JP7409340B2 - Protective cover for connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a protective cover for a connector.

Conventionally, in order to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of the connector through the opening of the connector having a cylindrical outer circumferential wall that covers the terminal, a connector for use as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, has been used. A protective cover is attached to the connector. The connector protective cover covers the opening of the connector and is removably attached to the outer peripheral wall of the connector.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-273745

By the way, in such a connector protective cover, it is desired to suppress the connector protective cover from unintentionally falling off from the connector. Furthermore, it is desired that the connector be easily attached to and removed from the connector.

A protective cover for a connector that solves the above problems is a protective cover for a connector that covers an opening of a connector having a cylindrical outer peripheral wall that covers a terminal and is removably attached to the outer peripheral wall, the cover having a cylindrical outer peripheral wall that covers a terminal. The cover body includes a pair of first elastic support parts that are in close contact with the outer circumferential wall in an elastically deformed state and face each other with the connector in between, and a pair of first elastic support parts that are in close contact with the outer circumferential wall in an elastically deformed state and that are in close contact with the outer circumferential wall in an elastically deformed state. a pair of second elastic support parts that are in close contact with the first elastic support part, are provided at positions spaced apart from the first elastic support part in the circumferential direction of the cover body, and are opposed to each other with the connector in between; The elastic support part has a concave groove that is fitted into the convex part of the outer peripheral wall, and the elastic support part has a concave groove that fits into the convex part of the outer peripheral wall, and the elastic support part has a concave groove that fits into the convex part of the outer peripheral wall, and the elastic support part has a concave groove that is fitted into the convex part of the outer peripheral wall, and the elastic support part has a groove that is fitted into the convex part of the outer peripheral wall. There is a gap between the two.

According to this, the concave grooves of the pair of first elastic support parts fit into the convex part and are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall of the connector in an elastically deformed state, and the pair of second elastic support parts At positions spaced apart from the support portion in the circumferential direction of the cover main body, the connectors are elastically deformed and closely attached to the outer peripheral wall of the connector. As a result, the connector protective cover comes into close contact with the connector at at least four locations in the circumferential direction of the cover body, so that unintended deformation of the connector protective cover is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover from unintentionally falling off from the connector. Moreover, since there is a gap between the first elastic support part and the second elastic support part and between the cover main body and the outer circumferential wall of the connector, it is easy to attach and remove the connector protective cover to and from the connector. As described above, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover from unintentionally falling off from the connector, and furthermore, it is possible to easily attach and remove the connector protective cover from the connector.

In the protective cover for a connector, an accommodating portion is provided inside the cover body to accommodate a locking claw that protrudes from the outer peripheral wall and locks a mating connector connected to the connector, The second elastic support portions may protrude one by one from the inner circumferential surface of the cover main body with the accommodating portions in between.

According to this, the second elastic support part can be brought into contact with the outer peripheral wall of the connector by protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the cover main body one by one with the accommodating parts for accommodating the locking claws in between. Even when the connector protective cover is attached to the connector, the locking claw does not interfere with the connector protective cover. Therefore, while protecting the locking pawl, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover from unintentionally falling off from the connector, and furthermore, the connector protective cover can be easily attached to and removed from the connector. I can do it.

In the connector protective cover, the lengths of the first elastic support part and the second elastic support part in the axial direction of the cover body are the same as the length of the inner circumferential surface of the cover body in the axial direction. It would be good if it were.

According to this, the contact area of the first elastic support part and the second elastic support part with the outer circumferential wall of the connector can be made as large as possible. Therefore, the friction force between the first elastic support part and the outer peripheral wall of the connector and the friction force between the second elastic support part and the outer peripheral wall of the connector can be stabilized, so that the protective cover for the connector can stabilize the friction force between the first elastic support part and the outer peripheral wall of the connector. This can further prevent unintentional falling off.

According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover from unintentionally falling off from the connector, and furthermore, it is possible to easily attach and remove the connector protective cover from the connector.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric compressor in an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a connector and a protective cover for the connector. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

An embodiment of a connector protective cover will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The connector protective cover of this embodiment is attached to a connector of an electric compressor.
(Overall configuration of electric compressor 10)
As shown in FIG. 1, the electric compressor 10 includes a housing 11. As shown in FIG. Housing 11 is cylindrical. Housing 11 is made of metal. The housing 11 includes a discharge housing 12, a motor housing 13, and an inverter case 14. A compressor 15 and an electric motor 16 are housed within the motor housing 13 . Therefore, the housing 11 accommodates the compression section 15 and the electric motor 16. The compression unit 15 is, for example, a scroll type that includes a fixed scroll (not shown) fixed in the motor housing 13 and a movable scroll (not shown) disposed opposite to the fixed scroll.

The electric compressor 10 includes an inverter 17. Inverter 17 drives electric motor 16 . Inverter 17 is housed within inverter case 14. Inverter case 14 has a cylindrical connector 30. A mating connector 18 is connected to the connector 30 . The mating connector 18 is connected to the connector 30 so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the connector 30. Then, when the mating connector 18 is connected to the connector 30, power from the external power source is supplied to the inverter 17. Therefore, connector 30 is for external power supply.

When power is supplied to the inverter 17, the inverter 17 drives the electric motor 16. When the electric motor 16 is driven, the compression section 15 is driven, and the refrigerant sucked into the motor housing 13 from the external refrigerant circuit 19 is compressed by the compression section 15 . The refrigerant compressed by the compression section 15 is discharged into the discharge housing 12 and flows out to the external refrigerant circuit 19. The refrigerant flowing out into the external refrigerant circuit 19 then flows back into the motor housing 13 through a heat exchanger and an expansion valve (not shown) of the external refrigerant circuit 19 . The electric compressor 10 and the external refrigerant circuit 19 constitute a vehicle air conditioner 20. Therefore, the electric compressor 10 of this embodiment is used, for example, in a vehicle air conditioner 20.

(Configuration of connector 30)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector 30 has, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape. Connector 30 covers terminal 17a. Note that in FIG. 2, illustration of the terminal 17a is omitted for convenience of explanation. Note that the terminal 17a is electrically connected to the inverter 17 and is used to supply power to the inverter 17.

The connector 30 has an outer peripheral wall 30A. The outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 covers the terminal 17a. The outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 includes a first side wall 31 and a second side wall 32 that are located in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 and extend in the lateral direction of the connector 30 when the connector 30 is viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30. have. The first side wall 31 and the second side wall 32 extend parallel to each other. The outer circumferential wall 30A of the connector 30 has a third side wall 33 and a fourth side wall 34 that are located in the lateral direction of the connector 30 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 when viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30. There is. The third side wall 33 and the fourth side wall 34 extend parallel to each other.

When the connector 30 is viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30, the first side wall 31 has an end located at one end in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 on the third side wall 33, and an end located on one end in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 on the fourth side wall 34. The ends located on one side are connected. When the connector 30 is viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30, the second side wall 32 includes the third side wall 33 at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 and the fourth side wall 34 at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the connector 30. The other end is connected to the other end.

The longitudinal direction of the connector 30 when the connector 30 is viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30 is the first direction X1, which is a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector 30. The lateral direction of the connector 30 when the connector 30 is viewed from the axial direction of the connector 30 is a second direction Y1 which is orthogonal to the axial direction of the connector 30 and also orthogonal to the first direction X1. It is. In addition, in the following description, "the longitudinal direction of the connector 30 when looking at the connector 30 from the axial direction of the connector 30" may be simply described as "the first direction X1." In addition, in the following description, "the lateral direction of the connector 30 when looking at the connector 30 from the axial direction of the connector 30" may be simply referred to as "the second direction Y1."

The outer surface of the first side wall 31 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector 30 located on one side in the first direction X1. The outer surface of the second side wall 32 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector 30 located on the other side in the first direction X1. The outer surface of the third side wall 33 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector 30 located on one side in the second direction Y1. The outer surface of the fourth side wall 34 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the connector 30 located on the other side in the second direction Y1.

(About the convex parts 35 and 36)
The outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 has protrusions 35 and 36. Two protrusions 35 protrude from the outer surface of the first side wall 31. Each convex portion 35 has a rectangular column shape extending straight in the axial direction of the connector 30. Each convex portion 35 extends parallel to each other. One protrusion 36 protrudes from the outer surface of the second side wall 32. The convex portion 36 has a rectangular column shape that extends straight in the axial direction of the connector 30. The convex portions 36 extend parallel to each convex portion 35 .

(About the locking claw 37)
The connector 30 has a locking claw 37. The locking pawl 37 protrudes from the outer surface of the third side wall 33. Therefore, the locking claw 37 protrudes from the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30. When the mating connector 18 is connected to the connector 30, it is locked by the locking pawl 37 and is prevented from coming off from the connector 30.

(Configuration of connector protective cover 40)
Before the connector 30 is connected to the mating connector 18, the connector protective cover 40 is attached to the connector 30. The connector protective cover 40 covers the opening 30a of the connector 30. The connector protective cover 40 prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of the connector 30 through the opening 30a of the connector 30.

The connector protective cover 40 is made of resin. The connector protective cover 40 is made of a flexible material that can be elastically deformed. The connector protective cover 40 includes a lid portion 41 and a cover body 50. The lid portion 41 is plate-shaped. The cover body 50 has a cylindrical shape that protrudes from the outer circumferential portion of the lid portion 41 . The lid portion 41 closes the opening 30a of the connector 30. The cover body 50 covers the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30. The connector protective cover 40 is removably attached to the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30.

(Configuration of cover body 50)
The cover main body 50 has, for example, a rectangular cylindrical shape. The cover main body 50 has a shape that is one size larger than the connector 30. The cover body 50 has a first cover side wall 51 , a second cover side wall 52 , a third cover side wall 53 , and a fourth cover side wall 54 . The first cover side wall 51 extends along the first side wall 31 of the connector 30. The second cover side wall 52 extends along the second side wall 32 of the connector 30. The third cover side wall 53 extends along the third side wall 33 of the connector 30. The fourth cover side wall 54 extends along the fourth side wall 34 of the connector 30.

(Regarding the pair of first elastic support parts 55 and 56)
The cover main body 50 has a pair of first elastic support parts 55 and 56 that are in close contact with the outer circumferential wall 30A of the connector 30 in an elastically deformed state and face each other with the connector 30 in between. The first elastic support portion 55 is a part of the first cover side wall 51. The first elastic support portion 56 is a part of the second cover side wall 52.

The first elastic support portion 55 has a groove 55a that is fitted into each convex portion 35. Each groove 55a is formed by bending a portion of the first cover side wall 51. Each concave groove 55a fits into each convex portion 35 in a state in which the first elastic support portion 55 is elastically deformed and in close contact with each other.

The first elastic support portion 56 has a groove 56a that is fitted into the convex portion 36. The first elastic support portion 56 has a groove 56a that is fitted into the convex portion 36. The groove 56a is formed by bending a portion of the second cover side wall 52. In this embodiment, two grooves 56 a are formed in the second cover side wall 52 , and one of the two grooves 56 a fits into the convex portion 36 . The first elastic support portion 56 is elastically deformed and fitted into the concave groove 56a in a state in which the convex portion 36 is in close contact with the convex portion 36.

(Regarding the pair of second elastic support parts 57 and 58)
The cover main body 50 has a pair of second elastic support parts 57 and 58 facing each other with the connector 30 in between. The pair of second elastic support parts 57 and 58 are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 in an elastically deformed state, and are provided at positions spaced apart from the first elastic support parts 55 and 56 in the circumferential direction of the cover body. .

The second elastic support portion 57 is provided on the third cover side wall 53. The second elastic support parts 57 are arranged one by one with the locking claws 37 interposed therebetween in the first direction X1. Therefore, an accommodating portion 60 for accommodating the locking claw 37 is provided inside the cover body 50. Each of the second elastic support parts 57 protrudes from the inner surface of the third cover side wall 53 one by one with the accommodating part 60 in between in the first direction X1. Therefore, each second elastic support portion 57 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the cover body 50. Each second elastic support portion 57 has a columnar shape that extends straight in the axial direction of the cover body 50. Each second elastic support portion 57 extends parallel to each other. Each second elastic support portion 57 is elastically deformed and in close contact with the third side wall 33 of the connector 30 .

The second elastic support portion 58 is provided on the fourth cover side wall 54. The second elastic support portion 58 protrudes from the center of the inner surface of the fourth cover side wall 54 . Therefore, the second elastic support portion 58 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the cover body 50. The second elastic support portion 58 has a columnar shape that extends straight in the axial direction of the cover body 50. The second elastic support portions 58 extend parallel to each second elastic support portion 57 . The second elastic support portion 58 is elastically deformed and in close contact with the fourth side wall 34 of the connector 30 .

The lengths of each of the first elastic support parts 55 and 56 and the second elastic support parts 57 and 58 in the axial direction of the cover body 50 are the same as the length of the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 50 in the axial direction of the cover body 50. It is. Therefore, each of the first elastic support parts 55 and 56 and each of the second elastic support parts 57 and 58 extend from the lid part 41 to the opening edge of the cover body 50. A gap K1 is provided between the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58, and between the cover main body 50 and the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30.

(effect)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.
The connector protective cover 40 is aligned with the connector 30 such that each groove 55a fits into each convex part 35 and each concave groove 56a fits into each convex part 36. , is attached to the connector 30. At this time, the connector protective cover 40 is attached to the connector 30 while each groove 55a is guided by each protrusion 35 and the groove 56a is guided by the protrusion 36.

The concave grooves 55a, 56a of the pair of first elastic support portions 55, 56 fit into the respective convex portions 35, 36 and are elastically deformed to tightly contact the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30, and the pair of second The elastic support parts 57 and 58 are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 in a state of elastic deformation at positions spaced apart from the first elastic support parts 55 and 56 in the circumferential direction of the cover body 50, respectively. Thereby, the connector protective cover 40 comes into close contact with the connector 30 at at least four locations in the circumferential direction of the cover body 50, so that unintended deformation of the connector protective cover 40 is suppressed. Therefore, the connector protective cover 40 is prevented from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30. Furthermore, since there is a gap K1 between the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58, and between the cover main body 50 and the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30, the protective cover 40 for the connector The connector 30 can be easily attached to and removed from the connector 30.

A portion of the first cover side wall 51 is bent in order to form each groove 55a. Furthermore, a portion of the second cover side wall 52 is bent in order to form the groove 56a. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the first cover side wall 51 to deform so as to separate from the first side wall 31 of the connector 30, and it becomes difficult for the second cover side wall 52 to deform so as to separate from the second side wall 32 of the connector 30. There is. As a result, the frictional force between each groove 55a and each convex portion 35 and the frictional force between each groove 56a and each convex portion 36 are stabilized. As a result, the connector protective cover 40 is further prevented from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30.

(effect)
In the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The concave grooves 55a, 56a of the pair of first elastic support parts 55, 56 fit into the respective convex parts 35, 36 and are elastically deformed, and are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30, and the pair The second elastic support parts 57 and 58 are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 in a state of elastic deformation at positions spaced apart from the first elastic support parts 55 and 56 in the circumferential direction of the cover body 50, respectively. Thereby, the connector protective cover 40 comes into close contact with the connector 30 at at least four locations in the circumferential direction of the cover body 50, so that unintended deformation of the connector protective cover 40 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover 40 from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30. Furthermore, since there is a gap K1 between the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58, and between the cover main body 50 and the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30, the protective cover 40 for the connector It is easy to attach and detach the connector 30 in the connector 30 . With the above, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover 40 from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30, and furthermore, it is possible to easily attach and remove the connector protective cover 40 from the connector 30.

(2) Each of the second elastic support parts 57 protrudes one by one from the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 50 with the accommodating part 60 in between. According to this, each of the second elastic support parts 57 is made to protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the cover body 50 one by one with the accommodating part 60 that accommodates the locking claw 37 in between, and abut against the outer circumferential wall 30A of the connector 30. Since the connector protective cover 40 can be brought into contact with the connector 30, the locking claw 37 will not interfere with the connector protective cover 40 even if the connector protective cover 40 is attached to the connector 30. Therefore, while protecting the locking claw 37, it is possible to prevent the connector protective cover 40 from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30.

(3) The lengths of the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58 in the axial direction of the cover body 50 are the same as the length of the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 50 in the axial direction of the cover body 50. It is. According to this, the contact area of the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58 with the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 can be made as large as possible. Therefore, the friction force between the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 and the friction force between the second elastic support parts 57, 58 and the outer peripheral wall 30A of the connector 30 are stabilized. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the connector protective cover 40 from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30.

(4) A portion of the first cover side wall 51 is bent in order to form each groove 55a. Furthermore, a portion of the second cover side wall 52 is bent in order to form the groove 56a. According to this, it becomes difficult for the first cover side wall 51 to deform so as to separate from the first side wall 31 of the connector 30, and it becomes difficult for the second cover side wall 52 to deform so as to separate from the second side wall 32 of the connector 30. . Therefore, the frictional force between each groove 55a and each convex part 35 and the frictional force between each groove 56a and each convex part 36 are stabilized. As a result, it is possible to further prevent the connector protective cover 40 from unintentionally falling off from the connector 30.

(Example of change)
Note that the above embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The above embodiment and the following modification examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.

In the embodiment, the locking pawl 37 may protrude from the outer surface of the fourth side wall 34 instead of protruding from the outer surface of the third side wall 33 of the connector 30. The second elastic support parts 58 may be arranged one by one with the locking claws 37 interposed therebetween in the first direction X1. In short, it is sufficient that either one of the pair of second elastic support parts 57, 58 protrudes one by one from the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 50 with the accommodation part 60 in between.

In the embodiment, the connector protective cover 40 may have a configuration in which only one groove 56a is formed in the second cover side wall 52.
In the embodiment, two protrusions 36 may protrude from the outer surface of the second side wall 32, and each groove 56a may fit into each protrusion 36, respectively.

In the embodiment, only one protrusion 35 may protrude from the outer surface of the first side wall. In this case, the connector protective cover 40 may have a configuration in which only one groove 55a is formed in the first cover side wall 51.

In the embodiment, the length of the first elastic support parts 55, 56 and the second elastic support parts 57, 58 in the axial direction of the cover body 50 is the length of the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 50 in the axial direction of the cover body 50. It may be shorter than that.

○ In the embodiment, the connector 30 does not need to have the locking claw 37. In this case, the position where the second elastic support portion 57 protrudes from the inner surface of the third cover side wall 53 is not particularly limited.

In the embodiment, when the connector 30 has a true cylindrical shape, for example, the shape of the cover body 50 of the connector protective cover 40 may also be changed to a true cylindrical shape. In short, the shape of the connector protective cover 40 is not particularly limited, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the connector 30.

In the embodiment, the compression section 15 is not limited to a scroll type, and may be, for example, a piston type or a vane type.
○ In the embodiment, the electric compressor 10 constitutes the vehicle air conditioner 20, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the electric compressor 10 is installed in a fuel cell vehicle and is supplied to a fuel cell. The compressor 15 may compress air as a fluid.

In the embodiment, the connector protective cover 40 is not limited to being attached to the connector 30 of the electric compressor 10. The connector protective cover 40 may be attached to a connector provided in equipment other than the electric compressor 10, for example.

17a...terminal, 18...mating connector, 30...connector, 30A...outer peripheral wall, 30a...opening, 35, 36...convex portion, 37...locking claw, 40...protective cover for connector, 50...cover body, 55, 56...First elastic support part, 55a, 56a...Concave groove, 57, 58...Second elastic support part, 60...Accommodating part, K1...Gap.

Claims (3)

A protective cover for a connector that covers an opening of a connector having a cylindrical outer peripheral wall that covers a terminal and is removably attached to the outer peripheral wall,
comprising a cylindrical cover body that covers the outer peripheral wall,
The cover body is
a pair of first elastic support parts that are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall in an elastically deformed state and face each other with the connector sandwiched therebetween;
a pair of second elastic support parts that are in close contact with the outer peripheral wall in an elastically deformed state, are provided at positions spaced apart from the first elastic support part in the circumferential direction of the cover body, and face each other with the connector sandwiched therebetween; , has
The first elastic support portion has a groove that fits into a convex portion of the outer peripheral wall,
A protective cover for a connector, characterized in that there is a gap between the first elastic support part and the second elastic support part, and between the cover main body and the outer peripheral wall. An accommodating portion that protrudes from the outer circumferential wall and accommodates a locking claw with which a mating connector connected to the connector is locked is provided on the inside of the cover main body,
2. The protective cover for a connector according to claim 1, wherein the second elastic support portions protrude one by one from the inner circumferential surface of the cover body with the accommodating portions in between. The length of the first elastic support part and the second elastic support part in the axial direction of the cover body is the same as the length of the inner peripheral surface of the cover body in the axial direction of the cover body. A protective cover for a connector according to claim 1 or 2.