JPH0577871U - Waterproof electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a compact waterproof type electrical connector by substantially using the structure of a conventional electrical connector having a latch arm. A waterproof electric connector 10 of the present invention is an insulating (plug) housing having a latch arm 22 inserted and latched in a compartment 62 of a mating connector 60, and substantially J-shaped or U-shaped protrusions 23 on both sides thereof. Use 20. A waterproof plug 30 made of rubber or the like is pressed and held by a cover member 40 in a recess 25 on the rear surface of the housing 20. The cover member 40 has fixed legs 43 and 44, and an opening on the rear surface of the protrusion 23 of the housing 20.
The fixing leg 44 is inserted into 28 and latched to the housing 20.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a waterproof type electrical connector for vehicles, which uses a rubber waterproof plug common to a plurality of terminals.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Electric connectors used for passenger cars and other vehicles are used in extremely severe environments such as large vibration impact and severe temperature changes, so it is easy to mate a pair of male and female electrical connectors to be used by mating. It must be locked securely with a latch arm so that it will not come off. An example of such an electrical connector with a latch arm is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-22943. This conventional electrical connector has a cantilever-shaped latch arm protruding from one (upper) surface of the insulation housing and extending from the front surface (fitting surface) to the rear surface. In order to effectively prevent the latch arm from being deformed or damaged by external force applied to the latch arm during handling, wires or the like enter between the latch arm and the upper surface of the insulating housing, or by inserting / removing the connector. It is common to form a ridge along the latch arm to prevent "pulling" in time.

In addition, in the above-described electric connector for a vehicle, water droplets or moisture penetrates into the terminal used for the electric connector to lower the conductivity of the contact portion of the terminal to increase the contact resistance or to prevent contact failure. Waterproof electrical connectors have been proposed to prevent them from occurring. The conventional preventive type electrical connector uses an independent ring such as rubber or a tubular waterproof plug for each terminal (see, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 3-55950), and a flat plate shape common to multiple terminals. Some use a waterproof plug (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-43972, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-122979, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-86572).

In a vehicle in which various electronic devices are frequently used for safety, entertainment, pollution prevention, and other purposes, the vehicle connector is becoming smaller and more dense. Therefore, the latter method in which a large number of terminals, that is, the entire connector, are collectively made waterproof is becoming more prevalent than the former method of waterproofing each terminal.

The following three techniques have been proposed for the method of fixing the waterproof plug and the insulating housing in the latter waterproof electric connector. First, the first technique is to form a plurality of ribs on the inner wall of the rear end of the insulating housing and forcibly push in the waterproof plug, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-43972, and engage with the ribs at the periphery. Hold together. The second technique is disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-86572. In addition to the ribs on the inner wall of the rear end of the insulation housing, a number of hook-shaped protrusions are formed on the rear end face. And hold. Finally, the third technique is disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-3-122979. That is, using a cover or a cap having an opening corresponding to the terminal insertion hole of the waterproof plug behind the waterproof plug, a fastening member or a holding arm formed on the cap is engaged with a protrusion formed on the outer periphery of the rear end of the insulating housing. Hold them together.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 Since it is difficult to press and hold the waterproof plug on the insulating housing in the above-mentioned first and second conventional techniques, moisture or humidity may enter through a gap formed between the waterproof plug and the inner wall of the insulating housing. There is In order to prevent this, there is a case where the both are adhered and fixed with an adhesive, but there is a drawback in terms of workability and the like. Further, in the second technique, the waterproof plug needs to have a sufficient thickness, the insulating housing becomes complicated and expensive, and the workability is not good. In the third technique, the waterproof effect is good because the waterproof cap is expanded laterally by pressing the waterproof cap with the cover cap, but the cover cap increases the size of the rear end. However, there is a drawback that inconvenience occurs especially when a plurality of connectors are arranged in parallel.

Therefore, the present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional waterproof type electrical connector, improves the waterproof effect and workability of the waterproof plug, and is substantially compatible with the conventional non-waterproof type electrical connector. Provided is a waterproof type electrical connector having a compact waterproof plug holding cover having a flexible structure.

[0008]

[Means for solving the problem]

 The waterproof electrical connector of the present invention has a substantially J- or U-shaped protrusion formed along the latch arm on one surface of the insulating housing on which the latch arm is formed. It is characterized in that an opening is formed in the rear end surface of the ridge and a plurality of fixing legs of the waterproof plug holding cover member are inserted and fixed in the opening. With this configuration, the ridge has two functions of protecting the latch arm and holding the cover member.

[0009]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the waterproof electrical connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the waterproof electric connector of the present invention. The waterproof electric connector 10 of the present invention includes a plug housing 20, a waterproof plug 30 arranged on the rear surface (terminal insertion surface), a mounting cover or cover member 40, and a plurality of contacts 50. The waterproof electric connector (or plug connector) 10 can be used by being fitted to a mating (receptacle) electric connector 60 including a cap housing. In this particular embodiment, as will be described later, the two plug connectors 10 are fitted and inserted in parallel with each other and used in the cap housing 61 of the mating connector 60.

The plug housing 20 is formed with a latch arm 22 at the center of an upper surface 21 and a pair of substantially J-shaped projections 23 on both sides along the latch arm 22. The latch arm 22 has two cantilever arms 22a and 22b which stand up from near the front end (fitting surface) and extend rearward. An operating portion 22c is formed at the free ends of both arms 22a-22b, and an engaging projection 22d protruding upward is formed in the middle of each arm.

The plug housing 20 is formed with a plurality of terminal receiving passages 24 penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface. A recess 25 is formed on the rear surface of the plug housing 20, and the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40 are inserted and arranged therein. Further, an opening (not shown) is formed on the bottom surface of the plug housing 20, and a double lock plate 29 is inserted into the opening to insert it into the terminal receiving passage 24 as described later to ensure that the terminal held by the well-known housing lance is secured. It may be configured to hold. The detailed structure and operation of the double lock type connector of the type to be inserted from the side (bottom) surface is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2-257519, and therefore will not be described in detail here. do not do.

For example, three notches 27 are formed in the lower portion of the rear surface of the plug housing 20, and an opening 28 is formed in the rear surface of the pair of upper J-shaped projections 23. The recess 25 on the rear surface of the plug housing 20 is formed to be slightly shallower than the total thickness of the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40. A rib 31 is preferably formed on the outer edge of the waterproof plug 30 and is slightly larger than the inner wall of the recess 25 of the plug housing 20. The waterproof plug 30 has, for example, upper and lower two rows of penetrating terminal insertion openings 32 corresponding to the terminal receiving passages 24 of the plug housing 20. Furthermore, elongated recesses or grooves 34 are formed between the rows 32 of openings on the back surface 33 of the waterproof plug 30.

In the cover member 40, two rows of openings 42 corresponding to the openings 32 of the waterproof plug 30 are formed through the plate-shaped main body 41 having a size corresponding to the waterproof plug 30. Further, on the front surface of the main body portion 41, a ridge described later is formed corresponding to the central groove 34 of the waterproof plug 30. Further, the cover member 40 in this particular embodiment has three fixed legs 43 at the lower edge and two fixed legs 44 at the upper edge. The cover member 40 pushes the waterproof plug 30 into the recess 25 on the rear surface of the plug housing 20, and then inserts and engages the fixed legs 43 and 44 into the opening 28 and the notch 27 on the rear surface of the plug housing 20, respectively. As a result, the waterproof plug 30 and the openings 32, 42 of the cover member 40 are aligned with each other, and the waterproof plug 30 is securely fixed to the rear surface of the plug housing 20.

Inside the terminal receiving passage 24 of the plug housing 20 through the opening 42 of the aligned cover member 40 and the opening 32 of the waterproof plug 30 while the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40 are pressed and held by the plug housing 20. Then, the terminal 50 crimped and connected to the wire 51 is press-fitted. The opening 42 of the cover member 40 is formed slightly larger than the cross section of the terminal 50, and the opening 32 of the waterproof plug 30 is formed slightly smaller than the outer dimension of the wire 51. As a result, when the terminal 50 is inserted, each opening 32 of the waterproof plug 30 is completely closed, and the entry of water or moisture is completely blocked.

On the other hand, the cap housing 61 of the mating connector 60 has two compartments 62a and 62b, and two plug connectors 10 having the same or different dimensions can be inserted in parallel. A pair of arm guide grooves 63 for guiding the arms 22a-22b of the latch arm 22, an engaging hole 64 for engaging with the engaging projection 22d of the arm 22, and an arm guide are provided on the upper portion of each compartment 62 of the cap housing 61. A ridge guide groove 65 for guiding the ridge 23 is formed in parallel on both sides of the groove 63. Further, at the rear of the inner surface of each compartment 62 of the cap housing 61, there is provided an O-ring (not shown) which is preferably formed so as to surround the front outer circumference of the plug housing 20 which is inserted and fitted. This will ensure waterproofness between both connectors 10, 60. In the compartment 62 from the rear surface of the cap housing 60, two rows of upper and lower tab or post (male) terminals 67 are arrayed and fixed, preferably by integral molding.

Although the compartments 62a-62b of the mating connector 60 may have the same shape, they may be keyed with a slight deformation in order to prevent erroneous fitting with a pair of plug connectors fitted therein. In the particular embodiment shown, the shape of the J-shaped ridges 23 on both sides of the latch arm 22 on the upper surface 21 of the plug housing 20 of the plug connector 10 in the compartment 62b is modified. That is, the long ridge is formed on the side of the latch arm 22 and the short ridge is formed on the outside. Corresponding to this, the protrusion 65 'of the compartment 62b of the mating connector 60 is formed on the arm guide groove 63' side.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective views of another embodiment of the waterproof electric connector 10 according to the present invention. The housing 20 'of FIG. 2A has substantially the same shape as the plug housing 20 of FIG. 1, but the J-shaped protrusion 23' is opposite to the protrusion 23 of the plug housing 20 as described above. That is, the long ridge is formed close to the latch arm 22 and the short ridge is formed on the outer side, and is designed to be inserted into the compartment 62b of the mating connector 60 of FIG. 1, for example.

The housing 20 ″ of FIG. 2B is the same as the plug housing 20 of FIG. 1 except that the pair of protrusions 23 ″ are both long and are substantially U-shaped. However, in order to identify the pair of plug connectors 10 that are inserted and fitted into the pair of compartments 62a and 62b of the mating connector 60, for example, a pair of long ridges having a substantially U-shaped projection 23 '' is provided. One of them may be made wider than the other, and the widths of the guide grooves formed in the upper portions of the compartments 62a, 62b of the housing 61 of the mating connector 60 may be made different.

FIG. 3A shows a modification of the cover member 40 shown in FIG. This cover member 40 'differs from the cover member 40 of FIG. 1 in that it has a protrusion 45 between the upper holding legs 44. The protruding portion 45 of the cover member 40 ′ covers the vicinity of the rear end of the operation portion 22 c behind the latch arm 22. As a result, when the plug connector 10 is completely assembled, the operating portion 22c of the latch arm 22 is surrounded by the J-shaped or U-shaped protrusion 23 and the protrusion 45 of the cover member 40. Therefore, in order to release the mating of the plug connector 10 once mated with the mating connector 60, it is necessary to deliberately push down the operating portion 22c of the rat arm 22 from above, and another object may hit the operating portion 22c and It is possible to prevent accidental accidents that push down to release the mating.

FIG. 3B shows a cross section of the cover member 40 taken along the line BB of FIG. 3A. As is clear from the figure, a ridge 46 is formed on the front surface of the cover member 40, and when it is arranged behind the waterproof plug 30 and pressed and held, it is fitted into the central groove or the recess 34. As a result, the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40 are positioned, that is, the openings 32 and 42 are aligned over the entire length.

The lower holding leg 43 of the cover member 40 is short and the upper holding leg 44 is long. Engagement protrusions 43a, 44a are formed inside both the holding legs 43, 44 near the free ends. These engaging protrusions 43a engage with the engaging step formed on the bottom of the notch 27 on the lower side of the plug housing 20. Further, the holding leg 44 is inserted into the opening 28 formed in the rear surface of the ridge 23 of the plug housing 20, and the engaging projection 44a thereof is inserted into the recess 29 partially shown in FIG. Then, the waterproof plug 30 is pressed and held on the rear surface of the housing 20. Once the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40 are fixed to the housing 20, there is almost no need to remove them, and the housing 20, the waterproof plug 30 and the cover member 40 are integrated. However, if necessary, it can be disassembled by using a tool such as a driver to release the engagement between the holding legs 43 and 44 of the cover member 20 and the housing 20. This is necessary, for example, only when the waterproof plug 30 is cracked and the waterproof function is lost or the waterproof effect is deteriorated.

Although the waterproof electric connector of the present invention has been described above based on the preferred embodiment, the present invention should not be limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. It will be appreciated that variations and modifications are possible.

[0024]

[Effect of the device]

 As can be understood from the above description, according to the waterproof electrical connector of the present invention, the pair of ridges of the waterproof electrical connector with the latch arm are used to protect the latching means and the latch arm of the holding leg of the cover member of the waterproof plug. Also serves as a ridge. As a result, the waterproof electric connector can be made extremely compact, and the workability of assembling the housing and the waterproof plug can be greatly improved. Since such a waterproof electric connector is extremely compact, it is particularly effective when a plurality of waterproof electric connectors are arranged side by side in the compartment of the mating connector. In addition, the cover member can also provide an isolation function that prevents accidental accidents of the latch arm.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a waterproof electric connector of the present invention and a perspective view of a mating connector used with the same.

2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the housing of the waterproof electric connector of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a cover member used in the waterproof electric connector of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Waterproof electrical connector 20 Insulation housing 22 Latch arm 23 Projection 24 Terminal receiving opening 28 Opening 30 Waterproof plug 40 Cover member 44 Fixed (or holding) leg

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A watertight insulating housing with a latch arm having a plurality of terminal receiving passages formed penetrating from a front surface to a rear surface, and a plurality of terminals arranged on the rear surface of the insulating housing and inserted into the terminal receiving passages. A substantially flat waterproof plug for holding and a cover member for pressing and holding the waterproof plug on the rear surface of the insulating housing are provided, and the insulating housing has a substantially J- or U-shaped protrusion along both sides of the latch arm. A waterproof electrical connector characterized in that a strip is formed, an opening is formed in a rear surface of the projection, and the cover member has a plurality of fixing legs inserted and held in at least the opening of the insulating housing.