Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-28
2001-05-15
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
C439S273000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231388
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compact and multi-pole waterproof connector which improves the waterproof capability between a connector housing and a plurality of wires connected with terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
The applicant of the present invention has previously proposed this kind of waterproof connector in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-162521 (not a prior art).
FIGS. 1
to
3
show the structure of the waterproof connector. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a connector housing
11
of the waterproof connector
10
′ has a synthetic resinous inner housing
12
having a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers
13
formed integrally, a synthetic resinous outer housing
17
for fitting the inner housing
12
therein, and a synthetic resinous spacer
28
interposed between the inner housing
12
and the outer housing
17
to retain female terminals
14
accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers
13
of the inner housing
12
.
The inner housing
12
is provided with a box part
12
a
having upper and lower openings formed on rear sides of the housing
12
. In the housing
12
, terminal accommodating chambers
13
are defined by a center horizontal wall
12
b
and upper and lower vertical sidewalls
12
c
in order to accommodate female terminals
14
in the chambers
13
, respectively. On the upper and lower faces of the box part
12
a
and at the center of the part
12
a
, respective engagement claws
15
are formed integrally with the housing
12
. Further, the housing
12
has flanges
16
integrally formed at respective front ends of the upper and lower faces of the box part
12
a
. Note, on the front wall of the box part
12
a
at respective positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating chambers
13
, rectangular through-holes
12
d
are formed for allowing male terminals (not shown) of the mating connector through. In each female terminal
14
, a box part
14
a
is provided, on each side plate thereof, with a pair of press-fitting edges
14
b
,
14
b
both folded at the rear part of the terminal
14
.
The outer housing
17
comprises an inner wall
17
a
in the form of a substantially rectangular cylinder, an outer wall
17
b
in the form of a substantially rectangular cylinder as well, and a bottom wall
17
c
connected the inner and outer walls
17
a
,
17
b
with each other, providing a double-box having an opening at its front end.
Inside the bottom wall
17
c
, rubber plug accommodating recesses
19
are formed at respective positions corresponding to the terminal accommodating chambers
13
, for accommodating waterproof rubber plugs
18
′. The bottom wall
17
c
has wire through-holes
21
formed to allow wires
20
through. Each waterproof rubber plug
18
′ is in the form of a substantial cylinder having uneven inner and outer peripheral faces, also allowing the wire
20
through.
The spacer
28
comprises a rectangular-cylindrical body part
28
a
in the form of a generally rectangular cylinder fitted to the outer housing
17
, a flange part
28
b
in the form of a generally rectangular cylinder fitted to the outer housing
17
, and a bottom wall
26
c
of the body part
28
c
, providing a box having a front section opened.
In the assembled state, the box part
12
a
of the inner housing
12
is fitted at the interior of the body part
28
a
of the spacer
28
.
Corresponding to the wire through-holes
21
of the outer housing
17
, the spacer
28
has also wire through-holes
33
formed in the bottom wall
28
c
so as to respectively oppose the holes
21
of the outer housing
17
in engagement with the spacer
28
. The bottom wall
28
c
of the spacer
28
is configured so as to retain the rubber plugs
18
′ at the completion to fit the spacer
28
to the outer housing
17
. Before being retained, the rubber plugs
18
′ have been inserted into the rubber plug accommodating recesses
19
in the bottom wall
17
c
of the outer housing
17
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the wires
20
penetrating through the through-holes
21
of the housing
17
, respective through-holes
18
b
of the rubber plugs
18
′ and the through-holes
33
of the spacer
28
, are disposed between the press-fitting edges
14
b
,
14
b
in respective pairs, into pressure-connection with the female terminals
14
accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers
13
of the inner housing
12
. With the above arrangement, the terminal accommodating chambers
13
and the wires
20
are waterproofed owing to the rubber plugs
18
and a rubber packing
24
interposed between the outer housing
17
and the spacer
28
.
In the bottom wall
17
c
of the outer housing
17
, each rubber plug accommodating recess
19
is provided, on its inlet side, with a reversed conical face (tapered face)
19
a
. Similarly, the bottom wall
28
c
of the spacer
28
is provided, about each through-hole
33
, with a reversed conical face (tapered face)
28
d.
As shown in
FIGS. 3A
, each rubber plug
18
′ allowing the wire
20
through is provided, on both axial ends thereof, with conical faces (tapered faces)
18
a
,
18
a
. In the dimensional establishment, an inner diameter Rb of the rubber plug
18
, i.e., a diameter of the through-hole
18
b
is equal to or more than a diameter R of the wire
20
(Rb≧R). In addition, an outer diameter Ra of the rubber plug
18
′ is more than a diameter D of the rubber plug accommodating part
19
and there is established a sealing relationship of (Ra−Rb+R>D) in the rubber plug accommodating recess
19
.
FIG. 1
shows a temporary engagement condition where the rubber plug
18
′ is not fitted into the recess
19
completely. The reason of incomplete fitting is to reduce an insertion force in inserting the wires
20
into the rubber plugs
18
′ at the next-coming formal engagement.
Nevertheless, since the rubber plugs
18
′ under the above temporary engagement condition is simply pinched between the reversed conical faces
19
a
of the outer housing
17
and the reversed faces
28
d
of the spacer
28
, there may be occurred a problem of the rubber plugs
18
′ being detached from the formal position between the reversed conical faces
19
a
of the outer housing
17
and the same
28
d
of the spacer
28
due to vibrations, external force, etc.
Additionally, as shown in
FIG. 3B
, one conical face
18
a
of the rubber plug
18
′ comes into “surface” contact with the reversed face
19
a
of the rubber plug recess
19
of the outer housing
17
while increasing the frictional force therebetween. Therefore, it requires a large insertion force against the plugs
18
to force the rubber plugs
18
′ into the recesses
19
of the outer housing
17
through the reversed conical faces
28
d
of the spacer
28
. Consequently, there is a possibility of the assembling workability of the waterproof connector
10
′ being deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under the circumstances, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-pole waterproof connector which is capable of the improvement of assembling workability. It is also an object to provide a method of producing the above waterproof connector.
The former object of the present invention described above can be accomplished by a waterproof connector composed of a connector housing which has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers adapted so as to accommodate a plurality of terminals to be connected to electrical wires, and rubber plugs for insulating the terminals accommodating chambers and the wires from the outside of the connector housing in a waterproof manner, the connector housing comprising:
an inner housing having the terminal accommodating chambers formed therein;
an outer housing into which the inner housing is to be fitted; and
a spacer disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing to retain the terminals accommodated in the terminal accommodating chambers; and wherein
the outer housing has wire
Fukuda Masaru
Murakami Takao
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Hammond Briggitte R.
Luebke Renee
Yazaki -Corporation
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