JP3106894B2 - Panel mounting connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a panel mounting connector, and more particularly, to a panel mounting connector having a bolt penetrating a housing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector shown in FIG. 4 is known as this type of panel mounting connector. This panel mounting connector includes a cylindrical inner connector 2 that is mounted from the inside to a through hole 1 a of a panel 1,
And an outer connector 3 attached from the outside of the panel 1 toward the inside. The outer connector 3 includes a connector housing 4 for holding terminal fittings, a grommet 5 as a sealing member for covering the connector housing 4, and a grommet cover 6 for covering the grommet 5.
And a bolt 7 that penetrates the outer connector 3 and is screwed to the inner connector 2.

The inside connector 2 is mounted in the through hole 1a from inside the panel 1, and the outside connector 3 is inserted into the inside connector 2 from outside. Then, the terminal fittings held by the connector housing 4 and the terminal fittings held by the inner connector 2 are fitted and connected to each other, and the grommet cover 6 abuts the peripheral edge of the grommet 5 on the peripheral edge of the through hole 1 a in the panel 1. To form a watertight surface. This achieves connection and waterproofing.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional panel mounting connector has the following problems. Although the outer connector 3 is exposed to raindrops outside, a watertight surface is formed between the grommet 5 and the panel 1 to form the through-hole 1.
Although the raindrop is prevented from entering from a, only the metal bolt 7 is exposed. The bolt 7 is easily scratched by a wrench when tightened, and rusts when exposed to raindrops.

[0005] The bolt 7 is held by the outer connector 3 with its head protruding. Such a panel mounting connector is often installed in a narrow place, and the periphery of the through hole 1a is not a space with a sufficient margin, so that it may be inserted into the through hole 1a. If the panel 1 is thin, when the metal collides with each other, the peripheral edge of the through-hole 1a is dented, and a gap may be formed between the panel 1 and the grommet 5 to prevent waterproofing. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a panel mounting connector capable of preventing damage to a panel while preventing generation of rust.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a bolt penetrating a housing, and when the bolt is mounted in a through hole formed in a panel, the bolt penetrates through the housing. A panel mounting connector for inserting and tightening and fixing the bolt while closing the hole, forming a watertight surface with the panel surface and waterproofing, wherein the housing is provided via a hinge portion and the hinge portion is provided. Bend
While having a bolt cover that can be covered to fall down on the bolt side and seal the bolt , the bolt cover
Adjacent to the projecting end of the bolt cover from the periphery
A guide rib having a gradually protruding inclined surface;
Further, the hinge portion is provided with the guide ribs sandwiching the bolt.
Is provided on the opposite side.

[0007]

[0008]

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the panel mounting connector is mounted in the through hole formed in the panel, a bolt is inserted and tightened while closing the through hole with the housing. It is fixed and a water-tight surface is formed between the panel and the panel surface for waterproofing. At this time, the bolt is covered with a bolt cover of the housing and sealed.

Further , the guide rib adjacent to the bolt cover is formed with an inclined surface that gradually projects from the periphery toward the projecting end of the bolt cover. Of the bolt cover along the inclined surface so as to escape without contacting the bolt cover.

[0011]

[0012]

As described above, the present invention can provide a panel mounting connector which can cover and secure a bolt and prevent rust and damage to the panel. In addition, the slope of the guide ribs causes the peripheral edge of the panel to run away with the tip of the bolt being grazed, so that the peripheral edge of the bolt cover comes into contact with the corner of the top edge of the bolt and cannot be caught.

[0013]

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a panel mounting connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The panel mounting connector includes an inner connector 20 mounted from the inside and an outer connector 30 mounted from the outside with respect to the panel 10 having the through hole 11 formed therein.
A connector housing 40 for holding a terminal fitting, a grommet 50 covering the outer surface of the connector housing 40 and abutting against the panel surface around the periphery thereof;
And a grommet cover 60 that covers the outer surface of the grommet 50 and presses the peripheral edge of the grommet 50 around the panel 10 around the periphery. Then, a bolt 70 is penetrated from the outside of the outer connector 30 to the outer connector 30 and screwed to the inner connector 20 to fix them. That is, in the present embodiment, the inner connector 20 is inserted from the inside into the through hole 11 formed in the panel 10.
Is attached, and the through-hole 11 of the panel 10 is covered by attaching the outer connector 30 from the outside. Therefore, the outer connector 30 forms a lid, and the grommet 50 forms a sealing member.

In the figure, a bottomed cylindrical inner connector 20 is shown.
Has a plurality of terminal fitting accommodating chambers on the inner surface of the bottom surface, holds and holds the male terminal fittings in the terminal fitting accommodating chamber, and has a flange 21 at a portion of the outer peripheral surface near the opening end. It is formed. The open end has a shape that can be inserted into the through-hole 11 of the panel 10, and the upper piece at the open end is provided with a fixing protrusion 22 that protrudes outward, and the lower piece at the open end is outwardly provided. A flexible lock arm 23 having a movable projection 23a is provided. The flange 21 is brought into contact with the inner side surface of the panel 10 while the fixing projection 22 is passed through the through hole 11, and the movable projection 23 a is passed through the through hole 11 to the outside while the lock arm 23 is flexed. Is the flange 2
1 is brought into contact with the inner side surface of the panel 10, and the fixed projection 22 and the movable projection 23 a are brought into contact with the outer side surface of the panel 10, so that the panel 10 is sandwiched and fixed.

The connector housing 4 of the outer connector 30
0 is a large number of terminal fitting accommodating chambers 4 accommodating female terminal fittings
1a and the outer shape of the inner connector 20
It comprises a base 41 formed so as to be inserted into the inside thereof, and a cap 42 covering the rear side (the lower right direction in the figure) of the base 41. The base 41 is provided with a separate cylindrical body 41 b at a portion where the bolt 70 penetrates, and the cap 42 is attached to the base 41.
Upper cap 42 which is slidably engaged with and fixed to
a and a lower cap 42b. In addition,
On the back surface of the upper cap 42a, a through hole 42a1 is formed to face the cylindrical body 41b and allow the bolt 70 to pass therethrough.

The grommet 50 serving as a sealing member is made of rubber and has elasticity, and is formed in a substantially dish shape so as to cover from the back side to the side surface of the outer connector 30.
The lip 51 at the periphery is formed so as to protrude toward the panel 10. A step portion 51c is formed on the back side of the lip 51, and the grommet cover 60 that covers the grommet 50 from the back side to the side surface comes into contact with the step portion 51c from the back side at the peripheral edge tip. It has become. The grommet 50 is formed with a tubular portion 52 that opens to face the rear opening of the lower cap 42b, and the grommet cover 60 correspondingly has a through hole 61 through which the tubular portion 52 penetrates. Is formed. The lower side of the through hole 61 is a door 62a, 62b that can be opened and closed like a double door through a hinge, and the through hole 61 is formed when the doors 62a, 62b are closed. On the other hand, the connector housing 40
Pressing shafts 43 projecting upward and downward, respectively, so as to penetrate both the grommet 50 and the grommet cover 60 at the upper rear end and the lower rear end of the cap 42.
a and 43b are formed. Through holes 53a and 53b corresponding to the holding shafts 43a and 43b are formed in the grommet 50,
The grommet cover 60 has through holes 63a and 63b.

The grommet 50 and the grommet cover 60 are formed with through holes 54 and 64 through which the bolts 70 can pass. On the outer surface of the grommet cover 60, a rectangular cap-shaped cross section is formed adjacent to the through hole 64. Bolt cover 6
5 is formed. The bolt cover 65 is integrally formed via a flaky hinge portion 65a formed on one side of the opening end. The bolt cover 65 bends the hinge portion 65a and falls down from the concave surface side to the through hole 64 side to form the through hole. 64 can be closed.

Similarly, a triangular guide rib 66 is formed on the outer surface of the grommet cover 60 on the side opposite to the bolt cover 65 in the through hole 64. Guide rib 66
Is the most prominent on the side close to the through hole 64 and the inclined surface 6 flush with the outer surface of the grommet cover 60 on the opposite side.
6a. Also, the side wall 65 of the bolt cover 65
b, a vertical wall 66b is provided parallel to the vertical wall 66b, the side wall 65b has an engaging projection 65b1, and the vertical wall 66b has an engaging hole 66b.
When the bolt cover 65 is closed by forming b1, the concave and convex can be engaged with each other.

In the present embodiment, the bolt cover 65 is formed in a square cap shape. However, other shapes such as a dish shape having a circular cross section can be used as long as the top of the bolt 70 can be covered. . Also, the grommet cover 60
The connecting portion is formed so as to be rotatable around a single axis by a flaky hinge portion 65a formed over one side, but it may be freely bent by a lace-like thin piece. The concave-convex engagement mechanism only needs to be able to hold the bolt cover 65 in a state where the through-hole 64 is closed. It can also be inserted into and fixed to. In this case, the bolt cover 6
It is difficult for water to enter the inside 5, and furthermore, generation of rust can be prevented. When the bolt cover 65 seals the top of the bolt 70, it does not necessarily have to form a watertight surface. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the sprayed raindrops from adhering, and it is possible to sufficiently suppress the generation of rust.

In this embodiment, the guide rib 66 is formed separately from and adjacent to the bolt cover 65.
It is sufficient that the bolt cover 65 does not suddenly protrude from the outer surface of the grommet cover 60 . If it is a separate body, it is not necessary for the bolt cover 65 to withstand the impact when the guide rib 66 hits the periphery of the through hole 11 of the panel 10, and it will not be opened by the impact. The shape of the inclined surface 66a may be any shape as long as it protrudes gently, and if the inclined surface 66a is formed, it may be the end surface of a plate-like rib, or the surface of the grommet cover 60 may be raised by raising the outer surface. May be formed.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. The grommet 50 and the grommet cover 60 are mounted on the back of the connector housing 40, and the outer connector 30 is assembled. Inside connector 2 for panel 10
0 is fixed, and the outer connector 30 is inserted into the cylindrical opening of the inner connector 20 from the front end side. Thereafter, the through-hole 64 of the grommet cover 60, the through-hole 54 of the grommet 50, the through-hole 42a1 of the upper cap 42a, and the cylinder 41b are penetrated from the back side of the outer connector 30 with bolts 70, and the inner connector 20 Screw into the nut fixed inside. As the bolts 70 are tightened, the connector housing 40 is attracted to the inner connector 20, and the holding shafts 43 a and 43 b of the connector housing 40 abut the through holes 63 a and 63 b of the grommet cover 60 and are pulled in the direction of the panel 10. Try to. The grommet cover 60 is pressed against the panel 10 from the back of the grommet 50 as a sealing member,
The lip 51 is pressed against the panel 10 to form a watertight surface.

After the bolt 70 is tightened, the bolt cover 65 is bent toward the through hole 64 by bending the hinge portion 65a to cover the bolt 70 so as to cover the top of the bolt 70. When the bolt cover 65 is lowered, the engagement protrusion 65 on the side wall 65b is moved.
b1 is an engagement hole 6 formed in a vertical wall 66b of the guide rib 66.
6b1 and is fixed in a cover state by engaging the concave and convex. FIGS. 2 and 4 show before and after the bolt cover 65 covers the top of the bolt 70 so as to seal it.

Since the top of the bolt 70 is closed by the bolt cover 65, the bolt 70 is protected even if some raindrops adhere to the outer connector 30. Also, if the top of the bolt 70 is covered with the bolt cover 65 in the assembling process, the bolt 70 is exposed when the outer connector 30 is obliquely inserted into the through hole 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the panel 10 from directly abutting on the bolt 70 and prevent the panel 10 from being damaged due to metal abutting.

As described above, after the outer connector 30 is tightened and fixed to the inner connector 20 mounted in the through hole 11 of the panel 10 by the bolt 70, the grommet cover 60 is fixed.
By sealing and covering the top of the bolt 70 so as to cover the top of the bolt 70 with the bolt cover 65 formed on the
While preventing rusting of the panel 10, it is possible to prevent the panel 10 from directly contacting and damaging the panel 10.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a panel mounting connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an outer connector.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an outer connector.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional panel mounting connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Panel 11 ... Through-hole 20 ... Inner connector 30 ... Outer connector 40 ... Connector housing 50 ... Grommet 60 ... Grommet cover 64 ... Through-hole 65 ... Bolt cover 65a ... Hinge part 65b ... Side wall 65b1 ... Engagement protrusion 66 ... Guide rib 66a: inclined surface 66b: vertical wall 66b1: engagement hole 70: bolt

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mounting device comprising a bolt penetrating a housing, wherein the bolt is inserted and tightened and fixed while closing the through hole in the housing when the bolt is mounted in a through hole formed in the panel. A panel mounting connector for forming a water-tight surface between them to waterproof, wherein the housing is provided via a hinge portion.
While having a covering capable bolt cover to seal the bolt by tilting to the bolt side deflected di portion, the ball
Of the bolt cover from the periphery adjacent to the bolt cover
Guide ribs with inclined surfaces that gradually project toward the end
And the hinge portion sandwiches the bolt.
A panel mounting connector provided on the opposite side of the guide rib .