GB2295733A

GB2295733A - Sealed electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2295733A
Application number: GB9514315A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Magrina Francesc Nolla
Original assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Current assignee: Lear Automotive EEDS Spain SL
Priority date: 1994-11-23
Filing date: 1995-07-13
Publication date: 1996-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2015-07-13
Also published as: ITUD950044V0; ES1029509Y; SE9504194L; FR2727256A3; ITUD950044U1; ES1029509U; SE507162C2; DE29510247U1; GB2295733B; FR2727256B3; IT239072Y1; SE9504194D0; GB9514315D0

Abstract

A sealed connector centralizes an assembly of male and female terminals inside cavities 18 in which the male terminals are located, the female and male terminals being situated on the ends of an assembly of cables which enter the cavities. The connector housing 10 is of substantially rectangular parallelepiped form, except at its upper perimeter, which has an enlarged area of low depth 11, the two large faces 12 of the lower area being upright, while the small vertical lateral faces 13 comprise slit or grooved areas 14. The connector housing is divided into two or more compartments by means of an upright partition 33, and horizontal flanges 15 which follow the whole perimeter of the enlarged area, are arranged at the lower part of the enlarged area. Elements 16 for retaining and closing the covers 29 and a sealing element 24 are arranged in the enlarged area, and areas 14 for retaining the wafers 17 are arranged in the lateral faces. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED SEALED CONNECTOR This invention envisaged relates to connectors designed to receive inside them an assembly of elements which permit the positioning of a plurality of female or male terminals in centralized manner and according to a preordained order, with the aim of receiving a series of cables on the ends of which are mounted the corresponding male or female terminals, which are introduced in prearranged manner into the connector, and indeed into the corresponding wafers disposed inside the connector.

Within this type of connector there are variations in characteristics and specifications depending on the manufacturers, the connectors normally being applicable in the automobile sector, which require, depending on the functional character of the connector, that the connector exhibits various degrees of protection. In one case tightness is not necessary owing to the particular positioning of the connector and in another case tightness is required as a consequence of the connector being situated in areas and positions in which short-circuiting, and thus undesired disfunctioning in the operation of the electrical equipment of the automobile, could occur through the action of water, humidity and other undesirable elements.

The requirement for connector tightness generally presupposes extra costs in the fabrication thereof, since, to achieve tightness, an assembly of recesses, joints and tightening means is required, all at extra costs to the inherent cost thereof. Extra costs also derive from the assembly thereof, before finishing thereof, owing to which the characteristic of tightness to humidity or other atmospheric agents always increases the price of this type of connector. For this reason it is necessary to reduce the price of production thereof, taking into account construction and finish, by means of elements which simplify considerably both the fabrication and assembly thereof.

According to the invention there is provided a sealed connector which centralizes an assembly of male and female terminals inside cavities in which the male terminals are located, the female and male terminals being situated on the ends of an assembly of cables which enter the cavities, the connector housing being of substantially rectangular parallelepiped form, except at its upper perimeter, which has an enlarged area of low depth, the two large faces of the lower area being upright and the lower face being totally planar, while the small vertical lateral faces comprise slit or grooved areas, the connector housing being divided into two or more compartments by means of an upright partition, horizontal flanges being arranged at the lower part or line of the enlarged area, which flanges follow the whole perimeter of the enlarged area, elements for retaining and closing the covers and a sealing element being arranged in the said area and areas for retaining the wafers being arranged in the lateral faces.

Where necessary it is essential for sealing elements to be positioned in the cavities in which are located the male and female terminals, the elements permitting introduction of the latter without tightness being altered, for which purpose there can be included three-layer insulating sponges formed of two insulating layers proper and an intermediate area in the manner of a sandwich, which is impregnated with a material combining the characteristics of insulation and adhesion.Such sponges can be positioned over the upper plane of the wafers and below closing covers, which incorporate retaining elements on the connector housing proper as well as guide areas for the male terminals, which penetrate through said areas and through passage points which pass through the sponge without the latter losing its tightness, owing to the presence of the sealing, adhesive substance situated in the median area of the sponge.In this way the connector, once assembled from all its parts and once the male and female terminals are situated therein, exhibits characteristics of total tightness, the connector housing being capable of comprising two or more different cavities, one of which may be sealed and the other of which, if not specified, may be a simple connector which is not required to be sealed, merely dispensing with the positioning of an insulating sponge between a horizontal flange area and the connector cover proper.

The invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective lateral view of an exploded connector assembly, in which the main elements thereof are visible.

The drawing shows the housing 10 proper comprising one or more compartments 32, wafers 17, insulating sponges 24 and covers 29. The connector may alternatively be provided with the above-mentioned elements with or without the insulating sponge 24 in one of the compartments 32 formed by an intermediate partition 33 and designed to receive the wafers 17.

In one of the preferred embodiments constituting the subject matter of the present invention, the connector housing 10 is substantially parallelepiped in form over virtually its whole height, with two totally planar large upright faces 12 and two slit small faces 13 with grooved areas 14. The housing has at its upper edge an enlarged area 11 of substantially rectangular perimeter which limits the inner volume of the connector housing 10, it being divided into two compartments 32 by means of an upright partition 33.

Each partition 32 is substantially parallelepiped on the inside and coincides with the lower line of the enlarged area 11 of horizontal flanges 15, which follow the whole perimeter of the enlarged area 11, also following the lower line of the partition 33, the corresponding holes 21 being situated, evenly spaced, in the area of the horizontal flanges 15.

Inside the cavities or compartments 32 there are situated wafers 17. These wafers 17 have a substantially parallelepiped volumetric configuration and comprise an upper area in which are located a plurality of cavities 18, substantially parallelepiped in form and which extend at the bottom in a plurality of substantially rectangular pins 22, and substantially frusto-conical, planar pins 23.

Flexible tongues 19 are provided in the small lateral faces of the compartments 32 of the connector housing 10 as elements for holding the wafers 17 in the compartments 32.

In the planar vertical outer faces of these tongues there are evenly disposed projections 20, which engage in the grooved areas 14 which are disposed in the small lateral faces of the connector housing 10.

The corresponding female and male terminals are situated inside the cavities 18, while the cables in whose ends are mounted the terminals enter via the lower face 34 of the connector housing 10, whereas the male terminals in the ends of the corresponding cables enter via the upper part and pass through the cover 29, via the guide areas 30, and are positioned inside the cavities 18.

In the upper plane of the wafers 17 there are situated insulating sponges 24. These insulating sponges 24 are formed of a three-layer material in the manner of a sandwich.

Two layers, the upper one and lower one, are of insulating material 25 and an intermediate layer 26 is of material impregnated with an adhesive and insulating substance, in such a way that when the male terminals pass through guide areas 30 in the cover 20 they pass through the insulating sponge 24 via passage points 28, which consist of small perforations in the insulating sponge 24, and position themselves inside the female terminals located in the cavities 18. The covers 29 are finally positioned by pressure above the insulating sponges 24 engaging the two recesses 31 which are provided in the perimeter area of the covers 29 with the projections 16 distributed evenly over the vertical inner area of the upper enlarged area 11 of the connector housing 10.

The fact that there are two compartments 32 permits any operative combination of the connector housing 10, it being capable of operating as a sealed connector, with two insulating sponges 24 situated above the horizontal flanges 15, or of operating with one insulating sponge 24 in one compartment 32, or indeed with none, in which case the connector ceases to be sealed.

The adhesion and tightness of the insulating sponge 24 result from the pressure of the covers 29 in such a way that the latter exert a compression force between the two layers of insulating material 25 and the intermediate layer 26 in such a way that the insulating and adhesive substance impregnated in the intermediate layer is squeezed out and impregnates the whole inner perimeter of the enlarged area 11 so producing total tightness between the perimeter of the layer of insulating material 26 and the inner perimeter of the area 11.

Another sealed area is to be found at the passage points 28, which are drilled substantially in the form of crosses and which permit passage of the male or female terminals which have initially been directed through the guide areas 30 of the cover 29 and are accommodated inside the cavities 18, the three layers 25-26-25 exerting pressure against the cable, which permits tightness of passage thereof as well as covering of the whole passage with the insulating, adhesive substance with which the intermediate layer 26 is impregnated.

Immobilization of the wafers 17 with respect to the connector housing 10 is ensured by means of engaging areas 35 in the small lateral faces of said wafers 17, which position themselves in the grooved areas 14 disposed in the small lateral faces 13 of the connector housings 10.

It will be understood from the above that the invention provides a simple, effective construction which may very easily be put into practice.

Claims

1. A sealed connector which centralizes an assembly of male and female terminals inside cavities in which the male terminals are located, the female and male terminals being situated on the ends of an assembly of cables which enter the cavities, the connector housing being of substantially rectangular parallelepiped form, except at its upper perimeter, which has an enlarged area of low depth, the two large faces of the lower area being upright and the lower face being totally planar, while the small vertical lateral faces comprise slit or grooved areas, the connector housing being divided into two or more compartments by means of an upright partition, horizontal flanges being arranged at the lower part or line of the enlarged area, which flanges follow the whole perimeter of the enlarged area, elements for retaining and closing the covers and a sealing element being arranged in the said area and areas for retaining the wafers being arranged in the lateral faces.

2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 in which the sealing elements in the connector housing are formed of a three-layer insulating sponge formed of two layers of insulating material and an intermediate layer of material impregnated with adhesive, sealing substances.

3. A connector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the wafers are substantially rectangular in form, an assembly of aligned, substantially rectangular cavities being arranged and distributed evenly in the upper median zone thereof, the lower area comprising an assembly of rectangular pins and short, frusto-pyramidal, planar pins.

4. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim in which the elements for retaining the wafers in the connector housing are formed of tongues which are located in the small lateral vertical faces of the wafers and which comprise in their outer surface projections which engage with the groove lines or areas present in the small lateral faces of the connector housing.

5. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the elements for retaining the wafers inside the sealed housing are formed of substantially rectangular engaging areas which occupy the lower half of the wafer, are upright and come into position in the grooved areas in the small faces of the connector housing.

6. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the elements for retaining and closing the connector housing consist of substantially rectangular covers which have through them from top to bottom guide zones which exhibit inverted, substantially frusto-pyramidal cavities and comprise at their perimeters recesses which engage with the flanges or projections which are arranged at the inner surface of the enlarged area of the connector housing.

7. A sealed connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.