Patent Application
20240283186
The present disclosure relates to a connector.
Conventionally, a structure for protecting an electronic component such as a semiconductor device on a circuit board from dust and moisture has been used in an electronic device such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or sensor module. For example, it is known to accommodate an electronic device in a case. In such a configuration, an adhesive is disposed on a joint part between cases or a space in a case is sealed with a potting resin. However, in the configuration using the case in this way, the size of an entire product increases and assembly process steps increase to increase cost.
Accordingly, it is thought to use a molded member (epoxy-based resin or the like) instead of the case. For example, a module device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a metal base, an electronic circuit board and a connector. The electrical circuit board is mounted on the metal base. The connector includes a terminal. One end of the terminal is connected to the electrical board. The metal base and the electronic circuit board are sealed with a sealing resin. The inside of the connector on the electronic circuit board side and the inside of a connector joint portion in the metal base are potted with a resin.
An in-vehicle electronic module of Patent Document 2 is provided with a circuit board and a connector. The connector includes a metal terminal. The metal terminal is connected to a connection terminal of the circuit board. In the circuit board, a part except a connected part to the connector is primarily molded with a resin. In the connection terminal, a part exposed between a package portion (molded member formed by primary molding) and a connector housing is secondarily molded with a resin.
However, in the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2, a problem that the molded member is peeled possibly occurs due to cooling after molding or cooling caused by a use environment. For example, since the connector housing and the molded member have different linear expansion coefficients, there is a thermal shrinkage difference between the connector housing and the molded member. Due to peeling caused by the thermal shrinkage difference between the connector housing and the molded member in this way, problems such as a reduction in waterproofness occur.
The present disclosure was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to suppress peeling on a joint surface between a housing and a molded portion.
The present disclosure is directed to a connector with a terminal fitting, a housing including a holding portion for holding the terminal fitting and a receptacle projecting from the holding portion, and a molded portion for surrounding the housing, a recess being provided in a joint surface of the housing with the molded portion.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress peeling on a joint surface between a housing and a molded portion.
First, embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
According to the configuration of the present disclosure, a shrinkage amount in directions along the joint surface with the molded portion is reduced and stress in the directions along the joint surface is reduced during the thermal deformation by providing the recess in the joint surface of the housing with the molded portion. Thus, peeling on the joint surface between the housing and the molded portion can be suppressed.
According to this configuration, the terminal fitting is passed through the back surface of the housing and the peeling of the back surface from the molded portion is suppressed by the recess. Thus, the waterproofness of the back surface of the housing is maintained and the occurrence of a short circuit and the like between the terminals due to water intrusion or the like can be suppressed.
According to this configuration, the peeling of the molded portion around the terminal fitting can be suppressed in the back surface of the holding portion. Thus, waterproofness around the terminal fitting in the back surface of the holding portion can be further enhanced.
According to this configuration, the peeling of the molded portion around the terminal fittings can be further suppressed in the back surface of the holding portion.
According to this configuration, there are positions, where stress in the directions along the joint surface is reduced, across the terminal fitting in the back surface of the holding portion, and the peeling of the molded portion around the terminal fitting is easily suppressed.
According to this configuration, there are positions, where stress in the directions along the joint surface is reduced, across the terminal fitting in the back surface of the holding portion, and the peeling of the molded portion around the terminal fitting is easily suppressed.
A first specific embodiment of a connector of the present disclosure is described with reference to
A connector 10 of the first embodiment is, as shown in
The housing 20 is, for example, made of synthetic resin. The housing 20 is, for example, made of a material such as polybutylene terephthalate (linear expansion coefficient: about 1.1×10−4/C°) or polyamide (linear expansion coefficient: about 1.0×10−4/C°). As shown in
The holding portion 21 holds the terminal fittings 30. The holding portion 21 is a wall portion orthogonal to the front-rear direction (connection direction of the housing 20 and the mating housing). The holding portion 21 has an oval shape long in the lateral direction when viewed from the front-rear direction. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The terminal fitting 30 is made of electrically conductive metal. As shown in
The intermediate portion 32 is connected to the rear end of the mating connecting portion 31. The intermediate portion 32 is in the form of a rectangular plate. The intermediate portion 32 has plate surfaces orthogonal to the vertical direction. The intermediate portion 32 is disposed on the inner surface of the hole 24 of the holding portion 21.
The board connecting portion 33 is connected to the rear end of the intermediate portion 32. The board connecting portion 33 is in the form of an elongated tab extending from the intermediate portion 32. The board connecting portion 33 is bent at a halfway position in an extending direction and L-shaped when viewed from the lateral direction. As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
For example, if the linear expansion coefficient of the housing 20 and that of the molded portion 40 are different, there is a thermal shrinkage difference between these. Peeling due to thermal shrinkage may occur between the housing 20 and the molded portion 40 due to cooling after molding or cooling caused by a use environment. Accordingly, the recess 50 is provided in the back surface 21C, out of the joint surface 20A of the housing 20 with the molded portion 40. By forming the recess 50 in the back surface 21C, a shrinkage amount of the housing 20 during thermal deformation can be reduced in the vertical direction and lateral direction along a plane region where the recess 50 is not formed and the formation region AR, out of the back surface 21C. Thus, stress generated in the housing 20 is reduced in directions along the plane region where the recess 50 is not formed and the formation region AR, out of the back surface 21C. Therefore, peeling on the joint surface 20A of the housing 20 with the molded portion 40 can be suppressed. A peeling suppressing effect is high in the covering portion 21B orthogonal to the directions, in which the stress of the housing 20 is reduced, out of the joint surface 20A.
Particularly, since the recess 50 is provided in the back surface 21C, the peeling of the back surface 21C from the molded portion 40 is suppressed. Thus, the waterproofness of the back surface 21C of the housing 20 is maintained and the occurrence of a short circuit and the like between the terminal fittings 30 due to water intrusion or the like can be suppressed. Further, since the recess 50 is provided to surround the formation region AR (see
As described above, according to the connector 10 of the present disclosure, the recess 50 is provided in the joint surface 20A of the housing 20 with the molded portion 40. In this way, the shrinkage amount in the directions along the joint surface 20A with the molded portion 40 is reduced and stress in the directions along the joint surface 20A is reduced during thermal deformation. Thus, the peeling on the joint surface 20A of the housing 20 with the molded portion 40 can be suppressed.
According to the connector 10 of the present disclosure, the terminal fittings 30 are passed through the holding portion 21 and project toward the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21 and the receptacle 22. The recess 50 is provided in the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21. In this way, the terminal fittings 30 are passed through the back surface 21C of the housing 20 and the peeling of the back surface 21C from the molded portion 40 is suppressed by the recess 50. Thus, the waterproofness of the back surface 21C of the housing 20 and is maintained and the occurrence of a short circuit and the like between the terminal fittings 30 due to water intrusion or the like can be suppressed.
According to the connector 10 of the present disclosure, the recess 50 is provided around the terminal fittings 30 in the back surface 21C. In this way, the peeling of the molded portion 40 around the terminal fittings 30 can be suppressed on the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21. Thus, waterproofness around the terminal fittings 30 on the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21 can be further enhanced.
According to the connector 10 of the present disclosure, the recess 50 is provided to surround the formation region AR of the plurality of terminal fittings 30 in the back surface 21C over the entire periphery. In this way, the peeling of the molded portion 40 around the terminal fittings 30 can be further suppressed on the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21.
A connector 210 of the second specific embodiment of the connector of the present disclosure is described with reference to
As shown in
By providing the recesses 251, 252, 253 and 254 in the joint surface 20A of the housing 20 with the molded portion 40, a shrinkage amount of the housing 20 in directions along the joint surface 20A can be reduced during thermal deformation. Thus, stress in the directions along the joint surface 20A in the housing 20 is reduced. Thus, peeling on the joint surface 20A between the housing 20 and the molded portion 40 can be suppressed.
Particularly, since the recesses 251, 252, 253 and 254 are provided in the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21, the peeling of the back surface 21C from the molded portion 40 is suppressed. Thus, the waterproofness of the back surface 21C of the housing 20 is maintained and the occurrence of a short circuit and the like between the terminal fittings 30 due to water intrusion or the like can be suppressed. Further, since the pair of recesses 251, 253 are located across the terminal fitting 30 on the right side, there are positions, where stress in the directions along the joint surface 20A is reduced, across the terminal fitting 30 on the right side. Similarly, since the pair of recesses 252, 254 are located across the terminal fitting 30 on the left side, there are positions, where stress in the directions along the joint surface 20A is reduced, across the terminal fitting 30 on the left side. In the above way, the peeling of the molded portion 40 around the terminal fittings 30 is easily suppressed.
As shown in
As shown in
The present invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiments, but is represented by claims. The present invention is intended to include all changes in the scope of claims and in the meaning and scope of equivalents and also include the following embodiments.
Unlike the above first and second embodiments, three or more recesses 350 may be provided in the back surface 21C in an arrangement shown in
Although the recesses 50, 251, 252, 253 and 254 are provided in the back surface 21C of the holding portion 21 in the above first and second embodiments, recesses may be provided at other positions in the joint surface 20A. For example, the recesses 50, 251, 252, 253 and 254 may be provided in the outer peripheral surface (covering portion 21B) of the holding portion 21 or in the extending portions 23.
Although the recess 50 is provided to surround the formation region AR of the plurality of terminal fittings 20 over the entire periphery in the back surface 21C in the first embodiment, a recess 50 may be provided in a part around the formation region AR.
Although the pair of recesses 251, 253 and the pair of recesses 252, 254 are respectively disposed across the terminal fittings 30 in the vertical direction in the second embodiment, recesses may be disposed across the terminal fittings 30 in another direction (lateral direction or the like).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-103935 | Jun 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/016458 | 3/31/2022 | WO |
