Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-01-09
Patel, T. C. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
C439S936000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06171145
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector used for the wiring of an automobile and so on. Particularly, the present invention relates to a waterproof connector in which terminals break through an internal waterproofing gel slab to be inserted into terminal through hole.
FIG. 5
shows an example of a general waterproof connector. This waterproof connector
20
includes a connector housing
21
including terminal through holes
22
and a gel accommodating chamber
23
, a sustaining portion
25
including terminal through holes
24
, and a gel slab material
26
which is accommodated into the gel accommodating chamber
23
by being held between an inner wall surface
21
C of the connector housing
21
and an inner wall surface
25
C of the sustaining portion. A terminal
27
is inserted into and extended across the terminal through hole
22
and the terminal through hole
24
.
A connector housing
21
is penetrated by two parallel terminal through holes
22
at one side
21
A. The connector housing
21
is provided with the gel accommodating chamber
23
accommodating gel slab material
26
at the other side
21
B. The sustaining portion
25
is penetrated by two parallel terminal through holes
24
which coincide with axial lines M of respective terminal through holes
22
.
The sustaining portion
25
fits into an open end side of the gel accommodating chamber
23
so that a locking portion
29
is engaged with a projection
28
. The lock portion
29
is provided at an outer peripheral portion of the sustaining portion
25
. The projection
28
is provided at outer peripheral portion of connector housing
21
.
Since the gel slab material
26
is sustained between the connector housing
21
and the sustaining portion
25
, water-tightness of waterproof connector is kept to prevent entering of water from outside.
As shown in FIG.
6
(
a
), when the terminal
27
of the waterproof connector
20
is inserted into the terminal through hole
22
,
24
by breaking through the gel slab material
26
which is accommodated in the gel accommodating chamber
23
, gel chip rubbish
46
may be formed and stay in the terminal through hole
22
, the gel chip rubbish
46
causes an imperfect contact of the connector.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG.
6
(
b
), when the terminal
27
is pulled because of miss insertion and so on, the gel chip rubbish
46
may be formed and stay in the terminal through hole
24
. Similarly, the gel chip rubbish
46
causes an electrically imperfect contact of the connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a waterproof connector which avoids an imperfect contact associated with the gel slab material staying in the terminal through hole.
To accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a water-proof connector which includes:
a connector housing penetrated at one side by at least one first terminal through hole, said connector housing being provided with a gel accommodating chamber;
a sustain portion penetrated by at least one second terminal through hole coaxially arranged with respect to said at least one first terminal through hole;
a gel slab material accommodated in said gel accommodating chamber and held between an inner wall surface of said connector housing and an inner wall surface of said sustain portion;
a first gel rubbish accommodating portion provided for each of said at least one first terminal though hole, located close to said inner wall surface of said connector housing, for accommodating gel chip rubbish; and
a second gel rubbish accommodating portion provided for each of said at least one second terminal through hole, located close to said inner wall side of said sustain portion, for accommodating said gel chip rubbish.
For the first gel rubbish accommodating portion and the second gel rubbish accommodating portion, it is not limited in formed by space portions between each piece provided at the side of the inner wall surface of the connector housing, and use an object which includes recess grooves provided at the side of the inner wall surface of the connector housing.
In the thus constructed waterproof connector including, when the terminal is gotten into the terminal through hole with breaking through the gel slab material, as the gel chip rubbish is accommodated into the first gel rubbish accommodating portion formed at the inner peripheral wall side of the connector housing, the gel chip rubbish getting into the terminal through hole is prevented.
On the other hand, also when the terminal is pulled from the terminal through hole, as the gel chip rubbish is accommodated into the second gel rubbish accommodating portion formed at the inner peripheral wall side of the sustaining portion, the gel chip rubbish getting into the terminal through hole is prevented.
That is to say, when the terminal is inserted into the terminal through hole and when the terminal is pulled from the terminal through hole, as escape spaces are provided with to accommodate the generated gel chip rubbish, the gel chip rubbish getting into the terminal through hole is prevented. And an electrically imperfect contact, being caused by the gel chip rubbish getting into the terminal through hole, is avoided.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4662692 (1987-05-01), Uken et al.
patent: 5529508 (1996-06-01), Chiotis et al.
patent: 5588856 (1996-12-01), Collins et al.
patent: 6095859 (2000-08-01), Maeda
Patel T. C.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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