JPH1154197A - Outlet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a short circuit between a pair of terminals in an outlet even upon infiltration of liquid thereinto through the outlet openings. SOLUTION: A receptacle body 5 constituting an outlet 2 includes a base plate 9 perforated with outlet openings 8, which plate projects a housing part from the backside. The housing part is divided by a partition wall 11 into two chambers 12a and 12b, which hold therein terminals 3 and 4. The receptacle body 5 is fixedly fitted into a case 6 such that its male terminals 3b and 4b project from the front wall 17 of the case 6. The base plate 9 supports thereon a cover 7 adapted to be arbitrarily opened or closed. The case 6 is formed with perforations 20 and 25 for connecting the lower portions of the chambers 12a and 12b to the outside while the outlet 2 is fixed in place. These perforations 20 and 25 serve to discharge liquid having entered the outlet 2 through the openings 8 to the outside promptly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outlet, and more particularly to an outlet suitable as a power supply when an electric appliance is used in an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, to enjoy outdoor life,
It is possible to bring various electric appliances into the vehicle and use them in the open air.
V DC power is supplied. But,
Since it is inconvenient to use a cigar socket as a power supply for electric appliances, it has been proposed and practiced to provide a dedicated outlet (outlet) in the vehicle.
The outlet is provided with a lid that covers the outlet when not in use. As an outlet, a non-decomposable configuration where the female terminal is sealed with resin or ceramic as an insulating material, and a pair of female terminals are fixed at predetermined positions in the housing that is disassembled into two, and the housing is fixed with screws There is one of the configuration. When the outlet is mounted on a vehicle, the mounting position is an instrument panel, a console box, a side trim of a vehicle compartment, or the like.

[0003]

In the case of an outlet having a structure that can be disassembled, a chamber for accommodating a pair of terminals is not configured to completely seal the spaces where the terminals are located.
Therefore, when a liquid such as water enters from the outlet of the outlet, there is a possibility that both terminals may be short-circuited by the entered liquid. Further, even if a short circuit does not occur, it takes time until the intruded liquid evaporates and disappears, and there is a problem that the terminals are corroded and durability is reduced. In the case of an outlet for a vehicle, for example, when a soft drink can or bottle placed on an instrument panel or a console box is accidentally knocked down, liquid can easily enter from the outlet of the outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a structure that can be disassembled and to prevent a short circuit between a pair of terminals even if liquid enters through an insertion port. To provide outlets that can

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pair of insertion holes into which a plug is inserted, and a pair of insertion holes opposite to a wall provided with the insertion holes. A pair of male terminals electrically connected to the female terminals are protruded from the side wall, and a receptacle body in which a partition that partitions a chamber in which the female terminals are accommodated is formed in a straight line, and the male terminals are A case in which the receptacle main body is inserted in a state of being protruded to the outside, a groove in which the partition wall is fitted is formed in the case, and the chamber is formed in a state where the receptacle main body is assembled to the case. It is divided by a partition.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the case is formed with a communication passage for communicating a lower portion of each chamber divided by the partition to the outside when the outlet is mounted at a predetermined position. I have.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the outlet is mounted in a vehicle interior, and the case is provided with a wiring provided in an inner wall surface of the vehicle. A cylindrical portion into which the connector can be fitted is formed.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the outlet is mounted with the case inserted into the mounting hole provided at the predetermined mounting position. At the time of mounting, the male terminal is connected to the wiring in the mounting hole via a connector. The chamber for housing the female terminal provided in the receptacle body is divided by the partition wall being fitted into the groove of the case. Therefore, even if water enters the outlet, a short circuit between both terminals is prevented.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the liquid that has entered through the insertion port is discharged to the outside of the chamber in which the terminal is accommodated through the communication passage formed in the case. Therefore, the liquid is removed from the room in a short time.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the outlet is mounted in a vehicle. At the time of attachment, the male terminal and the wiring are connected via a wiring connector provided in the inner wall surface of the automobile. Then, the connector is fitted to the cylindrical portion of the case.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an outlet mounted on a vehicle will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 6, an outlet 2 is attached to an instrument panel 1 of a vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the outlet 2 includes a receptacle body 5 having a pair of female terminals 3a and 4a and male terminals 3b and 4b, a case 6 that covers the receptacle body 5, and an insertion port for the receptacle body 5. And a cover 7 that covers the side. The outlet 2 is attached in a state where the case 6 is fitted in an attachment hole (not shown) formed in the instrument panel 1. The female terminal 3a and the male terminal 3b are integrally formed to form the terminal 3, and the female terminal 4a and the male terminal 4b are integrally formed to form the terminal 4. Each of the terminals 3 and 4 is formed by sheet metal processing. The receptacle main body 5, the case 6, and the lid 7 are formed of resin.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the outlet 2 has a pair of insertion openings 8 into which plugs (not shown) are inserted.
Is formed, and it is possible to obtain a power supply of AC (AC) 100 V from the insertion port 8. AC100V is supplied by converting DC12V by an inverter (both not shown) using a battery mounted on the vehicle as a power supply.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 8, the receptacle body 5 has a base plate 9 as a wall on which the insertion port 8 is formed, and a back surface (a surface opposite to a surface covered with the lid 7). And a projecting storage section 10. The housing portion 10 has terminals 3 and 3 formed by a partition wall 11 formed at the center thereof.
4 are divided into chambers 12a and 12b. The partition 11 is formed so as to extend linearly in a direction perpendicular to the base plate 9, that is, in a direction in which the receptacle body 5 is inserted into the case 6. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, a protrusion 11 a is formed substantially at the center of the front end (front end) of the partition wall 11. Support walls 13a and 13b for fixing the terminals 3 and 4 at predetermined positions are formed in the chambers 12a and 12b.
The support walls 13a and 13b are formed so as to be separated from an upper wall described later. A locking projection 14a is formed near the base end of each side wall 14 of the housing portion 10, and a notch 14b extending vertically is formed near the front end. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, both side walls 14 are formed such that the distance between the outer surfaces thereof is smaller on the front side than the notch 14b.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7, the case 6 includes a main body 15 into which the receptacle main body 5 is inserted.
A cylindrical portion 16 covering the male terminals 3b and 4b protruding from the main body portion 15; As shown in FIGS.
5 is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape, and a front wall 17 is formed on the opposite side of the base plate 9 as a partition for partitioning the main body 15 and the cylindrical portion 16. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7, the male terminals 3b, 4b
Are formed in two holes 17a. Also,
As shown in FIG. 3, a fitting hole 17 b into which a protrusion 11 a formed on the partition wall 11 is fitted is formed in the center of the front wall 17.

A window 18a and a locking piece 18b are formed on both side walls 18 of the main body 15. Inside the side wall 18, a pair of partition walls 19 are formed at intervals equal to the interval between the rear outer surfaces of the side walls 14 of the receptacle main body 5 on the rear side. The partition wall 19 has a notch 19 at the rear end side (the left side in FIGS. 2 and 5).
a, and a locking piece 19b is formed at a position corresponding to the notch 19a so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The partitioning wall 19 has a locking piece 19 from its front end.
An elongated hole 19c extending to a position corresponding to b is formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the receptacle body 5 has a state in which the rear outer surfaces of the side walls 14 abut against the inner surface of the partition wall 19 and the locking projections 14 a engage with the elongated holes 19 c.
It is fitted to the case 6 in a state where it is prevented from falling off.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the front wall 17 is formed with a hole 20 for communicating a space S3 between the side wall 18 and the partition wall 19 to the outside. The hole 20 is formed to extend in the up-down direction. The hole 20 is formed such that its upper end is at the same height as the lower surface of the upper wall 21 and its lower end is at the same height as the upper surface of the lower wall 22.

A pair of ridges 21 is formed on the upper wall 21 of the main body 15.
a is formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and a groove 23 into which the partition wall 11 of the receptacle main body 5 is fitted is formed in the center of the upper wall 21 by the two ridges 21a. Groove 23 is main body 1
5 with the receptacle body 5 attached thereto,
12 b is formed so as to be divided by the partition 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, two holes 24 are formed in the upper wall 21 at positions corresponding to the front ends of the ridges 21a. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, two holes 25 are formed at the boundary between the lower wall 22 and the front wall 17 at positions facing the front ends of both the ridges 21a. The hole 25 is formed at a location corresponding to a position between the partition 11 and the support wall 13b. Each of the chambers 12a and 12b divided by the partition 11 is communicated with the outside through both holes 24 and 25, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 7, a plurality of ridges 27 are formed on the inner surfaces of the cylindrical portion 16 which are vertically opposed to each other and extend in the front-rear direction. The ridge 27 has a function of holding a socket 26 (shown by a chain line in FIG. 7) inserted into the cylindrical portion 16 at a predetermined position.

The lid 7 is rotatably attached to the base plate 9 between a closed position for covering the insertion port 8 and an open position for opening the insertion port 8. As shown in FIG. 8, a hook portion 28 located at a lower portion in a closed state protrudes from the inner surface of the lid 7, and the hook portion 2 is provided on the base plate 9.
An engaging portion 29 to which the hook 8 is hooked is formed. And
When the lid 7 is located at the closed position, the hook 28 projecting from the lid 7 is held by the engaging portion 29. The hook 28 has flexibility. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, 7 and the like, a finger hanging portion 30 is formed to bulge at a lower portion of the lid 7.

Next, the operation of the outlet 2 configured as described above will be described. The outlet 2 is assembled so that the lid 7 can be opened upward. When assembling the outlet 2 at a predetermined position, first, a socket 26 as a contact provided on a wiring (not shown) provided inside the inner wall surface of the automobile (in this embodiment, inside the instrument panel 1) is provided. The case 6 is fitted to the cylindrical portion 16. As a result, the male terminals 3b and 4b are connected to the wiring, and the outlet 2 can be supplied with power. Next, the outlet 2 is inserted into the mounting hole while holding the base plate 9. When the outlet 2 is inserted to a predetermined position, the locking piece 18b is engaged with the engaging portion in the mounting hole and is held in a state where it is prevented from coming off. That is, the outlet 2 is attached to a predetermined position of the attachment hole with one touch.

When the outlet 2 is not used, the lid 7 is arranged in the closed position, and the insertion port 8 is covered with the lid 7.
There is no danger of other things touching the insertion opening 8. In the closed position, the lid 7 is engaged with the engaging portion 2 of the base plate 9.
9 and is held in the closed position to prevent rattling of the lid 7 due to vibration during traveling.

When the outlet 2 is used, the lid 7 arranged at the closed position is arranged at the open position. In this operation, the finger holder 28 is pinched with a finger and turned upward by approximately 180 °. When a plug of an electric appliance (not shown) is inserted into the insertion port 8 with the lid 7 opened, the outlet 2
Supplies necessary electric power to the appliance.

If a soft drink can, bottle or cup placed on the instrument panel 1 is accidentally knocked down, liquid may enter through the insertion port 8. Each terminal 3,
The chambers 12a and 12b in which the chamber 4 is accommodated are separated by a partition 11 arranged so as to fit in the groove 23. Therefore, even if the liquid enters the chambers 12a, 12b from the insertion port 8, the terminals 3, 3 accommodated in the respective 12a, 12b
4 is prevented from being short-circuited through the liquid that has entered through the insertion port 8.

In addition, when moisture is present in the terminals 3, 4, the support walls 13a,
In the state where it adheres to the terminal 13b and the partition 11, even if a leakage occurs between the terminals 3 and 4 via the moisture, the distance between the terminals 3 and 4 becomes longer due to the presence of the support walls 13 a and 13 b and the partition 11. It becomes difficult to do.

The liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b partially passes through the space S1 between the support wall 13b and the partition 11 through the gap between the support wall 13a and the support wall 13b.
5 to the outside. Further, a part of the space S2 passes through a notch 14b formed in the side wall 14 and reaches a space S2 sandwiched between the partition wall 19 and the side wall 18 via a slot 19c and a space S3 sandwiched between the partition wall 19 and the side wall 18 via a slot 19c. It is discharged outside through a hole 20 formed in the wall 17. In this embodiment, the liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b through the insertion port 8 is quickly discharged to the outside through the holes 20 and 25. In this embodiment, the holes 20 and 25 function as communication paths for communicating the lower portions of the chambers 12a and 12b to the outside. Therefore, it is avoided that the liquid that has entered from the insertion port 8 adheres to the terminal for a long time, and the corrosion of the terminals 3 and 4 is prevented.

This embodiment has the following effects. (A) Since the chambers 12a and 12b in which the terminals 3 and 4 are housed are separated by the partition walls 11 fitted into the grooves 23, even if liquid enters from the insertion port 8, they are housed in the respective 12a and 12b. The terminals 3 and 4 are prevented from being short-circuited through the liquid that has entered through the insertion port 8.

(B) The supporting walls 13 a and 13 b existing between the partition 11 and the terminals 3 and 4 are formed so as to be separated from the upper wall 21. Therefore, in a state where moisture adheres to the terminals 3 and 4, the support walls 13 a and 13 b and the partition 11, even if a leak occurs between the terminals 3 and 4 via the moisture, the support walls 13 a and 13 b and the partition 11 may be used. , The distance of the extended surface becomes long, and thus the leakage becomes difficult.

(C) Each room 1 divided by the partition 11
A communication path (hole 2) for communicating the lower portions of
0, 25), the liquid that has entered through the insertion port 8 is immediately discharged to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid that has entered from the insertion port 8 from being attached to the terminal for a long time, and it is possible to prevent the terminals 3 and 4 from being corroded.

(D) Both side walls 14 of the receptacle body 5
A notch 14b is formed in the chamber 12a, and a part of the liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b
After being discharged out of 2a and 12b, the case 6
Is discharged to the outside. Therefore, the chambers 12a, 12
The discharge of the liquid is performed favorably as compared with the configuration in which the liquid is discharged only from the hole 25 corresponding to the front wall 17 of b.

(E) The holes 20, 25 are the male terminals 3b, 4b
Holes 20 and 25
There is no danger that the liquid discharged from will adhere to the male terminals 3b, 4b.

(F) Holes 24, 2 for communicating the chambers 12a, 12b with the outside on both the upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 of the case 6.
Since the outlet 5 is formed, even if the outlet 2 is mounted in a state where the lid 7 is opened to the lower side, a communication path for communicating the lower portions of the chambers 12a and 12b to the outside can be secured.

(G) Since the receptacle body 5 is inserted into the case 6 with the partition wall 11 being securely positioned with the groove 23 being fitted, the hole 17 formed in the front wall 17 is formed.
The male terminals 3b and 4b can be easily inserted into the holes 17a even if there is little room for a. Therefore, assembly of the receptacle main body 5 and the case 6 becomes easy.

(H) The cylindrical portion 1 covering the male terminals 3b, 4b
6, the socket 26 of the wiring connected to the power supply unit is fitted, so that the male terminals 3b,
4b becomes difficult to apply excessive force, and the durability is improved.

(I) Since the outlet 8 is covered with the lid 7 when the outlet 2 is not used, there is no danger that the outlet 8 will come into contact with anything else. Further, when a can or bottle of a soft drink or the like is knocked down, it is difficult for the liquid to enter through the insertion port 8.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be embodied as follows, for example. The state in which the lid 7 is opened downward may be adopted as the state of attachment of the outlet 2 to the attachment hole. In this mounting method, holes 20 and 24 formed in case 6 are formed.
Functions as a communication path for communicating the lower part of each of the chambers 12a and 12b divided by the partition 11 to the outside.

The mounting position of the outlet 2 is not limited to the instrument panel 1, but may be mounted on an arbitrary location such as a wall surface of a console box or a side trim of a vehicle compartment. The outlet 2 may be mounted in a state where the insertion port 8 is directed upward, that is, in a state where the front side of the outlet 2 is directed downward. In this configuration, even if the amount of liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b is small, the liquid that has moved to the space S2 immediately moves to the space S3 via the long hole 19c, and
Is discharged to the outside. In a state where the insertion port 8 is upward, for example, the amount of the liquid that the can of the soft drink falls down and flows from the insertion port 8 becomes larger than that in the case where the insertion port 8 is horizontal. However, when the insertion port 8 is in the upward direction, all the holes 20, 24, and 25 are located below the chambers 12a and 12b, and the liquid is discharged more quickly. No problem.

The notch 14ab provided in the side wall 14 may be omitted, and the liquid may be discharged from the holes 24 and 25. A front wall may be formed on the front side of the receptacle body 5 and the front wall 17 of the case 6 may be omitted. Further, a front wall may be formed on both the receptacle body 5 and the case 6.

The partition wall 19 is provided with a notch communicating with the elongated hole 19c and extending to a position corresponding to the upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22. In this case, even when the amount of the liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b is small, the liquid that has entered the chambers 12a and 12b is immediately guided to the space S3 and discharged to the outside through the hole 20. Therefore, the liquid is discharged more quickly.

A packing is attached to a portion of the partition wall 11 that comes into contact with the main body 15. In this case, the partition 11 and the main body 1
5 and the hermeticity is improved. The female terminals 3a, 4a and the male terminals 3b, 4b may be formed separately from each other without being integrally formed, and both may be connected by a lead wire or printed wiring.

The cylindrical portion 16 may be omitted. ○ The cylindrical portion 16 having no function of supporting the socket 26
May be provided. Also in this case, the liquid discharged from the holes 20, 24, 25 is prevented from adhering to the male terminals 3b, 4b.

Instead of the cover 7 being rotatably disposed between the closed position and the open position, the cover 7 may be detachable, that is, detached from the base plate 9 when opened. The mounting state of the outlet 2 may be specified in advance, and a passage for discharging the liquid may be formed only at an optimum position corresponding thereto.

The present invention is not limited to the vehicle outlet, and may be embodied as an outlet provided in a building or a machine. In this case, the same effects as described above can be obtained with respect to the prevention of short-circuit, corrosion, and leakage.

The technical ideas (inventions) other than those described in the claims that can be understood from the above embodiments will be described below together with their effects. (1) In the invention described in claim 2, a cylindrical portion surrounding the male terminal is formed in the case, and the communication path is formed so as to open outside the cylindrical portion. In this case, the liquid discharged from the communication path can be prevented from adhering to the male terminal, and corrosion due to the adhering liquid can be prevented.

(2) In the second aspect of the present invention,
A space is formed between both side walls of the receptacle body and a side wall of the case, openings are formed on both side walls of the receptacle body to connect the chamber to the space, and a case is formed in the case to connect the space to the outside. A passage and a communication passage that connects each chamber to the outside near the partition are formed.
In this case, the liquid that has entered each chamber is discharged to the outside from both sides of the chamber, so that the liquid is discharged well.

(3) A pair of male terminals, which are electrically connected to female terminals, protrude from a wall opposite to the wall on which the plug is provided, with a pair of insertion ports into which plugs are inserted. A receptacle body in which a partition partitioning a chamber for accommodating the female terminals is formed in a straight line, and a case in which the receptacle body is inserted in a state where the male terminals protrude to the outside. An outlet formed with a groove in which the partition is fitted, and the chamber is divided by the partition in a state where the receptacle body is assembled to the case. In this case, a short circuit between the pair of terminals can be prevented even if the liquid enters through the insertion port.

(4) In the invention of (3), the case is formed with a communication passage for communicating a lower part of each chamber divided by the partition to the outside when the outlet is mounted at a predetermined position. ing. In this case, the liquid that has entered the chamber in which the terminal is accommodated is discharged to the outside in a short period of time, so that a decrease in durability due to corrosion of the terminal can be prevented.

The inner wall surface of the vehicle referred to in this specification is not limited to the side trim of the vehicle interior, but means any wall surface in the vehicle interior, and includes the wall surface of the instrument panel, the wall surface of the console box, and the like.

[0049]

As described in detail above, claims 1 to 3 are described.
According to the invention described in (1), a short circuit between the pair of terminals can be prevented even if the liquid enters through the insertion port.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the liquid that has entered the chamber in which the terminals are accommodated is discharged to the outside in a short time, thereby preventing a decrease in durability due to corrosion of the terminals. Claim 3
According to the invention described in (1), since the connector of the wiring connected to the power supply unit is fitted into the cylindrical portion, it is difficult for an excessive force to be applied to the male terminal due to vibrations during running of the vehicle, and the durability is improved. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an outlet.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a case.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the case.

FIG. 5 is an exploded side view of the outlet.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an attached state of an outlet.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the outlet with a lid opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

2. Outlet, 3, 4 ... Terminal, 3a, 4a ... Female terminal, 3b, 4b ... Male terminal, 5 ... Receptacle body, 6 ...
Case, 7 ... Lid as cover, 8 ... Inlet, 11
... partition walls, 12a, 12b ... chambers, 16 ... cylindrical portions, 17 ... front walls as walls, 20, 24, 25 ... holes as communication passages,
26 ... Socket as a connector.

Claims (3)

[Claims] A pair of male terminals electrically connected to female terminals are provided on a wall opposite to a wall on which the plug is inserted, and a pair of male terminals protrude from the wall opposite to the wall provided with the plug. A receptacle body in which a partition partitioning a chamber for accommodating the female terminals is formed in a straight line, and a case in which the receptacle body is inserted with the male terminal protruding to the outside. Is an outlet formed with a groove in which the partition is fitted, and the chamber is divided by the partition in a state where the receptacle body is assembled to the case. 2. The communication case according to claim 1, wherein the case is formed with a communication path for communicating a lower portion of each of the chambers separated by the partition to the outside when the outlet is mounted at a predetermined position. outlet. 3. The case according to claim 1, wherein the outlet is mounted in a vehicle interior, and the case is formed with a tubular portion to which a connector of a wiring provided in an inner wall surface of the vehicle can be fitted. 2. The outlet according to 2.