JP3003028B2 - Waterproof electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a waterproof electrical connector used for automobiles, trucks, tractors and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,973,268 and 4,998,896 disclose known waterproof electrical connectors. The seal member used for these waterproof electric connectors is arranged around the fitting portion of the connector housing, and is configured to be covered by the second housing to prevent the connector member from falling off.

[0003]

However, in the conventional example, when the waterproof type electrical connector and the mating connector are fitted to each other, the mating between the connectors is completed after the mating connector and the sealing member start to be engaged. The stroke length along the fitting direction up to the fitting is relatively long. Therefore, it is necessary to compress the air surrounded by the waterproof electric connector, the seal member, and the mating connector, so that the force for resisting the mating between the connectors is increased, and there is a problem that the mating operation is not easy. . On the other hand, when the seal member is arranged on the bottom surface of the concave portion of the connector having the fitting concave portion and the seal member is compressed to obtain the waterproof performance when the connectors are mated with each other, the stroke length receiving the resistance from the seal member is relatively long. Be shorter. However, since the force required to compress the surface of the seal member is generally much larger than the force required to compress the air, there is a problem that the fitting operation is not easy in a sense different from the above-described conventional example.

Accordingly, the present invention is a seal member of a type which is arranged in a fitting recess of one connector and is compressed by inserting a mating connector into the fitting recess, wherein the sealing member requires a small force for compression. An object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof electrical connector having a member.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A waterproof electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a housing having a mating recess for receiving a mating connector, a terminal arranged in the housing, and a seal arranged in the mating recess. In a waterproof electrical connector comprising a member, the sealing member is penetrated by the terminal.
A main body having a terminal insertion hole, and an outer edge surrounding the main body and protruding from an outer edge of the main body in a direction substantially orthogonal to a main surface of the main body. A mating surface facing in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main surface, a first inner wall surface located outside the mating surface, and a second inner wall surface located inside the mating surface. When the end face of the mating connector inserted into the recess comes into contact with the fitting surface and compresses the sealing member, the second inner wall surface protrudes into the space surrounded by the main body and the outer edge. It is characterized by the following.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a receptacle which is a mating connector of the waterproof electric connector of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a seal member of the receptacle. FIG. 3 shows a waterproof electric connector of the present invention .
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a seal member of a pin header constituting the connector. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the seal member. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state before fitting of the receptacle and the header. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fitted state of the receptacle and the header.

In FIG. 1, a receptacle 10 has a terminal position assurance member 12, a connector housing 14, a socket terminal 18, a rear seal member 20, and a rear cap (housing) 22.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rear seal member 2
0 is a front surface 32, a rear surface 34 and an edge surface 36 therebetween.
And a body 30 having

The terminal insertion holes 40 arranged in the same pattern as the chamber of the housing 14 penetrate the main body 30 similarly to the large opening 42 located at the center. An annular waterproof ridge 44 protruding inward on the inner wall of the terminal insertion hole 40 and the opening 42.
Are formed. A waterproof ridge 46 protruding outward is formed on the edge surface 36.

[0010] As shown in FIG.
4 is provided with a set of four laterally extending grooves 50. The groove 50 is formed between the rows of the terminal insertion holes 40 and the openings 42.
Located on both sides of.

Returning to FIG. 1, the rib 52 is formed on the inner surface (inner surface) 54 of the rear cap 22 and
The grooves are arranged at the same intervals as the grooves 50 on the front surface (rear surface) 34 of the zero.

The groove 50 and the rib 52 are provided on the rear seal member 2.
It provides direction to prevent misassembly of zero. The groove 50 has a physical direction indicating function and serves as a visual mark.
Note that the length of the four ribs shown may be changed in order to clarify the directionality.

Further, since the rib 52 is formed to be slightly wider than the groove 50, the sealing material of the main body 30 is compressed between the side wall 56 of the cap 22 and the rib 52 during assembly. This compression causes the thickness of the body 30 to be substantially less than would otherwise be required to provide sufficient waterproofness.

3 and 4, the seal member 102
Has a body 104 and an outer edge 106. Body 104
Terminal insertion hole 108 serves as an entrance of a pin terminal 110 (see FIG. 5), and a rectangular hole 112
(See FIG. 5).

The outer edge portion 106 has an outwardly facing mating surface 11.
4, a first inner wall surface 116 and a second inner wall surface 118. A space 120 is formed by the main body 104 and the outer edge 106. The seal member 102 is preferably formed of a suitable material such as silicone rubber.

The shape of the outer edge portion 106 is the same as the space occupied by the seal member having only the compression waterproof function, and provides both the peripheral waterproof function and the compression waterproof function in a space smaller than the conventional seal member having the peripheral waterproof function. . Further, depending on the shape of the seal member 102, the force may be smaller than the force required by the compression waterproof seal member.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the sealing member 1 of the pin header 122 for sealing the connection with the receptacle 10.
02 shows the actual use state. The sealing member 102 is a terminal 1
10 is located at the bottom of the chamber (fitting recess) 126 of the header 122, that is, at the floor 124, with the terminal 10 penetrating through the terminal insertion hole 108 (see FIG. 4).

When the receptacle 10 and the header 122 are fitted to form the electrical connector 130, the housing 14
Side surface 14b slides along the first inner wall surface 116, and the end surface 14a of the housing 14 engages with the fitting surface 114. When the receptacle 10 and the header 122 are bolted, the sealing material under the surface 114 is deformed and the second inner wall surface 1 is deformed.
18 rises and protrudes into the space 120 (not shown). The end surface 14a of the housing 14 presses the fitting surface 114 having a relatively small area, not the body 104 having a relatively large area. Therefore, in order to deform the seal material, a force smaller than the force required to compress the conventional compression type seal member may be used. Further, in a connector using a conventional sealing member, in a high-temperature environment test, the sealing member expands and generates internal stress in the plastic members 10 and 122. As a result, when the contraction occurs, the components 10 and 122 are separated from each other. However, there is a problem that a leak path is generated in the seal member, but the seal member of the present invention solves this problem. The deformation of the seal member reduces the compressive force pressing the seal member 102, and as a result, no large internal stress is generated in the receptacle 10 and the header 122. The peripheral waterproof function is obtained between the side surface 14b of the housing 14 and the first inner wall surface 116.

As can be appreciated from the foregoing description, a seal member for an electrical connector has been disclosed. One seal member has orientation cooperating with the end cap to prevent misassembly. Another seal member has both functions of waterproofing around and compressive waterproofing to reduce internal stress generated in the plastic parts, thereby ensuring intermittent waterproofing even at high temperatures.

[0020]

According to the waterproof electrical connector of the present invention,
The sealing member has a terminal insertion hole through which the terminal passes.
And surround the main body and the main surface of the main body from the outer edge of the main body.
And a outer edge portion projecting in a direction substantially orthogonal, an outer edge portion,
Fitting surface facing the main surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the body, a first inner wall surface located outside the fitting surface, and a second inner wall surface located inside the fitting surface, fitting the recess When the end face of the mating connector inserted into the seal member contacts the fitting surface of the seal member and compresses the seal member, the second inner wall surface protrudes into the space surrounded by the main body and the outer edge of the seal member. In addition to having both waterproof and compression waterproof functions, the compression
This has the effect of reducing the process length, reducing the force required to compress the seal member, and reducing the internal stress of the connector housing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a mating connector of a waterproof electrical connector of the present invention.
It is an exploded perspective view of a certain receptacle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a seal member of the receptacle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a seal member of a pin header constituting the waterproof electrical connector of the present invention .

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a seal member.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state before fitting of the receptacle and the header.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fitted state of the receptacle and the header.

[Explanation of symbols]

 102 seal member 104 body 106 outer edge 114 fitting surface 116 first inner wall surface 118 second inner wall surface 120 space 122 header connector 126 fitting recess

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (72) Case Robert Denlinger, United States of America 17601 Lancaster Voice Avenue 982 (72) Inventor Richard Wayne Grisbowski United States of America 17042 Pennsylvania Old Hickory Lane 1440 (72) Inventor John Mark Meyer 17551 Millersville, PA, United States of America Walnut Hill Road 397 (56) References JP-A-9-134756 (JP, A) JP-A-1-68672 (JP, U) (58) Fields studied (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01R 13/52 301

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A waterproof electrical connector comprising: a housing having a fitting recess for receiving a mating connector; a terminal disposed in the housing; and a seal member disposed in the fitting recess. Has a terminal insertion hole through which the terminal passes.
A main body that surrounds the main body and has an outer edge protruding from an outer edge of the main body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the main body, wherein the outer edge has a direction substantially orthogonal to the main surface of the main body. A mating connector inserted into the mating recess, the mating connector having a facing mating surface, a first inner wall surface located outside the mating surface, and a second inner wall surface located inside the mating surface. When the end surface of the abutment against the fitting surface to compress the seal member,
The said 2nd inner wall surface protrudes in the space enclosed by the said main body and the said outer edge part, The waterproof type electrical connector characterized by the above-mentioned.