Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-26
2001-06-26
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
C439S465000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250972
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector having a wire insertion part characterized by a waterproof structure resulting from ultrasonic oscillation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 9-320651 discloses one conventional waterproof structure for the connector. In the publication, there are shown covered wires each having a conductor covered with a synthetic covering part. In this structure, a pair of upper and lower resinous tips are used for a part of the structure where two covered wires intersect with each other.
The lower resinous tip is provided, at a center portion thereof, with a projecting welding boss and also provided, at the four corners, with guide grooves into which the covered wires are accommodated. Each guide groove has a cover removing part and a waterproof groove part, which are formed along a direction extending from the welding boss toward the outside, in order There is remained a gap defined between each guide groove and the welding boss.
Similarly to the lower resinous tip, the upper resinous tip has a welding boss formed to project at the center portion and four guide grooves formed on four corners to define gaps between each guide groove and the welding boss. Also in each guide groove, a cover removing part and a waterproof groove part are formed in order.
According to the above-mentioned structure, on condition of setting the lower resinous tip in an amble, the covered wires are inserted into the guide grooves of the lower resinous tip so as to intersect with each other and sequentially, the upper resinous tip is turned over and abutted on the lower resinous tip. This abutment allows both welding bosses of the upper and lower tips to mutually contact with each other and also causes the covered wires to be interposed between the guide grooves. In this state, the resultant assembly is subjected to the ultrasonic oscillation by an ultrasonic horn exerting pressure on the upper tip.
Consequently, the cover parts of the covered wires are molten to enter into the waterproof grooves, so that both conductors are exposed and connected with each other. The further continuation of ultrasonic oscillating under pressure allows both of the welding bosses to be molten and welded to each other. In this state, the waterproof grooves are filled up with the molten resinous material forming the insulating cover parts. Thereafter, as time goes by, the molten material of the cover parts is hardened while fulfilling the waterproof grooves in the form of a ring, whereby the connection having the waterproof characteristic can be provided between the intersecting covered wires.
Because of its effectiveness in the covered wires, the availability of the above-mentioned waterproof structure to a connector which accommodates terminals connected to the wires would make it to be a waterproof connector. In this case, it is executed to engage each terminal doubly in order to prevent it from withdrawing from the connector certainly.
The availability to the connector is carried out in accordance with the following steps of:
{circle around (1)} inserting each covered wire into each terminal and connecting the former with the latter by the terminal's crimping etc.;
{circle around (2)} accommodating the terminal having the covered wire connected thereto in a housing of the connector and engaging the terminal with an engagement lance;
{circle around (3)} sequentially subjecting the covered wire extending from the rear end of each terminal to the ultrasonic oscillation under pressure thereby to melt the insulating cover part of the covered wire for the resultant waterproof structure; and
{circle around (4)} engaging the terminal with double engagement members for fall-stop after the step of {circle around (3)}.
On the contrary, the double engagement operation of the terminal, which has been adopted up to now, comprises the steps of:
{circle around (1)} connecting each covered wire to each terminal;
{circle around (2)} accommodating the terminal in the housing and engaging it therein; and
{circle around (3)} engaging the terminal in the housing doubly.
That is, the former operation for the above-mentioned waterproof structure has a large number of steps in comparison with the number of steps in the latter operation, by the waterproofing. Furthermore, the former operation requires the double engagement members for the double engagement, increasing the number of components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such a circumstance, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof connector in which respective insulating cover parts of covered wires are molten for its waterproof structure and which is capable of engaging terminals being connected to the wires in the housing doubly without increasing the numbers of manufacturing steps and components.
The object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a waterproof connector for a plurality of covered wires having conductors covered with cover parts of resinous material, the waterproof connector comprising:
a housing having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers formed for respectively accommodating a plurality of terminals therein, the terminals being connected with respective leading ends of the covered wires; and
a cover to be overlaid on the housing thereby to define a plurality of wire insertion holes for the covered wires between the cover and the housing;
wherein the cover is provided with a fall-stop engagement part which engages with respective rear ends of the terminals in order to prevent the terminals from falling out of the housing; and
wherein a waterproof structure where the cover parts of the covered wires are welded to both of the housing and the cover being also welded to the housing, is provided by ultrasonic oscillating the housing under pressure while the covered wires are inserted into the wire insertion holes, respectively.
According to the above-mentioned structure, it is carried out to insert the covered wires into the wire insertion holes when putting the cover on the housing. Under such a situation, the ultrasonic oscillating and pressing on the connector allows the cover parts of the wires to be molten and welded to both of the housing and the cover, whereby the waterproof capacity is provided for the connector by the molten cover parts of the wires. Further, the covering of the housing with the cover allows the fall-stop engagement part of the cover to engage with the rear parts of the terminals in the terminal accommodating chambers doubly. Additionally, since the housing is also welded to the cover by the ultrasonic oscillation, the cover can be assembled to the housing stably, so that it is possible to eliminate the possibility of the fall-stop engagement part being disengaged from the terminals.
According to the invention, since the double engagement of the terminals is accomplished at the same time of putting the cover on the housing, there is no increase in the number of steps of completing the waterproof structure. Furthermore, there is no increase in the number of components since the cover serves a part of the double engagement for the terminals in addition to the engagement in the terminal accommodating chambers.
According to the second aspect of the invention, each of the terminals is provided with an engagement projection having a rear portion with which the fall-stop engagement part of the cover is to be engaged. In this case, since the fall-stop engagement part of the cover engages with the engagement projections of the terminals, it is possible to carry out the double engagement for the terminals in addition to the engagement in the terminal accommodating chambers, more certainly.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the waterproof connector further comprises a press bending part which presses the covered wires to bend them in a direction to intersect with the axial directions of the covered wires when the housing is covere
Ohashi Norihiro
Shinchi Akira
Abrams Neil
Dinh Phuong K T
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Yazaki -Corporation
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