Waterproof structure of connector

A waterproof structure of a connector 1 is configured to waterproof a cable 40 including a sheath 41 surrounding a plurality of wires 42, and a connector housing 10 connected to the plurality of wires 42 extending from a tip portion 41E of the sheath 41. The waterproof structure includes a seal member 50 collectively covering the plurality of wires 42 between the cable 40 and the connector housing 10. The seal member 50 has one end fitted onto the sheath 41 and in which the plurality of wires 42 extend from the tip portion 41E with any arrangement relation, and another end fitted into the connector housing 10.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a connector attached to a tip of a wire conductive portion.

Related Art

As a waterproof structure of a connector in which a plurality of wires are led into and connected to a housing, a technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-97898 has been known. In this technology, in order to prevent an intrusion of water or the like into an outer sheath in which the plurality of wires are bundled together, a rubber plug is fitted onto a tip (a led-out portion of the wires) of the outer sheath and the wires are individually inserted through a plurality of through holes provided in the rubber plug in a predetermined posture (at a predetermined angle), respectively, thereby stopping an opening (a gap between each wire and the outer sheath) of the tip of the outer sheath.

However, in this configuration, in a case where an inserted wire deviates from the predetermined posture (angle), a shape followability of the rubber plug is insufficient and thus a gap may be generated between the wire and the rubber plug to impair a waterproof performance.

Therefore, in a case where a bent portion is provided in the wire in the connector (for example, the wire is bent at about 45 degrees as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-97898), a length dimension from the bent portion to the rubber plug needs to be secured, such that the bent portion does not affect an angle at which the wire is inserted into the rubber plug. For this reason, in a case where, particularly, a wire with a relatively large diameter is bent in the connector, it is difficult to decrease the length dimension. Furthermore, since a rubber is interposed between the respective wires, it is difficult to implement a small diameter of the rubber plug and even a small diameter of the connector.

The technology disclosed in the present description has been completed based on the fact described above, and an object of the technology is to provide a structure of a connector housing for a multicore cable, which can guarantee a waterproof performance and have a small size.

SUMMARY

The technology disclosed in the present description is a waterproof structure of a connector, the waterproof structure configured to waterproof a multicore cable including an outer sheath surrounding a plurality of wires, and a connector main body connected to the plurality of wires extending from a tip portion of the outer sheath, the waterproof structure including: a waterproof member collectively covering the plurality of wires between the multicore cable and the connector main body. The waterproof member has one end fitted onto the outer sheath and in which the plurality of wires extend from the tip portion with any arrangement relation, and another end fitted into the connector main body.

According to the configuration described above, since the waterproof member collectively waterproofs an area from the connector main body to the outer sheath of the cable, a waterproof member stopping an opening of a tip of the outer sheath is unnecessary and it is thus possible to decrease a length dimension of the connector. Furthermore, since there is no need to interpose the waterproof member between the wires, it is possible to decrease a diameter of the connector. In addition, since there is no need to deform each wire extending from the outer sheath of the multicore cable into a predetermined shape (arrangement relation) and it is only required that the wires extend into the waterproof member as it is, operability is excellent.

The waterproof structure of a connector may include: a hard cover member disposed to surround the waterproof member; and a cable fitting portion provided at the one end of the waterproof member. In the cable fitting portion, a cable seal lip portion fitted onto the outer sheath may be circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion and an auxiliary cable seal portion fitted into the cover member may be circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion, the cable seal lip portion and the auxiliary cable seal portion being disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the cable fitting portion.

According to the configuration described above, since it is possible to correct the shapes of the cable and the waterproof member to desired shapes and fix the desired shapes only by putting the hard cover member on the cable and the waterproof member, an influence of bending deformation in other portions can be reduced and a waterproof performance can be improved. Furthermore, the lip portion of the waterproof member follows deformation of the cable, and thus it is possible to further improve the waterproof performance.

The waterproof structure of a connector may further include: an inner cylinder portion provided in the connector main body and into which the plurality of wires are inserted; and a connector fitting portion provided at the other end of the waterproof member. In the connector fitting portion, a connector seal lip portion fitted onto the inner cylinder portion may be circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion.

The waterproof structure of a connector may further include an outer cylinder portion provided in the connector main body and disposed to surround the inner cylinder portion. In the connector fitting portion, an auxiliary connector seal portion fitted into the outer cylinder portion may be circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion, the connector seal lip portion and the auxiliary connector seal portion being disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the connector fitting portion.

According to the configuration described above, since a stress generated at the connector seal lip portion due to close adherence to the inner cylinder portion and a stress generated at the auxiliary connector seal portion due to close adherence to the outer cylinder portion face each other with the same position on the connector fitting portion interposed therebetween, it is possible to efficiently closely adhere the connector seal lip portion to the inner cylinder portion.

In the waterproof structure of a connector, the plurality of wires may include a power wire and a signal wire thinner than the power wire, and may be bent between the tip of the outer sheath and the connector main body.

The power wire has a relatively large diameter. Therefore, in a case where the power wire is bent between the tip of the outer sheath and the connector main body, the bent portion is liable to affect even the tip of the outer sheath and it is thus difficult to fit a posture (angle) of the wire to the waterproof member at the tip of the outer sheath. However, according to the configuration described above, since the waterproof member collectively waterproofs an area from an outer portion of the outer sheath to the connector main body, it is possible to achieve a proper waterproofing without being affected by the posture (angle) of the wire in the outer sheath.

In the waterproof structure of a connector, the multicore cable may include a braided wire collectively surrounding the plurality of wires in the outer sheath, and the braided wire may extend from the tip of the outer sheath toward the connector main body.

According to the configuration described above, there is no need to stop the opening of the tip of the outer sheath of the cable with the waterproof member. With this arrangement, it is possible to allow the braided wire to extend from the tip of the outer sheath into the waterproof member.

According to the technology disclosed in the present description, it is possible to provide the structure of the connector housing for a multicore cable, which can guarantee a waterproof performance and have a small size.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiment 1 of the technology disclosed in the present description will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 8. Note that in the following description, an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction in the drawings indicate the right side, the front side, and the top side, respectively. Furthermore, in the following description, only one of the same plurality of members has a reference symbol and reference symbols of the others are omitted in some cases.

A connector1according to the present embodiment is used by being connected to a tip of a cable40(an example of a multicore cable) disposed in a tire house of a vehicle and extending from a power supply in, for example, an electric braking system, and being fitted with a counterpart connector M attached to an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling braking.

As illustrated inFIG. 1, the connector1includes a connector housing10(an example of a connector main body), a cable40(an example of a multicore cable) in which a wire42extending from a tip of a sheath41(an example of an outer sheath) is inserted into the connector housing10, a seal member (an example of a waterproof member) collectively covering from the connector housing10to a tip of the sheath41, and a cover member60covering the seal member50. The seal member50and the cover member60each have a substantial L-letter shape bent at a substantially right angle when viewed from the side, and the wire42is disposed in the seal member50and the cover member60while being bent at a substantially right angle when viewed from the side.

As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4, the connector housing10integrally includes a wire surrounding portion11having a tubular shape and penetrating through the connector housing10in a front-rear direction, a hood portion13having a substantially rectangular tubular shape and disposed to surround a front end portion11B of the wire surrounding portion11, and an outer cylinder portion14having an oval cylinder shape and disposed to surround a rear half portion11A of the wire surrounding portion11. Note that in the present embodiment, the oval cylinder shape refers to a cylindrical shape of which a lateral cross section has substantially the same oval shape from one end portion to the other end portion. Further, the oval shape includes an elliptical shape.

A seal ring20having a ring shape and formed of an elastic material is fitted onto an outer circumferential surface of the front end portion11B of the wire surrounding portion11. A plurality of terminal holding portions12are disposed in a space surrounded by the hood portion13while extending in the front-rear direction. A front retainer30is fitted from an opening of the hood portion13so as to collectively surround the respective terminal holding portions12, and is fixed in the connector housing10by a locking structure (not illustrated) in a state in which a front end surface of the seal ring20faces an opening surface (a rear end surface inFIG. 1) of the front retainer30. Two locking claws15to be locked to lock receiving portions64A of the cover member60to be described later are provided on each of an upper surface and a lower surface of the hood portion13while being aligned laterally.

The rear half portion11A of the wire surrounding portion11is an inner cylinder portion11A which has an oval cylinder shape and onto which the seal member50to be described later is fitted. A lateral cross section of an outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion11A has an oval shape of which an upper portion and a lower portion are flat. A lateral cross section of an inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion14described above has an oval shape of which an upper portion and a lower portion are flat, and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion14is disposed while forming a predetermined gap between the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion14and the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion11A over the whole circumference.

As illustrated inFIG. 5, in the cable40, a plurality (two in the present embodiment) of power wires42A for power having a cross section with a substantially circular shape and a relatively large thickness, and a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of signal wires42B for a signal having a smaller thickness than that of the power wire42A are twisted with each other and collectively covered by the sheath41. At the tip of the cable40, the wires42are exposed from a tip portion41E of the sheath41and untwisted. At a tip of each wire42, the sheath is peeled off and a core is exposed. As illustrated inFIG. 1, a terminal T is connected to the exposed core by caulking and crimping. The terminal T is held in the terminal holding portion12of the connector housing10and the wire42extends outward from behind through an internal space of the wire surrounding portion11.

The seal member50is formed of an elastic waterproof material such as a synthetic rubber or the like. As illustrated inFIG. 6, the seal member50is a hollow tubular body having a substantial L-letter shape when viewed from the side, in which a connector fitting portion51and a cable fitting portion52are continuously connected to each other over the whole circumference by a hollow seal main body portion53appropriately swelling outward, the connector fitting portion51having an oval cylinder shape and being open toward the front side and the cable fitting portion52having a cylindrical shape and being open toward the lower side.

In the connector fitting portion51, a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of connector seal lip portions51A are circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion51over the whole circumference and a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of auxiliary connector seal portions51B are circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion51over the whole circumference. The connector seal lip portions51A and the auxiliary connector seal portions51B are, respectively, disposed at the same position in an axial direction of the connector fitting portion51.

In the cable fitting portion52, a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of cable seal lip portions52A are circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion52over the whole circumference and a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of auxiliary cable seal portions52B are circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion52over the whole circumference, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 6. The cable seal lip portions52A and the auxiliary cable seal portions52B are, respectively, disposed at the same position in an axial direction of the cable fitting portion52. In the vicinity of an opening of the cable fitting portion52, an edge lip portion52C is circumferentially provided so as to face inward over the whole circumference and a positioning lip portion54is circumferentially provided so as to face outward over the whole circumference.

The cover member60is formed of a relatively hard synthetic resin material. As illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 7, the cover member60is a hollow tubular body having a substantial L-letter shape overall when viewed from the side, in which a connector cover portion61and a cable cover portion62are continuously connected to each other over the whole circumference by a hollow cover main body portion63, the connector cover portion61having an oval cylinder shape and being opened toward the front side and the cable cover portion62having a cylindrical shape and being opened toward the lower side.

A connector locking portion64extends to the front side from end portions of an upper surface and a lower surface of the connector cover portion61and the lock receiving portions64A to be locked to the locking claws15of the connector housing10protrude from an end portion of the connector locking portion64to the front side.

Next, an example of an assembling procedure of the connector1according to the present embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS. 3 and 8.

First, the cable40, in which the terminals T are connected to the tips of the wires42, is inserted into the cover member60from below, and then is inserted into the seal member50from below. Then, the respective terminals T are inserted into the inner cylinder portion11A of the connector housing10and are inserted into and fixed to the respective terminal holding portions12at an inner side (front side) of the connector housing10. Further, the connector fitting portion51of the seal member50is press-fitted into the gap between the inner cylinder portion11A and the outer cylinder portion14of the connector housing10, the connector seal lip portion51A is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion11A to closely adhere thereto over the whole circumference, the auxiliary connector seal portion51B is fitted into the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion14to closely adhere thereto over the whole circumference, and the cable seal lip portion52A and the edge lip portion52C are fitted onto an outer circumferential surface of the sheath41in the vicinity of the tip portion41E to closely adhere thereto over the whole circumference. Furthermore, the seal ring20and the front retainer30are sequentially fitted into the connector housing10through a front opening. By doing so, as illustrated inFIG. 8, the seal member50has opposite ends closely fitted into the connector housing10(the inner cylinder portion11A of the wire surrounding portion11) and onto the cable40, respectively, over the whole circumference and forms a closed space with a front opening of the wire surrounding portion11.

Next, the seal member50is pressed into the cover member60while being appropriately elastically deformed, the cable fitting portion52is press-fitted into the cable cover portion62, the auxiliary cable seal portion52B is fitted into an inner circumferential surface of the cable cover portion62to closely adhere thereto over the whole circumference, and the positioning lip portion54of the seal member50is exposed from a lower end of the cable cover portion62over the whole circumference. Then, the positioning lip portion54is elastically restored toward an outer side in a radial direction, and locked to an end surface of the cable cover portion62.

Finally, the lock receiving portion64A of the connector locking portion64is locked to the locking claw15of the connector housing10(hood portion13). By doing so, the cover member60is fixed to the connector housing10, thereby completing the connector according to the present embodiment.

Thereafter, a housing M of the counterpart connector is inserted into a gap between the hood portion13of the connector housing10and the front retainer30from the front and is fitted on the seal ring20, the seal ring20being fitted on the outer circumferential surface of the front end portion11B of the wire surrounding portion11. By doing so, the front opening of the wire surrounding portion11is closed, thereby completing the waterproof structure of the connector1.

Note that the assembling procedure of the connector1is not limited thereto. For example, the seal member50may be press-fitted into the cable cover portion62and then the wire42may be inserted thereinto. Alternatively, another easy procedure may be used according to various conditions such as a dimensional relation of each member or a degree of flexibility of the seal member50.

According to the configuration described above, since it is only required that each wire42extends from the tip portion41E of the sheath41into the seal member50in any posture (at any angle) while having any arrangement relation, an assembling operation becomes easy. Furthermore, since the sealed portion (in the vicinity of the sheath tip portion41E) is linearly fixed by the relatively hard cover portion, it is possible to suppress an influence of bending of other portions of the wire42, thereby making it possible to decrease a length from the bent portion.

Further, since the seal member is not interposed between the respective wires42, it is possible to decrease a diameter dimension of the connector1.

In addition, since the wire42disposed between the sheath tip portion41E and the connector housing10is waterproofed with the seal member50, it is possible to prevent an electric leakage from the wire42or an intrusion of water into the sheath of the wire42even in a case where the sheath of the wire42is damaged.

Next, Embodiment 2 of the technology disclosed in the present description will be described with reference toFIGS. 9 and 10.

Unlike Embodiment 1, in a connector100of the present embodiment, an outer cylinder portion14in a connector housing110is omitted and two first tie band positioning protrusions155are circumferentially provided on a seal member150over the whole circumference, instead of an auxiliary connector seal portion51B. Further, a tie band170is disposed between the two first tie band positioning protrusions155for fastening to increase adhesion of a connector fitting portion151with respect to an inner cylinder portion111A of a wire surrounding portion111. The cover member160is provided with a tie band disturbance preventing portion160A at substantially the center of a front end portion of an upper surface thereof, such that a tie band fastening portion170A is not disturbed when the cover member160is fitted onto the connector housing110.

Furthermore, two second tie band positioning protrusions156are circumferentially provided on a cable fitting portion152of the seal member150over the whole circumference, instead of an auxiliary cable seal portion52B, and are exposed from a lower end portion of a cable cover portion162. Further, a tie band170is disposed between the two second tie band positioning protrusions156for fastening to increase adhesion of the cable fitting portion152with respect to a sheath141of a cable140. Note that other components are the same as those of Embodiment 1 and thus a description thereof will be omitted.

According to the configuration, since the tie band170fastens the seal member150after the seal member150is fitted onto the connector housing110and the cable140(in other words, the fitting and the enhancement of the adhesion are performed separately), the fitted state before and after the fastening with the tie band170can be visually inspected. In addition, since certain fastening is enabled by the tie band170, it is possible to cause the seal member150to more appropriately adhere to the connector housing110and the cable140.

The technology disclosed in the present description is not limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the description and the drawings, and, for example, the following embodiments also fall within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present description.

In the embodiments described above, the cable40or140in which a plurality of wires having thicknesses different from each other are collectively covered with a sheath is used, but the multicore cable is not limited thereto. For example, a cabtire cable in which a wire is embedded in an outer sheath may be used. Alternatively, for example, a braided wire243for electromagnetic shielding, which collectively surrounds a plurality of wires242, may be disposed inside a sheath241. In this case, it is possible to allow the braided wire to extend from a tip241E of the sheath241to an internal space of a seal member250as illustrated inFIG. 11by using a configuration in which an inside of the sheath241communicates with the internal space of the seal member250. By doing so, the braided wire243itself can be isolated from water or the like and at the same time, the wires242extending from the sheath241can be shielded. This configuration is suitable for, particularly, a case where a connector200cannot but be disposed adjacent to a device which is a noise source, or a case where a wire which is a noise source is included in a cable.

In the embodiments described above, the seal member50or150covers from the sheath tip portion41E or141E up to the connector housing10or110, and the cover member60or160covers the seal member50or150. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in a case where a sufficient adhesion can be obtained by an elastic force of the cable fitting portion52, the cable cover portion62may be omitted, and in a case where the seal member50has a strength enough to endure an external impact, the cover main body portion63may be omitted.

In the embodiments described above, the seal lip portions51A or151A, and52A or152A are provided on the inner circumferential surfaces of the connector fitting portion51or151, and the cable fitting portion52or152. However, for example, in a case where a sufficient adhesion can be obtained without the seal lip portion51A or151A, the seal lip portion51A or151A may be omitted.

In the embodiments described above, the seal member50or150and the cover member60or160each have a substantial L-letter shape from the connector housing10or110to the sheath tip portion41E or141E. However, the seal member50or150and the cover member60or160may be bent to have, for example, a substantial U-letter shape by further increasing a bending degree as necessary, or may have a straight line shape without a bent portion.

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS