JP6595353B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector having a cylindrical piping member and a cylindrical housing that can receive the distal end side of the piping member from one axial direction.

  In automobile vehicles, a fuel supply pipe that supplies fuel in the fuel tank to the engine side, a fuel return pipe that returns excess fuel on the engine side to the fuel tank side, and evaporative fuel in the fuel tank is led to the canister An evaporative fuel lead-out pipe is provided. As a connector for connecting these pipes on the fuel tank side and the engine side or the canister side, a cylindrical pipe member, a cylindrical housing that receives the tip side of the pipe member from one side in the axial direction, and a pipe It is common to have a member and a retainer that locks the housing in the axial direction (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-2111814

  However, in the connector described in Patent Document 1, since the piping member and the housing are relatively rotatable in the connected state, they are rotated by an input of vehicle vibration or the like, and the O-ring for holding the airtightness is slid. There is a risk that airtightness may be lost due to dynamic wear. In order to prevent this, a mechanism for suppressing relative rotation, such as fixing the piping member or the housing to the vehicle body side, is necessary.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress relative rotation of the piping member and the housing when the piping member and the housing are locked in the axial direction by the retainer. To provide a connector.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a cylindrical piping member, a cylindrical housing that receives the distal end side of the piping member from one axial direction, and an inner peripheral surface of the housing are arranged. A ring-shaped elastic member that is formed on the housing and restricts movement of the elastic member in the other axial direction, a flange that is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piping member and protrudes radially outward, A passage wall that is formed in a housing and is disposed at an interval in one axial direction with the flange in a state in which the piping member is received in the housing, and defines a passage in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction together with the flange; At least a part is inserted into the passage from outside the piping member and the housing, and the first retainer portion is disposed on the other axial side in the passage and is disposed on the one axial side. A retainer having a second retainer portion, and a slide mechanism that slides the first retainer portion in the axial direction along with the movement of the second retainer portion in the passage in the insertion direction. When the first retainer portion is slid in the other axial direction, the first retainer portion is sandwiched between the flange and the restricting portion and compressed in the axial direction, and expands in the radial direction to closely contact the piping member and the housing. A connector is provided.

  According to this connector, when connecting the piping member and the housing, first, the distal end side of the piping member is received by the housing from one side in the axial direction. Thus, a passage into which the retainer can be inserted is defined by the flange of the piping member and the passage wall of the housing. In this state, the retainer is inserted into the passage from the outside of the piping member and the housing. As the second retainer portion moves in the insertion direction, the first retainer portion is slid in the other axial direction. And the flange of a piping member is pushed in to the other axial direction side by the 1st retainer part, an elastic member is pinched | interposed by a flange and a control part, is compressed to an axial direction, and expands to radial direction. Thereby, an elastic member closely_contact | adheres to a piping member and a housing, and the relative rotation of a piping member and a housing is suppressed.

  In the connector, the slide mechanism may include an inclined portion that is formed at an end portion on the insertion direction side of the first retainer portion and is inclined toward the second retainer portion side in the insertion direction.

  In the connector, the slide mechanism is formed in one of the first retainer part and the second retainer part and in the other of the first retainer part and the second retainer part and can be received in the recess. And a convex portion.

  According to the present invention, when the piping member and the housing are locked in the axial direction by the retainer, relative rotation between the piping member and the housing is also suppressed.

It is sectional drawing of the connector which shows one Embodiment of this invention, and the state in which the retainer was inserted in the channel | path is shown. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the principal part of a retainer. It is sectional drawing of a connector and shows the state by which the 2nd retainer part was inserted to the lock preparation position. It is sectional drawing of a connector and shows the state by which the 2nd retainer part was inserted to the lock position. It is a partial explanatory view of a retainer showing a modification. It is a partial explanatory view of a retainer showing a modification.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connector showing a state in which a retainer is inserted into a passage. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the retainer. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector showing a state where the second retainer portion is inserted to the lock preparation position, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the connector showing a state where the second retainer portion is inserted to the lock position.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 has a cylindrical housing 2 provided on the fuel tank side, and a cylindrical piping member 3 for sending the fuel in the fuel tank to the engine or canister. The housing 2 receives the distal end side of the piping member 3 from one axial direction.

  The housing 2 includes a first diameter portion 21, a second diameter portion 22 having a larger diameter than the first diameter portion 21, a third diameter portion 23 having a larger diameter than the second diameter portion, and a fourth diameter having a larger diameter than the third diameter portion 23. The diameter portion 24 is provided in this order from the other side in the axial direction. A pipe portion of the fuel tank is connected to the first diameter portion 21 of the housing 2. The inner diameter of the second diameter portion 22 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the piping member 3, and the piping member 3 can be inserted from the axial end of the housing 2 to the second diameter portion 22 without any trouble. The first step portion 25 is located at the boundary between the first diameter portion 21 and the second diameter portion 22, and the second step portion 26 is located at the boundary between the second diameter portion 22 and the third diameter portion 23. A third step portion 27 is formed at the boundary between the second diameter portion 24 and the fourth diameter portion 24. The housing 2 has a passage wall 28 that defines the passage P together with the flange 31 of the piping member 3 at the end on one axial side.

  A first O-ring 41, a first collar 42, a second O-ring 43, and a second collar 44 are arranged in this order from the other side in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface of the third diameter portion 23 of the housing 2. The first O-ring 41 and the second O-ring 43 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the piping member 3 in a state where the piping member 3 is received in the housing 2. The first O-ring 41 is kept airtight in the space formed by the second step portion 26, the third diameter portion 23, the first collar 42 and the piping member 3 of the housing 2. The second O-ring 43 is kept airtight in the space formed by the first collar 42, the third diameter portion 23, the second collar 44 and the piping member 3.

  A third O-ring 5 as an elastic member is disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the fourth diameter portion 24 of the housing 2. The material of the third O-ring 5 is arbitrary, and rubber materials such as nitrile rubber (NBR), natural rubber, fluorine rubber (FKM), and ethylene / propylene / diene rubber (EPDM) can be used. In the present embodiment, the third O-ring 5 is made of ethylene / propylene / diene rubber that is relatively inferior in oil resistance but relatively excellent in water resistance and strength because it is in contact with outside air and moisture but not in contact with fuel components. It is preferable. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the third O-ring 5 is formed so that the outer diameter of the third O-ring 5 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the fourth diameter portion 24 in a state where no load is applied to the third O-ring 5. The inner diameter of 5 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the piping member 3. As shown in FIG. 4, when the third O-ring 5 is compressed in the axial direction, the third O-ring 5 expands in the radial direction, comes into close contact with the housing 2 and the piping member 3, and inhibits their relative rotation. In the present embodiment, the third step portion 27 of the housing 2 forms a restricting portion that restricts the movement of the third O-ring 5 in the other axial direction.

  As for the piping member 3, the flange 31 which protrudes to a radial direction outer side is formed in the outer peripheral surface. The outer diameter of the flange 31 is smaller than the inner diameter of the fourth diameter portion 24 of the housing 2 and larger than the inner diameter of the third O-ring 5. That is, the flange 31 is in contact with the third O-ring 5 in a state where the piping member 3 is received in the housing 2. The flange 31 and the passage wall 28 define a passage P extending in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1).

  Moreover, the connector 1 has the retainer 6 inserted in the channel | path P from the exterior of the piping member 3 and the housing 2, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the retainer 6 includes a first retainer portion 7 disposed on the other axial side in the passage P and a second retainer portion 8 disposed on the one axial side. Further, the connector 1 includes a slide mechanism that slides the first retainer portion 7 in the other axial direction as the second retainer portion 8 moves in the passage P in the insertion direction.

  The first retainer portion 7 extends in the insertion direction of the retainer 6 and is parallel to each other across the central axis of the housing 2 and the piping member 3, and each main square column portion 71 and the other side in the axial direction. A plate connecting a pair of auxiliary square column parts 72 parallel to each main square column part 71 arranged at an interval, and an end part opposite to the insertion direction in each square column part 71 and each auxiliary square column part 72 And a shape portion 73. In the present embodiment, each main quadrangular column portion 71 is inserted into the passage P. An inclined portion 74 that is inclined toward the second retainer portion 8 toward the insertion direction is formed at the insertion direction side end portion of each main square column portion 71. In the present embodiment, each main square column portion 71 is longer in the insertion direction side than each auxiliary square column portion 72, and an inclined portion 74 is formed in this portion. Furthermore, the 1st retainer part 7 has the step-shaped part 75 which is continuously formed with each main square pillar part 71 inside each main square pillar part 71, and protrudes in the 2nd retainer part 8 side. Concave portions 76 are respectively formed on the surface of each main square column portion 71 on the second retainer portion 8 side and the surface of each stepped portion 75 on the second retainer portion 8 side. In the present embodiment, the recess 76 is formed in a semicircular cross section. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a claw 77 extending toward the central axis of the housing 2 and the piping member 3 is formed at the insertion direction side end portion of each main rectangular column portion 71. Each claw 77 is caught by the housing 2 when the housing 2 and the piping member 3 are connected. A similar claw may be formed at the insertion direction side end of each auxiliary quadrangular column 72.

  The second retainer portion 8 extends in the insertion direction of the retainer 6 and is parallel to each other across the central axis of the housing 2 and the piping member 3, and ends opposite to the insertion direction in each square column portion 81. Connecting portion 82 for connecting the portions. In the present embodiment, each rectangular column portion 81 is inserted into the passage P. An inclined portion 83 that is inclined in a direction away from the first retainer portion 7 in the insertion direction is formed at the insertion direction side end portion of each square column portion 81. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 83 of the second retainer portion 8 is the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 74 of the first retainer portion 7. Further, the second retainer portion 8 has a stepped portion 84 formed by cutting out the first retainer portion 7 side inside each main quadrangular prism portion 81. Convex portions 85 are formed on the first retainer portion 7 side surface of each main square column portion 81 and the stepped portion 84 on the first retainer portion 7 side surface. In the present embodiment, the convex portion 84 is formed in a semicircular cross section like the concave portion 76 of the first retainer portion 7.

  In the present embodiment, the slide mechanism includes the inclined portion 74 and the concave portion 76 of the first retainer portion 7 and the inclined portion 83 and the convex portion 85 of the second retainer portion 8.

A method for connecting the housing 2 and the piping member 3 in the connector 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, the distal end side of the piping member 3 is received in the housing 2 from one side in the axial direction. Accordingly, a passage P into which the retainer 6 can be inserted is defined by the flange 31 of the piping member 3 and the passage wall 28 of the housing 2.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 1, the retainer 6 is inserted into the passage P from the outside of the piping member 3 and the housing 2. At this time, each convex portion 85 of the second retainer portion 8 is received in each concave portion 76 of the first retainer portion 7, and the inclined portion 74 of the first retainer portion 7 and the inclined portion 83 of the second retainer portion 8 are surfaces. In the contacted state, the first retainer portion 7 and the second retainer portion 8 are integrally guided in the passage P.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the second retainer portion 8 is inserted to the lock preparation position RP, the plate-like portion 73 of the first retainer portion 7 abuts against the fourth diameter portion 24 of the housing 2, and the first retainer portion 7 is restricted from moving in the insertion direction. In this state, each claw 77 of the first retainer portion 7 is caught in a portion between the fourth diameter portion 24 and the passage wall 28 in the housing 2. At this time, although the second retainer portion 8 interferes with the first retainer portion 7, the first retainer portion 7 is allowed to move to the other side in the axial direction. The first retainer portion 7 can be pushed away to the other side in the axial direction and further moved in the insertion direction.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the second retainer portion 8 is further pushed in from the lock preparation position RP, the first retainer portion 7 is slid in the other axial direction as the second retainer portion 8 moves in the insertion direction. In the present embodiment, a force in the other axial direction is applied to the inclined portion 74 and the concave portion 76 of the first retainer portion 7 from the inclined portion 83 and the respective convex portions 85 of the second retainer portion 8. Thus, when the first retainer portion 7 slides, the flange 31 of the piping member 3 is pushed into the other side in the axial direction by the first retainer portion 7, and the third O-ring 5 is pushed by the flange 31 and the third step portion 27. It is sandwiched and compressed in the axial direction and expanded in the radial direction. Thereby, the 3rd O ring 5 adheres to the outer peripheral surface of piping member 3, and the inner peripheral surface of housing 2, and relative rotation of piping member 3 and housing 2 is controlled. At this time, the third O-ring 5 is in close contact with the third step portion 27 of the housing 2 and the flange 31 of the piping member 3 in the axial direction, and rotation is also suppressed by this. When the second retainer portion 8 is pushed to a predetermined lock position RC, the engaging portion engages with the housing 2.

  Here, when moving the 1st retainer part 7 to an axial direction, since the 1st retainer part 7 and the 2nd retainer 8 contact in the several location of each inclination part 74 and each convex part 85, it is the 2nd retainer. The first retainer portion 7 is not tilted by the force applied from the portion 8. In the present embodiment, although the inclined portion 74 is formed at the end of the first retainer portion 7 in the insertion direction, each convex portion 85 is formed separately from the inclined portion 74 on the opposite side to the insertion direction. Therefore, it is possible to accurately prevent the first retainer portion 7 from being tilted with respect to the insertion direction.

  According to the connector 1 configured as described above, when the piping member 3 and the housing 2 are locked in the axial direction by the retainer 6, relative rotation between the piping member 3 and the housing 2 is also suppressed. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a mechanism for suppressing the rotation of the piping member 3 and the housing 2, and the degree of freedom of piping layout is greatly improved. In addition, since rotation suppression is realized in the same work process as a conventionally known connector, the number of man-hours necessary for manufacturing an automobile vehicle or the like that requires piping can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the convex portion 76 of the first retainer portion 7 and the concave portion 85 of the second retainer portion 8 are formed in a semicircular cross section. However, the shape of the convex portion and the concave portion is arbitrary. For example, the cross section may be triangular as shown in FIG. 5, or the cross section may be trapezoidal as shown in FIG. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the convex part 76 was formed in the 1st retainer part 7, and the recessed part 85 was formed in the 2nd retainer part 8, the recessed part was formed in the 1st retainer part 7, A convex portion may be formed on the second retainer portion 8.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, as a slide mechanism, what contains both the inclination part 74 of the 1st retainer part 7, and the convex part 76 and the recessed part 85 of the 1st retainer part 7 and the 2nd retainer part 8 is shown. However, even if it is any one, it is possible to move the 1st retainer part 7 to an axial direction. Furthermore, as long as the slide mechanism moves the first retainer portion 7 in the other axial direction, the configuration of the slide mechanism can be arbitrarily changed.

  While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, it should be noted that not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2 Housing 3 Piping member 5 3rd O-ring 6 Retainer 7 1st retainer part 8 2nd retainer part 27 3rd step part 28 Passage wall 31 Flange 74 Inclined part 76 Concave part 85 Convex part P Passage

Claims (3)

A cylindrical pipe member;
A cylindrical housing that receives the tip side of the piping member from one axial direction;
A ring-shaped elastic member disposed along the inner peripheral surface of the housing;
A restricting portion that is formed in the housing and restricts movement of the elastic member in the other axial direction;
A flange formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piping member and protruding radially outward;
A passage wall that is formed in the housing and that is spaced apart from the flange in one axial direction in a state where the piping member is received in the housing, and that defines a passage in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction together with the flange; ,
At least a part of the piping member and the housing from the outside is inserted into the passage, and includes a first retainer portion disposed on the other axial side in the passage and a second retainer portion disposed on the one axial side. A retainer,
A slide mechanism that slides the first retainer portion in the axial direction along with the movement of the second retainer portion in the passage in the insertion direction;
When the first retainer portion is slid in the other axial direction, the elastic member is sandwiched between the flange and the restriction portion and compressed in the axial direction, and expands in the radial direction to expand the piping member and the A connector that closely contacts the housing.   2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism includes an inclined portion that is formed at an end portion on the insertion direction side of the first retainer portion and is inclined toward the second retainer portion side in the insertion direction.   The slide mechanism includes a concave portion formed in one of the first retainer portion and the second retainer portion, and a convex portion formed in the other of the first retainer portion and the second retainer portion and receivable in the concave portion. The connector according to claim 1, comprising:

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