JP3250212B2 - Connector device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a connector device provided with a pressure sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a connector apparatus of this type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-212889. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this connector device includes a pressure sensor 1 integrated with a connector and a mating connector 2 fitted and connected thereto. Pressure sensor 1
Is a sensor section 4 having a diaphragm 3 therein, and a male tab 5 for outputting a signal from the sensor section 4 to the outside.
And a connector portion 6 having the same. An air chamber 7 is provided in the sensor section 4 so as to be adjacent to the diaphragm 3, and a ventilation hole 8 is opened in an outer side surface 4 </ b> A of the sensor section 4 to communicate the atmosphere chamber 7 with the outside air. Further, a hood 6A for surrounding and protecting the male tab 5 is formed in the connector portion 6.

On the other hand, a vent hole 8 is formed in the mating connector 2 at a position closer to the distal end than the main body 2A fitted with the hood 6A.
A protection cover 9 is provided for preventing water, dust, and the like from entering the airbag. The protective cover 9 has an annular shape capable of covering the entire periphery of the outer surface 4A in which the ventilation hole 8 is formed in the sensor section 4.

[0004]

In this type of connector device, in the pressure sensor, a vent for communicating the atmosphere chamber with the outside air and a hood for protecting the male tab are indispensable. Correspondingly, in the mating connector, a portion for protecting the opening of the ventilation hole and a portion for fitting to the hood are indispensable. However, in the conventional connector device, the ventilation hole 8 is connected to the pressure sensor 1.
Of the hood 6A, the protective cover 9 for protecting the ventilation hole 8 in the mating connector 2 must be extended beyond the main body 2A to be fitted with the hood 6A. Part 2A and protective cover 9
Are arranged in the axial direction, the size of the mating connector 2 becomes large, and there is a problem that it cannot be used as a general-purpose connector. In addition, the protective cover 9 is used only for the purpose of protecting the ventilation hole 8, and therefore, the manufacturing cost of the connector device is high.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector device capable of reducing the size of a mating side fitted to a connector-integrated pressure sensor and manufacturing it at low cost. I do.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is a connector-integrated pressure sensor having a signal output terminal of a pressure sensor protruding into a protective hood; the signal output a connector device comprising a mating connector having a connection terminal connectable to the terminal, the said pressure within the sensor therein provided with a fitting exterior hood which is engaged within the outer hood
Ventilation holes are provided to allow the provided air chamber to communicate with the outside air.
The protective hood is attached to the mating connector.
A connection protrusion that can be fitted inside the
A waterproof ring is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the
The inside of the protective hood is a waterproof room partitioned from the outside, and
The pores are located outside the waterproof room in the protective hood.
It is characterized by being open to the part covered by the packaging hood
Having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a vent hole is opened at a front end surface of the protective hood.

[0008]

[0009]

[0010]

According to the configuration of the first aspect , when the outer hood is fitted to the outside of the protective hood, the signal output terminal in the protective hood and the connection terminal in the outer hood are connected, A ventilation hole opened in a portion of the protective hood covered by the outer hood is covered and protected by the outer hood.

As described above, since the exterior hood functions not only as a fitting portion to the protective hood but also as a protective portion for the ventilation hole, the conventional hood in which the two function achieving elements are arranged in the axial direction. As compared with, the mating connector for the connector-integrated sensor can be downsized, and can be used as a general-purpose connector. Further, since the protective cover itself is eliminated as compared with the related art, the phase separation and the entire connector device can be manufactured at low cost.

When the connector device is fitted, the waterproof ring is crushed between the inner peripheral surface of the protective hood and the outer peripheral surface of the connection projection, and the inside of the protective hood is separated from the outside, so that the waterproof chamber is highly airtight. And the signal output terminal and the connection terminal are connected in the waterproof room. Here, since the position where the vent hole is opened is outside the waterproof room, air can enter and exit the vent hole, and since the vent hole is covered by the exterior hood, water and dust cannot enter and exit. . Thus,
The waterproofing of the connecting portion of the two terminals and the protection of the ventilation hole are performed in an appropriate state.

According to the second aspect, since the position where the ventilation hole is open and has a front end surface of the protective hood and fitted with protective hood exterior hood opening portion of the vent of the outer hood top The whole of the fitting gap between the exterior hood and the protective hood is located between the ventilation hole and the outside of the connector device at the back. This makes it possible to effectively prevent water and dust from entering the ventilation hole from outside the connector device by making full use of the fitting gap.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a connector-integrated pressure sensor (hereinafter, simply referred to as “sensor 10”).
Is shown. Male connector housing 11 provided in sensor 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as “male housing 11”)
Has a pressure sensor portion (not shown) at one end and a bottomed cylindrical protective hood 12 at the other end, and a signal output terminal 13 connected to the pressure sensor portion in the protective hood 12. Is projected. The pressure sensor is
The pressure in the space to be measured is compared with the pressure in the atmosphere. In order to bring a predetermined portion of the pressure sensor into an atmospheric pressure state, an air chamber 15 is provided inside the male housing 11 adjacent to the pressure sensor. The atmosphere chamber 15 is communicated with the outside of the male housing 11 through a vent hole 30 to be in an atmospheric pressure state. The ventilation hole 30 penetrates the protection hood 12 along the fitting direction, and an opening 31 of the ventilation hole 30 opens in the distal end surface 18 of the protection hood 12.

A mating connector 20 connectable to the sensor 10 is shown on the right side of FIG. A female connector housing 21 (hereinafter simply referred to as “female housing 21”) provided in the mating connector 20 is formed with an external hood 22 that can be fitted to the outside of the protective hood 12 of the sensor 10. A connection projection 24 that fits inside the protective hood 12 and accommodates a connection terminal 26 that can be connected to the signal output terminal 13 of the sensor 10 is formed on the inner rear surface 23 in a protruding manner. A waterproof ring 25 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface on the base end side of the connection protrusion 24. When the sensor 10 and the mating connector 20 are fitted, the terminals are connected to each other, and the waterproof ring 25 is attached to the protective hood 12. The inner peripheral surface is crushed and the connection space between the terminals is sealed in a waterproof state.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described. When the mating connector 20 is inserted into the sensor 10 as far as the outer hood 22 is put on the outer side of the protective hood 12 of the sensor 10, as shown in FIG. The inside connection terminal 26 is connected, and the opening / outlet 31 of the ventilation hole 30 is covered with the exterior hood 22 to be protected. That is, the exterior hood 22 functions not only as a fitting portion with the protection hood 12 but also as a protection portion for the ventilation hole 30. Thereby, the mating connector 20 can be downsized as compared with a conventional one in which two function achieving elements are arranged in the axial direction. Further, since the protective cover itself is eliminated as compared with the related art, the entire connector device can be manufactured at a lower cost. In addition, due to the removal of the protective cover itself,
It is also possible to use the mating connector 20 as a general-purpose connector, whereby the production amount can be increased and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The waterproof ring 25 is crushed between the inner peripheral surface of the protective hood 12 and the outer peripheral surface of the connection projection 24, and the interior of the protective hood 12 is partitioned from the outside, so that a complete waterproof chamber 28 with high airtightness is provided. (See FIG. 2), and both terminals 13, 2
6 is connected inside the waterproof room 28. On the other hand, the opening exit 31 of the ventilation hole 30 is located at the distal end face 18 of the protective hood 12 and is outside the waterproof room 28, so that air can freely enter and exit the ventilation hole 30. In addition, since the distal end surface 18 of the protective hood 12 is located at the innermost portion of the exterior hood 22 in a state where the fitting is completed, the exterior surface of the connector 30 is provided between the ventilation hole 30 opened in the distal end surface 18 and the outside of the connector device. The entire fitting gap 35 between the hood 22 and the protective hood 12 is interposed.

Here, for example, when the temperature in the atmosphere chamber 15 rises, the expanded air flows through the ventilation hole 30 and the fitting gap 3.
5, the pressure inside the atmosphere chamber 15 is always maintained at the atmospheric pressure. When water is applied to the connector device, the water must pass through the above-described fitting gap 35 in order for the water to enter the vent hole 30. However, if it is not a gas such as air, it is difficult to pass through a long distance of the entire fitting gap 35. Also, even if water passes through the fitting gap 35, the water does not enter there, since the connection portion of the terminals 13, 26 is completely separated from the outside by the waterproof ring 25. Thus, the waterproofing of the connection between the two terminals and the protection of the ventilation hole 30 are performed in a suitable state. As described above, the connector device of the present embodiment can reduce the size of the mating connector and reduce the manufacturing cost, and is excellent in the waterproofness of the connection portion between the terminals and the function of protecting the ventilation hole.

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
In addition to the following, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

(1) In the present embodiment, the opening 31 of the ventilation hole 30 is provided on the distal end face 18 of the protective hood 12. However, if it is a position covered by the exterior hood 22, for example,
An opening outlet 31 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protective hood 12.

(2) In this embodiment, the connecting projection 2
4, the waterproof ring 25 is provided, but the present invention may be applied to a connector device not provided with a waterproof ring. (3) In the present embodiment, the connector device that can use the mating connector 20 as a general-purpose connector is exemplified. However, the mating connector cannot be used as a general-purpose connector in the connector device according to the present invention. Some sensors can be used only in combination with a shape sensor. However, if the connector can be used as a general-purpose connector as in the above-described embodiment, the production amount of the mating connector can be increased and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the fitted state.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a conventional connector device.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the fitted state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Sensor 12 ... Protective hood 13 ... Signal output terminal 15 ... Atmosphere chamber 20 ... Material connector 22 ... Exterior hood 24 ... Connection projection 25 ... Waterproof ring 26 ... Connection terminal 28 ... Waterproof room 30 ... Vent hole 31 ... Opening exit 35 ... Gap

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connector integrated pressure sensor having a signal output terminal of a pressure sensor protruding into a protective hood, and an external hood fitted outside the protective hood, and the signal output terminal provided in the external hood. And a mating connector provided with a connection terminal connectable to the pressure sensor , wherein an air chamber provided therein is provided inside the pressure sensor.
Vents are provided for communication with the
The hand side connector has a contact that can be fitted inside the protective hood.
A connecting protrusion is provided, and on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting protrusion.
Is provided with a waterproof ring so that the inside of the protective hood is separated from the outside.
And the ventilation hole is provided with the protective hood.
A portion covered by the exterior hood outside the waterproof room
A connector device characterized by being open to the minute . 2. The connector device according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation hole is opened at a front end surface of the protective hood.