JP2015220163A - Waterproof structure of wiring harness with connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To propose a novel waterproof structure of a wiring harness with connector capable of water-proofing the connection part with a connection terminal conveniently, without upsizing the connector itself.SOLUTION: In a waterproof structure of a wiring harness 12 with a connector, connection terminals 26 connected with the wire terminals of a plurality of wires 16 constituting a wiring harness are housed and held, respectively, in a plurality of cavities 20 provided in a connector 10, and the plurality of wires 16 are protruding from a rear side cavity opening 14 of the connector 10 to the outside. At the wire terminal of each wire 16, an insulation coating 32 is stripped and the core wire 34 is exposed, the connection terminal 26 is connected with the core wire 34, the stripped insulation coating 32 is not excised but bundled to the opposite side together with the connection terminal 26, thus forming an expansion part 44 protruding on the outer peripheral surface of the wire 16 over the whole circumference, and the rear side cavity opening 14 is covered with the expansion part 44.

Description

  The present invention relates to a waterproof structure for a wire harness with a connector in which a connector is provided at a terminal of a wire harness composed of a plurality of electric wires.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector that accommodates and holds connection terminals connected to a plurality of electric wire terminals constituting a wire harness in an internal cavity is attached to a terminal portion of a wire harness used in an electrical system of an automobile. Then, by connecting such a connector to a mating connector provided in various electrical components, power supply and distribution from the battery to the electrical components can be performed easily and reliably. Such a wire harness with a connector is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-188186 (Patent Document 1).

  By the way, recently, in order to reduce the weight of a vehicle, the use of an aluminum electric wire instead of a copper electric wire has been studied as an electric wire constituting a wire harness. However, in the connection portion between the aluminum electric wire and the connection terminal made of a metal material containing copper as a main component, electric corrosion such as dissimilar metal corrosion is likely to occur due to liquid intrusion. Therefore, for example, as shown in JP2013-161702A (Patent Document 2), a connection portion between the aluminum electric wire and the connection terminal may be covered with a waterproof or anticorrosive material such as an epoxy resin that prevents liquid from entering. Proposed.

  However, in such a conventional waterproof structure, although the connection part of the connection terminal of each electric wire can be reliably waterproofed, it is necessary to perform waterproofing for each electric wire, which complicates the manufacturing process and increases the number of steps. There was a problem that cost increase was inevitable. Moreover, since the connection part of the connection terminal in each electric wire becomes thick by waterproofing or an anticorrosion material, there also existed a problem that the enlargement of the cavity of the connector which mounts them or the whole connector was unavoidable.

  In some cases, the waterproof standard required for the connector-attached wire harness is relatively low, such as when the connector-attached wire harness is disposed in the vehicle interior. In fact, a structure that can improve the performance has not been proposed yet.

JP 62-188186 A JP 2013-161702 A

  The present invention has been made in the background of the above-mentioned circumstances, and the problem to be solved is a novel, which can easily waterproof the connection portion with the connection terminal without enlarging the connector itself. The purpose is to propose a waterproof structure of a wire harness with a connector.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the connection terminals connected to the wire terminals of the plurality of wires constituting the wire harness are respectively held and held in the plurality of cavities provided in the connector, and the plurality of wires are The waterproof structure of the connector-attached wire harness that protrudes outward from the rear cavity opening of the connector, wherein the insulation coating is peeled off at the wire end of each of the wires, and the core wire is exposed. On the other hand, while the connection terminal is connected, the inflated portion that is bundled on the opposite side of the connection terminal without being cut off and that protrudes over the entire circumference on the outer peripheral surface of the wire Is formed, and the rear cavity opening is covered with the expanding portion.

  According to this aspect, the rear side cavity opening where there is concern about water entering from the outside transmitted through the electric wire is bundled on the side opposite to the connection terminal without removing the insulating coating peeled off at the electric wire terminal of the electric wire. The cover is covered with an inflating portion that protrudes over the entire outer periphery of the electric wire. Therefore, water droplets that reach the vicinity of the rear cavity opening through the electric wire from the outside are prevented from entering the rear cavity opening by the expanding portion, so that the waterproof performance can be further improved.

  As a result, a simple waterproof structure can be imparted to any wire harness with a connector without requiring any changes in the shape or size of conventional connection terminals and connectors. Therefore, for example, by applying the waterproof structure of the present invention to a wire harness with a connector using an aluminum electric wire disposed in a vehicle compartment, the waterproof property of the wire harness with a connector can be improved easily and reliably.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the one described in the first aspect, the rear cavity opening is completely covered with the inflating part in a rear view.

  According to this aspect, since the rear cavity opening is completely covered with the inflating part, the waterproof performance can be further improved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the one described in the first or second aspect, the inflatable portion has a shape similar to the rear cavity opening in a rear view.

  According to this aspect, since the inflating portion has a similar shape to the rear cavity opening, the rear cavity opening can be covered with the inflating portion more efficiently, and the waterproof performance can be efficiently achieved. Can be secured.

  In addition, when the shape of the rear cavity opening is a general rectangular shape, the shape of the expansion portion is also rectangular, so that the expansion portions overlap between adjacent rear cavity openings. Therefore, it is possible to advantageously prevent the occurrence of the problem that the cover by the expansion portion of the rear cavity opening becomes insufficient.

  According to the present invention, the rear cavity opening where there is a concern about water entering from the outside through the electric wire is bundled on the side opposite to the connection terminal without removing the insulating coating peeled off at the electric wire terminal of the electric wire. The cover is covered with an inflating portion that protrudes over the entire outer periphery of the electric wire. Therefore, since the water entering from the outside is prevented by the expanding portion, the waterproof performance can be further improved. As a result, a simple waterproof structure can be imparted to any wire harness with a connector without requiring any changes in the shape or size of conventional connection terminals and connectors.

The perspective view which shows the waterproof structure of the wire harness with a connector as 1st embodiment of this invention. II-II cross-sectional enlarged view in FIG. The perspective view for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the wire harness with a connector shown in FIG. 1 ((a) Preparation of an electric wire, (b) Exposure of a core wire, creation of an expansion part, (c) Crimping of a connection part). The perspective view which shows the waterproof structure of the wire harness with a connector as 2nd embodiment of this invention.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, in FIGS. 1 to 3, the connector 10 of the connector-attached wire harness 12 is feared to enter the connector 10 from the outside using the waterproof structure of the connector-attached wire harness according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The structure which waterproofs the back side cavity opening part 14 of this by the expansion part 44 mentioned later is shown. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector-attached wire harness 12 includes a plurality of electric wires 16 constituting the wire harness and a connector 10 provided at an electric wire terminal of the plurality of electric wires 16. Yes. And the other party connector provided in the various vehicle-mounted electrical equipment which is not shown in figure from the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the connector 10 is connected. In the following description, “upper” means the upper side in FIG. 2, “lower” means the lower side in FIG. 2, “front” means the left side in FIG. 2, and “rear” means the right side in FIG. Shall.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector housing 18 constituting the connector 10 has a substantially block shape, and is integrally formed by injection molding or the like with a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA). Yes. Six cavities 20 are formed through the connector housing 18. Specifically, on the front surface 22 side and the rear surface 24 side of the connector housing 18, six cavities 20 having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape opening toward the front and rear are formed. Six rear cavity openings 14 into which the crimp terminals 26 as connection terminals can be inserted are formed. A crimp terminal 26 is accommodated and held in each cavity 20 of the connector housing 18. An electric wire 16 is connected to the crimp terminal 26, and the electric wire 16 extends rearward from the crimp terminal 26 and protrudes outward from the rear cavity opening 14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the inner surface 28 of the cavity 20 of the connector housing 18 is provided with an engaging protrusion 30 that protrudes in a cantilevered manner toward the front inward, which will be described later. By engaging with the rear end portion 42 of the contact portion 40 of the crimp terminal 26, the crimp terminal 26 is prevented from coming off from the cavity 20. In order to facilitate understanding, the crimp terminal 26 and the electric wire 16 are indicated by phantom lines in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a crimp terminal 26 is connected to the end of the electric wire 16, and the crimp terminal 26 is accommodated from the rear side in the cavity 20 provided in the connector housing 18 of the connector 10. It is supposed to be retained. More specifically, the insulation coating 32 on the tip end side of the electric wire terminal of the electric wire 16 is peeled to expose the core wire 34, the core wire 34 is exposed to the core wire crimping portion 36 of the crimp terminal 26, and the electric wire 16 with the core wire 34 exposed is exposed. The wire 16 is fixed and connected to the crimping terminal 26 by crimping the tip end portion to the wire crimping portion 38 of the crimping terminal 26. Furthermore, a cylindrical contact portion 40 that opens in the front-rear direction is formed at the distal end portion (left side in FIG. 2) of the crimp terminal 26. As a result, the rear end portion 42 of the contact portion 40 of the crimp terminal 26 is engaged with the engagement protrusion 30 provided in the cavity 20, thereby preventing the disconnection. Further, by inserting the connector 10 into the mating connector, a connector terminal (not shown) of the mating connector is inserted into the cylindrical contact portion 40 of the crimp terminal 26, and each wire 16 is electrically connected to the mating connector. It has become so. The crimp terminal 26 is integrally formed using various metal materials that are conductive and can be pressed or punched, such as brass, copper, copper alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or the like. . In addition, on the slightly rear side of the wire crimping portion 38, an expansion portion 44 having a substantially circular cross-section and a flat plate shape is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 16 in a rear view that protrudes over the entire circumference. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, most of the rear cavity opening 14 is covered with the inflating portion 44.

  Next, a method of manufacturing the connector-attached wire harness 12 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, an electric wire 16 cut to a desired length is prepared. In the electric wire 16, a core wire 34 obtained by bundling a plurality of metal wires such as copper, aluminum and other conductors is an insulating coating 32 having an electrical insulation property such as a synthetic resin material such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride) having thermoplasticity. It is a covered structure. Next, the insulation coating 32 on the tip end side of the electric wire 16 of the electric wire 16 is slightly peeled to expose the core wire 34. Then, by pulling the insulating coating 32 toward the rear end side (right side in FIG. 3) while holding the exposed core wire 34, as shown in FIG. While the insulation coating 32 is peeled off and the core wire 34 is exposed, the peeled insulation coating 32 is bundled on the opposite side to the crimp terminal 26 connected to the exposed core wire 34 without being cut. The bundled insulating coatings 32 are formed by heat treatment, so that a substantially annular expanded portion 44 is formed when viewed in the axial direction. Note that the inflating portion 44 is provided slightly behind (on the right side in FIG. 3) the tip of the insulating coating 32.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3C, the core wire 34 is attached to the core wire crimping portion 36 of the crimp terminal 26, and the tip end portion of the electric wire 16 from which the core wire 34 is exposed is crimped to the crimp terminal 26. By crimping the portion 38, the electric wire 16 is fixed and connected to the crimp terminal 26. The crimp terminals 26 to which the electric wires 16 are connected in this way are inserted from the rear of the rear cavity opening 14 of the connector housing 18 and inserted into the six cavities 20, respectively. The expansion part 44 provided slightly behind the crimping part 38 is accommodated and held in a state where the rear side cavity opening part 14 of the connector housing 18 is covered. Thereby, manufacture of the wire harness 12 with a connector is completed.

  According to such a waterproof structure of the wire harness with connector 12 according to the present embodiment, the rear side cavity opening portion 14 that is concerned about water entering from the outside transmitted through the electric wire 16 is provided in the electric wire terminal of the electric wire 16. Covered by the inflating portion 44. Therefore, even if a water droplet reaches the vicinity of the rear cavity opening 14 through the electric wire 16 from the outside, the inflating portion 44 prevents the water droplet from entering the rear cavity opening 14. The waterproof performance can be further improved. Moreover, since the rear side cavity opening part 14 is only covered with the expansion part 44 provided in the electric wire terminal of the electric wire 16, the change of the shape of a conventional connection terminal or a connector, or enlargement are required at all. In addition, a simple waterproof structure can be imparted to any wire harness with a connector. Therefore, for example, by applying the waterproof structure of the present invention to a wire harness with a connector using an aluminum electric wire disposed in a vehicle compartment, the waterproof property of the wire harness with a connector can be improved easily and reliably. Moreover, according to the present embodiment, since the inflating portion 44 is formed using the insulating coating 32 of the electric wire 16, a new member is unnecessary and the cost can be reduced.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the waterproof structure of the connector-attached wire harness 46 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment are attached, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In this embodiment, the expanded portion 48 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape similar to that of the rear cavity opening 14 in the rear view as compared with the above embodiment. An embodiment different from the above-described embodiment is shown in that the cover is completely covered visually.

  In this embodiment, since the rear side cavity opening 14 is completely covered with the expansion part 48 in the rear view, the waterproof performance can be further improved as compared with the above embodiment. Moreover, since the expansion part 48 has a similar shape to the rear cavity opening 14, the rear cavity opening 14 can be covered with the expansion part 48 more efficiently, and the waterproof performance can be effectively improved. Can be secured. Moreover, since the shape of the rear cavity opening 14 and the expanding portion 48 is substantially rectangular, the expanding portions 48 overlap each other between the adjacent rear cavity openings 14 to form the rear cavity opening 14. It is possible to advantageously prevent the occurrence of a problem that the cover cannot be sufficiently covered by the inflatable portion 48.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail, this invention is not limited by the specific description. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of the expanding portions 44 and 48 is a substantially circular flat plate shape or a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. However, water droplets that reach the vicinity of the rear cavity opening 14 through the electric wire 16 from the outside are rearward. Any shape that prevents entry into the side cavity opening 14 may be used, and any shape such as a spherical shape or a block shape may be employed.

10: Connector, 12, 46: Wire harness with connector, 14: Rear cavity opening, 16: Electric wire, 20: Cavity, 26: Crimp terminal (connection terminal), 32: Insulation coating, 34: Core wire, 44, 48 : Expansion part

Claims (3)

The connection terminals connected to the wire terminals of the plurality of wires constituting the wire harness are accommodated and held in the plurality of cavities provided in the connector, respectively, and the plurality of wires are connected to the rear cavity opening of the connector. It is a waterproof structure of a wire harness with a connector that protrudes outward,
The insulation coating is peeled off at the wire end of each electric wire to expose the core wire, and the connection terminal is connected to the core wire, while the peeled insulation coating is not cut off and the connection is made An inflatable portion that is bundled on the opposite side of the terminal and protrudes over the entire circumference on the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire is formed, and the rear side cavity opening is covered with the inflatable portion. Waterproof structure for wire harness with connector.   The waterproof structure for a wire harness with a connector according to claim 1, wherein the rear cavity opening is completely covered with the expansion portion in a rear view.   The waterproof structure of the wire harness with a connector according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable portion has a shape similar to the rear cavity opening in a rear view.