JP2024108296A - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To keep a seal member at a proper position on an outer peripheral surface of a fitting part.SOLUTION: A connector comprises: a housing 10 having a cylindrical fitting part 12 inserted and fitted into a fitting hole 500a along an inserting and fitting direction; a seal member 40 filling a gap between the fitting part and the fitting hole. The housing comprises an outer housing 20 having a fitting part, and an inner housing 30 inserted from a rear end opening 12a and fitted within the outer housing along the inserting and fitting direction. The fitting part has a shape that can be inserted inside of the seal member from a rear end part 12c. The inner housing has a flange part 32 that is arranged in a manner that a face opposite to the inserting and fitting direction facing an annular end face of the rear end part of the fitting part at an assembly completion position, and an annular locking part 33 that protrudes from the flange part in the inserting and fitting direction, that covers the rear end part of the fitting part from the outer peripheral surface side at the assembly completion position, and that is arranged to face an annular end face opposite to the inserting and fitting direction of the seal member at the assembly completion position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, connectors have been known that include a housing provided with a fitting portion that is inserted and fitted into a fitting hole of a connection object, and an annular seal member that is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion and fills the gap between the fitting portion and the fitting hole. In this connector, when the fitting portion is inserted and fitted through the insertion opening of the fitting hole, the seal member is pressed against the periphery of the insertion opening and the inner circumferential surface of the fitting portion and moves in the opposite direction to the insertion and fitting direction on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion. For this reason, in this connector, if the movement of the seal member is not kept within an appropriate range, the waterproof performance of the seal member may be reduced. For example, the following Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose connectors in which the seal member is attached to the fitting portion by inserting the fitting portion into the inside of the seal member in the insertion and fitting direction. In the connector described in Patent Document 1, a locking portion is provided on the housing to stop the movement of the seal member in the direction opposite to the insertion and fitting direction within an appropriate range, and a holder provided in front of the seal member prevents interference between the seal member and the periphery of the insertion opening of the fitting hole, thereby preventing the seal member from shifting out of position. In the connector described in Patent Document 2, a locking portion is provided on the housing to stop the movement of the seal member in the direction opposite to the insertion and fitting direction within an appropriate range, and a folded portion is provided on the seal member to lock the movement in the direction opposite to the insertion and fitting direction against the end face of the fitting portion, thereby preventing the seal member from shifting out of position.

JP 2021-111571 A JP 2010-153072 A

However, some connectors have a seal member attached to the mating part along the insertion and fitting direction. In this type of connector, conventional sealing member locking technology cannot be used, and when the mating part is inserted and fitted into the mating hole of the connection object, the seal member is pressed against the periphery of the insertion opening or the inner surface of the mating hole, moving on the outer surface of the mating part in the opposite direction to the insertion and fitting direction. If the seal member cannot be stopped in the correct position on the outer surface of the mating part, the waterproof performance of the seal member will be reduced.

The present invention aims to provide a connector that can stop the seal member in the correct position on the outer circumferential surface of the mating part when the mating part is inserted and fitted into the mating hole, even if the seal member is attached to the mating part along the insertion and fitting direction.

The present invention is a housing having a terminal accommodating portion in which a terminal fitting is accommodated, and a cylindrical fitting portion that is inserted and fitted into a fitting hole of a connection object from an insertion opening along the insertion fitting direction to a fitting completion position, and an annular seal member that is assembled to the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion and fills the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole, the housing comprising an outer housing having an end on the insertion fitting direction side as a front end and the fitting portion as a rear end, and an inner housing that is inserted into the outer housing from the rear end opening of the fitting portion along the insertion fitting direction and is assembled to the outer housing at the assembly completion position. The fitting portion is formed in a shape that can be inserted into the seal member from the rear end portion on the rear end opening side, and the inner housing has a flange portion that is arranged to face the annular end surface on the rear end opening side of the rear end portion of the fitting portion on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction at the assembly completion position, and an annular locking portion that protrudes from the flange portion in the insertion fitting direction, covers the rear end portion of the fitting portion from the outer circumferential surface side at the assembly completion position, and is arranged to face the annular end surface on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction of the seal member at the assembly completion position on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction.

In the connector according to the present invention, the locking portion covers the rear end of the mating portion from the outer peripheral surface side at the assembly completion position, and this locking portion is disposed opposite the rear end of the seal member from the side opposite the insertion/fitting direction at the assembly completion position, so this locking portion can prevent the seal member from falling off from the mating portion. Therefore, in this connector, even if the seal member is pressed against the periphery of the insertion opening or the inner peripheral surface of the mating hole when the mating portion is inserted into the mating hole and moves on the outer peripheral surface of the mating portion in the opposite direction to the insertion/fitting direction, the locking portion can prevent the seal member from falling off from the mating portion. Therefore, in the connector according to the present invention, the seal member can be stopped in the appropriate position on the outer peripheral surface of the mating portion when the mating portion is inserted into the mating hole.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment, illustrating a state before being assembled into a fitting hole. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment, seen from a different angle, illustrating a state before being assembled into a fitting hole. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the connector of the embodiment, illustrating a state after being assembled into the fitting hole. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the connector according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the outer housing. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inner housing. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1, and shows the state in which the mating portion abuts against the seal member. FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line XX in FIG. 1, and shows the state in which the seal member, pressed against the mating fitting portion, comes into contact with the second locking portion. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a virtual surface.

Below, an embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[Embodiment]
One embodiment of a connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The reference numeral 1 in Figs. 1 to 16 indicates the connector of this embodiment. This connector 1 is inserted and fitted into the fitting hole 500a of the connection object 500 (Figs. 1 to 3), and physically and electrically connects a terminal fitting (not shown) to a mating terminal fitting (not shown) of the connection object 500. The connection object 500 may be, for example, an electrical device in which a terminal block equipped with a mating terminal fitting is provided in a housing, or a mating connector in which a mating terminal fitting is provided in a mating housing. In the following, the insertion and fitting direction of the connector 1 into the fitting hole 500a is simply referred to as the "insertion and fitting direction".

Here, an electrical device is shown as an example of a connection object 500, and a cylindrical mating portion 502 protrudes from the periphery of a through hole 501a in a wall 501 of the housing to the outside of the housing (FIGS. 1 to 3). The mating hole 500a in this example is formed by the through hole 501a and the internal space of the mating portion 502. In this mating hole 500a, the opening of the mating portion 502 becomes the insertion port 502a of the connector 1 (FIGS. 1 to 3). In addition, in this mating hole 500a, the connector 1 inserted from the insertion port 502a penetrates through the through hole 501a and enters the housing, so that the through hole 501a becomes the exit of the connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "exit 501a"). In this example, the exit 501a is made smaller than the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the insertion and mating direction of the internal space of the mating portion 502.

The connector 1 includes a terminal fitting to be connected to a mating terminal fitting, and a housing 10 that accommodates the terminal fitting and allows an electric wire (not shown) with a terminal attached to the terminal fitting to be pulled outward (FIGS. 1 to 5). The housing 10 includes a terminal accommodating section 11 that accommodates the terminal fitting, and a cylindrical mating section 12 that is inserted and fitted into a mating hole 500a of a connection object 500 from an insertion opening 502a along the insertion and fitting direction to a mating completion position (FIGS. 1 to 5). In the housing 10, the mating section 12 is disposed in the internal space of the mating section 502, and the terminal accommodating section 11 is pushed through the housing from the exit 501a of the mating hole 500a. Hereinafter, the mating completion position of the mating section 12 and the mating hole 500a will be simply referred to as the "mating completion position".

Specifically, the housing 10 comprises an outer housing 20 and an inner housing 30, and is formed by assembling the outer housing 20 and the inner housing 30 (FIGS. 1 to 7). The outer housing 20 and the inner housing 30 are molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. In the following, the position where the outer housing 20 and the inner housing 30 are assembled together is simply referred to as the "assembly completion position."

The outer housing 20 has a front end 20a at the end in the insertion/fitting direction, and a fitting portion 12 at the rear end 20b (Figs. 4 to 6). The outer housing 20 has a tubular portion 21 at the front end 20a that is coaxial with the fitting portion 12 (Figs. 1 to 6). The outer housing 20 shown here is sized with the tubular portion 21 at the front end 20a and the fitting portion 12 at the rear end 20b. In this outer housing 20, the tubular portion 21 and the fitting portion 12 have similar shapes in cross section perpendicular to the insertion/fitting direction, and the orthogonal cross-sectional shape of the fitting portion 12 is an enlarged version of the orthogonal cross-sectional shape of the tubular portion 21. Here, the tubular portion 21 and the fitting portion 12 are formed in a square tube shape.

The inner housing 30 is inserted into the outer housing 20 from the rear end opening 12a of the fitting portion 12 in the insertion fitting direction, and is assembled to the outer housing 20 at the assembly completion position (Figs. 4 and 5). This inner housing 30 has a terminal accommodating portion 31 in which the terminal fittings are accommodated and held, and which is disposed within the tubular portion 21 and the fitting portion 12 at the assembly completion position (Figs. 4, 5, and 7). The electric wires are pulled out from this terminal accommodating portion 31.

Here, in this housing 10, the terminal accommodating portion 11 is formed by the cylindrical portion 21 of the outer housing 20 and the terminal accommodating portion 31 of the inner housing 30. Therefore, in this connector 1, the cylindrical portion 21 of the outer housing 20 penetrates into the housing in the insertion/fitting direction from the exit 501a of the fitting hole 500a (Figure 3).

The outer housing 20 has at least a pair of connector holders 22 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 21, which hold the tubular portion 21 at the periphery of the outlet 501a of the fitting hole 500a (Figs. 1 to 3, 5 and 6). The connector holder 22 is a locking arm having a flexible piece 22a and a claw portion 22b (Figs. 1 to 3, 5 and 6). In the connector holder 22, when the tubular portion 21 of the outer housing 20 passes through the outlet 501a of the fitting hole 500a, the claw portion 22b overcomes the periphery of the outlet 501a while bending the flexible piece 22a, and as the bending of the flexible piece 22a is released, the claw portion 22b hooks onto the periphery of the outlet 501a inside the housing. The connector 1 is held by the pair of connector holders 22 at the periphery of the outlet 501a of the fitting hole 500a. The connector holding portion 22 shown here is provided on each wall on the short side of the tube portion 21. Each wall is provided with a pair of protective portions 22c that sandwich the connector holding portion 22 to protect it from surrounding components and extend in the insertion and fitting direction (Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6).

The connector 1 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface 12b of the mating portion 12 and is provided with an annular seal member 40 that fills the gap between the outer peripheral surface 12b of the mating portion 12 and the inner peripheral surface 500b of the mating hole 500a (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5). The seal member 40 shown here is a so-called packing made of synthetic rubber or the like, and is formed into a rectangular ring shape. The seal member 40 has multiple lips 40a that are pressed all around against the inner peripheral surface 500b of the mating hole 500a (the inner peripheral surface of the mating portion 502) (Fig. 4).

The fitting portion 12 is formed in a shape that allows it to be inserted into the seal member 40 from the rear end 12c on the rear end opening 12a side (FIGS. 4 to 6). In other words, the fitting portion 12 is inserted into the seal member 40 from its rear end 12c, and the seal member 40 is positioned on its outer circumferential surface 12b. For this reason, the outer housing 20 has a locking portion (hereinafter referred to as the "first locking portion") 23 that locks the seal member 40 on the outer circumferential surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 on the insertion/fitting direction side and regulates the position of the seal member 40 on the insertion/fitting direction side (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 to 6). This first locking portion 23 is provided on the front end 12d of the fitting portion 12 on the insertion/fitting direction side (FIGS. 4 to 6). The first locking portion 23 has a shape similar to the cross section perpendicular to the insertion/fitting direction of the fitting portion 12, and is an enlarged version of the cross section perpendicular to the insertion/fitting direction of the fitting portion 12, and locks the front end portion 41 of the seal member 40 in the insertion/fitting direction (Figure 4).

On the other hand, in this housing 10, the inner housing 30 is prevented from moving in the opposite direction to the insertion and fitting direction of the seal member 40.

For this purpose, the inner housing 30 has a flange portion 32 that is arranged to face the annular end surface of the rear end opening 12a side of the rear end 12c of the fitting portion 12 on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction when the assembly is completed (Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8). This flange portion 32 protrudes circumferentially beyond the outer circumferential surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 so as to face the rear end 42 on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction of the seal member 40 on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction (Figs. 4 and 8). The flange portion 32 shown here is formed in a rectangular shape with a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides as the outer circumferential surface to match the square cylindrical fitting portion 12.

The inner housing 30 also has an annular locking portion (hereinafter referred to as the "second locking portion") 33 that protrudes from the flange portion 32 in the insertion and fitting direction, covers the rear end portion 12c of the fitting portion 12 from the outer peripheral surface 12b side at the assembly completion position, and is arranged opposite the insertion and fitting direction to the annular end face of the sealing member 40 on the opposite side to the insertion and fitting direction (i.e., the annular end face of the rear end portion 42 on the opposite side to the insertion and fitting direction) at the assembly completion position (Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8). This second locking portion 33 has the same shape or a similar shape to the cross section perpendicular to the insertion and fitting direction of the sealing member 40, and locks the annular end face of the rear end portion 42 of the sealing member 40 on the opposite side to the insertion and fitting direction.

In this connector 1, the second locking portion 33 covers the rear end 12c of the fitting portion 12 from the outer peripheral surface 12b side at the assembly completion position, and the second locking portion 33 is disposed opposite the rear end 42 of the seal member 40 from the side opposite the insertion/fitting direction at the assembly completion position, so that the second locking portion 33 can prevent the seal member 40 from falling off from the fitting portion 12. Therefore, in this connector 1, even if the seal member 40 is pushed by the periphery of the insertion opening 502a or the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole 500a when the fitting portion 12 is inserted into the fitting hole 500a and moves on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 in the opposite direction to the insertion/fitting direction, the second locking portion 33 can prevent the seal member 40 from falling off from the fitting portion 12 (FIGS. 1 and 9 to 15). Therefore, in this connector 1, when the fitting portion 12 is inserted and fitted into the fitting hole 500a, the seal member 40 can be secured in the appropriate position on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12. The appropriate position refers to the arrangement of the seal member 40 on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 that allows the waterproof performance between the fitting portion 12 and the fitting hole 500a of the connection target 500 to be exhibited according to the design value.

Here, in this connector 1, when the outer housing 20 and the inner housing 30 are in the assembled position, the seal member 40 is placed on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 between the first locking portion 23 of the outer housing 20 and the second locking portion 33 of the inner housing 30. The length of the seal member 40 shown here in the insertion fitting direction is shorter than the distance between the first locking portion 23 and the second locking portion 33 in the insertion fitting direction, taking into account tolerance variations and the like. Therefore, the seal member 40 can move on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 in the insertion fitting direction or in the opposite direction within the range of the difference between the distance and the length. Therefore, here, even if the seal member 40 moves on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 within the range of the difference between the distance and the length, the distance is set according to the length of the seal member 40 so that the seal member 40 can provide the waterproof performance between the fitting portion 12 and the fitting hole 500a of the connection object 500 as designed. As a result, in this connector 1, even if the seal member 40 moves on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 in the opposite direction to the insertion and fitting direction when the fitting portion 12 is inserted and fitted into the fitting hole 500a, the seal member 40 is locked by the second locking portion 33, and the seal member 40 can be stopped in the correct position on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 (Figures 1 and 9 to 15).

Specifically, in this connector 1, as the mating portion 12 is inserted and mated into the mating hole 500a, the periphery of the insertion opening 502a of the mating hole 500a (the end of the mating mating portion 502 on the insertion opening 502a side) abuts against the seal member 40, the front end 41 of which is mated with the first locking portion 23 (FIGS. 1 and 9 to 11). In this connector 1, as the insertion and mating proceeds, the periphery of the insertion opening 502a of the mating hole 500a pushes the seal member 40 in the opposite direction to the insertion and mating direction, and as a result, the rear end 42 of the seal member 40 abuts against the second locking portion 33 (FIGS. 12 and 13). In this connector 1, by further inserting and fitting, the fitting portion 12 reaches the complete fitting position of the fitting hole 500a while the rear end portion 42 of the seal member 40 remains engaged with the second engaging portion 33 (FIGS. 14 and 15).

In some cases, the fitting portion 12 has an annular chamfered portion 12e that is chamfered with a so-called C-surface or R-surface around the outer circumferential surface 12b of the rear end 12c on the rear end opening 12a side in consideration of the ease of assembly of the seal member 40 (Figs. 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, and 15). In this case, when the seal member 40 moves on the outer circumferential surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 in the direction opposite to the insertion and fitting direction, it may fall into the chamfered portion 12e. For this reason, it is desirable that the second locking portion 33 in this case protrudes from the flange portion 32 to a position that covers the annular chamfered portion 12e on the outer circumferential surface 12b side of the rear end 12c of the fitting portion 12 at the completed assembly position. As a result, in this connector 1, the seal member 40 can be locked by the second locking portion 33 before it falls into the chamfered portion 12e, so that the seal member 40 can be stopped in the correct position on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 when the fitting portion 12 is inserted into the fitting hole 500a. In this example, the second locking portion 33 protrudes from the flange portion 32 so as to cover the chamfered portion 12e from the end face of the rear end portion 12c to the end on the insertion/fitting direction side at the assembly completion position. Also, the chamfered portion 12e shown here has a rounded surface that has been chamfered.

Furthermore, in this housing 10, the cutout portion 24 and rib 34 described below prevent the seal member 40 from moving in the opposite direction to the insertion and fitting direction.

The fitting portion 12 has a plurality of notches 24 in the circumferential direction at the rear end 12c, which are cut from the end face on the rear end opening 12a side to a position where the chamfered portion 12e disappears (FIG. 6). The inner housing 30 protrudes from the flange portion 32 in the insertion fitting direction to the same position as the second locking portion 33, and has a rib 34 for each notch 24 that is inserted into the notch 24 at the assembly completion position and is arranged opposite to the insertion fitting direction on the annular end face of the sealing member 40 on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction (i.e., the annular end face on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction at the rear end 42) (FIG. 7). The rib 34 is arranged inside the second locking portion 33. Here, the rib 34 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the second locking portion 33.

The pair of notches 24 and ribs 34 prevent the rear end 42 of the seal member 40 from entering the annular gap between the chamfered portion 12e and the second locking portion 33. Therefore, in this connector 1, the pair of notches 24 and ribs 34, in combination with the second locking portion 33, can lock the seal member 40 without allowing it to fall into the chamfered portion 12e, so that the seal member 40 can be stopped in the appropriate position on the outer circumferential surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 when the fitting portion 12 is inserted and fitted into the fitting hole 500a.

As described above, the connector 1 of this embodiment can secure the seal member 40 in the appropriate position on the outer peripheral surface 12b of the fitting portion 12 when the fitting portion 12 is inserted and fitted into the fitting hole 500a, so that the seal member 40 can be used to ensure waterproof performance between the fitting portion 12 and the fitting hole 500a of the connection object 500.

The above explanation focuses on the seal member 40 when the connector 1 is attached to the connection object 500. However, the connector 1 may be placed on a workbench or floor before being attached to the connection object 500. In this case, the seal member 40 of this connector 1 is exposed, and so dust and other particles that come into contact with the connector when placed on a workbench or the like may remain on the seal member 40, and assembling the connector 1 to the connection object 500 in this state may reduce the waterproof performance. Therefore, the connector 1 is configured so that the seal member 40 does not come into contact with the workbench or the like, even if the connector 1 is placed on the workbench or the like, by using the protrusion 35 described below.

The inner housing 30 has a plurality of protrusions 35 in the circumferential direction that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32 beyond the outermost periphery of the seal member 40 (FIGS. 1 to 5, 7, and 16). The protrusions 35 shown here are provided as rectangular pieces on one long side and two short sides of the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32, and two rectangular pieces on the other long side of the outer peripheral surface. Each of the protrusions 35 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32 to a position where the seal member 40 fits inside an imaginary plane P that connects the end of the protrusion 35 on the protruding direction side at the assembly completion position and the front end 20a side of the outer housing 20 (FIG. 16). As a result, even if the connector 1 is placed on a workbench or the like, the seal member 40 does not come into contact with the workbench or the like, so that the waterproof performance using the seal member 40 can be ensured. In this example, the protrusion 35 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32 to a position where the seal member 40 fits inside an imaginary plane P1 that connects the end of the protrusion 35 on the protruding direction side to the front end 20a of the outer housing 20 at the assembly completion position (FIG. 16). Also, in this example, the protrusion 35 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion 32 to a position where the seal member 40 fits inside an imaginary plane P2 that connects the end of the protrusion 35 on the protruding direction side to the protruding portion on the front end 20a side of the outer housing 20 at the assembly completion position (FIG. 16).

Next, attention is paid to the seal member 40 after the connector 1 is assembled to the connection object 500. At this time, the connector 1 is held from the inside of the housing by the pair of connector holding parts 22 at the periphery of the outlet 501a of the fitting hole 500a, and is held in the fitting hole 500a via the seal member 40 whose lip 40a is crushed all around against the inner circumferential surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a (the inner circumferential surface of the mating fitting part 502). Here, although the lip 40a of the seal member 40 is crushed all around against the inner circumferential surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a, it is in a state where further elastic deformation is possible anywhere in the circumferential direction to obtain waterproof performance. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the connector 1, the seal member 40 may be further crushed and tilted with respect to the fitting hole 500a, with the center of rotation being any location near the periphery of the outlet 501a of the fitting hole 500a in the tubular portion 21. In this case, the seal member 40 undergoes elastic deformation with an uneven amount of deformation in the circumferential direction, which may cause a location where the adhesion between the seal member 40 and the inner surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a is reduced, or a gap may be created between the seal member 40 and the inner surface 500b, thereby reducing the waterproof performance. Therefore, in order to ensure adhesion between the seal member 40 and the inner surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a, the connector 1 uses each protrusion 35 at the end of the location away from the center of rotation to keep the amount of tilt change with respect to the fitting hole 500a small.

The protrusion 35 is arranged to face the periphery of the insertion opening 502a of the fitting hole 500a on the opposite side to the insertion fitting direction at the mating completion position (FIG. 14). The protrusion 35 is engaged with the periphery of the insertion opening 502a of the fitting hole 500a (i.e., the end of the insertion opening 502a side of the mating part 502) to suppress the movement of the housing 10 in the tilt direction with respect to the insertion fitting direction at the mating completion position. As a result, when the connector 1 tries to tilt with respect to the insertion fitting direction at the mating completion position, the amount of tilt change with respect to the fitting hole 500a can be suppressed to a small amount. Therefore, the connector 1 can suppress uneven elastic deformation of the seal member 40 and ensure adhesion between the seal member 40 and the inner surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a, thereby suppressing deterioration of waterproof performance. In this example, a notch 502b is provided for each protrusion 35 at the end of the mating part 502 on the side of the insertion opening 502a, and the protrusion 35 is engaged with the periphery of the insertion opening 502a of the mating hole 500a in this notch 502b (Figures 1 to 3, 9, 10, 12, and 14).

In addition, in this connector 1, the first locking portion 23 of the outer housing 20 may be used instead of the protrusion 35 to suppress the amount of tilt change relative to the fitting hole 500a to a small amount (FIG. 14). The first locking portion 23 forms an annular gap between its outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a at the mating completion position. Therefore, the first locking portion 23 brings its outer peripheral surface closer to the inner peripheral surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a to narrow the annular gap between the inner peripheral surface 500b. In other words, the first locking portion 23 has an outer peripheral surface around the entire circumference that can suppress the movement of the housing 10 in the tilt direction relative to the insertion fitting direction at the mating completion position by locking it to the inner peripheral surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a. As a result, when the connector 1 tries to tilt relative to the insertion fitting direction at the mating completion position, the amount of tilt change relative to the fitting hole 500a can be suppressed to a small amount. Therefore, this connector 1 can suppress uneven elastic deformation of the seal member 40 and ensure close contact between the seal member 40 and the inner peripheral surface 500b of the fitting hole 500a, thereby preventing deterioration of waterproof performance. Furthermore, this first locking portion 23 can suppress tilting of the housing 10 even during the process of inserting and fitting the fitting portion 12 into the fitting hole 500a, making it possible to assemble the connector 1 with reduced deformation in posture during insertion and fitting.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 connector 10 housing 11 terminal accommodating portion 12 mating portion 12a rear end opening 12b outer peripheral surface 12c rear end portion 12e chamfered portion 20 outer housing 20a front end 20b rear end 21 cylindrical portion 22 connector holding portion 24 notch portion 30 inner housing 32 flange portion 33 second locking portion (locking portion)
34 Rib 35 Protrusion 40 Sealing member 500 Connection object 500a Fitting hole 500b Inner circumferential surface 501a Exit 502a Insertion port P, P1, P2 Imaginary surface

Claims (5)

a housing having a terminal accommodating portion for accommodating a terminal fitting and a tubular fitting portion for inserting and fitting into a fitting hole of a connection object from an insertion opening along an insertion and fitting direction to a fitting completion position;
an annular seal member that is assembled to an outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion and fills a gap between the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion and an inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole;
Equipped with
the housing includes an outer housing having an end portion on the insertion/fitting direction side at a front end and the fitting portion at a rear end, and an inner housing inserted into the outer housing from a rear end opening of the fitting portion along the insertion/fitting direction and assembled to the outer housing at an assembly completion position,
the fitting portion is formed into a shape that allows it to be inserted into the seal member from a rear end portion on the rear end opening side,
the inner housing has a flange portion that is positioned opposite to the insertion fitting direction and faces the annular end face of the rear end opening side of the rear end of the fitting portion at the assembly completion position, and an annular locking portion that protrudes from the flange portion in the insertion fitting direction, covers the rear end of the fitting portion from the outer circumferential surface side at the assembly completion position, and is positioned opposite to the insertion fitting direction and faces the annular end face of the sealing member on the side opposite to the insertion fitting direction at the assembly completion position. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking portion protrudes from the flange portion to a position that covers the annular chamfered portion on the outer peripheral surface side of the rear end portion of the mating portion at the completed assembly position. the fitting portion has a plurality of notches in a circumferential direction at the rear end portion, the notches being cut from the end face on the rear end opening side to a position where the chamfered portion disappears,
3. The connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that the inner housing has a rib for each of the notches that protrudes from the flange portion in the insertion/fitting direction to the same position as the locking portion, is inserted into the notch portion at the completion of assembly, and is positioned opposite the annular end face of the sealing member on the side opposite the insertion/fitting direction. the inner housing has a plurality of protruding portions in a circumferential direction, the protruding portions protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the flange portion beyond an outermost peripheral portion of the seal member,
The connector according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that each of the protrusions protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the flange portion to a position where the sealing member is contained inside an imaginary plane connecting the end of the protrusion in the protruding direction at the completed assembly position and the front end side of the outer housing. the outer housing has a cylindrical portion that forms a part of the terminal accommodating portion at the front end side thereof and that penetrates through the outlet of the fitting hole in the insertion fitting direction, and at least a pair of connector holding portions that are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion and that hold the cylindrical portion on a peripheral portion of the outlet of the fitting hole,
the inner housing has a plurality of protruding portions in a circumferential direction, the protruding portions protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the flange portion beyond an outermost peripheral portion of the seal member,
4. A connector as described in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the protrusion is positioned opposite to the peripheral edge of the insertion opening of the mating hole on the opposite side to the insertion/mating direction at the mating completion position, and is engaged with the peripheral edge of the insertion opening of the mating hole, thereby suppressing movement of the housing in a tilting direction relative to the insertion/mating direction at the mating completion position.

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