TW201711304A - Waterproof connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A waterproof connector assembly is provided with: a waterproof connector adapted to be mounted to an object to which the waterproof connector is to be connected; and a waterproof member disposed on the outer peripheral section of the waterproof connector. The waterproof member has at least one affixation section adapted to be affixed to the object to which the waterproof connector is to be connected.

Description

Waterproof connector assembly

The present invention relates to a waterproof connector assembly, and more particularly to a waterproof connector assembly in which a waterproof member is disposed on an outer peripheral portion of a waterproof connector.

In recent years, portable electronic devices have been widely used, and in these electronic devices, the waterproof function is highly demanded, and it is desirable to have waterproofness in connection with connectors for electronic devices.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a connector that is waterproof. As shown in Fig. 14, the connector 1 has a configuration in which the cover 3 is attached to the casing 2 and the waterproof member 4 is fitted in the outer peripheral portion of the casing 2 so that the terminals of the casing 2 are in contact with the connection terminal 6 of the substrate 5. In the manner, the connector 1 is mounted on the substrate 5. Further, by assembling the upper case 7 and the lower case 8 of the electronic device to contact the waterproof member 4, water ingress between the connector 1 and the upper case 7 and the lower case 8 is prevented.

[Advanced technical literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-176734

However, the waterproof member 4 that is fitted into the outer peripheral portion of the casing 2 has a substantially elliptical shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the casing 2 when viewed from the fitting direction of the connector 1. Therefore, in the fitting work of the waterproof member 4 of the casing 2, the assembly work of the upper casing 7 and the lower casing 8, and the like, the force rotating around the fitting shaft of the connector 1 acts on the waterproof member 4, and is waterproof. When the upper side case 7 and the lower side case 8 are assembled in a state in which the member 4 is rotated with respect to the casing 2, the waterproof member 4 is easily deformed into a twisted shape, and the waterproof effect may be lowered.

Further, even if a force acting in the fitting direction of the connector 1 acts on the waterproof member 4, and the arrangement position of the casing 2 is shifted, the waterproof effect of the waterproof member 4 may be lowered.

This invention is to solve the conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide a waterproof connector assembly that prevents a waterproof effect from being lowered due to rotation and positional displacement of the waterproof member.

The waterproof connector assembly of the present invention includes: a waterproof connector attached to the connection object; and an outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector The waterproof member; the waterproof member has at least one fixing portion for fixing to the connection object.

The waterproof member has a wrap portion that surrounds the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector and has no interface, and is deformed by a wrap portion that is interposed between the frame of the device equipped with the connection object and the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector. A repulsive force is generated to prevent water from entering between the frame and the waterproof connector, and the fixing portion is formed to protrude from the wrap portion on the inner side of the machine.

The waterproof connector has: one or more contacts and an insulator integrally formed with the contacts; and the contacts have: a contact portion disposed at one end and exposed from the insulator to contact the contacts of the object side connector, and disposed at the other end A connection portion that is protruded from the insulator and connected to the connection object, and a holding portion that is disposed between the contact portion and the connection portion and held by the insulator; the wrap portion of the waterproof member is disposed to surround the outer peripheral portion of the insulator.

The waterproof connector includes an outer peripheral cover that is held by the insulator and surrounds the outer periphery of the contact portion of the contact, and a target-side connector housing portion that accommodates the target-side connector is formed inside the outer peripheral cover.

The fixing portion of the waterproof member has a fixing surface that is fixed to the object to be connected by soldering.

In this case, the connection portion of the contact has a connection surface in which the solder is soldered to the connection object, and the fixing surface of the waterproof member is located substantially flush with the connection surface.

The outer peripheral cover has a cover side fitting portion attached to the connection object, and a cover side fitting portion located substantially on the same surface as the joint surface of the waterproof member and the contact surface.

The insulator has a waterproof member groove that surrounds the outer peripheral portion of the insulator, and the wrap portion of the waterproof member is fitted into the waterproof member groove.

According to the invention, the waterproof member disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector has at least one fixing portion for fixing the connection object to which the waterproof connector is attached, so that the rotation of the waterproof member can be prevented and The positional shift causes the waterproof effect to decrease.

1‧‧‧Connector

2‧‧‧Shell

3‧‧‧Shell cover

4‧‧‧Waterproof components

5‧‧‧Substrate

6‧‧‧Connecting terminal

7‧‧‧Upper box

8‧‧‧Lower box

10‧‧‧Waterproof connector assembly

11‧‧‧Waterproof connector

12‧‧‧1st contact

12A, 13A‧‧‧Contacts

12B, 13B‧‧‧Substrate connection

12C, 13C‧‧‧ connection surface

13‧‧‧2nd contact

14‧‧‧External shell cover

14A‧‧‧Cylinder

14B‧‧‧Object side connector housing

14C‧‧‧Shell side assembly

15‧‧‧1st insulator

15A‧‧‧Insulator body

15B‧‧‧ tongue

15C‧‧‧ wall

16‧‧‧Intermediate board

17‧‧‧2nd insulator

17A‧‧‧Ditch for waterproof components

18‧‧‧back cover

18A‧‧‧Shell side assembly

20, 21‧‧‧ Grounding plate

22‧‧‧1st contact insulator

23‧‧‧Second contact insulator

31‧‧‧Waterproof components

31A‧‧‧ Volume Department

31B‧‧‧arm

31C‧‧‧Fixed Department

31D‧‧‧Fixed surface

31E‧‧‧metal piece

41‧‧‧Substrate

41A‧‧‧Connecting mat

42‧‧‧ frame

42A‧‧‧ openings

42B‧‧‧ accommodating space

C‧‧‧Chimeric axis

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the waterproof connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as seen obliquely from above.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment as seen obliquely from below.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view showing the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view showing the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the waterproof member used in the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment as seen obliquely from above.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the waterproof member used in the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment as seen obliquely from below.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment in which the substrate is mounted.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment in which the substrate is mounted.

Fig. 9 is a side sectional view showing the waterproof connector assembly of the embodiment in which the substrate is mounted.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a waterproof connector assembly showing an embodiment in which a substrate is mounted and a housing of a machine is disposed.

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view showing the waterproof connector assembly showing an embodiment in which the substrate is mounted and the housing of the machine is disposed.

Fig. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the waterproof connector assembly showing an embodiment in which the substrate is mounted and the housing of the machine is disposed.

Fig. 14 is an assembled view of an electronic machine using a conventional connector.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The first and second figures show the waterproof connector assembly 10 of the embodiment. In the waterproof connector assembly 10, a waterproof member 31 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector 11.

The waterproof connector 11 is a socket connector that is fixed to a substrate (connecting object) in an electronic device such as a mobile device or an information device, and has a shape that extends in the direction of the fitting axis C and is aligned with respect to the fitting axis C. The plurality of first contacts 12 in the intersecting direction and the plurality of second contacts 13 extending in the direction of the fitting axis C and arranged in parallel with the plurality of first contacts 12 are provided.

Here, for convenience, the direction along the fitting axis C from the front portion toward the rear portion of the waterproof connector 11 is referred to as the Y direction, and the arrangement direction of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 is referred to as X. The direction is perpendicular to the XY plane and the direction from the second contact 13 side toward the first contact 12 side is referred to as the Z direction.

The outer peripheral casing 14 made of metal extending along the fitting axis C is disposed so as to cover the outer ends of the end portions of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 in the -Y direction. A flat cylindrical portion 14A having a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape is formed at a front end portion of the outer peripheral cover 14 in the -Y direction side portion, and a cylindrical portion 14A is formed inside the cylindrical portion 14A for connecting the object side. The object side connector housing portion 14B into which the device is inserted. In the +Y direction end portion of the tubular portion 14A, a pair of arm portions (not shown) extending from the +X direction end portion and the -X direction end portion along the YZ surface in the +Y direction are formed on the arm portion. The +Y direction end portions are respectively formed with a cover side fitting portion 14C extending in the -Z direction.

The first insulator 15 made of an insulating resin is housed in the target-side connector accommodating portion 14A, and the central portion of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 is held in the first insulator 15 The intermediate portion 16 made of metal is embedded in the first insulator 15 and disposed between the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 .

The second insulator 17 made of an insulating resin is formed by closing the rear end portion of the tubular portion 14A of the outer peripheral cover 14 in the +Y direction, and embedding a plurality of first contacts 12 and a plurality of 2 touch Each holding portion of the head 13. A pair of arm portions (not shown) of the outer peripheral cover 14 are also embedded in the second insulator 17, and as shown in Fig. 2, the cover side fitting portion 14C formed at the end portion of the arm portion in the +Y direction is from the second insulator 17 protrudes in the direction of -Z.

A rear case cover 18 that covers the back of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 and is made of metal is disposed at the rear end portion of the second insulator 17. The rear cowl 18 has a pair of cover side fitting portions 18A that protrude in the -Z direction.

The waterproof member 31 is formed of a material having elasticity such as rubber, and is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the second insulator 17. The waterproof member 31 has a wrap portion 31A that surrounds the outer peripheral portion of the second insulator 17 and has no interface, and has a pair of arm portions 31B that extend from the both end portions of the wrap portion 31A in the X direction toward the +Y direction. The front end of each arm portion 31B is formed with a fixing portion 31C that is separated from the second insulator 17 and extends in the X direction. The fixing portion 31C is formed to protrude from the wrap portion 31A toward the inner side of the electronic device on which the waterproof connector 11 is mounted via the arm portion 31B.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the target side connector accommodating portion 14B of the outer peripheral cover 14, a pair of ground plates 20 and 21 made of metal are disposed on the surface of the second insulator 17, and are respectively in the +Z direction. The side of the side and the -Z direction cover the base of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 that protrude to the opposite side connector accommodating portion 14B.

The intermediate plate 16 and the pair of ground plates 20 and 21 are electrically connected to the outer peripheral casing 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first insulator 15 has: an insulator a main body 15A, a tongue portion 15B extending from the insulator main body 15A in the -Y direction along the fitting axis C, and a wall portion 15C protruding from the +Y direction end portion of the insulator main body 15A in the +Z direction and the -Z direction; The contact portion 12A disposed at the distal end of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the contact portion 13A disposed at the distal end of the plurality of second contacts 13 along the both sides of the tongue portion 15B extend in the -Y direction, on the object side The inside of the connector accommodating portion 14B is exposed.

The second insulator 17 is disposed so as to cover the rear portion of the insulator main body 15A, and the first contact insulator 22 and the second contact insulator 23 are exposed on the back of the second insulator 17, and are disposed in the plurality of first contacts 12 The substrate connection portion 12B at the rear end and the substrate connection portion 13B disposed at the rear end of the plurality of second contacts 13 are exposed. The substrate connecting portions 12B and 13B respectively have connecting faces 12C and 13C that are parallel to the XY plane and face the -Z direction.

The second insulator 17 is integrally formed with a holding portion disposed between the contact portion 12A of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the board connecting portion 12B, and a contact portion 13A and a substrate disposed between the plurality of second contacts 13 The holding portion between the connecting portions 13B, whereby the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13 are fixed to the second insulator 17, and water is prevented along the plurality of first contacts 12 and plural The second contact 13 enters the back of the second insulator 17 on the +Y direction side from the target side connector accommodating portion 14B.

The ground plate 20 disposed on the surface of the first insulator 15 on the +Z direction side extends from the surface of the insulator body 15A of the first insulator 15 over the wall portion 15C, and penetrates the inside of the second insulator 17 in the +Y direction. The portion of the portion 15C located at the end in the +Z direction is connected to the periphery The inner surface of the cover 14 on the +Z direction side. The +Y-direction end portion of the ground plate 20 protrudes toward the rear of the second insulator 17 and is disposed on the surface on the +Z direction side of the first contact insulator 22, and is connected to the rear case cover 18.

In the same manner, the ground plate 21 disposed on the surface on the −Z direction side of the first insulator 15 passes over the wall portion 15C from the surface of the insulator body 15A of the first insulator 15 similarly to the ground plate 20 on the +Z direction side. The inside of the second insulator 17 extends in the +Y direction, and the portion of the wall portion 15C located at the end in the -Z direction is connected to the inner surface of the outer peripheral cover 14 on the -Z direction side. The end portion of the grounding plate 21 in the +Y direction protrudes toward the rear of the second insulator 17 and is disposed on the surface on the −Z direction side of the second contact insulator 23 .

The second insulator 17 is integrally formed with the penetrating portions of the ground plates 20 and 21, and is integrally formed with a pair of arm portions (not shown) that connect the tubular portion 14A of the outer peripheral cover 14 and the cover side fitting portion 14C. Thereby, water is prevented from entering the back of the second insulator 17 on the +Y direction side from the object side connector accommodating portion 14B along the ground plates 20 and 21 and the outer peripheral cover 14.

In the outer peripheral portion of the second insulator 17, a waterproof member groove 17A that surrounds the fitting axis C and extends in the XZ plane is formed, and the wrap portion 31A of the waterproof member 31 is fitted in the waterproof member groove 17A.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pair of fixing portions 31C of the waterproof member 31 respectively have a fixing surface 31D that is parallel to the XY plane and faces the -Z direction, and a metal piece 31E is embedded in the fixing portion 31C, and the metal The surface of the sheet 31E is exposed on the fixing surface 31D. Fixing surface of waterproof member 31 31D is located on substantially the same surface as the connection surface 12C of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the connection surface 13C of the plurality of second contacts 13, and is located on the cover side fitting portion 14C and the rear cover of the outer peripheral cover 14. The cover side fitting portion 18A of 18 is substantially flush with the same surface.

The metal piece 31E is used for soldering the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 to the object to be joined, and for example, by injecting an elastic material such as rubber into the periphery of the metal piece 31E by a mold, it is possible to manufacture the metal piece 31E. Waterproof member 31.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the waterproof connector assembly 10 of the structure is a substrate 41 that is mounted in a device such as a mobile device or an information device. The cover side fitting portion 14C of the outer peripheral cover 14 and the cover side fitting portion 18A of the rear cover 18 and the fixing surface 31D of the waterproof member 31 are located on the connection surface 12C with the plurality of first contacts 12 and the second plurality The connecting faces 13C of the contacts 13 are substantially flush with each other.

Therefore, for example, when the step of welding the substrate connecting portion 12B of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the substrate connecting portion 13B of the plurality of second contacts 13 to the corresponding plurality of connection pads on the substrate 41 is performed, it is possible to simultaneously The cover side fitting portion 14C of the outer peripheral cover 14 and the cover side fitting portion 18A of the rear cover 18 are soldered to the corresponding joint portions of the substrate 41, and the metal piece 31E which can be exposed to the fixing surface 31D of the waterproof member 31 can be tinned. Soldering to the corresponding connection pads 41A of the substrate 41. In other words, in the primary soldering step, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the substrate connecting portion 12B of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the substrate connecting portion 13B of the plurality of second contacts 13 can be The cover side fitting portion 14C of the outer peripheral cover 14 and the rear cover 18 The cover side mounting portion 18A is connected and fixed to the substrate 41, and the waterproof connector 11 is attached to the substrate 41, and the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 can be fixed to the substrate 41.

By fixing the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 to the connection pad 41A of the substrate 41, the waterproof member 31 is fixed to the substrate 41, and as a result, the relative waterproof member 31 can be fixed to the waterproof connector 11 mounted on the same substrate 41. position.

After the waterproof connector assembly 10 is mounted on the substrate 41, as shown in FIG. 11, the frame 42 of the device equipped with the substrate 41 is attached to the waterproof connector assembly 10. The housing 42 has a housing space for housing the waterproof connector assembly 10 therein, and a portion from the front end of the waterproof connector assembly 10 to the wrap portion 31A of the waterproof member 31 is housed in the housing space. The housing 42 has an opening 42A that opens in the -Y direction and passes through the accommodating space. As shown in FIG. 12, the housing 42 is disposed in the target-side connector accommodating portion 14B of the outer peripheral cover 14 through the opening 42A. The contact portion 12A of the first contact 12 and the contact portion 13A of the plurality of second contacts 13 are exposed.

As shown in Fig. 13, the housing space 42B of the housing 42 is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer circumference of the wrap portion 31A of the waterproof member 31. Therefore, when the housing 42 is attached to the waterproof connector assembly 10, the clip is placed The wrap portion 31A of the waterproof member 31 between the frame 42 and the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector 11 is deformed, and the outer peripheral portion of the wrap portion 31A is brought into close contact with the accommodating space 42B of the frame 42 by the repulsive force. a wall, and the inner peripheral portion of the wrap portion 31A is in close contact with the second insulator 17 of the waterproof connector 11. The waterproof member groove 17A. Thereby, the water inlet between the frame 42 and the waterproof connector 11 is prevented.

When the frame body 42 is attached to the waterproof connector assembly 10, the force acts on the wrap portion 31A of the waterproof member 31 from the frame body 42, and the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 is soldered to the connection pad 41A of the substrate 41. Since the relative position of the waterproof member 31 with respect to the waterproof connector 11 is fixed, it is possible to prevent the curl portion 31A from rotating about the fitting axis C and the position being displaced along the fitting axis C. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the waterproof effect from being lowered due to the rotation and positional displacement of the waterproof member 31 in advance. It is preferable that the fixing portion 31C is disposed as close as possible to the vicinity of the wrap portion 31A, whereby the positional deviation of the wrap portion 31A can be more effectively prevented.

In the above-described embodiment, the metal piece 31E is embedded in the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31, and the fixing portion 31C is soldered to the connection pad 41A of the substrate 41 by using the surface of the metal piece 31E exposed on the fixing surface 31D. It is not limited to this. For example, the waterproof member 31 can be formed by a material in which metal fine particles are dispersed in rubber or the like, and the fixing portion 31C can be soldered. The soldering of the fixing portion 31C can also be performed by applying the flux to the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 formed of rubber or the like.

The fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 may be fixed to the surface of the substrate 41 by a mechanical method other than soldering, such as soldering, bonding, or screwing. However, in the case of the tin soldering method, the waterproof connector 11 can be attached to the substrate 41 by the primary soldering step, and the fixing portion 31C of the waterproof member 31 can be fixed to the substrate 41, which simplifies the manufacturing process.

In the above-described embodiment, the second insulator 17 is formed from the side of the target side connector accommodating portion 14B to the back of the second insulator 17 on the +Y direction side, and the second insulator 17 is formed into a plurality of first contacts. The holding portion of the 12 and the holding portions of the plurality of second contacts 13 , the ground plates 20 and 21 , and the pair of arm portions of the outer peripheral cover 14 are integrated to waterproof the waterproof connector 11 . However, the surfaces of the plurality of first contacts 12 and the plurality of second contacts 13, the ground plates 20 and 21, and the second insulator 17 of the outer peripheral cover 14 are respectively as described in Japanese Patent No. 5433776. When the waterproof shape portion formed by the groove portion or the projection is formed, the waterproof effect can be further improved.

In the above embodiment, the waterproof connector 11 has the outer peripheral cover 14, the intermediate plate 16, the rear cover 18, and the ground plates 20 and 21. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the invention is not limited to the configuration of the waterproof connector 11.

The waterproof connector 11 has a plurality of first contacts 12 and a plurality of second contacts 13 arranged in a plurality of rows, and the contacts can be arranged in a row, and the number of contacts is not limited.

10‧‧‧Waterproof connector assembly

11‧‧‧Waterproof connector

31‧‧‧Waterproof components

31C‧‧‧Fixed Department

31E‧‧‧metal piece

41‧‧‧Substrate

41A‧‧‧Connecting mat

Claims (8)

A waterproof connector assembly including: a waterproof connector attached to an object to be connected; and a waterproof member disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector; the waterproof member having at least one member for fixing to the object to be connected Fixed part. The waterproof connector assembly according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the waterproof member has a wrap portion that surrounds an outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector and has no interface, and is provided in a frame of a device equipped with the connection object The wrap portion that is interposed between the body and the outer peripheral portion of the waterproof connector is deformed to generate a repulsive force to prevent water from entering between the frame and the waterproof connector, and the fixing portion is formed to protrude from the wrap portion. On the inside side of the above machine. The waterproof connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the waterproof connector has: one or more contacts and an insulator integrally formed with the contacts; and the contacts have: one end disposed at the one end and the insulator a contact portion that is exposed to contact with the contact of the target-side connector, a connection portion that is disposed at the other end and that is protruded from the insulator and connected to the connection target object, and is disposed between the contact portion and the connection portion a holding portion held by the insulator; the wrap portion of the waterproof member is disposed to surround an outer peripheral portion of the insulator. A waterproof connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, In the above-described waterproof connector, the outer peripheral cover that is held by the insulator and surrounds the outer periphery of the contact portion of the contact, is formed inside the outer peripheral cover: the object-side connector is housed Object side connector housing. The waterproof connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the fixing portion of the waterproof member has a fixing surface fixed to the object to be connected by soldering. The waterproof connector assembly according to claim 5, wherein the connecting portion of the contact has a solder joint on a connection surface of the connection object, and the fixing surface of the waterproof member is located at the connection surface Roughly on the same side. The waterproof connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the outer peripheral cover has a cover side mounting portion attached to the connection object, and the cover side mounting portion is located above the waterproof member The fixing surface and the connecting surface of the contact are substantially flush with each other. The waterproof connector assembly according to the third or fourth aspect of the invention, wherein the insulator includes: a waterproof member groove surrounding the outer peripheral portion of the insulator; and the wrap portion of the waterproof member is embedded in the waterproof member ditch.