WATERPROOF CASE FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS

• US 20100144194A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamura Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tamura Corporation
• Inventors: Umei, Akira, Tokairin, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,789,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/521
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/063 sealed by a labyrinth structure provided at the joining parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An extracting portion of a cable (3) in a waterproof case for electrical apparatuses is sealed. On the outer circumference portion of the cable (3), a first bush member (2a) and a second bush member (2b) are formed by injection molding to be separated from one another. A box section (35) of the waterproof case is arranged between the first bush member (2a) and the second bush member (2b). After arranging the cable (3) in the waterproof case, the inside of the box section (35) is filled with a filling material (40) made of an epoxy resin and a urethane resin.

Claims

1. A waterproof case for an electrical apparatus, comprising:

a case body which includes a first inner space accommodating a functional component, a second inner space adjacent to the first inner space, a first opening connecting the second inner space to the first inner space, a second opening connecting the second inner space to an external space; and

a cable located to pass through the first and second openings and to extend from the first inner space to the external space,

wherein;

on an outer circumferential part of the cable, a first bushing member and a second bushing member are located to be spaced with respect to each other while sandwiching a cable exposure part therebetween;

each of the first and second bushing members is formed integrally with the outer circumferential part of the cable with no space;

the first and second bushing members are located in the second inner space to close the first and second openings, respectively;

the outer circumferential part of the cable is exposed to the second inner space at the cable exposure part; and

the second inner space is filled with a filling material.

2. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second bushing members respectively have flanges.

3. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the flanges has a plate-like rectangular shape.

4. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second bushing member includes a boot part formed to extend from the second inner space to the external space while covering the cable.

5. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein:

the case body comprises a pair of case members including a lower case member and an upper case member; and

the pair of case members are integrated by welding at a joint part thereof in a state where the pair of case members have been assembled.

6. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein:

the second inner space is formed in one of the pair of case members in a state where one of upper and lower sides is opened; and

a closing part is formed on the other of the pair of case members to close the side on which the second inner space is opened.

7. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the one of the pair of case members is the lower case member.

8. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the closing part includes a projected part which enters the second inner space to reduce an effective volume of the second inner space.

9. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the projected part interferes with the cable to prevent rotation of the cable.

10. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the projected part prevents rotation of the cable by pressing the cable.

11. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein:

a dam rib is formed on an inside of the joint part of one of the pair of case members such that the dam rib faces an inner surface of a side wall of the one of the pair of case members and protrudes in a direction in which the other of the pair of case members is joined;

a fitting edge is formed on the other of the pair of case members to fit into a fitting gap formed between the dam rib and the inner surface of the side wall of the one of the pair of case members; and

the fitting edge is fitted into the fitting gap in a state where the fitting gap is filled with a sealing material so that a region where the fitting edge is fitted into the filling gap is sealed.

12. The waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an AC plug including a pair of tap edges provided integrally with the case body to penetrate through a side wall of the case body.

13. An AC adapter, comprising:

a waterproof case for an electrical apparatus according to claim 12; and

a power source board corresponding to the functional component,

wherein;

AC input terminals of the power source board are electrically connected to the pair of tap edges of the AC plug;

a DC output terminal of the power source board is electrically connected to an end of the cable; and

the other end of the cable is connected to an external device to supply DC power generated by the power source board to the external device.

14. A method of assembling a waterproof case for an electrical apparatus, comprising:

a step of mounting a functional component in a first inner space formed in a first case member;

a step of connecting an end of a cable configured to have first and second bushing members spaced with respect to each other at a predetermined interval on an outer circumferential part of the cable with no space, to the functional component;

a step of inserting the cable to pass through a first opening connecting the first inner space and a second inner space formed in the first case and a second opening connecting the second inner space to an external space so that the cable extends from the first inner space to the external space and that the first and second bushing members formed integrally with the outer circumferential part of the cable are located in the second inner space to close the first and second openings, respectively;

a step of filling the second inner space with a filling material; and

a step of combining the first case member and a second case member and joining them together to be integrated with each other.