Electrical connectors – With sealing element or material for cooperation with...
Patent
1998-11-12
2000-04-04
Bradley, Paula
Electrical connectors
With sealing element or material for cooperation with...
439272, 439273, H01R 1352
Patent
active
060453834
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a sealing member, and specifically, a sealing member for a waterproof connector which seals connectors to each other.
Connectors housings are ordinarily waterproofed (sealed to each other) via sealing members. For example, the waterproof connector sealing member (hereafter referred to simply as a "sealing member") is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-14139. This sealing member is a frame-form body consisting of an elastic material such as rubber or the like, and has three projecting ridge parts formed on its outside surface, and three projecting ridge parts formed on its inside surface. The projecting ridge parts on the inside surface cover one housing, while the projecting ridge parts on the outside surface are in rubbing contact with another connector housing, so that a seal is formed. The projecting ridge part on the outside surface is formed so that it is thinner than the projecting ridge parts; furthermore, the height of this projecting ridge part is greater than the height of the projecting ridge parts in the shoulder portions of the frame-form body. In this way, deformation of the sealing member due to shrinkage following molding is prevented, so that the sealing characteristics are improved.
In the prior art described above, waterproofing is accomplished by compressive deformation of the projecting ridge parts. However, unless the pressing force used to cause this compressive deformation is large, there is no effect; furthermore, the amount of deformation is small, and gaps tend to be generated. Accordingly, the force required in order to engage the housings with each other is large; furthermore, the sealing member cannot follow variations in the dimensions of the housings or deformation of the housings caused by heat, and therefore allows water to enter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was devised in light of the above points. The object of the present invention is to provide a sealing member for a waterproof connector in which the force required in order to engage the housings is small, and in which waterproof characteristics can be maintained even in the case of variation in the dimensions of the housings or deformation of the housings.
The invention is directed to a sealing member for a connector comprising at least three outward facing projecting ribs and at least three inward facing projecting ribs. The inward facing projecting ribs are received against a sealing surface of the connector. The outward facing projecting ribs form a seal by making elastic rubbing contact with a second sealing surface of another connector. The outer most outward facing projecting ribs are flexible. The height of the inner inward facing projecting rib being lower than the height of the outer inward facing projecting ribs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the sealing member for a waterproof connector provided by the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional side view along line 2--2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along line 3--3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the sealing member of the present invention installed on a male connector, along with a female connector.
FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged sectional view which shows the initial position in which the side wall contacts the sealing member.
FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 5, which shows a state in which the side wall has been further inserted.
FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 5, which shows a state in which the connectors are completely engaged with each other.
FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 5, which shows the state of the seal in a case where the gap in the seal area is large.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Below, the sealing member for a waterproof connector (hereafter refe
REFERENCES:
patent: 4944688 (1990-07-01), Lundergan
patent: 5336101 (1994-08-01), Kasugai et al.
patent: 5492487 (1996-02-01), Cairns et al.
patent: 5735702 (1998-04-01), Hio
Bradley Paula
Ta Tho D.
The Whitaker Corporation
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