JP2015201331A - waterproof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent backlash of a connector due to forward and backward vibration force without providing a special structure and to ensure predetermined sealability by improving workability in connector fitting.SOLUTION: Into the hood part 62 of a second housing 60, the housing body 11 of a first housing 10 is fitted. The internal circumferential surface of the leading end part of the hood part 62 is provided with a slope part 64 broadening toward its leading end. The sealing member 40 has: a seal body 41 disposed in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11; and lips 42 projected on the outer periphery side of the seal body 41 in its forward and backward direction, and arranged on an inclining axis 50 as a whole toward the slope part 64 of the hood part 62 such that projecting ends are located radially outside sequentially from the front one to the rear one, thereby coming into close contact with the slope part 64 of the hood part 62 and elastically collapsing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a waterproof connector.

  The waterproof connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is fitted to a male housing having a cylindrical hood portion, a female housing having a block-shaped housing body (tower portion) fitted inside the hood portion, and an outer peripheral surface of the housing body. And a ring-shaped seal member (seal ring) that is elastically sandwiched between the hood portion and the housing body. The seal member has a cylindrical seal body (main body portion) along the front-rear direction, and a plurality of flanges projecting radially outward from the outer peripheral side of the seal body. On the outer peripheral side of the seal body, two front and rear lips are provided over the entire circumference in front of the flange. The female housing is provided with a fitting recess into which each flange is fitted when the seal member is attached. When the housing main body is fitted into the hood portion, each lip is elastically crushed on the inner peripheral surface of the hood portion, so that the housing is liquid-tightly sealed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-5135

  By the way, in the case of the conventional waterproof connector, both housings are tightly fitted in the front-rear direction by the elastic pressing force of the flange. For example, even if a vibration force along the front-rear direction acts on the connector. Both housings were prevented from shaking in the front-rear direction. However, according to the above configuration, since the flange is provided separately from the seal body and the lip on the seal member and the fitting recess for receiving the flange is provided on the female housing, the structure of the entire connector is complicated. It was. Also, in the process of fitting the hood part to the housing body, each lip is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the hood part in order to be deformed so as to be dragged in the advancing direction of the hood part. ), And the lip may be deformed into a strain, making it difficult to obtain a predetermined sealing property.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and can prevent the connector from rattling against the vibration force in the front-rear direction without providing a special structure. It is an object of the present invention to improve workability at the time and to ensure a predetermined sealing performance by a sealing member.

  The waterproof connector of the present invention is fitted to the first housing having a block-shaped housing body, the second housing having a cylindrical hood portion into which the housing body is fitted, and the outer peripheral surface of the first housing. And a seal member that is elastically sandwiched between the housing body and the hood portion when the housing body is fitted into the hood portion.

  The inner peripheral surface of the hood portion is provided with an inclined surface portion that is obliquely expanded with respect to the front-rear direction toward the tip, and the seal member is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body, and the seal A plurality of protrusions arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the outer peripheral side of the main body, and on the axis that inclines as a whole toward the slope portion so that the protruding end position is positioned radially outward from the front side to the rear side. It has a feature in that it has a lip which is arranged and abuts against the inclined surface portions at substantially the same timing and which is crushed with substantially the same crushing amount.

When the housing body of the first housing is fitted in the hood portion of the second housing, each lip is crushed on the slope portion of the hood portion, so that the elastic reaction force (pressing force) of each lip acting on the slope portion of the hood portion Force) is also applied in the front-rear direction in addition to the radial direction. For example, even if a vibration force along the front-rear direction acts on the connector, the first and second housings are prevented from rattling. .
Since each lip contacts the inclined surface portion at substantially the same timing, the fitting resistance does not increase, and the workability at the time of connector fitting is improved. Further, it is possible to prevent each lip from being dragged in the moving direction of the hood portion and deformed into distortion.

  Furthermore, since each lip is crushed with substantially the same crushing amount with respect to the slope portion, each lip is more reliably prevented from being deformed into strain. Therefore, a predetermined sealing property by the seal member can be ensured.

In the waterproof connector according to Example 1 of the present invention, it is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first and second housings are properly fitted to each other. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the 1st, 2nd housing was arrange | positioned facing each other. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the sealing member was mounted | worn with the 1st housing. In the waterproof connector according to Example 2 of the present invention, the first and second housings are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the first and second housings are properly fitted to each other. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the sealing member was mounted | worn with the 1st housing.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown below.
Of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body, a region where the seal body is in close contact is formed by an inclined portion having substantially the same angle as the inclined angle of the inclined portion. According to this, the thickness of the seal body of the seal member can be reduced.

  A front member that covers the front surface of the housing body is attached to the housing body, and the front member has a side wall portion that abuts against the front end of the seal member and prevents the seal member from coming off. When the side wall portion of the front member comes into contact with the front end of the seal member, the seal member is prevented from sliding off the inclined portion of the housing body and coming off the inclined portion.

  Of the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body, a region to which the seal main body is in close contact is disposed substantially along the front-rear direction, and the seal main body is formed to gradually increase in thickness toward the rear. This prevents the seal member from being displaced in the front-rear direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the housing body.

<Example 1>
The waterproof connector of Example 1 is demonstrated based on FIGS. The waterproof connector is attached to the first housing 10 and the second housing 60 (hereinafter referred to as the first and second housings 10 and 60) that can be fitted to each other, and the first housing 10, and the first and second housings 10, And a seal member 40 that takes a seal between 60. In the following description, with respect to the front-rear direction, the surface side where the first and second housings 10 and 60 face each other when the first and second housings 10 and 60 start to be fitted is defined as the front.

  The second housing 60 is made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 1, a block-shaped terminal accommodating portion 61 that accommodates the second terminal fitting 90, and a cylinder that protrudes forward from the outer periphery of the front end of the terminal accommodating portion 61. The hood part 62 is provided. A male tab 91 provided at the tip of the second terminal fitting 90 is provided in the hood portion 62 so as to protrude.

  A lock portion 63 projects from the upper wall outer surface of the hood portion 62. In addition, an inclined surface portion 64 that gradually increases in diameter toward the tip is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the hood portion 62. The inclined surface portion 64 has a tapered shape that expands obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction from the substantially center portion in the front-rear direction of the inner peripheral surface of the hood portion 62 to the front end. The rear portion of the slope portion 64 is disposed at a position overlapping the lock portion 63 in the front-rear direction.

  The first housing 10 is also made of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 1, a block-shaped housing main body 11 in which the first terminal fitting 80 is accommodated, and a substantially cylindrical fitting surrounding the housing main body 11. And a connecting portion 13 extending in the radial direction and connected to the fitting portion 12 and the housing main body 11. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there is a fitting space 14 between the fitting portion 12 and the housing body 11 and in front of the connecting portion 13 in which the hood portion 62 of the second housing 60 on the other side enters. It is provided open.

  The housing main body 11 is provided with a cavity (not shown), and a lance (not shown) protrudes from the inner wall of the cavity. A first terminal fitting 80 is inserted into the cavity of the housing body 11 from the rear, and the normally inserted first terminal fitting 80 is elastically locked to the lance to prevent it from coming off. As shown in FIG. 1, the first terminal fitting 80 receives the male tab 91 of the second terminal fitting 90 and is electrically connected to the second terminal fitting 90 when the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted. Connected.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a lock arm 15 that can be bent and deformed is provided above the housing body 11. The lock arm 15 has an arm portion 16 extending in the front-rear direction. The arm portion 16 is provided with a lock hole 17 that extends in the front-rear direction and opens at the rear end, and a lock main body 18 is provided at a front end portion that closes the front of the lock hole 17. The upper wall of the fitting portion 12 is provided with a window portion 19 that exposes the lock arm 15, and a pair of protective walls 20 (1 in FIG. 4) that covers the lock arm 15 from both sides of the window portion 19. Only one is shown).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11 is provided with a tapered inclined portion 21 that gradually decreases in diameter from the front end of the connecting portion 13 toward the front. The inclined portion 21 of the housing body 11 corresponds to a region where a seal body 41 (to be described later) of the seal member 40 is in close contact. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 21 with respect to the front-rear direction is substantially the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 64. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, when the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted to each other, the inclined portion 21 of the housing body 11 and the inclined portion 64 of the hood portion 62 are in the front-rear direction. In an inclined state, they are arranged substantially parallel to each other, and the seal member 40 is elastically sandwiched between the inclined portion 21 and the inclined surface portion 64. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11 is provided with a step 22 that is dropped by one step from the front end of the inclined portion 21, and a horizontal portion that is substantially along the front-rear direction from the step 22 to the front end of the housing body 11. 23 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a cap-shaped front member 70 is assembled to the housing body 11 from the front. The front member 70 includes a flat front wall portion 71 that covers the front surface of the housing body 11, and a cylindrical side wall portion 72 that protrudes rearward from the outer periphery of the front wall portion 71 and covers the horizontal portion 23 of the housing body 11. . The front wall portion 71 is provided with a tab insertion hole 73 through which the above-described male tab 91 is inserted. In addition, on the rear surface of the front wall portion 71, when the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, the first terminal fitting 80 is inserted into the cavity of the housing body 11 to suppress the bending operation of the lance. A retaining piece (not shown) that restricts the escape from the cavity is provided so as to protrude. That is, the front member 70 functions as a front retainer.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall portion 72 has a wall thickness larger than the dimension of the step 22. The rear end of the side wall portion 72 is located close to the step 22 of the housing body 11 when the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, and the front end of the seal member 40 is in contact with the portion protruding radially outward. It is possible to contact.

  The seal member 40 is made of rubber such as silicon rubber and has an annular shape that is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the seal member 40 includes a cylindrical seal body 41 that expands in an inclined manner with respect to the front-rear direction as a whole from the front end to the rear end, and a space in the front-rear direction on the outer peripheral surface of the seal body 41. It is composed of a plurality of (three in the illustrated case) lips 42 protruding in parallel. Each lip 42 has a substantially semicircular cross section, and is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the seal body 41 over the entire circumference. In addition, the lip 42 is formed so that the protruding amounts from the outer peripheral surface of the seal body 41 are substantially the same, and are substantially the same shape and size. On the other hand, the inner peripheral surface of the seal body 41 is arranged along the inclined direction intersecting with the front-rear direction without any irregularities.

  The inclination angle of the seal body 41 with respect to the front-rear direction (the inclination angle of the inner peripheral surface of the seal body 41 and the inclination angle of the outer peripheral surface of the seal body 41) is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 21 and the inclination angle of the inclined portion 64, respectively. Identical.

Next, the operation of the connector of Example 1 will be described.
A seal member 40 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 11. Then, the inner peripheral surface of the seal main body 41 is disposed in close contact with the inclined portion 21 of the housing main body 11, and the position of the protruding end of each lip 42 is positioned gradually outward in the radial direction from the front lip 42 to the rear lip 42. Thus, each lip 42 is disposed on a shaft 50 that is inclined forward as a whole (see FIG. 2).

  Next, the front member 70 is assembled to the housing body 11 from the front. When the front member 70 is properly assembled, the front wall portion 71 covers the front surface of the housing main body 11, the side wall portion 72 is disposed to cover the horizontal portion 23 of the housing main body 11, and the side wall portion 72 is a sealing member. 40 is arranged so as to be able to contact the front end. When the front end of the seal member 40 abuts against the side wall portion 72, the seal member 40 is prevented from coming out forward, and when the rear end of the seal member 40 abuts against the connecting portion 13, the seal member 40 is pulled out backward. Be regulated. In particular, in the case of the first embodiment, there is a possibility that the seal member 40 slides on the inclined portion 21 and slides down to the horizontal portion 23. Therefore, it is significant to regulate the front member 70 from coming out forward.

  Subsequently, the housing main body 11 is fitted into the hood portion 62, and the hood portion 62 is inserted into the fitting space 14 of the first housing 10. When the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, the lock portion 63 of the second housing 60 is elastically fitted into the lock hole 17 of the lock arm 15 of the first housing 10, and the lock portion 63 is The lock arm 15 is disposed so as to be engageable with the lock body 18. This restricts the first and second housings 10 and 60 from separating from each other.

  In addition, as the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, the inclined surface portion 64 of the hood portion 62 contacts the lips 42 of the seal member 40 at substantially the same timing, and the lips 42 are mutually connected. It is crushed with substantially the same amount of crushing and is in close contact with the inclined surface portion 64. Thus, the seal member 40 is elastically sandwiched between the housing body 11 and the hood portion 62, so that the space between the first and second housings 10 and 60 is liquid-tightly sealed.

  In the above case, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic reaction force F (pressing force) of each lip 42 of the seal member 40 acts on the hood portion 62 in an oblique direction intersecting the radial direction (the vertical direction in the drawing). The horizontal component of the elastic reaction force F acts as a separation force Fa that separates the first and second housings 10 and 60 in the fitted state. For this reason, the lock portion 63 is pressed tightly against the lock body 18 of the lock arm 15. Therefore, for example, even if a vibration force along the front-rear direction acts on the first and second housings 10 and 60 in the fitted state, the first and second housings 10 and 60 rattle back and forth. Is prevented.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, each lip 42 is crushed by the slope portion 64 of the hood portion 62, thereby Since the elastic reaction force F of each lip 42 acting on the slope portion 64 is also applied in the front-rear direction in addition to the radial direction, the first and second housings 10, even if a vibration force along the front-rear direction acts. 60 is prevented from rattling. In this case, since it is not necessary to provide a special earthquake resistant structure or the like in the seal member 40 or the first housing 10, the entire structure can be simplified.

  Since each lip 42 comes into contact with the inclined surface portion 64 of the hood portion 62 at substantially the same timing during normal fitting, sliding resistance does not increase during the fitting process, and workability during fitting is improved. Improved. Further, each lip 42 is prevented from being deformed into a strain by being dragged in the traveling direction of the hood portion 62.

  Further, since each lip 42 is crushed with respect to the inclined surface portion 64 with substantially the same crushing amount, each lip 42 is more reliably prevented from being deformed into distortion. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, a predetermined sealing property by the sealing member 40 can be ensured.

  Furthermore, the side wall portion 72 of the front member 70 abuts against the front end of the seal member 40, so that the seal member 40 is prevented from sliding off the inclined portion 21 of the housing body 11 from the inclined portion 21.

<Example 2>
5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The waterproof connector of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the form of the seal main body 41A of the seal member 40A and the form of the region where the seal member 40A is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 11A. Others are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore, in the second embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 11 </ b> A, a straight portion 25 is provided between the connecting portion 13 and the step 22 so as to substantially extend in the front-rear direction. The seal body 41A of the seal member 40A is in close contact with the straight portion 25 of the housing body 11A.

  The seal member 40A has a seal body 41A that gradually increases in thickness from the front end to the rear end. As in the first embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the seal main body 41A gradually expands toward the rear. However, unlike the first embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the seal main body 41A extends along the front-rear direction. It is arranged flat.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the seal member 40A is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 11A, the seal main body 41A is brought into close contact with the straight portion 25 substantially along the front-rear direction, and each lip 42 is directed forward. Are arranged side by side on the inclined axis 50. When the first and second housings 10 and 60 are properly fitted, each lip 42 is elastically crushed by the slope portion 64 of the hood portion 62. At this time, since the horizontal component of the elastic reaction force F of each lip 42 acts on the hood portion 62 as in the first embodiment, the first and second housings 10 against the vibration force along the front-rear direction. 60 fitting states can be stably maintained. Further, according to the second embodiment, since the region of the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 11A to which the seal member 40A is in close contact is the straight portion 25 substantially along the front-rear direction, the seal member 40A slips forward. And the reliability of positioning the seal member 40A in the front-rear direction is improved.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following aspects are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) The seal member may have a locking portion that is locked to a connecting portion or the like of the housing main body, and may be configured to be retained by the housing by the locking portion. If it carries out like this, the retaining structure by the side wall part of a front member can be abbreviate | omitted.
(2) One or a plurality of inner peripheral lips may be provided so as to protrude from the inner peripheral surface of the seal body.
(3) The front member may be configured as a front mask that does not have a function of preventing the terminal fitting from being detached and closes the front opening of the die-cut hole formed when the lance is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing 11, 11A ... Housing main body 21 ... Inclined part 40, 40A ... Seal member 41, 41A ... Seal main body 42 ... Lip 50 ... Shaft 60 ... Second housing 62 ... Hood part 64 ... Slope part 70 ... Front member 72. Side wall

Claims (4)

A first housing having a block-shaped housing body, a second housing having a tubular hood portion into which the housing body is fitted, and an outer peripheral surface of the first housing, and the housing body being the hood A seal member that is elastically sandwiched between the housing main body and the hood portion when fitted into the portion,
The inner peripheral surface of the hood portion is provided with a sloped portion that expands obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction toward the tip,
The sealing member is
A seal body closely contacting the outer peripheral surface of the housing body;
A plurality of protrusions arranged in the front-rear direction on the outer peripheral side of the seal body, and inclining as a whole toward the slope portion so that the protruding end positions are positioned radially outward from the front side to the rear side. A waterproof connector, comprising: a lip disposed above and contacting the inclined surface portion at substantially the same timing and being crushed with substantially the same amount of crushing.   2. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein a region of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body, to which the seal body is closely attached, is formed by an inclined portion having substantially the same angle as the inclined angle of the inclined portion.   A front member that covers the front surface of the housing body is attached to the housing body, and the front member has a side wall portion that abuts against a front end of the seal member and prevents the seal member from coming off. The waterproof connector according to claim 1 or 2.   Of the outer peripheral surface of the housing body, a region where the seal body is in close contact is disposed substantially along the front-rear direction, and the seal body is formed so as to gradually become thicker toward the rear. The waterproof connector according to claim 1.

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