JPH11329564A - Waterproof structure of connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent water infiltration surely at a connection part between a cover and a rubber boot. SOLUTION: In inner surfaces of covers 20M and 20F, an adhesion face 23 is formed along a wire lead-out hole 51. In a rubber boot 30, a pinched-under- pressure part 34 that is to be closely contacted to the adhesion face 23 of the rubber boot 30 is formed. This pinched-under-pressure part 34 is pressed on both sides by the housings 10 and 15 and an adhesion face 23. In a periphery of the wire lead-out hole 51, since the pinched-under-pressure part 34 is pressed on both sides by the adhesion face 23 and the housings 10 and 15, a pulling-force exerting the rubber boot 30 does not have influence on the pinched-under- pressure part 34. Accordingly, an interstice in an adhesion part between the adhesion face 23 and the pinched-under-pressure part 34 does not emerge and therefore reliability of a waterproof function is high.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure for a connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a waterproofing means for a connector having a non-waterproof type housing, a connector in which a cylindrical cover surrounding the housing and a rubber boot which penetrates an electric wire extending from the housing is connected by an adhesive. Have been.

[0003]

However, if the cover and the rubber boot are simply adhered to each other, the cover and the rubber boot may be peeled off when a tensile force is applied, and there is a possibility that the cover and the rubber boot may be flooded from there. The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to surely prevent water from being immersed in a connecting portion between a cover and a rubber boot.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a connector formed by extending an electric wire from a housing prevents water from entering into a fitting portion with a mating connector and an electric wire extending surface of the housing. It is a waterproof structure, can surround this housing, has a wire drawing hole for drawing out the wire, and has an inner surface formed with a close contact surface along a hole edge of the wire drawing hole. A cover, a rubber boot having a tubular shape through which the electric wire can penetrate and connected to the electric wire drawing hole, and having a pressed portion that can be in close contact with the contact surface, and the housing and the cover are locked in an assembled state. A locking means, wherein in the locked state by the locking means, the pressed portion is elastically sandwiched between the outer surface of the housing and the close contact surface.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a concave portion is provided on one of the contact surface and the housing, and a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion is provided on the other. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the concave portion and the convex portion are provided in an annular shape that surrounds the electric wire drawing hole all around. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the invention, the contact surface and the pressed portion are bonded.

[0006]

<Operation and Effect of the Invention><Invention of Claim 1> At the hole edge of the electric wire drawing hole, since the pressure-receiving portion is sandwiched between the contact surface and the housing, the tensile force acting on the rubber boot is reduced. It does not reach the contacted surface. Therefore, there is no gap in the contact portion between the contact surface and the pressed portion, and the reliability of the waterproof function is high. <Invention of claim 2> Since the pressure-receiving portion is bent between the concave portion and the convex portion, the pressure-receiving portion is unlikely to be displaced even when a tensile force acts in the surface direction.

<Invention of claim 3> Since the concave portion and the convex portion are arranged so as to surround the electric wire drawing hole, even if the water penetrates through the electric wire drawing hole, the concave portion and the convex portion are further flooded inside. Is prevented from reaching. <Invention of Claim 4> Since the contact surface and the pressure-receiving portion are adhered, infiltration into the gap is reliably prevented, and
Since the cover and the rubber boot are integrated, handling becomes easy.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The connector C according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of electric wires W
Is a so-called wire-to-wire type for connecting terminals of a wire harness H composed of a male housing 10 and a female housing 15 which can be fitted and detached from each other. The male housing 10 has a hood 11 for fitting the female housing 15 therein, and a male terminal fitting (not shown) protrudes into the hood 11. On the other hand, the female housing 15 houses therein a female terminal fitting (not shown). From the wire extending surfaces 10A, 15A on the rear surfaces of both housings 10, 15,
The electric wires W connected to the respective terminal fittings are extended and bundled together to form a wire harness H. The connector C itself does not have a waterproof function, but is waterproofed by waterproof means described later.

The waterproof means comprises a male waterproof member MS, a female waterproof member FS, a seal ring 45 and a rubber boot sealing means 40. The male waterproof member MS is composed of a male cover 20M made of a hard synthetic resin material and a rubber boot 3.
In this case, the two parts are integrally formed with an adhesive (not shown) after molding them as separate parts. Male side cover 2
0M has a square tubular shape surrounding the male housing 10,
The first half thereof is a thin fitting cylindrical portion 21 fitted to the female cover 20F. A lock projection 22 is formed on the upper surface of the fitting cylinder 21. At the rear end of the male cover 20M, a plate-like portion 50 extending inward in a ring shape is formed.
Is formed in a circular wire drawing hole 51 for drawing out from the male housing 10 side to the rubber boot 30 side. And
The annular area surrounding the electric wire drawing hole 51 on the inner surface of the plate-shaped portion 50 is the contact surface 23 of the rubber boot 30 with the pressed portion 34. The entire area surrounding the wire outlet hole 51 on the rear end face of the male cover 20M is a close end face 53 to the flange portion 32 of the rubber boot 30.

The rubber boot 30 includes a bellows portion 31, a flange portion 32 formed on the front surface of the bellows portion 31, an electric wire lead-out portion 33 formed on a rear end portion of the bellows portion 31, and a flange-shaped portion on the front end side of the flange portion 32. And a pressure-receiving portion 34 formed in the same manner.
The flange portion 32 is formed in a rectangular plate shape so as to be aligned with the entire rear end face (close contact end face 53) of the male cover 20M, and the front end face (right end face in FIG. 1) of the flange portion 32 is in close contact with the male cover 20M. It is bonded to the end face 53 with an adhesive (not shown). In addition, the clamped portion 34 includes the flange 3
2, the rear end surface (left end surface in FIG. 1) of the pressed portion 34 is bonded to the adhesive surface 23 with an adhesive (not shown). ). That is, the flange portion 32 and the pressed portion 3
The male cover 20M and the rubber boot 30 are integrated into a single piece by the 4 sandwiching the plate-shaped portion 50 and bonding the flange portion 32 and the pressed portion 34 to the contact end surface 53 and the contact surface 23, respectively. Further, the wire lead-out portion 33 has a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the bellows portion 31, and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the bundle of the wires W. The bundled wires W are drawn out from the wire drawing portion 33, and the gap is filled with a filler 41 made of urethane resin. Further, a tape winding 42 is provided from the outer periphery of the electric wire drawing portion 33 to the outer periphery of the bundle of electric wires W. The tape winding 42 and the filler 41 constitute the rubber boot sealing means 40, thereby preventing water from flowing from the gap between the rubber boot 30 and the electric wire W.

On the other hand, the female-side waterproof member FS is, like the male-side waterproof member MS, integrated with a female cover 20F made of a hard synthetic resin material and a rubber boot 30 with an adhesive (not shown). is there. The female cover 20F has a rectangular cylindrical shape surrounding the male housing 10, and a fitting groove 26 is formed between the outer cylinder 24 and the inner cylinder 25 in the first half thereof. The fitting cylinder 21 is fitted. A part of the upper surface of the outer cylinder 24 is a lock arm 27 having a lock hole 28. A seal ring 45 is attached to the outer periphery of the inner cylinder 25, and the seal ring 45 is pressed between the inner cylinder 25 and the inner periphery of the fitting cylinder portion 21 to cover both the male and female. The prevention of water intrusion at the fitting portions of 20M and 20F is achieved. Also, the female cover 20F has a plate-like portion 5 similar to the male cover 20M.
0, an electric wire drawing hole 51, a contact surface 23, and a contact end surface 53 are formed, and the rubber boot 30 is integrated with the rubber boot 30 by bonding. Since the rubber boot 30 and the rubber boot sealing means 40 have the same structure as the male waterproof member MS, only the same reference numerals are given, and the description is omitted.

The male side housing 10 and the male side cover 20M are integrally assembled by locking means. That is, on both upper and lower surfaces of the male housing 10 in FIG. 1, a pair of elastic locking pieces (lock means, which is a constituent element of the present invention) 55 each having a locking claw 56 formed at a tip thereof are formed. On the inner surface of one male side cover 20M,
A pair of guide grooves 57 for guiding the elastic locking pieces 55
Are formed, and a step-shaped receiving portion 58 (a lock means, which is a constituent element of the present invention) corresponding to the locking claw 56 is formed in the guide groove 57. The male housing 10 is moved from the front (left side in FIG. 1) to the male cover 20M.
When fitted inside, the elastic locking piece 55 is guided to the guide groove 57 while elastically bending inward. When the male housing 10 reaches the regular assembling position in the male cover 20M, the elastic locking pieces 55 are elastically restored, and the locking claws 56 are engaged with the receiving portions 58. The lock state is established in which the movement in the return direction (extraction direction) is restricted.
In the state where the male housing 10 is locked at the regular assembling position, the interval between the peripheral portion of the rear end surface (the wire extension surface 10A) of the male housing 10 and the plate-shaped portion 50 is set such that the rubber boot 30 is pressed. Slightly smaller than the thickness of the part 34,
Therefore, the to-be-pressed portion 34 is elastically sandwiched between the male housing 10 and the contact surface 23, and the adhesive surface between the plate-shaped portion 50 and the to-be-pressed portion 34 is strongly pressed.

The female housing 15 and the female cover 2
0F is also integrally assembled by the same locking means as described above (detailed description is omitted). In the assembled state, the rubber boot 30 is covered between the rear end surface of the female housing 15 and the contact surface 23 of the female cover 20F. The clamping portion 34 is elastically clamped. When forming the guide groove 57 and the receiving portion 58 in the male side cover 20M and the female side cover 20F, it is necessary to remove the mold, so that the inner surfaces (closer contact surfaces 23) of the respective covers 20M and 20F are connected to the outer surfaces (closer contact surfaces 53). The die-cutting hole 59 penetrates to this point. However, in the contact end face 53, since the opening portion of the punching hole 59 is closed by the flange portion 32, there is no possibility that water will enter the covers 20M and 20F from the punching hole 59 opening.

At the time of assembling the waterproof structure with the connector C of this embodiment, first, the male waterproof member MS is assembled to the male housing 10 and locked, and the female waterproof member FS is assembled to the female housing 15 and locked. .
When assembling, the wire harness H is passed through the male waterproof member MS and the female waterproof member FS in advance, and in this state, the male housing 10 and the female housing 1 are mounted.
5 are respectively fitted into the male cover 20M and the female cover 20S from the front, and the locking claw 56 of the elastic locking piece 55 and the receiving portion 5 are fitted.
8 locks the covers 20M and 20F and the housings 10 and 15. Next, the fitting cylinder 21 of the male cover 20M is fitted into the fitting groove of the female cover 20F.
During this time, the lock arm 27 elastically bends, and both the cover 20
When the M and 20F reach the regular fitting state, the lock hole 28 and the lock projection 22 are engaged, so that the two covers 20M and 20F
Is locked irreversibly. In this state, the gap between the peripheral surfaces of the covers 20M and 20F is sealed by the seal ring 45, so that water is prevented from entering between the covers 20M and 20F. Further, at the rear end of the rubber boot 30, the gap between the inner periphery of the wire outlet portion 33 and the wire W is filled with the filler 4.
1 and the gap between the opening edge of the wire lead-out portion 33 and the wire W is closed by the tape winding 42, so that water from the wire lead-out portion 33 is also prevented.

That is, the connector C of the present embodiment is of a non-waterproof type, but the waterproof means is provided by both housings 10,
Since the fitting portions 15 and the wire extending surfaces 10A and 15A of the housings 10 and 15 are surrounded by the covers 20M and 20F and the rubber boots 30 in a watertight state, a high waterproof function is exhibited. Further, since the present invention is applied to the non-waterproof type connector C, it is not necessary to attach a waterproof rubber plug to each electric wire W, so that the number of parts is reduced and workability is excellent.

Further, in the present embodiment, the rubber boots 30 are connected so as to extend from the edge of the wire outlet hole 51, but the periphery of the wire outlet hole 51 (the cover 20).
M, 20F and the connecting part of the rubber boot 30)
The pressed portion 34 of the rubber boot 30 is covered with the covers 20M and 20F.
Is elastically sandwiched between the contact surface 23 and the rear surfaces of the housings 10 and 15, even if a pulling force acts on the rubber boot 30 from behind, the pressed portion 34. Is not displaced along the contact surface 23, and there is no fear of a decrease in adhesion due to the displacement of the pinched portion 34. That is, a high waterproofing function is exhibited at the connecting portion between the covers 20M and 20F and the rubber boot 30. In addition, the structure in which the pressed portion 34 does not shift even when a tensile force acts on the rubber boot 30 in this way prevents the flange portion 32 from being displaced or deformed. That is, the cover 20M,
The flange portion 32 does not peel off from the outer surface (close contact end surface 53) of the 20F, and there is no danger of water intrusion from the mold release hole 59. Note that the pressed portion 34 has a fitting portion 34A that is closely fitted to the inner surface of the mold release hole 59, so that even if water enters the mold removal hole 59, this fitting portion At 34A, further flooding is prevented.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, the pressed portion 60 of the rubber boot 30 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape that expands forward (to the left in FIG. 3), and the female cover 2 is opened.
The contact surface 61 of the OF and the rear end surface of the female housing 15 are also tapered in accordance with the pressed portion 60. Although not shown, the male side is similarly tapered. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted.

<Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Embodiment 3
In the first embodiment, a concave portion 62 having a semicircular cross section is formed in the contact surface 23 of the female cover 20F over the entire circumference along the edge of the wire outlet hole 51, and the rear end surface of the female housing is Also, the convex portion 63 having a semicircular cross section corresponding to the concave portion
Is formed over the entire circumference. Further, since the pinched portion 34 of the rubber boot 30 has a flat plate shape as in the first embodiment, it is elastically deformed between the concave portion and the convex portion. Although not shown, a concave portion 62 and a convex portion 63 are similarly formed on the male side. With such a structure, the pressed portion 34 is bent between the concave portion 62 and the convex portion 63, so that even if a tensile force in the surface direction acts on the pressed portion 34, it is unlikely to be displaced. Also, the concave portion 62 and the convex portion 6
3 is formed in a long region along the entire circumference of the wire drawing hole 51, so that the effect of preventing the pressed portion 34 from shifting is high. Further, since the concave portion 62 and the convex portion 63 are arranged so as to surround the electric wire outlet hole 51, even if water is flooded,
Even if it reaches the above, it is possible to reliably prevent the inside of the concave portion 62 and the convex portion 63 from being further flooded. In addition, since the contact end surface 53 and the flange portion 32 are adhered, and the contact surface 23 and the pressed portion 34 are adhered, water is prevented from being reliably immersed in the connecting portion between the covers 20M and 20F and the rubber boot 30. And cover 2
Since the 0M, 20F and the rubber boot 30 are integrated, handling becomes easy. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted.

<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, various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. (1) In the first embodiment, the flat pressure-receiving portion is sandwiched between the concave portion and the convex portion while being elastically deformed. However, according to the present invention, the concave portion and the convex portion of the pressure-receiving portion are sandwiched. The fitting portion to the portion may have a curved shape.

(2) In the first embodiment, the concave portion is formed on the close contact surface of the cover and the convex portion is formed on the housing. However, according to the present invention, the concave portion is formed on the housing and the convex portion is formed on the close contact surface. Alternatively, a concave portion and a convex portion may be formed on both the contact surface and the housing. (3) In the first embodiment, the concave portion and the convex portion are formed in an annular shape that surrounds the electric wire drawing hole all around, but according to the present invention, the concave portion and the convex portion may be partially formed.

(4) In the first embodiment, the lower part may be integrated by two-color molding according to the present invention so that the cover and the rubber boot are bonded as a unit for integrating them. (5) In the above-described embodiment, the pressure-contact portion and the pressure-receiving portion are integrated into an integrated part, but according to the present invention, the pressure-contact portion is simply sandwiched between the pressure-contact surface and the housing without bonding. You may just attach it. In this case, since the cover and the rubber boot can be easily separated, the maintainability is excellent. Incidentally, even in the case where the structure is not adhered in the first embodiment, since the plate-shaped portion is sandwiched between the pressed portion and the flange portion from inside and outside, there is no fear that the cover and the rubber boot are easily separated, and the Can be handled as an integral part.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a housing, a cover, and a rubber boot according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 C ... connector W ... electric wire 10 ... male side housing 10A ... electric wire extension surface 15 ... female side housing 15A ... electric wire extension surface 20F ... female side cover 20M ... male side cover 23 ... adhesion surface 30 ... rubber boots 34 ... pressed part 51 ... Electrical wire drawing hole 55 ... Elastic locking piece (locking means) 58 ... Receiving part (locking means) 60 ... Pressurized part 61 ... Close contact surface 62 ... Concave part 63 ... Convex part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A waterproof structure for preventing a connector formed by extending an electric wire from a housing from infiltrating into a fitting portion with a mating connector and an electric wire extending surface of the housing, and is capable of surrounding the housing. A cover having an electric wire drawing hole for drawing out the electric wire and having an inner surface formed with a contact surface along a hole edge of the electric wire drawing hole, a cylindrical shape through which the electric wire can be penetrated. A rubber boot having a pressure-receiving portion that is connected to the wire drawing hole and can be in close contact with the contact surface; and a lock unit that locks the housing and the cover in an assembled state. A waterproof structure for the connector, wherein the pressed portion is elastically sandwiched between the outer surface of the housing and the contact surface in the locked state. 2. The waterproof structure for a connector according to claim 1, wherein a concave portion is provided on one of the contact surface and the housing, and a convex portion corresponding to the concave portion is provided on the other. 3. The waterproof structure for a connector according to claim 2, wherein the concave portion and the convex portion are provided in an annular shape that surrounds the electric wire drawing hole all around. 4. The waterproof structure for a connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface and the pressed portion are bonded to each other.