CN111435772A

CN111435772A - Connector assembly and household appliance comprising same

Info

Publication number: CN111435772A
Application number: CN202010044056.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金星喆; 赵炳熙; 郑锡银; 千基德
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP Korea Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tyco Electronics AMP Korea Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-01-15
Filing date: 2020-01-15
Publication date: 2020-07-21
Also published as: JP2020115449A

Abstract

The connector assembly includes a cap housing including a first terminal, a plug having a first end portion including a second terminal and a second end portion insertable into the cap housing, and a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member provided at the first end portion of the cap housing connected with the electric wire and at the first end portion of the plug, the TPA member including a first blocking member and a second blocking member spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the electric wire.

Description

Connector assembly and household appliance comprising same

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of korean patent application No. 10-2019-0005146, filed by the korean intellectual property office at 15.1.2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a connector assembly and a home appliance including the same.

Background

As in the refrigerator, the connector assembly may be disposed in a space filled with a foaming member for thermal insulation. Typically, the foaming member hardens after injection in liquid form. Thus, when the space is filled with the foaming member, the foaming member may penetrate into the connector assembly disposed in the space. Here, even when a sealing structure is employed to prevent the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly, it is impossible to achieve sufficient sealing of the connector assembly due to the characteristics of the foaming member and the filling pressure. For example, in the case of a waterproof connector, a foaming member may permeate into the waterproof connector through a gap between sealing members such as a wire seal, a peripheral seal, an O-ring seal, a gasket, and a gasket. In addition, in the case of a non-waterproof connector, even when the connector assembly is sealed with tape, sponge, or glue, the foaming member may penetrate into the connector assembly through the adhesive portion.

Therefore, it is desirable to develop a connector assembly for preventing the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly.

The above description has been presented by the inventor in the course of designing the invention and is not necessarily a known technique prior to filing this application.

Disclosure of Invention

An aspect provides a connector assembly that may prevent a foaming member from penetrating thereinto, and a home appliance including the same.

The tasks of the technology obtainable according to the present disclosure are not limited to the above mentioned technical tasks. Also, other technical tasks not mentioned may be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the following description.

According to an aspect, there is provided a connector assembly that can prevent a foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly.

The connector assembly may include a cap housing including a first terminal, a plug having a first end portion including a second terminal and a second end portion insertable into the cap housing, and a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member provided at the first end portion of the cap housing connected with the electric wire and at the first end portion of the plug, the TPA member including a first blocking member and a second blocking member spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the electric wire.

The cap-shaped housing and the plug may constitute a coupling target, wherein the first blocking member may include a first frame coupled to block a first end portion of the coupling target, a first wire guide coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the wire, and a first latch fastened to the coupling target; and the second blocking member may include a second frame coupled to block the first end portion of the coupling target, a second wire guide corresponding to the first wire guide and coupled to the remaining outer circumferential surface of the wire, and a second latch fastened to the coupling target.

When the TPA member is coupled to the coupling target, the first and second frames may be coupled to be located on the same plane. The coupling object may include a protruding wall formed at a first end portion thereof along an edge contacting the TPA member, the protruding wall protruding toward the TPA member, and each of the first and second frames may include a groove in which the protruding wall is inserted. For example, the protruding wall may be provided in a shape having a closed curve continuously extending along the entire circumference of the first end portion of the coupling target.

In order to seal the TPA member with the coupling object, the first and second wire guides may be respectively formed to extend from the first and second frames toward a direction in which the first and second wire guides are coupled to the coupling object, and outer circumferential surfaces of the first and second wire guides may seal portions of the coupling object in which the first and second terminals are respectively inserted. The first and second wire guides may be configured to push a terminal provided in the wire into the coupling object by contacting and pushing an end portion of the terminal when being inserted into the coupling object, and to prevent the terminal from being separated in a front direction with respect to a direction in which the terminal is separated from the coupling object when the wire is pulled by an external force. The first and second wire guides may include a plurality of wire connection grooves formed in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire to be independently coupled to the plurality of electric wires.

The connector assembly may further include a connector configured to connect the first blocking member with the second blocking member, wherein the connector may be cut and removed after one of the first and second blocking members is coupled to a coupling target. For example, the first and second blocking members may be arranged such that the first and second wire guides may face in opposite directions, and the connector may be provided in the form of a hinge connecting the first and second blocking members. In another example, the first and second blocking members may be arranged such that the first and second wire guides face each other, and the connector may be arranged to have the form of a loop connecting the first and second blocking members.

The coupling target may include a protruding portion that is lockable with the first latch. A pair of first latches may be provided to be lockable with both sides of the coupling target. The coupling target may include a protrusion that is lockable with an end portion of the second latch. The second latch may be formed at a position other than a position where the first latch is on the outer circumference of the coupling target. The second latch may be formed on a bottom surface of a periphery of the coupling target. A plurality of second latches may be formed on one surface of the outer circumference of the coupling target.

The plug may include a first locking portion formed on an outer side thereof, and the cap housing may include a second locking portion to be fastened to the first locking portion. The first locking portion may be provided in a cantilever shape so as to extend toward a direction in which the first locking portion is coupled to the cap-shaped housing and have elasticity. The first locking portion may include a latch frame provided to have a shape formed as a cantilever extending toward the cap-shaped housing, and a movable portion formed to be parallel to the latch frame on both sides of the latch frame and to be elastically deformable. The second locking portion may include a stopper formed to protrude from a surface of the cap-shaped housing and to contact an end portion of the latch frame, and a fixing protrusion capable of being coupled to the movable portion. The fixing protrusion may be formed on an inner side of a partition wall formed on an outer side of the stopper, and the movable portion may include a hook protruding outward from an end portion thereof. One or more first locking portions may be formed at one or more positions on the outer side surface of the plug, and one or more second locking portions may be formed to correspond to the one or more first locking portions, respectively.

The connector assembly may further include interference prevention guides on an inner side surface of the first end portion of the plug and an inner side surface of the first end portion of the cap housing, respectively, wherein the interference prevention guides may be formed to protrude in a direction in which the first and second stoppers are coupled. A guide portion corresponding to the interference prevention guide portion may be formed in the first blocking member and the second blocking member.

According to another aspect, a household appliance is provided comprising the connector assembly described above.

Additional aspects of the exemplary embodiments will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present disclosure.

Drawings

These and/or other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1;

fig. 5 is an enlarged partial view of a portion of the connector assembly of fig. 4 with a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member and the plug coupled;

figures 6A and 6B are exploded perspective views illustrating a method of assembling a first stopper, a second stopper and a plug according to an exemplary embodiment; and

figure 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a method of assembling a first stopper, a second stopper and a plug according to an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the illustrative drawings. In indicating reference numerals of constituent elements of corresponding drawings, it should be noted that the same constituent elements will be designated by the same reference numerals (if possible) even though the constituent elements are illustrated in different drawings. In addition, in the following description of the present embodiment, when it is determined that the detailed description makes the subject matter of the present embodiment inconspicuous, detailed description of known configurations or functions contained herein will be omitted.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, A, B, (a) and (b) may be used to describe constituent elements of an embodiment. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one constituent element from another constituent element, and the attribute, sequence or order of the constituent elements is not limited by the terms. When one constituent element is described as being "connected", "coupled" or "attached" to another constituent element, it is to be understood that one constituent element may be directly connected or attached to another constituent element, and intervening constituent elements may also be "connected", "coupled" or "attached" to the constituent element.

When constituent elements included in any embodiment have the same common function, the constituent elements will be described with the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise disclosed to the contrary, the configuration disclosed in any embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and detailed description of the repetitive configuration will be omitted.

Hereinafter, a connector assembly 10 according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5.

For reference purposes, fig. 1 is a perspective view of the connector assembly 10 from one direction, and fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly 10 from the opposite direction, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly 10. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the connector assembly 10, and fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view of a portion of the connector assembly 10 in which a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member 15 is coupled with the plug 11.

With respect to fig. 1-5, the connector assembly 10 may include a plug 11, a cap housing 13, and a TPA member 15 coupled to an end portion of the plug 11 and an end portion of the cap housing 13.

Hereinafter, an end portion of the plug 11 in which the first terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a receptacle terminal T1) is inserted will be referred to as a first end portion 111, and a portion of the plug 11 on the opposite side of the first end portion 111 and coupled to the cap housing 13 will be referred to as a second end portion 112. Similarly, an end portion of the cap-shaped housing 13 in which the second terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a tap terminal T2) is inserted will be referred to as a first end portion 131, and a portion of the cap-shaped housing 13 on the opposite side of the first end portion 131 and coupled to the plug 11 will be referred to as a second end portion 132. In addition, for the plug 11 and the cap housing 13, the

top surfaces

113 and 133, the side surfaces 114 and 134, and the bottom surfaces 115 and 135 will be described based on the state shown in fig. 1. Further, the up-down direction/left-right direction/front-rear direction of the connector assembly 10 will be described based on the state shown in fig. 1.

A plurality of receptacle terminals T1 and wires W1 may be provided at the first end portion 111 of the plug 11, and a TPA member 15 may be provided. The second end portion 112 of the plug 11 may be inserted into the cap housing 13 and coupled to the cap housing 13, and a portion of the first end portion 111 may be exposed to the outside.

A plurality of tap terminals T2 and electric wires W2 may be provided at the first end portion 131 of the cap housing 13, and a TPA member 15 may be provided.

When the plug 11 is coupled with the cap housing 13, the plurality of receptacle terminals T1 and the plurality of tap terminals T2 may be electrically connected in the plug 11 and the cap housing 13, respectively.

At the same time, the foaming member may penetrate into the connector assembly 10 due to the injection in liquid form and the nature of the filling pressure. For example, the foaming member may permeate into the connector assembly 10 through a portion in which the plug 11 and the cap-shaped housing 13 are coupled. Since the plug 11 is inserted into the cap-shaped housing 13 in the longitudinal direction, the length of the portion in which the plug 11 and the cap-shaped housing 13 are coupled can be increased. Accordingly, the length of the path along which the foaming member permeates may be increased, thereby making it possible to prevent the foaming member from permeating into the connector assembly 10.

In order to more securely couple the plug 11 and the cap housing 13 and maintain the coupled state, the plug 11 and the cap housing 13 may include a first locking portion 116 and a second locking portion 136, respectively. In detail, the first locking portion 116 may be formed on the top surface 113 of the plug 11, and the second locking portion 136 corresponding to the first locking portion 116 may be formed on the top surface 133 of the cap-shaped housing 13.

The first locking portion 116 may be an external latch having elasticity and generally provided in the form of a cantilever arm extending toward the direction in which the plug 11 is coupled to the cap-shaped housing 13. The first locking portion 116 may include a latch frame 611 and a movable portion 612.

One end of the latch frame 611 may be fixed to the top surface 113 of the plug 11, and the other end of the latch frame 611 may be provided in a cantilever shape extending toward the cap housing 13 and having a predetermined width.

The movable portion 612 may be formed to be separated from and parallel to the latch frame 611, and include a hook 613 at an end portion thereof. In addition, the movable portion 612 may be spaced apart from the latch frame 611 by a predetermined distance in a direction in which the latch frame 611 extends. By forming the movable portion 612 as described above, when the first locking portion 116 is pushed into the second locking portion 136, the movable portion 612 may be elastically deformed and the first locking portion 116 may be fastened to the second locking portion 136.

Here, forming the movable portion 612 in parallel with the latch frame 611 may indicate that the movable portion 612 and the latch frame 611 are formed to extend in the same direction substantially toward the hat-shaped housing 13, and may indicate that they are not completely parallel.

The second locking portion 136 may protrude from the top surface 133 of the cap-shaped housing 13 and be locked with the first locking portion 116. The second locking portion 136 may include a stopper 631 and a partition wall 632, the partition wall 632 including a fixed protrusion 633 that can be coupled to the movable portion 612.

The stopper 631 may be formed at a position contacted by the end portion 611a of the latch frame 611 when the first locking portion 116 is coupled with the second locking portion 136, so that the stopper 631 may restrict the first locking portion 116 from being further inserted in a direction in which the first locking portion 116 is coupled to the second locking portion 136.

The partition wall 632 may be a flange erected substantially perpendicular to the top surface 133 of the cap-shaped housing 13, and the partition wall 632 may be formed at a position further outside than the movable portion 612. That is, the first locking portion 116 may be inserted into an inner space formed by the pair of partition walls 632 and fastened to the second locking portion 136.

A fixing protrusion 633 protruding by a predetermined height may be formed at the inner side of the partition wall 632 such that the hook 613 of the movable part 612 can be caught by the fixing protrusion 633. The movable portion 612 may include hooks 613, the hooks 613 being outwardly formed to be caught by the fixing protrusions 633.

However, the exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto. The first locking portion 116 and the second locking portion 136 may be provided in various shapes to be fastened to each other, thereby maintaining the coupled state of the plug 11 and the cap housing 13 when the plug 11 and the cap housing 13 are coupled. In addition, although the first and

second locking portions

116 and 136 are each formed at a single location in the present exemplary embodiment, the first and

second locking portions

116 and 136 may be formed at two or more locations, for example, on the bottom surfaces 115 and 135 or on the side surfaces 114 and 134, and on the

top surfaces

113 and 133 of the connector assembly 10.

The TPA member 15 may be disposed in each of the first end portion 111 of the plug 11 and the first end portion 131 of the cap housing 13. The TPA member 15 can be inserted into the plug 11 from the first end portion 111 of the plug 11 along the electric wire W1, thereby blocking the first end portion 111 and simultaneously fixing the electric wire W1 to the plug 11. Similarly, the TPA member 15 can be inserted into the cap housing 13 from the first end portion 131 of the cap housing 13 along the electric wire W2, thereby blocking the first end portion 131 of the cap housing 13 and simultaneously fixing the electric wire W2 to the cap housing 13.

Hereinafter, since the TPA member 15 provided in the plug 11 and the TPA member 15 provided in the cap housing 13 are substantially the same, the TPA member 15 will be collectively referred to as "TPA member 15" without being separately described. In addition, only an example of the plug 11 will be described below as a coupling target that can be coupled with the TPA member 15. However, the cap housing 13 and the TPA member 15 have substantially the same coupling, and thus, a repetitive description will be omitted.

The TPA member 15 can be divided into two blocking members, in detail, a first blocking member 510 and a second blocking member 520. The second blocking member 520 may be formed symmetrically with the first blocking member 510 with respect to the circumferential direction of the electric wire W1. The first and second blocking

members

510, 520 may have a configuration to engage each other in the plug 11 with the electrical wire W1 between the first and second blocking

members

510, 520.

The first blocking member 510 may include a first frame 511, a first wire guide 512, and a first latch 513, the first wire guide 512 including a substantially semi-cylindrical wire connection groove 512a that may be coupled to a wire W1, the first latch 513 being coupled to the plug 11.

The first frame 511 may be provided in a substantially plate form and coupled to block the first end portion 111 of the plug 11.

The first wire guide part 512 may extend from the first frame 511 toward the plug 11 by a predetermined length, and include a wire connection groove 512a to match an outer circumference of the wire W1 on a surface of the wire connection groove 512 a. For example, the two first wire guides 512 and the two wire connection grooves 512a may be formed in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire W1 to independently connect the electric wires W1.

A pair of first latches 513 may extend from both end portions of the first frame 511 toward the plug 11 and be locked with both side surfaces 114 of the plug 11. For example, protruding

portions

114a and 134a protruding by a predetermined height may be formed on the side surface 114 of the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13), and the first latch 513 may be provided in the shape of a ring to be locked and fastened with the protruding

portions

114a and 134 a.

By forming the first latch 513 as described above, when the first blocking member 510 is inserted into the plug 11, the first wire guide part 512 may be inserted into the plug 11 and fasten an upper portion of an outer circumference of the electric wire W1, and the first latch 513 may be fastened to both side surfaces 114 of the plug 11, thereby elastically supporting the coupled state of the first blocking member 510 and the plug 11.

The second blocking member 520 may include a second frame 521, a second wire guide part 522 and a second latch 523, the second wire guide part 522 corresponding to the first wire guide part 512 and being capable of being coupled to the remaining outer circumference of the electric wire W1, the second latch 523 being capable of being coupled to the plug 11.

The second frame 521 may be provided in the form of a substantially plate and coupled to block the first end portion 111 when the second blocking member 520 is coupled to the plug 11. The first frame 511 and the second frame 521 may be coupled to be located on the same plane.

The second wire guide part 522 may extend a predetermined length from the second frame 521 toward the plug 11 and include a second wire connection groove 522a such that the electric wire W1 may be fitted between the second wire guide part 522 and the first wire guide part 512.

The second latch 523 may extend from the second frame 521 toward the plug 11. The second latch 523 may be formed to be securable to the bottom surface 115 (and the bottom surface 135) outside the plug 11. For example,

protrusions

115a and 135a protruding by a predetermined height may be formed on the bottom surface 115 of the plug 11, and the second latch 523 may be provided in the shape of a ring to be locked and fastened with the

protrusions

115a and 135 a. Additionally, a plurality of second latches 523 may be provided on the bottom surface 115 of the plug 11.

Although two second latches 523 are formed in the present exemplary embodiment, three or more second latches 523 may be formed or only a single second latch 523 may be formed. In addition, the position of the second latch 523 is not limited to the bottom surface 115 of the plug 11. The second latch 523 may also be coupled to the side surface 114 of the plug 11 if interference with the first latch 513 may be prevented.

By forming the second latch 523 as described above, when the second blocking member 520 is inserted into the plug 11, the second wire guide 522 may be inserted into the plug 11 and fasten the lower portion of the outer circumference of the wire W1, and the second latch 523 may be fastened to the bottom surface 115 of the plug 11, thereby elastically supporting the coupled state of the second blocking member 520 and the plug 11.

As shown in fig. 5, when TPA member 15 is coupled to plug 11, the end portions of first wire guide 512 and second wire guide 522 may push receptacle terminal T1 (or tap terminal T2) into plug 11 by contacting and pushing receptacle terminal T1 (or tap terminal T2). In doing so, in the process of coupling the TPA member 15, the receptacle terminals T1 (and the tap terminals T2) may be pushed to the correct positions, and it may be verified whether the receptacle terminals T1 (and the tap terminals T2) are coupled at the correct positions.

In addition, the first wire guide part 512 and the second wire guide part 522 may prevent the socket terminal T1 from being separated from the plug 11 and the tap terminal T2 from being separated from the cap housing 13, respectively. That is, the first wire guide part 512 and the second wire guide part 522 may be positioned in the front with respect to the direction in which the socket terminal T1 is coupled to the plug 11, and the tap terminal T2 coupled to the cap housing 13 may be separated. Therefore, when the electric wires W1 and W2 are pulled by an external force, the first wire guide part 512 and the second wire guide part 522 may prevent the separation of the receptacle terminal T1 and the separation of the tap terminal T2, respectively, and improve the holding force of the terminals T1 and T2.

In the TPA member 15 shown in fig. 5, the first and second wire guides 512 and 522 may be formed to fill portions in which the socket terminal T1 and the tap terminal T2 are inserted. Thus, the first wire guide 512 and the second wire guide 522 may seal the plug 11 with the cap housing 13.

The radius of the

wire connection grooves

512a and 522a may be substantially smaller than the radius of the wires W1 and W2. That is, the inner diameter of the hole formed by the

wire connecting grooves

512a and 522a when the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 are engaged may be smaller than the outer diameters of the electric wires W1 and W2. In so doing, when the first and

second stoppers

510 and 520 are coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13), the electric wires W1 and W2 may be pressed into the electric

wire connection grooves

512a and 522a, whereby it is possible to prevent the penetration of the foaming member into the connector assembly 10 through the electric wires W1 and W2.

Meanwhile, a structure for preventing the penetration of the foaming member into the connector assembly 10 may be formed at a portion where the TPA member 15 is coupled with the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13).

In detail, a protrusion wall 111a (and a protrusion wall 131a) protruding by a predetermined height may be formed on the first end portion 111 (and the first end portion 131) of the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13), and

grooves

511a and 521a in which the protrusion wall 111a can be inserted may be formed inside the first frame 511 and the second frame 521 in the TPA member 15. For example, the protruding wall 111a may be provided in the shape of a closed curve protruding toward the TPA member 15 along the outer circumference of the first end portion 111 (and the first end portion 131) of the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13) and extending along the entire outer circumference of the first end portion 111 (and the first end portion 131).

When the TPA member 15 is coupled to the plug 11, the protrusion wall 111a may be inserted into the groove 511a, whereby sealability between the TPA member 15 and the plug 11 may be increased. That is, the TPA member 15 is coupled to the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13) when the

protrusion walls

111a and 131a of the plug 11 and the cap housing 13 are inserted into the

grooves

511a and 521a formed in the TPA member 15, and such a structure may have a sealing effect of preventing the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly 10.

Hereinafter, a method of assembling the TPA member 15 will be described with reference to fig. 6A to 7.

The TPA member 15 can be formed as a unitary body with the first and

second stoppers

510 and 520 attached thereto for ease of manufacture and assembly with the plug 11 (and the cap housing 13).

For example, the first and second blocking

members

510, 520 may be formed as a unitary body connected by a hinge-type connector 530 as shown in FIG. 6A. As shown in fig. 7, the first and second blocking

members

510, 520 may be formed as a unitary body connected by a loop type connector 530.

Here, the TPA member 15 is assembled in such a manner that one of the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 is first inserted into the plug 11 and then the other is inserted into the plug 11, regardless of the order of coupling the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520.

First, referring to fig. 6A and 6B, the connector 530 may be in the shape of a hinge connecting the first blocking member 510 with the second blocking member 520. The first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 may be turned over and disposed one above the other with the corresponding

wire connection grooves

512a and 522a facing in opposite directions, and a hinge-type connector 530 may be formed between the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520.

The connector 530 may connect the first blocking member 510 with the second blocking member 520, thereby enabling simultaneous manufacturing of the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 and preventing the blocking

members

510 and 520 from being lost during a process of assembling the blocking

members

510 and 520 with the plug 11 or the cap housing 13 corresponding to a coupling target. In addition, the connector 530 may be easily cut and capable of achieving a predetermined elastic deformation between the first and second blocking

members

510, 520.

The process of assembling the TPA member 15 will be described.

First, as shown in fig. 6A, in a state where the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 are connected by the connector 530, one of the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 is inserted into the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13) and coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13). Then, as shown in fig. 6B, the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 may be separated by cutting the connector 530, and the separated other may be coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13).

Here, the interference preventing guide 111b may be formed on an inner side surface of the first end portion 111 of the plug 11. For example, the interference prevention guide part 111b may be formed at a position corresponding to a boundary portion where the first and

second blocking pieces

510 and 520 face each other, formed in a length corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the

wire guide parts

512 and 522 of the first and

second blocking pieces

510 and 520, and formed to protrude by a predetermined height. In addition, the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 may include guide

portions

514 and 524 provided in the form of protruding portions or stepped portions to be guided by engagement with the interference prevention guide portion 111 b.

By forming the interference prevention guide 111 in the plug 11 and the cap housing 13, the interference prevention guide 111 may maintain the position of the first-coupled blocking piece when the first and

second blocking pieces

510 and 520 are coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13) and prevent the subsequently-coupled blocking piece from interfering with the first-coupled blocking piece.

Meanwhile, although fig. 6A illustrates that the interference prevention guide 111b is provided only on the first end portion 111 of the plug 11, an interference prevention guide (not shown) may be similarly formed on the first end portion 113 of the cap-shaped housing 13.

Referring to fig. 7, the connector 540 may be generally in the shape of an elastically deformable ring connecting the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520. The first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 may be connected by a connector 540 formed in the shape of a ring or a band on the outer sides of the first blocking member 510 and the second blocking member 520 in a state where the electric

wire connecting grooves

512a and 522a are disposed to face each other.

The connector 540 of fig. 7 may also achieve simultaneous manufacture of the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 by connecting the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520, and simplify the assembly process by enabling simultaneous coupling of the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 during the process of assembling the blocking

members

510 and 520 and the plug 11 or cap housing 13 corresponding to the coupling target. In addition, the connector 540 may be easily cut and capable of elastic deformation between the first and second blocking

members

510, 520.

The TPA member 15 may be assembled in such a manner that one of the first and second blocking

members

510 and 520 connected by the connector 540 is first inserted into the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13) and coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13). Then, another may be coupled to the plug 11 (or the cap housing 13), and the connector 540 may be cut outside the plug 11.

By coupling the TPA member 15 to the plug 11 and the cap housing 13, the foaming member may be prevented from penetrating into the connector assembly 10 through the first end portion 111 of the plug 11 and the first end portion 131 of the cap housing 13. In addition, it is possible to prevent the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly 10 by the coupling structure of the constituent elements, not by a separate sealing member.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiments, the shape of the portion in which the plug and the cap housing are coupled may prevent the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly.

In addition, the TPA member may be provided at the corresponding end portions of the plug and the cap housing, thereby achieving a sealing effect. Therefore, even if a separate sealing member is not provided, it is possible to prevent the foaming member from penetrating into the connector assembly.

Effects of the connector assembly and the home appliance including the connector assembly are not limited to the above-mentioned effects. Also, other effects not mentioned may be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the above description.

A number of exemplary embodiments have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments. For example, if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, structure, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents, then the appropriate results may be achieved. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A connector assembly comprising:

a cap-shaped housing including a first terminal;

a plug having a first end portion and a second end portion insertable into the cap housing, the first end portion including a second terminal; and

a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member disposed at a first end portion of the cap housing at which the electric wire is connected and at a first end portion of the plug, the terminal position assurance member including first and second stoppers spaced apart in a circumferential direction of the electric wire.

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cap-shaped housing and the plug constitute a coupling target,

wherein the first blocking member includes a first frame that is coupleable to block a first end portion of the coupling target, a first wire guide that is coupleable to an outer peripheral surface of the wire, and a first latch that is securable to the coupling target, and

the second blocking member includes a second frame that is coupleable to block a first end portion of the coupling target, a second wire guide that corresponds to the first wire guide and is coupleable to a remaining outer circumferential surface of the wire, and a second latch that is fastenable to the coupling target.

3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first frame and the second frame are coupled to be located on the same plane when the terminal position assurance member is coupled to the coupling target.

4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the coupling target includes a protruding wall formed at a first end portion thereof along an edge in contact with the terminal position assurance member, the protruding wall protruding toward the terminal position assurance member, and

the first frame and the second frame each include a groove into which the protruding wall is inserted.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 4, wherein the protruding wall is provided in the shape of a closed curve that extends continuously along the entire circumference of the first end portion of the coupling target.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first and second wire guides are formed to extend from the first and second frames, respectively, toward a direction in which the first and second wire guides are coupled to the coupling target, and

outer circumferential surfaces of the first and second wire guides seal portions of the coupling object in which the first and second terminals are inserted, respectively.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first wire guide and the second wire guide are provided so that, when inserted into the coupling object, the terminal provided in the electric wire is pushed into the coupling object by contacting and pushing an end portion of the terminal provided in the electric wire, and

the first wire guide and the second wire guide are provided to prevent the terminal from being separated forward with respect to a direction in which the terminal is separated from the coupling object when the wire is pulled by an external force.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the first and second wire guides include a plurality of wire connecting grooves formed in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the electric wire to be capable of being independently coupled to a plurality of electric wires.

9. The connector assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a connector configured to connect the first blocking member with the second blocking member,

wherein the connector is severed and removed after one of the first and second blocking members is coupled to the coupling target.

10. The connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the first and second blocking members are arranged such that the first and second wire guides face in opposite directions, and

the connector is provided in the form of a hinge connecting the first and second blocking members.

11. The connector assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first and second blocking pieces are disposed such that the first and second wire guiding portions face each other, and

the connector is provided in the form of a ring connecting the first and second blocking members.

12. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the coupling target includes a protruding portion that is lockable by the first latch.

13. The connector assembly of claim 12, wherein a pair of first latches are provided to be lockable by both sides of the coupling target.

14. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the coupling target comprises a protrusion lockable by an end portion of the second latch.

15. The connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the second latch is formed at a location different from a location of the first latch on an outer periphery of the coupling target.

16. The connector assembly of claim 15, wherein the second latch is formed on a bottom surface of a periphery of the coupling target.

17. The connector assembly of claim 15, wherein a plurality of second latches are formed on one surface of an outer periphery of the coupling target.

18. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the plug includes a first locking portion formed on an outer side of the plug, and

the cap housing includes a second locking portion securable to the first locking portion.

19. The connector assembly according to claim 18, wherein the first locking portion is provided in a cantilever shape so as to extend toward a direction in which the first locking portion is coupled to the cap-shaped housing and have elasticity.

20. The connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the first locking portion comprises:

a latch frame configured to be shaped as a cantilever arm extending toward the cap housing; and

a movable portion formed in parallel with the latch frame on both sides of the latch frame and capable of being elastically deformed.

21. The connector assembly of claim 20, wherein the second locking portion comprises:

a stopper formed to protrude from a surface of the cap housing and to contact an end portion of the latch frame; and

a fixed protrusion couplable to the movable portion.

22. The connector assembly according to claim 21, wherein the fixing projection is formed on an inner side of a partition wall formed on an outer side of the stopper, and

the movable portion includes a hook projecting outwardly from an end portion of the movable portion.

23. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein one or more first locking portions are formed at one or more locations on an outer side of the plug, and

one or more second locking portions are formed to correspond to the one or more first locking portions, respectively.

24. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

interference prevention guides respectively located on an inner side surface of the first end portion of the plug and an inner side surface of the first end portion of the cap-shaped housing,

wherein the interference prevention guide part is formed to protrude in a direction in which the first blocking piece and the second blocking piece are coupled.

25. The connector assembly according to claim 24, wherein a guide portion corresponding to the interference prevention guide portion is formed in the first and second blocking members.

26. A domestic appliance comprising a connector assembly according to claim 1.