Electrical connectors – With provision to dissipate – remove – or block the flow of heat
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-13
2004-08-17
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With provision to dissipate, remove, or block the flow of heat
C439S906000, C439S487000, C439S076100, C361S689000, C361S699000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06776650
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waterproof and heat-dissipating structure of an electronic apparatus, and more particularly to a waterproof and heat-dissipating structure of an adapter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Adapter is an electronic apparatus used in our daily life. For being applied to various utility conditions, generally, the adapter has a special structure design for assembling. Please refer to
FIG. 1A
which is a decomposed diagram illustrating an assembly structure of a conventional adapter. As shown in
FIG. 1A
, the adapter
1
includes a top cover
11
, a base
12
, a circuit board
13
, a socket
14
and a power cord
15
. The top cover
11
is engaged to the base
12
to define a space for accommodating the circuit board
13
therein. When the top cover
11
and the base
12
are engaged together, a first hole and a second hole are defined at the opposite surfaces, respectively, for fixing the socket
14
and the power cord
15
therein, respectively. The edge of the socket
14
has a groove
141
surrounding. When the socket
14
is electrically connected to the circuit board
13
(not shown in
FIG. 1A
) and disposed in the first hole, the groove
141
is engaged with the edge of the first hole. Then, the socket
14
is fixed in the first hole when the top cover
11
and the base
12
are combined together. The power cord
15
includes a terminal
151
having an electrical connecting end
1511
, a buffer portion
1512
and a groove
1513
. The groove
1513
is formed between the electrical connecting end
1511
and the buffer portion
1512
. When the electrical connecting end
1511
is electrically connected to the circuit board
13
(not shown in
FIG. 1A
) and the terminal
151
is disposed in the second hole, the groove
1513
of the terminal
151
is engaged with the edge of the second hole. Hence, the power cord
15
is fixed in the second hole when the top cover
11
and the base
12
are combined. The combined structure of the adapter is shown in FIG.
1
B.
The conventional assembly structure of the adapter
1
, however, is unavoidably to exist gaps between the socket
14
and the first hole, the terminal
151
of the power cord
15
and the second hole, and the top cover
11
and the base
12
because the junctions are not tight enough. Hence, it cannot achieve waterproof effect. For an adapter which is required to be operated under a wet operational condition for a long time, a short circuit or a damage of the electronic devices inside the adapter may occur since the electronic device could contact with water or be rusty. It is not only to dramatically reduce the use life of the adapter but also to greatly limit the application of the adapter. In addition, even through the conventional adapter is not operated under the wet operational condition, if the conventional adapter accidentally or unexpectedly contacts with water, then a short circuit or a damage of the electronic devices inside the adapter may also occur.
Moreover, the electronic devices on the circuit board usually generate a lot of heat when the conventional adapter is operated. Since the material for making the conventional adapter is the plastic material, the heat generated from the electronic devices is not easily dissipated. The electronic devices inside the conventional adapter are easily broken because of heat accumulation, resulting in that the use life of the conventional adapter dramatically reduces. Hence, another conventional adapter as shown in
FIG. 2
is provided to solve the heat-dissipation problem. As shown in
FIG. 2
, both the top cover and the base include a plurality of holes
20
for dissipating heat. In such way, this conventional adapter is not waterproof and the heat dissipating is inefficiently.
Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to develop a waterproof and heat-dissipating structure of an adapter to deal with the above situations encountered in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide waterproof and heat-dissipating structure of an adapter for simultaneously improving the heat dissipating and the waterproof effects.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof and heat-dissipating structure of an electronic apparatus including a circuit board, an input element and an output element. The structure includes an aluminum-wrapped housing having at least four adjoining surfaces for defining a space, a first opening end and a second opening end, wherein the space is used for accommodating the circuit board, a first lateral plate fixed to the aluminum-wrapped housing, covering the first opening end and having a first hole for fixing the input element therein, and a second lateral plate fixed to the aluminum-wrapped housing, covering the second opening end and having a second hole for fixing the output element therein.
For example, the input element can be a power cord, a plug or an outlet.
For example, the output element can be a power cord, a plug or an outlet.
For example, the electronic apparatus can be an adapter, a battery charger or a transformer.
Preferably, the surfaces of the aluminum-wrapped housing further have one of dents and fins thereon.
Preferably, the first lateral plate is fixed to the aluminum-wrapped housing by screwing for tightly covering the first opening end.
Preferably, the second lateral plate is fixed to the aluminum-wrapped housing by screwing for tightly covering the second opening end.
Preferably, the waterproof and heat-dissipating structure further includes an input element spacer disposed between the input element and the first lateral plate for avoiding forming a gap between the input element and the first hole.
Preferably, the waterproof and heat-dissipating structure further includes a first lateral plate spacer disposed between the first lateral plate and the aluminum-wrapped housing for avoiding forming a gap therebetween.
Preferably, the waterproof and heat-dissipating structure further includes an output element spacer disposed between the output element and the second lateral plate for avoiding forming a gap between the output element and the second hole.
Preferably, the waterproof and heat-dissipating structure further includes a second lateral plate spacer disposed between the second lateral plate and the aluminum-wrapped housing for avoiding forming a gap therebetween.
Preferably, the waterproof and heat-dissipating structure further includes an outer covering for covering the aluminum-wrapped housing, the first lateral plate and the second lateral plate. The outer covering preferably includes a top cover and a base. The outer covering preferably has a plurality of heat-dissipating holes on an outer surface thereof.
Preferably, the input element is fixed to the first lateral plate by screwing for tightly fastening the input element therein.
Preferably, the output element is engaged into the second hole of the second lateral plate. The output element preferably has a groove, for engaging with an edge of the second hole when the output element inserts into the second hole to fix the output element therein.
Preferably, the output element includes a waterproof structure at a power cord end and the waterproof structure includes a first nut having a channel and an inner thread, a soft washer, a wire material having one end to pass through the channel of the first nut for sleeving with the soft washer, a connecting element having a first and a second connecting ends, wherein the second connecting end connected the wire material by the soft washer and to the first nut by screwing, whereby tightly fixing the wire material to the connecting element and having waterproof effect, and a second nut connected to the first connecting end of the connecting element, which first passes through the second hole of the second lateral plate, by screwing, whereby tightly fixing the output element to the second lateral plate and having waterproof effect. Preferably, the waterproof structure at a power cord end further includes
Chen Chun-Chen
Cheng Bruce C. H.
Chiang Lien-Jin
Hsu Jui-Yuan
Delta Electronics , Inc.
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Ta Tho D.
LandOfFree
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