JPH08250203A - Rubber ring holding structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide rubber ring holding structure in which a rubber ring is easily and surely inserted securely without increasing the number of parts. CONSTITUTION: A firing plate 21 abutting on the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7 of a female housing 1 is formed in a rubber ring 20, and a locked rod 22 is projected in the rear surface. A through-hole 26 through which the locked rod 22 can be made to pass with clearance is opened in the inner wall 8. A cut groove 23 is formed in the tip surface of the locked rod 22, and in the female housing 1, a lock member 28 in which a wedge part 30 having more obtuse angle than the cut groove 23 is integratedly formed so as to be able to return through a self-hinge part 29. When the rubber ring 20 is installed in a regular position, the tip of the locked rod 22 passes through the through- hole 26 to project on the rear side. When the wedge part 30 is pushed in the cut groove 23 by returning the lock member 28, the tip is elastically spread out and locked in the opening edge of the outside of the through-hole 26 securely.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a holding structure for holding a rubber ring used for sealing between housings of a waterproof connector at a predetermined mounting position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of the structure of a waterproof connector will be described with reference to FIG. 10. A male connector housing 51 is provided with a fitting cylinder portion 52, while a female connector housing 53 is fitted therewith. Fitting groove 54 into which the tubular portion 52 is fitted
Is provided. When the rubber ring 55 is attached to the inner side of the fitting groove 54 of the female housing 53 and the two housings 51 and 53 are fitted to each other, the inner peripheral surface of the tip of the fitting tubular portion 52 of the male housing 51, By sandwiching the rubber ring 55 between the inner peripheral surface at the inner end of the fitting groove 54 of the female housing 53, both housings 51, 5
The space between the three is sealed watertight.

By the way, in such a waterproof connector, when performing maintenance or the like, both housings 51,
The fitting of 53 is removed, but at that time, the rubber ring 55
May fall out together with the male housing 51, and if it falls into a narrow place that is out of reach, it may become uncollectable. Therefore, rubber ring 5
It is desirable that once the piece 5 is attached, it is held in the attached position in a retaining state.

Conventionally, as a means for holding such a rubber ring, as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-113387, a means for mounting a rubber ring retainer provided separately is known. However, since one extra component is required, it is not always preferable in terms of manufacturing and component management.

On the other hand, as a holding structure which avoids such an increase in the number of parts, the one described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-162470 is known. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, this is the fitting groove 54 in the rubber ring 55.
A round rod-shaped locked portion 57 having a head 58 at its tip is provided on the end surface of the fitting groove 54 on the side that abuts the inner wall 56 of the fitting groove 54.
A through hole 59 into which the round bar is tightly inserted is opened correspondingly in the inner wall 56 of the, and the locked portion 57 is pushed into the through hole 59 while the head portion 58 is crushed, so that the restored and deformed head portion 58 is formed. Through hole 5
The rubber ring 55 is held in a retaining state by being locked to the outer rim of the rubber plate 9.

[0006]

However, in the above, when the rubber ring 55 is inserted, the locked portion 57 is inserted.
Since the positions of the through hole 59 and the through hole 59 must be accurately aligned, it is troublesome, and since the head 58 of the locked portion 57 is passed through the through hole 59 while being crushed, the resistance is large and the insertion work is troublesome. was there. Further, since the resistance at the time of insertion is large, the rubber ring 55 may be stopped in an imperfectly mounted state.

The present invention was completed in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily and surely attach the rubber ring in a retaining state without increasing the number of parts. It is an object of the present invention to provide such a holding structure.

[0008]

As a means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is such that a rubber ring inserted along the peripheral surface of the housing is provided on the inner side of the peripheral surface. In the case where the housing is properly mounted by restricting the insertion by the back wall, and the rubber ring mounted is sandwiched between the opposing circumferential surfaces of the other housing to seal between the two housings, A structure for holding the rubber ring in a regular mounting position, wherein a through hole is opened in a back wall of the housing, and the through hole is formed on a surface corresponding to the back wall of the rubber ring. A locked portion that can be inserted into the hole with a clearance and whose tip can project to the outside is provided in a protruding manner.
The present invention is characterized in that a locking member that locks the locked portion in a retaining state by being engaged with the protruding end of the locked portion is integrally provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the locking member elastically deforms the projecting end of the locked portion and locks it at the outer edge of the through hole. The feature is that it is configured to prevent the locked portion from coming off.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the locking member is fitted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the projecting end of the locked portion to prevent the locked portion from coming off. It is characterized in that it is configured to be performed.

[0011]

The operation of the invention of claim 1 is as follows. When the rubber ring is inserted along the peripheral surface of the housing toward the rear side, the locked portion projecting from the rubber ring passes through the through hole in the rear wall, and the tip thereof projects to the outside. By engaging the locking member with the protruding end of the locked portion, the locked portion is locked in the retaining state, that is, the rubber ring is held in the regular mounting position in the retaining state.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the projecting end of the locked portion is elastically deformed by the locking member and locked to the outer edge of the through hole, so that the locked portion, that is, the rubber ring is formed. It will be in a retaining state. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the locking member is fitted to the projecting end of the locked portion in a substantially right-angled direction, so that the locked portion, that is, the rubber ring is prevented from coming off.

[0013]

According to the invention of claim 1, the locked portion of the rubber ring is inserted into the through hole having a clearance, and then the locking member is engaged with the protruding end thereof. The insertion of the rubber ring does not require troublesome positioning, and without excessive resistance, the insertion work can be performed easily and accurately, and the locking member is provided integrally with the housing. Therefore, there is an effect that an increase in the number of parts can be avoided and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the locking member elastically deforms the locked portion to prevent the locking, so that the locking structure is simple and the locking work can be performed quickly. can get. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the locking is performed by fitting the locked portion and the locking member, so that the rubber ring can be held more firmly.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a waterproof connector will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First Embodiment> FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a female side connector housing (hereinafter referred to as a female housing), which is integrally molded of a synthetic resin material and has a front end side (see FIG. The hood portion 3 is formed on the outer periphery of (upper side of) with a space. Inside the main body part 2, a total of six cavities 4 are formed in two rows, three in each row, and female terminal fittings 5 are inserted into each of the cavities 4 and the rear of each female terminal fitting 5 is inserted. The waterproof rubber 6 attached to is tightly fitted to the entrance of the cavity 4 so that the cavity 4 is kept watertight.

Between the outer periphery of the body portion 2 of the female housing 1 and the hood portion 3, a mating male connector housing 1 is provided.
A fitting groove 7 into which a fitting tubular portion 13 of 1 (hereinafter referred to as a male housing) is fitted is provided, and on the inner side of the fitting groove 7,
The rubber ring 20 is attached.

The male housing 11 is also integrally formed of a synthetic resin material, and is tightly fitted into the fitting groove 7 of the female housing 1 on the front surface (lower surface in FIG. 1) of the main body portion 12. The fitting cylinder portion 13 is formed. A thin portion 14 whose inner peripheral side is cut is formed at the tip of the fitting tubular portion 13. In addition, in the cavity formed in the main body portion 12 of the male housing 11, the male terminal fitting 15
The tabs 16 are accommodated so as to correspond to the female terminal fittings 5 in a state where the tabs 16 are projected into the fitting tubular portion 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rubber ring 20 described above is formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape, and along the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 2 of the female housing 1 at the inner peripheral side of the fitting groove 7, the inner side thereof. The insertion is regulated by being inserted to the side and hitting the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7. When the two housings 1 and 11 are fitted together, the female housing 1
Outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 2 of the and the fitting cylinder portion 1 of the male housing 11
By sandwiching between the housings 1 and 11 while elastically deforming with the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 14 in 3, the two housings 1 and 11 are sealed.

In the rubber ring 20, a pair of abutting plates 21 are integrally formed on the end surface on the side corresponding to the back wall 8. The abutting plates 21 are provided so as to project outward from the peripheral edge of the rubber ring 20 on the short side. On the back surface of each abutting plate 21, a locked rod 22 having a round bar shape is provided so as to project. The locked rod 22 has a dimension longer than the thickness of the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7. As shown in FIG. 3, a cut groove 23 having a triangular cross section is formed in the tip end surface of the locked rod 22 along a direction parallel to the long side of the rubber ring 20.

On the other hand, a through hole 26 is formed in the rear wall 8 of the fitting groove 7 at a position corresponding to the tip of the locked rod 22 when the rubber ring 20 is inserted. The through hole 26 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the locked rod 22, that is, the locked rod 22 can be inserted into the through hole 26 with a clearance.

A pair of locking members 28 are integrally formed at the rear ends of the left and right outer surfaces of the hood portion 3 via the self-hinge portions 29 so that they can be folded back to the rear side of the inner wall 8. When the locking member 28 is folded back, a wedge portion 30 that can be fitted into the cut groove 23 of the locked rod 22 described above is provided on the surface corresponding to the back surface of the inner wall 8. . The wedge portion 30 is formed at an obtuse angle than the cut groove 23.

In order to lock the locking member 28 in the folded-back posture, the locking member 28 is locked to the folded-back end on the left and right side surfaces of the main body 2 which are located rearward of the back wall 8 and is folded back. The lock part 31 of is projected.

The first embodiment has the structure as described above, and its operation will be described subsequently. First, the rubber ring 20
Is fitted to the outer periphery of the main body 2 of the female housing 1, and is pushed into the fitting groove 7 by a pushing jig (not shown). When the abutting plate 21 of the rubber ring 20 is pushed in until it abuts against the back wall 8 of the fitting groove 7, the pushing is stopped. At the same time, the locked rod 22 penetrates the through hole 26 opened in the inner wall 8, and the tip end thereof projects to the back side. Since the locked rod 22 is inserted into the through hole 26 with a clearance, the locked rod 22 is inserted into the through hole 26 without receiving resistance.

Next, the locking member 28 is attached to the self-hinge portion 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the wedge portion 30 is folded back through the slit 9 so that the wedge portion 30 corresponds to the cut groove 23 of the locked rod 22, and the wedge portion 30 is pushed into the cut groove 23. Since it is formed at an obtuse angle than the groove 23, the widened portions 24 on both sides of the cut groove 23 are elastically pushed out as shown in FIG. As shown on the left side of FIG. 1, the folded-back locking member 28 has its folded end fitted on the front surface of the lock portion 31 and is pressed against the lock portion 31 by the restoring elastic force of the expanding portion 24, so that the posture thereof is changed. Locked in. As a result, the extended portion 24 of the protruding end of the locked rod 22 is opened and locked to the outer edge of the through hole 26 in a state of preventing slippage, that is, the rubber ring 20 is located on the inner side of the fitting groove 7. It is held in the regular position in a locked state.

When the locking member 28 is folded back and pressed against the locked rod 22, the state in which the tip of the locked rod 22 projects from the through hole 26 is visually observed, and it is seen from the through hole 26. If the rubber ring 20 does not protrude or the amount of protrusion is small, it is determined that the rubber ring 20 is not completely attached. In that case, the rubber ring 20 may be pushed to the normal position again and the above-described locking operation may be performed.

When the rubber ring 20 is held as described above, the fitting cylinder portion 13 of the male housing 11 is moved to the female housing 1.
Both housings 1 and 11 are fitted while fitting in the fitting groove 7 of. When both housings 1 and 11 are completely fitted, both housings 1 and 11 are locked by a lock mechanism (not shown), and the tabs 16 of the male terminal fittings 15 enter the corresponding female terminal fittings 5 to form a proper structure. Electrically connected. Then, as described above, the waterproof rubber 6 provided at the rear of each female terminal fitting 5 prevents water from entering the cavity 4 of the female housing 1, and the rubber ring 20 causes a gap between the two housings 1 and 11. Sealed.

For maintenance, the lock is released and the male housing 11 is pulled out. At that time, since the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 14 of the fitting tubular portion 13 of the male housing 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the rubber ring 20 are frictionally engaged with each other, the rubber ring 20 is pulled out as the male housing 11 is pulled out. The force in the pulling direction acts on the rubber ring 20, but the rubber ring 20
Since the second expanded portion 24 is locked to the rim of the through hole 26 and is held in the retaining state, the rubber ring 20 is not pulled out, but only the male housing 11 is pulled out.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the locked rod 22 is passed through the through hole 26 with a clearance, and the projecting end thereof is elastically spread by the locking member 28 so that the through hole 26 is formed. Since the rubber ring 20 is held by being locked at the lip, there is no need for troublesome positioning when inserting the rubber ring 20, and there is no excessive resistance and the insertion work is easy. It's done easily and accurately. Moreover, since the locking member 28 is provided integrally with the female housing 1, the number of parts does not increase. Further, incomplete mounting of the rubber ring 20 can also be visually detected. In particular, in this embodiment, since the wedge portion 30 of the locking member 28 is merely pushed into the cut groove 23 of the locked rod 22 and widened, the structure itself is simple and the locking work can be performed quickly. You can

<Second Embodiment> FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the rubber ring 2
On the back surface of the abutting plate 21 formed to be 0, a locked rod 33 longer than that of the first embodiment is projected, and a locking hole 34 penetrating in the radial direction is formed at the tip thereof. . Further, on the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7 of the female housing 1, the locked rod 33 is attached.
A through hole 35 is formed which can be inserted with a clearance.

Further, the locking member 36 is formed in a rod shape which can be inserted into the locking hole 34 of the locked rod 33, and is also integrally formed so as to be capable of being folded back via the self-hinge portion 29. A lock hole 37 is formed so as to penetrate in the front end side of the locking member 36 in a direction perpendicular to the length direction, and a hook portion 3 which can be fitted into the lock hole 37 is formed on a side surface of the main body 2.
A lock portion 38 is formed by forming 9 upward.
The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the same members are designated by the same reference numerals and the duplicated description will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, when the rubber ring 20 is pushed until it hits the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7, the tip of the locked rod 33 penetrates the through hole 35 and projects to the outside. Since the locked bar 33 is inserted into the through hole 35 with a clearance, similarly, the locked bar 33 is also inserted into the through hole 35 without receiving resistance. Then, the locking member 36 is folded back via the self-hinge portion 29,
As shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the locking hole 34 of the locked rod 33
The lock member 37 is fitted into the hook portion 39 of the lock portion 38, and the locking member 36 is held so as not to come off.

In this way, the locking hole 34 of the locked rod 33 is hooked by the locking member 36 penetrating therethrough, whereby the locked rod 33, that is, the rubber ring 20 is held in the retaining state. In particular, since the locking member 36 penetrates the locked rod 33 and is locked, a higher holding force can be obtained. <Third Embodiment> FIGS. 7 to 9 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the abutting plate 21 of the rubber ring 20 is
A locked rod 41 having a head portion 42 at its tip is provided on the back surface of the projection. On the other hand, the inner wall 8 of the fitting groove 7 of the female housing 1
A through hole 43 is formed in the through hole 43 through which the head 42 of the locked rod 41 can be inserted with a clearance.

The locking member 44 is the same as the self-hinge portion 2.
It is integrally formed so as to be capable of being folded back through 9 and, at its tip edge, as shown in detail in FIG. 8, the shaft portion 41a of the locked rod 41 can be inserted and the head portion 42 is locked. An insertion groove 45 having a possible width is cut. Further, at the tip of the locking member 44, there is provided a hook portion 46 that faces downward when folded back, and on the side surface of the main body portion 2,
A lock portion 47 is formed by upwardly forming a hook portion 48 that engages with the hook portion 46.

According to this third embodiment, the rubber ring 20
When is pushed into the back wall 8 of the fitting groove 7, the head 42 of the locked rod 41 penetrates the through hole 43 and projects to the outside. Since the head 42 of the locked rod 41 is inserted into the through hole 43 with a clearance, the locked rod 41 is similarly inserted into the through hole 43 without receiving resistance. Subsequently, the locking member 44 is folded back via the self-hinge portion 29, and the shaft portion 41a of the locked rod 41 is passed through the insertion groove 45 cut at the tip thereof as shown in FIG. The portion 46 is locked to the hook portion 48 of the lock portion 47 to hold the locking member 44 so as not to come off. Then, the head 42 of the locked rod 41 is locked to the side edge on the back surface side of the insertion groove 45 of the locking member 44, so that the locked rod 41, that is, the rubber ring 20 is held in the retaining state. It

<Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition to the above, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

(1) As a modified example of the first embodiment, a simple rod-shaped locked rod is projected from the through hole, and the projecting end is elastically bent in one direction by the locking member to form the through hole. It may be locked to the outer edge.

(2) In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the case where the rubber ring is mounted on the inner peripheral side of the fitting groove is illustrated, but conversely, the rubber ring is mounted on the outer peripheral side of the fitting groove. The present invention can be similarly applied to the case where the mating fitting cylinder is fitted inside the rubber ring. (3) Further, although the fitting cylindrical portion 13 of the male housing 11 has a stepped shape, it may have the same thickness as the thin portion 14 over the entire length.

(4) In the above embodiment, the case where the rubber ring is attached to the female housing is shown as an example, but it can be applied to the case where the rubber ring is attached to the male housing. (5) Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the waterproof connector, but can be widely applied to all other holding structures for rubber rings used for sealing between housings.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a locked rod before being locked.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the state after the locking.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional waterproof connector.

FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a conventional rubber ring holding structure.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a rubber ring according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Female housing 2 ... Body part 7 ... Fitting groove 8 ... Back wall 11 ... Male housing 13 ... Fitting cylinder part 20 ... Rubber ring 22 ... Locked rod (locked part) 23 ... Cut groove 24 ... Expanded portion 26 ... Through hole 28 ... Locking member 29 ... Self-hinge portion 30 ... Wedge portion 33 ... Locked rod (locked portion) 34 ... Locking hole 35 ... Through hole 36 ... Locking member 41 ... Covered portion Locking rod (locked portion) 42 ... (Head of locked rod 41) 43 ... Through hole 44 ... Locking member 45 ... Insertion groove

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A rubber ring inserted along a peripheral surface of a housing is mounted by being regulated by a back wall provided on the inner side of the peripheral surface, and the mounted rubber ring is attached. In a structure in which both housings are sealed by being sandwiched between opposing housings of a mating housing, a structure for holding the rubber ring in a regular mounting position is provided. A through hole is opened in the wall, and a locked portion that can be inserted into the through hole with a clearance and has a tip protruding outward on the surface of the rubber ring on the side corresponding to the back wall. And a locking member that locks the locked portion in a retaining state by engaging with the protruding end of the locked portion is integrally provided in the housing. Retaining a rubber ring characterized by Elephants. 2. The locking member prevents the locked portion from coming off by elastically deforming the protruding end of the locked portion and locking the protruding end of the locked portion to the outer edge of the through hole. The holding structure for the rubber ring according to claim 1, wherein 3. The locking member is adapted to prevent the locked portion from coming off by fitting the locking member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the protruding end of the locked portion. Item 1. A rubber ring holding structure according to Item 1.