Waterproof connector

Details Waterproof connector Waterproof connector

1999-06-08

2001-03-06

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06196873

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple waterproof connector which improves waterproofness between a connector housing and plural electric wires with which terminals are connected and does not require a dummy tap.
2. Description of Related Art
As such a dummy tap for this type of the waterproof connector, a dummy tap shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-188069, and a dummy tap shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-122331.
A dummy tap A for a waterproof connector shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
is composed of a pin
5
made of synthetic resin having a bar-shaped section
5
a
and disk-shaped step section
5
b
, and a circular rubber tap
6
into which the bar-shaped section
5
a
of the pin
5
is fitted. Moreover, a plurality of terminal housing holes
2
are formed in a connector housing
1
of a waterproof connector, and a female terminal
4
which is connected with an electric wire
3
is engaged with by a lance (flexible engagement arm)
1
a
so as to be housed in each terminal housing hole
2
.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, the dummy tap A is fitted into a base end side of the free terminal housing hole
2
of the connector housing
1
of the waterproof connector so that water is prevented from penetrating the terminal housing hole
2
from the outside.
A dummy tap B for the waterproof connector shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
is composed of a rubber tap
7
for sealing an electric wire which is fitted into a free terminal housing hole
2
of plural terminal housing holes
2
formed in a connector housing
1
′ of a waterproof connector into which a female terminal is not mounted, and a rear holder
8
made of synthetic resin, which has a shaft section
8
a
whose diameter is equal to a diameter of an electric wire
3
and which is inserted into an electric wire insertion hole
7
a
of the rubber tap
7
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, when a frame-shaped lock section
8
b
of the rear holder
8
is engaged with the connector housing
1
′, the dummy tap B is fitted into the free terminal housing hole
2
of the connector housing
1
′ and is locked so that water is prevented from penetrating the terminal housing hole
2
from the outside.
The conventional connector housings
1
and
1
′ of the water proof connector have the plural terminal housing holes
2
respectively, but some terminal housing holes
2
are not used because of an improvement or disuse of an option circuit (namely, variations of a wire harness circuit is used in common). For this reason, the rear holder
8
of the dummy tap A or dummy tap B is indispensable, and thus a number of parts is increased and the cost becomes high.
In addition, since the variation of application or the like of the waterproof connectors is diversified, in the case where free terminal housing holes
2
of the connector housings
1
and
1
′ are changed to be used, parts should be replaced with another ones.
Furthermore, since in the case of the dummy tap A, the rubber tap
6
or the like is pressed into the terminal housing hole
2
so as to be fixed thereto, there is some fear that the dummy tap A slips out of the terminal housing hole
2
due to an influence of vibration or the like of the connector housing
1
. Moreover, in the case of the dummy tap B, since the lock section
8
b
of the rear holder
8
is exposed from the connector housing
1
′, there is some fear that when the electric wire
3
is removed, the electric wire
3
gets caught on the lock section
8
b
and the rear holder
8
is removed. In these cases, the dummy taps A and B easily slip off and thus reliability of their waterproofness is deteriorated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in view. It therefore is an object of the invention to provide a multiple waterproof connector which can obtain waterproofness of a rubber tap easily and securely without replacing parts with another ones even if a wiring path of an electric wire is changed in a connector housing, and can reduce a number of parts so as to reduce total cost.
A first aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector, comprising: an inner housing being formed with a plurality of terminal housing chambers, the terminal housing chambers are to be inserted with a terminal which is connected with an electric wire; an outer housing being fitted with the inner housing, the outer housing being formed with a plurality of electric wire insertion through holes to be inserted with the electric wire at one wall section opposing to the terminal housing chambers, the outer housing further being formed with rubber tap housing concave sections at positions of the inside of the one wall section facing to the former electric wire insertion through holes, the rubber tap housing concave sections being to be inserted with rubber taps which are formed with other electric wire insertion through holes; and a spacer intervening between the inner housing and the outer housing, the spacer is formed with still other electric wire insertion through holes at positions opposing to the electric wire insertion through holes of the outer housing, wherein the inner housing, the outer housing and the spacer compose a connector housing; wherein the rubber taps are housed respectively in the rubber tap housing concave sections; wherein a thin film which blocks up the electric wire insertion through hole is formed integrally with a predetermined position of the outside of at least one electric wire insertion through hole of the plural electric wire insertion through holes of the outer housing, the thin film is provided so as to be capable of being broken through; wherein when the electric wire is going to be connected with the terminals housed in the terminal housing chambers formed in the inner housing, the thin film is broken through, thereby the electric wire insertion through hole formed in the spacer, the electric wire insertion through hole formed in the rubber tap and the electric wire insertion through hole formed in the outer housing are interconnected so that the electric wires can be inserted through the respective electric wire insertion through holes; and wherein the rubber taps are held by the spacer so as not to slip out of the rubber tap housing concave sections, and the rubber taps seal the terminal housing chambers and the electric wires.
Since the waterproof connector according to the first aspect does not require a dummy tap, a number of parts is reduced and the cost is lowered. Moreover, since the thin film, which is formed integrally with the outside of the electric wire insertion holes of the outer housing, prevents water from penetrating from the outside, even if the electric wire insertion hole is provided on the rubber tap, the waterproofness can be obtained easily and securely. Moreover, even if the wiring paths of the electric wires in the outer housing are changed, when the thin film which blocks up the outside of the electric wire insertion holes of the outer housing is broken through to be opened, the electric wires can be inserted therethrough easily without replacing parts, and thus the application or the like of the waterproof connector is diversified.
A second aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector, comprising: an inner housing being formed with a plurality of terminal housing chambers, the terminal housing chambers are to be inserted with a terminal which is connected with an electric wire; an outer housing being fitted with the inner housing, the outer housing being formed with a plurality of electric wire insertion through holes to be inserted with the electric wire at one wall section opposing to the terminal housing chambers, the outer housing further being formed with rubber tap housing concave sections at positions of the inside of the one wall section facing to the former electric wire insertion through holes, the rubber tap housing concave sections being to be ins

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