JPH0662478U - Waterproof connector - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Maintains good waterproofness by being connected to a waterproof enclosure used in an environment where temperature changes drastically. [Structure] A male side connector member 50 connected to the main body 10 of the waterproof casing is formed with a communication passage 54 for communicating the inside of the main body 10 and the inside of the male side connector hood 53. On the other hand, in the female connector member 60, the communication pipe 64 is connected to the barrel 63a of the female terminal 63 that does not contribute to the connection, and the female terminal 63 is housed in the tubular portion 62 of the female connector member 60. A communication passage 67 communicating with the surroundings is formed at the tip of the tubular portion 62. When the male-side connector member 50 and the female-side connector member 60 are connected, the inside and outside communicate with each other via the main body 10, the communication passage 54, the communication passage 67, the tubular portion 62, and the communication pipe 64. Since the opening of the communication pipe 64 is located at the position where the electric wire W is disposed and is unlikely to be exposed to water, the waterproof property can be improved.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a waterproof connector, and more particularly to a waterproof connector that is connected to a waterproof housing that houses an electronic unit or the like in an engine room of a vehicle.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A waterproof connector is used when an electric wire is externally connected to an electronic unit housed in a waterproof housing. Usually, in such a waterproof connector, a waterproof packing is arranged on the peripheral surface of the connecting portion of the paired connector, and a waterproof packing is arranged between the electric wire and the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion in the cylindrical portion holding the electric wire. In addition, the wire extraction surface is covered with a waterproof cover. By the way, it is not always enough to make the waterproof box a simple box-type sealed structure in an environment where the temperature changes rapidly. This is because the internal air pressure changes with changes in temperature, causing strain in the housing and absorbing water from the gaps in the lid, which has a closed structure. Conventionally, as a waterproof housing used in such an environment, those disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-112978 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-186094 are known. All of these have air holes formed without a closed structure in order to equalize the air pressure inside and outside the housing.In the former, the air holes are labyrinth-like and the water when inflowing outside air is retained inside the maze. In the latter case, the ventilation holes are covered with auxiliary plates to form a staggered ventilation passage to prevent water from entering directly.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 An example of the use of the waterproof housing is to house the control electronics for the engine and place it inside the engine room. While the temperature in the engine room tends to rise, when the splashed water splashes on the waterproof housing while driving, the temperature drops sharply. In such a case, the former waterproof housing causes water to be infiltrated if water that cannot be retained in the maze-like vent is sucked in, and the latter waterproof housing causes the momentum of splashing water. If it is strong, it will be flooded. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent such an opening portion from being exposed to water, and eventually, the restriction on the arrangement position becomes large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof connector which can be connected to a waterproof housing used in an environment where the temperature changes drastically to maintain good waterproofness. To do.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a waterproof connector which is connected to a waterproof housing while maintaining airtightness, and is provided with a communication passage for communicating the inside and the outside through a connecting portion. There is. The invention according to claim 2 is the waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector on the side connected to the waterproof housing has a communication path between the inside of the waterproof housing and the connection surface. The connector connected to the external electric wire side has a structure in which a communication path is formed between the cylindrical portion in which the electric wire is arranged and the connection surface.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3, in the waterproof connector according to claim 2, in the connector connected to the external electric wire side, the communication pipe is connected to the barrel of the terminal fitting to which the electric wire is connected. The communication pipe is arranged so as to be fitted and held in the cylindrical portion.

[0007]

[Action]

 In the device according to claim 1 configured as described above, the waterproof connector is communicated with the inside and outside through the communication passage of the connecting portion, and when the air inside the waterproof housing thermally expands or contracts, Air is moved through the communication passage to prevent pressure changes. Further, in the invention according to claim 2 configured as described above, a communication path is formed which communicates with the inside of the waterproof casing from the tubular portion through which the electric wire for wiring passes, and the movement of air through the tubular portion. Is done.

Further, in the invention according to claim 3 configured as described above, the connecting pipe is fitted and held in the barrel of the terminal fitting by the connector connected to the external electric wire side to connect the electric wire. The communication pipe is arranged in the same manner as the other terminal fittings are arranged on the electric connector.

[0009]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the air can be moved through the communication passage formed in the connecting portion, and since the communication between the inside and the outside is not formed in the waterproof housing that is easily exposed to water, it is easy to perform. Therefore, it is possible to provide a waterproof housing capable of improving waterproofness. In addition, since it is not necessary to change the configuration of the housing itself, it can be easily applied to the existing waterproof housing.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the tubular portion for arranging the electric wire is used, it is not necessary to form a special path for the communication passage. Further, according to the invention as claimed in claim 3, the communication pipe can be arranged in the same manner as the electric wire is arranged, and the communication pipe can be easily arranged in a place where it is difficult to be exposed to water and thus waterproof. It is possible to improve the sex.

[0011]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view for assembling a waterproof connector according to an embodiment of the present invention into a waterproof housing, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the waterproof connector is connected to the waterproof housing, and FIG. It is a broken perspective view of the connector by the side connected.

In FIG. 1, the waterproof housing includes a box-shaped main body 10 and a lid 20 for covering a rear side opening of the main body 10, and the opening peripheral edge of the main body 10 and the peripheral edge of the lid 20. A rubber packing 22 for sealing is interposed therebetween. Inside the main body 10, an electronic substrate 40 on which electronic elements are arranged is accommodated. The electronic board 40 is provided with a printed board 41 having electronic elements arranged on the upper surface thereof, and has a male connector member 50 integrally formed with four male connector hoods 52 for accommodating male terminals 51. It is connected perpendicularly to the front edge of the printed circuit board 41. The male-side connector hood 52 has a tubular portion 53 formed at the front end thereof. The male-side connector hood 52 has the fitting portion of the male terminal 51 inside the tubular portion 53. The male-type terminal 51 is held in a state of being projected. A communication passage 54 is formed between the cylindrical portion 53 and the rear surface of the main body 10 to connect the internal space of the main body 10 to the internal space of the cylindrical portion 53.

On the front side of the main body 10, connector through holes 17a are formed corresponding to the male side connector hoods 52, and the male side connector hoods 52 are connected to the outside of the main body 10 via the connector through holes 17a. Overhangs. At this time, a rubber packing 43 having a notch hole 43a corresponding to the connector through hole 17a is disposed between the male side connector member 50 and the inner front wall 18 of the main body 10. The female connector member 60, which is paired with the male connector member 50, is provided with a columnar protrusion 61 that can be inserted into the tubular portion 53, and the columnar protrusion 61 is parallel to the axial direction and A cylindrical portion 62 is formed at the insertion position of the male terminal 51. A female terminal 63 is engaged and held in the tubular portion 62, and an electric wire W is press-fitted to a barrel 63 a of the female terminal 63. A metallic communication pipe 64 is connected to one female terminal 63 in the same manner as the covering portion of the electric wire W is crimped, and the communication pipe 64 and the other electric wire W pass through a cylindrical rubber plug 65. And projects outward from the tubular portion 62. The rubber plug 65 closes the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire W or the communication pipe 64 and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 62. Further, some communication passages 67 that open to the connection surface are formed at the tip of the tubular portion 62.

On the other hand, a short cylindrical connector packing 66 is held also on the peripheral surface of the columnar convex portion 61, and when the columnar convex portion 61 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 53, the columnar convex portion 61 is held. The gap between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 53 is closed. Next, a method of using this embodiment having the above configuration will be described. When assembling, the male side connector member 50 is connected to the printed board 41 to complete the electronic board 40, and then the rubber packing 43 is covered from the front side of the male side connector member 50 to attach the electronic board 40 to the male side connector member 50. The connector member 50 is inserted into the opening of the main body 10. When the electronic board 40 is completely inserted into the main body 10, the front side of the main body 10 is screwed. Further, the lid 20 assembled as described above is screwed on the rear side of the main body 10 with the rubber packing 22 interposed. In this state, the waterproof housing is housed in the engine room.

On the other hand, in the female connector member 60, the rubber plug 65 is penetrated at the tip of the electric wire W and the female terminal 63 is crimped to the tip of the electric wire W. Along with this, the rubber plug 65 is also penetrated through the communication pipe 64 to be crimped to the female terminal 63 that does not contribute to the wiring. In addition, in this embodiment, the communication pipe 64 is pressure-bonded to the female terminal 63, but may be fixed by an adhesive or the like. Next, these female terminals 63 are inserted into the tubular portion 62 of the female-side connector member 60 and engaged and fixed. At this time, the rubber plug 65 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 62 to close the gap. Finally, a waterproof hood (not shown) is covered around the opening side of the tubular portion 62 to complete the female connector member 60, which is inserted and connected into the male connector hood 52 of the male connector member 50 for assembly. finish.

Since the temperature of the engine room becomes high due to the heat of the engine, the heat is also transmitted to the waterproof casing and the temperature rises. Then, since the air inside expands thermally, it flows from the inside of the main body 10 into the tubular portion 53 through the communicating passage 54, and further from the tubular portion 53, the communicating passage 67 and the tubular portion 62 of the female connector member 60. And flow out to the outside through the communication pipe 64. As a result, the pressure inside the main body 10 is reduced, so that the main body 10 and the like are not deformed, and no gap is created in the connecting portion or the like between the main body 10 and the lid 20. On the other hand, if water is applied at this time, the air inside the main body 10 is rapidly cooled, so that the air inside tries to contract. Then, the path opposite to that described above, that is, the outside air is sucked through the communication pipe 64, the tubular portion 62, the communication path 67, and the communication path 54, and a rapid decrease in the internal pressure is suppressed. Therefore, the main body 10 is not deformed and a gap is not formed in the connecting portion with the lid 20. By the way, since the tip of the communication pipe 64 is opened near the electric wire W, the outside air around this is sucked. Since the electric wire W is treated so as not to be exposed to water, it does not absorb water even if the outside air in this part is sucked.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for assembling a waterproof connector according to an embodiment of the present invention to a waterproof housing.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a waterproof connector is connected to a waterproof housing.

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of the connector of the waterproof connector on the side connected to the electric wire.

[Explanation of symbols]

 50 ... Male-side connector member 52 ... Male-side connector hood 53 ... Cylindrical part 54 ... Communication path 60 ... Female-side connector member 61 ... Columnar convex part 62 ... Cylindrical part 63 ... Female terminal 63a ... Barrel 64 ... Communication pipe 67 ... Communication passage W ... Electric wire

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Yuichi Akiyama 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Mazda Motor Corporation

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A waterproof connector which is connected to a waterproof housing while maintaining airtightness, wherein the waterproof connector is provided with a communication passage for communicating the inside and the outside through a connecting portion. 2. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector on the side connected to the waterproof housing has a communication path formed between the inside of the waterproof housing and the connection surface, and the external wire side. A water-proof connector characterized in that a communication path is formed between a cylindrical portion for disposing the electric wire and the connection surface in the connector connected to. 3. The waterproof connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector connected to the external electric wire side comprises:
A waterproof connector characterized in that a communication pipe is fitted and held in a barrel of a terminal fitting to which an electric wire is connected, and the communication pipe is arranged in the cylindrical portion.