminal 5 is not inserted. A closing film 24 is integrally provided. These closing films 24 are films that are pierced by the inserted terminals 5 when the terminals 5 are inserted. On the outer surface of each closing film 24, a center point 25 a is formed at the center of the cross section of the circular insertion hole 22. A cross-shaped V-shaped groove 25 is formed, and the bottom of the V-shaped groove 25 is a thin-walled portion 26 having a minimum film thickness. That is, the branch grooves 25b extend radially from the center point 25a, and correspondingly, the thin wall portion 26 also extends radially (cross shape) from the center point 26a. The V-groove 25 is a groove having a V-shaped cross section, and since the groove bottom has an acute angle, the thin-walled portion 26 is also formed in a cross line shape.

  The mat seal 20 may be configured separately from the outer housing 10 and attached to the wire lead-out portion 19 of the outer housing 10, but in the present embodiment, the mat seal 20 is attached to the front surface of the rear wall 12 inside the outer housing 10. It is molded integrally. The inner housing is inserted inside the hood portion 11 of the outer housing 10 with the mat seal 20, and an annular insertion space 15 into which the mating connector housing is inserted is secured between the inner housing and the hood portion 11. Be placed. When the mating connector housing is inserted into the annular insertion space 15 on the outer periphery of the seal body 21 of the mat seal 20, the mating connector housing is in close contact with the inner circumference of the mating connector housing, and water is stopped between the mating connector housing and the inner housing. An outer peripheral lip 29 is provided.

  Next, an integral molding structure of the outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20 will be described.

  The outer housing 10 is formed by injection molding in which a molten thermoplastic resin is injected into a mold. The mat seal 20 is formed by performing two-color molding (or insert molding) on the molded outer housing 10, and by using the outer housing 10 as a part of a molding die, the outer housing 10 is formed. It is in close contact with the inner surface of the rear wall 12 without a gap.

  The mat seal 20 exerts an adhesive force on the thermoplastic resin constituting the outer housing 10 but does not exert an adhesive force on the metal material (chromium steel) constituting the injection mold. Because it is molded using, for example, “liquid silicone rubber selective adhesive material for polyamide resin” (product number: X-34-1625A / B) manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. The outer peripheral portion of the rear end surface of the mat seal 20 and the burr 28 are bonded to a region inside the margin space 14 on the inner surface of the rear wall 12 of the outer housing 10. In addition, as a silicone rubber molding material, an adhesion-imparting agent using silicone rubber such as PBT or LCP is also effective.

  In order to manufacture an integral part of the outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20, first, the outer housing 10 is formed by injecting molten thermoplastic resin into a mold. Next, when the thermoplastic resin of the outer housing 10 is solidified, the mold for molding the inner surface of the rear wall of the outer housing 10 is replaced with a mold for molding the mat seal 20, and then a liquid silicone rubber molding material is used. Is injected into the mold.

  Here, since the melting point of the thermoplastic resin constituting the outer housing 10 is set to be higher than the melting point of the silicone rubber molding material, when the two-color molding is performed in the above procedure, the outer housing 10 It does not melt. In addition, since the silicone rubber molding material does not exhibit an adhesive force to the metal constituting the mold, the mat seal 20 has a burring between the outer peripheral portion of the rear end surface and the burrs without damaging the bonding location between the outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20. The outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20 are removed from the mold in a state where 28 is bonded to the joint portion of the inner surface of the rear wall 12 of the outer housing 10.

  Thus, after obtaining the integrally formed outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20, the inner housing is inserted into the outer housing 10, and the seal set surface at the rear end of the inner housing is placed on the front surface 21A of the mat seal 20. Adhere closely.

  Next, the terminal 5 attached to the tip of the electric wire 6 is inserted into the terminal housing chamber of the inner housing through the square hole 13 of the outer housing 10 and the insertion hole 22 of the mat seal 20, and each terminal is fixed in the terminal housing chamber. .

  At that time, the terminal 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 22 while breaking the closing film 24 at the entrance of the insertion hole 22 with the terminal 5. In other words, when the terminal 5 is inserted into the insertion hole 22 of the mat seal 20, the front end of the terminal 5 is abutted against the outer surface of the closing film 24 provided at the inlet of the insertion hole 22 and pushed into the closing film 24. Insert while breaking.

  At this time, the closing film 24 is pierced from the minimum film thickness portion (cross-shaped thin portion 26). That is, the crack advances along the cross-shaped V-groove 25 starting from the center point 25a of the cross-shaped V-groove 25, so that the closing film 24 can be pierced by the terminal 2 with an appropriate force. Therefore, by inserting the terminal 5 while breaking through the closing film 24 as it is, the inner peripheral lip 23 on the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 22 can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the electric wire 6, and the gap between the electric wire and the insertion hole can be reduced. It can be surely sealed.

  At this time, since the closing film 24 is always torn uniformly from the center point 25a of the cross-shaped V groove 25 (the center of the closing film 24), the closing film 24 does not extend unnecessarily long. Necessary connector performance can be ensured without affecting the close contact portion between the inner peripheral lip 23 and the electric wire 6, or being tangled with the terminal 5, and being broken and adhering to the contact portion of the terminal 5. Further, since the position where the closing film 24 is torn is uniform, variation in force at the time of breaking is less likely to occur, and the workability of inserting the terminal 5 is improved.

  In addition, since the closing film 24 is disposed at the inlet portion of the insertion hole 22, it is only necessary to dispose the pin mold on one side of the insertion hole 22 in order to form the insertion hole 22. Can be avoided. Further, the empty terminal portion where the terminal 5 is not inserted remains with the insertion hole 22 closed by the closing film 24, so that the trouble of individually mounting the plugs as in the conventional case is not required, and the cost can be reduced.

  Further, in this embodiment, the mat seal 20 is integrated with the outer housing 10 in advance, so that the parts can be handled easily and the mat seal 20 can be held in a stable state. The outer housing 10 and the mat seal 20 can be combined smoothly.

  Next, a mating connector (not shown) is fitted with the waterproof connector of this embodiment. Then, the mating connector housing is inserted into the annular insertion space 15 inside the hood portion 11 of the outer housing 10 and is fitted into the inner housing. At the same time, the terminals accommodated in the terminal housing chamber of the inner housing are accommodated in the mating connector housing. The wires are connected to each other and the wires are connected to each other.

  In such a state, the inner peripheral lip 23 of the mat seal 20 is elastically adhered to the outer periphery of the electric wire 6 inserted through the insertion hole 22 of the mat seal 20, so that water or the like is in the inner side. Intrusion into the housing can be reliably prevented. Further, since the outer peripheral lip 29 of the mat seal 20 stops water between the mating connector housing and the inner housing, it is possible to reliably shut off the connection space between the terminal inside the mating connector housing and the terminal inside the inner housing. Can do.

  In the above embodiment, the cross-shaped V groove 25 is formed on the outer surface of the closing film 24. However, the cross-shaped V groove 25 may be provided on the inner surface of the closing film 24, or the inner surface and the outer surface. It may be provided on both sides. Further, the shape of the V groove 25 may not be a cross shape, and may be a Y shape, for example, or may be a shape in which five or more branch grooves extend radially from the center point 25a. Further, the cross section of the groove is not limited to a V shape, and may be a U shape.

1 Outer housing with mat seal (waterproof connector)
5 Terminal 6 Electric wire 10 Outer housing (connector housing)
19 Electrical outlet 20 Mat seal (elastic seal member)
22 Insertion hole 23 Inner peripheral lip (annular seal lip)
24 Closure film 25 Cross-shaped V groove 26 Thin part

Claims (3)

An elastic seal member for stopping water between the electric wire extending backward from the terminal accommodated in the connector housing and the connector housing by being disposed in the electric wire drawing portion at the rear portion of the connector housing, And a thick plate having a plurality of insertion holes into which the electric wires are respectively inserted, and by inserting a terminal and an electric wire into each of the insertion holes, an annular shape of the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole is formed on the outer periphery of the electric wire. In an elastic seal member for a waterproof connector that seals a seal lip and seals a gap between the insertion hole and the electric wire,
The entrance portion of each insertion hole on the terminal insertion side is provided with a closing film that closes the insertion hole when the terminal is not inserted and is pierced by the inserted terminal when the terminal is inserted. A radial groove having a central point at the center of the cross section of the insertion hole is formed on at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface, and the bottom of the groove is a thin wall portion having a minimum film thickness. Elastic seal member. An elastic seal member for a waterproof connector according to claim 1,
An elastic sealing member for a waterproof connector, wherein a cross-shaped V-groove is formed as the groove.   The waterproof connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic seal member for the waterproof connector and the connector housing are integrally formed by two-color molding or insert molding.

Images