JP6794698B2 - Connector and wire harness - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to connectors and wire harnesses.

In an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 is provided as a connector provided in an electric circuit connecting a motor as a drive source and an inverter.

The connector described in Patent Document 1 includes a resin electric wire holder for holding an electric wire and a metal shield case for accommodating a part of the electric wire holder. In this connector, the end of the shield case on the extension side of the wire is bent inward so that the wire holder does not come off from the shield case when the wire is pulled.

Japanese Patent No. 5370872

In the connector described in Patent Document 1, since the end portion of the shield case is bent, there is a possibility that the electric wire easily comes into contact with the bent portion. Therefore, in the severe layout situation in recent years, if the electric wire is bent and arranged, the electric wire may interfere with the end portion (bent portion) of the shield case due to vibration or the like, and the electric wire may be damaged.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a wire harness capable of suppressing damage to an electric wire due to interference with a shield case.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inner housing made of resin having a holding hole for holding an electric wire, and a tubular outer housing made of metal for accommodating a part of the inner housing, for the purpose of solving the above problems. In the outer housing, the end of the electric wire on the extending side is bent inward, and the inner housing protrudes from the outer housing to the extending side of the electric wire. Provided is a connector having a protruding portion interposed between the end portion of the outer housing.

The present invention also provides a wire harness provided with an electric wire and the connector provided at at least one end of the electric wire for the purpose of solving the above problems.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connector and a wire harness capable of suppressing damage to an electric wire due to interference with a shield case.

It is a figure which shows the wire harness which used the connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the fracture surface view which showed a part of the shield case in the cross section, (b) is the AA line sectional view. Is. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1B.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Explanation of wire harness and connector)
1A and 1B are views showing a wire harness using a connector according to the present embodiment, FIG. 1A is a fracture surface view showing a part of a shield case in cross section, and FIG. 1B is a sectional view taken along line AA thereof. It is a figure. Further, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1 (b).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wire harness 10 includes an electric wire 2 and a connector 1 according to the present embodiment.

The wire harness 10 is used, for example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle to connect a motor as a drive source and an inverter. Here, a case where three electric wires 2 are provided on the assumption that three-phase alternating current is transmitted will be described, but the number of electric wires 2 is not limited to this. The three electric wires 2 are held by the connector 1 in a state of being aligned and arranged so as to be parallel to each other.

The connector 1 is provided at at least one end of the electric wire 2. The connector 1 according to the present embodiment holds the electric wire 2 and is fixed to a mounted member such as a housing of a motor or an inverter. That is, the connector 1 plays a role of fixing the end portion of the electric wire 2 to the attached member.

The electric wire 2 has a conductor 2a obtained by twisting a wire made of a good electric conductor such as copper, and a sheath 2b made of an insulator covering the conductor 2a.

At the end of the electric wire 2, a connection terminal 7 is provided which is electrically connected to a terminal block or the like in the attached member when the connector 1 is fixed to the attached member. The connection terminal 7 integrally has a caulking portion 71 that is crimped and fixed to the conductor 2a of the electric wire 2 and a plate-shaped connecting portion 72 that extends from the caulking portion 71 to the opposite side of the electric wire 2. .. A through hole 72a that penetrates the connection portion 72 is formed in the connection portion 72, and the connection terminal 7 is connected to the terminal block or the like by passing a bolt through the through hole 72a and fixing the connection portion 72 to the terminal block or the like. Will be done.

The connector 1 includes a wire holder 3 as an inner housing made of resin having a holding hole 34 for holding the wire 2, a shield case 4 as a tubular outer housing made of metal that houses a part of the wire holder 3. It includes a retainer 5 as a seal holding member.

(Explanation of shield case 4)
The shield case 4 is made of a conductive metal such as iron, brass, or aluminum.

The shield case 4 integrally has an accommodating portion 41 accommodating at least a part of the electric wire holder 3 and a fixing portion 42 for fixing the shield case 4 to the attached member.

In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 42 has a flange portion 42a orthogonal to the extending direction of the electric wire 2, and an end portion in the flange portion 42a in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the electric wire 2 and the arrangement direction of the electric wires 2. It has an extension portion 42b extending from the wire 2 to the tip end side (connection terminal 7 side), and is formed in an L shape when viewed from the side view from the arrangement direction of the electric wires 2. A bolt hole 42c for passing a bolt (not shown) is formed in the extending portion 42b. The shape of the fixing portion 42 is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the member to be attached and the like.

In the shield case 4, the end of the electric wire 2 of the accommodating portion 41 on the extending side is bent inward (the electric wire 2 side or the central axis side of the accommodating portion 41). Hereinafter, this bent portion will be referred to as a bent portion 41a. By having the bent portion 41a in the shield case 4, it is possible to prevent the electric wire holder 3 from coming off from the shield case 4 even when the electric wire 2 is pulled. The distance between the electric wire 2 and the shield case 4 (the tip of the bent portion 41a) is, for example, about 5 mm to 10 mm.

Further, although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a braided shield is fixed to the outer periphery of the shield case 4. The braided shield is fixed around the accommodating portion 41 by, for example, a metal band. The braided shield is provided so as to collectively cover a part of the shield case 4 and the entire three electric wires 2 extending from the connector 1.

(Explanation of electric wire holder 3)
The electric wire holder 3 is made of an electrically insulating resin such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PA (polyamide), or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and is formed by injection molding, for example.

The electric wire holder 3 is press-fitted into the accommodating portion 41 of the shield case 4 and is fixed to the shield case 4. The electric wire holder 3 includes a main body 31 housed in the accommodating portion 41, a tip portion 32 protruding from the main body portion 31 toward the tip end side (connection terminal 7 side) of the electric wire 2, and an extension side of the electric wire 2 from the main body portion 31. It integrally has a protruding portion 33 that protrudes toward the surface. Further, the electric wire holder 3 is formed with a holding hole 34 for holding the electric wire 2 so as to penetrate the main body portion 31, the tip end portion 32, and the protruding portion 33. The details of the protruding portion 33 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, the electric wire holder 3 has a two-divided configuration composed of a first member 3a and a second member 3b facing each other with the electric wire 2 sandwiched between the first member 3a and the second member 3b. The electric wire holder 3 was formed by sandwiching the electric wire 2 of the book and locking both members 3a and 3b to each other to integrate them.

The first member 3a and the second member 3b are lightened in order to suppress warpage and sink marks (dents) due to molding shrinkage, and have a structure in which a large number of plate-shaped ribs are combined. Specifically, the first member 3a and the second member 3b form three semi-circular arcuate portions 35 that form the inner wall of the holding hole 34 that holds the electric wire 2, and the outer wall of the electric wire holder 3 and are a shield case. It has an outer wall portion 36 arranged along the inner wall of No. 4 and a plurality of connecting portions 37 connecting each arc portion 35 and the outer wall portion 36.

Here, the arc portion 35 arranged in the center of the three arc portions 35 is connected to the outer wall portion 36 by the three connecting portions 37, and the remaining two arc portions 35 are connected to the outer wall portion by the four connecting portions 37. The case where it is connected to 36 is shown. However, the number of connecting portions 37 is not limited to this, and it may be appropriately adjusted so as to obtain a desired strength (rigidity) according to the size of the electric wire holder 3 (the size of the entire connector 1) and the like.

Further, the first member 3a and the second member 3b have a locking mechanism for locking both members 3a and 3b to each other. In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a lance 38 and a locking projection 39 that protrudes laterally (in the arrangement direction of the electric wires 2) from the arc portion 35 and locks the lance 38. Here, the case where two lances 38 and two locking projections 39 are formed on each of the members 3a and 3b is shown, but the number of the lances 38 and the locking projections 39 is not limited to this.

A connecting groove 32a for connecting the connecting protrusion 54 of the retainer 5, which will be described later, is formed in the tip portion 32 of the electric wire holder 3. The connecting groove 32a communicates with the head accommodating portion 321 accommodating the head 54b of the connecting projection 54 and the head accommodating portion 321 and opens to the retainer 5 side (connection terminal 7 side) to accommodate the neck portion 54a. It has a cervical accommodating portion 322 and.

(Explanation of retainer 5)
The retainer 5 is made of an electrically insulating resin such as PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PA (polyamide), or PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and is molded by injection molding, for example.

The retainer 5 is inserted into a mounting hole of a member to be mounted (not shown), and is for waterproofing between the outside and the inside of the mounting hole of the member to be mounted.

An annular groove 51 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the retainer 5, and an outer waterproof plug (not shown) for sealing between the mounting hole and the retainer 5 is arranged in this groove.

The retainer 5 is formed with an insertion hole 52 through which the electric wire 2 is inserted. Here, three insertion holes 52 are formed in the retainer 5 corresponding to the three electric wires 2. Each insertion hole 52 is provided with a wire seal 53 as an inner waterproof plug that seals between the inner wall of the insertion hole 52 and the electric wire 2.

Further, the retainer 5 has a connecting protrusion 54 for connecting the retainer 5 and the electric wire holder 3. The connecting protrusion 54 is formed so as to project in the extending direction of the electric wire 2. The connecting protrusion 54 integrally has a columnar neck portion 54a and a disc-shaped head portion 54b integrally provided at the tip end portion of the neck portion 54a and having an outer diameter larger than that of the neck portion 54a.

The retainer 5 is connected to the electric wire holder 3 by accommodating the head 54b in the head accommodating portion 321 of the electric wire holder 3 and the neck 54a in the cervical accommodating portion 322. The head accommodating portion 321 is formed larger than the head 54b, and the neck accommodating portion 322 is formed larger than the neck portion 54a, and the electric wire holder 3 and the retainer 5 are connected so as to be relatively movable.

As a result, for example, even if the electric wire holder 3 or the shield case 4 rotates due to the influence of the tightening torque of the bolt when the connector 1 is fixed to the member to be attached, the retainer 5 rotates accordingly. It is possible to suppress the storage and maintain the sealing property of the outer waterproof plug.

(Explanation of the protrusion 33)
In the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the electric wire holder 3 has a protruding portion 33 protruding from the shield case 4 toward the extension side of the electric wire 2. The protruding portion 33 is integrally formed with the main body portion 31 of the electric wire holder 3, and projects rearward (opposite to the connection terminal 7) along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 2. In the present embodiment, since the electric wire holder 3 is lightened, the arc portion 35 and the connecting portion 37 around the arc portion 35 are projected to the extending side of the electric wire 2 as the projecting portion 33.

By having the protruding portion 33, the protruding portion 33 is interposed between the electric wire 2 and the end portion (bent portion 41a) of the shield case 4. Therefore, for example, even when the electric wire 2 is bent and arranged, it is possible to prevent the electric wire 2 from interfering with the end portion (bent portion 41a) of the shield case 4 due to vibration or the like, and the electric wire 2 is damaged. Can be suppressed.

In order to suppress the interference between the electric wire 2 and the end portion of the shield case 4, the protruding portion 33 needs to project from the shield case 4 to the extending side of the electric wire 2. In order to more reliably suppress the interference between the electric wire 2 and the end portion of the shield case 4, the protruding length of the protruding portion 33 from the shield case 4 (the protruding length of the electric wire 2 to the extending side) is 1 mm. The above is good.

If the protruding length of the protruding portion 33 from the shield case 4 is too large, the connector 1 may be enlarged. Therefore, it is desirable that the protruding length of the protruding portion 33 from the shield case 4 is 3 mm or less.

Further, in the present embodiment, the protruding portion 33 is individually formed for each electric wire 2. It is conceivable to form the protruding portion 33 so as to cover the plurality of electric wires 2 at once, but in this case, if a large force is applied to the protruding portion 33 for some reason and the protruding portion 33 is damaged, There is a possibility that the protruding portion 33 does not play a role of suppressing interference between the electric wire 2 and the shield case 4. By forming the protruding portion 33 individually for each electric wire 2, even if any of the protruding portions 33 is damaged, the electric wire 2 can be protected by the other undamaged protruding portion 33. Therefore, damage to the electric wire 2 can be further suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the protruding portion 33 and the end portion of the shield case 4 are not in contact with each other, and a gap 6 is provided between the protruding portion 33 and the end portion of the shield case 4. As a result, when the electric wire holder 3 is press-fitted into the shield case 4, the protruding portion 33 is less likely to interfere with the end portion (bent portion 41a) of the shield case 4, and the assemblability of the connector 1 is improved.

Even when the protruding portion 33 is provided, if the rigidity of the electric wire holder 3 is low and the protruding portion 33 is easily damaged, the effect of suppressing damage to the electric wire 2 cannot be sufficiently obtained. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rigidity of the electric wire holder 3 is made larger than the rigidity of the shield case 4. The rigidity of the electric wire holder 3 is appropriately adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the arc portion 35, the outer wall portion 36, and the connecting portion 37, adjusting the number and positions of the connecting portions 37, or appropriately selecting the material used for the electric wire holder 3. It is adjustable.

By making the rigidity of the electric wire holder 3 larger than the rigidity of the shield case 4 (that is, making the electric wire holder 3 less deformable than the shield case 4), even when a large force is applied to the electric wire 2 The shield case 4 is deformed before the electric wire holder 3 is deformed (damaged), and the deformation of the shield case 4 absorbs the force to suppress the damage of the electric wire holder 3. As a result, damage due to interference of the electric wire 2 with the end of the shield case 4 can be further suppressed.

(Actions and effects of embodiments)
As described above, in the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, in the shield case 4 as the outer housing, the end of the extending side of the electric wire 2 is bent inward, and the electric wire as the inner housing. The holder 3 projects from the shield case 4 to the extending side of the electric wire 2, and has a protruding portion 33 interposed between the electric wire 2 and the end of the shield case 4.

By bending the end portion of the shield case 4 inward, it is possible to prevent the electric wire holder 3 from falling off from the shield case 4 even when the electric wire 2 is pulled. However, by bending the end of the shield case 4 inward, the distance between the end of the shield case 4 and the electric wire 2 becomes short, and the possibility that the electric wire 2 interferes with the end of the shield case 4 increases.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the electric wire holder 3 is formed with a protruding portion 33 that protrudes from the shield case 4 to the extending side of the electric wire 2, so that the protruding portion 33 is formed with the electric wire 2 and the end portion of the shield case 4. It is interposed between the wires 2 to suppress the interference between the electric wire 2 and the end of the shield case 4. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to realize a connector 1 capable of suppressing damage to the electric wire 2 due to interference with the shield case 4 while suppressing the electric wire holder 3 from falling off from the shield case 4.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the rigidity of the electric wire holder 3 is larger than the rigidity of the shield case 4, damage to the electric wire holder 3 can be suppressed, and damage to the electric wire 2 due to interference with the shield case 4 can be further suppressed. Become.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the protruding portion 33 is individually formed for each electric wire 2, it is possible to prevent all the protruding portions 33 from being damaged at once, and the electric wire 2 due to interference with the shield case 4 can be prevented. Damage can be further suppressed.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the gap 6 is provided between the protruding portion 33 and the end portion of the shield case 4, even when the shield case 4 has the bent portion 41a, the connector 1 is connected. It is possible to prevent the protruding portion 33 from interfering with the end portion of the shield case 4 during assembly, and it is possible to improve the assemblability of the connector 1.

(Summary of embodiments)
Next, the technical idea grasped from the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the reference numerals and the like in the embodiment. However, the respective symbols and the like in the following description are not limited to the members and the like in which the components in the claims are specifically shown in the embodiment.

[1] An inner housing (3) made of resin having a holding hole (34) for holding an electric wire (2), and a tubular outer housing (4) made of metal that houses a part of the inner housing (3). The outer housing (4) has an end portion on the extension side of the electric wire (2) bent inward, and the inner housing (3) has the outer housing (4). A connector (1) having a protruding portion (33) protruding toward the extending side of the electric wire (2) and interposed between the electric wire (2) and an end portion of the outer housing (4).

[2] The connector (1) according to [1], wherein the rigidity of the inner housing (3) is larger than the rigidity of the outer housing (4).

[3] The inner housing (3) holds a plurality of the electric wires (2), and the protrusions (33) are individually formed for each of the electric wires (2), [1] or. The connector (1) according to [2].

[4] The connector (1) according to any one of [1] to [3], which has a gap (6) between the protruding portion (33) and the end portion of the outer housing (4).

[5] The item according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the protrusion length of the protrusion (33) from the outer housing (4) to the extension side of the electric wire (2) is 1 mm or more. The connector (1) described.

[6] A wire harness (1) comprising an electric wire (2) and a connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 provided at at least one end of the electric wire (2). 10).

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should also be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention.

The present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the connector 1 fixes the electric wire 2 to the attached member has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the connector 1 may connect the electric wires to each other. In this case, the connector 1 is configured to be connectable to the connection target connector provided at the end of the electric wire to be connected, and when the connector 1 is connected to the connection target connector, the terminals provided at the end of the electric wire are connected to each other. Can be configured to be in contact and electrically connected.

1 ... Connector 2 ... Electric wire 3 ... Electric wire holder (inner housing)
31 ... Main body 32 ... Tip 33 ... Protruding 34 ... Holding hole 4 ... Shield case (outer housing)
41 ... Accommodating portion 41a ... Bending portion 42 ... Fixed portion 5 ... Retainer 6 ... Gap 7 ... Connection terminal 10 ... Wire harness

Claims (6)

An inner housing made of resin with multiple holding holes for holding multiple wires, and
A tubular outer housing made of metal that accommodates a part of the inner housing is provided.
In the outer housing, the extending end ends of the plurality of electric wires are bent inward.
The inner housing projects from the outer housing toward the extension side of the plurality of electric wires, and has a plurality of projecting portions interposed between the plurality of electric wires and the ends of the outer housing.
The plurality of protrusions are individually formed for each of the plurality of electric wires, and each of the plurality of protrusions is separated from each other at the extending end of the plurality of electric wires of the outer housing. While projecting from the extending side ends of the plurality of electric wires of the outer housing,
connector. The rigidity of the inner housing is larger than the rigidity of the outer housing.
The connector according to claim 1. The inner housing is composed of a first member and a second member that face each other with the plurality of electric wires interposed therebetween.
The first member and the second member are respectively arranged along the inner wall of the outer housing, forming the outer wall of the inner housing and the plurality of semicircular arc portions forming the inner walls of the plurality of holding holes. It has an outer wall portion, and a plurality of connecting portions for connecting each of the plurality of arc portions and the outer wall portion.
The connector according to claim 1 or 2. There is a gap between the protrusion and the end of the outer housing.
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The protrusion length of the protrusion from the outer housing to the extension side of the electric wire is 1 mm or more.
The plurality of arc portions and the plurality of connecting portions of the first member and the second member, respectively, project from the extending side ends of the plurality of electric wires of the outer housing.
The connector according to claim 3 or 4. With multiple wires,
The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is provided at at least one end of the plurality of electric wires.
Wire harness.

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