JPH0732870U - Panel-mounted connector seal structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Seal between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing that compose the panel-mounted connector. [Structure] A seal 20 is provided between the outer surface of the panel 5 (left surface in the figure) and the detachable connector housing 4. On the inner peripheral side of the seal 20, a space between the hood portion 3 of the fixed side connector housing and the detachable side connector housing 4 is waterproofed by a sub seal portion 25. The sub-seal portion 25 prevents water droplets that have passed through the gap between the mounting hole 6 and the hood portion 3 from the inner surface of the panel 5 (right side in the drawing) from entering the gap between the hood portion 3 and the detachable connector housing 4. .

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a seal structure for a panel mounting type connector which is fitted and mounted in a mounting hole formed in a panel.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 4 and 5 show an example of a seal structure for waterproofing the connector and the mounting hole in the panel mounting type connector that is mounted by being fitted into the mounting hole formed in the panel. . The panel mountable connector 30 having this seal structure includes a fixed connector housing 31 having a hood portion 32 and a detachable connector housing 33 fitted in the hood portion 32. The fixed side connector housing 31 is mounted by fitting the hood portion 32 into the mounting hole 36 from the inside (left side in the figure) of the panel 35 and locking the lock piece 37 to the hole edge of the mounting hole 36. The detachable connector housing 33 is fixed by bolts 39 together with a grommet 38 which is fitted into the hood portion 32 from the outside (right side in the figure) of the panel 35 and which is mounted so as to cover the opening of the hood portion 32. It is attached.

The seal 40 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the grommet 38, and is provided in an annular shape along the edge of the mounting hole 36. The seal 40 is pressed against the outer surface of the panel 35 as the detachable connector housing 33 is attached to the fixed connector housing 31, and is brought into close contact with the panel 35 while elastically deforming. As a result, the periphery of the hole edge of the mounting hole 36 is surrounded by the seal 40 from the outer side of the panel 35 to the entire circumference, and between the outer side of the panel 35 and the hood portion 32 of the fixed-side connector housing 31. Water and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the panel 35 through the gap.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The conventional seal structure described above has the following problems. Inside the seal 40, a gap Sa between the hole edge of the mounting hole 36 of the panel 35 and the hood portion 32 of the fixed-side connector housing 31 and the hood portion 32 are provided as shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. The gap Sb between the detachable connector housing 33 was not sealed, and it was not possible to prevent water or the like from passing through these gaps Sa and Sb. For this reason, for example, water droplets that are formed by condensation on the inner surface of the panel 35 (the surface on the left side in the drawing) and drip are the gap Sa between the hole edge of the mounting hole 36 and the hood portion 32, the hood portion 32, and the detachable side. There is a risk that it may enter the inside of the connector housings 31, 33 by passing through the gap Sb with the connector housing 33.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and provides a seal structure capable of sealing between a fixed-side connector housing and a removable-side connector housing that form a panel mount connector. The purpose is.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a fixed-side connector housing that is fitted from one surface side of a panel into a mounting hole formed in the panel, and a fixed-side connector housing from the other surface side of the panel. A panel-mounted connector seal that attaches to the panel so as to surround the mounting hole by providing an annular seal on the detachable-side connector housing of the panel-mounted connector that consists of the detachable-side connector housing The structure is characterized in that the seal is formed with a sub-seal portion that is in close contact with the fixed-side connector housing and is pinched between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing.

[0007]

[Action]

 When the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing are attached to the panel, the seal comes into close contact with the panel so as to surround the mounting hole, and the sub-seal portion is pinched between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing. The seal that closely adheres to the panel prevents water and the like from entering the opposite side of the panel (the side where the fixed side connector housing is attached) from the side where the detachable side connector housing of the panel is fitted through the gap between the mounting hole and the connector. Block. The sub-seal portion, which is pinched between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing, prevents water and the like from entering the inside of the connector from the outside through the gap between both connector housings.

[0008]

[Effect of device]

 As explained by the above operation, the present invention provides the sub-seal portion which is pinched between the fixed-side connector housing and the detachable-side connector housing, so that water and the like can pass from the outside of the connector through the gap between the two. I tried to prevent it from entering inside. As a result, on the side opposite to the side where the panel seal is in close contact (the side on which the fixed-side connector housing is attached), for example, water droplets caused by dew condensation on the surface of the panel may pass between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing. As a result of penetrating into the inside of the connector through it, it is possible to prevent a minute leak from occurring between the terminal fittings mounted in the connector.

[0009]

【Example】

 An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The panel mountable connector 1 of the present embodiment comprises a fixed side connector housing 2 having a hood portion 3 having a rectangular cross section and a removable connector housing 4 fitted in the hood portion 3, and has a plate surface in the vertical direction. It is designed to be attached to the panel 5 facing toward in a predetermined posture. The panel 5 is formed with a mounting hole 6 for mounting the panel mountable connector 1 described above, and the outer surface (the left side surface in FIGS. 2 and 3) at the periphery of the mounting hole 6 is A seal surface 7 is provided on which a seal 20 described later is in close contact.

The fixed-side connector housing 2 has a plurality of cavities 8 which are opened in the inner end surface of the hood portion 3 and into which terminal fittings (not shown) are inserted. An engaging projection 9 is formed at the tip of the hood portion 3 so as to project from the outer surface of its upper side, and a metal lock piece 10 is attached to the notch formed at the lower side. In this fixed-side connector housing 2, the tip of the hood portion 3 is fitted into the mounting hole 6 from the inside of the panel 5 (right side in FIGS. 2 and 3), and the engaging convex portion 9 on the upper side of the hood portion 3 is formed on the upper side of the mounting hole 6. The lock piece 10 on the lower side is fixed by being engaged with the hole edge on the lower side of the mounting hole 6 while being elastically deformed.

The detachable connector housing 4 has a plurality of cavities 11 which are opened at a tip end surface fitted into the hood portion 3 and into which terminal fittings (not shown) are inserted. In the detachable connector housing 4, a rectangular plate-shaped rubber grommet 12 that covers the surface opposite to the tip end that is fitted into the hood portion 3 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the locking portion. It is mounted by covering 13 with a flange portion 14 at the outer peripheral edge of the detachable connector housing 4 and hooking it. Further, a grommet cover 15 that covers the outer surface of the grommet 12 is attached in a state in which the wire-guiding cylinder portion 17 of the grommet 12 is passed through the fitting hole 16. Contrary to the fixed connector housing 2, the removable connector housing 4 is fitted into the hood portion 3 from the outside of the panel 5 (left side in FIGS. 2 and 3), and is detached from the fixed connector housing 2 by the bolt 18. It is fixed to be impossible. As a result, the terminal fittings (not shown) mounted in the cavities 8 and 11 of the connector housings 2 and 4 are electrically joined to each other.

The engaging portion 13 formed on the outer peripheral edge of the grommet 12 for attachment to the detachable connector housing 4 has its tip extending toward the panel 5, and the extended portion is waterproof. It is a seal 20 for use. The seal 20 is provided in an annular shape so as to surround the circumference of the mounting hole 6, and has a double seal structure composed of a seal portion 21 on the inner peripheral side and a seal portion 22 on the outer peripheral side. The seal portion 21 on the inner peripheral side has a short projection length toward the panel 5 side and a large thickness dimension. On the other hand, the seal portion 22 on the outer peripheral side has a projection length to the panel 5 side in the free state that is considerably longer than that of the seal portion 21 on the inner peripheral side, and the thickness thereof gradually decreases in the protruding direction to the panel 5 side. As a whole, it has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape and extends in a divergent shape that is slightly biased toward the outer peripheral side.

The seal 20 is provided with a sub-seal portion 25 for waterproofing between the fixed-side connector housing 2 and the detachable-side connector housing 4. The sub-sealing portion 25 is formed integrally with the seal 20 by extending the locking portion 13 of the grommet 12 in a plate shape from the inner circumference to the entire circumference. The sub-seal portion 25 is in close contact with the front surface 14a of the collar portion 14 of the detachable connector housing 4, that is, the surface corresponding to the tip surface 3a of the hood portion 3 of the fixed connector housing 2. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the detachable connector housing 4 is fitted into the hood portion 3 of the fixed connector housing 2, the seal 20 is closely attached to the seal surface 7 at the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 6 of the panel 5 accordingly. At this time, first, the outer peripheral side seal portion 22 comes into contact with the panel 5 and is elastically deformed so as to be spread outwardly, and finally adheres widely to the panel 5, together with the inner peripheral side seal. The part 21 comes into close contact with the panel 5 with a slight elastic deformation. In this state, the periphery of the hole edge of the mounting hole 6 of the panel 5 is doubly surrounded by the inner peripheral side seal portion 21 and the outer peripheral side seal portion 22 over the entire periphery. Water and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the panel 5 through the gap between the mounting hole 6 and the panel mountable connector 1 from the outside.

Further, as the detachable connector housing 4 is fitted into the hood portion 3 of the fixed side connector housing 2, the sub-seal portion 25 approaches the tip surface 3 a of the hood portion 3 together with the flange portion 14. When both connector housings 2 and 4 are completely fitted, the sub-seal portion 25 is pinched between the front surface 14a of the collar portion 14 and the tip surface 3a of the hood portion 3. As a result, in the inner space, which is separated from the outside of the panel 5 in a waterproof state by the grommet 12 and the seal 20, the fixed side connector housing 2 and the detachable side connector housing 4 are sealed so that water and the like cannot flow. It Therefore, the water droplets that have been formed on the inner surface of the panel 5 (the surface on the right side in FIGS. 2 and 3) and have been dropped due to dew condensation, etc., pass through the gap between the mounting hole 6 and the hood portion 3 and travel along the upper surface of the hood portion 3 to the tip. When it leaks to the side, the sub-seal portion 25 pinched between the tip surface 3a of the hood portion 3 and the front surface 14a of the collar portion 14 causes the water droplets to come into contact with the inner surface of the hood portion 3 and the detachable connector housing. It is prevented from penetrating into the inside of the connector housings 2 and 4 through the gap between the outer surface of the connector 3 and the outer surface of the connector 3.

The water droplets that have been prevented from entering the connector housings 2 and 4 in this manner accumulate on the upper surface of the hood portion 3. When the amount of the accumulated water reaches a certain amount, the accumulated water flows down along the outer surface of the hood portion 3 and falls from the gap between the lower side of the hood portion 3 and the mounting hole 6 to the inner surface of the panel 5 (Fig. 2). , 3 on the right side). In this embodiment, there is a gap between the lock piece 10 and the hood portion 3 on the lower side of the hood portion 3 so that the inside and outside of the connector housings 2 and 4 communicate with each other. As a result, even if water enters the connector housings 2 and 4 or water droplets are generated due to dew condensation, the water in the connector housings 2 and 4 will not leave a gap between the lock piece 10 and the hood portion 3. To the outside of the connector housings 2 and 4.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified and implemented as follows, for example. (A) In the above embodiment, the case where the lock piece is separate from the hood part and made of metal is attached to the hood part, but the lock piece is separate from the hood part. Therefore, it is possible to use a resin product or a product integrally formed with the hood portion. (B) In the above embodiment, the notch for mounting the lock piece is formed on the lower side of the hood, and the lower side of the hood has a portion where the sub-seal portion does not function for waterproofing. Although the case where the present invention is applied to a panel-mountable connector has been described, the present invention is not limited to the type in which the cutout portion of the hood portion is on its side or the type in which the cutout portion is not formed over the entire circumference of the hood portion. It can also be applied to other panel-mounted connectors, which is a type with no notch on the upper side of the hood. With this type of panel-mounted connector, there is no risk of water droplets entering the inside of the connector housing from the upper side of the hood, and the sub-seal portion can exert the waterproof function.

Besides, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a panel-mounted connector according to an embodiment in an exploded state.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a panel-mounted connector in an assembled state.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a seal structure.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional panel-mounted connector in an assembled state.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a state where the panel is mounted on a conventional seal structure panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Panel mount type connector 2 ... Fixed side connector housing 4 ... Removal side connector housing 5 ... Panel 6 ... Mounting hole 20 ... Seal 25 ... Sub seal part

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A fixed-side connector housing that is fitted by being fitted into a mounting hole formed in the panel from one surface side of the panel, and a removable connector that is fitted into the fixed-side connector housing from the other surface side of the panel. An annular seal is provided on the detachable connector housing of the panel mountable connector including a housing, and the seal is closely attached to the panel so as to surround the mounting hole. A seal structure for a panel mountable connector, wherein a sub-seal portion is formed in close contact with the fixed-side connector housing to be pinched between the fixed-side connector housing and the removable-side connector housing.