JP2023076173A - Waterproof connector and probe device - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable efficient manufacturing of waterproof connectors by automated production equipment.SOLUTION: A waterproof connector 10 is fitted to a mating connector 40 in the first direction. A first case 11 has an opening 11a. A waterproof member 13 is arranged at the edge of the opening 11a. A substrate 14 is provided with a first contact 14c exposed through the opening 11a and used for electrical connection with the mating connector 40. A conductive wire 15 is soldered to the substrate 14 so as to be electrically connected to the first contact 14c. A second case 12 is coupled to the first case 11 in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and defines a housing space 16 that houses parts of the substrate 14 and the conductive wire 15. The first case 11 has an inclined surface 11b extending obliquely when viewed from a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the opening 11a is formed in the inclined surface 11b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

WATERPROOF CONNECTORS AND PROBE APPARATUS WITH WATERPROOF CONNECTORS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a waterproof connector and a probe apparatus including the waterproof connector.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an electronic device having a connector that is fitted to a mating connector in a first direction. The connector has conductive pins exposed through openings that open in the first direction. An electronic device includes a circuit board, an upper case, a lower case, and a waterproof member. The circuit board is electrically connected with the conductive pins. The upper case and the lower case are joined in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction so as to define a space for housing the connector and the circuit board. The waterproof member is arranged between the upper case and the lower case. Such connectors are generally manufactured using automated production equipment.

JP 2013-089878 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to enable efficient manufacture of waterproof connectors by automated production equipment.

One aspect for achieving the above object is a waterproof connector fitted to a mating connector in a first direction,
a first case having an opening;
a waterproof member arranged at the edge of the opening;
a substrate on which contacts exposed through the openings and provided for electrical connection with the mating connector are arranged;
a conductive line soldered to the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the contact;
a second case coupled to the first case in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and defining a space accommodating the substrate and part of the conductive line;
and
The first case has an inclined surface extending obliquely when viewed from a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the opening is formed in the inclined surface.

One aspect for achieving the above object is a probe device,
a sensor comprising at least one element;
the above waterproof connector;
and
The conductive line electrically connects the contact and the sensor.

As described above, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a connector member having conductive pins and a circuit board electrically connected to the conductive pins are sandwiched between an upper case and a lower case. The opening of the connector member where the conductive pin is exposed opens forward in the first direction. Furthermore, a sealing material for waterproofing is attached around the opening so as to straddle the upper case and the lower case.

When the configuration is assembled by automatic production equipment, the step of sandwiching the connector member and the circuit board between the upper case and the lower case can be performed by accessing from above and below. However, at least the process of installing the sealant requires access from the front-back direction. In addition, it is necessary to attach the sealing member to the connector member so as not to impair the waterproof property of the sealing member, and to sandwich the connector member between the upper case and the lower case so as not to impair the waterproof property of the connector member to which the sealing member is attached. , the management of positioning accuracy becomes complicated.

On the other hand, in the configuration according to the above aspect, the contact for electrical connection with the mating connector is provided on the substrate, and the contact is exposed through the opening formed only in the first case. . Therefore, the waterproof connector can be assembled only by accessing from the second direction. This fact greatly contributes to the simplification of automatic production equipment for manufacturing.

In addition, not only can the number of parts used for assembly be reduced compared to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, but only the positional relationship with the opening formed in the first case can be changed when providing the waterproof member. should be considered. Therefore, it is possible to easily manage the positioning accuracy. In particular, when the waterproof member is integrally molded with the first case, the number of parts to be assembled can be further reduced, making it easier to manage the positioning accuracy. As a result, it is possible to efficiently manufacture waterproof connectors using automated production equipment.

Further, the first case has an inclined surface formed along the first direction so that the dimension in the second direction is reduced, and the opening is opened at the inclined surface. Therefore, the mating with the mating connector can be performed smoothly.

1 illustrates an appearance of a waterproof connector according to an embodiment viewed from the upper right front. 2 illustrates an appearance of the waterproof connector of FIG. 1 as seen from the lower left rear. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of the waterproof connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating components of the waterproof connector of FIG. 1; 1 illustrates the appearance of a probe apparatus according to one embodiment; A state in which the probe device of FIG. 5 is attached to the fingertip of the subject is illustrated. 2 illustrates an appearance of the waterproof connector of FIG. 1 viewed from above. FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 2 illustrates a method of assembling the waterproof connector of FIG. 1;

Exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, arrow F indicates the forward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow B indicates the rearward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow U indicates the upward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow D indicates the downward direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow R indicates the right direction of the illustrated structure. Arrow L indicates the left direction of the illustrated structure. These directional expressions are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the attitudes and directions of the illustrated structures in actual use.

As used herein, the term "front-to-back" refers to directions along the forward and rearward directions described above. As used herein, the term "vertical" refers to directions along the upward and downward directions. As used herein, the term "lateral" refers to directions along the left and right directions described above.

FIG. 1 illustrates the appearance of a waterproof connector 10 according to one embodiment, viewed from the upper right front. FIG. 2 illustrates an appearance of the waterproof connector 10 viewed from the lower left rear. The waterproof connector 10 is a male connector configured to be mated with a female mating connector arranged in front. That is, the waterproof connector 10 is fitted forward with respect to the mating connector. The forward direction is an example of the first direction.

The waterproof connector 10 has a first case 11 and a second case 12 . The first case 11 has an opening 11a. The first case 11 and the second case 12 are joined vertically. The vertical direction is an example of the second direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the waterproof connector 10 has a waterproof member 13 . The waterproof member 13 is arranged on the edge of the opening 11 a of the first case 11 . The waterproof member 13 may be made of elastic rubber, elastomer resin, or the like. When the waterproof member 13 is made of elastomer resin, the first case 11 and the waterproof member 13 can be integrally molded by two-color molding.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, waterproof connector 10 includes substrate 14 . The substrate 14 has a first major surface 14a and a second major surface 14b. As used herein, the term "main surface of a substrate" means the surface having the largest area among the multiple surfaces that make up the substrate. The first main surface 14a and the second main surface 14b have the same area and face in opposite directions.

A plurality of first contacts 14c are arranged on the first major surface 14a of the substrate 14 . Each first contact 14c is made of a conductive material. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the multiple first contacts 14 c are exposed through the opening 11 a of the first case 11 .

As illustrated in FIG. 4 , a plurality of second contacts 14d are arranged on the second main surface 14b of the substrate 14 . Each second contact 14d is made of a conductive material. Each second contact 14 d is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first contacts 14 c through circuitry formed on substrate 14 .

The waterproof connector 10 has a plurality of conductive wires 15 . The tip of each conductive wire 15 is soldered to a corresponding one of the plurality of second contacts 14d. Thereby, each conductive line 15 is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of first contacts 14c.

FIG. 5 illustrates the appearance of the probe device 20 according to one embodiment. The probe device 20 has an optical sensor 21 . The other ends of the plurality of conductive lines 15 can be connected to the probe device 20 to electrically connect the photosensor 21 and the plurality of first contacts 14c.

The probe device 20 has a support 22 . The optical sensor 21 has a light emitting portion 211 and a light receiving portion 212 . The support 22 supports the light emitting section 211 and the light receiving section 212 . As exemplified in FIG. 6 , the probe device 20 is configured to be attached to the fingertip 30 of the subject in order to acquire biological information of the subject through the optical sensor 21 . Specifically, the support 22 is wrapped around the fingertip 30 so that the light emitting portion 211 and the light receiving portion 212 are arranged at positions facing each other with the fingertip 30 therebetween.

In this example, percutaneous arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate are acquired as biological information. In addition to or instead of the optical sensor 21, the probe device 20 may include sensors for obtaining other biometric information. Examples of other biological information include blood pressure, blood sugar level, body temperature, and the like.

FIG. 7 illustrates an appearance of the waterproof connector 10 viewed from above. FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-section of the waterproof connector 10 viewed from the arrow direction along line VIII--VIII in FIG.

The first case 11 and the second case 12 are configured to partition the accommodation space 16 by being coupled together. The receiving space 16 is configured to receive the substrate 14 and a portion of each conductive line 15 . In other words, the rest of each conductive wire 15 connected to the substrate 14 is led out from the first case 11 and the second case 12 that define the housing space 16 .

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first case 11 has an inclined surface 11b. The inclined surface 11b extends obliquely when viewed from the left-right direction. The horizontal direction is an example of the third direction. More specifically, the inclined surface 11 b is formed so that the vertical dimension of the first case 11 decreases toward the front end of the waterproof connector 10 . The opening 11a is arranged to open forward and obliquely upward on the inclined surface 11b.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 , the mating connector 40 includes mating contacts 41 . The mating contact 41 is made of a conductive material. When the waterproof connector 10 is mated with the mating connector 40, the mating contact 41 provided on the mating connector 40 enters the opening 11a from the front and contacts the first contact 14c. Thereby, the electrical connection between the mating connector 40 and each conductive line 15 is established.

A method of assembling the waterproof connector 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 9. FIG. First, the first case 11 is placed with its upper surface facing downward (STEP 1). That is, the first case 11 is arranged with the inner side facing upward.

Subsequently, the substrate 14 is arranged at a predetermined position inside the first case 11 (STEP 2). Specifically, the first main surface 14a of the substrate 14 faces downward and the second main surface 14b faces upward. Thereby, the plurality of first contacts 14 c are arranged to face the opening 11 a of the first case 11 . The plurality of second contacts 14d face upward.

After that, the plurality of conductive wires 15 are soldered to the plurality of second contacts 14d (STEP 3).

Next, the second case 12 with the inner side facing downward is joined to the first case 11 from above (STEP 4). Accordingly, a housing space 16 for housing the substrate 14 and a portion of each conductive line 15 is defined.

Finally, the first case 11 and the second case 12 are welded together to be inseparable (STEP 5). As a result, the waterproof connector 10 in the state illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is obtained.

Advantages of the configuration according to the present embodiment will be described through comparison with the configuration described in Patent Literature 1. FIG.

As described above, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a connector member having conductive pins and a circuit board electrically connected to the conductive pins are sandwiched between an upper case and a lower case. The opening of the connector member where the conductive pin is exposed opens forward in the first direction. Furthermore, a sealing material for waterproofing is attached around the opening so as to straddle the upper case and the lower case.

When the configuration is assembled by automatic production equipment, the step of sandwiching the connector member and the circuit board between the upper case and the lower case can be performed by accessing from above and below. However, at least the process of installing the sealant requires access from the front-back direction. In addition, it is necessary to attach the sealing member to the connector member so as not to impair the waterproof property of the sealing member, and to sandwich the connector member between the upper case and the lower case so as not to impair the waterproof property of the connector member to which the sealing member is attached. , the management of positioning accuracy becomes complicated.

On the other hand, in the configuration according to the present embodiment, the substrate 14 is provided with the first contacts 14c used for contact with the contacts of the mating connector 40. The first contact 14c is exposed. Therefore, as described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 9, the waterproof connector 10 can be assembled only by accessing from above and below. This fact greatly contributes to the simplification of automatic production equipment for manufacturing.

In addition, not only can the number of parts used for assembly be reduced compared to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, but also the position of the waterproof member 13 relative to the opening 11a formed in the first case 11 can be reduced. Only relationships need be considered. Therefore, it is possible to easily manage the positioning accuracy. In particular, when the waterproof member 13 is integrally molded with the first case 11, the number of parts to be assembled can be further reduced, so that the positioning accuracy can be managed more easily. As a result, it is possible to efficiently manufacture waterproof connectors using automated production equipment.

Further, the first case 11 has an inclined surface 11b formed so that the dimension in the vertical direction becomes smaller in the fitting direction with the mating connector 40, and the opening 11a opens at the inclined surface 11b. are doing. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the fitting with the mating connector 40 and the entry of the mating contact 41 into the opening 11a can be performed smoothly.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8, in this embodiment, the plurality of second contacts 14d for soldering with the plurality of conductive wires 15 are provided only on the second main surface 14b of the substrate 14. can be In other words, the plurality of conductive wires 15 can be soldered only to the second major surface 14 b side of the substrate 14 facing the second case 12 .

According to such a configuration, in the step of placing the substrate 14 inside the second case 12 from above (STEP 2 in FIG. 9), the second main surface 14b faces upward. A plurality of conductive wires 15 are soldered to the second main surface 14b (STEP 3 in FIG. 9), and then the first case 11 is joined to the second case 12 from above (STEP 4 in FIG. 9). That is, the automatic production facility can be designed so that the waterproof connector 10 can be assembled only by accessing from above. Therefore, the production of the waterproof connector 10 by automatic production equipment can be made more efficient.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the first case 11 can have a support portion 11c that supports the substrate 14 from the first main surface 14a side.

According to such a configuration, when the plurality of conductive wires 15 are soldered from above to the second main surface 14b of the substrate 14, the support portion 11c supports the substrate 14 from below. It is possible to suppress the bending of the substrate 14 caused by the external force applied during the process. As a result, the complication of management relating to the positioning accuracy of soldering is suppressed, so that the production of the waterproof connector 10 by automatic production equipment can be made more efficient.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first case 11 can include a first engaging portion 11d. On the other hand, the second case 12 can have a second engaging portion 12a. In this example, the second engaging portion 12a is a protrusion formed on the side portion of the second case 12 . On the other hand, the first engaging portion 11d is a concave portion facing inward in the left-right direction on the side portion of the first case 11 . However, the relationship between protrusions and recesses may be reversed.

The first engaging portion 11d and the second engaging portion 12a are engaged with each other in the step of coupling the second case 12 to the first case 11 (STEP 4 in FIG. 9) so that the first case 11 and the second case 11 12 into a temporary indivisible state.

According to such a configuration, the displacement of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is suppressed until the subsequent welding step (STEP 5 in FIG. 9) of the first case 11 and the second case 12 is performed. can. Since the complication of management related to the positioning accuracy of the first case 11 and the second case 12 until welding is completed is suppressed, the production of the waterproof connector 10 by automatic production equipment can be made more efficient.

Therefore, the waterproof connector 10 obtained by the configuration according to this example has an appearance in which the first case 11 and the second case 12 are welded with the first engaging portion 11d and the second engaging portion 12a engaged. Present.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the waterproof connector 10 may include a coating 17. As shown in FIG. The coating 17 has electrical insulation and elasticity. A coating 17 partially covers the plurality of conductive lines 15 . Specifically, the covering 17 includes a portion located within the accommodation space 16 and a portion located outside the accommodation space 16 . That is, the covering 17 is sandwiched between the first case 11 and the second case 12 while being elastically deformed.

According to such a configuration, appropriate waterproofness can be imparted to the portion where the conductive wire 15 is pulled out from the accommodation space 16 partitioned by the first case 11 and the second case 12 .

The above embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention. The configurations according to the above embodiments can be modified and improved as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the substrate 14 is provided with a plurality of first contacts 14 c and a plurality of second contacts 14 d corresponding to the plurality of conductive lines 15 . However, the number of first contacts 14c, the number of second contacts 14d, the number of conductive lines 15, and the relationship therebetween can be determined as appropriate. The number of first contacts 14c, the number of second contacts 14d, and the number of conductive lines 15 do not necessarily have to match.

10: waterproof connector, 11: first case, 11a: opening, 11b: inclined surface, 11c: support portion, 11d: first engaging portion, 12: second case, 12a: second engaging portion, 13: waterproof member, 14: substrate, 14a: first main surface, 14b: second main surface, 14c: first contact, 15: conductive wire, 16: housing space, 17: coating, 20: probe device, 21: optical sensor , 40: mating connector, D: downward, F: forward (fitting direction), L: leftward, U: upward, R: rightward

Claims (6)

A waterproof connector fitted in a first direction to a mating connector,
a first case having an opening;
a waterproof member arranged at the edge of the opening;
a substrate on which contacts exposed through the openings and provided for electrical connection with the mating connector are arranged;
a conductive line soldered to the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the contact;
a second case coupled to the first case in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and defining a space accommodating the substrate and part of the conductive line;
and
The first case has an inclined surface that extends obliquely when viewed from a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the opening is formed in the inclined surface.
waterproof connector. The contact is formed on the first main surface of the substrate,
The conductive lines are soldered only on the side of the second main surface facing away from the first main surface,
The waterproof connector according to claim 1. The first case includes a support portion that supports the substrate from the first main surface side,
The waterproof connector according to claim 2. The first case has a first engaging portion,
The second case includes a second engaging portion that engages with the first engaging portion,
The first case and the second case are welded together,
A waterproof connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a coating partially covering the conductive wire and having elasticity,
The coating is sandwiched between the first case and the second case,
A waterproof connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4. a sensor comprising at least one element;
A waterproof connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
and
the conductive line electrically connects the contact and the sensor;
probe device.

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