KR101697986B1

KR101697986B1 - Waterproof structure for electric connector

Info

Publication number: KR101697986B1
Application number: KR1020150074562A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 조은상; 한상훈; 김정민; 임종대
Original assignee: 인지컨트롤스 주식회사
Priority date: 2014-05-29
Filing date: 2015-05-28
Publication date: 2017-01-20
Also published as: KR20150139438A

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a waterproof structure of a connector that can easily secure the waterproofness of the connector at a very low cost.
A waterproof structure of a connector according to the present invention includes: a lower case for supporting an outer lower portion of a connector housing; An upper case disposed on an upper portion of the lower case to support an outer upper portion of the connector housing; And a foam elastic member provided on an outer periphery of the connector housing and interposed between the upper case and the lower case.

Description

[0001] WATERPROOF STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC CONNECTOR [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a waterproof structure of a connector that can easily secure the waterproofness of the connector at a very low cost.

Generally, a connector is a component configured to electrically connect an electric device or an electric wire.

On the other hand, the connector used for automotive electrical equipment is mainly divided into a non-radiating connector for indoor use and a waterproof connector for use in an engine room. The non-waterproof connector is a connector which is not considered for inflow of water, and the waterproof connector is a connector to which a waterproof seal or the like is applied in order to prevent water inflow due to inflow of water.

Therefore, non-waterproof connectors are used in rooms where there is no fear of moisture, and waterproof connectors are used in engine rooms where there is a possibility of water inflow.

As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-0911574 (Aug. 3, 2009), a conventional connector includes a female connector member having a female terminal, a male connector member extending in a direction of engagement with the female connector member, A slider configured to open, a primary waterproof seal to prevent water ingress, and a secondary waterproof seal. Such conventional connectors are easy to tighten, and are waterproofed by a primary waterproof seal and a secondary waterproof seal.

However, in the conventional connector, since the first waterproof seal and the second waterproof seal are inserted and mounted, the seal is separated from the connector by simply pressing the seal without any special means for fixing or sealing the seal to be mounted. And there is a serious problem that waterproofing can not be performed smoothly due to the occurrence of gaps in the seals due to waterproofing by simply pressing the seals, thereby lowering the airtightness.

In addition, if it is difficult to use the waterproof connector developed due to the addition of the waterproof function to the product manufactured using the non-waterproof connector or the layout of the surroundings, it is necessary to develop the waterproof connector with much time and cost However, the automotive connector has a problem that it is very difficult to newly develop a connector because it has to meet very strict criteria in assembling, detaching force, and contact maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006]

The object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof structure of a connector which can easily be modified into a waterproof structure by adding a waterproof function to a non-waterproof connector.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof structure of a connector in which each element of the constitution having an additional waterproof function can be organically bonded.

In particular, it is an object to provide a waterproof structure of a connector capable of locally compressing some of the components to be added.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof structure of a connector that can deform an outer portion of a connector to prevent moisture absorbed through some of the components added from being escaped.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof structure of a connector which can prevent the detachment of the connector by supporting the connector through some other element of the added structure.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof structure of a connector, including: a lower case supporting an outer lower portion of a connector housing; An upper case disposed on an upper portion of the lower case to support an outer upper portion of the connector housing; And a foam elastic member provided on an outer periphery of the connector housing and interposed between the upper case and the lower case.

The upper case may further include a plurality of compression protrusions for locally compressing the foamed elastic member.

The connector housing may further include a step formed at a portion of the outer side and interfering with a movement path of moisture inserted into the elastic foam member and absorbed by the elastic foam member.
The upper case may have a bent end so as to prevent moisture from flowing to the outer surface of the lower case.
And the upper case is formed in the form of a cup whose end is bent in a direction in which the lower case is provided so as to surround the lower case.

The lower case may further include protrusions protruding from opposite sides of the inside, and may be engaged with both side surfaces of the connector housing.

The waterproof structure of the connector according to the present invention as described above includes a lower case for supporting a lower portion of the connector housing, an upper case for supporting the upper portion, and a foam elastic member interposed between the upper case and the lower case, It is easy to manufacture, easy and easy to install, and can be manufactured at a very low cost.

Further, it is possible to provide a structure capable of converting a conventional non-discharge type connector into a waterproof type connector, and thus waterproofness can be easily secured.

Particularly, when the foamed elastic member is locally compressed by providing a plurality of the pressing protrusions on the upper case, an excellent effect of further improving the airtightness and water tightness caused by the foamed elastic members interposed between the upper case and the lower case have.

Further, since the knurled protrusion is provided at a part of the outer periphery of the connector housing, the foamed elastic member is inserted between the clearances of the knurled protrusions, and the moisture absorbed in the foamed elastic member is blocked by the step of the knurled protrusion, The elastic member is prevented from moving to the lower case.

In addition, since the locking protrusion is provided on the inner side of the lower case and is engaged with one side of the connector housing mounted on the lower case, the connector housing is fixed from the lower case and is not easily detached.

1 is a perspective view showing the entire waterproof structure of a connector according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the waterproof structure of the connector of Fig. 1 in an exploded state.
3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A 'in FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms herein are the same as the general meaning of the term as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, and if the terms used herein conflict with the general meaning of the term Are as defined herein.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the scope of the invention, .

A waterproof structure 100 of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower case 110 for supporting an outer lower portion of a connector housing C and a lower case 110 disposed at an upper portion of the lower case 110, And a foam elastic member 150 provided around the outer periphery of the connector housing C and interposed between the upper case 130 and the lower case 110.

Here, the connector housing C is a connection mechanism for electrically connecting the power source and the device, the device and the device, or the internal units of the device. The connector housing C may have a shape as shown in FIG. 2, and a connection terminal is provided therein. The connector housing C may have various forms according to the connection method.

The lower case 110 is configured to firmly support the outer lower portion of the connector housing C.

The lower case 110 is opened at one side as shown in FIG. 2, and an empty space is provided therein. At this time, the above-described connector housing C is inserted into the empty space provided in the lower case 110, and is mounted and fixed by a hook-shaped flange or the like formed on the connector housing C as shown in FIG. Here, the method of inserting and fixing the connector housing C to the lower case 110 is a normal configuration, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The lower case 110 may further include a locking protrusion 111 protruding from the lower case 110.

As shown in FIG. 3, the locking protrusions 111 protrude from both inner sides of the lower case 110. The latching protrusion 111 is fitted into a groove formed in the connector housing C as shown to support the connector housing C.

The upper case 130 is configured to rigidly support the outer upper portion of the connector housing C.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper case 130 is formed with a hole in the form of a hole on one side thereof and a bent end. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper case 130 has the connector housing C inserted into the through-hole and is provided on the upper side of the lower case 110. However, the upper case 130 is not limited to the above-described form, but may be formed in the form of a cup having a through-hole to enclose the lower case 110.

The upper case 130 further includes a compression protrusion 131 for pressing the foam elastic member 150 to be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing protrusions 131 protrude from the bottom surface of the upper case 130, and are formed in a plurality of shapes to locally press the foam elastic member 150.

The foam elastic member 150 is provided between the lower case 110 and the upper case 130 described above. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the foamed elastic member 150 is formed with a hole-shaped through-hole on one side and corresponds to the upper surface of the lower case 110. 1, the foamed elastic member 150 is inserted into the through-hole so as to surround the outer circumference of the connector housing C and is seated on the upper surface of the lower case 110, ). For example, the foamed elastic member 150 may be formed of a material having an elastic force such as urethane, rubber, or silicone.

Here, the foamed elastic member 150 may be attached to the outer periphery of the connector housing C by an insert foaming method or may be provided in a preformed state as shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, the waterproof structure 100 of the connector according to the present invention may form a step on the outside of the connector housing C, and the step may include a knurling protrusion 170 formed by, for example, knurling.

The knurled protrusion 170 is repeatedly protruded or recessed along the outer periphery of the connector housing C as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. The knurled protrusion 170 is injected or inserted into the space between the recessed recesses as shown in the figure.

In addition, the waterproof structure 100 of the connector according to the present invention further includes a fastener coupling the upper case 130 and the lower case 110 described above.

The fastener includes a bolt penetrating the upper case 130 and a nut formed in the lower case 110 as shown in FIG. The upper case 130 and the lower case 110 are coupled to each other in the vertical direction as a plurality of fastening members such as bolts are fastened from the upper surface of the upper case 130 to the lower case 110, (150) is pressed between the upper case (130) and the lower case (110) and attached to the outer periphery of the connector housing (C) more closely.

The operation of the waterproof structure 100 of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG.

The lower case 110 is mounted with a connector housing C in an inner hollow space as shown in the figure. At this time, the latching protrusion 111 formed in the lower case 110 is inserted into the connector housing C and supported. Therefore, the connector housing C mounted on the lower case 110 has an effect that the movement is limited and the connector housing C is not easily detached.

The upper case 130 is provided at an upper portion of the lower case 110 as shown, and is coupled to the lower case 110 through the fastener described above. At this time, the upper case 130 compresses the foam elastic member 150 provided between the upper case 130 and the lower case 110 to prevent the foam elastic member 150 from being detached. The upper case 130 locally pressurizes the foam elastic member 150 through the pressing protrusion 131 to further prevent the foam elastic member 150 from coming off. Accordingly, the foamed elastic member 150 is fixed by the upper case 130 between the lower case 110 and the upper case 130 without movement.

The foamed elastic member 150 is disposed between the lower case 110 and the upper case 130 to seal the lower case 110 as described above. Accordingly, the foamed elastic member 150 absorbs moisture around it and prevents water from penetrating into the lower case.

Meanwhile, the connector housing C is inserted with a foam elastic member 150 between the clearance of the knurled protrusion 170 formed along the outer circumference as shown in the figure. Therefore, the moisture absorbed in the foam elastic member 150 moves inside the foam elastic member 150, and the water that is moved is blocked by the knurling protrusion 170 and stops moving. That is, since the moisture absorbed in the foam elastic member 150 is blocked by the knurling protrusion 170 while moving, the effect of blocking the moisture from escaping from the foam elastic member 150 to the inside of the lower case 110 have.

As described above, according to the waterproof structure of the connector according to the present invention, since the non-conducting type connector can be easily modified with the connector having the waterproof structure, it is easy to manufacture and can be easily and easily installed, As shown in FIG.

Furthermore, it has an effect of interfering with the movement path of moisture absorbed by the elastic foam member, thereby preventing moisture from escaping from the foam elastic member.

100: Waterproof structure of connector 110: Lower case
111: locking protrusion 130: upper case
131: compression protrusion 150: foam elastic member
C: Connector housing 170: Knurled projection

Claims

A lower case for supporting an outer lower portion of the connector housing;
An upper case disposed on an upper portion of the lower case to support an outer upper portion of the connector housing; And
And a foam elastic member provided on an outer periphery of the connector housing and interposed between the upper case and the lower case,
The upper case includes:
And a plurality of compression protrusions protruding from the bottom surface and locally compressing the foam elastic member,
The connector housing includes:
And a stepped portion formed on an outer side of the foamed elastic member and interfering with a movement path of moisture inserted into the foamed elastic member,
The upper case includes:
And an end is bent so as to prevent moisture from flowing to the outer surface of the lower case.
The upper case includes:
Wherein the lower case is formed in the shape of a cup whose end is bent in a direction in which the lower case is provided so as to surround the lower case.

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