WATERPROOF CONNECTOR Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector configured to prevent water from entering therein.

Background Art

Fig. 12 shows the configuration of a connector disclosed in PTL1.

A connector 102 includes a connector housing 103 and a packing 101. The connector housing 103 houses terminal metal fittings and fits with a mating connector housing.

The packing 101 keeps the boundary between the connector housing 103 and the mating connector housing in a water tightness. The packing 101 includes a solid-core annular packing body 113, outer protruding pieces 114, inner protruding pieces 115, holes 116 and retaining pieces 1 7. The thickness of the packing body 113 is larger than the width thereof.

The hole 1 6 is provided at each of the inner protruding pieces 1 5 and the protruding pin 110 of the connector housing 103 enters into the inside of the hole 116. The retaining piece 117 is provided at each of the outer protruding pieces 114 and is retained to the corresponding receiving hole 100 of the connector housing 103.

Citation List

Patent Literature

[PTL 1 ] JP-A-2004-327169

Summary of Invention

Technical Problem

In the connector of the related art shown in Fig. 12, the connector housing 103 and the packing body 113 are held by utilizing a contractive force of the packing in a manner that the diameter of the packing is made small as compared with the diameter of the housing and the packing is attached to the connector housing by expanding the packing. However, at the time of inserting the connectors, the connectors may be inserted from various directions due to a condition of a vehicle, for example. In this case, there arises a case that since the connector is forcedly inserted, the packing is deformed to thereby degrade the waterproof function thereof. Further, it is considered that a worker may erroneously exfoliate the packing, or the packing may be caught by other article at the time of packing or transporting the connector in a wire-harnessed state and may move against the contraction force or the holding force of the packing. In such the case, there arises a problem that the waterproof function of the connector degrades due to the positional deviation or looseness of the packing. Further, since size tolerance is set to each of components near the packing and an allowance is required for the retaining portion of each of the components, there arises rattling. Such the rattling results in the generation of abnormal noise and also results in the degradation of the holding force of the packing.

Solution to Problem

The invention is performed in view of the aforesaid problem and an object of the invention is to provide a connector which can prevent the rattling of respective members of the connector and the generation of abnormal noise from the respective members of the connector and have good water-proof property.

In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a connector for preventing liquid from entering into an inner space thereof, comprising:

a housing that includes a hole through which an electronic wire is passed;

an elastic member that is attached to the housing; and

a front holder that is retained to the housing by a retaining mechanism, wherein the retaining mechanism retains the housing and the front holder to each other in a state that the elastic member is arranged between the housing and the front holder so that the elastic member is pressed by the housing and the front holder. Preferably, the housing has a first retaining projection, and the elastic member has a first retaining hole which is retained to the first retaining projection for positioning the elastic member with respect to the housing.

Preferably, the retaining mechanism has a second retaining projection which is formed on the housing so as to be elastically deformable and a second retaining hole which is formed in the front holder, and the second retaining projection of the housing is elastically retained to the second retaining hole.

Preferably, the connector further includes a rear holder for preventing the electric wire from being drawn from the housing, that is attached to the housing so that the housing is arranged between the front holder and the rear holder, and a cylindrical member that is made of metal material and that has a flange portion, wherein the electric wire is passed through the cylindrical member, wherein the rear holder rotatably holds the cylindrical member which is compressed and fixed to the electric wire in a state that the flange portion of the cylindrical member is fitted into a holding groove of the rear holder thereby the electric wire is fixed to the rear holder.

Preferably, the connector further includes a heat-shrinkable tube that is provided between the electric wire and the cylindrical member.

According to the configuration, since the first retaining projection provided at the housing retains the first retaining hole provided at the elastic member, the elastic member can be surely positioned and attached. Further, since the elastic member having elasticity is disposed between the housing and the front holder and the retaining mechanism mutually retains the housing and the front holder, the elastic member is compressed and generates a repulsive force. Thus, even when the housing and the front holder positionally shift (deviate) or have size tolerance etc., the rattling of the housing and the front holder can be prevented, and the elastic member and the electric wire can be fixed and held with a stable holding force. Also, according to the configuration, since the retaining mechanism has the second retaining projection which is formed at the housing so as to be elastically deformable and the second retaining hole which is formed at the front holder and by which the second retaining projection is elastically secured, the retaining mechanism can be formed by a simple configuration.

Also, according to the configuration, the electric wire can be stably fixed to the rear holder. Further, since the cylindrical member is clamped to the electric wire and is rotatable within the holding groove, when the electric wire outside of the connector twists, a load of the twist can be absorbed by rotating the cylindrical member within the holding groove.

Also, according to the configuration, the damage of the electric wire due to the clamping can be prevented. Further, since the slip between the cylindrical member and the electric wire at the time of the clamping can be prevented, a sufficient holding force can be obtained. Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the connector of the invention, since the second retaining projection provided at the housing retains the second retaining hole provided at the elastic member, the elastic member is accurately positioned and attached to the housing, and so the waterproof effects can be attained with high reliability. Further, since the elastic member having elasticity is disposed in the compressed state between the housing and the front holder, the rattling of the housing and the front holder and abnormal noise can be prevented from being generated by using the repulsive force of the elastic member.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the assembling state of the connector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagram of a portion A in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the state after the completion of the assembling of the connector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional diagram of the connector shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is another sectional diagram of the connector shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the portion relating to the electric wire held by the connector shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a ring.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the half member of a rear holder. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the positioning state of the electric wires with respect to the rear holder.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the fixing mode of the electric wires by the rear holder.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of an example of connectors of the related art.

Description of Embodiments

The connector according to an embodiment of the invention explained in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

As shown in Fig. 1 , the connector 1 according to this embodiment includes a front holder made of composite resin, a packing 5 made of elastic material, three electric wires 9 each having an end portion coupled to a crimp-type terminal 7, a housing 11 made of composite resin through which the three electric wires 3 are passed with a predetermined interval therebetween, a rubber plug 13 and a ring 15 made of metal attached to each of the three electric wires 3, a rear holder 17 made of composite resin for positioning and fixing the terminals 7 via the rings 15 and a shell (aluminum shell) 9 made of aluminum.

The connector 1 shown in Fig. 4 is in a state that the assembling of the respective members from the front holder 3 to the aluminum shell 19 is completed. In the following explanation, one side to which the terminals 7 are attached is called a front side and an opposite side thereto is called a rear side.

Hereinafter, each of the respective members will be explained by referring to Fig. 1. The front holder 3 includes a pair of upper and lower half members 3a. Three semicircular concave portions 3b are formed with a predetermined interval therebetween at each of the half members 3a. The half members 3a are respectively provided at the end portions in the longitudinal direction thereof with retaining mechanisms 3c for mutually retaining the half members 3a. A pair of the half members 3a are integrated by retaining the retaining mechanisms 3c at the time of assembling. Retaining holes 3d constitute a retaining mechanism for retaining with the housing 11 in a manner that retaining projections 11 i formed at the housing 11 are respectively secured with the retaining holes at the time of the assembling.

In the state constituted as the connector 1 as shown in Fig. 4, a pair of the three semicircular concave portions 3b are assembled to thereby form three circular opening portions 21 through which the three electric wires 9 are respectively passed.

The packing 5 includes a frame portion 5a, a flange portion 5b, a notched portion 5c, two inner projection pieces 5e formed so as to protrude toward the inside of an opening portion 5d etc. An retaining hole 5f shown in Fig. 3 as an enlarged manner is formed at each of the two inner projection pieces 5e. As shown in Fig. 2, the packing 5 covers the outer periphery on the front side of the housing 11. As shown in Figs. 1 , 5 and 6, the housing 11 includes opening portions

11a for respectively passing the three electric wires 9 therethrough, a wall portion 11b on which the frame portion 5a formed at the packing 5 is covered, a flange portion 11 c and a retaining portion 1 d to be retained to the rear holder 17. As shown in Fig. 3 as an enlarged manner, the housing 11 further includes a pair of ribs 11 f for sandwiching the corresponding inner projection piece 5e therebetween, retaining projections 11g respectively retained to the retaining holes 5f, elastic pieces 1 h supported in a cantilever manner so as to be deformable elastically and the retaining projections 11 i respectively formed at the tip end portions of the elastic pieces etc. As shown in Fig. 6, a retaining piece 11j is formed on the rear side of the part of the flange portion 11c so that the retaining piece retains the one end of the rear holder 17 at the time of the assembling of the respective members of the connector 1.

The rubber plugs 13 are attached to the electric wires 9 respectively in order to prevent water from entering into the connector via the inner surface of the housing 11 and the outer surface of the electric wires 9.

The ring 15 corresponds to a cylindrical member of the invention and determines a position of the corresponding terminal 7 protruded from the tip end of the connector 1 , in other words, the ring 15 determines the protruded length of the corresponding electric wire 9, as shown in Fig. 4. The ring 15 is fixed to the corresponding electric wire 9. The ring 15 will be explained in detail.

As shown in Fig. 9, the rear holder 17 is configured by a pair of upper and lower half members 17a. Each of the half members 17a is provided with semi-cylindrical holding grooves 17b, 17f for respectively housing a cylindrical flange portion 15a and a cylinder portion 15b having a cylindrical shape formed at the corresponding ring 15. The ring 15 is housed in the rear holder 17 so that the ring 15 is restricted in its movement in the front and rear directions since the flange portion 15a is held in the holding groove 17b but the ring 15 is rotatable in the circumferential direction thereof.

The cylindrical portions 15b, the flange portions 15a and the holding grooves 17b, 17f are also shown in Fig. 5. Flange portions 17c are formed at the rear holder 17. A retaining portion 17d is formed at a part of each of the flange portions 17c. As shown in Fig. 6, the retaining piece 11j of the housing 11 retains the retaining portion 17. Further, elastic retaining pieces 17e to be retained to the aluminum shell 19 are formed at the rear holder 17. The aluminum shell 19 covers the rear holder 17 and so on from the rear side thereof at the time of the assembling. The aluminum shell 19 is formed to be hollow in its inside. Fixing portions 19a for fixing the connector 1 to a vehicle, for example, by means of screws are formed at parts of the outer surface of the aluminum shell. The connector 1 is constituted by mutually assembling the respective members. At the time of the assembling of the connector 1 , although the rubber plugs 13 and the rings 15 are attached to the electric wires 9 to which the crimp-type terminals 7 are coupled, respectively, each of the rings 15 is fixed by the clamping to a position of the electric wires 9 away from a predetermined distance from the corresponding crimp-type terminal 7. Then, the crimp-type terminal 7 and the electric wire 9 are passed through the corresponding opening portion 11a provided at the housing 11 and the packing 5 is attached thereto.

At the time of the attachment of the packing 5, each of the inner projection pieces 5e is positioned between the corresponding pair of the ribs 1 f formed at the housing 11 to thereby respectively retain the retaining projections 11g to the retaining holes 5f. As a result, as shown in Fig. 2, the front side (the side toward which the crimp-type terminals 7 protrude) of the housing 11 is covered by the packing 5. Further, as shown in Fig. 3, since each of the inner projection pieces 5e formed at the packing 5 is positioned between the corresponding pair of the ribs 11f formed at the housing 11 and retained to the retaining projection 11 g, the packing 5 is prevented from being shifted to the circumferential direction.

Next, the front holder 3 is assembled to the housing 11 , as shown in Fig. 6. The frame portion 5a formed at the packing 5 is sandwiched between the housing 11 and the front holder 3 by this assembling. As a result, the packing 5 is surely fixed to the housing 11 , so that the packing 5 can be prevented from falling or shifting at the time of a packing procedure or a transporting procedure as well as at the time of inserting the connector 1.

On the other hand, since the front holder 3 is attached to the housing 11 , the retaining holes 3b formed at the front holder 3 are retained by the retaining projections 11j formed at the housing 11. According to the configuration of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, since the packing 5 is sandwiched between the housing 11 and the front holder 3, the packing 5 biases the housing 11 and the front holder 3 in directions of separating the housing 11 and the front holder 3 to each other by the elastic force (restoring force) of the packing 5 to thereby absorb the allowance due to the size tolerance etc. when the packing 5 is sandwiched between the housing 1 and the front holder 3. In this manner, the generation of the rattling or the abnormal noise can be prevented by using the elasticity of the packing 5.

That is, according to the retaining structure of the related art between the front holder and the housing, since the retaining margin is reduced by the rattling due to the manufacturing error or the size tolerance, the retaining and holding force may be reduced. However, according to the invention, since the rattling can be prevented as explained above, the stable retaining margin can be secured and so the reduction of the holding force can be prevented.

In the connector 1 according to this embodiment, since the packing 5 is arranged between the housing 1 and the front holder 3 as explained above, the packing 5 can be held stably under any condition. That is, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, even if there is the manufacturing variance or the size tolerance in the constituent members such as the housing 11 and the front holder 3, since the housing 11 and the front holder 3 are fixed by using a repulsive force due to the elastic force of the packing 5 arranged between the housing 11 and the front holder 3, not only the rattling can be prevented but also the fixing and holding of the packing 5 can be performed with a stable holding force. As shown in Fig. 4, in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, the electric wires 9 extended by a predetermined length from the tip end of the front holder 3 and the crimp-type terminals 7 respectively coupled to the end portions of the electric wires 9 are protruded from the front holder 3. Contrary to this configuration, in the connector of the related art, the electric wires each having a predetermined length do not protrude from the tip end of the front holder or the housing but are fixed at their crimp-type terminals within the housing.

In order to protrude the electric wires 9 by the predetermined length from the tip end of the front holder 3 in the connector 1 according to this embodiment, it is necessary to fix the electric wires 9 within the connector 1. To this end, this embodiment employs the following configuration.

In the connector 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, the rubber plug 13 and the ring 15 made of metal deformable by being clamped are attached to each of the electric wires 9. As shown in Fig. 8, the ring 15 includes the cylinder portion 15b for passing the electric wire 9 therethrough and the flange portion 15a having a larger diameter as compared with the cylinder portion 15b. As shown in Fig. 7, the ring 15 is clamped and fixed to the corresponding electric wire 9 so as to match to the protruded length of the corresponding electric wire 9 in a state that the ring 15 is attached to the corresponding electric wire 9.

When the ring 15 is directly clinched on the sheath surface of the corresponding electric wire 9, the sheath may be broken or scratched. Further, since the surface of each of the electric wires 9 is slippy, the sufficient holding force may not be obtained. Thus, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, a heat-shrinkable tube 23 is covered on a surface of each of the electric wires 9 at the position of clamping the ring 15 and then the ring 15 is attached on the heat-shrinkable tube.

When the ring 15 is clamped in this state that the heat-shrinkable tube 23 is covered on each of the electric wire 9, the sheath of each of the electric wires 9 can be prevented from being broken or scratched.

Next, as shown in Fig. 10, the ring 15 and the electric wire 9 are held by the semi-cylindrical holding grooves 17b, 17f formed at the half members 17a constituting the rear holder 17. Next, as shown in Fig. 11 , the half members 17a are joined to thereby integrally assemble the respective electric wires 9 and the rear holder 17. Succeeding to this stage, when the assembling is performed, the connector 1 as shown in Fig. 4 can be obtained. The retaining of the front holder 3, the packing 5, the housing 11 and the rear holder 17 etc. is performed in the similar manner described above. The connector 1 assembled in the aforesaid manner can surely fix the electric wire 9. Further, the protruded length of each of the electric wires 9 protruded from the front holder 3 can be changed freely by adjusting the fixing position of each of the rings 15 to the corresponding electric wire 9. Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 , the protruded lengths of the electric wires 9 can be aligned or the protruded length of only particular one of the electric wires 9 can be elongated as needed by adjusting the clamping position/positions of the ring/rings 15.

The ring 15 clamped to the electric wire 9 is rotatable within the holding grooves 17b, 17f of the rear holder 17. Thus, when the electric wire 9 outside of the connector 1 twists, a load of the twist can be absorbed by rotating the ring within the holding grooves 17b, 17f.

The invention is not limited to the aforesaid embodiment and the modification or improvement thereof may be performed suitably and freely. The material, shape, size, numerical value, mode, number, location etc. of each of the constituent elements of the aforesaid embodiment are not limited to those of the aforesaid embodiment and may be changed arbitrarily so long as attaining the invention. The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-023085 filed on February 4, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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Industrial Applicability

A connector which prevents the rattling of respective members of the connector and the generation of abnormal noise from the respective members of the connector can be provided. Also, a connector provided with good l o water-proof property can be obtained.

Reference Signs List

1 connector

3 front holder

3a half member

3c retaining mechanism

5 packing

5a frame portion

5e inner projection piece

5f retaining hole

7 crimp-type terminal

9 electric wire

11 housing

11f pair of ribs

25 11 g, 11 i retaining projection h elastic piece

j retaining piece

rubber plug

ring

a flange portionb cylinder portion

rear holder

a half memberb, 17f holding groove

aluminum shell circular opening portion heat-shrinkable tube