Connector for fluid piping and connector assembly

A connector for gas piping for detachably connecting gas tubes (T) corresponding to mating pipes (54) provided in a mating connector (50) is provided with a housing main body (10) connectable to the mating connector (50), a sub-connector (30) provided in the housing main body (10), joint pipes (32) connectable to the mating pipes (54) and having the gas tubes (T) connected thereto, and an engaging mechanism for holding the sub-connector (30) and the housing main body (10) in an engaged state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a connector for fluid piping, particularly gas piping and to a corresponding connector assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-62035 discloses a connector for gas piping that introduces exhaust gas from an exhaust pipe to a gas measuring device to measure components of exhaust gas of an automotive vehicle. A gas tube extends from the exhaust pipe and is connected to this connector. The gas tube and a mating pipe in a measuring device can be connected by connecting this connector to a mating connector in the gas measuring device.

The above-described connector for gas piping includes a metallic joint pipe formed in a housing main body by insert molding, and the gas tube is connected to an end of this joint pipe. An internally threaded part is formed at the end of the joint pipe. A metallic joint member is connected to an end of the gas tube. The gas tube is connected to the joint pipe by threadedly engaging the joint member with the internally threaded part.

The joint pipes and the joint members must be threadedly coupled at plural positions if there are plural gas tubes and plural joint pipes. Hence, there is a problem of poor efficiency. Further, plural joint pipes may be arranged side by side or in plural of levels. Thus, the joint member is mounted to the joint pipe in a narrow space due to wires and other influences, thereby further deteriorating assembling efficiency of the gas tubes.

The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object of the invention is to provide a connector for fluid piping that enables a fluid tube to be mounted to a housing main body by an easy and simple operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a connector for fluid piping for detachably connecting at least one fluid tube corresponding to at least one mating pipe provided in a mating connector. The connector includes a housing main body connectable to the mating connector. At least one sub-connector is provided detachably in the housing main body. At least one joint pipe is in the sub-connector. The joint pipe has a first end connected to the mating pipe when the housing main body is connected to the mating connector and a second end connectable to the fluid tube. An engaging mechanism holds the sub-connector engaged with the housing main body.

The housing main body and the joint pipe are separate members. Thus, the fluid tube can be connected initially to the sub-connector. The sub-connector then can be fit easily into the housing main body to mount the fluid/gas tube into the housing main body. Hence, the invention avoids the problems that occur when a prior art a fluid/gas tube is attempted to be assembled in a narrow space to a joint pipe that is formed integrally with a housing main body.

The joint pipe may be inserted at least partly into the interior of the mating pipe to be connected.

At least one O-ring may be fit on an outer peripheral part of the end of the joint pipe that is to be held in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mating pipe. Accordingly, a clearance between the joint pipe and the mating pipe is sealed in a fluid-tight manner.

The joint pipe and the sub-connector may be made integrally or unitarily of synthetic resin. Accordingly, the number of parts can be reduced by integrally forming the joint pipe and the sub-connector using a molding die or the like, which is preferable in terms of management and cost.

The housing main body may include an electrical connector housing that is connectable to mating electrical connector housing of the mating connector. Accordingly, a hybrid connector for gas piping is provided including a joint pipe for gas and an electrical connector housing.

A plurality of mating pipes may be provided in the mating connector; and a plurality of joint pipes each having the fluid or gas tube connected thereto may be provided in the sub-connector. Accordingly, the plurality of joint pipes having the fluid or gas tubes connected thereto can be mounted collectively into the housing main body, thereby drastically improving operational efficiency. Further, even if the joint pipes are arranged side by side or in plural levels, it is not necessary to perform a fluid or gas tube assembling operation in a narrow space, such as an operation of mounting fluid or gas tubes to joint pipes integrally formed to the connector housing main body, as with a conventional connector. Rather, the fluid or gas tubes can be connected simply and easily.

The housing main body may include at least one sub-connector accommodating portion capable of accommodating the at least one sub-connector.

The sub-connector may include a coupling plate that holds portions of a plurality of joint pipes and fixes the plurality of joint pipes in an arrangement. Flexible engaging pieces may be provided on the coupling plate for engaging one or more engaging projections on the housing main body, and preferably on inner surfaces of the sub-connector accommodating portion.

The flexible engaging pieces may deform resiliently toward the center of the coupling plate by moving onto the respective engaging projections while inserting the sub-connector into the sub-connector accommodating portion. The flexible engaging pieces then restore resiliently to engage the respective engaging projections at a connection ending position. Accordingly, the sub-connector can be mounted into the sub-connector accommodating portion through a one-touch operation merely by inserting the sub-connector into the sub-connector accommodating portion of the housing main body.

The flexible engaging pieces may include two inclined pieces cantilevered back and out from front ends of the end surfaces of the coupling plate at the sides of the joint pipes and engaging pieces may extend farther back from the rear ends of the inclined pieces. The inclined pieces may be formed at positions that contact the engaging projections when the sub-connector is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion. More particularly, the engaging pieces may be formed with engaging holes and parts thereof adjacent to the engaging holes may define pressing/disengaging portions. The inclined pieces contact the engaging projections when the sub-connector is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion. Thus, the flexible engaging pieces reliably deform resiliently toward the center of the coupling plate. Further, the sub-connector can be separated easily from the housing main body for maintenance or another reason by pressing the pressing/disengaging portions from the opposite sides of the coupling plate toward the center of the coupling plate to resiliently deform the flexible engaging pieces.

The invention also relates to a connector assembly for fluid piping comprising the above-described connector and a mating connector connectable with a housing main body of the connector. The mating connector includes a mating electrical connector housing and the housing main body includes an electrical connector housing connectable to the mating electrical connector housing.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A connector for gas piping according to the invention includes a housing main body10in the form of a receptacle with four rounded corners as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, and a sub-connector30having gas or fluid tubes connected thereto as shown inFIG. 6. The connector is formed by fitting the sub-connector30into the housing main body10, as shown inFIG. 9. In the following description, forward and backward directions are based on a lateral direction inFIG. 9and a side of a connection surface (left side inFIG. 9) of the connector for gas piping is referred to as the front.

The housing main body10is made e.g. of synthetic resin, and a connecting lever11extends along the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body10. The connecting lever11is substantially U-shaped in front view and is supported rotatably on outer surfaces of the housing main body10, as shown inFIGS. 1 to 4. The lever11has two arms11A and a cam groove12is formed in surfaces of the arms11A that face each other, as shown inFIG. 1. The cam grooves12are engageable with cam pins52provided on a mating housing51of a mating connector50. The cam pins52are pulled toward back of the cam grooves12by a cam action generated by operating the lever11for connecting the mating connector50and the housing main body10(seeFIG. 10). In this way, the respective housings10,51are pulled toward each other and connected.

The housing main body10has a forwardly open receptacle13. Escaping grooves15are formed at substantially widthwise central parts of inner surfaces of the receptacle13and extend from the opening of the receptacle13to the back wall of the receptacle13. The escaping grooves15are formed substantially along entrance paths for the respective cam pins52of the mating housing51and guide the corresponding cam pins52to the cam grooves12of the lever11when the mating housing51is being inserted into the receptacle13and connected.

An electrical connector housing16extends in forward and backward directions through the back wall of the receptacle13, as shown inFIG. 10. The electrical connector housing16includes a fitting tube17extending forward from the back wall of the receptacle13. A ring-shaped seal18is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of a base end of the fitting tube17and includes lips18A. The seal18seals between the electrical connector housings16,53in a fluid- or liquid-tight manner when the fitting tube17is fit into a receptacle in the mating electrical connector housing53of the mating connector50.

Two spaced apart pairs of cavities19are arranged substantially side by side in the electrical connector housing16, with the cavities in each pair being substantially adjacent to each other. A flexible locking lance20is cantilevered in a substantially forward and inward direction from an inner surface of each cavity19, as shown inFIG. 10. Each flexible locking lance20locks a female terminal fitting21that has been inserted into the cavity19from behind and retains the female terminal fitting21in the cavity19.

A substantially rectangular restricting tube22is mounted on a leading end portion of the fitting tube17after the female terminal fittings21are locked by the flexible locking lances20. This restricting tube22includes deformation restricting portions22A substantially in the form of tongues that closely contact outer surfaces of the flexible locking lances20to prevent resilient deformation of the flexible locking lances20when the restricting tube22is mounted on the fitting tube17.

The sub-connector30includes a long narrow coupling plate31and joint pipes32penetrate through the coupling plate31, as shown inFIGS. 5 to 8.

Inclined portions31A are formed at lower parts of the opposite left and right sides the coupling plate31and incline so that the width of the upper end surface is somewhat longer than the width of the lower end surface, as shown inFIG. 5.

Four substantially cylindrical joint pipes32are formed unitarily to the coupling plate31and penetrate through plate surfaces of the coupling plate31, as shown inFIGS. 6 to 8. A pipe connecting portion33is defined at a first end of each joint pipe32before the coupling plate31and can be connected to a mating pipe54in the mating connector50. A tube connecting portion34is defined at the second end of each joint pipe and can be connected to a fluid or gas tube T. A continuous fluid or gas flow path32A is provided in each joint pipe32and extends from the opening of the pipe connecting portion33to the opening of the tube connecting portion34.

As shown inFIG. 10, the pipe connecting portions33project forward from the back wall of the receptacle13when the sub-connector30is mounted into the housing main body10. The pipe connecting portions33are inserted and fitted into the mating pipes54in the mating connector housing51when the housing main body10is connected to the mating connector housing51.

A first annular groove33A is formed in the outer peripheral surface of a leading end of the pipe connecting portion33and has a first O-ring35mounted therein. The first O-ring35seals a clearance between the inner peripheral surface of the mating pipe54and the outer peripheral surface of the pipe connecting portion33in a fluid- or liquid-tight manner to prevent entrance of water and the like into the interiors of the pipes when the pipe connecting portion33is connected to the mating pipe54.

A tapered portion34A is formed at a leading end of each tube connecting portion34so that the tube connecting portion34can be inserted easily inserted into the fluid or gas tube T.

At least one annular engaging projection34B is formed on the outer peripheral surface of each tube connecting portion34and widens from the rear toward the front over substantially the entire circumference. This annular engaging projection34B engages the inner surface of the fluid or gas tube T to retain the tube connecting portion34in the gas tube T when the tube connecting portion34is inserted into the interior of the gas tube T.

A second annular groove33C is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the tube connecting portion34behind the tapered portion34A and a second O-ring36is mounted therein. The second O-ring36seals a clearance between the inner peripheral surface of the fluid or gas tube T and the outer peripheral surface of the tube connecting portion34in a fluid- or liquid-tight manner to prevent entrance of water and the like into the interiors of the pipes when the tube connecting portion34is inserted into the gas tube T.

As shown inFIGS. 2,4and10, a sub-connector accommodating portion23is provided in the rear end surface of the housing main body10for accommodating the sub-connector30therein. The inner peripheral shape of the sub-connector accommodating portion23is substantially the same as the outer peripheral shape of the sub-connector30when viewed from the front as shown inFIG. 2. Thus, when the sub-connector30is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23, the outer peripheral surface of the sub-connector30is held in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the sub-connector accommodating portion23. The inclined portions31A at the lower parts of the left and right sides of the sub-connector30function to position the sub-connector30when the sub-connector30is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23.

As shown inFIG. 2, four pipe insertion holes25are formed in a back wall24of the sub-connector accommodating portion23and communicate with the receptacle13. The pipe insertion holes25are slightly larger than the outer shape of the pipe connecting portions33of the sub-connector30. The respective pipe insertion holes25are set so that the pipe connecting portions33can be inserted into the corresponding pipe insertion holes25, as shown inFIG. 10, when the sub-connector30is mounted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23.

Flexible engaging pieces37are formed on opposite side surfaces of the coupling plate31of the sub-connector30, as shown inFIGS. 6 to 9. Each flexible engaging piece37includes an inclined piece38cantilevered from the front end of the side surface of the coupling plate31in a backward and outward direction and an engaging piece39extending farther back from the rear end of the inclined piece38.

As shown inFIG. 7, a substantially rectangular engaging hole39A is formed substantially in the center of each engaging piece39. The engaging holes39A are engageable with engaging projections26in the sub-connector accommodating portion23to retain the sub-connector30in the sub-connector accommodating portion23when the sub-connector30is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23. Note that the engaging projections26are inclined inwardly from the rear to the front.

Pressing/disengaging portions40are defined at leading ends of the engaging pieces39. The pressing/disengaging portions40can be pressed from the opposite widthwise sides toward the center of the coupling plate31at the time of separating the sub-connector30from the sub-connector accommodating portion23. Thus the flexible engaging pieces37deform resiliently to enable the sub-connector30to be separated from the sub-connector accommodating portion23.

The tube connecting portions34of the sub-connector30are pressed into the gas tubes T beforehand to prepare the sub-connector30(seeFIGS. 6 to 8). The sub-connector30then is positioned in conformity with the shape of the opening of the sub-connector accommodating portion23of the housing main body10and is inserted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23. In this connecting process, the inclined pieces38of the flexible engaging pieces37at the opposite widthwise sides of the sub-connector30contact the engaging projections26of the sub-connector accommodating portion23and deform resiliently toward the center of the coupling plate31. The sub-connector30is inserted farther until the front end surface of the coupling plate31contacts the back wall24of the sub-connector accommodating portion23. Then, the engaging projections26engage the respective engaging holes39A of the flexible engaging pieces37to cancel a contact state of the flexible engaging pieces37and the engaging projections26. In this way, the flexible engaging pieces37are restored resiliently to retain the sub-connector30in the sub-connector accommodating portion23.

As described above, the gas tubes T can be mounted to the connector housing main body10very easily and simply merely by inserting the sub-connector30into the sub-connector accommodating portion23of the housing main body10. Further, the sub-connector30can be detached very easily from the housing main body10for maintenance or other reason merely by pressing the pressing/disengaging portions40laterally from the opposite widthwise sides toward the center of the coupling plate31to deform the flexible engaging pieces37resiliently.

The invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiment. For example, the following embodiments also are included in the scope of the invention.

Four pairs of the joint pipes32of the sub-connector30and the pipe insertion holes25of the housing main body10are mated in the above embodiment. However, the invention is not limited to such a mode and any number from one or more joint pipes32formed in the sub-connector30and a corresponding number of pipe insertion holes25formed in the connector housing10may be provided.

The flexible engaging pieces37are formed at the opposite widthwise sides of the sub-connector30in the above embodiment. However, the flexible engaging pieces37may be provided at other positions on the sub-connector30.

The sub-connector30has the flexible engaging pieces37with the engaging holes39A for locking to the engaging portions26of the sub-connector accommodating portion23to retain the sub-connector30in the sub-connector accommodating portion23. However, other retaining arrangements may be provided. For example, one or more resilient engaging claws may be formed near the opening of the sub-connector accommodating portion23for locking to one or more engaging portions on the sub-connector30and retaining the sub-connector30in the sub-connector accommodating portion23.

The first O-ring35is fit on the outer peripheral part of the pipe connecting portion33of each joint pipe32and is held in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mating pipe54in the above embodiment. However other sealing arrangements are possible. For example, a seal can have one or more inner lips held in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe connecting portion33and/or one or more outer lips held in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mating pipe.

The joint pipes32are unitary with the coupling plate31of the sub-connector30in the above embodiment. However, the coupling plate31may be formed with one or more pipe engaging holes for holding one or more separately formed joint pipes32.

The sub-connector30is separated from the housing main body10by pressing the pressing/disengaging portions40on the flexible engaging pieces37in the above embodiment. However, the invention is not limited to such a mode. For example, the sub-connector30may be separated from the sub-connector accommodating portion23using a special jig. Alternatively, the sub-connector30may be inseparably mounted into the sub-connector accommodating portion23.