Connector

A connector includes an inner plate including cavities for holding terminals connected to electric wires, a cylindrical housing which accommodates therein the inner plate, and a filling material which is filled in an interior of the housing so as to surround a periphery of the inner plate. A plurality of air bleeding holes are formed in a portion of the inner plate other than portions where the cavities are provided so as to penetrate from a front side to a back side thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector having a sealing construction which is mounted, for example, in an engine compartment or an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle for establishing a connection between circuits inside and outside the engine compartment or the automatic transmission.

2. Background Art

High sealing properties such as waterproofing or oil proofing properties are required for a connector that is mounted in an engine compartment or an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle for establishing a connection between circuits inside and outside the engine compartment or the automatic transmission. As a connector having such a sealing construction, there are known connectors in which a resin filling material is filled in an interior of a housing thereof (for example, refer to JP-A-2000-260517 and JP-A-2010-182493).

AsFIG. 9shows, in a connector having such a sealing construction, terminal portions of electric wires1bcovered with a rubber tube1aas a cover are connected to a connector housing2. A bush2ais provided on the connector housing2for use in connection with a mating connector.

An inner plate5is provided within the connector housing2, and terminals4which are connected to the electric wires1bare held on the inner plate5. A filling material3of an epoxy resin, for example, is filled and set in a space defined by the rubber tube1a, the bush2aand the inner plate5, so as to prevent the intrusion of an external liquid such as water or oil into the connector housing2.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Incidentally, the inner plate5provided in the connector described above is formed into a complicated shape for holding the terminals4. Because of this, when the filling material3is filled in the space defined by the rubber tube1a, the bush2aand the inner plate5, the filling material3is not allowed to smoothly enter complicatedly shaped portions in the inner plate5, whereby air voids are produced in the filling material3so filled, leading to fears that the sealing properties are reduced.

Consequently, the filling speed of the filling material3is slowed so as to suppress the production of non-filled portions such as air voids where the filling material3is not filled, and this calls for an increase in production costs due to a reduction in production efficiency.

The invention has been made in view of these situations, and an object thereof is to provide a connector having superior sealing properties which can realize a reduction in production costs by increasing the production efficiency.

With a view to attaining the object, according to the invention, there is provided a connector characterized by configurations described under (1) and (2) below.(1) A connector including:an inner plate including cavities for holding terminals connected to electric wires;a cylindrical housing which accommodates therein the inner plate; anda filling material which is filled in an interior of the housing so as to surround the periphery of the inner plate, whereinplural air bleeding holes are formed in a portion of the inner plate other than the portions where the cavities are provided so as to penetrate from a front side to a back side thereof.(2) A connector as set forth under (1) above, whereinthe housing is closed with a sealing plug at a rear end side, and wherein the filling material is filled into an interior of the housing which is closed by the sealing plug to a position where the inner plate is covered therewith from the rear end side.

In the connector configured as set forth under (1), the plural air bleeding holes are formed in the other portion of the inner plate than the portions where the cavities are provided so as to penetrate from the front side to the back side of the inner plate. Therefore, in filling the filling material into the interior of the housing, the occurrence of a drawback is prevented in which air in the interior of the housing remains on the peripheries of the cavities to form air voids. By preventing the production of air voids in this way, the filling material can be filled into the interior of the housing quickly and smoothly, thereby making it possible to realize a reduction in production costs as a result of an increase in productivity while ensuring high sealing properties.

In the connector configured as set forth under (2), in filling the filling material into the interior of the housing which is closed with the sealing plug to the position where the inner plate is covered therewith from the rear end side, air staying on the peripheries of the cavities in the inner plate is discharged to the outside through the air bleeding holes. By adopting this configuration, the occurrence of the drawback is prevented in which air in the interior of the housing remains on the peripheries of the cavities to form air voids.

According to the invention, the connector can be provided which has superior sealing properties and which can realize a reduction in production costs through efficient production.

Thus, the invention has been briefly described. Further, the details of the invention will be made clearer through perusal of Description of Embodiments that will be described below while referring to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described by reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the invention,FIG. 2is a perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment which is sectioned longitudinally,FIG. 3is an exploded perspective view of a housing of the connector according to the embodiment which is sectioned longitudinally,FIGS. 4A and 4Bshow diagrams depicting the connector according to the embodiment.FIG. 4Ais a front view andFIG. 4Bis a sectional view.FIGS. 5A and 5Bshow diagrams depicting an inner plate which is to be accommodated in the housing of the connector.FIG. 5Ais a front view andFIG. 5Bis a sectional view.

AsFIGS. 1 to 4Bshow, a connector11according to this embodiment has a cylindrical housing12. Terminals14made of a conductive metallic material are disposed in an interior the housing12, and the terminals14are connected to end portions of plural electric wires13through crimping or the like. The terminals14are individually connected to an inner plate15which is accommodated in the interior of the housing12. In addition, the electric wires13are held in a sealing plug16which is fitted in the housing12at a rear end side thereof.

A distal end side of the housing12is configured as a connecting end21which is formed into an oval shape in section, and a mating connector (not shown) is connected to this connecting end21, whereby the terminals14of the connector11are connected to terminals of the mating connector for establishing an electric continuity.

A claw portion22is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the connecting end21. When the connecting end21is connected to the mating connector, the claw portion22is brought into engagement with the mating connector.

The rear end side of the housing12is configured as a fixing end27, and this fixing end27side of the housing12is formed into a circular shape in section.

The fixing end27of the housing12is inserted into a connection hole (not shown) which is formed in an engine compartment or a case of an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle for connection.

A flange portion23is formed at a longitudinal intermediate portion of the housing12so as to extend over a circumferential direction while projecting radially outwards. When the fixing end27is inserted into the connection hole in the case, the flange portion23is brought into abutment with the case. A fixing piece24is formed on the flange portion23so as to extend radially outwards. An insertion hole25is formed in the fixing piece24, and the connector11is fixed to the case by inserting a bolt (not shown) through the insertion hole and screwing the bolt into a threaded hole (not shown) formed in the case.

In addition, the fixing end27of the housing12has a groove portion38which is formed fully circumferentially on an outer circumference of the fixing end27, and an O-ring39is fittingly mounted in this groove portion38.

By adopting this configuration, when the fitting end27of the housing12is inserted into the connecting hole in the case, a seal is formed between an inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole and an outer circumferential surface of the fixing end27of the housing12by the O-ring39.

A hole portion28having a circular shape in section is formed at the fixing end27side of the housing12. A large diameter portion28ais formed at an end portion of the hole portion28, and the sealing plug16, which is formed into a disk-like shape, is fitted in the large diameter portion28a.

The sealing plug16is formed of a rubber, for example, and has plural insertion holes35through which the electric wires13are inserted so as to penetrate through the sealing plug16from a front side to a back side thereof. The electric wires13which are connected to the corresponding terminals14are inserted through the corresponding insertion holes35. The sealing plug16has an elongated sealing projection36which is formed fully circumferentially on an outer circumferential surface thereof. When the sealing plug16is fitted in the large diameter portion28aof the housing12, the elongated sealing projection36is brought into tight contact with an inner circumferential surface of the large diameter portion28aof the housing12.

An engagement claw26is formed on an inner circumferential surface of the connecting end21of the housing12which is constructed as has been described above. This engagement claw26is brought into engagement with the inner plate15which is inserted from the distal end side of the housing12. By this engagement, the inner plate15is prevented from being dislodged from the housing12by means of an engagement force with the engagement claw26.

As shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B, the inner plate15adapted to be inserted from the connecting end21side of the housing12has a terminal holding portion32and engagement portions33. The terminal holding portion32is formed into a rectangular shape as viewed from the top thereof and has plural cavities31arranged in upper and lower rows. The engagement portions33are provided at a central portion with respect to a widthwise direction of the terminal holding portion32at upper and lower sides of the central portion. The terminals14connected to the corresponding electric wires13are inserted into the plural cavities31formed in the terminal holding portion32from the rear end side so as to be held therein. In addition, on the inner plate15, plural air bleeding holes34are formed along a direction in which the cavities31are arranged in a portion of the terminal holding portion32other than the portions where the cavities31are formed which lies between the upper and lower rows of cavities31.

The inner plate15is inserted from the connecting end21side of the housing12and is restricted from moving in an opposite direction to the inserting direction by the engagement claw26being brought into engagement with the engagement portion33.

A filling material41formed of an epoxy resin or the like is filled in a portion in the interior of the housing12which lies further forwards than the sealing plug16. The inner plate15is covered with the filling material41.

By this configuration, in this connector11, the inner plate15which holds the terminals14and the portion in the interior of the housing12which lies further rearwards than the inner plate15are sealed by the filling material41. Consequently, in this connector11, even in the event that rain water or oil enters from the connecting portion with the mating connector, a drawback is prevented in which the rain water or oil that has entered the connector11intrudes into the engine compartment or the case of the automatic transmission of the motor vehicle through the interior of the housing12.

Next, the assemblage of the connector11will be described.

FIGS. 6A and 6Bshow diagrams explaining an assembling procedure of the connector.FIGS. 6A to 6Dare perspective views of the connector which is sectioned longitudinally.

AsFIG. 6Bshows, the terminals14are connected to the electric wires13which are inserted into the housing12from the rear end side thereof in advance. Then, the terminals14are inserted into the cavities31in the inner plate15so as to be held therein. The electric wires13are inserted through the insertion holes35in the sealing plug16in advance.

Then, the inner plate15which holds the terminals14is inserted into the housing12from the connecting end21side thereof, and the engagement claw26is brought into engagement with the engagement portion33of the inner plate15.

Next, asFIG. 6Bshows, the sealing plug16is fitted in the large diameter portion28aof the housing12from the fixing end27at the rear end side of the housing12.

Thereafter, asFIG. 6Cshows, the filling material41, which is formed of the epoxy resin or the like, is filled into the interior of the housing12from the distal end side thereof. The filling material41is so filled with the distal end side of the housing12oriented upwards. The filling material41is filled to a position where the inner plate15is embedded in the filling material41. As this occurs, air staying between the sealing plug16and the inner plate15in the interior of the housing12is discharged to the outside of the housing12from a gap between the housing12and the inner plate15as the filling material41is filled into the housing12. By the air escaping in the way described above, the filling material41is filled smoothly between the sealing plug16and the inner plate15in the interior of the housing12.

In addition, the plural air bleeding holes34are formed in the terminal holding portion32of the inner plate15which is the portion other than the portions where the cavities31are provided along the direction in which the cavities31are arranged. Thus, when the filling material41is filled, air staying between the sealing plug16and the inner plate15in the interior of the housing12is discharged smoothly to the outside of the housing12from the air bleeding holes34. By the air escaping in the way described above, no air void is produced in the interior of the housing12, and therefore, the filling material41is filled into the housing12quickly and smoothly.

When the filling material41is set, asFIG. 6Dshows, the O-ring39is fitted to be mounted in the groove portion38formed circumferentially along the outer circumference of the rear end side of the housing12.

Thus, as has been described heretofore, according to the connector of this embodiment, the plural air bleeding holes34are formed in the portion of the inner plate15which holds the terminals14other than the portions where the cavities31are formed so as to penetrate the portion from the front side to the back side. Thus, when the filling material41is filled into the portion in the interior of the housing12which extends from the rear end side to the position where the inner plate15is covered by the filling material41, the drawback is prevented in which air in the interior of the housing12remains on the peripheries of the cavities31to thereby produce air voids. By this configuration, the filling material41can be filled into the interior of the housing12quickly and smoothly, thereby making it possible to realize a reduction in production costs due to the increase in productivity while ensuring the high sealing properties.

Here, a reference example will be described to explain further the superiority of the invention.

FIG. 7is a sectional view of a connector according to a reference example, andFIGS. 8A and 8Bshow diagrams depicting an inner plate which makes up the connector according to the reference example.FIG. 8Ais a front view andFIG. 8Bis a sectional view.

AsFIGS. 7,8A and8B show, this connector differs from the connector according to the embodiment in that no air bleeding hole34is formed in an inner plate15.

In the connector including the inner plate15having no such air bleeding hole34, when a filling material41is filled into an interior of a housing12, air staying between a sealing plug16and the inner plate15enters complicated portions of the inner plate15and remains without being discharged, leading to fears that air voids A are formed.

Because of this, in the connector including the inner plate15having no such air bleeding hole34, the filling speed of the filling material41needs to be slowed so as to suppress the production of non-filled portions such as air voids A where the filling material41is not filled, this calling for an increase in production costs due to a reduction in production efficiency.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment that has been described heretofore but can be modified or improved as required. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number and locations of the individual constituent elements of the embodiment are arbitrary and hence are not limited to those described in the embodiment, provided that the invention can be attained.

According to the invention, the connector can be provided which has superior sealing properties and which can realize a reduction in production costs through efficient production.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST