JP7495294B2 - Connectors and connector housings - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a connector and a connector housing.

Connectors that are attached to the ends of cables have been known for some time. The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a main body case called the second housing and a terminal holder called the first housing, and is structured so that the base end of the terminal holder fits into an opening in the main body case.

In a connector with this type of structure, the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder is exposed to the outside, so a seal ring is placed at this mating portion to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter. However, in places such as the engine compartment of an automobile, water or dust kicked up by the wheels may splash against the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder with great force, and depending on the force, there is a problem that foreign matter such as water or dust may infiltrate through the mating portion.

JP 2020-77547 A

The purpose of this invention is to provide a connector and connector housing that, when connected to a connection target, prevents the mating portion of the main case and terminal holder from being exposed to the outside and prevents foreign matter such as water and dust from entering through the mating portion.

This invention is characterized in that it is a connector comprising: an electric wire, a terminal connected to the electric wire, a main case having an accommodation space for accommodating a connection portion of the electric wire and the terminal; and a terminal holder having a terminal holding hole for holding the terminal in a state in which the terminal is inserted, the main case having an outer bend portion, and an insertion direction of the electric wire inserted into the wire holding hole connected to the accommodation space intersects with an insertion direction of the terminal inserted into the terminal holding hole, a tubular portion is provided on the outer periphery of a portion of the main case from which the terminal extends, the tubular portion being inserted into a connection hole portion to be connected, a terminal escape recess is provided cut out from the tip to the base end side of the tubular portion, the terminal escape recess is positioned at a circumferential position furthest from the electric wire holding hole, and the terminal holder is attached to the tip side of the tubular portion relative to the base end position of a portion of the tubular portion that fits inside the connection hole portion.

The present invention is also characterized in that the connector housing has a tubular portion provided on the outer periphery of a portion from which a terminal extends , the tubular portion being inserted into a connection hole portion to be connected, and a storage space being provided to store an electric wire and the connection portion of the terminal , and a terminal holder attached to the tubular portion further toward the tip side than the base end position of the portion of the tubular portion that fits inside the connection hole portion, and having a terminal holding hole provided for holding the terminal in a state in which the terminal is inserted, the main body case having an outer bend portion, the insertion direction of the electric wire inserted into the wire holding hole connected to the storage space intersects with the insertion direction of the terminal inserted into the terminal holding hole, a terminal escape recess is provided cut out from the tip of the tubular portion toward the base end, and the terminal escape recess is positioned at a circumferential position furthest from the wire holding hole .

According to this invention, when connected to a connection target, the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder is not exposed to the outside, and it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as water and dust from entering through the mating portion.
More specifically, the connector and connector housing according to the present invention are provided with a cylindrical portion on the outer periphery of the portion of the main case from which the terminals extend, the cylindrical portion being inserted into the connection hole of the connection target. The terminal holder is attached to the tip side of the cylindrical portion rather than the base end position of the portion of the cylindrical portion that fits inside the connection hole. As a result, the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder is hidden inside the connection hole and is not exposed to the outside. This makes it difficult for water, dust, etc. to get on the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder, thereby preventing foreign matter such as water and dust from entering through the mating portion.

In addition, the main body case is provided with an outer bent portion, and the insertion direction of the electric wire inserted into the electric wire holding hole connected to the housing space intersects with the insertion direction of the terminal inserted into the terminal holding hole, so that the electric wire can be extended in the intersecting direction with respect to the connector connected to the connection target, thereby reducing the space required for routing the electric wire, and thus realizing space saving.

In addition, the cylindrical portion is provided with a terminal escape recess cut from the tip to the base end, and the terminal escape recess is disposed at the circumferential position furthest from the wire holding hole, so that when inserting a terminal into the main body case in the assembly process of the connector, the insertion direction of the terminal can be changed while making a large turn with the tip of the terminal passing through the terminal escape recess, which makes the insertion of the terminal easier. This further improves the ease of assembly of the connector.

As an aspect of this invention, a seal ring is provided that is fitted to the outside of the cylindrical body portion, and the seal ring may be attached in a state where it is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body portion closer to the tip end than the base end position.

This invention allows a seal ring to be placed between the connection hole provided in the connection target and the cylindrical portion provided in the main case. As a result, a single seal ring blocks the path of entry of foreign matter from passing through the gap between the connection hole and the terminal holder to the connection portion of the terminal of this connector and the mating terminal, and from passing through the mating portion of the main case and the terminal holder to the inside of the connector housing. This simultaneously ensures waterproofness and dustproofness at the connection portion of the terminal of this connector and the mating terminal, and at the mating portion of the main case and the terminal holder.

As a further aspect of the present invention, a flange portion may be provided protruding radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion, and the seal ring may be disposed between the flange portion and the terminal holder.
With this invention, the seal ring is sandwiched between the flange and the terminal holder. This prevents the seal ring from shifting out of position or falling off. In addition, since the terminal holder is attached after the seal ring is fitted, there is no need to widely spread the seal ring before fitting it into the groove, which prevents the seal ring from being scratched or cut on its surface. This ensures that the connection between the terminals of this connector and the mating terminals, as well as the mating portion between the main case and the terminal holder, are waterproof and dustproof.

In another aspect of the invention, the terminal holder may have a lid portion in which the terminal holding hole is provided, and a cylindrical wall portion extending from the outer periphery of the lid portion in a direction perpendicular to the lid portion, and the cylindrical wall portion may be press-fitted into the cylindrical portion.

With this invention, the terminal holder can be attached simply by pushing it into the cylindrical portion. Therefore, there is no need for screws or the like to attach the terminal holder to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. In addition, because there are no protrusions such as screws on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, it is possible to prevent the surface of the seal ring from being scratched or cut when the seal ring is fitted. This makes it possible to more reliably ensure waterproofing and dustproofing at the connection portion between the terminal of this connector and the mating terminal, as well as the mating portion between the main body case and the terminal holder.

As a further aspect of the present invention, an engagement portion may be provided that enables the terminal holder to be engaged with the cylindrical portion at a predetermined rotational position.
This invention allows the terminal holder to be attached to the cylindrical portion in an appropriate rotational position. Therefore, even if a twisting load is applied when attaching or detaching the connector, the terminal holder is prevented from being displaced in the rotational direction due to the load. This prevents the terminals from being deformed or coming off the wires.

As a further aspect of the present invention, a locking portion may be provided to enable the terminal to be locked at a predetermined position in the terminal holding hole.
This invention allows the terminals to be fixed to the terminal holder with an appropriate amount of protrusion. Therefore, for example, when the connector is attached or detached, even if a load acts on the terminals in the pushing or pulling direction, the terminals are prevented from being displaced in the axial direction due to the load. This prevents the terminals from being deformed or coming off the wires.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an inner bend may be formed by an inner wall surface that is aligned with the wire insertion direction and an inner wall surface that is aligned with the terminal insertion direction among the inner wall surfaces that form the storage space, and the inner wall surface that faces the inner bend may be inclined or curved toward the terminal holding hole as it moves away from the wire holding hole.

With this invention, when inserting the terminals into the main case during the assembly process of this connector, the insertion direction of the terminals can be changed by inserting the terminals along the inclined or curved inner wall surface. This makes it easier to insert the terminals. This improves the assembly of this connector.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the electric wire or the terminal may have an arc-shaped or polygonal bent portion at a position corresponding to the outer bent portion.
According to the present invention, when inserting the terminals into the main case in the assembly process of the connector, the inner bent portion formed by the inner wall surface along the wire insertion direction and the inner wall surface along the terminal insertion direction can be smoothly turned around. This makes the insertion of the terminals easier than when straight terminals are inserted. This further improves the ease of assembly of the connector.

Connector usage diagram. FIG. FIG. Front view of the connector. XX arrow cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a terminal is inserted into a body portion of a main body case. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a terminal is inserted into a body portion of a main body case. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a terminal is inserted through an outer bent portion of a main body case. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a terminal is inserted through an outer bent portion of a main body case. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the bent portion of the terminal is inserted along the inner wall surface. FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the tip portion of the terminal is passed through the terminal relief recess and then turned around. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a terminal according to another embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a terminal according to another embodiment is inserted into a main body case. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a terminal according to another embodiment is inserted into a main body case. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a terminal according to another embodiment is inserted into a main body case.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of how to use the connector 1, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector 1, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the connector 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a front perspective view when the terminal holder 8 is attached, and Fig. 7 is a rear perspective view when the terminal holder 8 is attached.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the terminal 3 is inserted into the body part 41 of the main case 4, FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the state where the terminal 3 is inserted into the body part 41 of the main case 4, FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the terminal 3 is inserted into the outer bent part 43 of the main case 4, and FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the state where the terminal 3 is inserted into the outer bent part 43 of the main case 4. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the bent part 31 of the terminal 3 is inserted while being aligned with the inner wall surface 4e, and FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the state where the tip part of the terminal 3 is turned around while being passed through the terminal escape recess 101. In this application, the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction are defined as shown in the figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 is attached to the end of the cable 13. The connector 1 is for connecting the cable 13 to the electrical device 14. In this application, there are no limitations on the role of the cable 13 or the function of the electrical device 14.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the connector 1 includes two electric wires 2 and two terminals 3 connected to each of the electric wires 2. The connector 1 further includes a main body case 4, an electric wire seal 5, an electric wire holder 6, a seal ring 7, and a terminal holder 8. In this application, the combination of the main body case 4 and the terminal holder 8 is referred to as a connector housing 9.

As shown in FIG. 5, the coating 21 of the electric wire 2 is stripped from its tip, and a terminal 3 is welded to the core wire 22, which is a bundle of wires. Each terminal 3 is an L-shaped terminal with a bent portion 31 provided midway in the longitudinal direction, an electric wire connection portion 32 provided on the base end side of the bent portion 31, and a terminal connection portion 33 provided on the tip end side of the bent portion 31. The terminal connection portion 33 is provided with a fastening hole 33h for screw fastening.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connector housing 9 has an L-shaped main case 4 with a body portion 41 and a tube portion 42 connected by an outer bend 43, and a cylindrical terminal holder 8 with a tube wall portion 82 extending from the outer periphery of a lid portion 81.

The main body case 4 has a body portion 41, and this body portion 41 has an inlet hole 41h that is oval when viewed from below. The main body case 4 also has a cylindrical portion 42 that is inserted into the connection hole 142 of the electrical device 14 on the outer periphery of the portion from which the terminal 3 (terminal connection portion 33) extends. The tip portion of the cylindrical portion 42 is not blocked, so a circular outlet hole 42h is formed when viewed from the front. In this way, the main body case 4 has openings only at the inlet hole 41h and the outlet hole 42h.
The body portion 41 and the tubular portion 42 are connected by a hollow outer bent portion 43. An intermediate wall portion 44 is provided inside the outer bent portion 43 so as to separate the two terminals 3 from each other.

The inside of the body 41 houses a part of the electric wire 2 including the tip portion. Furthermore, inside the body 41, the electric wire seal 5 is fitted so as to abut against the step portion 411 (see FIG. 4) protruding into the inside of the storage space S. The electric wire seal 5 has two electric wire holes 5h through which the electric wire 2 is inserted. Furthermore, inside the body 41, the electric wire holder 6 is fitted to prevent the electric wire seal 5 from coming off and to hold the electric wire 2. The electric wire holder 6 is composed of a front piece 61 and a rear piece 62, and two electric wire holding holes 6h are provided by combining these. The electric wire holding hole 6h is designed so that its inner diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 2.

With this structure, the electric wire 2 is held in a state where it is inserted through the electric wire holding hole 6h of the electric wire holder 6. In addition, since the electric wire seal 5 is disposed adjacent to the electric wire holder 6, it is possible to block foreign object intrusion route R1 through the mating portion between the body portion 41 and the electric wire holder 6 to the inside of the connector housing 9 (accommodation space S), as well as foreign object intrusion route R2 through the electric wire holding hole 6h of the electric wire holder 6 to the inside of the connector housing 9 (accommodation space S).

The electric wire holder 6 has a locking claw 6a (see Figures 3 and 4) on the side thereof, and this locking claw 6a is structured to lock into a locking hole 41a provided in the body part 41 of the main body case 4. This prevents the electric wire holder 6 from falling off.

The terminal connection portion 33 and a part of the bent portion 31 of the terminal 3 are housed inside the cylindrical portion 42 (a part of the start end side of the bent portion 31 is housed: see range R in FIG. 5). Furthermore, a seal ring 7 is fitted to the outside of the cylindrical portion 42 so as to be adjacent to the flange portion 421 protruding radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42. The seal ring 7 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 7p that abut against the inner circumferential surface of the connection hole portion 142. Furthermore, a terminal holder 8 that prevents the seal ring 7 from coming off and holds the terminal 3 is fitted to the tip portion of the cylindrical portion 42. The terminal holder 8 has a cover portion 81 and a cylindrical wall portion 82 that extends rearward from the outer circumferential edge of the cover portion 81, and this cylindrical wall portion 82 is press-fitted against the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42. The cover portion 81 of the terminal holder 8 has two terminal holding holes 8h that are opened in a slit shape at a position slightly shifted upward from the center.

With this structure, the terminal 3 is held in a state where it is inserted into the terminal holding hole 8h of the terminal holder 8. In addition, since the seal ring 7 is disposed adjacent to the terminal holder 8 (tubular wall portion 82), it is possible to block foreign object intrusion route R3 that passes through the gap between the connection hole portion 142 and the terminal holder 8 to the connection portion between the terminal 3 of this connector 1 and the mating terminal 143, as well as foreign object intrusion route R4 that passes through the mating portion between the main case 4 and the terminal holder 8 to the inside of the connector housing 9 (accommodation space S).

To elaborate on this point, the seal ring 7 needs to be attached to the tip side of the tubular portion 42 rather than the base end position of the portion of the tubular portion 42 that fits inside the connection hole 142. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, if the base end position of the portion that fits inside the connection hole 142 is P, then the seal ring 7 needs to be attached to the tip side of the tubular portion 42 rather than this base end position P. Also, the terminal holder 8 needs to be attached to the tip side of the tubular portion 42 rather than the seal ring 7. Otherwise, one seal ring 7 cannot simultaneously block the foreign object intrusion path R3 and the foreign object intrusion path R4 described above.

The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 82 of the terminal holder 8 is provided with a locking claw 8a (see Figures 6 and 7), and this locking claw 8a is structured to lock into a locking hole 42a provided in the cylindrical portion 42 of the main body case 4. This prevents the terminal holder 8 from falling off.

A feature of this connector 1 is that a portion of the bent portion 31 provided on the terminal 3 extends to the inside of the tubular portion 42. Because the bent portion 31 extends to the inside of the tubular portion 42, wrapping around the inner bent portion 45 described below, the length of the terminal connection portion 33 (the length of the straight portion from the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 to the start of the bent portion 31) is shorter than that of conventional products. This contributes to facilitating the work of inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4 during the assembly process of this connector 1. This point will be described in detail later.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector 1 is provided with an engagement portion 10 that allows the terminal holder 8 to engage with the cylindrical portion 42 at a predetermined rotational position. The engagement portion 10 is composed of an engagement recess 101 provided on the cylindrical portion 42 and an engagement protrusion 102 provided on the terminal holder 8.

The engagement recesses 101 are provided in the upper and lower parts of the tubular portion 42 of the main body case 4. In other words, they are provided in the circumferential positions furthest and closest to the inlet hole 41h of the main body case 4 in the up-down direction. The engagement recesses 101 are recessed in shape by cutting out the tubular portion 42 from its tip toward its base end (rear side). However, the engagement recesses 101 provided lower have a larger width in the left-right direction than the engagement recesses 101 provided upper.

The engaging protrusions 102 are provided on the upper and lower parts of the lid portion 81 and the tube wall portion 82 of the terminal holder 8. In other words, when the terminal holder 8 is attached to the tube portion 42, they are provided at the circumferential positions furthest and closest to the inlet hole 41h in the up-down direction. The engaging protrusions 102 are composed of two ribs that protrude from the back surface of the lid portion 81 to the tip side (rear side) along the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall portion 82, and these ribs are parallel to each other. However, the engaging protrusions 102 provided lower have a larger width in the left-right direction than the engaging protrusions 102 provided upper.

With this structure, when attaching the terminal holder 8 to the cylindrical portion 42, it is necessary to fit the engaging protrusion 102 on the terminal holder 8 into the engaging recess 101 on the cylindrical portion 42. At this time, the engaging recess 101 provided at the top and the engaging recess 101 provided at the bottom have different width dimensions in the left-right direction, and the engaging protrusion 102 provided at the top and the engaging protrusion 102 provided at the bottom also have different width dimensions in the left-right direction, so the terminal holder 8 cannot be assembled upside down. This makes it possible to prevent incorrect assembly.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector 1 is provided with a locking portion 11 that allows the terminal 3 to be locked in a predetermined position relative to the terminal holding hole 8h. The locking portion 11 is composed of a locking hole portion 111 provided in the terminal 3 and a locking claw portion 112 provided in the terminal holder 8.

The locking hole 111 is provided in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the terminal connection part 33 of the terminal 3. More specifically, it is provided in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the terminal connection part 33, which is formed in a flat plate shape, and in the center in the left-right direction. The locking hole 111 is a rectangular through hole when viewed from above.

The locking claw portion 112 is provided on the upper side of each terminal holding hole 8h of the terminal holder 8. More specifically, it is provided on the upper side of each terminal holding hole 8h that is opened in a slit shape, in the center in the left-right direction. The locking claw portion 112 has a claw portion 11f formed at its tip portion that faces the terminal guide wall 83 on the lower side, and exerts a biasing force that presses the inserted terminal 3 against the terminal guide wall 83.

With this structure, when the terminal holder 8 is pushed in with the terminal holding hole 8h fitted over the terminal 3, the claw portion 11f of the locking claw portion 112 eventually gets caught in the locking hole portion 111. This means that even if a load acts on the terminal 3 in the pushing direction (load toward the rear) or the pulling direction (load toward the front), the terminal 3 will not shift in the forward/backward direction due to these loads.

By the way, this connector 1 has an outer bent portion 43, so that the tubular portion 42 is bent perpendicularly to the body portion 41 of the main case 4. Therefore, the insertion direction of the electric wire 2 inserted into the electric wire holding hole 6h and the insertion direction of the terminal 3 inserted into the terminal holding hole 8h intersect perpendicularly. The work of inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4 in the assembly process of this connector 1 will be described below.

For the sake of simplicity, the electric wire 2 connected to the terminal 3 is referred to as the terminal-attached electric wire 15. As shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the bend formed by the first inner wall surface 4a (hereinafter referred to as "inner wall surface 4a") on the outlet hole 42h side of the body portion 41 and the second inner wall surface 4b (hereinafter referred to as "inner wall surface 4b") on the inlet hole 41h side of the tubular portion 42 is referred to as the inner bent portion 45. The body portion 41 has a passage perpendicular to the up-down direction, so it can also be called the inlet-side straight portion, and the tubular portion 42 has a passage perpendicular to the left-right direction, so it can also be called the outlet-side straight portion.

First, to pass the terminal-attached electric wire 15 through the body part 41 of the main body case 4, the tip of the terminal connection part 33 must pass through the inner bent part 45. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is pushed in while the tip of the terminal connection part 33 is abutted against the inner wall surface 4a, the tip of the terminal connection part 33 must reach the inner bent part 45 and pass it. Note that even if the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is pushed in until the electric wire connection part 32 and the electric wire 2 extending from the electric wire connection part 32 come into contact with the body part 41, if the tip of the terminal connection part 33 does not reach the inner bent part 45, this means that the terminal-attached electric wire 15 cannot be passed through the body part 41 of the main body case 4.

This point will be described in detail using the simplified diagram of Figure 9. Here, the passage width of the body portion 41 is a, the passage length of the body portion 41 is b, the length of the terminal connection portion 33 (the length of the straight line portion from the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 to the start of the bent portion 31) is l, and the angle between the terminal connection portion 33 and the inner wall surface 4a is x. Then, if at least the following formula 1 is satisfied, the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 will reach and pass over the inner bent portion 45.

Furthermore, it is more preferable to satisfy the following formula 2, taking into consideration the case where the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 abuts against the inner wall surface 4a, while also abutting against the third inner wall surface 4c (hereinafter referred to as "inner wall surface 4c") that faces the outlet hole 42h in the body portion 41. Note that in this connector 1, because the bent portion 31 is provided in the terminal 3, there is more leeway than in the relationship expressed by formulas 1 and 2.

After that, in order to pass the terminal-attached electric wire 15 through the outer bent portion 43 of the main body case 4, the terminal connection portion 33 must bend (pass through) the inner bent portion 45. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, when the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is pushed in while the back surface of the bent portion 31 is abutted against the inner wall surface 4c and the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 is abutted against the fourth inner wall surface 4d (hereinafter referred to as the "inner wall surface 4d") that faces the inlet hole 41h in the tubular portion 42, the abdominal surface of the terminal connection portion 33 must bend without contacting the inner bent portion 45. Note that, even if the back surface of the bent portion 31 is abutted against the inner wall surface 4c and the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 is abutted against the inner wall surface 4d, if the abdominal surface of the terminal connection portion 33 comes into contact with the inner bent portion 45, this means that the terminal-attached electric wire 15 cannot be passed through the outer bent portion 43 of the main body case 4.

This point will be described in detail with reference to the simplified diagram of Figure 11. Here, the passage width of the body portion 41 is a, the passage width of the tubular portion 42 is b, the radius of the bent portion 31 is r, the angle OAB between the terminal connection portion 33 and the inner wall surface 4d is x, and the length AB from the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 to the intersection B of the electric wire connection portion 32 and the terminal connection portion 33 is L. Then, the length of AC is expressed by the following formula 3. Therefore, the length of BC is expressed by the following formula 4.

If the angle between the body portion 41 and the cylindrical portion 42 is 90+y, then the angle between ABD is x+y, and the length of BD is expressed by the following formula 5. The length of BE is expressed by the following formula 6. Note that the angle between the body portion 41 and the cylindrical portion 42, 90+y, is in the range of 90 degrees or more and 180 degrees or less.

Furthermore, if the angle between the electric wire connection portion 32 and the terminal connection portion 33 is 90+z, the angle of BFG when the intersection point B is farthest from the inner wall surface 4c is 45-z/2, so the length of BF is expressed by the following formula 7. Therefore, the length of BE is expressed by the following formula 8. Here, the relationship between formulas 6 and 8 is such that the terminal connection portion 33 can bend completely around the inner bend portion 45 when expressed as in the following formula 9. Therefore, the radius r of the bend portion 31 satisfies the following formula 10. Note that the angle between the body portion 41 and the cylindrical portion 42, 90+y, and the angle between the electric wire connection portion 32 and the terminal connection portion 33, 90+z, are generally equal.

In addition, the connector 1 has another feature to facilitate the insertion of the terminal 3 into the main case 4. That is, the inner wall surface 4e that faces the inner bent portion 45 among the inner wall surfaces that form the storage space S is inclined toward the exit hole 42h as it moves away from the entrance hole 41h. When this feature is specified for the connector 1 after assembly, it can be said that the inner wall surface 4e that faces the inner bent portion 45 is inclined toward the terminal holding hole 8h as it moves away from the electric wire holding hole 6h. However, the inner wall surface 4e may be curved toward the terminal holding hole 8h as it moves away from the electric wire holding hole 6h.

With this structure, as shown in Figure 12, when inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4, the insertion direction of the terminal 3 can be changed by inserting the terminal 3 along the inner wall surface 4e. In addition, with this structure, when the bent portion 31 abuts against the inner wall surface 4e, the amount of pushing in of the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is just right and the position of the terminal connection portion 33 is almost ideal, improving the efficiency of the insertion operation.

In addition, in this connector 1, an engagement recess 101 is provided in the tubular portion 42 (see Figures 6 and 7). As described above, the terminal holder 8 can be engaged at a predetermined rotational position by fitting the engagement protrusion 102 provided on the terminal holder 8 into the engagement recess 101. However, the engagement recess 101 also functions as an escape recess provided to prevent the tip of the terminal connection portion 33 from abutting against the inner wall surface 4d during the operation of inserting the terminal-attached electric wire 15. Therefore, the engagement recess 101 of this connector 1 can also be said to be a terminal escape recess 101.

With this structure, as shown in FIG. 13, when inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4, the insertion direction of the terminal-attached electric wire 15 can be changed while the terminal connection portion 33 is passing through the terminal escape recess 101 and making a large turn. In addition, with this structure, even if the terminal connection portion 33 is as long as it can bend the inner bend portion 45, the terminal connection portion 33 can be made to make a large turn while passing through the terminal escape recess 101, improving the efficiency of the insertion operation. Furthermore, even if the terminal connection portion 33 is too long to bend the inner bend portion 45, the terminal connection portion 33 can be made to make a large turn while passing through the terminal escape recess 101, so the insertion operation can be completed without any problems.

In addition, in the process of assembling this connector 1, the work of inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4 requires a measure to deal with the fact that the bent portion 31 is larger than that of the conventional product. In other words, the provision of the bent portion 31 larger than that of the conventional product requires a measure to eliminate the twisting and bending that occurs in the bent portion 31 itself. Therefore, in the process of assembling this connector 1, the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is wound around the inner bent portion 45 formed by the inner wall surface 4a and the inner wall surface 4b from the tip of the terminal-attached electric wire 15 to the middle of the bent portion 31 provided on the terminal-attached electric wire 15, and then the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is pulled back slightly to eliminate the twisting and bending in the bent portion 31.

As described above, the connector 1 includes the electric wire 2, the terminal 3 connected to the electric wire 2, the main case 4 having an accommodation space S for accommodating the connection portion of the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3, and the terminal holder 8 having a terminal holding hole 8h for holding the terminal 3 when inserted. In addition, a cylindrical portion 42 is provided on the outer periphery of the portion of the main case 4 from which the terminal 3 extends, and the terminal holder 8 is attached to the tip side of the cylindrical portion 42 rather than the base end position P of the portion of the cylindrical portion 42 that fits inside the connection hole 142.

The connector housing 9 also has a main case 4 having a cylindrical portion 42 on the outer periphery of the portion from which the terminals 3 extend, which is inserted into the connection hole 142 of the electrical device 14, and a terminal holder 8 that is attached to the tip side of the cylindrical portion 42 relative to the base end position P of the portion of the cylindrical portion 42 that fits inside the connection hole 142.

With such a connector 1 and connector housing 9, when connected to an electrical device 14, the mating portion between the main case 4 and the terminal holder 8 is not exposed to the outside, thereby preventing foreign matter such as water and dust from entering through the mating portion.
More specifically, the connector 1 and connector housing 9 according to the present invention are provided with a cylindrical portion 42 that is inserted into the connection hole 142 of the electrical device 14 on the outer periphery of the portion of the main case 4 from which the terminals 3 extend. The terminal holder 8 is attached to the tip side of the cylindrical portion 42 from the base end position P of the portion of the cylindrical portion 42 that fits inside the connection hole 142. Therefore, the mating portion of the main case 4 and the terminal holder 8 is hidden inside the connection hole 142 and is not exposed to the outside. Therefore, water, dust, etc. are less likely to get on the mating portion of the main case 4 and the terminal holder 8, so that it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as water and dust from entering through the mating portion.

In addition, a seal ring 7 is provided that is fitted to the outside of the tubular portion 42, and the seal ring 7 is attached in a state where it is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 42 on the tip side of the tubular portion 42 closer to the base end position P than the base end position P.
According to such a connector 1, the seal ring 7 can be disposed between the connection hole 142 provided in the electric device 14 and the cylindrical portion 42 provided in the main body case 4. Therefore, the foreign object intrusion route R3 passing through the gap between the connection hole 142 and the terminal holder 8 to the connection portion between the terminal 3 of the connector 1 and the mating terminal 143, and the foreign object intrusion route R4 passing through the fitting portion between the main body case 4 and the terminal holder 8 to the inside (accommodation space S) of the connector housing 9 are blocked by one seal ring 7. Therefore, the waterproofness and dustproofness can be simultaneously ensured in the connection portion between the terminal 3 of the connector 1 and the mating terminal 143 and in the fitting portion between the main body case 4 and the terminal holder 8.

In addition, a flange portion 421 is provided protruding radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42 , and the seal ring 7 is disposed between the flange portion 421 and the terminal holder 8 .
According to such a connector 1, the seal ring 7 is sandwiched between the flange portion 421 and the terminal holder 8. This prevents the seal ring 7 from shifting out of position or falling off. In addition, since the terminal holder 8 is attached after the seal ring 7 is fitted, there is no need to widely spread the seal ring 7 before fitting it into the groove, and this prevents the surface of the seal ring 7 from being scratched or cut. This ensures that the connection between the terminal 3 and the mating terminal 143 of this connector 1 and the mating portion between the main body case 4 and the terminal holder 8 are waterproof and dustproof.

In addition, the terminal holder 8 has a lid portion 81 having a terminal holding hole 8h, and a tubular wall portion 82 extending perpendicularly to the lid portion 81 from the outer peripheral edge of the lid portion 81, and the tubular wall portion 82 is press-fitted into the tubular body portion 42.
According to such a connector 1, the terminal holder 8 can be attached simply by pushing it into the cylindrical portion 42. Therefore, screws or the like for attaching the terminal holder 8 to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 are not required. In addition, since no protrusions such as screws are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42, it is possible to prevent the surface of the seal ring 7 from being scratched or cut when the seal ring 7 is fitted. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably ensure waterproofness and dustproofness in the connection portion between the terminals 3 and the mating terminals 143 of this connector and the mating portion between the main body case 4 and the terminal holder 8.

Further, an engagement portion 10 is provided that enables the terminal holder 8 to be engaged with the cylindrical portion 42 at a predetermined rotational position.
According to this connector 1, the terminal holder 8 can be attached in an appropriate rotational position relative to the cylindrical portion 42. Therefore, even if a twisting load is applied when attaching or detaching the connector 1, the terminal holder 8 can be prevented from being displaced in the rotational direction due to the applied load. This prevents the terminals 3 from being deformed or coming off the electric wires 2.

Further, a locking portion 11 is provided to enable the terminal 3 to be locked at a predetermined position in the terminal holding hole 8h.
According to this connector 1, the terminals 3 can be fixed with an appropriate amount of protrusion from the terminal holder 8. Therefore, for example, when the connector 1 is attached or detached, even if a load in the pushing direction or the pulling direction acts on the terminals 3, the terminals 3 can be prevented from being displaced in the axial direction due to the load. Therefore, the terminals 3 can be prevented from being deformed or coming off the electric wires 2.

In addition, an outer bent portion 43 is provided on the main case 4, so that the insertion direction of the wire 2 inserted into the wire holding hole 6h connected to the storage space S intersects with the insertion direction of the terminal 3 inserted into the terminal holding hole 8h.
According to such a connector 1, the electric wires 2 can be extended in a direction intersecting the connector 1 connected to the electric device 14. This reduces the space required for routing the electric wires 2. This allows space saving to be achieved.

In addition, among the inner wall surfaces that form the storage space S, the inner wall surface 4a that runs along the insertion direction of the electric wire 2 and the inner wall surface 4b that runs along the insertion direction of the terminal 3 form an inner bent portion 45, and the inner wall surface 4e that faces the inner bent portion 45 is inclined toward the terminal holding hole 8h as it moves away from the electric wire holding hole 6h.

With this connector 1, when inserting the terminals 3 into the main case 4 in the assembly process of the connector 1, the insertion direction of the terminals 3 can be changed by inserting the terminals 3 along the inclined inner wall surface 4e. This makes it easier to insert the terminals 3. This improves the ease of assembly of the connector 1.

Further, a terminal relief recess 101 is provided by cutting out the cylindrical portion 42 from the tip to the base end, and the terminal relief recess 101 is disposed at a circumferential position farthest from the wire holding hole 6h.
According to such a connector 1, in the process of inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4 in the assembly process of the connector 1, the insertion direction of the terminal 3 can be changed while making a large turn with the tip portion of the terminal 3 passing through the terminal relief recess 101. This makes it easier to insert the terminal 3. This further improves the ease of assembly of the connector 1.

Further, the electric wire 2 or the terminal 3 has an arc-shaped or polygonal bent portion 31 at a position corresponding to the outer bent portion 43 .
According to such a connector 1, in the operation of inserting the terminal 3 into the main case 4 in the assembly process of the connector 1, the inner bent portion 45 formed by the inner wall surface 4a along the insertion direction of the electric wire 2 and the inner wall surface 4b along the insertion direction of the terminal 3 can be smoothly turned around. Therefore, the operation of inserting the terminal 3 is made easier than when a straight terminal is inserted. Therefore, the assembly property of the connector 1 can be further improved.

In the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, the connector of the present invention corresponds to the connector 1,
Similarly,
The wire corresponds to wire 2,
The terminal corresponds to terminal 3,
The main body case corresponds to the main body case 4,
The wire seal corresponds to wire seal 5.
The wire holder corresponds to the wire holder 6.
The seal ring corresponds to seal ring 7,
The terminal holder corresponds to the terminal holder 8,
The connector housing corresponds to the connector housing 9,
The engaging portion corresponds to the engaging portion 10,
The locking portion corresponds to the locking portion 11,
The connection target corresponds to the electrical device 14,
The terminal-attached electric wire corresponds to the terminal-attached electric wire 15,
The body portion corresponds to the body portion 41,
The cylindrical portion corresponds to the cylindrical portion 42,
The outer bend corresponds to the outer bend 43;
The lid portion corresponds to the lid portion 81,
The cylindrical wall portion corresponds to the cylindrical wall portion 82,
The terminal relief recess corresponds to the terminal relief recess 101,
The connecting hole portion corresponds to the connecting hole portion 142,
The mating terminal corresponds to the mating terminal 143,
The flange corresponds to flange 421,
The wire holding hole corresponds to the wire holding hole 6h,
The terminal holding hole corresponds to the terminal holding hole 8h,
The proximal position corresponds to the proximal position P,
Although the accommodation space corresponds to the accommodation space S, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained.

In this connector 1, the bent portion 31 is an arc-shaped portion formed on the terminal 3, and the connection point between the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 is provided on the base end side of the bent portion 31 (see FIG. 5). In this case, the terminal 3, which has a relatively high rigidity, extends to the inside of the body portion 41 through the bent portion 31, so that the terminal 3 can be pushed in strongly when inserting the terminal-attached electric wire 15.

However, as shown in FIG. 14(A), the bent portion 31 may be an arc-shaped portion formed on the electric wire 2, and the connection point Cp between the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 may be provided on the tip side of the bent portion 31. In this case, since the terminal 3 has a relatively high rigidity and is straight, the terminal 3 does not get caught on the inner bent portion 45 during the insertion of the terminal-attached electric wire 15. This makes it easier to insert the terminal-attached electric wire 15.

As shown in FIG. 14B, the bent portion 31 may be a polygonal shape formed on the terminal 3 by a plurality of bent portions 3f arranged on one imaginary arc 3v, and the connection point Cp between the electric wire 2 and the terminal 3 may be provided on the base end side of the bent portion 31. In this case, the terminal 3 having a relatively high rigidity extends to the inside of the body portion 41 through the bent portion 31, so that the terminal 3 can be strongly pressed in when inserting the terminal-attached electric wire 15. In addition, it is preferable that the bent portion 31 is a chamfered shape formed on the terminal 3 by two bent portions 3f having equal bending angles. This is because the back surface of the bent portion 31 is separated from the inner wall surface 4e facing the inner bent portion 45. Therefore, the insertion of the terminal-attached electric wire 15 becomes easier.

Also, as shown in FIG. 15(C), the bent portion 31 may not be provided in advance, and the flexible electric wire 2 may be bent during the insertion of the terminal-attached electric wire 15. To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 17, when the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is inserted through the entrance hole 41h of the main body case 4 and pushed in, the terminal 3 moves along the inner wall surface 4e of the main body case 4 toward the exit hole 42h. As a result, the flexible electric wire 2 is bent. This can also be said to form the bent portion 31 in the electric wire 2 by pushing in the terminal-attached electric wire 15.

As shown in FIG. 15(D), the terminal 3 may not have a bent portion 31 in advance, and may have a flexible portion 34 that is flexible so that it can be bent during the insertion of the terminal-attached electric wire 15. To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 18, when the terminal-attached electric wire 15 is inserted through the inlet hole 41h of the main body case 4 and pushed in, the terminal 3 moves toward the outlet hole 42h along the inner wall surface 4e of the main body case 4. As a result, the terminal 3 with the flexible portion 34 that is flexible is bent. This can also be said to form the bent portion 31 in the terminal 3 by pushing in the terminal-attached electric wire 15.

Also, as shown in FIG. 16(E), the electric wire connection part 32 and the terminal connection part 33, which are provided with a connecting part 35 that allows them to be connected to each other, may be structured to be connected inside the main body case 4. To explain more specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the electric wire connection part 32 is inserted from the inlet hole 41h of the main body case 4, and then the terminal connection part 33 is inserted from the outlet hole 42h of the main body case 4, and both are fastened inside the main body case 4 with rivets or the like. In such a structure, it is important to be able to perform the fastening operation from the outlet hole 42h of the cylindrical part 42. If an opening is provided for the fastening operation, a lid to cover the opening is required, and the number of fitting parts increases, making it difficult to ensure waterproofness and dustproofness.

Reference Signs List 1...connector 2...electric wire 3...terminal 4...main body case 5...wire seal 6...electric wire holder 7...seal ring 8...terminal holder 9...connector housing 10...engagement portion 11...locking portion 14...electrical device 15...terminal-attached wire 41...body portion 42...tubular portion 43...outer bent portion 81...lid portion 82...tubular wall portion 101...terminal relief recess 142...connection hole portion 143...mating terminal 421...flange portion 6h...wire holding hole 8h...terminal holding hole P...base end position S...accommodation space

Claims (9)

Electric wires and
A terminal connected to the electric wire;
a main body case having an accommodation space for accommodating the electric wire and the connection portion of the terminal;
a terminal holder having a terminal holding hole for holding the terminal in a state where the terminal is inserted;
The main body case is provided with an outer bent portion,
an insertion direction of the electric wire inserted into the electric wire holding hole connected to the accommodating space and an insertion direction of the terminal inserted into the terminal holding hole intersect with each other;
a cylindrical portion is provided on an outer periphery of a portion of the main body case from which the terminal extends, the cylindrical portion being inserted into a connection hole portion of a connection target ;
A terminal relief recess is provided by cutting the cylindrical portion from the tip to the base end side,
the terminal relief recess is disposed at a circumferential position farthest from the wire holding hole,
The connector is attached to the cylindrical portion closer to the tip end than the base end position of the portion of the cylindrical portion that fits inside the connection hole. A seal ring is provided that is fitted to the outside of the cylindrical portion,
The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the seal ring is attached to the cylindrical portion on a tip side of the cylindrical portion relative to the base end position in a state where the seal ring is in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion. A flange portion is provided protruding radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion,
The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the seal ring is disposed between the flange portion and the terminal holder. the terminal holder has a lid portion in which the terminal holding hole is provided, and a cylindrical wall portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the lid portion in a direction perpendicular to the lid portion,
4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wall portion is press-fitted into the cylindrical body portion. 5. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement portion that enables said terminal holder to be engaged with said cylindrical portion at a predetermined rotational position. 6. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a locking portion for locking said terminal at a predetermined position in said terminal holding hole. an inner wall surface that is in the insertion direction of the electric wire and an inner wall surface that is in the insertion direction of the terminal are included in the inner wall surface that defines the accommodating space, and an inner bent portion is formed by the inner wall surface that is in the insertion direction of the electric wire and the inner wall surface that is in the insertion direction of the terminal,
7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall surface facing the inner bent portion is inclined or curved toward the terminal holding hole as it moves away from the wire holding hole. 8. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the electric wire or the terminal has an arc-shaped or polygonal bent portion at a position corresponding to the outer bent portion. a main body case having a cylindrical portion provided on an outer periphery of a portion from which the terminal extends, the cylindrical portion being inserted into a connection hole portion to be connected, and having an accommodation space for accommodating an electric wire and a connection portion of the terminal ;
a terminal holder that is attached to the cylindrical portion closer to a tip end than a base end position of a portion of the cylindrical portion that fits inside the connection hole, and that has a terminal holding hole that holds the terminal in a state where the terminal is inserted through the terminal holder ,
The main body case is provided with an outer bent portion,
an insertion direction of the electric wire inserted into the electric wire holding hole connected to the accommodating space and an insertion direction of the terminal inserted into the terminal holding hole intersect with each other;
A terminal relief recess is provided by cutting the cylindrical portion from the tip to the base end side,
The terminal relief recess is disposed at a circumferential position farthest from the wire holding hole.
Connector housing.

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