JPS59119689A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connector that reliably prevents electrolytic corrosion between terminals due to water entering the joint portion of the connector.

In vehicles, connectors are used in the middle of power supply wires or signal transmission wires from batteries to loads for convenience in maintenance and inspection and assembly. Figures 1 (A) and (B) show conventional connector housings, where 1 is a female connector housing with a plurality of connectors (in this example, 6 connectors) inside the case 1a.
female terminals (indicated by 1b in FIG. 1(C)) are arranged. A plurality of electric wires 2 are inserted from the electric wire insertion side of the female connector housing 1, and the ends of each electric wire 2 are crimped to the terminals 1b, respectively. 3 is a male connector housing to be fitted with the female connector housing 1;
There are multiple (six in this example) flat male terminals 3 inside a.
b is arranged, and each electric wire 4 is connected to this flat male terminal 3b.
The ends of are crimped. When the female connector housing 1 and the male connector housing 3 are mated together, the flat male terminals 3b and the female terminals 1b engage with each other to establish an electrical connection, as shown in FIG. 1(C).

By the way, when water splashes on the road surface during rainy weather, water may enter the underfloor or engine compartment of a vehicle, and the connectors in the engine compartment may also be covered with water. When the female and male connector housings 1 and 3 are exposed to water in the fitted state, water forms between the housing wall IC of the female connector housing 1 and the housing wall 3C of the male connector housing 3, as shown in FIG. 1(C). Water enters the gap d, causing an electrolytic corrosion reaction between adjacent terminals, which gradually corrodes the terminals. If this state of electrolytic corrosion continues for a long time, there is a risk that the terminals will break. In addition, in cold regions, sodium chloride is sometimes sprinkled on roads to prevent them from freezing, but in this case, if the sodium chloride mixes with water when the snow melts, salt water will enter the connector, making it worse than when it is just water. This causes a significant galvanic corrosion reaction, making the above-mentioned problems even worse.

In order to solve this problem, a method has been adopted in which the insides of the connector housings 1 and 3 are each filled with insulating grease G, as shown in FIG. However, even with this method, water or salt water still enters the gap d between the housing wall IC and the housing wall 3C, and the electrolytic corrosion reaction cannot be reliably prevented.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and includes a male connector housing to which a plurality of male terminals are fixed and a female connector housing to which a number of female terminals corresponding to the number of male terminals are fixed. In a connector that electrically connects a female terminal, the male terminal is fixed inside the male connector housing in order to reliably prevent water from entering the fitting portion of both connector housings and causing electrolytic corrosion between the terminals. a partition wall that partitions each of the two connector housings, and a groove that has a concave-convex connection with the partition wall on the terminal connection surface of the female connector housing, and the convex portion and the four portions engage when the two connector housings are fitted together. The gap created on the mating side is continuous.

The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, in which (A) shows a female connector housing and (B) shows a male connector housing. As shown in FIG. 3(A), the housing wall 5a of the female connector housing 5 is provided with grooves so as to partition each female terminal (shown as 5b in FIG. 3(C)).
On the other hand, as can be seen from the figure (b), inside the case 6a of the male connector housing 6, a partition wall 6c is provided to separate each male terminal 6b from the mating surface of the mating connector housing. It is provided so as to protrude in the direction. When the female connector housing 5 and the male connector housing 6 are fitted together, the partition wall 6C of the male connector housing 6 is engaged with the groove 5C of the female connector housing 5, as shown in FIG. 3(C). Even if water gets wet and enters the fitting portion of both connector housings, this partition wall 6C allows the adjacent female terminal 5b and male terminal 6a to
Since the two do not communicate with each other through water, no electrolytic corrosion reaction occurs. Furthermore, if the female connector housing 5 and the male connector housing 6 are fitted in the vertical direction, water that has entered the gap d between the two connector housings is prevented from passing between the terminals by the partition wall 6c. Since water can be prevented from flowing vertically downward through the small gap between the groove 5c and the partition wall 6c, electrolytic corrosion reactions can be more reliably prevented.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the connector according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the female connector housing 5 and the male connector housing 6 shown in FIG. 3 are filled with insulating grease G. When both the connector housings 5 and 6 are fitted together, the engaging portion between the groove 5C and the partition wall 6c is filled with grease G. Therefore, even if the fitted state of both connector housings 5 and 6 is slightly misaligned, the grease G remains between the groove 5C and the partition wall 6c, preventing water from passing between the adjacent terminals. thwarted. Therefore, the effect of preventing electrolytic corrosion can be further improved than in the embodiments described above.

In this embodiment, a groove was provided in the female connector housing and a partition wall was provided in the male connector housing to prevent electrolytic corrosion reaction between the terminals, whereas the present invention provided a protrusion in the female connector housing and a recess in the male connector housing. may be provided.

As explained above, the present invention combines a male connector housing to which a plurality of male terminals are fixed, and a female connector housing to which a number of female terminals corresponding to the number of male terminals are fixed, so that the male terminals and the female terminals can be connected to each other. In the connector for electrically connecting the male connector housing, the connector includes a partition wall that partitions each of the male terminals fixed in the male connector housing, and a groove that is connected to the partition wall in a concave-convex manner on the terminal connection surface of the female connector housing. Since the convex part and the concave part engage with each other at the time of the throat of both connector housings to block the gap created on the mating side, water will not get wet and enter the mating part of both connector housings. However, adjacent terminals will not communicate with each other due to the protrusion. Therefore, there is no galvanic corrosion reaction between the terminals as in the conventional case, so there is no risk of corrosion of the terminals.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 (a) is a perspective view of a conventional female connector housing.
Figure 1 (b) is a perspective view of a conventional male connector housing.
FIG. 1(C) is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional connector showing the fitted state of the connector housing, FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional connector filled with insulating grease, and FIG. 3(A) is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional connector filled with insulating grease. FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a male connector housing according to the present invention, FIG.
Figure (C) is a partial sectional view of the connector showing the fitted state of the connector housing according to the present invention, and Figure 4 is another embodiment of the connector according to the present invention, in which the connector shown in Figure 3 is filled with insulating grease. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the connector showing the fitted state at the time of the connection. 1.5...Female connector housing 3.6...Male connector housing 2.4...Electric wire 1b, 5b...Female terminal 3b, 6
b...Flat male terminal 5C...Groove 6C...Partition wall (A) (C) Figure 3 (B) Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (11) A male connector housing to which a plurality of male terminals are fixed and a female connector housing to which a number of female terminals corresponding to the number of male terminals are fixed are connected, and the male terminals and the female terminals are electrically connected. a partition wall that partitions each of the male terminals fixed in the male connector housing;
A connector characterized in that the female connector housing has a groove formed on the terminal connection surface thereof so as to join the partition wall in a concave-convex manner. (2) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the groove is filled with grease.