JP7460470B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector that includes a plurality of terminals, a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals, and a cover that is attached to the housing.

Conventionally, connectors have been proposed that include a housing with multiple terminal accommodating chambers and a cover that is attached to the housing so as to cover the terminal accommodating chambers and the electric wires extending from the terminal accommodating chambers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional connector, the cover mainly functions as a guide for guiding the electric wires from the housing in a desired direction.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-152265

The above-mentioned types of connectors generally accommodate cylindrical (box-shaped) terminal fittings that are crimped to the ends of electric wires by inserting them into terminal accommodating chambers, and furthermore, each of the multiple terminal accommodating chambers is isolated from each other by partitions to prevent unintended short circuits, etc.

In contrast, when connecting terminal fittings to bus bars (terminals) fixed to a housing by insert molding or the like, by fastening with bolts, unlike the conventional connectors described above, it is necessary to secure space to accommodate the bolts themselves and a working space for the fastening work. This makes it difficult to provide a terminal receiving chamber separated by a partition wall as in conventional connectors. However, even in a connector in which terminal fittings are fastened to terminals by bolts, it is desirable to properly electrically isolate the terminals from each other, as in conventional connectors.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a connector that can suppress unintentional short circuits between terminals even when the terminal fittings are fastened to the terminals with bolts. It's about doing.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the connector according to the present invention is characterized by the following features [1] to [4].
[1]
A connector comprising a plurality of terminals, a housing that holds the plurality of terminals, and a cover that is attached to the housing,
When the housing and the cover are attached to each other, a locking portion of one of the housing and the cover engages with a locked portion of the other of the housing and the cover,
Each of the plurality of terminals is
a fastening portion to which a terminal metal fitting can be connected by fastening with a bolt;
Each of the fastened portions is
a plurality of receiving chambers defined between the housing and the cover,
The partition wall of the storage chamber located between one fastened portion and the other fastened portion is
a liquid-tight portion formed by a rib of one of the housing and the cover and a receiving portion of the other of the housing and the cover being in contact with each other is provided in at least a part of the partition wall;
One of the rib and the receiving portion is
an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a mounting direction of the housing and the cover, the inclined surface being in contact with and sliding on the other of the rib and the receiving portion, the inclined surface moving with the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion during the engagement;
a contact surface that constitutes the liquid-tight portion by contacting the other of the rib and the receiving portion , the contact surface moving in a direction opposite to the sliding direction along the inclined surface when the engagement is completed ,
the abutment surface is located at a tip end of the one of the rib and the receiving portion, and the inclined surface is connected to a base end side of the one of the rib and the receiving portion,
the liquid-tight portion is configured such that the other of the rib and the receiving portion and the abutment surface face each other,
The other of the rib and the receiving portion is
During the engagement, the sliding member comes into contact with the inclined surface and is elastically deformed by a pressing force received from the inclined surface, and upon completion of the engagement, the sliding member is pushed back in the opposite direction to the sliding direction along the inclined surface by a pressing force received from the inclined surface due to the elastic deformation.
It is a connector.
[2]
In the connector according to the above [1],
The contact surface is
a shape that conforms to the other surface of the rib and the receiving portion that faces the abutting surface when the engagement is completed;
It is a connector.
[3]
In the connector according to the above [1] or [2],
The other of the rib and the receiving portion is
a deflection amount when the other of the rib and the receiving portion is in contact with the contact surface is smaller than a deflection amount when the other of the rib and the receiving portion is in contact with the inclined surface.
It is a connector.
[4]
In the connector according to any one of the above [1] to [3],
The contact surface is
The mounting direction is parallel to the mounting direction.
It is a connector.

According to the connector of the configuration [1] above, a cover is attached to the housing, and a plurality of accommodation chambers are defined between the housing and the cover. The fastening portion of the terminal (i.e., the fastening portion between the terminal and the bolt) is housed in each of the plurality of accommodation chambers. Furthermore, a liquid-tight portion is provided in the partition wall of the accommodation chamber located between one fastening portion of the terminal and the other fastening portion, and is formed by a rib on one of the housing and the cover and a receiving portion on the other. This liquid-tight portion has a structure (so-called labyrinth structure) that lengthens the intrusion path (so-called creepage distance) of liquids such as water and oil that try to pass through the partition wall, and exhibits excellent liquid-tight function. As a result, even when the connector is used in a general usage environment, or even when the connector is used in a harsh environment where the connector is exposed to water, oil, etc. (for example, in the lubricating oil of a transmission), the terminals can be properly electrically isolated from each other.

Furthermore, in the process of engagement between a locking part (for example, a locking protrusion) of one of the housing and the cover and a locked part (for example, a lock arm) of the other, the slope of one of the rib and the receiving part The other of the rib and the receiving portion slides in contact with the surface. Therefore, the contact between the rib and the receiving part is less likely to interfere with the engagement, compared to the case where the rib and the receiving part are pressed against each other. In addition, when the engagement is completed, the other of the rib and the receiving portion moves along the inclined surface in a direction opposite to the sliding direction, and comes into contact with the contact surface to form a liquid-tight portion. . Therefore, with this movement in the opposite direction (for example, pushing back), the gap (so-called clearance) between the locking part and the locked part becomes smaller. As a result, positional displacement between the housing and the cover after they are attached is suppressed.

Therefore, even if the connector with this configuration has a configuration in which the terminal fittings are fastened to the terminals with bolts, it is possible to suppress unintended short circuits between the terminals. Furthermore, the connector with this configuration allows easy attachment of the housing and the cover, and can suppress misalignment between the two after attachment.

In addition, the above-mentioned "liquid-tight part" makes it easier for liquid to move from one storage chamber to the other compared to cases where there is no such liquid-tight part (for example, when the housing and cover are simply butted together). It is sufficient to have the function of suppressing (intrusion), and it is not necessarily necessary to have the function of completely preventing such movement of liquid. In other words, the rib and the receiving portion described above may be arranged so as to be in complete contact with each other, or may be arranged at a sufficiently small interval to suppress such movement of liquid. They may be placed in close contact with each other in some parts and spaced apart in other parts.

According to the connector of the configuration [2] above, the abutment surface has a shape that conforms to the other surface of the rib and the receiving portion that will face each other when the engagement between the engaging portion and the locked portion is completed. Therefore, the connector of this configuration can improve the sealing between the abutment surface and the other surface.

According to the connector configured in [3] above, the amount of deflection of the other of the rib and the receiving portion when the other is in contact with the inclined surface is greater than the amount of deflection when the other is in contact with the contact surface. Constructed so that the amount of deflection is small. Therefore, after the housing and the cover are attached, it is possible to reduce deterioration of the ribs and the receiving portion due to friction between the rib and the receiving portion.

According to the connector having the configuration [4] above, the contact surface has a shape that extends along the direction in which the housing and the cover are attached. Therefore, it is easy to maintain sealing between the contact surface and the other of the rib and the receiving portion, regardless of the magnitude of dimensional errors (so-called manufacturing variations) that may occur during manufacturing of the housing and cover.

In this way, the present invention provides a connector that can prevent unintended short circuits between terminals even when the terminal fittings are fastened to the terminals with bolts.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric wire with a connector including a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector-attached electric wire. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of section A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A is a top view showing a state in which the cover is being attached to the housing, and FIG. 4B is a top view showing a state in which the attachment of the cover to the housing has been completed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4(b), and FIG. 6(b) is an enlarged view of a portion D of FIG. 6(a). FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. Figures 8(a), 8(c), and 8(e) are figures corresponding to a portion of the E-E cross section of Figure 4(b), showing the time series from the start of engagement between the locking protrusion on the housing and the locking piece on the cover to the completion of the engagement, and Figures 8(b), 8(d), and 8(f) are figures corresponding to part F in Figure 6(b) at the times shown in Figures 8(a), 8(c), and 8(e), respectively.

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a connector-attached electric wire 1 including a connector 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The connector-attached electric wire 1 is typically used by being attached to a housing of a transmission that constitutes a drive system of a vehicle. In other words, the connector-attached electric wire 1 is a member that constitutes a part of a wire harness for a vehicle.

For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used as shown in the drawings: "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," "up-down direction," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-rear direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are mutually perpendicular. The front-rear direction coincides with the direction in which the housing 4 mates with the mating connector (not shown) (the "mounting direction" of the present invention), with the front side in the mating direction (upper right side in FIG. 2) where the mating connector mates being the front side, and the opposite rear side in the mating direction (lower left side in FIG. 2) being the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire 1 with a connector shown in FIG. and. The housing 4 and the cover 5 constitute a connector 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the parts constituting the electric wire with connector 1 will be explained in order.

First, the electric wire 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4(a), the electric wire 2 is composed of a conductor core wire 11 and a resin coating 12 that covers the conductor core wire 11. At the end of the electric wire 2, a predetermined end treatment is performed, and the resin coating 12 is removed to expose the conductor core wire 11. The electric wire 2 is typically used in a grounded state.

Next, the terminal fitting 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the metal terminal fitting 3 integrally comprises a round, flat terminal portion 21 with a bolt hole formed therein, a core wire crimping portion 22 adjacent to the terminal portion 21 and crimped to the exposed conductor core wire 11 of the electric wire 2, and a coating crimping portion 23 adjacent to the core wire crimping portion 22 and crimped to the tip of the resin coating 12 of the electric wire 2. The terminal portion 21 is to be fastened to the fastening portion 7a of the bus bar 7 described later.

Next, the housing 4 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 2, the resin housing 4 includes a main body part 31, a connector fitting part 32 located on the front side of the main body part 31, and a cover mounting part 33 located on the rear side of the main body part 31. Prepare as one. Inside the main body portion 31, a plurality of (in this example, two) bus bars 7 (metal plates) extending in the front-rear direction are integrated by insert molding.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body 31 has a cylindrical portion, and at the rear end of the cylindrical portion, a flange portion 34 that protrudes with a predetermined shape radially outward from the cylindrical portion. The flange portion 34 has a plurality of bolt holes 35 that penetrate in the front-rear direction.

The main body 31 is typically fixed to a housing of a vehicle transmission by inserting a cylindrical portion of the main body 31 into a circular opening (not shown) of the housing and fastening the flange portion 34 to the housing using bolts (not shown) inserted through the bolt holes 35. When the main body 31 is fixed to the housing, the connector fitting portion 32 (i.e., the mating connector that will be fitted to the connector fitting portion 32) is located in the air, and the cover attachment portion 33 (i.e., the cover 5 that will be attached to the cover attachment portion 33) is located in the lubricating oil of the transmission.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6(a), the connector fitting portion 32 has a rectangular hood shape that opens forward. The mating connector is inserted into the connector fitting portion 32 and fitted. This electrically connects the mating terminal (not shown) housed in the mating connector and the portion of the busbar 7 exposed in the internal space of the connector fitting portion 32 (not shown), thereby electrically connecting the mating wire (not shown) connected to the mating terminal and the busbar 7 built into the housing 4.

The cover attachment portion 33 is a portion to which the terminal fitting 3 is fastened and fixed, and is also a portion to which the cover 5 is attached. In the cover mounting portion 33, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the fastened portions 7a, which are the rear end portions of the two bus bars 7, protrude rearward from the main body portion 31 at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. is exposed. A bolt hole is formed in the fastened portion 7a. As can be understood from FIGS. 2 to 4, the fastened portion 7a of the lower bus bar 7 is located on the rear side of the fastened portion 7a of the upper bus bar 7. In other words, the two fastened parts 7a are arranged so as to be offset from each other in the front-back direction when viewed from the top and bottom.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cover attachment part 33 cooperates with the cover 5 to accommodate two fastened parts 7a, respectively, with the cover 5 attached to the cover attachment part 33. It has a shape that defines two storage chambers 36 arranged vertically. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. It has a partition wall 37 located between the fastened portion 7a and the lower fastened portion 7a. The partition wall 37 has a flat plate shape that expands in the left-right direction and extends rearward.

As shown in FIG. 3, a groove 47 is formed at the rear edge of the partition 37, extending in the left-right direction along the rear edge of the partition 37. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 8(a), the groove 47 is a recess that is recessed downward and forward and opens upward and rearward. The portion of the rear edge of the partition 37 that extends in the left-right direction and is thinned by the formation of the groove 47 constitutes the receiving portion 38. The receiving portion 38 cooperates with the rib 53 of the cover 5, which will be described later, to define the liquid-tight portion 9 (see FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 8(f)). The space within the groove 47 functions as a space (hereinafter also referred to as a "deflection space") for receiving the tip portion of the rib 53 that deforms in a deflecting manner, as will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), the upper surface 38a (the surface facing the groove 47) of the receiving portion 38 has a contact surface 38b extending forward from the tip (rear end) of the receiving portion 38, and a contact surface 38b extending forward from the tip (rear end) of the receiving portion 38. It is composed of an inclined surface 38c extending forward from the front end edge. The contact surface 38b is a plane parallel to the left-right direction and the front-back direction. The inclined surface 38c is a plane parallel to the left-right direction and inclined from the front-rear direction in a direction that gradually moves upward as it goes forward.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cover attachment portion 33 has a shape that defines a nut installation portion 39 below each fastened portion 7a. Each nut installation part 39 is a space for placing a nut 63 (see FIG. 2) used when fastening and fixing the terminal part 21 of the terminal fitting 3 to the corresponding fastened part 7a, and has an opening at the rear. and faces the lower surface of the corresponding fastened portion 7a. The partition wall 37 of the cover attachment part 33 also serves as a wall defining the lower end of the upper nut installation part 39 of the two nut installation parts 39.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cover mounting portion 33 is provided with a flat guide piece 41 that extends from the main body portion 31 in the left-right direction and extends rearward at a position above the upper fastened portion 7a. A locking protrusion 41a that projects upward is formed on the upper surface of the guide piece 41. A flat guide piece 42 is provided on the right side of the pair of upper and lower fastened parts 7a, which extends from the main body part 31 in the vertical direction and extends rearward. A locking protrusion 42a that protrudes rightward is formed on the right side of the guide piece 42.

Furthermore, a pair of guide grooves 43 that are recessed inward in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction are provided on both outer surfaces in the left-right direction of a pair of left and right side walls that define both left and right ends of the lower nut installation portion 39. The guide pieces 41 and 42 and the guide groove 43 function to guide the cover 5 when attaching the cover 5 to the cover attachment part 33 and to fix the cover 5 to the cover attachment part 33.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6(a), a second connector fitting portion 44 is provided in the lower region of the main body portion 31 of the housing 4 (the region below the connector fitting portion 32 and the cover mounting portion 33). A plurality of pin terminals 8 extending in the front-rear direction are integrated inside the second connector fitting portion 44 by insert molding. A rectangular hood-shaped first hood portion 45 that opens forward is formed in front of the second connector fitting portion 44, and a rectangular hood-shaped second hood portion 46 that opens backward is formed in the rear of the second connector fitting portion 44.

The front end of the pin terminal 8 is exposed in the internal space of the first hood portion 45, and the rear end of the pin terminal 8 is exposed in the internal space of the second hood portion 46. A second mating connector (not shown) and a third mating connector (not shown) are inserted and fitted into the first hood portion 45 and the second hood portion 46, respectively. This electrically connects the second mating terminal (not shown) housed in the second mating connector and the third mating terminal (not shown) housed in the third mating connector via the pin terminal 8.

Next, the cover 5 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the resin cover 5 has a box-shaped housing 51 that is approximately rectangular and opens forward and downward. In the internal space of the housing 51, a flat partition wall 52 is formed that expands in the left-right direction from the inner surface of the rear wall of the housing 51 and extends forward. A rib 53 that protrudes forward and expands in the left-right direction is formed on the front end surface of the partition wall 52. The rib 53 has a thickness and protruding length that allows it to enter the groove 47 of the housing 4. The lower surface of the rib 53 is a flat surface that is parallel to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. The partition wall 52 is separated from the wall parts adjacent in the vertical direction and the wall parts adjacent in the left-right direction in the range from approximately the center in the front-rear direction to the front end surface (i.e., the rib 53). As a result, the partition wall 52 has a cantilever shape that can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction with the rib 53 as the free end.

The partition wall 52 is provided at a position corresponding to the partition wall 37 (see FIG. 3) of the housing 4, and, like the partition wall 37, vertically separates the two storage chambers 36 when the cover 5 is attached to the housing 4. Functions as part of the bulkhead. Therefore, in the internal space of the housing part 51, the upper region of the partition wall 52 constitutes a part of the accommodation chamber 36 that accommodates the upper fastened part 7a, and the lower region of the partition wall 52 forms a part of the storage chamber 36 that accommodates the lower fastened part 7a. It constitutes a part of the storage chamber 36 that accommodates the section 7a.

A pair of upper and lower wire pull-out sections 54 that open forward and are recessed backward are formed on the left wall of the housing section 51 so as to communicate with the pair of upper and lower storage chambers 36 in the left-right direction. Each wire pull-out section 54 functions as an opening for pulling out (to the right) the electric wire 2 connected to the terminal fitting 3 stored in the corresponding storage chamber 36.

A rectangular frame-shaped locking piece 55 that extends forward in a cantilevered manner is formed on a part of the upper wall of the housing 51 in correspondence with the guide piece 41 of the housing 4 . A rectangular frame-shaped locking piece 56 that extends forward in a cantilevered manner is formed on a portion of the right wall portion of the housing portion 51 in correspondence with the guide piece 42 of the housing 4 . A pair of guide ribs 57 extending in the front-rear direction are formed at the lower end of the housing portion 51 in correspondence with the pair of guide grooves 43 of the housing 4 . Above, the parts constituting the electric wire with connector 1 have been explained in order.

Next, the procedure for assembling the electric wire with connector 1 will be described. First, a rectangular rubber frame-shaped packing 64 (see FIG. 2) is attached to a predetermined position in the internal space of the connector fitting portion 32 of the housing 4 (see FIG. 6(a)), and a rubber O-ring 65 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion of the main body portion 31 of the housing 4 (see FIG. 6(a)).

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the terminal fittings 3 to which the electric wires 2 are connected are fastened to the fastening portions 7a of the pair of bus bars 7 of the housing 4 (see FIG. 4(a)). To this end, the nuts 63 are first inserted from the rear into each nut installation portion 39 of the housing 4. As a result, each nut 63 is installed in the nut installation portion 39 so as not to rotate around the axis of the nut 63.

Next, the terminal portion 21 of the terminal fitting 3 to which the electric wire 2 is connected is placed on the upper surface of the fastened portion 7a of each bus bar 7 so as to face the normal position, and the bolt 61 with the washer 62 is inserted into the terminal portion from above. 21 and the bolt hole of the fastened part 7a, and engages with the nut 63 located below the fastened part 7a. As a result, the fastened portion 7a and the terminal portion 21 are sandwiched between the bolt 61 and the nut 63, so that the terminal fitting 3 is fastened and fixed to the fastened portion 7a while facing the normal position.

At this time, due to the fact that the two fastened parts 7a are arranged so as to be offset from each other in the front-back direction, when the bolt 61 is fastened to the fastened part 7a, the bolt 61 is not fastened to one fastened part 7a. The bolt 61 is less likely to interfere with the fastening work to other fastened parts 7a. As described above, the electric wire 2 connected to the terminal fitting 3 and the bus bar 7 built in the housing 4 are electrically connected.

The bolt 61 is fastened in a clockwise direction (right-handed direction) when viewed from above. When each terminal 3 is in the correct position, as shown in FIG. 4(a), each terminal 3 extends leftward from the terminal portion 21 (fastened portion 7a), and the electric wire 2 connected to each terminal 3 also extends leftward.

Next, the cover 5 is attached to the cover attaching portion 33 of the housing 4 so as to cover the connection portion of each terminal fitting 3. For this reason, the cover 5 is brought close to the cover attachment part 33 from the rear (see FIG. 4(a)). Then, the front surface of the partition wall 52 of the cover 5 and the rear surface of the partition wall 37 of the housing 4 are arranged so that they approach each other while facing each other in the front-rear direction, and the pair of electric wires 2 enters the pair of electric wire pull-out portions 54 of the cover 5. , so that the inner surface of the upper wall of the casing section 51 of the cover 5 and the inner surface of the right wall of the casing section 51 are guided by the guide pieces 41 and 42 of the cover mounting section 33, respectively, and While pressing the cover 5 forward, the cover 5 is moved forward relative to the cover mounting portion 33 so that the pair of guide ribs 57 of the housing portion 51 slide while engaging with the pair of guide grooves 43 of the mounting portion 33. move it.

As the movement of the cover 5 progresses, the locking pieces 55, 56 on the cover 5 side and the locking protrusions 41a, 42a on the housing 4 side start engaging, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8(a). At this stage, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the rib 53 on the cover 5 side has not yet entered the groove 47 on the housing 4 side.

Note that Figures 8(a), 8(c) and 8(e) only show the transition of the engagement state between locking piece 55 and locking protrusion 41a. From this stage onwards, the engagement state between locking piece 56 and locking protrusion 42a transitions in the same manner and at the same timing as the engagement state between locking piece 55 and locking protrusion 41a, so hereinafter, a description of the transition of the engagement state between locking piece 56 and locking protrusion 42a will be omitted.

After the stage shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the front end edge 55a of the locking piece 55 receives the pressing force (the upward component force) from the locking protrusion 41a, resulting in the state shown in FIG. As shown, the locking piece 55 is elastically deformed upward. As the movement of the cover 5 progresses, the amount of upward elastic deformation of the locking piece 55 increases while the front edge 55a slides on the surface of the locking protrusion 41a.

In this way, during the process in which the amount of elastic deformation of the locking piece 55 increases, the tip (front end) of the rib 53 enters the groove 47 so that the lower surface of the rib 53 faces the abutment surface 38b of the receiving portion 38. After that, the tip of the rib 53 contacts the inclined surface 38c of the receiving portion 38, and the partition 52 is elastically deformed so that the rib 53 is displaced upward as shown in FIG. 8(d) due to the pressing force (upward component of the force) that the tip of the rib 53 receives from the inclined surface 38c. As the movement of the cover 5 progresses, the amount of upward elastic deformation of the partition 52 increases while the tip of the rib 53 slides on the surface of the inclined surface 38c. In other words, the tip portion of the rib 53 displaced upward is received in the space (i.e., the deflection space) in the groove 47.

When the movement of the cover 5 progresses further, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the front end edge 55a of the locking piece 55 passes over the locking projection 41a and the locking piece 55 elastically returns downward due to its own elastic restoring force, and the pressing of the cover 5 forward is terminated. At the point when pressing of the cover 5 forward is terminated, as shown in FIG. 8(c), there is a clearance G in the front-to-rear direction between the front end edge 55a of the locking piece 55 and the locking projection 41a, and as shown in FIG. 8(d), the rib 53 is displaced upward and the partition wall 52 is elastically deformed so as to bend.

After the cover 5 is pressed forward, the rib 53 (i.e., the cover 5) is pushed backward along the inclined surface 38c by the pushing force (the rearward component of the pushing force) that the tip of the rib 53 receives from the inclined surface 38c due to the elastic deformation described above, as shown in FIG. 8(f). This pushing force causes the rib 53 to move backward until the tip of the rib 53 reaches the boundary between the inclined surface 38c and the abutment surface 38b, and the partition wall 52 elastically returns. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(e), the front end edge 55a of the locking piece 55 and the locking projection 41a come close to each other, reducing (or eliminating) the clearance G, and as shown in FIG. 8(f), the lower surface of the tip of the rib 53 and the abutment surface 38b face each other, forming a liquid-tight portion 9. This completes the attachment of the cover 5 to the cover attachment portion 33 of the housing 4 (see FIG. 1).

When the cover 5 is completely attached, the locking protrusions 41a and 42a of the guide pieces 41 and 42 are respectively locked to the locking pieces 55 and 56 of the cover 5 (see FIG. 1). This prevents the cover 5 from separating from the housing 4.

The liquid-tight portion 9 (see Figs. 6(b) and 8(f)) configured when the cover 5 is fully attached has a labyrinth structure that lengthens the intrusion path (so-called creepage distance) of water attempting to pass between the bulkheads 52 and 37, and exhibits excellent liquid-tightness. The lower surface of the rib 53 and the abutting surface 38b may be arranged so as to be in complete contact with each other, or may be arranged with a sufficiently small gap therebetween that is capable of suppressing the movement of liquids such as oil through the liquid-tight portion 9, or may be arranged so as to be in contact with one part and spaced apart in another part. In other words, as long as the liquid-tight portion 9 can exhibit the desired liquid-tightness performance, the degree of contact between the receiving portion 38 and the rib 53 is not particularly limited.

This completes the installation of the cover 5 to the housing 4, and the connector-equipped wire 1 is obtained, as shown in Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), when the cover 5 is in a fully attached state, the lower bolt 61 is located directly below the bulkhead 52 of the cover 5. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to attach the cover 5 to the housing 4 with the lower bolt 61 floating upward due to incomplete fastening, the rib 53 of the bulkhead 52 of the cover 5 interferes with the lower bolt 61, making it impossible to move the cover 5 to the fully attached position. Therefore, by detecting that the cover 5 cannot be moved to the fully attached position, it is possible to detect that the lower bolt 61 is in a floating upward state due to incomplete fastening.

When the cover 5 is fully attached, the electric wire 2 extends from the electric wire pull-out portion 54 of the cover 5. Therefore, even if the terminal fitting 3 after fastening and fixing unintentionally rotates in a loosening direction (the rotation direction in which the bolt 61 is loosened, counterclockwise (left-handed) when viewed from above) from the correct position, the electric wire 2 abuts against the rear edge of the electric wire pull-out portion 54, and the rotation of the terminal fitting 3 can be suppressed.

The completed electric wire 1 with a connector shown in FIG. 1 is attached to a housing of a transmission of a vehicle, and a mating connector is inserted and fitted into the connector fitting portion 32. Thereby, as described above, the mating terminal housed in the mating connector and the bus bar 7 built in the housing 4 are electrically connected.

As a result, the mating wire connected to the mating terminal of the mating connector and the electric wire 2 connected to the terminal fitting 3 are electrically connected via the bus bar 7 built into the housing 4. The electric wire 2 is grounded (earthed) to a predetermined earthing point of the vehicle. As a result, the other wire electrically connected to the wire 2 is also grounded.

When the electrical wire 1 with the connector is attached to the housing of the transmission of the vehicle, the cover attachment portion 33 (i.e., the cover 5) is located in the lubricating oil of the transmission, as described above. Therefore, the fastened portion 7a of the bus bar 7 located at the cover attachment portion 33 is also exposed to the lubricating oil. By attaching the cover 5 to the housing 4, metal powder in the lubricating oil can be prevented from coming into contact with the fastened portion 7a of the bus bar 7.

<Action/Effect>
As described above, according to the connector 6 included in the electric wire with connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, by attaching the cover 5 to the housing 4, a plurality of accommodation chambers 36 are defined between the housing 4 and the cover 5. be done. Each of the plurality of storage chambers 36 accommodates the fastened portion 7a of the bus bar 7 (that is, the fastened portion between the bus bar 7 and the bolt 61). Further, the cover 5 is attached to the partition wall (the partition wall 37 of the housing 4 and the partition wall 52 of the cover 5) of the accommodation chamber 36 located between one fastened part 7a and the other fastened part 7a of the bus bar 7. A liquid-tight portion 9 is provided in which the rib 53 of the housing 4 contacts the receiving portion 38 of the housing 4. This liquid-tight part 9 has a structure (so-called labyrinth structure) that lengthens the entry path (so-called creepage distance) for liquids such as water and oil that try to pass between the partition walls 37 and 52, and has an excellent liquid-tight function. demonstrate. As a result, even when the connector 6 is used in a general usage environment, the connector 6 is used in harsh environments where the connector 6 is exposed to water, oil, etc. (for example, in transmission lubricating oil). Even in such cases, the bus bars 7 can be appropriately electrically isolated from each other.

Furthermore, in the process of engagement between the locking portions (locking protrusions 41a, 42a) of the housing 4 and the locked portions (locking pieces 55, 56) of the cover 5, the inclined surface 38c of the receiving portion 38 The ribs 53 come into contact with each other and slide while being bent. Therefore, the contact between the rib 53 and the receiving part 38 is less likely to interfere with the engagement, compared to the case where the rib 53 and the receiving part 38 are simply brought into contact. In addition, when the engagement is completed, the rib 53 is pushed back along the inclined surface 38c and comes into contact with the contact surface 38b to form the liquid-tight portion 9. Therefore, with this pushing back, the gap (clearance G) between the locking part and the locked part becomes smaller, and positional deviation between the housing 4 and the cover 5 is suppressed.

Therefore, even if the connector 6 according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the terminal fitting 3 is fastened to the bus bar 7 with the bolt 61, it is possible to suppress unintended short circuits between the bus bars 7. Furthermore, the connector 6 according to this embodiment allows easy attachment of the housing 4 and the cover 5, and can suppress misalignment between the two after attachment.

Furthermore, according to the connector 6 according to the present embodiment, the contact surface 38b has a shape that follows the lower surface of the rib 53 that faces each other when the engagement between the engaging portion and the locked portion is completed. ing. Therefore, the connector 6 according to this embodiment can improve the sealing performance between the contact surface 38b and the lower surface of the rib 53.

Furthermore, according to the connector 6 according to the present embodiment, the rib 53 is deflected less when the rib 53 is in contact with the contact surface 38b than when the rib 53 is in contact with the inclined surface 38c. Constructed so that the amount of deflection is small. Therefore, it is possible to reduce deterioration of the rib 53 and the receiving portion 38 due to wear caused between the rib 53 and the receiving portion 38 after the housing 4 and the cover 5 are attached.

Furthermore, according to the connector 6 according to the present embodiment, the contact surface 38b has a shape that extends along the mounting direction (front-back direction) between the housing 4 and the cover 5. Therefore, the sealing between the contact surface 38b and the rib 53 can be easily maintained regardless of the magnitude of dimensional errors (so-called manufacturing variations) that may occur during the manufacturing of the housing 4 and the cover 5.

<Other forms>
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

In the above embodiment, the liquid-tight portion 9 is formed by cooperation between the receiving portion 38 provided on the partition 37 of the housing 4 and the rib 53 provided on the partition 52 of the cover 5. In contrast, the liquid-tight portion may be formed by cooperation between the rib provided on the partition 37 of the housing 4 and the receiving portion provided on the partition 52 of the cover 5.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the locking portion (locking projections 41a, 42a) of the housing 4 and the locked portion (locking pieces 55, 56) of the cover 5 are configured to engage with each other. In contrast, the locked portion (locking piece) of the housing 4 and the locking portion (locking projection) of the cover 5 may be configured to engage with each other.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the abutment surface 38b and the inclined surface 38c of the groove portion 47 have different inclination angles with respect to the assembly direction. That is, the abutment surface 38b extends substantially parallel to the assembly direction, and the inclined surface 38c extends at an angle with respect to the assembly direction. However, as long as the abutment surface 38b and the rib 53 can form a liquid-tight portion 9 after the housing 4 and the cover 5 are assembled, the abutment surface 38b may be configured to be inclined with respect to the assembly direction in the same manner as the inclined surface 38c (that is, the abutment surface 38b and the inclined surface 38c form a continuous single surface).

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the nut installation portion 39 and the partition wall 37 are integrated. On the other hand, the nut installation part 39 and the partition wall 37 may be provided independently.

Here, the features of the embodiment of the connector 6 according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [4].
[1]
A connector (6) comprising a plurality of terminals (7), a housing (4) for holding the plurality of terminals (7), and a cover (5) attached to the housing (4),
When the housing (4) and the cover (5) are attached to each other, a locking portion (41a, 42a) of one of the housing and the cover (4) engages with a locked portion (55, 56) of the other of the housing and the cover (5),
Each of the plurality of terminals (7) is
a fastening portion (7a) to which a terminal fitting (3) can be connected by fastening with a bolt (61);
Each of the fastened portions (7a) is
A plurality of storage chambers (36) are defined between the housing (4) and the cover (5),
The partition wall (37, 52) of the storage chamber (36) located between one fastened portion (7a) and the other fastened portion (7a) is
a liquid-tight portion (9) formed by abutting a rib (53) of one of the housing and the cover (5) and a receiving portion (38) of the other of the housing and the cover (4) on at least a part of the partition wall (37, 52);
One of the rib and the receiving portion (38)
the inclined surface (38c) is inclined with respect to the mounting direction of the housing (4) and the cover (5), and the other of the rib and the receiving portion (53) contacts and slides on the inclined surface (38c) which moves in association with the engagement between the engaging portion (41a, 42a) and the engaged portion (55, 56) during the engagement between the engaging portion (41a, 42a) and the engaged portion (55, 56), and the other of the rib and the receiving portion (53) moves in a direction opposite to the sliding direction along the inclined surface (38c) when the engagement is completed, and the other of the rib and the receiving portion (53) comes into contact with the inclined surface (38c) to constitute the liquid-tight portion (9).
Connector (6).
[2]
In the connector (6) described in the above [1],
The abutment surface (38b) is
The contact surface (38b) has a shape that conforms to the surface of the other (53) that faces the contact surface (38b) when the engagement is completed.
Connector (6).
[3]
In the connector (6) according to the above [1] or [2],
The other (53) of the rib and the receiving portion is
The amount of deflection of the other part (53) when the other part (53) is in contact with the contact surface (38b) is smaller than the amount of deflection of the other part (53) when the other part is in contact with the inclined surface (38c).
Connector (6).
[4]
In the connector (6) according to any one of the above [1] to [3],
The abutment surface (38b) is
The mounting direction is parallel to the mounting direction.
Connector (6).

3 Terminal metal fitting 4 Housing 5 Cover 6 Connector 7 Bus bar (terminal)
7a: fastened portion 9: liquid-tight portion 36: accommodation chamber 37: partition wall 38: receiving portion 38b: abutment surface 38c: inclined surface 41a: locking projection (locking portion)
42a Locking protrusion (locking portion)
52 Partition wall 53 Rib 55 Locking piece (locked part)
56 Locking piece (locked part)
61 Volts

Claims (4)

A connector comprising a plurality of terminals, a housing holding the plurality of terminals, and a cover attached to the housing,
When the housing and the cover are attached, a locking part of one of the housing and the cover engages a locked part of the other of the housing and the cover,
Each of the plurality of terminals is
It has a fastened part to which a terminal fitting can be connected by fastening with a bolt,
Each of the fastened parts is
accommodated in each of a plurality of accommodation chambers defined between the housing and the cover,
A partition wall of the accommodation chamber located between one of the fastened parts and the other fastened part,
At least a part of the partition wall has a liquid-tight part formed by a rib of one of the housing and the cover coming into contact with a receiving part of the other of the housing and the cover ,
One of the rib and the receiving portion,
The rib and the receiving portion are inclined surfaces that are inclined with respect to the mounting direction of the housing and the cover, and the rib and the receiving portion move during the engagement between the locking portion and the locked portion. an inclined surface on which the other one slides in contact;
a contact surface that forms the liquid-tight portion by contacting the other of the rib and the receiving portion that moves along the inclined surface in a direction opposite to the sliding direction when the engagement is completed; have,
The contact surface is located at the tip of the one of the rib and the receiving part, and the inclined surface is connected to the base end side of the one of the rib and the receiving part,
The liquid-tight portion is configured such that the other of the rib and the receiving portion and the contact surface face each other,
The other of the rib and the receiving portion is
During the engagement, it contacts the inclined surface and is elastically deformed by the pressing force received from the inclined surface, and when the engagement is completed, the pressing force applied from the inclined surface due to the elastic deformation causes the being pushed back along the inclined surface in the opposite direction to the sliding direction;
connector. 2. The connector according to claim 1,
The contact surface is
a shape that conforms to the other surface of the rib and the receiving portion that faces the abutting surface when the engagement is completed;
connector. The connector according to claim 1 or 2,
The other of the rib and the receiving portion is
a deflection amount when the other of the rib and the receiving portion is in contact with the contact surface is smaller than a deflection amount when the other of the rib and the receiving portion is in contact with the inclined surface.
connector. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The contact surface is
having a shape extending along the mounting direction;
connector.

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