The present invention relates to a connector.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-17085 discloses a connector that may be used in an environment where foreign matters such as metal powder and metal pieces float in lubricant stored in a case. In this connector, both male and female housings are held in a connected state by locking a lock arm provided on the female housing into a lock hole provided in a receptacle of the male housing. The lock hole is provided in the receptacle of this connector. Thus, foreign matter may intrude into the receptacle through the lock hole to short terminal fittings. Accordingly, this connector has a convex-concave shape provided on a connection surface for preventing the intrusion of foreign matter and to prevent a short circuit between the terminal fittings.
The connector described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-17085 is structured such that a short circuit caused by foreign matter is prevented by using the convex-concave shape to extend a creepage distance between the terminal fittings. However, the intrusion of the foreign matter itself cannot be prevented. Thus, there is room left for improvement.
It is thought to make a connector watertight (liquid-tight) to prevent the intrusion of such foreign matter. In a general waterproof connector, sealing is provided between both male and female housings by overlapping a receptacle of the female housing on a receptacle of the male housing and disposing waterproof rubber between these receptacles. However, in such a waterproof connector, the connector housings are enlarged in a width direction (radial direction) to overlap the receptacles and dispose the waterproof rubber between the receptacles.
A connector disclosed in this specification is a connector with a first connector including a first connector housing provided with a receptacle having an opening on one end and configured to accommodate a first terminal fitting on a back end of the receptacle, and a second connector to be connected to the first connector. The second connector includes a second connector housing to be accommodated into the receptacle. A second terminal fitting is to be accommodated into the second connector housing, and is connectable to the first terminal fitting and having a wire connected thereto. A rubber plug is configured to seal between an outer peripheral surface of the wire and an inner peripheral surface of the receptacle on a rear end of the second connector housing. A holder is configured to retain the second connector housing and the rubber plug in the receptacle by being engaged with an engaging projection provided on an outer surface of the first connector housing and mounted on the receptacle.
According to this configuration, the second connector housing is accommodated into the receptacle of the first connector housing, the rear end of the second connector housing is sealed by the rubber plug and the second connector housing and the rubber plug are retained by the holder. Thus, the intrusion of foreign matters into the second connector housing in the receptacle is prevented by the rubber plug, wherefore a short circuit between the terminals can be prevented. Further, since the holder is mounted on the receptacle by engaging the holder with the engaging projection provided on the outer surface of the first connector housing, no locking hole is provided in the receptacle of the first connector housing and sealing by the rubber plug is ensured. Furthermore, no receptacle is overlapped on the receptacle (unlike general waterproof connectors). Thus, enlargement in a width direction (radial direction) can be suppressed.
The holder may be provided with a projecting portion projecting toward the second connector housing. The rubber plug may be provided with an insertion hole enabling the insertion of the projecting portion, and the second connector housing may be provided with an engaging portion engageable with an engaging claw provided on a tip part of the projecting portion. In this configuration, the projecting portion can be inserted into the insertion hole and the engaging claw thereof can be engaged with the engaging portion of the second connector housing. Thus, the second connector can be connected to the first connector with the second connector housing, the rubber plug and the holder of the second connector assembled in advance. Accordingly, an assembly operation is easier as compared to the case where these components are arranged separately in the receptacle.
The first connector housing may include a cylindrical fitting to be fit into a mounting hole provided in a device. The receptacle may be insertable into the mounting hole and have an oval cross-sectional shape. The engaging projection may project in a minor axis direction of the receptacle, and the holder of the second connector may be provided with a lock arm having an engaging hole engageable with the engaging projection. In this configuration, the fitting is fit into the mounting hole of a case after the receptacle is inserted into the mounting hole. Thus, if outer dimensions of the receptacle become smaller, outer dimensions of the fitting can be made smaller and the mounting hole can be reduced in size. Further, the engaging projection projects in the minor axis direction of the receptacle and the lock arm is overlapped on the receptacle to be engaged with the engaging projection. Accordingly, maximum outer dimensions of the entire receptacle can be made smaller. That is, dimensions of the fitting portion and the mounting hole can also be made smaller.
According to the connector disclosed in this specification, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of foreign matters to a connection surface.
An embodiment is described with reference to
As shown in
The relay connector housing 20 is made of synthetic resin and shaped to be open forward and rearward as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Further, the outer shape of the inner receptacle 23 has an oval cross-sectional shape (back view), and the vertical direction serves as a minor axis direction along which the inner receptacle 23 is shorter than along a width direction. Both side surfaces 23B of the inner receptacle 23 are curved surfaces and flush with the shape of the outer surface of the fitting portion 31. Further, upper and lower surfaces 23C of the inner receptacle 23 are flat surfaces. An engaging projection 25 projecting in the vertical direction is provided on each of the upper and lower surfaces 23C of the inner receptacle 23. Further, cut portions 27 cut to be recessed forward are provided in rear end parts of the upper and lower surfaces 23C of the inner receptacle 23.
As shown in
The female connector housing 40 is made of synthetic resin and includes, as shown in
As shown in
The one-piece rubber plug 60 is made of a resilient material such as oil resistant rubber and seals between a plurality of the wires W and the inner peripheral surface of the inner receptacle 23 as shown in
The one-piece rubber plug 60 is provided with a plurality of wire insertion holes 63 through which the wires W are to be inserted and which penetrate in the front-rear direction. A plurality of inner peripheral lip portions 65 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the wire insertion hole 63. Further, the one-piece rubber plug 60 is provided with two insertion holes 67 for allowing the passage of projecting portions 80 to be described later. The insertion hole 67 has a circular cross-sectional shape, penetrates in the front-rear direction and has an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of a projecting body portion 81 of the projecting portion 80 to be described later, and lips are provided on an inner peripheral surface to be held in close contact with the projecting body portion 81.
The rear holder 70 is made of synthetic resin and includes, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Next, an example of the procedure of assembling the connector 10 is described.
First, the relay connector 11 is assembled. As shown in
On the other hand, the female connector 15 is assembled as shown in
Subsequently, as shown in
Then, the positioned female terminal fittings 17 are inserted through the wire insertion holes 63 of the one-piece rubber plug 60. At this time, since the female terminal fittings 17 are positioned, the female terminal fittings 17 can be inserted in a proper posture into the wire insertion holes 63 of the one-piece rubber plug 60 to suppress the damage of the inner peripheral surfaces of the wire insertion holes 63. Then, the female terminal fittings 17 inserted through the wire insertion holes 63 are inserted into the cavities 43 of the female connector housing 40. Then, the retainer 47 is mounted to lock the female terminal fittings 17. When the female terminal fitting 17 is inserted to a proper position in the cavity 43, the inner peripheral lip portions 65 of the wire insertion hole 63 are held in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the wire W.
Then, as shown in
When the female connector 15 and the relay connector 11 are connected at a proper position, the female terminal fittings 17 and the relay terminal fittings 13 are connected. Further, the outer peripheral lip portions 61 of the one-piece rubber plug 60 are held in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the inner receptacle 23. Then, the holder body portion 71 of the rear holder 70 is fit into the inner receptacle 23, and the female connector 15 is retained in the relay connector 11 because the lock arms 75 are locked to the engaging projections 25.
Then, the relay connector 11 having the female connector 15 connected thereto is mounted on the case C of the device. The rear side (side where the female connector 15 is connected) of the relay connector 11 is inserted into the mounting hole C1 of the case C, the fitting portion 31 is fit into the mounting hole C1 and the rubber ring 33 is held in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole C1 for sealing. Note that the female connector 15 is provided with no receptacle and the lock arms 75 are engaged with the engaging projections 25 projecting on minor axis sides of the inner receptacle 23. Thus, parts (inner receptacle 23 and female connector 15) to be inserted into the mounting hole C1 can have small outer dimensions and an inner diameter of the mounting hole C1 can be reduced.
As described above, in this embodiment, the female connector 15 is integrated by inserting the projecting body portions 81 of the projecting portions 80 of the rear holder 70 into the insertion holes 67 of the one-piece rubber plug 60 and engaging the engaging claws 83 of the projecting portions 80 with the engaging portions 53 of the female connector housing 40. That is, the female connector 15 can be connected to the relay connector 11 with the female connector housing 40, the one-piece rubber plug 60 and the rear holder 70 of the female connector 15 assembled in advance, and an operation is easier as compared to the case where these components are separately arranged in the receptacle.
When the female connector 15 is connected to the relay connector 11, the female connector housing 40 of the female connector 15 is accommodated into the inner receptacle 23 of the relay connector 11, a rear side of the female connector housing 40 is sealed by the one-piece rubber plug 60, and the female connector housing 40 and the one-piece rubber plug 60 are retained by the rear holder 70. Thus, the intrusion of foreign matters into the female connector housing 40 in the inner receptacle 23 can be prevented by the one-piece rubber plug 60, wherefore a short circuit between the terminal fittings 13 and 17 can be prevented.
Further, the lock arms 75 of the rear holder 70 are engaged with the engaging projections 25 provided to project in the minor axis direction (vertical direction) on the outer surface of the inner receptacle 23 having an oval shape in a back view. Thus, the lock arms 75 overlap on the inner receptacle 23, thereby being able to suppress an increase of an outer diameter. Further, since the rear holder 70 is mounted by engaging the lock arms 75 of the rear holder 70 with the engaging projections 25 projecting on the outer surface of the inner receptacle 23, no locking hole is provided in the inner receptacle 23 of the relay connector 11 and sealing by the one-piece rubber plug 60 is easily ensured. Furthermore, since no receptacle is overlapped on the receptacle unlike general waterproof connectors, enlargement in the width direction (radial direction) can be suppressed.
The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments are also included in a technical scope.
Although the relay connector 11 is a connector for relaying two connectors by being mounted on the case C of the device in the above embodiment, it may be a general connector to be mounted on an end of a wiring harness or the like.
Although the relay terminals 13, which are male terminals, are accommodated in the relay connector 11 and the female terminal fittings 17 are accommodated in the female connector 15 in the above embodiment, female terminal fittings may be accommodated in a relay connector.
Although the rear holder body portion 71 of the rear holder 70 is fit into the inner receptacle 23 while having a plate thickness substantially equal to that of the one-piece rubber plug 60 in the above embodiment, a holder body portion may be in the form of a thin plate and disposed to cover the outside of an inner receptacle.
Although the one-piece rubber plug 60 collectively seals between the plurality of wires W connected to the plurality of female terminal fittings 17 and the inner receptacle 23 in the above embodiment, one terminal fitting may be provided and a rubber plug may seal between one wire W and the inner receptacle 23.
Although the stepped surfaces 55 are provided in the engaging portions 53 of the female connector housing 40 and the engaging claws 83 of the projecting portions 80 are engaged therewith in the above embodiment, the engaging claws 83 may be engaged with hole edges of the engaging portions 53 without providing any step. Although the rear holder 70, the one-piece rubber plug 60 and the female connector housing 40 are integrated by inserting the projecting portions 80 of the rear holder 70 into the insertion holes of the one-piece rubber plug 60 and engaging the engaging claws 83 of the projecting portions 80 with the engaging portions 53 of the female connector housing 40 and are fit into the relay connector 11 in the above embodiment, these components may be separately fit into the relay connector 11.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
JP2016-032987 | Feb 2016 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2017/003900 | 2/3/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2017/145698 | 8/31/2017 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6280237 | Saka | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6290527 | Takaya | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6446938 | Hadfield, Sr. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
9065198 | Uchida | Jun 2015 | B2 |
20070004247 | McClelland | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20140011383 | Uchida | Jan 2014 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2007-5012 | Jan 2007 | JP |
2014-17085 | Jan 2014 | JP |
2015-222665 | Dec 2015 | JP |
Entry |
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International Search Report dated Apr. 11, 2017. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210194172 A1 | Jun 2021 | US |