JP3923626B2 - Waterproof connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector for electrically connecting electric wires in a waterproof state.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A conventional waterproof connector of this type includes a first housing and a second housing that can be coupled to each other via a seal, and the first housing accommodates a first connection terminal connected to one electric wire, The second housing accommodates a second connection terminal connected to the other electric wire. In addition, the first housing and the second housing each have a lock portion and a locked portion that are engaged with each other to lock the housings when they are completely coupled.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even when the housings are not completely coupled, that is, even when the lock portion and the locked portion are not engaged, the connection terminals may be electrically connected. For this reason, if the housing is vibrated in a place where the locking portion and the locked portion are not engaged with each other by mistake, the housing is dissociated by vibration, and the connection terminals, that is, the electric wires do not conduct. The problem occurs.
[0004]
The objective of this invention is providing the waterproof connector which eliminates the above-mentioned problem and can prevent incomplete coupling | bonding of housings.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a waterproof connector according to the present invention provides a waterproof connector for connecting a first housing and a second housing via a seal member, and has an annular hole for receiving a cylindrical portion of the first housing. A contact terminal is provided on the center axis side of the inner cylindrical portion of the annular hole, which is provided in the second housing, and includes the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion, and the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylinder are disposed in the annular hole. The seal member that is in close contact with the portion is provided so as to be able to move forward by the biasing force of the elastic member and to be moved backward by the pressing force of the cylindrical portion of the first housing. Is provided with a first air passage through which the air behind the seal member escapes to the front of the seal member when coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a first connector 1 and a second connector 2 that can be coupled to each other. The first connector 1 houses a first connection terminal 4 in a first housing 3. In the second connector 2, the second connection terminal 6 is accommodated in the second housing 5. The first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are each provided with a lock portion and a locked portion (not shown), and these locked portions and the locked portion are engaged when the housings 3 and 5 are completely coupled to each other. Thus, the two housings 3 and 5 are prevented from accidentally coming off.
[0007]
The first connection terminal 4 is provided with, for example, a male connection end 4a, and an electric wire (not shown) is connected to the rear part thereof. The second connection terminal 6 is provided with a female terminal connection portion 6a into which the connection end 4a of the first connection terminal 4 is press-fitted, and an electric wire 7 is connected to the rear portion. The rear portion of the first connector 1 is waterproofed by a wire seal (not shown) fitted to the electric wire, and the rear portion of the second connector 2 is waterproofed by a wire seal 8 fitted to the electric wire 7.
[0008]
The first housing 3 is provided with a cylindrical portion 3b having an end portion 3a, and a step portion 3c is formed inside the cylindrical portion 3b. The second housing 5 is provided with an inner cylinder portion 11, and terminal accommodation holes 12 for accommodating the second connection terminals 6 are formed in, for example, two rows on the central axis side of the inner cylinder portion 11. . The terminal accommodating hole 12 is provided with a flexible lance 13 for locking the second connection terminal 6, and the flexible lance 13 prevents the second connection terminal 6 from coming out backward.
[0009]
On the outside of the inner cylinder part 11, the outer cylinder part 14 is supported by a support wall 15 with a predetermined interval. A space between the inner cylinder portion 11 and the outer cylinder portion 14 in front of the support wall 15 is an annular hole 16 having a front opening 16a. At the back of the annular hole 16, at least one groove-shaped first air passage 17 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 14 in a substantially front-rear direction. Further, for example, four circular grooves 18 are formed in four directions around the central axis on the support wall 15 at the back of the annular hole 16.
[0010]
In the annular hole 16, for example, four compression coil springs 19, an annular slider 20, and a cylindrical seal member 21 are sequentially arranged from the back. The compression coil spring 19 is disposed in the annular hole 16 in the front-rear direction, the rear end of the compression coil spring 19 is fitted into the circular groove 18, and the front end of the compression coil spring 19 is in pressure contact with the slider 20. The slider 20 and the seal member 21 are fitted to the outer periphery of the inner cylinder portion 11 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.
[0011]
An inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the slider 20 are slidably contactable with the inner cylinder portion 11 and the outer cylinder portion 14, respectively, and at least one third air passage 22 penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed in the slider 20. . The seal member 21 is provided with a small-diameter portion 21b that has a front surface 21a and is in pressure contact with the inner cylinder portion 11, and a flange portion 21c that is in pressure contact with the outer cylinder portion 14 at the rear of the small-diameter portion 21a. A second air passage 23 communicating with the 20 third air passages 22 is formed. The annular hole 16 behind the seal member 21 is sealed except for the second air passage 23 by the inner cylinder portion 11, the outer cylinder portion 14, the support wall 15, and the seal member 21.
[0012]
With this configuration, when the first housing 3 and the second housing 5 are coupled, the cylindrical portion 3b of the first housing 3 is connected to the front opening 16a of the second housing 5 as shown in FIG. The end 3 a of the first housing 3 seals the second air passage 23 of the seal member 21, and the step 3 c of the first housing 3 contacts the front surface 21 a of the seal member 21. Abut.
[0013]
When the housings 3 and 5 are further coupled to each other, the step 3c of the first housing 3 presses the front surface 21a of the seal member 21, and the seal member 21 and the slider 20 are biased by the compression coil spring 19 as shown in FIG. Against the support wall 15 side. At this time, since the end 3a of the first housing 3 seals the second air passage 23 of the seal member 21, the air inside the annular hole 16 behind the slider 20 moves as the slider 20 moves rearward. Pressure increases. At the same time, the air pressure in the annular hole 16 and the elastic force of the compression coil spring 19 act to push the slider 20 forward. Accordingly, when the housings 3 and 5 are released at this time and the coupling between the housings 3 and 5 is stopped, the first housing 3 is pushed out of the second housing 5 via the slider 20 and the seal member 21. This prevents incomplete coupling between the housings 3 and 5.
[0014]
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the housings 3 and 5 are coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state, the flange portion 21 c of the seal member 21 moves to a position where the rear portion 17 a of the first air passage 17 is opened. At the same time, the air in the annular hole 16 behind the slider 20 flows through the first air passage 17 to the front of the flange portion 21c of the seal member 21, and the air pressure in the annular hole 16 behind the slider 20 decreases. To do. As a result, the slider 20 and the seal member 21 are easily moved, the slider 20 is pressed against the support wall 15, the lock portion and the locked portion are engaged, and the housings 3 and 5 are locked. Even if water enters from the first air passage 17, the water does not enter the connection terminals 4 and 6 side by the seal member 21.
[0015]
As described above, in the embodiment, the annular hole 16 that receives the cylindrical portion 3 b of the first housing 3 is provided in the second housing 5, and the slider 20 and the seal member 21 are urged by the compression coil spring 19 in the annular hole 16. In the annular hole 16 at the rear of the slider 20 when the housings 3 and 5 are coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state. Since the first air passage 17 for releasing the air in front of the seal member 21 is provided, before the housings 3 and 5 are coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state, the inside of the annular hole 16 behind the seal member 21 Air pressure can be increased.
[0016]
Therefore, when the housings 3 and 5 are stopped from being coupled before the housings 3 and 5 are coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state, the air pressure in the annular hole 16 at the rear of the slider 20 is reduced. The first housing can be pushed out by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 19, and incomplete coupling of the housings 3 and 5 can be prevented.
[0017]
On the other hand, when the housings 3 and 5 are separated from each other, the housing 3 is pushed out of the housing 5 to the vicinity of the fully coupled state by the elastic force of the compression coil spring 19 only by releasing the engagement between the lock part and the locked part. This makes it easy to separate the housings 3 and 5 from each other.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the waterproof connector according to the present invention, an annular hole for receiving the cylindrical portion of the first housing is provided in the second housing, and the seal member is forwardly moved to the annular hole by the urging force of the elastic member. It is movable and can be moved backward by the pressing force of the first housing, and when the housings are joined to the vicinity of the fully coupled state on the peripheral wall of the annular hole, the air behind the seal member is released to the front of the seal member. Since the first air passage is provided, the air pressure in the annular hole behind the seal member can be increased before the housings are joined to the vicinity of the fully joined state.
[0019]
Therefore, when the coupling between the housings is stopped before coupling the housings to the vicinity of the completely coupled state, by pushing the sealing member forward by the air pressure behind the sealing member and the elastic force of the elastic member, The first housing can be pushed away from the second housing, and incomplete coupling of the housings can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation at the initial stage of coupling of housings.
FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view when housings are incompletely coupled.
FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram when the housings are completely coupled to each other.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 1st housing 3a End part 3b Cylindrical part 4 1st connection terminal 5 2nd housing 6 2nd connection terminal 11 Inner cylinder part 14 Outer cylinder part 15 Support wall 16 Annular hole 17 1st air passage 19 Compression coil spring 20 Slider 21 Seal member 22 Third air passage 23 Second air passage

Claims (6)

In the waterproof connector for connecting the first housing and the second housing via a seal member, an annular hole for receiving the cylindrical portion of the first housing is provided in the second housing, and the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion are provided. A contact terminal is disposed on the center axis side of the inner cylindrical portion of the annular hole, and the sealing member that is in close contact with the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion is moved forward by an urging force of an elastic member in the annular hole. The seal member is provided so that it can be moved rearwardly by the pressing force of the cylindrical portion of the first housing, and when the housings are coupled to the vicinity of the fully coupled state on the peripheral wall of the annular hole. A waterproof connector comprising a first air passage through which rear air escapes in front of the seal member. 2. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein a second air passage penetrating front and rear is provided in the seal member, and the second air passage is hermetically sealed by the first housing when the connectors are coupled to each other. . The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a compression coil spring, and is disposed in the annular hole behind the seal member in the front-rear direction. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein the first air passage is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion in the front-rear direction. The waterproof connector according to claim 2, wherein a sleeve having a third air passage communicating with the second air passage is provided so as to follow the seal member behind the seal member. The seal member is provided with a small-diameter portion that is in close contact with the inner cylinder portion, and a large-diameter portion that is in close contact with the outer cylinder portion at a rear portion of the small-diameter portion, and the second air passage is provided in the large-diameter portion. The waterproof connector according to claim 2.

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