Patent Description:
A connector unit capable of discharging, to the outside thereof, water that has entered through an opening portion which allows a counter connector to be inserted therein has been disclosed in, for example, Patent Literature <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the connector unit is provided with a connector housing <NUM> formed of an insulating resin, and the connector housing <NUM> includes a housing body portion <NUM> of cuboid shape and a front plate portion <NUM> of rectangular shape formed at a front end of the housing body portion <NUM>.

The front plate portion <NUM> is provided with an opening portion <NUM>, and in a fitting process with a counter connector, the counter connector is inserted into the opening portion <NUM> along a fitting axis and fitted with a connector portion (not shown) disposed inside the housing body portion <NUM>. The opening portion <NUM> has an oval shape elongated in a predetermined direction, and a back part of the front plate portion <NUM> is provided with drain passages <NUM> to <NUM> extending from opposite ends in the predetermined direction of the opening portion <NUM> to edges of the front plate portion <NUM>.

Patent Literature <NUM>: <CIT>
From <CIT> a cabinet is known constituted of an upper cabinet and a lower cabinet, and an opening is formed by a notch 1a of the upper cabinet and a notch of the lower cabinet. In the cabinet, a connector is housed, and a connection plug is connected to the connector from the outside via the opening. Then, a hook is made erected from the end edge constituting the lower end of the notch in the lower cabinet in an inward direction. Furthermore, a plane plate part, an erected part, and a hooking part are formed at a connector cover composed of an elastic material, and a through-hole is formed in the hooking part. Then, the hook part is to be made inserted into the through-hole when the connector cover is pulled out.

From <CIT> an on-vehicle connector is known including a USB socket and a housing for storing the USB socket. The housing includes a body housing and a front housing covered to the front of the body housing. The USB socket includes a communication hole for communicating the inside of the USB socket with the outside. The housing includes a housing wall provided with a housing hole communicating the inside with the outside. The USB socket is arranged so that the communication hole is turned to the housing wall side. The inner surface of the housing wall has an inclined plane facing from a position opposed to the communication hole to the housing hole and the inclined plane is formed by an edge of a fin-shaped rib.

From <CIT> a cap is known which is integrally connected to a housing through a flexible connection piece. An annular rib projects from the outer peripheral surface of a peripheral wall of the housing to closely face a front end surface of a peripheral wall of the cap. A terminal housing chamber passes through from the front end to the rear end of the housing, and the cap is provided with a drain hole for draining the water that enters the inside of the housing.

Since the drain passages <NUM> to <NUM> extend from the opposite ends of the opening portion <NUM> to the edges of the front plate portion <NUM>, even when the connector unit is disposed in such a position that the opening portion <NUM> extends in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> can be discharged to the outside of the connector housing <NUM> through at least one of the drain passages <NUM> to <NUM>.

For the purpose of protecting the connector portion disposed inside the housing body portion <NUM>, it has been desired to attach, to the connector housing <NUM>, a cap that openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM>. In this case, in order to turn the attached cap upward to expose the opening portion <NUM>, the cap is preferably attached by use of an attachment hole formed in a part of the front plate portion <NUM> on the upper side from the opening portion <NUM>, depending on the position in which the connector unit is disposed.

To cope with it, one may have an idea that a large number of attachment holes are formed in the front plate portion <NUM> in preparation for both the case where the connector unit is disposed in such a position that the long sides of the front plate portion <NUM> extend in a horizontal direction and the case where the connector unit is disposed in such a position that the long sides of the front plate portion <NUM> extend in a vertical direction; however, there is a problem in that the structure of the connector unit becomes complicated because it is necessary to form a large number of drain passages <NUM> to <NUM> and a large number of attachment holes in order to discharge water and attach the cap.

The present invention has been made to overcome the conventional problem described above and aims at providing a connector unit in which an opening portion of a connector housing is openably and closably covered by a cap and which is capable of discharging water that has entered the connector housing through the opening portion while having a simple structure.

A connector unit according to the present invention is one in which an opening portion for inserting a counter connector is openably and closably covered by a cap, the connector unit comprising:.

The connector housing may include four through-holes as the two or more through-holes each penetrating the front plate portion and communicating with the inside of the connector housing,.

Preferably, the connector housing has a drain guide surface connected to the through-hole situated on the lower side from the opening portion and inclined downward toward an outside of the connector housing when the connector unit is disposed.

Preferably, the cap includes a lid portion having a back surface facing the front plate portion, and a L-shaped arm joined to the lid portion and made of an elastic material,.

According to the present invention, a connector housing includes a front plate portion that is provided with an opening portion and two or more through-holes penetrating the front plate portion and communicating with the inside of the connector housing, two through-holes of the two or more through-holes are separately disposed at positions of two vertexes, opposed to each other, of a rectangular surrounding the opening portion in the front plate portion, and when the connector unit is disposed, one of the two through-holes is situated on an upper side from the opening portion and serves as a cap attachment hole for attaching a cap to the connector housing, and another of two through-holes is situated on a lower side from the opening portion and serves as a drain hole for the connector housing. Therefore, a mounting position of the connector unit is not limited to one direction, and in the connector unit, the opening portion of the connector housing can be openably and closably covered by the cap, and water that has entered the connector housing through the opening portion can be discharged while the connector unit has a simple structure.

<FIG> are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, each showing a connector unit according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector unit includes a connector housing <NUM> made of an insulating material such as an insulating resin and a cap <NUM> attached to a front part of the connector housing <NUM> and made of an elastic material such as ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM).

The connector housing <NUM> includes a housing body portion <NUM> having a substantially cuboid shape and a front plate portion <NUM> of rectangular shape formed at a front edge of the housing body portion <NUM>, and the cap <NUM> is disposed so as to cover the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>.

For convenience, the direction in which the long side of the front plate portion <NUM> extends along a surface of the front plate portion <NUM> is called "X direction," the direction which is orthogonal to the X direction and extends from the front part of the connector housing <NUM>, where the front plate portion <NUM> is provided, to a back part of the connector housing <NUM> is called "+Y direction," and the direction perpendicular to an XY plane is called "Z direction.

Note that the connector unit shown in <FIG> is disposed in a first position in which the +Z direction is directed upward along a vertical direction V. In other words, the X direction in which the long side of the front plate portion <NUM> extends is directed to a horizontal direction.

As shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is movably attached to the connector housing <NUM> and can be drawn in the -Y direction from the connector housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector <NUM> is provided at a substantially central portion thereof with an opening portion <NUM> which opens in the fitting direction of fitting with a counter connector (not shown) and in which the counter connector is inserted in a fitting process with the counter connector. As a counter connector, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) connector can be used, and the counter connector is inserted into the opening portion <NUM> of the front plate portion <NUM> from the -Y direction toward the +Y direction.

At a periphery of the opening portion <NUM>, provided is a protrusion portion <NUM> extending in an XZ plane so as to form an oval frame surrounding the opening portion <NUM> and protruding in the -Y direction.

In addition, on the -X direction side and the +X direction side of the opening portion <NUM> and at positions shifted in the +Z direction from the opening portion <NUM>, the front plate portion <NUM> is provided with a pair of through-holes 16A and 16B penetrating the front plate portion <NUM>.

Further, on the -X direction side and the +X direction side of the opening portion <NUM> and at positions shifted in the -Z direction from the opening portion <NUM>, the front plate portion <NUM> is provided with a pair of through-holes 17A and 17B penetrating the front plate portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the pair of through-holes 16A and 16B at the positions shifted in the +Z direction from the opening portion <NUM> and the pair of through-holes 17A and 17B at the positions shifted in the -Z direction from the opening portion <NUM> are positioned at four vertexes of a rectangular S surrounding the opening portion <NUM> and having a pair of long sides extending in the X direction and a pair of short sides extending in the Z direction.

When the connector unit is disposed in the first position, each of the pair of through-holes 16A and 16B on the +Z direction side functions as a cap attachment hole for attaching the cap <NUM> to the connector housing <NUM>, while each of the pair of through-holes 17A and 17B on the -Z direction side functions as a drain hole for discharging water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM>.

Specifically, the through-hole 16A, situated on the -X direction side, of the pair of through-holes 16A and 16B each serving as the cap attachment hole and the through-hole 17B, situated on the +X direction side, of the pair of through-holes 17A and 17B each serving as the drain hole are respectively positioned at two vertexes situated on one of two diagonal lines of the rectangular S, while the through-hole 16B, situated on the +X direction side, of the pair of through-holes 16A and 16B each serving as the cap attachment hole and the through-hole 17A, situated on the -X direction side, of the pair of through-holes 17A and 17B each serving as the drain hole are respectively positioned at two vertexes situated on the other of the two diagonal lines of the rectangular S.

As shown in <FIG>, the housing body portion <NUM> has a drain guide surface 18A that is connected to the through-hole 17B disposed on the -Z direction side to function as the drain hole and that is inclined downward and toward the outside of the connector housing <NUM> when the connector unit is disposed in the first position. The drain guide surface 18A is inclined so as to be positioned farther in the -Z direction as advancing toward the -Y direction. Similarly, the drain guide surface 18A inclined so as to be positioned farther in the -Z direction as advancing toward the -Y direction is connected also to the through-hole 17A situated on the -X direction side from the through-hole 17B.

Since the drain guide surface 18A as above is connected to each of the through-holes 17A and 17B, even when water has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the first position, the water can be guided by the drain guide surface 18A and easily discharged from the through-holes 17A and 17B to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

Further, as shown in <FIG>, when viewed in the Z direction, drain guide surfaces 18B are separately connected to the through-holes 16A and 16B. One drain guide surface 18B connected to the through-hole 16A, situated on the -X direction side, of the through-holes 16A and 16B is inclined so as to be positioned farther in the -X direction as advancing toward the -Y direction, while the other drain guide surface 18B connected to the through-hole 16B, situated on the +X direction side, is inclined to be positioned farther in the +X direction as advancing toward the -Y direction.

These drain guide surfaces 18B are configured to guide water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> to be discharged when the connector unit is disposed not in the first position but, for example, in a second position in which the X direction is directed to the vertical direction V.

The same drain guide surfaces 18B are separately connected also to the through-holes 17A and 17B situated on the -Z direction side from the through-holes 16A and 16B. In other words, one drain guide surface 18B connected to the through-hole 17A, situated on the -X direction side, of the through-holes 17A and 17B is inclined so as to be positioned farther in the -X direction as advancing toward the -Y direction, while the other drain guide surface 18B connected to the through-hole 17B, situated on the +X direction side, is inclined to be positioned farther in the +X direction as advancing toward the -Y direction.

As shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> includes a lid portion <NUM> of rectangular and substantially flat plate shape extending along an XZ plane and a pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> joined to the lid portion <NUM> and extending in the +Y direction. The pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> correspond to the pair of through-holes 16A and 16B formed in the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>. A -Z directional end of the lid portion <NUM> is provided with a handle portion 22A for moving the cap <NUM>.

Each of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> includes a support portion <NUM> of rod shape projecting and extending in the +Y direction from a back surface of the lid portion <NUM> at a position shifted in the +Z direction in the back surface facing in the +Y direction, a bent portion <NUM> formed at a +Y directional end of the support portion <NUM>, and a hook portion <NUM> of rod shape extending in the -Z direction from the bent portion <NUM>.

The bent portion <NUM> is a connection portion between the support portion <NUM> and the hook portion <NUM> intersecting orthogonally to each other, and has a corner portion sharply pointed in the +Y direction and the +Z direction.

In addition, the bent portion <NUM> is provided with a cutout <NUM> disposed at a middle part of the bent portion <NUM> in the X direction and extending along a YZ plane, and due to the presence of this cutout <NUM>, thin-wall parts are formed in the bent portion <NUM>. While the cap <NUM> is made of an elastic material, the bent portion <NUM> has the thin-wall portions so as to be elastically deformed more easily.

Although not shown in <FIG>, at a substantially central portion of the back surface, facing in the +Y direction, of the lid portion <NUM>, a fitting recessed portion of oval shape is formed to correspond to the protrusion portion <NUM> formed on the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>, and it is configured such that when the protrusion portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM> is fitted into this fitting recessed portion, the cap <NUM> is fixed to the front plate portion <NUM>, and when the cap <NUM> is fixed, there is a gap between the cap <NUM> and the front plate portion <NUM>, and water can be discharged even when the cap <NUM> is fixed.

As shown in <FIG>, one L-shaped arm <NUM>, situated on the +X direction side, of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is passed through the through-hole 16B of the connector housing <NUM>, and similarly, the other L-shaped arm <NUM>, situated on the -X direction side, of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is passed through the through-hole 16A of the connector housing <NUM>. The cap <NUM> is retained by the connector housing <NUM> with the hook portions <NUM> of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> being accommodated in an inner space R of the housing body portion <NUM> and the support portions <NUM> being separately passed through the through-holes 16A and 16B.

A connector portion C1 to be fitted with a counter connector (not shown) along a Y axis and other components are incorporated in the inner space R of the housing body portion <NUM>.

When a counter connector is not fitted with the connector portion C1, as shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is moved in the +Y direction with the support portions <NUM> being separately passed through the through-holes 16A and 16B until the lid portion <NUM> makes contact with the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, when viewed in the X direction perpendicular to a YZ plane including the support portion <NUM>, the bent portion <NUM>, and the hook portion <NUM> of the L-shaped arm <NUM> of the cap <NUM>, the support portion <NUM> and the hook portion <NUM> respectively have thickness dimensions D1 and D2 smaller than a dimension H1 of the through-hole 16A, 16B serving as the cap attachment hole of the front plate portion <NUM>.

Therefore, the support portion <NUM> and the hook portion <NUM> of the L-shaped arm <NUM> can be moved in the Y direction smoothly when these portions are passed through the through-hole 16A, 16B.

On the other hand, the bent portion <NUM> of the L-shaped arm <NUM> has a maximum dimension D3 larger than the dimension H1 of the through-hole 16A, 16B. The maximum dimension D3 of the bent portion <NUM> shown in <FIG> is represented by a distance from a connection portion between a -Z directional edge of the support portion <NUM> and a -Y directional edge of the hook portion <NUM> up to the corner portion, sharply pointed in the +Y direction and the +Z direction, of the bent portion <NUM>. In addition, a maximum value of a cross-sectional area when the bent portion <NUM> is cut by a cross section perpendicular to a YZ plane including the support portion <NUM>, the bent portion <NUM>, and the hook portion <NUM> is a value larger than the area of the through-hole 16A, 16B.

Therefore, when the bent portion <NUM> is once passed through the cap attachment hole <NUM> and accommodated in the inner space R of the housing body portion <NUM>, the cap <NUM> does not easily come out of the through-hole 16A, 16B even when a force to move the L-shaped arm <NUM> in the -Y direction with respect to the front plate portion <NUM> and pull out the L-shaped arm <NUM> from the through-hole 16A, 16B acts on the cap <NUM>.

Further, the hook portion <NUM> of the L-shaped arm <NUM> has a length dimension L1 larger than the dimension H1 of the through-hole 16A, 16B. Therefore, when the L-shaped arm <NUM> is moved in the -Y direction with respect to the front plate portion <NUM>, the hook portion <NUM> makes contact with and hooked by the back surface, facing in the +Y direction, of the front plate portion <NUM>, whereby the L-shaped arm <NUM> cannot be easily pulled out from the through-hole 16A, 16B.

When the cap <NUM> is attached to the connector housing <NUM>, tips of the hook portions <NUM> of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> are separately passed through and inserted into the through-holes 16A and 16B of the front plate portion <NUM> in the +Y direction, and thereafter, the bent portions <NUM> of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> are separately inserted into the through-holes 16A and 16B while being elastically deformed and squashed by an operator's finger or the like. At this time, due to the presence of the cutouts <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the bent portions <NUM> are formed to be easily elastically deformed, so that the bent portions <NUM> can be easily squashed and inserted into the through-holes 16A, 16B, respectively.

The pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> are moved in the +Y direction, and the protrusion portion <NUM> of the front plate portion <NUM> is fitted into the fitting recessed portion of the lid portion <NUM>, whereby the cap <NUM> is fixed to the connector housing <NUM>.

Next, when a counter connector (not shown) is fitted with the connector portion C1, the cap <NUM> is drawn from the connector housing <NUM> until the hook portions <NUM> of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> make contact with and are hooked by the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>, and in this state, the lid portion <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is turned up in the +Z direction, and the counter connector (not shown) is inserted from the -Y direction to the +Y direction through the opening portion <NUM> of the front plate portion <NUM> exposed toward the -Y direction to thereby be fitted with the connector portion C1.

Therefore, while it is a simple structure, the cap <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the first position, and the lid portion <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is turned up, so that a counter connector can be fitted, and the cap <NUM> can be prevented from coming off the connector housing <NUM>.

Note that water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the first position is guided by the drain guide surfaces 18A connected to the through-holes 17A and 17B each functioning as the drain hole and discharged from the through-holes 17A and 17B to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

Here, <FIG> shows the connector unit disposed in a second position in which the X direction, in which the long side of the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM> extends, is directed to the vertical direction V. Specifically, the connector unit is disposed such that the +X direction is directed upward along the vertical direction V.

The connector unit includes the connector housing <NUM> and a cap <NUM> attached to the front part of the connector housing <NUM>.

The connector housing <NUM> is rotated from the position of the connector housing <NUM> shown in <FIG> by <NUM> degrees around the Y axis, and the cap <NUM> is different from the cap <NUM> used in the case of the first position and is a dedicated cap for the second position.

That is, in both cases where the connector unit is disposed in the first position and where the connector unit is disposed in the second position, the connector housing <NUM> is commonly used, and either of the cap <NUM> and the cap <NUM> is used depending on the first position and the second position.

As with the cap <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> is made of an elastic material such as EPDM and includes a lid portion <NUM> of rectangular and substantially flat plate shape elongated in the X direction along an XZ plane and a pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> joined to the lid portion <NUM> and extending in the +Y direction.

Since the connector unit is disposed such that the +X direction is directed upward along the vertical direction V, of the four through-holes 16A, 16B, 17A, 17B formed in the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM>, the through-holes 16B and 17B disposed on the +X direction side each function as the cap attachment hole, and the through-holes 16A and 17A disposed on the -X direction side each function as the drain hole.

The pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> are separately inserted in the through-holes 16B and 17B each serving as the cap attachment hole.

<FIG> shows the connector housing <NUM> in the second position. The through-holes 16B and 17B each serving as the cap attachment hole is situated on the upper side in the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM>, while the through-holes 16A and 17A each serving as the drain hole is situated on the lower side in the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, also in the second position, the through-holes 16B and 17B situated on the upper side in the vertical direction V and the through-holes 16A and 17A situated on the lower side in the vertical direction V are positioned at the four vertexes of the rectangular S surrounding the opening portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the L-shaped arm <NUM>, situated on the -Z direction side, of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is passed through the through-hole 17B of the connector housing <NUM>, and similarly, the L-shaped arm <NUM>, situated on the +Z direction side, of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is passed through the through-hole 16B of the connector housing <NUM>. As with the L-shaped arm <NUM> of the cap <NUM>, the L-shaped arm <NUM> includes a support portion <NUM> of rod shape projecting and extending in the +Y direction from a back surface of the lid portion <NUM> at a position shifted in the +X direction in the back surface facing in the +Y direction, a bent portion <NUM> formed at a +Y directional end of the support portion <NUM>, and a hook portion <NUM> of rod shape extending in the -X direction from the bent portion <NUM>.

The cap <NUM> is retained by the connector housing <NUM> with the hook portions <NUM> of the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM> being accommodated in the inner space R of the housing body portion <NUM> and the support portions <NUM> being separately passed through the through-holes 16B and 17B.

As with the cap <NUM>, when viewed in the Z direction perpendicular to an XY plane including the support portion <NUM>, the bent portion <NUM>, and the hook portion <NUM> of the L-shaped arm <NUM> of the cap <NUM>, the support portion <NUM> and the hook portion <NUM> each have a thickness dimension smaller than the dimension of the through-hole 16B, 17B serving as the cap attachment hole of the front plate portion <NUM>, and the bent portion <NUM> has a maximum dimension larger than the dimension of the through-hole 16A, 16B.

Therefore, while it is a simple structure, the cap <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the second position, and the lid portion <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is turned up, so that a counter connector can be fitted, and the cap <NUM> can be prevented from coming off the connector housing <NUM>.

Note that water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the second position is guided by the drain guide surfaces 18B separately connected to the through-holes 16A and 17A each functioning as the drain hole and discharged from the through-holes 16A and 17A to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

In Embodiment <NUM> above, the cap <NUM> used in the connector unit disposed in the first position is retained by the connector housing <NUM> by the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM>, and the cap <NUM> used in the connector unit disposed in the second position is also retained by the connector housing <NUM> by the pair of L-shaped arms <NUM>, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a cap can be retained by only one L-shaped arm.

<FIG> shows a connector unit according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector unit includes a connector housing <NUM> made of an insulating material such as an insulating resin and a cap <NUM> attached to a front part of the connector housing <NUM> and made of an elastic material such as EPDM. <FIG> shows the state where the cap <NUM> is drawn from the connector housing <NUM>.

In addition, the connector unit shown in <FIG> is disposed in a first position in which the +Z direction is directed upward along the vertical direction V.

The connector housing <NUM> includes a housing body portion <NUM> having a substantially cuboid shape and a front plate portion <NUM> of rectangular shape formed at a front edge of the housing body portion <NUM>, and as shown in <FIG>, the front plate portion <NUM> is provided at a substantially central portion thereof with an opening portion <NUM> in which a counter connector (not shown) is inserted in a fitting process with the counter connector, while at a periphery of the opening portion <NUM>, provided is a protrusion portion <NUM> extending in an XZ plane so as to form an oval frame surrounding the opening portion <NUM> and protruding in the -Y direction.

In addition, on the -X direction side of the opening portion <NUM> and at a position shifted in the +Z direction from the opening portion <NUM>, the front plate portion <NUM> is provided with a through-hole 46A penetrating the front plate portion <NUM>, and on the +X direction side of the opening portion <NUM> and at a position shifted in the -Z direction from the opening portion <NUM>, the front plate portion <NUM> is provided with a through-hole 47B penetrating the front plate portion <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the through-holes 46A and 47B are positioned at two vertexes situated on one diagonal line of a rectangular S surrounding the opening portion <NUM> and having a pair of long sides extending in the X direction and a pair of short sides extending in the Z direction.

When the connector unit is disposed in the first position, the through-hole 46A situated on the +Z direction side from the opening portion <NUM> functions as a cap attachment hole for attaching the cap <NUM> to the connector housing <NUM>, while the through-hole 47B situated on the -Z direction side from the opening portion <NUM> functions as a drain hole for discharging water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM>.

That is, the connector housing <NUM> has the front plate portion <NUM> provided with the only two through-holes 46A and 47B in place of the front plate portion <NUM> provided with the four through-holes 16A, 16B, 17A and 17B as shown in <FIG> in the connector housing <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM>, and the remaining configuration of the front plate portion <NUM> and the configuration of the housing body portion <NUM> are the same as those in the connector housing <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> includes a lid portion <NUM> of rectangular and substantially flat plate shape elongated in the X direction along an XZ plane and one L-shaped arm <NUM> projecting and extending in the +Y direction from a back surface of the lid portion 52a at a position shifted in the -X direction and the +Z direction in the back surface facing in the +Y direction.

The L-shaped arm <NUM> has the same configuration as that of the L-shaped arm <NUM> of the cap <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM> and shown in <FIG> and includes a support portion of rod shape projecting and extending in the +Y direction from the back surface of the lid portion <NUM>, a bent portion formed at a +Y directional end of the support portion, and a hook portion of rod shape extending in the -Z direction from the bent portion.

The L-shaped arm <NUM> is inserted in the through-hole 46A serving as the cap attachment hole, and the cap <NUM> is retained by the connector housing <NUM> with the hook portion of the L-shaped arm <NUM> being accommodated inside the housing body portion <NUM> and the support portion being passed through the through-hole 46A.

Even when the cap <NUM> has the only one L-shaped arm <NUM>, the cap <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the first position, and the lid portion <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is turned up, so that a counter connector can be fitted, and the cap <NUM> can be prevented from coming off the connector housing <NUM>.

Note that water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the first position is discharged from the through-hole 47B functioning as the drain hole to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

When the connector unit is disposed in the second position, as shown in <FIG>, the through-hole 47B is situated on the +Z direction side from the opening portion <NUM> and functions as a cap attachment hole for attaching the cap <NUM> to the connector housing <NUM>, while the through-hole 46A is situated on the -Z direction side from the opening portion <NUM> and functions as a drain hole for discharging water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM>.

The cap <NUM> is made of an elastic material such as EPDM and includes a lid portion <NUM> of rectangular and substantially flat plate shape elongated in the X direction along an XZ plane and one L-shaped arm <NUM> projecting and extending in the +Y direction from a back surface of the lid portion <NUM> at a position shifted in the +X direction and the -Z direction in the back surface facing in the +Y direction.

The L-shaped arm <NUM> has the same configuration as that of the L-shaped arm <NUM> of the cap <NUM> used in Embodiment <NUM> and shown in <FIG> and includes a support portion of rod shape projecting and extending in the +Y direction from the back surface of the lid portion <NUM>, a bent portion formed at a +Y directional end of the support portion, and a hook portion of rod shape extending in the -X direction from the bent portion.

This L-shaped arm <NUM> is inserted in the through-hole 47B serving as the cap attachment hole, and the cap <NUM> is retained by the connector housing <NUM> with the hook portion of the L-shaped arm <NUM> being accommodated inside the housing body portion <NUM> and the support portion being passed through the through-hole 47B.

Even when the cap <NUM> has the only one L-shaped arm <NUM>, the cap <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the second position, and the lid portion <NUM> of the cap <NUM> is turned up, so that a counter connector can be fitted, and the cap <NUM> can be prevented from coming off the connector housing <NUM>.

Note that water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> of the connector unit disposed in the second position is discharged from the through-holes 46A functioning as the drain hole to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

Therefore, in Embodiment <NUM>, the front plate portion <NUM> of the connector housing <NUM> is provided with not four through-holes but only the two through-holes 46A and 47B, and these through-holes 46A and 47B are positioned at the two vertexes situated on one diagonal line of the rectangular S surrounding the opening portion <NUM>. Therefore, in both cases where the connector housing <NUM> is in the first position as shown in <FIG> and where the connector housing <NUM> is in the second position as shown in <FIG>, one of the two through-holes 46A and 47B is situated on the upper side from the opening portion <NUM> and can serve as the cap attachment hole, and the other of the two through-holes 46A and 47B is situated on the lower side from the opening portion <NUM> and can serve as the drain hole.

Therefore, even when the connector unit is disposed in either of the first portion and the second position, the cap <NUM> having only the one L-shaped arm <NUM> or the cap <NUM> having only the one L-shaped arm <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM>, and the lid portion <NUM>, <NUM> of the cap <NUM>, <NUM> is turned up, so that a counter connector can be fitted, and water that has entered the connector housing <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM> can be discharged to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>.

In Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM> above, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the position in which the +X direction of the connector unit is directed upward along the vertical direction V is referred to as the "second position," but the position in which the -X direction of the connector unit is directed upward along the vertical direction V can also be referred to as the "second position. " In this case, in Embodiment <NUM>, the through-holes 16A and 17A of the connector housing <NUM> are situated on the upper side in the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM> and each serve as the cap attachment hole, while the through-holes 16B and 17B of the connector housing <NUM> are situated on the lower side of the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM> and each serve as the drain hole. In Embodiment <NUM>, the through-hole 46A of the connector housing <NUM> is situated on the upper side in the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM> and serves as the cap attachment hole, while the through-hole 47B is situated on the lower side in the vertical direction V from the opening portion <NUM> and serves as the drain hole.

In Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM>, the position in which the Z direction of the connector unit is directed to the vertical direction V is referred to as the "first position," and the position in which the X direction of the connector unit is directed to the vertical direction V is referred to as the "second position," but the Z direction or the X direction of the connector unit is not necessarily directed to the vertical direction V. For example, a position in which the Z direction of the connector unit is inclined by <NUM> degrees or smaller with respect to the vertical direction V may also be the "first position," while a position in which the X direction of the connector unit is inclined by <NUM> degrees or smaller with respect to the vertical direction V may also be the "second position," and by adopting this invention, with a simple structure, the cap <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> openably and closably covers the opening portion <NUM>, <NUM> of the connector unit, and water that has entered the connector housing <NUM>, <NUM> through the opening portion <NUM>, <NUM> can be discharged to the outside of the connector housing <NUM>, <NUM> through the through-hole serving as the drain hole.

Claim 1:
A connector unit in which an opening portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) for inserting a counter connector is openably and closably covered by a cap (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the connector unit comprising:
a connector portion (C1) to be fitted with the counter connector;
a connector housing (<NUM>, <NUM>) retaining the connector portion and having the opening portion; and
the cap (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to be attached to the connector housing,
wherein the connector housing includes a front plate portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) that is provided with the opening portion, and two or more through-holes (16A, 16B, 17A, 17B) penetrating the front plate portion and communicating with an inside of the connector housing, characterized in that
two through-holes (16A, 16B, 17A, 17B) of the two or more through-holes are positioned at two vertexes situated on one diagonal line of a rectangular (S) surrounding the opening portion in the front plate portion, and
when the connector unit is disposed, one of the two through-holes is situated on an upper side from the opening portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) and serves as a cap attachment hole for attaching the cap (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to the connector housing (<NUM>, <NUM>), and another of the two through-holes is situated on a lower side from the opening portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) and serves as a drain hole for the connector housing (<NUM>, <NUM>).