JP7690348B2 - Waterproof Connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a waterproof connector.

A connector with improved waterproofing (waterproof connector) is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This connector uses two O-rings (packings) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing to provide a watertight seal between the housing and a mounting hole of a module (counterpart member) into which the housing is inserted. These two O-rings are supported in a pair of annular grooves (packing receiving grooves) formed along the outer peripheral surface of the housing, respectively, and are arranged side by side along the direction in which the housing is inserted.
Therefore, two O-rings arranged side by side on the outer peripheral surface along the direction in which the housing is inserted can provide a watertight seal between the mounting hole and the housing more reliably than if only one O-ring were used.

JP 2019-79800 A

However, when two packings are fitted to a pair of packing grooves arranged side by side along the housing insertion direction, the packing at the back must be spread apart to overcome the wall between the pair of packing grooves, which makes fitting difficult. During fitting, the packing may be twisted or the seal of the packing may be damaged, resulting in a deterioration of sealing performance. Furthermore, if the packing and the packing groove are not annular, the packing may be misaligned during fitting, resulting in a deterioration of sealing performance.
Furthermore, when the fitting portion of the housing is fitted into the mounting hole of the mating member, the front end of the rear packing (first packing) in the fitting direction may be turned up, causing jamming and resulting in a poor fit. Also, when the fitting portion of the housing is removed from the mounting hole of the mating member, the rear end of the front packing (second packing) in the fitting direction may be turned up and fall off.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide a waterproof connector that is easy to install the packing and has high waterproof performance.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration.
(1) A waterproof connector comprising: a housing having a gasket mounting surface on an outer peripheral surface of a fitting portion to be fitted into a mounting hole of a mating member; a first gasket attached to the gasket mounting surface at a rear end side of the fitting portion in the fitting direction; a second gasket attached to the gasket mounting surface at a front end side of the fitting portion in the fitting direction; and a retainer disposed between the first gasket and the second gasket, the retainer having a flexible locking piece that engages with an engaging portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion.

According to the waterproof connector having the above configuration (1), the first packing attached to the packing mounting surface of the fitting portion of the housing is positioned and held relative to the housing by a retainer having a flexible locking piece engaged with an engagement portion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion. The first and second packings arranged side by side on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion along the fitting direction of the housing can reliably provide a watertight seal between the mounting hole and the housing.
Therefore, the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion does not require a packing groove for positioning and holding the first and second packings. Therefore, unlike conventional waterproof connectors, it is not necessary to spread the first packing at the back to overcome the wall formed between the pair of packing grooves when installing, which makes the installation easier and prevents the first packing from twisting during installation or damage to the seal of the first packing, resulting in a decrease in sealing performance.
Furthermore, the retainer is positioned and fixed to the housing by the flexible locking piece being locked in a locking portion such as a recess provided on the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion. The flexible locking piece does not require the entire retainer to be deformed when the annular retainer is attached to the fitting portion of the housing. Therefore, the flexible locking piece can increase the locking force by increasing the engagement allowance of the locking protrusion with the locking portion, without compromising ease of assembly.

(2) The waterproof connector described in (1) above, characterized in that the flexible locking piece extends circumferentially along the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion.

According to the waterproof connector having the configuration (2) above, the flexible locking piece extending circumferentially along the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion of the housing can ensure the span without increasing the width of the annular retainer (the length along the insertion direction of the housing).
Therefore, the flexibility of the flexible locking pieces can be increased without increasing the size of the housing in the fitting direction, thereby improving the ease of mounting the retainer.

(3) The waterproof connector described in (1) or (2) above, characterized in that the retainer has a first holding portion that covers a first anti-turning piece provided on the front end side of the first packing in the insertion direction, and a second holding portion that covers a second anti-turning piece provided on the rear end side of the second packing in the insertion direction.

According to the waterproof connector having the configuration (3) above, the first anti-turning piece provided on the front end side of the first gasket in the insertion direction is covered by the first retaining portion of the retainer, and the second anti-turning piece provided on the rear end side of the second gasket in the insertion direction is covered by the second retaining portion of the retainer.
Therefore, when the insertion portion of the housing is inserted into the mounting hole of the opposing member, the front end side of the first gasket in the insertion direction can be prevented from curling up, and when the insertion portion of the housing is removed from the mounting hole of the opposing member, the rear end side of the second gasket in the insertion direction can be prevented from curling up.

(4) The waterproof connector described in (3) above, characterized in that the flexible locking piece is arranged at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the retainer relative to the first holding portion and the second holding portion.

According to the waterproof connector having the configuration of (4) above, the flexible locking piece is disposed at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the retainer relative to the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion provided on the retainer, and is not arranged side by side with the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion in the width direction of the retainer (the direction along the insertion direction of the housing).
Therefore, by providing the first holding portion and the second holding portion, the width of the retainer is increased, and an increase in the size of the housing can be prevented.

(5) The waterproof connector described in (4) above, characterized in that the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer.

According to the waterproof connector having the configuration of (5) above, the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer, and the first retaining portion, the second retaining portion and the flexible locking piece are not arranged side by side in the width direction of the retainer (the direction along the insertion direction of the housing).
Therefore, by providing the first holding portion and the second holding portion, the width of the retainer is increased, and an increase in the size of the housing can be prevented.

(6) A waterproof connector according to any one of (1) to (5) above, characterized in that the retainer, which is formed in an oval ring shape, has thin-walled parts at the four corners to form a gap between the retainer and the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion, and the inner circumferential surface of the longitudinal and lateral portions of the retainer are in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion.

According to the waterproof connector having the above configuration (6), the retainer formed in an oval ring shape is configured so that the distance between both inner peripheral surfaces in a pair of opposing longitudinal portions and the distance between both inner peripheral surfaces in a pair of opposing lateral portions are narrower than the distance between the outer peripheral surfaces of the corresponding fitting-insertion portions. When the retainer is attached to the fitting-insertion portion of the housing, it elastically deforms in a direction in which the curvature of the thin-walled portions formed in the curved portions at the four corners becomes smaller, and the longitudinal portions and lateral portions of the retainer are inserted into the fitting-insertion portion while expanding. Thus, the inner peripheral surfaces of the longitudinal portions and lateral portions of the retainer are in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fitting-insertion portion, and the retainer is attached to the fitting-insertion portion of the housing in a tightened state.
This makes it possible to prevent the rear end side of the second packing, which is pushed rearward in the insertion direction by the inner wall of the mounting hole when the insertion portion of the housing is inserted into the mounting hole of the counterpart member, from slipping between the retainer and the insertion portion, thereby suppressing deformation of the retainer due to the second packing slipping between the retainer and the insertion portion.

(7) A waterproof connector according to any one of (1) to (6) above, characterized in that the front end of the housing is provided with a front holder having a third retaining portion that covers a third anti-turning piece provided on the front end side of the second gasket in the insertion direction.

According to the waterproof connector having the configuration of (7) above, the third turn-up prevention piece provided on the front end side of the second packing in the fitting insertion direction is covered by the third holding portion of the front holder.
Therefore, when the fitting portion of the housing is fitted into the mounting hole of the mating member, the front end side of the second packing in the fitting insertion direction can be prevented from being turned up.

The waterproof connector of the present invention provides a waterproof connector that is easy to install the packing and has high waterproof properties.

The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description of the embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a state before the waterproof connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is inserted into a mounting hole of a counterpart member. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector shown in FIG. 1 . 3A and 3B are an enlarged perspective view and a plan view of the housing shown in FIG. 2 . 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a first packing, a retainer, and a second packing shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3A and 3B are front and rear perspective views of the front holder shown in FIG. 2 . 3A and 3B are perspective views illustrating the installation work of the first packing shown in FIG. 2 . 3A and 3B are perspective views illustrating the installation work of the second packing shown in FIG. 2 . 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the waterproof connector shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into a mounting hole of a mating member. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 8 . 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 8. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 9 . 2 is a plan view of the waterproof connector shown in FIG. 1 with a shield shell removed. 13, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIVa-XIVa in FIG. 13, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIVb-XIVb in FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a retainer according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a rear view of a retainer according to a modified example. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the retainer shown in FIG. 16 in a state where it is attached to a fitting portion of a housing.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a waterproof connector 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention before it is inserted into a mounting hole 101 of a housing 100, which is a mating member. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the waterproof connector 11 shown in Fig. 1.

The waterproof connector 11 according to the present embodiment is a waterproof connector used for directly connecting electric equipment such as a battery and an inverter, which are on-board electric equipment (hereinafter simply referred to as "equipment") of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle. A large current is supplied from a battery via an inverter to a motor mounted on a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle so that a high driving torque can be achieved. Usually, a large-diameter electric wire (thick electric wire) having a large conductor diameter and covered with an insulating coating having high insulating performance is used for the electric wire 1 connecting the battery and the inverter in order to reduce transmission loss. The waterproof connector 11 is suitable for use in a structure in which such a large-diameter electric wire 1 is directly attached to a mounting hole 101 provided in a housing 100 of the equipment.
In this embodiment, the insertion direction A of the waterproof connector 11 into the mounting hole 101 is defined as the front of the connector, and the removal direction is defined as the rear of the connector.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment has as its main components a housing 20, a first packing 40, a retainer 50, a second packing 60, and a front holder 70. In addition, the waterproof connector 11 has a terminal 3 connected to the end of the electric wire 1, a shield shell 80, a rubber plug 85, a pair of upper and lower rear holders 90, and a braided wire 95.

The housing 100 can be, for example, the housing (metal case, etc.) of an inverter mounted on an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. The housing 100 is a housing as a mating member made of conductive metal having a connector mounting surface 103 and a bolt fixing surface 105 that are approximately perpendicular to each other. Note that the mating member in the present invention is not limited to a housing, and can be applied to various mating members such as a mating connector into which a waterproof connector is fitted.

3A and 3B are an enlarged perspective view and an enlarged plan view of the housing 20 shown in FIG.
3A and 3B, the housing 20 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and is formed into an elongated cylindrical shape. The housing 20 has a flange portion 22 protruding from an outer peripheral surface 21 at a substantially middle portion in the insertion direction A, a fitting portion 23 provided forward of the flange portion 22 and fitted into a mounting hole 101 of the case 100, and a mounting portion 24 provided rearward of the flange portion 22 and to which the shield shell 80 is attached.

The flange portion 22 has a front side surface 22 a perpendicular to the insertion direction A and abuts against the connector mounting surface 103 of the housing 100 , thereby regulating the insertion position of the housing 20 with the insertion portion 23 inserted into the mounting hole 101 of the housing 100 .
A packing mounting surface 25 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting-insertion portion 23. The packing mounting surface 25 has a first packing mounting surface 26 which is a packing mounting surface for the first packing 40 at the rear end side of the fitting-insertion portion 23 in the fitting-insertion direction, a second packing mounting surface 27 which is a packing mounting surface for the second packing 60 at the front end side of the fitting-insertion portion 23 in the fitting-insertion direction, and a retainer mounting portion 28 which is the outer peripheral surface of the fitting-insertion portion 23 between the first packing mounting surface 26 and the second packing mounting surface 27.

The first packing mounting surface 26 on which the first packing 40 is attached is located on the inner side of the housing than the outer peripheral surface 21 of the fitting-insertion portion 23, and a step portion 29 is formed between the outer peripheral surface 21 of the fitting-insertion portion 23 and the first packing mounting surface 26.
The annular retainer mounting portion 28 to which the retainer 50 is attached is provided continuous with the first packing mounting surface 26. Locking portions 33 for locking the flexible locking pieces 52 of the retainer 50 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces (the upper and lower surfaces in FIG. 3A) of the retainer mounting portion 28. The locking portions 33 are formed of ridges that protrude from the retainer mounting portion 28 and extend in the circumferential direction.

The second packing mounting surface 27 on which the second packing 60 is mounted is located on the inner side of the housing than the first packing mounting surface 26 on which the first packing 40 is mounted. Therefore, a step portion 34 is formed between the second packing mounting surface 27 on which the second packing 60 is mounted and the first packing mounting surface 26 on which the first packing 40 is mounted.

A recess 30 having a band-like outer shape along the circumferential direction is provided on the front end side of the second packing mounting surface 27 in the insertion direction. The recess 30 is provided on each of the top and bottom surfaces (top and bottom surfaces in FIG. 3(a)) of the second packing mounting surface 27. A step portion 31 is formed between the second packing mounting surface 27 and the recess 30. A plurality of locking portions 32 are protruded along the circumferential direction from the front end edge of the recess 30 in the insertion direction.

On the upper and lower surfaces of the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 24 (the upper and lower surfaces in FIG. 3(a)), there are provided a locking arm 37 that locks with a locking projection 84 protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the shield shell 80 to hold the shield shell 80, and a locking projection 36 that locks with a locking arm 91 of the rear holder 90 to hold the rear holder 90.

A plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 38 (two in this embodiment) are formed inside the housing 20. A terminal 3 connected to an end of the electric wire 1 is mounted in each of the terminal accommodating chambers 38. The terminal 3 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 38 from the rear of the housing 20 and protrudes forward from the housing 20. The electric wire 1 is led out from the rear of the housing 20. The terminal 3 inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 38 has an engaging hole 4 engaged by a flexible engaging arm 39 (see FIG. 10 ) provided in the terminal accommodating chamber 38, and is prevented from coming out of the terminal accommodating chamber 38.
A locking projection 35 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the front opening of the housing 20 to lock onto a locking arm 77 of a front holder 70 (described later) and hold the front holder 70 .

The shield shell 80 is made of a conductive metal. As shown in FIG. 2, the shield shell 80 integrally covers the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 24 of the housing 20 with a cylindrical shell main body 81. The shield shell 80 is fixed to the housing 20 by engaging a locking protrusion 84 protruding from the inner peripheral surface with a locking arm 37 provided on the mounting portion 24. The shield shell 80 is formed with a pair of bolt fixing portions 83 that are fixed to the bolt fixing surface 105 of the housing 100. In this embodiment, the bolt fixing portion 83 is formed by drilling a bolt insertion hole in an L-shaped bent piece extending from the shell main body.

The shield shell 80 has an open end 96 of a tubular braided wire 95 covering two electric wires 1 connected to a braid fixing portion 82 of a shell body 81 by a metal tie 98, and is bolted to the case 100. In this way, the shield shell 80 forms a shield circuit and is structured to block noise. The housing 20 is bolted to the case 100 via the shield shell 80.
A pair of bolt holes 105a (see FIG. 1) into which the bolt fixing portions 83 are fastened with bolts are formed in the bolt fixing surface 105 of the housing 100.

The rubber plug 85 is formed into a ring shape from an elastic material such as rubber. As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire 1 is inserted into the rubber plug 85. The outer periphery of the rubber plug 85 adheres closely to the inner wall surface of the rear end opening 38a (see FIG. 6) of the terminal accommodating chamber 38 in the housing 20. In this way, the rubber plug 85 provides a waterproof seal between the housing 20 and the electric wire 1.

The rear holder 90 is attached to the rear end opening 38a of the housing 20. The rear holder 90 is attached to the housing 20 with the locking arm 91 locked to the locking protrusion 36 of the mounting portion 24, thereby preventing the wire 1 from bending. The rear holder 90 also prevents the rubber stopper 85 from falling out or collapsing inside the housing 20.

In addition, a waterproof boot (not shown) is attached to the shell body 81 of the shield shell 80 from the outside of the braided wire 95, covering the fixed portion between the shield shell 80 and the opening end 96 of the braided wire 95 to provide waterproofing. The electric wire 1 inserted into the waterproof boot is led out from the rear end opening of the waterproof boot.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the first packing 40, the retainer 50 and the second packing 60 shown in FIG.
The first packing 40 is formed in an oval ring shape and is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The first packing 40 is attached to the first packing attachment surface 26 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20, and provides a waterproof seal between the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 and the attachment hole 101 of the case 100.

An outer lip 41 is provided on the outer surface of the first gasket 40, which fits closely to the inner surface of the mounting hole 101, and an inner lip 43 is provided on the inner surface of the first gasket 40, which fits closely to the first gasket mounting surface 26 of the insertion portion 23.
A pair of first turn-up prevention pieces 45 are provided on the front end side in the fitting insertion direction of the first packing 40 so as to protrude toward the fitting insertion direction A. The first turn-up prevention pieces 45 each extend in a substantially C-shape along the left and right short sides (up and down directions).
Four T-shaped locking pieces 42 are provided on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the first packing 40, protruding in the removal direction opposite to the insertion direction A. The T-shaped locking pieces 42 each have a tip end formed in a T shape extending to the left and right.

The retainer 50 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and is formed in an oval ring shape. The retainer 50 is attached to the retainer attachment portion 28 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20.
The retainer 50 is provided with four flexible locking pieces 52 each equipped with a locking protrusion 53 that locks into a locking portion 33 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 23, and a first retaining portion 51 and a second retaining portion 54 formed on the inner peripheral surface so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the retainer mounting portion 28.

The four flexible locking pieces 52 are provided so that the locking projections 53 are located at the four corners of the inner peripheral surface of the oval ring-shaped retainer 50. The flexible locking pieces 52 are formed in a cantilever shape extending from the middle of the upper and lower longitudinal portions to the left and right sides along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50. The locking projections 53 have a vertical locking surface 53a formed on the front end side in the insertion direction that is locked to the locking portion 33, and a tapered surface 53b formed on the rear end side in the insertion direction.

The pair of first holding portions 51 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end side of the retainer 50 in the insertion direction, and are recesses extending in a generally C-shape along the left and right short sides. A support rib 51a extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the front end side of the first holding portions 51 in the insertion direction.
The pair of second holding portions 54 are recesses formed on the inner peripheral surface of the front end side in the insertion direction of the retainer 50 and extending linearly along the middle of the upper and lower longitudinal portions. A support rib 54a extending in the circumferential direction is provided on the rear end side of the second holding portions 54 in the insertion direction.

Therefore, the flexible locking piece 52 is arranged at a predetermined interval relative to the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50, and the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50. In other words, all of the first retaining portions 51, second retaining portions 54 and flexible locking pieces 52 are not arranged side by side in the width direction of the retainer 50 (the direction along the insertion direction of the housing 20), but are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50.

When the retainer 50 is attached to the retainer mounting portion 28, a gap is formed between the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 on the inner surface in front of and behind the insertion direction A and the outer surface of the retainer mounting portion 28.
The first turn-over prevention piece 45 of the first gasket 40 is inserted into the gap in the first retaining portion 51, and the second turn-over prevention piece 65 of the second gasket 60 (described later) is inserted into the gap in the second retaining portion 54.

The second packing 60 is formed in an oval ring shape from an elastic material such as rubber. The second packing 60 is attached to the second packing attachment surface 27 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20, and provides a waterproof seal between the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 and the attachment hole 101 of the housing 100.

An outer lip 61 is provided on the outer surface of the second gasket 60 to fit closely to the inner surface of the mounting hole 101, and an inner lip 63 is provided on the inner surface of the second gasket 60 to fit closely to the second gasket mounting surface 27 of the insertion portion 23.
A second turn-up prevention piece 65 is provided on the rear end side in the insertion direction of the second packing 60, protruding in the removal direction opposite to the insertion direction A. The second turn-up prevention piece 65 extends linearly along the middle of the upper and lower longitudinal portions, respectively.

The front end side of the second packing 60 in the fitting direction is provided with four third turn-up prevention pieces 67 that protrude toward the fitting direction A. The third turn-up prevention pieces 67 extend along the middle parts of the upper and lower longitudinal portions and the middle parts of the left and right lateral portions. The third turn-up prevention pieces 67 of the second packing 60 have an outer shape that corresponds to the band-shaped outer shape of the recess 30 formed in the second packing mounting surface 27, and can complementarily engage with the recess 30.
Furthermore, the third curl-up prevention piece 67 of the second packing 60 is covered by an annular portion 71 of the front holder 70, which will be described later.

5A and 5B are front and rear perspective views of the front holder 70 shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
The front holder 70 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin, and is attached to the front end of the housing 20. As shown in Fig. 5(a) , the front holder 70 has an oval ring-shaped annular portion 71 and an oval plate-shaped front wall portion 73 provided on the front end side of the annular portion 71 in the insertion direction.

The front wall portion 73 is formed with a terminal insertion hole 75 through which the terminal 3 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 5B, the rear end side of the front wall portion 73 in the insertion direction is provided with a plurality of (four in this embodiment) locking arms 77 that are locked to the locking projections 35 of the housing 20, a pair of locking projections 78 that engage with the locking holes 4 of the terminal 3 to double-lock the terminal 3, and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) flexible pieces 79 that elastically contact the terminal 3 to suppress rattling of the terminal 3.

The front holder 70 is attached to the front end of the housing 20 to prevent the second packing 60 from coming off. Furthermore, the annular portion 71 on the rear end side of the front holder 70 in the fitting direction can cover the third turn-over prevention piece 67 of the second packing 60 as a third retaining portion.
Further, the front holder 70 can determine the position of the terminal 3 inserted into the terminal insertion opening 75 .

Next, a procedure for mounting the first packing 40 and the second packing 60 to the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 will be described.
6A and 6B are perspective views for explaining the installation work of the first packing 40 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7A and 7B are perspective views for explaining the installation work of the second packing 60 shown in Fig. 2.

First, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6, the first packing 40 is attached to the first packing mounting surface 26 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20. The first packing 40 fitted into the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is moved until the rear end 40a in the fitting direction abuts against the step portion 29 formed between the outer peripheral surface 21 of the fitting portion 23 and the first packing mounting surface 26. Then, the T-shaped locking piece 42 of the first packing 40 is locked in the locking portion recess 22b formed in the flange portion 22, restricting movement in the fitting direction A and preventing curling of the rear end side in the fitting direction.

Next, the retainer 50 is attached to the retainer attachment portion 28 in the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20. The retainer 50 inserted into the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is moved until the locking projection 53 of the flexible lock piece 52 is locked with the locking portion 33 of the retainer attachment portion 28. The retainer 50 attached to the retainer attachment portion 28 is held in the retainer attachment portion 28 by the locking projection 53 being locked with the locking portion 33.

When the retainer 50 is inserted into the insertion portion 23, the tapered surface 53b of the locking projection 53 rides up onto the frame portion 33a at the front end side in the insertion direction of the locking portion 33, and the flexible locking piece 52 moves while elastically deforming outward. Then, when the support ribs 51a, 54a of the retainer 50 move until they abut against the step portion 34, the locking projection 53 locked to the locking portion 33 is prevented from coming off by the vertical locking surface 53a locking onto the frame portion 33a at the front end side in the insertion direction of the locking portion 33 (see Figures 3 and 4).

The first anti-turning piece 45 of the first packing 40 is inserted into the gap defined between the outer peripheral surface of the retainer mounting portion 28 and the first holding portion 51 of the retainer 50, and the outer peripheral surface is covered by the retainer 50 (see FIG. 12). Thus, the first packing 40 is restricted from moving in the insertion direction A by the retainer 50, and is prevented from turning over at the front end side in the insertion direction.

Next, the second packing 60 is attached to the second packing attachment surface 27 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20. The second packing 60 fitted into the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is moved until the rear end 60a in the fitting direction abuts against the front end 50a in the fitting direction of the retainer 50, or until the rear end 67a in the fitting direction of the third turn-up prevention piece 67 abuts against the step portion 31. The second packing 60 fitted to the second packing attachment surface 27 is held on the second packing attachment surface 27 by the third turn-up prevention piece 67 complementarily engaging with the recess 30 and being locked by the locking portion 32.

The second anti-turning piece 65 of the second packing 60 is inserted into the gap defined between the second packing mounting surface 27 and the second holding portion 54 of the retainer 50, and the outer peripheral surface is covered by the retainer 50 (see FIG. 9). Thus, the retainer 50 prevents the second packing 60 from turning over on the rear end side in the insertion direction.

Finally, the front holder 70 is attached to the front end of the housing 20. The front holder 70 attached to the front end of the housing 20 is moved until the locking arm 77 is locked to the locking projection 35 of the housing 20. The front holder 70 attached to the front end of the housing 20 is held at the front end of the housing 20 by the locking arm 77 being locked to the locking projection 35.

The outer peripheral surface of the third anti-turning piece 67 of the second packing 60 is covered by an annular portion 71 provided on the rear end side of the front holder 70 in the insertion direction (see FIG. 9). Therefore, the front holder 70 prevents the second packing 60 from turning over on the front end side in the insertion direction.

Next, the operation of the waterproof connector 11 having the above configuration will be described.
Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a state in which the waterproof connector 11 shown in Fig. 1 is inserted into the mounting hole 101 of the housing 100, which is the counterpart member. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in Fig. 9. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the waterproof connector 11 shown in Fig. 1 with the shield shell 80 removed. Fig. 14(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIVa-XIVa in Fig. 13, and Fig. 14(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIVb-XIVb in Fig. 12.

According to the waterproof connector 11 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 to 13, the first packing 40 attached to the first packing mounting surface 26 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is positioned and held relative to the housing 20 by a retainer 50 having a flexible lock piece 52 engaged with a locking portion 33 provided on the outer circumferential surface 21 of the fitting portion 23. The first packing 40 and the second packing 60 arranged side by side on the outer circumferential surface 21 of the fitting portion 23 along the fitting direction A of the housing 20 can reliably provide a watertight seal between the mounting hole 101 of the housing 100 and the housing 20.

Therefore, the outer peripheral surface 21 of the insertion portion 23 does not require a packing housing groove for positioning and holding the first packing 40 and the second packing 60. As a result, there is no need to spread the back side first packing 40 to overcome the wall formed between the pair of packing housing grooves as in conventional waterproof connectors, making the installation work easier and preventing the first packing 40 from twisting during installation or damage to the inner lip 43, which is the sealing portion of the first packing 40, resulting in a decrease in sealing performance.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the retainer 50 is positioned and fixed to the housing 20 by the flexible locking piece 52 engaging with the locking portion 33 provided on the outer circumferential surface 21 of the fitting portion 23. The flexible locking piece 52 does not require the entire retainer to be deformed when the annular retainer 50 is attached to the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20. Therefore, the flexible locking piece 52 can increase the engagement allowance of the locking protrusion 53 with the locking portion 33, thereby increasing the locking force and without compromising ease of assembly.

Furthermore, in the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment, the flexible locking pieces 52 extending circumferentially along the outer circumferential surface 21 of the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 can ensure a sufficient span without increasing the width (length along the fitting direction of the housing 20) of the annular retainer 50. Thus, the flexibility of the flexible locking pieces 52 can be increased without increasing the size of the housing 20 in the fitting direction, thereby improving the ease of installation of the retainer 50.
Incidentally, in the waterproof connector according to the present invention, if it is not necessary to reduce the size of the housing 20, it goes without saying that the flexible locking pieces 52 may be configured to extend in the width direction of the retainer 50 (the direction in which the housing is inserted).

In the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment, the first turn-up prevention piece 45 provided on the front end side of the first packing 40 in the fitting direction is covered by the first holding portion 51 of the retainer 50, as shown in Fig. 12. In addition, the second turn-up prevention piece 65 provided on the rear end side of the second packing 60 in the fitting direction is covered by the second holding portion 54 of the retainer 50, as shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 14(b).
Therefore, when the insertion portion 23 of the housing 20 is inserted into the mounting hole 101 of the housing 100, the front end side of the first gasket 40 in the insertion direction can be prevented from curling up, and when the insertion portion of the housing 20 is removed from the mounting hole 101 of the housing 100, the rear end side of the second gasket 60 in the insertion direction can be prevented from curling up.

Furthermore, in the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 14 (a) and (b), the flexible locking piece 52 is arranged at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50 relative to the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 provided on the retainer 50, and is not arranged in parallel with the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 in the width direction of the retainer 50 (the direction along the insertion direction A of the housing 20).
Furthermore, the first retaining portion 51 and the second retaining portion 54 are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer 50, and the first retaining portion 51, the second retaining portion 54 and the flexible locking piece 52 are not arranged side by side in the width direction of the retainer 50 (the direction along the insertion direction A of the housing 20).
Therefore, by providing the first holding portion 51 and the second holding portion 54, the width of the retainer 50 is increased, and the size of the housing 20 can be prevented from increasing.

In the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment, the third turn-up prevention piece 67 provided on the front end side of the second packing 60 in the fitting direction is covered by the annular portion 71 of the front holder 70, as shown in FIG.
Therefore, when the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is fitted into the mounting hole 101 of the case 100, the front end side of the second packing 60 in the fitting direction can be prevented from being turned up.

Therefore, the waterproof connector 11 according to this embodiment makes it easy to install the gasket, and provides a waterproof connector with high waterproof performance.

Figures 15 and 16 are a perspective view and a rear view of a modified retainer 50A. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the retainer 50A shown in Figure 16 when it is attached to the insertion portion 23 of the housing 20. Note that components of the retainer 50A that are the same as those of the retainer 50 described above are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the retainer 50A is formed in an oval ring shape like the retainer 50. The retainer 50A has four flexible locking pieces 52 with locking projections 53, a first retaining portion 51 and a second retaining portion 54 formed on the inner circumferential surface so as to face the outer circumferential surface of the retainer attachment portion 28 (the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 23), and a thin-walled portion 55.

The pair of first retaining portions 51 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end side of the retainer 50A in the insertion direction, and are recesses that extend in a roughly C-shape along the left and right short sides. The distance W1 between the inner peripheral surfaces 56 of the pair of first retaining portions 51 at the front end side in the insertion direction is slightly narrower than the distance W2 between the outer peripheral surfaces of the corresponding insertion portions 23 (see FIG. 17).

The pair of second retaining portions 54 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end side of the retainer 50A in the insertion direction, and are recesses that extend linearly along the middle of the upper and lower longitudinal portions. The distance H1 between the inner peripheral surfaces 57, which are the tip surfaces of the support ribs 54a at the rear end side of the pair of second retaining portions 54 in the insertion direction, is slightly narrower than the distance H2 between the outer peripheral surfaces of the corresponding insertion portions 23 (see FIG. 17).

When the retainer 50A is attached to the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 17, the thin-walled portions 55 formed at the curved portions of the four corners elastically deform in a direction that reduces the curvature, and the longitudinal and lateral portions of the retainer 50A are inserted into the fitting portion 23 while expanding. The inner circumferential surfaces 56, 57 of the longitudinal and lateral portions of the retainer 50A are then in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the retainer attachment portion 28 (the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion 23), and the retainer 50A is attached to the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 in a tightened state.

As a result, when the fitting portion 23 of the housing 20 is fitted into the mounting hole 101 of the case 100, the rear end side of the second packing 60, which is pushed rearward in the fitting direction by the inner wall of the mounting hole 101, can be prevented from slipping between the retainer 50A and the fitting portion 23. As a result, deformation of the retainer 50A due to the second packing 60 slipping between the retainer 50A and the fitting portion 23 can be suppressed.

Here, the features of the embodiments of the waterproof connector according to the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed below.
[1] A housing (20) having packing mounting surfaces (a first packing mounting surface 26 and a second packing mounting surface 27) on an outer peripheral surface (21) of a fitting portion (23) that is fitted into a mounting hole (101) of a mating member (housing 100);
a first packing (40) attached to the packing attachment surface (first packing attachment surface 26) at the rear end side of the fitting portion (23) in the fitting insertion direction;
a second packing (60) attached to the packing attachment surface (second packing attachment surface 27) at the front end side of the fitting portion (23) in the fitting insertion direction;
a retainer (50, 50A) disposed between the first packing (40) and the second packing (60), the flexible lock piece (52) being engaged with a locking portion (33) provided on the outer circumferential surface (21) of the fitting portion (23);
A waterproof connector (11) comprising:
[2] The waterproof connector (11) described above in [1], wherein the flexible locking piece (52) extends in a circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface (21) of the fitting portion (23).
[3] The waterproof connector (11) described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the retainer (50, 50A) has a first holding portion (51) that covers a first turn-up prevention piece (45) provided on the front end side of the first packing (40) in the insertion direction, and a second holding portion (54) that covers a second turn-up prevention piece (65) provided on the rear end side of the second packing (60) in the insertion direction.
[4] The waterproof connector (11) described above in [3], characterized in that the flexible locking piece (52) is arranged at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the retainer (50, 50A) with respect to the first retaining portion (51) and the second retaining portion (54).
[5] The waterproof connector (11) described in [4] above, characterized in that the first retaining portion (51) and the second retaining portion (54) are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer (50, 50A).
[6] The retainer (50A) formed in an oval ring shape has thin-walled portions (55) at four corners for forming gaps between the retainer and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion (23),
The waterproof connector (11) described in any one of the above [1] to [5], characterized in that inner surfaces (56, 57) in the longitudinal and lateral portions of the retainer (50A) are in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion (23).
[7] The waterproof connector (11) according to any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein a front holder (70) is provided at a front end of the housing (20) and has a third retaining portion (annular portion 71) covering a third turn-up prevention piece (67) provided on the front end side of the second gasket (60) in the insertion direction.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.
For example, in the waterproof connector 11 according to the above embodiment, the first packing 40 is positioned at the rear end in the insertion direction by abutting the rear end 40a in the insertion direction against the step 29 formed between the outer circumferential surface 21 and the first packing mounting surface 26, and by engaging the T-shaped locking piece 42 with the locking portion recess 22b formed in the flange portion 22. However, the waterproof connector of the present invention is not limited to this, and the first packing 40 can also be positioned at the rear end in the insertion direction by providing a protrusion on the inner circumferential surface of the first packing to be locked in a locking recess provided on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion, or by engaging a locking arm provided on the inner circumferential surface of the first packing with a recess provided on the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion.

11: Waterproof connector 20: Housing 21: Outer circumferential surface 23: Insertion portion 26: First packing attachment surface (packing attachment surface at the rear end side in the insertion direction)
27...Second packing mounting surface (packing mounting surface at the front end side in the fitting insertion direction)
33 ... locking portion 40 ... first packing 50 ... retainer 52 ... flexible lock piece 60 ... second packing 70 ... front holder 100 ... housing (counterpart)
101...Mounting hole

Claims (7)

a housing having a packing mounting surface on an outer peripheral surface of a fitting portion that is fitted into a mounting hole of a mating member;
a first packing attached to the packing attachment surface at a rear end side of the fitting portion in the fitting insertion direction;
a second packing attached to the packing attachment surface at a front end side of the fitting portion in the fitting insertion direction;
a retainer disposed between the first packing and the second packing, the retainer having a flexible locking piece that is engaged with an engaging portion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion;
Equipped with
a flexible locking piece formed in a cantilever shape extending along an outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion and in a circumferential direction of the retainer, said flexible locking piece being configured as a cantilever. 2. The waterproof connector according to claim 1 , wherein the locking portion is formed by a protrusion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the inserting portion and extending in a circumferential direction of the inserting portion . The waterproof connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retainer has a first holding part that covers a first turn-up prevention piece provided on the front end side of the first packing in the insertion direction, and a second holding part that covers a second turn-up prevention piece provided on the rear end side of the second packing in the insertion direction. The waterproof connector according to claim 3, characterized in that the flexible locking pieces are arranged at a predetermined interval along the circumferential direction of the retainer relative to the first holding portion and the second holding portion. The waterproof connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the first holding portion and the second holding portion are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other along the circumferential direction of the retainer. the retainer formed in an oval ring shape has thin-walled portions at four corners for forming gaps between the retainer and an outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion,
6. The waterproof connector according to claim 1, wherein inner circumferential surfaces of the longitudinal and lateral portions of the retainer are in intimate contact with an outer circumferential surface of the fitting portion. The waterproof connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a front holder having a third holding part that covers a third turn-over prevention piece provided on the front end side of the second packing in the insertion direction is provided at the front end of the housing.

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