JP4690184B2 - Dustproof connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dust-proof connector that includes a lid member that can be freely opened and closed, and prevents entry of dust, water droplets, and the like into the connector with the lid member when the connector is not fitted.

  FIG. 10 shows one form of a conventional connector dust-proof structure (see Patent Document 1).

  In this structure, a pair of lid members 63 and 64 that can be opened and closed slidably in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are provided at the connector insertion opening 62 of the case. Is inserted from the connector insertion port 62 and pressed against the inclined surfaces of the lid members 63 and 64, thereby connecting the connectors 65 and 66 while pushing the lid members 63 and 64 outward. FIG. 10 shows the connection state of both connectors 65 and 66. Each lid member 63, 64 is biased in the closing direction by a spring (not shown).

  FIG. 11 shows one form of a conventional dustproof connector (see Patent Document 2).

  The dust-proof connector 67 is composed of one connector 69 having a connector fitting chamber 68 and the other connector 70 inserted into the connector fitting chamber 68. A plate is provided at the front end of the connector fitting chamber 68 via a hinge 71. A lid member 72 is rotatably provided, and a rib 73 is provided at the front end of the other connector 70 to push the lid member 72 inward.

The male terminal 74 is accommodated in one connector, the other connector 70 is inserted into the connector fitting chamber while the lid member 72 is pushed and rotated into the connector fitting chamber, and the male terminal 74 is connected to the other connector 70. It is inserted and connected to a female terminal (not shown) in the terminal accommodating chamber 75. Reference numeral 76 denotes a terminal locking member, and a lid member 72 is provided at the front end of the terminal locking member 76.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-203032 (FIG. 4) JP 2005-222731 A (FIGS. 1 to 2)

  However, in the dust-proof structure of the connector shown in FIG. 10, the other connector 66 is connected to one connector 65 while being in sliding contact with the outer surface of the lid member 63 when the connector is fitted. There was a concern that the dust and the like may enter the connector.

  Further, in the dustproof connector 67 of FIG. 11, as in the example of FIG. 10, when the connector is connected, the other connector 70 is slidably contacted with the outer surface of the lid member 72 and is connected to the one connector 69. There was a concern that dust or the like adhering to the outer surface of the member 72 could enter the connector.

  Further, in the dust-proof structure of the connector shown in FIG. 10, since the front end of the connector 66 is pressed against the inclined surface 63 a of the lid member 63, a large force is required for the opening operation of the lid member 63, and the connector connection work There was concern that it was bad. Further, the dustproof connector 67 of FIG. 11 has a problem that the workability of the connector is poor when the front edge portion of the connector 70 is caught by the hinge 71 of the lid member.

  In view of the above-described points, the present invention eliminates the risk of dust or the like adhering to the outer surface of the cover plate entering the connector when connecting the connector, and in addition, the dust-proofing allows the connector to be connected smoothly and reliably. An object is to provide a connector.

To achieve the above object, dustproof connector according to claim 1 of the present invention, the lid member for covering the opening of the fitting front end of the connector housing is provided on one connector, the lid member which opens outwardly The hood portion of the other connector is provided with a portion for pressing the lid member in the opening direction and a portion for accommodating the lid member in an opened state .

With the above configuration, when the lid member is opened to the outside instead of the inside when the connector is fitted (connected), dust or water droplets adhering to the outer surface of the lid member are dropped to the outside, or the lid member is not dropped. remain attached to the outer surface remaining, since the mating connector to the outer surface of the lid member does not contact, in the connector of these foreign matters is Ru is reliably prevented from entering.

Further, when both connectors are fitted, the two connectors are brought close to the fitting direction, so that the pressed portion of the other connector automatically pushes the lid member of one connector in the opening direction to automatically open. In this state, both connectors are connected to each other.

Preferably, the pressed portion is a protrusion of the hood portion of the other connector, and the protrusion abuts on the protruding portion of the lid member to open the lid portion. With this configuration, one connector enters the hood portion of the other connector, and the protrusion in the hood portion pushes the protruding portion of the lid member (presses or slides on the protruding portion) to open the lid member. It is preferable that the projecting portion is disposed on the side (base end side) opposite to the rotation tip (free end) of the lid member with the shaft portion or the hinge as a boundary.

The protrusion is preferably provided on a flexible arm. With this configuration, when the projection presses the lid member during connector fitting, the arm portion bends and the projection moves to the side opposite to the pushing direction, thereby preventing unnecessary interference between the projection and the lid member. The lid member slides smoothly along the projection, and the fitting of both connectors is performed smoothly and reliably without squeezing or the like. The arm portion is preferably formed by cutting out a part of the hood portion.

Simultaneously with the connector fitting, the lid member is accommodated in the hood portion in an opened state, and the lid member is covered in the hood portion to be protected from interference with the outside and adhesion of dust, water droplets, and the like.

A dustproof connector according to a second aspect is the dustproof connector according to the first aspect, wherein the lid member is supported on the connector housing so as to be freely opened and closed by a shaft portion or a flexible hinge.

With the above configuration, the lid member is smoothly opened and closed with a constant locus by the shaft portion or the hinge. The shaft portion is preferably supported by a bearing of a lid member and a connector housing. The hinge is preferably thin and integral with the lid member.

A dustproof connector according to a third aspect is the dustproof connector according to the first or second aspect, wherein the lid member is urged in the closing direction by an elastic member.

With the above configuration, when the connector is not mated, the lid member is automatically closed by the biasing force of the elastic member, and is pressed against the connector housing front end surface by the biasing force of the elastic member, and has good dustproof and waterproof properties. Demonstrate.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, dust or water droplets attached to the lid member when the connector is fitted do not enter the connector. There is no worry of causing it, and the reliability of the electrical connection of the connector is improved.
Further, since the lid member is automatically opened during the operation of fitting both the connectors, the connector fitting workability is improved. In addition, dust and water droplets do not adhere to the inner and outer surfaces of the lid member even if left for a long time when the connector is in the mated state. The reliability of the electrical connection of the connector is improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the lid member can be smoothly opened and closed with a small force, the connector fitting and detaching workability is improved.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, since the lid member is automatically closed by the urging force of the elastic member and is in close contact with the mating front end surface of the connector housing, the opening is prevented from being opened, and the dustproof and waterproof reliability is improved. .

  Fig.1 (a) (b) shows an example of the basic form of the dustproof connector which concerns on this invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the dustproof connector 1 is characterized in that a plate-like lid member 4 covering the opening 3a on the front end side of the connector housing 2 made of synthetic resin can be opened outward. Is. The lid member 4 is supported by a shaft portion 6 on the distal end side of one side wall 5 of the connector housing 2 so as to be freely opened and closed.

  The lid member 4 of this example is preferably made of synthetic resin, and a base end side (shaft side) portion 7 is projected and extended outward from the one side wall 5 of the connector housing 2, and is on the front end side (free end side). The portion 8 is bent in the closing direction along the outer surface of the other side wall 9 of the connector housing 2 so as to completely cover the front end portion of the connector housing 2. The lid member 4 does not enter the inside of the connector housing 2, that is, the connector fitting chamber 3. The opening 3 a of the connector fitting chamber 3 is located on the front end side of the connector housing 2. In FIG. 1A, reference numeral 10 denotes an electrical contact portion of a male terminal protruding into the connector fitting chamber, and 11 denotes foreign matters such as dust and water droplets attached to the outer surface 4 a of the lid member 4.

  The extension part (protrusion part) 7 on the proximal end side of the lid member 4 may function as an operation part that is manually opened and closed, or the lid part 4 is pressed by pressing the distal end part of the mating connector as described later. You may make it function as an operation part for opening the member 4. FIG. When the portion 8 on the distal end side of the lid member 4 is manually operated to open and close, the extension portion 7 on the proximal end side is not necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the lid member 4 is opened outward with the shaft portion 6 as a fulcrum, so that the foreign matter 11 attached to the outer surface 4 a of the lid member 4 falls to the outside. It is reliably prevented from entering. A mating connector (not shown) is inserted into the connector fitting chamber 3 with the lid member 4 opened, and the female terminal in the mating connector is connected to the male terminal 10. The male terminal 10 may be connected to an electric wire (in the case of a wire harness connector), or may be connected to or integrally formed with a bus bar (particularly in the case of a device direct connector).

  In this specification, the front end of the connector means front with respect to the connector fitting direction, and the arrangement of the connector 1 may be horizontal or upward. Further, in a connector without the connector fitting chamber 3, it is also possible to provide a lid member 4 that covers an opening (not shown) of the terminal accommodating chamber. In this case, the lid member 4 simultaneously covers the openings of the plurality of female terminal storage chambers on the front end side of the connector housing to prevent the entry of dust, water droplets, and the like into the terminal storage chamber.

  FIG. 2 shows another example of the basic form of the dustproof connector.

  The dustproof connector 1 ′ is connected to the lid member 4 through a flexible hinge 12 so as to be openable and closable with the front end of the side wall 5 of the connector housing 2. Since the other basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the dustproof connector 1 of FIG. 1, the same components and operations as those of FIG. The hinge 12 may be a thin wall that integrally connects the lid member 4 and the connector housing 2, or is formed integrally with the lid member 4 and fixed to the front end portion of the side wall 5 of the connector housing 2 by fitting or the like. It may be done.

  3 to 9 show a detailed embodiment of the dustproof connector according to the present invention.

  3 (a) and 3 (b) show one connector 15 having a lid member 17, FIG. 4 shows the other connector 16 for fitting and connecting one connector 15, and FIGS. The state which fits 16 is shown in order of operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), one connector 15 is opened outward through a connector housing 18 made of synthetic (insulating) resin and a shaft portion 19 (FIG. 5) on the front end side of the connector housing 18. The cover member 17 provided freely, the female terminal 20 (FIG. 5) accommodated in the connector housing 18, and the rear cover 21 covering the rear portion of the connector housing 18 are provided.

  The lid member 17 is formed on a plate-like front wall 23 covering the front end face 22 (FIG. 3) of the connector housing 18, a short peripheral wall 24 around the front wall 23, and a base end side (shaft side) of the front wall 23. It is provided with an elongated somewhat narrow bowl-shaped protrusion 25. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a plate-like bearing 26 projects from the rear surface of the projecting portion 25, and the plate-like bearing 27 projecting below the connector housing 18 is connected to the lid member 17 via the shaft portion 19. Is provided to be freely opened and closed.

  A torsion coil spring (elastic member) 28 is provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 19, one end portion 28 a of the torsion coil spring 28 is in elastic contact with the back surface of the projecting portion 25, and the other end portion 28 b of the torsion coil spring 28 is connected to the connector housing 18. The lid member 17 is urged in the closing direction in elastic contact with the outer surface. Instead of the torsion coil spring 28, another spring member such as a leaf spring may be used, or an elastic member such as a rubber material may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the connector housing 18 has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 29, and an opening 29 a on the front side of the terminal accommodating chamber 29 is formed on the wall portion (front wall) 22 on the front end side of the connector housing 18. Then, the female terminal 20 (FIG. 5) with an electric wire is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 29. As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal accommodating chamber 29 is formed between the lower rear holder 30 and the upper portion 31 of the connector housing 18, and the rear holder 30 functions as, for example, a terminal locking member.

  It is also possible to eliminate the rear holder 30 and form the terminal accommodating chamber 29 and the terminal locking portion (locking lance) with only the connector housing 18. Locking brackets 32 are provided on the left and right sides of the connector housing 18. A cover 21 behind the connector housing 18 covers and protects an electric wire (not shown) following the female terminal 20 and leads it to the outside.

  The front wall 23 of the lid member 17 is in contact with the front wall 22 of the connector housing 18 in a closed state so as to completely cover the front wall 22 together with the openings 29. It covers and covers the outer peripheral wall 33. When the lid member 17 in FIG. 3 (a) is closed, the protrusion 25 protrudes perpendicularly to the connector fitting orthogonal direction, and in the state where the lid member 17 in FIG. 3 (b) is open, the protrusion 25 is the connector housing. 18 is positioned horizontally rearwardly along the outer wall surface.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the other connector 16 includes a connector housing 34 made of synthetic resin, a hood portion 35 extending and protruding to the front side of the connector housing 34, and a male terminal 36 with a wire housed in the connector housing (see FIG. 4). 5) and a rear cover 37 behind the connector housing.

  The connector housing 34 has a vacant chamber 39 (FIG. 5) surrounded by a rectangular hollow flexible waterproof packing 38 on the front side, and a tab-shaped electrical contact portion (reference numeral) of the male terminal 36 in the vacant chamber 39. 36 is substituted). A hood portion 35 is integrally formed on the outer front side of the connector housing 34. The hood portion 35 has upper and lower opposing wall portions 40 and 41 and left and right cutout portions 42, and one connector 15 (FIG. 3) is provided in the hood portion. ) Are fitted. In the specification, the vertical and horizontal directions are merely for convenience of explanation, and do not necessarily coincide with the arrangement directions of the connectors 15 and 16.

  The lower wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35 is extended longer than the upper wall portion 40, and a flexible plate portion (arm portion) 43 is formed in the slits on both sides at the center in the width direction of the lower wall portion 41. A protrusion 45 having a substantially triangular cross section is integrally formed on the inner side of the tip of the plate portion 43, and the protrusion 45 has front and rear inclined guide surfaces 45a. During the connector fitting operation, the protrusion 45 abuts against the protrusion 25 of the lid member 17 of one connector 15 to open the lid member 17 outward.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lower wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35 extends rearward, is folded forward along the outer wall surface of the connector housing 34, and the lid member 17 opened between the folded wall 46 is opened. A housing space (accommodating portion) 47 is configured. 4, a locking bracket 48 protrudes from the rear end side of the hood portion 35, and the connectors 15 and 16 are fitted with a bracket 32 of one connector 15 (FIG. 3) and a bolt (not shown). Can be fixed in a connected state. A rear holder 49 is disposed at the rear of the connector housing 34 to lock the male terminal 36 and the like. The rear cover 37 covers and protects an electric wire (not shown) following the male terminal 36 and leads it to the outside.

  The operation of the dustproof connector 50 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lid member 17 of one connector 15 is closed by the urging force of the spring member 28 before the connector is fitted, thereby preventing entry of dust, water droplets, etc. from the outside into the opening 29a on the front end side of the fitting. Has been. By bringing both connectors 15 and 16 closer to the fitting (connecting) direction, as shown in FIG. 6, the protruding portion 25 of the lid member 17 comes into contact with the protrusion 45 on the inner side of the tip of the hood portion 35 of the other connector 16. 45 pushes the protruding portion 25 toward the rear of one of the connectors 15, and the lid member 17 is horizontally outward with the shaft portion 19 as a fulcrum as shown in FIG. 7 (almost parallel to the connector 15 in the connector fitting direction). To open). At this time, even if the lid member 17 is strongly pressed against the projection 45, the flexible plate portion 43 having the projection 45, that is, the arm portion bends outward, so that a smooth connector insertion operation is possible.

  With the lid member 17 open, as shown in FIG. 8, both the connectors 15 and 16 are further pushed in the fitting direction (one or the other connector may be pushed). The urging force of the lid member 17 by the spring member 28 is received by the wall portion 46 on the folded side of the hood portion 35, and the connectors 15 and 16 are fitted and connected in this state. Is done. The hollow packing 38 is compressed and comes into close contact with the front wall 22 of one connector housing 18.

  When the connectors 15 and 16 are detached from the connector fitting state of FIG. 8, by pulling both the connectors 15 and 16 in the disengagement direction, the connection between the connectors 15 and 16 is released as shown in FIG. Is in contact with the protrusion 45 of the hood portion 35 in a state of being opened almost horizontally, and the tip top portion 45c (FIG. 8) of the protrusion 45 is formed on the protrusion 25 of the lid member 17 (a portion extending rearward from the shaft portion 19). During the contact, the closing operation of the lid member 17 is prevented, and as shown in FIG. 6, by pulling one connector 15 rearward, the lid portion is closed in the space 51 inside the hood portion 35 in the closing direction. The lid member 17 is completely closed at the same time as the connectors 15 and 16 are completely separated as shown in FIG.

  3 is replaced with one having a connector fitting chamber, a lid member 17 is provided on the front end side of the connector fitting chamber, the male terminal 36 is accommodated in the connector fitting chamber, and the other connector 16 is provided. Alternatively, a connector housing that is inserted and fitted into the connector fitting chamber of one connector 15 may be provided, and the female terminal 20 may be accommodated in the other connector housing. Also in this case, the configurations of the lid member 17, the hood portion 35, and the protrusion 45 are the same as those in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the protrusion 45 is provided on the flexible plate portion 43 to form an arm, but the protrusion 45 is directly formed on the wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35 without making the plate portion 43 flexible. It is also possible to provide it.

  It is also possible to eliminate the protrusion 45 that presses the lid member 17 in the opening direction and press the lid member 17 in the opening direction at the tip of the wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35. In this case, the tip of the lower wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35 in FIG. 6 presses against the protruding portion 25 of the lid member 17, and the lid member along the inner surface of the lower wall portion 41 of the hood portion 35 in FIG. 17 enters the hood.

  The dustproof connectors 1, 1 ′, 50 shown in the above embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 8 are used for supplying power to the seat 53 of the automobile 52, for example, as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the connector 56 on the floor 55 side of the vehicle body 54 is disposed upward, and the one connector 1 or 15 having the lid members 4 and 17 is used as the floor side connector 56, and the downward connector 57 on the seat side. The other connector 16 is used. It is preferable that the seat 53 be easily detachable (such as a seat that can be removed by the user when not in use to widen the room), and the connectors 53 and 57 are connected at the same time that the seat 53 is assembled on the floor 55 downward from above. Is done.

  Before the connector is connected (before the seat is assembled), the opening 29a (FIG. 3) of the terminal accommodating chamber 29 and the opening 3a (FIG. 1) of the connector fitting chamber 3 on the front end face of one connector 56 are positioned upward. In addition, since the cover members 4 and 17 are covered, entry of dust or water droplets into the connector is reliably prevented. By connecting both connectors 56 and 57, power is supplied to the seat side auxiliary machine and the like via the floor side wire harness 58.

  In FIG. 9, it is possible to arrange the floor-side connector 56 sideways (horizontal) in front, rear, left, and right instead of upward (vertical). In this case, when the seat 53 is assembled, the floor-side connector 56 is rotated upward. A mechanism to be moved is provided, or the connector 57 on the seat side is also arranged horizontally, and after both the connectors 56 and 57 are fitted, the seat 53 is fixed to the floor 55.

  The application examples of the dustproof connectors 1, 1 'and 50 are not limited to the automobile seat 53, but can also be applied to interconnections of wire harnesses within the vehicle body (for example, engine room), equipment direct attachment connectors, and the like.

(A) is the state which closed the lid member in an example of the basic form of the dustproof connector concerning the present invention, and (b) is a sectional view showing the state where the lid member was similarly opened, respectively. It is sectional drawing which similarly shows the other example of the basic form of a dustproof connector. (A) is the state which closed the cover member of one connector in the detailed example of the dustproof connector which concerns on this invention, (b) is a perspective view which respectively shows the state which opened the cover member. It is a perspective view which similarly shows the other connector in the detailed example of a dustproof connector. It is sectional drawing which similarly shows the state before fitting of a dust-proof connector. It is sectional drawing which similarly shows the state which the cover member started to open at the time of a fitting start of a dustproof connector. It is sectional drawing which similarly shows the state which the cover member of the dustproof connector opened completely. It is sectional drawing which similarly shows the fitting connection state of a dust-proof connector. It is explanatory drawing which shows one example of application of a dustproof connector. It is sectional drawing which shows one form of the dustproof structure of the conventional connector. It is sectional drawing which shows one form of the conventional dustproof connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,50 Dust-proof connector 2,18 Connector housing 3a, 29a Opening 4,17 Lid member 6,19 Shaft part 12 Hinge 15 One connector 16 Other connector 25 Projection part 28 Elastic member 35 Hood part 43 Plate part (arm part)
45 Protrusion (Pressing part)
47 Space (accommodating part)

Claims (3)

A lid member covering the opening of the fitting front end of the connector housing is provided on one connector, the lid member is intended to open outwardly, the hood portion of the other connector, is pressed in a direction to open the lid member A dustproof connector comprising a portion and a portion for accommodating the lid member in an open state .   2. The dustproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is supported on the connector housing so as to be opened and closed by a shaft portion or a flexible hinge.   The dust-proof connector according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is urged in the closing direction by an elastic member.

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