Waterproof connector and waterproofing method

• US 6,398,585 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuda, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/281,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 439/587, 439/275, 439/274, 439/598, 439/279, 439/523, 439/456, 439/459
• US Class Current: 439/587
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5208 having at least two cable receiving openings

Abstract

A connector housing (14) has terminal accommodation chambers (13) in which terminals (12) connected to ends of electric wires (11) are accommodated. A soft sealing material (17) has terminal passing holes (15) through which the terminals (12) and the wires (11) are let to pass, and is assembled to a rear end portion (16) of the housing (14), from which the wires are let out and at which the soft sealing material (17) tight contacts on an inner wall (14a) of the housing (14) and outer circumferences of the wires (11), thereby sealing the terminal accommodation chambers (13). A pressing member (19) is inserted in the housing (14) to expand diameters of the terminal passing holes (15) of the soft sealing material (17) to diameters that allow the terminals (12) to pass through the terminal passing holes (15) without injuring inner walls (15a). of the terminal passing holes (15), and moved towards the terminal accommodation chambers (13) to press the soft sealing material (17) and to bring the soft sealing material (17) into tight contact with the inner wall (14a) of the housing (14) and outer circumferences of the wires (11).

Claims

1. A waterproof connector comprising:

a terminal connected to a chamber for accommodating the terminal and

a deformable viscous sealing body for sealing the outlet with a sealing configuration thereof, the deformable viscous sealing body having a hole for the terminal to be inserted therethrough to the chamber; and

a structure configured to engage the hole in the viscous sealing body and deform the hole from an initial configuration thereof, where the hole has a sectional dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the terminal, via an intermediate configuration thereof, wherein the hole has a sectional dimension larger than the corresponding dimension of the terminal, to the sealing configuration, where the hole has an identical section to the electric wire;

wherein said structure comprises an insert in the sealing body, and

wherein the viscous sealing body is deformed by contact with the structure such that a portion of the sealing body is located between the insert and the wire, and wherein another portion of the sealing body surrounds the insert.

2. The waterproof connector of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises an expanding member for expanding the hole.

3. A waterproofing method for a waterproof connector including a terminal connected to an electric wire, a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal and an outlet for passing the electric wire, and a deformable viscous sealing body for sealing the outlet with a sealing configuration thereof, the deformable sealing body having a hole for the terminal to be inserted therethrough to the chamber, the waterproofing method comprising the steps of:

providing a structure comprising an insert;

engaging the hole of the deformable viscous sealing body with said structure and deforming the deformable viscous sealing body from an initial configuration thereof, where the hole has a sectional dimension smaller than a corresponding dimension of the terminal, via an intermediate configuration thereof, where the hole has a sectional dimension larger than the corresponding dimension of the terminal, to the sealing configuration, where the hole has an identical section to the electric wire;

wherein the step of engaging the hole of the sealing body with said structure includes forcing the insert into the hole, and

wherein deforming the hole to the sealing configuration includes causing a portion of the deformable viscous sealing body to flow between the insert and the wire.

4. A waterproof connector comprising:

a housing having a terminal accommodation chamber in which a terminal at an end of a wire is accommodated;

a deformable viscous sealing material configured to deform by flowing upon the application of pressure and having a terminal passing hole through which the terminal and the wire are made to pass, and assembled to a rear end portion of the housing from which the wire is drawn out to come in tight contact with an inner wall of the housing and an outer circumference of the wire, thereby sealing an inside of the terminal accommodation chamber;

a pressing member engaging the terminal passing hole to expand the diameter of the terminal passing hole of the deformable viscous sealing material to a diameter allowing the terminal to pass through the terminal passing hole without injuring the inner wall of the terminal passing hole, the pressing member configured to move towards the terminal accommodation chamber to press the deformable viscous sealing material and to bring the deformable viscous sealing material into tight contact with the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the wire, wherein said pressing member comprises an insert in the sealing material.

5. The waterproof connector of claim 4, wherein the pressing member comprises:

a body having a passing hole portion through which the terminal is made to pass;

a guiding and diameter-enlarging portion projecting from an opening edge portion of the passing hole portion and configured to be inserted into the terminal passing hole of the deformable viscous sealing material to expand the diameter of the terminal passing hole; and

an engaging projection engaged with an engaging hole of the housing to hold a state where the deformable viscous sealing material is being pressed.

6. The waterproof connector of claim 5,

wherein the guiding and diameter-enlarging portion comprises a pair of guide plates with an arc-shaped section which project from the opening edge portion of the passing hole and are opposed to each other, and

wherein a guide space formed between the pair of guide plates gradually tapers towards a tip end thereof.

7. A waterproofing method using a waterproof connector according to claim 4, comprising the steps of:

providing a pressing member comprising an insert;

fitting the pressing member to the rear end portion of the housing after the deformable viscous sealing material is assembled to the rear end portion of the housing;

making the terminal and the wire pass through a passing hole of the pressing member and the terminal passing hole to accommodate the terminal in the terminal accommodation chamber in a state where the diameter of the terminal passing hole is enlarged to a diameter allowing the terminal to pass through the terminal passing hole without injury to the inner wall of the terminal passing hole;

wherein the step of making the terminal and wire pass through a passing hole of the pressing member and the terminal passing hole includes forcing the insert into the terminal passing hole; and

moving the pressing member towards the terminal accommodation chamber to press the deformable viscous sealing material and to cause the deformable sealing material to flow into tight contact with the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the wire.

8. A waterproof connector comprising:

a housing having a terminal accommodation chamber in which a terminal at an end of a wire is accommodated

a deformable sealing material having a terminal passing hole through which the terminal and the wire are made to pass, and assembled to a rear end portion of the housing from which the wire is drawn out to come in tight contact with an inner wall of the housing and an outer circumference of the wire, thereby sealing an inside of the terminal accommodation chamber; and

a pressing member engaging the terminal passing hole to expand the diameter of the terminal passing hole of the deformable sealing material to a diameter allowing the terminal to pass through the terminal passing hole without injuring the inner wall of the terminal passing hole, the pressing member configured to move towards the terminal accommodation chamber to press the deformable sealing material and to bring the deformable sealing material into tight contact with the inner wall of the housing and the outer circumference of the wire, the pressing member comprising;

a body having a passing hole portion through which the terminal is made to pass;

a guiding and diameter-enlarging portion projecting from an opening edge portion of the passing hole portion and configured to be inserted into the terminal passing hole of the deformable sealing material to expand the diameter of the terminal passing hole; and

an engaging projection engaged with an engaging hole of the housing to hold a state where the deformable sealing material is being pressed, wherein the guiding and diameter-enlarging portion comprises a pair of guide plates with an arc-shaped section which project from the opening edge portion of the passing hole and are opposed to each other, and wherein a guide space formed between the pair of guide plates gradually tapers towards a tip end thereof.