JP2011233336A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector having a locking structure preferable for arranging a component in a connector housing while providing a clearance between the component and a peripheral wall.SOLUTION: The connector housing 10 is composed of an inner housing 10A and an outer housing 10B. Either one of the inner housing 10A or the outer housing 10B is provided with a locking arm 14 having flexibility and extending in an assembling direction, and a locking portion 14b protrusively provided at a locking arm tip end 14a in a direction orthogonal to the assembling direction. The other of the inner housing 10A and the outer housing 10B is provided with an insertion hole 18 in which the locking arm 14 is inserted without a clearance, and a locking receiving portion 19 formed so as to engage with the locking portion 14b. A tapered step portion 14d is formed on a back side of a locking portion 14b at the locking arm tip end 14a, thereby proving a bending space 18b between the back side 14c of the locking portion and the insertion hole 18.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector in which a connector housing is formed by assembling a plurality of parts.

  Conventionally, a connector described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a connector in which a terminal fitting is mounted on a connector housing assembled with a plurality of components.

  In the connector 101 of Patent Document 1, a sealing material 140 is disposed on the rear end side of the plate housing accommodating chamber 112 in the connector housing 110 in order to ensure the waterproof property of the connector housing 110. Further, the seal member 140 is held in the plate housing accommodation chamber 112 by a rear holder 150 disposed at the rear end of the plate housing accommodation chamber 112. The seal member 140 is inserted into the electric wire 151 connected to a terminal fitting (not shown) and is in close contact with the periphery of the electric wire 151. A lip portion 141 that is deformed by being pressed between them is provided. Then, the rear holder 150 holds the lip portion 141 in close contact with the plate housing housing chamber 112, thereby preventing water from entering the plate housing housing chamber 112 from the outside.

  The rear holder 150 is disposed in the plate housing accommodating chamber 112 by being engaged with the inner surface of the peripheral wall 113 of the plate housing accommodating chamber 112.

JP 2007-335298 A

  By the way, in the conventional connector described above, when assembling a part to the connector housing, it is engaged with and fixed to the inner surface of the peripheral wall, but a gap is provided between the peripheral wall and the mating connector housing is located in this gap. In the case of insertion, such assembling means cannot be adopted.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector having a locking structure suitable for disposing a component in a connector housing while providing a gap with a peripheral wall.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the connector housing is composed of an inner housing and an outer housing, and either the inner housing or the outer housing has flexibility and extends in the assembling direction. The engaging arm is inserted into the other of the inner housing and the outer housing without any gaps, the engaging arm protruding from the end of the engaging arm in a direction perpendicular to the assembling direction. An engagement hole formed on the rear side of the locking portion at the distal end of the locking arm. A feature is that a bending space is provided between the back side of the stopper and the insertion hole.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tapered step is formed on the back side of the locking portion at the tip of the locking arm, and the bending space is provided between the locking arm and the insertion hole, thereby reducing the hole diameter of the insertion hole. The locking portion can be bent without increasing the size. For this reason, since the magnitude | size of the latching | locking part and latching receiving part which are requested | required can be ensured without being influenced by the hole diameter of the insertion hole in the limited space, sufficient engagement strength can be obtained.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1 before assembling the connector housing according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1 before the connector housing is assembled, showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1 during the assembly of the connector housing according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along the line XX of FIG. 1 after assembling the connector housing according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1 after assembling the connector housing according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional connector housing and shows the state after connector housing assembly.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector housing, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line XX of FIG. 1 before assembly of the connector housing, and FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1 before assembly of the connector housing, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1 during assembly of the connector housing, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line X-X, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 1 after assembly of the connector housing.

  The female connector 2 constituting the connector 1 of the present embodiment includes a connector housing 10 constituted by an inner housing 10A and an outer housing 10B, and a sealing material 40 sandwiched between the inner housing 10A and the outer housing 10B. , And terminal fittings (not shown).

  The inner housing 10 </ b> A is provided with a terminal accommodating chamber 12 into which a plurality of terminal fittings are inserted and a locking arm 14 inside a substantially rectangular parallelepiped body portion 11. The terminal accommodating chamber 12 is formed as a simple through hole so that a terminal fitting can be inserted from the rear end side to the front end side. The rear end surface 11a of the inner housing 10A is provided with a locking arm 14 that is flexible and extends in the direction of assembly to the outer housing 10B. A locking projection 14b (locking portion) is provided so as to project in a direction perpendicular to the projection. Further, a step portion 14d is formed on the locking portion rear side 14c of the locking arm tip 14a, the locking arm tip 14a side being set narrower than other portions of the locking arm 14. Moreover, the latching | locking part back surface side 14c is formed so that a cross-section may be formed in a semicircle shape, and the site | part which is tapering may not become an acute angle.

  The outer housing 10B is composed of a cylindrical peripheral wall 15 and a bottom wall 16 that closes the rear end side of the peripheral wall 15, and the inner housing 10A accommodates an internal space formed by the peripheral wall 15 and the bottom wall 16. The inner storage chamber 17 is set. Further, the bottom wall 16 is formed with an insertion hole 18 into which the locking arm 14 is inserted without a gap, and can be engaged with the locking projection 14b of the locking arm tip 14a at the rear end side opening edge 18a of the insertion hole 18. The latch receiving part 19 is formed in the.

  The sealing material 40 is integrally formed on the inner surface side of the bottom wall 16 of the outer housing 10B by molding an elastic flexible material. Further, the sealing material 40 is formed with a through hole (not shown) through which the terminal fitting passes and an arm hole 41 into which the locking arm 14 of the inner housing 10A is inserted.

  In the above configuration, as a procedure for assembling the female connector 2, first, the inner housing 10A is inserted into the inner housing chamber 17 of the outer housing 10B. Here, the locking arm tip 14 a is inserted into the arm hole 41 of the sealing material 40. When the inner housing 10A is further inserted, the inclined surface 14e of the locking arm tip 14a comes into contact with the rear end opening edge 18a of the insertion hole 18 of the bottom wall 16, and the tapered locking arm tip 14a is inserted into the back of the locking portion. It is inserted into the insertion hole 18 while being bent in a bending space 18 b formed between the hole 18 and the hole 18. When the inner housing 10A is further inserted, the locking arm tip 14a is elastically restored in a state where the sealing material 40 is compressed and held between the rear end surface 11a of the inner housing 10A and the bottom wall 16 of the outer housing 10B. Then, the locking projection 14 b of the locking arm tip 14 a is engaged with the locking receiving portion 19.

  Then, the mating housing (not shown) is inserted into the space formed between the inner housing 10A and the outer housing 10B, so that the sealing material 40 is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the opening end of the mating housing. The watertightness between 10 and the counterpart housing is exhibited.

  As described above, according to the connector 1 of the present embodiment, the tapered step is formed on the back side of the locking portion of the locking arm tip 14a, and the bending space 18b is provided between the locking arm and the insertion hole. Thus, the locking portion can be bent without increasing the diameter of the insertion hole.

  As a result, since the required size of the locking portion and the locking receiving portion can be ensured without being affected by the diameter of the insertion hole in a limited space, sufficient engagement strength can be obtained.

  Moreover, when the cross-sectional shape of the back surface side 14c of a latching | locking part is formed in semicircle shape, and the site | part which is tapering is set so that it may not become an acute angle, when inserting the latching arm 14 into the arm hole 41, In addition, care is taken not to damage the sealing material 40.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Connector 10 ... Connector housing 10A ... Inner housing 10B ... Outer housing 14 ... Locking arm 14a ... Locking arm tip 14b ... Locking protrusion (locking part)
14c ... Back side of the locking part 14d ... Step part 18 ... Insertion hole 18b ... Deflection space 19 ... Locking receiving part

Claims (1)

The connector housing is composed of an inner housing and an outer housing,
One of the inner housing and the outer housing is flexible and has a locking arm extending in the assembling direction, and a direction perpendicular to the assembling direction at the locking arm tip A locking portion projecting from
The other of the inner housing and the outer housing includes an insertion hole into which the locking arm is inserted without a gap, and a locking receiving portion formed to be engageable with the locking portion,
A connector characterized in that a tapered space is formed between the back side of the locking part and the insertion hole by forming a tapered step on the back side of the locking part at the tip of the locking arm.

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