Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-02-20
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
C439S274000, C439S397000, C439S400000, C439S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190203
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector and a method of assembling the same. More particularly, the invention concerns a miniaturized multi-polar waterproof connector whose connector housing and terminals are connected to each other to thereby enhance the waterproofness of a plurality of electric wires, and a method of assembling the waterproof connector.
In recent years, there has been proposed a miniaturized multi-polar waterproof connector whose connector housing and terminals are connected to each other to thereby enhance the waterproofness of a plurality of electric wires, and a method of assembling the waterproof connector, which suits the construction of it.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-60096 as filed by the applicant of this application relates to a waterproof connector that waterproofs a plurality of electric wires and terminals by using rubber plugs and pieces of packing, and to a method of assembling it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the study by the present inventors, the above-described waterproof connector has an outer housing and an inner housing and is equipped with a spacer that has been fitted into the outer housing. In this construction, it is preferable to have a construction wherein, after a plurality of electric wires have been passed through the rubber plugs that have been accommodated in rubber-plug accommodation recessed portions of the outer housing, these electric wires are set to the positions of pressure contact thereof with the female terminals that have been accommodated in terminal accommodation compartments of the inner housing.
However, in this construction, in order to accurately guide the electric wires with an auto operation machine such as a robot, it is dispensable to take some procedure of, for example, installing some mechanism such as a guide between the inner housing and the outer housing, or newly gripping the electric wires again. It is difficult to conform the connector of this construction to such an auto operation machine as it is.
Also, in this construction, after having forcedly connected the electric wires to the female terminals, it is necessary to fit the inner housing into the outer housing side. In this case, because the rubber plugs are accommodated beforehand in the rubber-plug accommodation recessed portions of the outer housing, when sliding the electric wires relative to their corresponding electric wire insertion-through-holes of the spacer and the outer housing and thereby fitting the inner housing into the spacer that has been fitted in the outer housing, the rubber plugs press the electric wires. As a result of this, it is considered that the electric wires become likely to be buckled due to the slide resistance resulting from this pressing force and this has an adverse effect on the assembling efficiency of the waterproof connector.
Also, in this construction, in a case where the outer housing forming an outer shell has been broken, unless cutting the electric wires and replacing the outer housing and thereafter performing the operation of forcedly connecting the electric wires to the female terminals once again, it can be the difficult to perform maintenance with respect to the waterproof connector.
In view of the above, the present invention has been made by making studies thereof, and has an object to provide a multi-polar waterproof connector that can enhance the assembling efficiency and the maintenance efficiency thereof as well as to provide a method of assembling such waterproof connector.
The waterproof connector of the present invention has a construction wherein a plurality of terminal accommodation compartments are formed; terminals each having corresponding one of electric wires to be connected thereto can be accommodated in corresponding one of the plurality of terminal accommodation compartments; and the plurality of terminal accommodation compartments and the electric wires are made sealable by use of corresponding one of rubber plugs. More specifically, the waterproof connector comprises: an inner housing in which the plurality of terminal accommodation compartments are formed; a seal housing to be connected to the inner housing in such a way as to be movable relative to the inner housing in a direction that intersects an axial direction of the electric wires substantially at right angles thereto; and an outer housing into which the inner housing and the seal housing are detachably fitted. Here, one wall portion of the seal housing that opposes the plurality of terminal accommodation compartments has formed therein electric wire insertion-through-holes through which the electric wires can be passed, and the one wall portion has formed therein rubber plug accommodation recessed portions, into which the rubber plugs can be accommodated, at positions on an inner side of the one wall portion that oppose the electric wire insertion-through-holes. And, the electric wires passed through the electric wire insertion-through-holes of the seal housing and through the rubber plugs accommodated within the rubber plug accommodation recessed portions are connected to the terminals accommodated within the terminal accommodation compartments of the inner housing.
With this construction, the seal housing is freely movable in a direction that intersects the axial direction of the electric wire substantially at right angles thereto, and so it is possible, immediately after having passed the electric wires through the electric wire through-holes of the seal housing, to guide the electric wires to the positions of connection thereof with the terminals. Also, since it is not necessary to newly grip the electric wires once again, it becomes easy to cope with the assembly operation with an auto operation machines.
Further, this contribution does not slide the electric wires with respect to the electric wire through-holes of the rubber plugs after the connection thereof to the terminals. Therefore, it is possible to enhance the assembling efficiency of the waterproof connector without buckling the electric wires.
More specifically, the inner housing, the seal housing, and the outer housing constitute a connector housing.
With this construction, even when the outer housing has been broken, etc. for some reason or other after completion of the assembling operation, it becomes possible to replace the outer housing without cutting the electric wires and thereby enhance the maintenance efficiency.
Also, an engaging/retaining portion is provided on one side surface of the inner housing while an engaging portion is provided on the portion of the seal housing opposing the engaging/retaining portion. Whereby, by engagement of the engaging/retaining portion with the engaging portion, the inner housing and the seal housing are made relatively movable in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wires substantially at right angles thereto.
With this construction, because, by engagement of the engaging/retaining portion of the inner housing with the engaging portion of the seal housing, the inner housing and the seal housing are made relatively movable in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the electric wires substantially at right angles thereto, it is possible to easily and reliably perform the connection of the electric wires to the terminals. This makes it possible to enhance the assembling efficiency of the waterproof connector one step more highly.
Here, it is preferable the engaging/retaining portion that has been provided on the inner housing is a boss member; and that the engaging portion that has been provided on the seal housing is a frame member that surrounds the boss member because of the reliability on the relative movement and the simplicity of the construction.
Also, it is preferable that a plurality of the electric wires are forcedly connected to pressure contact blades of their corresponding the terminals because of the simplicity and the reliability of the connection.
On the other hand, a method of a
Fukuda Masaru
Murakami Takao
Bradley Paula
Nguyen Truc
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Yazaki -Corporation
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