Waterproof connector

Details Waterproof connector Waterproof connector

1999-06-08

2001-10-30

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Sealing

C439S274000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06309252

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.
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 does not require a dummy tap and thus can reduce a number of parts and can lower total cost.
A first aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector comprising: a connector housing where a plurality of terminal housing chambers are formed, the terminal housing chambers being housing chambers into which terminals connected with electric wires are to be inserted, the connector housing being further formed with a plurality of rubber tap housing concave sections, the rubber tap housing concave sections being formed in positions facing the terminal housing chambers; and rubber taps being to be pressedly inserted respectively into the plural rubber tap housing concave sections, the rubber taps being formed with electric wire insertion through holes into which the electric wires are inserted, wherein when the rubber taps are pressedly inserted respectively into the rubber tap housing concave sections, the electric wire insertion through holes of the rubber taps are blocked up.
Since this waterproof connector does not require a dummy tap, a number of parts is reduced and the cost is lowered. Moreover, since the electric wire insertion hole of the rubber tap into which the electric wire is not inserted is blocked up by the rubber tap which is pressedly inserted into the rubber tap housing concave section, water is prevented from penetrating from the outside, and thus waterproofness of the rubber taps is obtained easily and securely.
A second aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector according to the first aspect comprising: wherein a circular concave section and a circular convex section are formed alternatively and integrally with the electric wire insertion through hole of the rubber tap; wherein when the rubber tap is pressedly inserted into the rubber tap housing concave section, the circular convex section is blocked up, thereby blocking up the electric wire insertion through hole; and wherein when the electric wire is going to be inserted through the electric wire insertion through hole of the rubber tap, the electric wire is guided into the circular concave section so as to spread out the circular convex section, so that the electric wire is inserted through the electric wire insertion through hole.
A third aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector according to the second aspect wherein a conical surface is formed at one end of the rubber tap.
A fourth aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector according to the third aspect wherein a reverse conical surface is formed on an inlet side of the rubber tap housing concave section.
In the waterproof connector of the second through fourth aspects, even if the wiring paths of the electric wires in the connector housing are changed later, the circular concave section of the electric wire insertion hole of the rubber tap guides the insertion of the electric wire into the electric wire insertion hole. For this reason, the electric wire can be inserted through the electric wire insertion hole of the rubber tap easily without replacing the parts, and thus the application or the like of the waterproof connector is further diversified.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5266045 (1993-11-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5299949 (1994-04-01), Fortin
patent: 5551892 (1996-09-01), Endo et al.
patent: 5707251 (1998-01-01), Sakai et al.
patent: 5782657 (1998-07-01), Wolla et al.
patent: 2 753 008 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 62-188069 (1987-11-01), None
patent: 7-122331 (1995-05-01), None
patent: WO 92 15133 (1992-09-01), None
patent: WO 9632760 (1996-10-01), None
patent: WO 97 36346 (1997-10-01), None

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