Waterproof connector and waterproofing method

• US 6,514,102 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Fukuda, Masaru, Murakami, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUVERNE, JEAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/281,005
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 439/587, 439/275, 439/598, 439/274, 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 housing (13) includes a terminal accommodation chamber in which a terminal (11) is accommodated, a sealing portion (14) is provided at a rear end (13a) of an electric wire outlet side of the housing (13) for sealing the inside of the terminal accommodation chamber, and a soft sealing material (15) is assembled in the sealing portion (14). The soft sealing material (15) has an insertion hole (16) greater in section than the terminal (11), and the sealing portion (14) is provided with a sealing material accommodation space (17) in which the soft sealing material (15) is inserted, and has push members (29) for tightly adhering and tight contacting the soft sealing material (15) in the sealing material accommodation space (17) to an outer periphery of the electric wire (18) by pressing the soft sealing material (15) to shrink the insertion hole (16).

Claims

1. A waterproof connector comprising:

a terminal connected to an electric wire;

a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal and a passage for passing the electric wire;

a flexible sealing body for sealing the passage, the flexible sealing body having an insertion hole having a periphery, the terminal and electric wire being inserted therethrough to the chamber, wherein the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminal; and

a pressing structure contacting and compressing, transversely to the passage, the flexible sealing body to seal the passage by maintaining the flexible sealing body under transverse compression such that some portions of the periphery of the insertion hole tightly contact each other and such that other portions of the periphery of the insertion hole tightly contact the electric wire.

2. The waterproof connector of claim 1, wherein the pressing structure comprises a plurality of pressing members arranged about the passage.

3. The water proof connector of claim 1, wherein the pressing structure comprises a push member contacting the flexible sealing body, and locking means for locking the push member relative to the passage.

11. A waterproof connector of claim 1,

wherein the housing comprises a transverse hole relative to and in communication with the passage the flexible sealing body is disposed in the hole, and the pressing structure is disposed in the hole.

16. The waterproof connector of claim 1, wherein the periphery of the insertion hole is a wall.

17. The waterproof connector of claim 1, wherein the insertion hole is an elongated slot, and wherein a wall forms the periphery of the insertion hole.

18. The waterproof connector of claim 1, wherein the insertion hole is oval in shape.

4. A waterproof connector fabrication method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having a chamber with a passage;

connecting a terminal to an electric wire;

providing a flexible sealing body having an initial configuration with an insertion hole larger in section than the terminal, the insertion hole having a periphery;

inserting the terminal through the insertion hole to the chamber, thereby accommodating the terminal in the chamber with the electric wire passing through the passage; and

contacting the flexible sealing body with a pressing structure to compress, transversely to the passage, the flexible sealing body from the initial configuration to a sealing configuration such that portions of the periphery of the insertion hole tightly contact each other and such that other portions of the periphery of the insertion hole tightly contact the electric wire, thereby sealing the passage.

12. A waterproof fabrication method of claim 4,

wherein the housing comprises a transverse hole relative to and in communication with the passage, the flexible sealing body is disposed in the hole, and the pressing structure is disposed in the hole.

5. A waterproof connector comprising:

a housing including a terminal accommodation chamber in which a terminal is accommodated, a passage in communication with the terminal accommodation chamber for passing an electric wire therethrough, the passage including a sealing portion at a rear end of the electric wire outlet side of the housing for sealing the inside of the terminal accommodation chamber, and a flexible sealing material assembled in the sealing portion, wherein the flexible sealing material has an insertion hole having a periphery, the insertion hole being greater in section than the terminal, the sealing portion includes a sealing material accommodation space in which the flexible sealing material is inserted, and the sealing portion includes push members configured to cause portions of the periphery of the insertion hole to tightly adhere to each other and to cause other portions of the periphery of the insertion hole of the flexible sealing material in the sealing material accommodation space to tightly adhere to and tightly contact an outer periphery of the electric wire by compressing, transversely to the passage, the flexible sealing material to shrink the insertion hole.

6. The waterproof of connector of claim 5, wherein the push members are disposed at opposite sides between which the insertion hole of the flexible sealing material accommodated in the sealing material accommodation chamber is interposed, and the flexible sealing material is compressed transversely to the passage by moving the opposed push members in directions approaching each other.

7. The waterproof connector of claim 5, wherein the sealing portion is provided with locking holes, and each of the push members is provided with a locking projection which is inserted and locked in each of the locking holes to hold the push members in a pressing state in which the flexible sealing material is compressed transversely to the passage.

8. A waterproofing method using a waterproof connector according to claim 5, wherein in a state in which the flexible sealing material is accommodated in the sealing material accommodation space of the sealing portion, the terminal of an end of the electric wire is inserted through the insertion hole of the flexible sealing material and is accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber, the flexible sealing material is compressed transversely to the passage by the push members to shrink the insertion hole, thereby causing portions of the periphery of the insertion hole to tightly adhere to each other and causing other portions of the periphery of the insertion hole to tightly adhere and tightly contact the outer periphery of the electric wire.

9. The waterproofing method of claim 8, wherein the push members are disposed at opposite sides between which the insertion hole of the flexible sealing material accommodated in the sealing material accommodation chamber is interposed, and the flexible sealing material is compressed transversely to the passage by moving the opposed push members in directions approach each other.

10. A waterproof connector comprising:

a terminal connected to an electric wire;

a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal and a passage for passing the electric wire;

a flexible sealing body for sealing the passage when in a sealing configuration, the flexible sealing body having an insertion hole for the terminal to be inserted therethrough to the chamber, the insertion hole having a periphery; and

a pressing structure compressing, transversely to the passage, the flexible sealing body from an initial configuration, where the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminal, to the sealing configuration, such that some portions of the periphery of the insertion hole are in tight contact with each other and such that other portions of the periphery of the insertion hole tightly contact the electric wire, wherein the pressing structure comprises a push member contacting the flexible sealing body, and locking means for locking the push member relative to the passage.

13. A waterproof connector comprising:

a terminal connected to an electric wire;

a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal;

a sealing portion adjacent a rear end of an electric wire outlet side of the housing, the sealing portion including a vertical through hole;

a flexible sealing body in the sealing portion, the flexible sealing body having an insertion hole, the terminal and electric wire being inserted therethrough to the chamber, wherein the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminal, and wherein the flexible sealing body is configured such that said insertion hole tightly contacts the electric wire when said flexible sealing body is compressed; and

at least one pressing member positioned within the vertical through hole of the sealing portion, the at least one pressing member contacting and compressing the flexible sealing body such that said insertion hole tightly contacts the electric wire.

14. A waterproof connector comprising:

a terminal connected to an electric wire;

a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal;

a sealing portion adjacent a rear end of an electric wire outlet side of the housing, the sealing portion including a vertical through hole;

a flexible sealing body in the sealing portion, the flexible sealing body having an insertion hole, the terminal and electric wire being inserted therethrough to the chamber, wherein the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminal, and wherein the flexible sealing body is configured such that said insertion hole tightly contacts the electric wire when said flexible sealing body is compressed; and

two pressing members positioned within the vertical through hole of the sealing portion, one pressing member being positioned above the flexible sealing body and the other pressing member being positioned below the flexible sealing body, wherein the pressing members contact and compress the flexible sealing body such that said insertion hole tightly contacts the electric wire.

15. A waterproof connector comprising:

a plurality of terminals, each terminal connected to an electric wire;

a housing having a plurality of chambers for accommodating the terminals;

a sealing portion adjacent a rear end of an electric wire outlet side of the housing;

a single flexible sealing body in the sealing portion, the single flexible sealing body having an insertion hole with a periphery, the terminals and electric wires being inserted therethrough to the chamber, wherein the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminals; and

a pressing structure contacting and compressing the single flexible sealing body such that portions of the periphery of said insertion hole tightly contact the electric wires to form a waterproof seal.