1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector on which a tube having an outer peripheral surface of a bellows-shape or a spiral shape can be mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A corrugated tube is used to protect a wire extending from a housing of a connector or to neatly arrange the wiring comprising a plurality of such wires. This corrugated tube has a so-called bellows structure such that ridge folds (also called “convex portions” or “ridge portions”) and groove folds (also called “concave portions” or “groove portions”) are alternately arranged on its peripheral surface in the longitudinal direction. This corrugated tube can be bent to a certain degree.
For mounting the corrugated tube on the connector, a cover is, in some cases, fitted on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube, with retaining means retainingly engaged with the groove fold of the corrugated tube. With respect to such a structure, there has been disclosed a technique of enhancing the efficiency of the cover-mounting operation (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
In this technique, one cover is formed by a pair of half-split parts of the same shape which are combined together in such a manner that the two half-split parts are disposed in inverted relation to each other with respect to the axis. Therefore, the time and labor required for properly selecting two parts of different shapes are saved when attaching the cover, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the operation, and also stock management for a plurality of parts is avoided, thereby reducing the cost. Furthermore, a plurality of retaining plates (formed on an inner surface of each half-split part and extending in a circumferential direction) and retaining grooves (each formed between the adjacent retaining plates) are fitted to the groove portions (groove folds) of the bellows-like corrugated tube. Therefore, the corrugated tube is positively fixed to the connector.                Patent Literature 1: JP-A-10-27645        
In the technique disclosed in the above Patent Literature 1, the retaining plates and the retaining grooves formed at the inner surface of each half-split part are fitted to the groove portions of the bellows-like corrugated tube. In this construction, however, it has been necessary to change the structure of the connector, depending on the kind of corrugated tube to be used. Therefore, when the corrugated tube is different in size and also in pitch (the distance between the groove portions), it has been necessary to use a connector of another structure. When a plurality of kinds of corrugated tubes are used in a production line of a plant or the like, a plurality of kinds of connectors corresponding respectively to these corrugated tubes are used, and therefore at the production site, it has been desired to reduce the number of kinds of connectors to be used. Furthermore, it has been required to produce connectors designed particularly for those corrugated tubes which have not been frequently used, and from the viewpoint of the production cost including a mold cost, it has been desired to avoid such connector specifications.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds