Connector and connector-equipped electric wire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12080973-B2
Application number	US-202217837577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A connector includes: a terminal fitting connected to an end of an electric wire; a housing including a housing chamber and an electric wire drawing port; a first waterproof member that is elastically deformable and fills a space between an inner peripheral surface of the housing and an outer peripheral surface of a cover of the electric wire in the housing chamber to form a first sealed space part between the first waterproof member and the electric wire drawing port; a second waterproof member that is elastically deformable and includes one end part, an other end part, and a tubular part, the tubular part having a second sealed space part that communicates with the first sealed space part through the electric wire drawing port; and a ventilation component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector comprising:
a terminal fitting physically and electrically connected to an end of an electric wire;
a housing including a housing chamber for housing the terminal fitting and the end of the electric wire connected to the terminal fitting, and an electric wire drawing port through which the electric wire is drawn to outside of the housing chamber;
a first waterproof member that is elastically deformable and fills a space between an inner peripheral surface of the housing and an outer peripheral surface of a cover of the electric wire at a position away from the electric wire drawing port in the housing chamber to form a first sealed space part between the first waterproof member and the electric wire drawing port;
a second waterproof member that is elastically deformable and includes one end part with its inner peripheral surface in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of an end part of the housing on the electric wire drawing port side, an other end part with its inner peripheral surface in close contact with an outer peripheral side of the electric wire drawn out of the electric wire drawing port, and a tubular part connecting between the one end part and the other end part, the tubular part having a second sealed space part that communicates with the first sealed space part through the electric wire drawing port; and
a ventilation component that is assembled to the housing, enables passage of gas between the first sealed space part and outside of the housing, and disables passage of liquid between the first sealed space part and the outside of the housing.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the ventilation component includes a ventilation member that allows the passage of the gas and does not allow the passage of the liquid, and a protective member that houses and protects the ventilation member, and
the protective member includes a ventilation chamber that communicates with the first sealed space part and the outside of the housing, and houses the ventilation member so as to enable the passage of the gas between the first sealed space part and the outside of the housing only through the ventilation member.

3. The connector according to claim 2 , wherein
the housing includes, in a wall body, a through-hole that makes the first sealed space part communicate with the outside of the housing,
the protective member includes a main part including the ventilation chamber, a shaft part that protrudes from the main part and is inserted into the through-hole, and a fixing part that is fixed to the housing, and
the ventilation component includes a sealing member with an annular shape that allows the shaft part to be inserted into the sealing member, the sealing member being provided between the main part and an outer wall surface of the wall body of the housing in close contact with the main part and the outer wall surface of the wall body of the housing.

4. A connector-equipped electric wire comprising:
an electric wire; and
a connector attached to an end of the electric wire,
the connector including
a terminal fitting physically and electrically connected to an end of an electric wire,
a housing including a housing chamber for housing the terminal fitting and the end of the electric wire connected to the terminal fitting, and an electric wire drawing port through which the electric wire is drawn to outside of the housing chamber,
a first waterproof member that is elastically deformable and fills a space between an inner peripheral surface of the housing and an outer peripheral surface of a cover of the electric wire at a position away from the electric wire drawing port in the housing chamber to form a first sealed space part between the first waterproof member and the electric wire drawing port,
a second waterproof member that is elastically deformable and includes one end part with its inner peripheral surface in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of an end part of the housing on the electric wire drawing port side, an other end part with its inner peripheral surface in close contact with an outer peripheral side of the electric wire drawn out of the electric wire drawing port, and a tubular part connecting between the one end part and the other end part, the tubular part having a second sealed space part that communicates with the first sealed space part through the electric wire drawing port, and
a ventilation component that is assembled to the housing, enables passage of gas between the first sealed space part and outside of the housing, and disables passage of liquid between the first sealed space part and the outside of the housing.

5. The connector-equipped electric wire according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an exterior member with a tubular shape that is placed on the electric wire drawn from the electric wire drawing port, wherein
the second waterproof member has an inner peripheral surface of the other end part in close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the exterior member.

6. The connector-equipped electric wire according to claim 4 , wherein
the connector is attached to each of one end and an other end of the electric wire.

7. The connector-equipped electric wire according to claim 5 , wherein
the connector is attached to each of one end and an other end of the electric wire.

Assignees

• Yazaki Corp

Inventors

• Ito Yuto
• Sasaki Keisuke

Classifications

• H01R13/5227

  with evacuation of penetrating liquids · CPC title

• H01R13/5208 Primary

  having at least two cable receiving openings · CPC title

• H01R31/005

  Intermediate parts for distributing signals · CPC title

• H01R13/5202 Primary

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title

• H01R13/5205 Primary

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title