Waterproof structure of connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11296453-B2
Application number	US-201816492720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A waterproof structure of a connector 1 is configured to waterproof a cable 40 including a sheath 41 surrounding a plurality of wires 42, and a connector housing 10 connected to the plurality of wires 42 extending from a tip portion 41E of the sheath 41. The waterproof structure includes a seal member 50 collectively covering the plurality of wires 42 between the cable 40 and the connector housing 10. The seal member 50 has one end fitted onto the sheath 41 and in which the plurality of wires 42 extend from the tip portion 41E with any arrangement relation, and another end fitted into the connector housing 10.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A waterproof structure of a connector, the waterproof structure comprising:
a multicore cable including wires and an outer sheath surrounding the wires, each of the wires having an exposed portion exposed from the outer sheath and extending from the tip portion of the outer sheath with any arrangement relation, the exposed portion of each of the wires having a tip;
a connector main body connected to the extending portions of wires; and
a waterproof member collectively covering the extending portions of the wires between the outer sheath of the multicore cable and the connector main body and in which the wires extend with any arrangement relation, the waterproof member including a first end fitted to the tip portion of the outer sheath and a second end fitted to the connector main body, wherein:
the connector main body includes an inner cylinder portion into which the wires are inserted; and
the waterproof member includes a connector fitting portion provided at the second end of the waterproof member, the connector fitting portion including a connector seal lip portion circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion, the connector seal lip portion being fit onto the inner cylinder portion of the connector main body.

2. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , comprising:
a hard cover member disposed to surround the waterproof member;
wherein the waterproof member includes a cable fitting portion provided at the first end of the waterproof member, the cable fitting portion including: a cable seal lip portion circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion and fit onto the outer sheath, and
an auxiliary cable seal portion fitted into the cover member is circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion and fit into the cover member,
wherein the cable seal lip portion and the auxiliary cable seal portion are disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the cable fitting portion.

3. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein:
the connector main body further includes an outer cylinder portion disposed to surround the inner cylinder portion,
the connector fitting portion includes an auxiliary connector seal portion circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion and fit into the outer cylinder portion, the connector seal lip portion and the auxiliary connector seal portion being disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the connector fitting portion.

4. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the wires include a power wire and a signal wire thinner than the power wire, and the power wire and the signal wire are bent between the tip portion of the outer sheath and the connector main body.

5. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the multicore cable includes a braided wire collectively surrounding the wires in the outer sheath, and the braided wire extends from the tip portion of the outer sheath toward the connector main body.

6. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the waterproof member is formed of an elastic waterproof material.

7. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the waterproof member has a tubular shape and forms a closed space between the multicore cable and the connector main body.

8. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of the waterproof member defines a single tubular opening that is fit to the connector main body.

9. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second end of the waterproof member has an inner surface spaced outward from the wires.

10. A waterproof structure of a connector, the waterproof structure comprising:
a multicore cable including wires and an outer sheath surrounding the wires, each of the wires having an exposed portion exposed from the outer sheath and extending from the tip portion of the outer sheath with any arrangement relation, the exposed portion of each of the wires having a tip;
a connector main body connected to the extending portions of wires, the connector main body including an inner cylinder portion into which the wires are inserted,
a waterproof member collectively covering the extending portions of the wires between the outer sheath of the multicore cable and the connector main body and in which the wires extend with any arrangement relation, the waterproof member including a first end fitted to the tip portion of the outer sheath and a second end fitted to the connector main body, a cable fitting portion provided at the first end of the waterproof member, the cable fitting portion including: a cable seal lip portion circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion and fit onto the outer sheath; and an auxiliary cable seal portion circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the cable fitting portion, the cable seal lip portion and the auxiliary cable seal portion being disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the cable fitting portion, a connector fitting portion provided at the second end of the waterproof member, the connector fitting portion including a connector seal lip portion circumferentially provided on an inner circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion, the connector seal lip portion being fit onto the inner cylinder portion of the connector main body; and
a hard cover member disposed to surround the waterproof member, the auxiliary cable seal portion being fit into the hard cover member.

11. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 10 , wherein:
the connector main body further includes an outer cylinder portion disposed to surround the inner cylinder portion,
the connector fitting portion includes an auxiliary connector seal portion circumferentially provided on an outer circumferential surface of the connector fitting portion and fit into the outer cylinder portion, the connector seal lip portion and the auxiliary connector seal portion being disposed at a same position in an axial direction of the connector fitting portion.

12. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 11 , wherein the wires include a power wire and a signal wire thinner than the power wire, and the power wire and the signal wire are bent between the tip portion of the outer sheath and the connector main body.

13. The waterproof structure of a connector according to claim 12 , wherein the multicore cable includes a braided wire collectively surrounding the wires in the outer sheath, and the braided wire extends from the tip portion of the outer sheath toward the connector main body.

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Komori Hirokazu
• Nakagawa Yusuke

Classifications

• H01R13/502

  composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/523

  for use under water · CPC title

• H01R13/5205 Primary

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/56

  Means for preventing chafing or fracture of flexible leads at outlet from coupling part · CPC title

• H01R13/5213

  Covers · CPC title