Electrical connectors – With sealing element or material for cooperation with... – Sealing element having cross section that is neither...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-17
2001-04-03
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With sealing element or material for cooperation with...
Sealing element having cross section that is neither...
C439S198000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210191
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to waterproof electrical connectors, especially to waterproof electrical connectors having a waterproof sealing means disposed at a mating end of a housing and waterproof sealing means providing watertight connection for a bundle of electrical wires.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An example of a known waterproof electrical connector can be found in Japanese Patent Publication No. 95-326422. The waterproof electrical connector according to this publication has an integral rubber waterproof sealing means that is secured on a housing and is disposed at a mating side of the housing and at a side of the housing accommodating a bundle of electrical wires thereby providing a watertight seal for the bundle of wires. The rubber waterproof sealing means is applied from a back side of the housing, that is from the side accommodating the leads, and it is secured in position by a cap member. The rubber waterproof sealing means exerts a watertight connection when a mating housing of a mating connector is engaged with the connector housing, and its housing forms a waterproof coupling therebetween.
Connectors of this type must offer good waterproof properties in order to increase the reliability of the electrical connection. However, the measures aimed at the improvements of waterproof properties create trouble when the mating housings of the connector are coupled together. The reason for this is that in connectors with superior waterproof properties, when the mating housings of the connector are coupled together, air is locked in the space between the mating housings, and since there is no escape for the air, it remains inside the connector at a rather high pressure.
Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a waterproof electrical connector, the design of which makes it possible to reduce pressure of the air trapped between the mating housings of the mating connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The waterproof electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a housing containing multiple electrical terminals for electrical connection to multiple electrical wires and having waterproof sealing means secured on the housing at a mating side of the housing to provide a watertight connection with a mating housing of a mating connector and at the side of the housing accommodating electrical wires that are passed through water tight openings therein wherein the waterproof sealing means has a deformable pressure-relieving structure intended to reduce pressure of the air trapped in the vicinity of the mating side inside the housing.
The pressure-reducing structure is made in the form of a thin wall that is molded in a cavity having a round cross section. The thin wall is best configured in the form of a dome.
Deformation or displacement of the pressure-reducing structure is of an elastic nature.
The pressure-reducing structure is made as a part of the wire waterproof-sealing member.
The pressure-reducing structure has a through hollow cavity facing the mating side of the housing. No electrical terminals shall be disposed inside the hollow cavity.
There are several hollow cavities and that at least one of them has a relatively narrow opening facing the mating side of the housing.
The hollow cavities are aligned with the pressure-reducing structure.
A waterproof electrical connector for matable connection with a mating connector comprises a housing having contact-receiving cavities in which electrical contacts are to be disposed, a waterproof-sealing member in the housing including a coupling-sealing section for sealing engagement with a mating housing of the mating connector and a wire-sealing section through which electrical wires to be electrically connected to the electrical contacts sealingly extend, wherein a pressure-reducing structure is provided by the wire-sealing section for reducing the air pressure that is trapped within the connector when it is mated with the mating connector.
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patent: 4373767 (1983-02-01), Cairns
patent: 4948377 (1990-08-01), Cairns
patent: 5194012 (1993-03-01), Cairns
patent: 5356304 (1994-10-01), Colleran
patent: 5358420 (1994-10-01), Cairns et al.
patent: 5645442 (1997-07-01), Cairns
patent: 5803759 (1998-09-01), Griffith et al.
patent: 25 16 280 (1976-10-01), None
patent: 3512026 (1986-03-01), None
patent: 576324 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 592102 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 292118 (1998-11-01), None
patent: 7-326422 (1997-12-01), None
Prasad Chandrika
Sircus Brian
The Whitaker Corporation
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