JP7093452B1 - Automotive connector unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-vehicle connector unit having a structure capable of withstanding water and being inexpensive to be configured. An in-vehicle connector unit attached to a partition wall separating a vehicle interior side and a vehicle body side has a tubular portion 41, a case 40 having a front plate portion 42 located at the front end of the tubular portion 41, and a tubular portion. The circuit board 50 housed in the section 41, the interface connector 60 mounted on the circuit board 50 and connected to the connector of the electronic device on the passenger compartment side, the rear cover 70 that closes the rear end of the tubular portion 41, and the rear surface. It includes an internal connector 80 that is held by the cover 70 and connected to the harness connector on the vehicle body side. The front plate portion 42 is provided with an opening 43 in which the interface connector 60 faces the passenger compartment side, and a drain hole 46 leading to the internal space of the tubular portion 41. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle connector unit that is attached to a vehicle and used.

FIG. 6 shows a USB port described in Patent Document 1 as a conventional example of this type of in-vehicle connector unit, and the USB port 10 is attached to an inner box of a motorcycle, and FIG. 7 shows. The state where the USB port 10 is attached to the back wall 20 of the inner box is shown. In FIG. 6, 30 indicates a USB plug of an external device such as a smartphone connected to the USB port 10.

The USB port 10 includes a base portion 11 as a mechanical joint for inserting and removing the USB plug 30 in the insertion / removal direction indicated by the arrow a, and a casing 12 that supports the base portion 11 and is fixed to the vehicle body side. The casing 12 is formed with a base holding portion 12a that covers the outer periphery of the base portion 11. The USB port 10 is arranged so that the port opening 11a at the tip of the base portion 11 faces downward when the vehicle is mounted, that is, the entire USB port 10 including the casing 12 is arranged so as to be inclined when the vehicle is mounted.

The casing 12 is provided with a flange 13, and is further provided with a hood 14 that is close to or abuts on the back surface of the back wall 20. The flange 13 is a water stop portion that guides the water transmitted through the casing 12 to the outside of the port opening 11a. Further, a coupler 15 is provided on the rear end side of the casing 12 so as to be able to connect a vehicle body side harness arranged on the vehicle body side.

The circuit board 16 is housed in the casing 12. The casing 12 has a shape in which the lower surface side portion is open when mounted on a vehicle, and the circuit board is filled by injecting the potting resin 17 into the casing 12 from the open portion on the lower surface side while accommodating the circuit board 16. 16 is hermetically sealed. The lower surface of the casing 12 when mounted on the vehicle is a potting surface 17a on which the potting resin 17 is exposed.

International release WO2019 / 187791

As described above, in the USB port 10 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the casing 12 containing the circuit board 16 is filled with the potting resin 17 to hermetically seal the circuit board 16.

However, the work of filling the casing 12 with the potting resin 17 in this way is troublesome and time-consuming, and the cost is increased accordingly.

In view of this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle connector unit having a structure capable of withstanding water (submersion in water, getting wet by being exposed to water) for in-vehicle use and capable of cost reduction as compared with the conventional case. It is in.

According to the present invention, the in-vehicle connector unit attached to the partition wall separating the vehicle interior side and the vehicle body side has a tubular portion, a case having a front plate portion located at the front end of the tubular portion, and a tubular portion. The housed circuit board, the interface connector mounted on the circuit board and connected to the connector of the electronic device on the passenger compartment side, the rear cover that closes the rear end of the tubular part, and the rear cover that is held by the rear cover on the vehicle body side. It is assumed that the front plate portion is provided with an opening for the interface connector to face the passenger compartment side and a drain hole leading to the internal space of the tubular portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an in-vehicle connector unit having a structure capable of withstanding water for in-vehicle use and which can be configured at a lower cost than in the past.

A is a side view showing an embodiment of an in-vehicle connector unit according to the present invention, B is a rear view thereof, and C is a perspective view thereof. An exploded perspective view of the vehicle-mounted connector unit shown in FIG. 1A. A is a plan view of the in-vehicle connector unit shown in FIG. 1A with the rubber cap removed, and B is a sectional view taken along line CC of A. A is a front view of the in-vehicle connector unit shown in FIG. 1A with the rubber cap removed, and B is a sectional view taken along line CC of A. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the in-vehicle connector unit shown in FIG. 1A is attached to a partition wall without showing the rubber cap. The perspective view which shows the conventional example of the in-vehicle connector unit. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a mounting state of the vehicle-mounted connector unit shown in FIG.

First, the water immersion of the in-vehicle connector unit used by being attached to the partition wall separating the passenger compartment side and the vehicle body side in the vehicle will be described.

Water from the vehicle body side is expected to be a large amount of water such as water rolled up by tires while driving and high-pressure washing water when washing the car, but such water from the vehicle body side is due to the presence of partition walls. Since it prevents intrusion into the passenger compartment side, it does not cause water to be flooded from the passenger compartment side. On the other hand, water ingress from the passenger compartment side is a phenomenon in which the driver spills drinking water and the frequency of occurrence is low, and even if it occurs, only a small amount of water is assumed.

As described above, there is a large difference between the water received from the vehicle body side and the water received from the passenger compartment side, and the in-vehicle connector unit according to the present invention takes this point into consideration.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted connector unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the vehicle-mounted connector unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 in an exploded manner.

In this example, the vehicle-mounted connector unit 100 is composed of a case 40, a circuit board 50, an interface connector 60, a rear cover 70, an internal connector 80, a rubber seal 90, a rubber cap 110, and a potting resin 120, and is a housing of the internal connector 80. In this example, the 81 is integrally formed with the rear cover 70. In FIG. 2, 82 indicates a terminal of the internal connector 80. The internal connector 80 connected to the harness connector on the vehicle body side has two terminals 82 in this example.

3B and 4B show the details of the cross-sectional structure of the in-vehicle connector unit 100 by omitting the illustration of the rubber cap 110.

The case 40 has a cylindrical portion 41 having a rectangular tubular shape, and a front plate portion 42 located at the front end of the tubular portion 41. An opening 43 is formed in the front plate portion 42, and an annular portion 44 surrounding the opening 43 is projected and formed on the plate surface of the front plate portion 42. Further, the front plate portion 42 is formed with mounting holes 45 on both the left and right sides sandwiching the annular portion 44, and similarly, drainage holes 46 are formed on both the left and right sides sandwiching the annular portion 44 at positions below the mounting holes 45. ing. These openings 43, mounting holes 45, and drain holes 46 all lead to the internal space of the tubular portion 41.

The housing 81 of the internal connector 80 has a cylindrical shape, and includes a fitting portion 81a to be fitted with the harness connector and a base portion 81b for covering the base end of the fitting portion 81a. The base portion 81b constitutes a part of the rear surface cover 70, and the fitting portion 81a protrudes rearward from the rear surface cover 70. Two terminal press-fitting holes 81c are formed in the base portion 81b.

The terminal 82 has an L-shaped bent shape, and a pair of protrusions 82a protruding on both sides in the width direction are formed on one side of the L-shape. One side of the terminal 82 is press-fitted into the terminal press-fitting hole 81c and is attached to the housing 81 as shown in FIGS. 1B, 3B and the like. On the other hand, the other side of the L-shape of the terminal 82 is inserted into the through hole 51 of the circuit board 50 and soldered and connected.

The terminal 82 of the internal connector 80 is connected to the circuit board 50 in this way, and the interface connector 60 is further mounted, and the circuit board 50 is housed in the tubular portion 41 of the case 40. The interface connector 60 connected to the connector of an electronic device such as a smartphone on the vehicle interior side is positioned so as to face the vehicle interior side through an opening 43 provided in the front plate portion 42 of the case 40. In this example, the interface connector 60 is a USB Type-A connector having a non-waterproof structure.

The rear end of the tubular portion 41 of the case 40 is covered by the rear cover 70. The rear cover 70 includes a plurality of protrusions 71 protruding on the outer peripheral surface, and the rear cover 70 is such that the protrusions 71 are fitted into the plurality of holes 47 provided in the tubular portion 41, respectively, and the tubular portion 41 is provided. It is attached so as to close the rear end.

In this example, an annular groove 72 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear cover 70, an annular rubber seal 90 is attached to the annular groove 72, and the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the tubular portion 41 and the outer periphery of the rear cover 70 are attached. The rubber seal 90 is sandwiched between the surface and the surface, and resin potting is applied to the portion where the terminal 82 of the internal connector 80 protrudes toward the vehicle body from the base 81b, and the terminal 82 is potted on the protruding portion. It is provided with the resin 120, which makes the watertight sealing of the rear end of the tubular portion 41, that is, the rear end of the case 40 more complete.

The rubber cap 110 covers the opening 43 of the front plate portion 42 of the case 40, and is provided with a pair of arm portions 112 on the back side of the lid portion 111. The rubber cap 110 is attached by inserting the arm portion 112 into each of the two mounting holes 45 of the front plate portion 42. Since the arm portion 112 is provided with a retaining portion 112a at the tip thereof, the rubber cap 110 is prevented from coming off by being caught by the retaining portion 112a on the front plate portion 42, and the length of the arm portion 112 is covered with rubber. The cap 110 can be pulled out toward the front, and the lid portion 111 can be displaced, for example, in the vertical direction by deformation (deflection) of the arm portion 112.

Therefore, when the vehicle-mounted connector unit 100 is not in use, the lid portion 111 can be pressed against the front plate portion 42 to cover the opening 43 facing the interface connector 60, and when the vehicle-mounted connector unit 100 is used, that is, on the vehicle interior side. When connecting the connector of the electronic device to the interface connector 60, the connector can be connected without removing the rubber cap 110 by pulling the lid 111 and, for example, moving it upward.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the above-mentioned in-vehicle connector unit 100 is attached to a partition wall 200 that separates the passenger compartment side and the vehicle body side of a motorcycle as an example, by omitting the illustration of the rubber cap 110. , Arrow R indicates the passenger compartment side, and arrow B indicates the vehicle body side.

The in-vehicle connector unit 100 is inserted into a mounting hole 210 provided in the partition wall 200 from the vehicle interior side, and the front plate portion 42 is closely attached to the partition wall 200 and mounted. The in-vehicle connector unit 100 attached to the partition wall 200 is in an inclined state as shown in FIG. 5, that is, the drain hole 46 is attached so that the opening on the passenger compartment side faces downward.

An embodiment of the vehicle-mounted connector unit according to the present invention and its mounting structure have been described above. However, since the rear end of the case 40 accommodating the circuit board 50 is watertightly sealed, water from the vehicle body side is a case. Since the water does not enter the case 40 from the rear end of the 40 and the water received from the vehicle body side is prevented from entering the vehicle interior side by the partition wall 200, the water received from the vehicle body side is the front end of the case 40 ( The circuit board 50 does not infiltrate into the case 40 from the front plate portion 42), and therefore the circuit board 50 is not submerged by water from the vehicle body side.

On the other hand, the front plate portion 42 of the case 40 has a drain hole 46 leading to the tubular portion 41 in which the circuit board 50 is housed, and the drain hole 46 is formed on the extension of the inner bottom surface of the tubular portion 41. Since the inner wall is located and the opening on the vehicle interior side is arranged so as to face downward when the vehicle is mounted on the vehicle, the water received from the vehicle interior side is well drained by the drain hole 46. Therefore, it is unlikely that the circuit board 50 will be submerged by a small amount of water from the passenger compartment side.

As described above, in this example, unlike the conventional waterproof structure in which the potting resin is injected and filled in the case and the circuit board is watertightly sealed against water from all directions, water is received from the vehicle body side. It has an appropriate water resistant structure that can protect the circuit board in consideration of the difference in the degree of water coverage from the passenger compartment side, and does not require troublesome and labor-intensive work of injecting and filling potting resin into the case. Therefore, the cost can be reduced accordingly.

In the above example, the rubber seal 90 is sandwiched between the rear end of the tubular portion 41 of the case 40 and the rear cover 70 to be watertightly sealed. However, if a watertight structure can be obtained without the rubber seal, the rubber seal is used. 90 is unnecessary. Further, in the internal connector 80, partial resin potting is performed in order to seal a gap that may occur between the terminal press-fit hole 81c and the terminal 82. For example, when the terminal 82 is insert-molded into the housing 81. Does not require the potting resin 120.

Further, although the housing 81 of the internal connector 80 is integrally formed with the rear cover 70, the internal connector 80 may be held by the rear cover 70 separately from the rear cover 70.

Although the interface connector 60 is a USB Type-A connector in the above example, a USB Type-C connector may be used or another connector may be used, and the type of the interface connector 60 is not particularly limited. In addition, the interface connector 60 may have either a non-waterproof structure or a waterproof structure, but a connector having a non-waterproof structure is advantageous in terms of cost.

Although the circuit board 50 is not submerged in water, the circuit board 50 may be coated with a moisture-proof coat from the viewpoint of water resistance. As the coating agent, for example, a room temperature type fluorine coating agent can be used, and a coating agent containing a resin such as urethane-based, acrylic-based, or silicon-based as a film component can also be used.

10 USB port 11 Mouthpiece part 11a Port opening 12 Casing 12a Mouthpiece holding part 13 Flange 14 Hood 15 Coupler 16 Circuit board 17 Potting resin 17a Potting surface 20 Back wall 30 USB plug 40 Case 41 Cylindrical part 42 Front plate part 43 Opening 44 Circular Part 45 Mounting hole 46 Drain hole 47 Hole 50 Circuit board 51 Through hole 60 Interface connector 70 Rear cover 71 Protrusion 72 Circular groove 80 Internal connector 81 Housing 81a Fitting part 81b Base 81c Terminal press-fit hole 82 Terminal 82a Protrusion 90 Rubber seal 100 In-vehicle Connector unit 110 Rubber cap 111 Cover 112 Arm 112a Retainer 120 Potting resin 200 Bulk partition 210 Mounting hole

Claims (6)

It is an in-vehicle connector unit that can be attached to the partition wall that separates the passenger compartment side and the vehicle body side.
A case having a tubular portion and a front plate portion located at the front end of the tubular portion, and a case.
The circuit board housed in the tubular part and
An interface connector mounted on the circuit board and connected to a connector of an electronic device on the passenger compartment side,
A rear cover that closes the rear end of the tubular portion,
It is provided with an internal connector that is held by the rear cover and connected to the harness connector on the vehicle body side.
An in-vehicle connector unit characterized in that the front plate portion is provided with an opening in which the interface connector faces the vehicle interior side and a drain hole leading to the internal space of the tubular portion. In the in-vehicle connector unit according to claim 1,
The housing of the internal connector is integrally formed with the rear cover.
Resin potting is applied to the portion where the terminal of the internal connector protrudes from the housing toward the vehicle body.
An in-vehicle connector unit characterized in that a rubber seal is arranged between the rear end of the tubular portion and the rear cover. In the in-vehicle connector unit according to claim 1 or 2.
An in-vehicle connector unit including a rubber cap for covering the opening. In the vehicle-mounted connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
An in-vehicle connector unit characterized in that the circuit board is coated with a moisture-proof coating. In the vehicle-mounted connector unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
An in-vehicle connector unit characterized in that the interface connector has a non-waterproof structure. In the vehicle-mounted connector unit according to claim 5,
An in-vehicle connector unit characterized in that the interface connector is a USB connector.

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