Waterproof electrical connector

This invention is related to a waterproof electrical connector which comprises an insulation body, a metal shell, a plurality of terminals, a waterproof rubber, and a waterproof rubber ring. The insulation body includes a rubber core portion and a tongue plate portion, the tongue plate portion extending outward from the rubber core portion. The metal shell surrounds the insulation body and forms a receiving cavity, wherein the metal shell is a seamless structure. These terminals are fixed in the rubber core portion, one end of the terminals is located in the tongue plate portion, and the other end of the terminals pierces through the side of the rubber core portion away from the tongue plate portion. The waterproof rubber is located at the side of the rubber core portion away from the tongue plate portion, and stuck to the metal shell, the rubber core portion, and these terminals. And the waterproof rubber ring surrounds the front end of the metal shell. Compared to the prior art, this invention of the waterproof electrical connector not only has the smaller whole volume, but also has the higher strength, is not easy to be deformed, and is more durable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a waterproof electrical connector.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In the prior art, there is a waterproof portable electronic device, e.g., the smart phone, on which the electrical connector also can achieve a waterproof effect to avoid the water infiltrating from the gap in the electrical connector of the electronic device. The conventional waterproof electrical connector comprises an insulation body, a metal shell, a plastic shell, and a plurality of terminals. The insulation body includes the rubber core portion, and the tongue plate portion extending from the rubber core; the metal shell that surrounds the rubber core and the tongue plate portion forms receiving cavity. These terminals are fixed in the rubber core and positioned at the tongue plate portion. The plastic shell then further surrounds the outside of the metal shell.

The metal shell is produced by bending the metal plate to form the shape. In general, there are four times of bending to form a generally rectangular sample. The head and the tail of the metal plate will be connected after bending, while the connecting of the head and the tail is a general contacting and is hard to avoid from generating a gap which insults in the water infiltrating. Therefore, in order to achieve the waterproof effect in the prior art, the plastic shell is added on the outside of the metal shell. By the second layer structure formed by the plastic shell, the gap of the metal is sealed. However, such existing electrical connector is made of a metal shell with a plastic shell, the thickness of the shell definitely increase, and the whole volume also increase. Such kind design is diametrically opposed to the light-thin trend of the portable electronic devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, the object of the invention is to provide a waterproof electrical connector to reduce the thickness and the whole volume of itself, and, when applied to the waterproof portable electronic devices, it does not violet the requirement of the light-thin design.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a waterproof electrical connector which comprises an insulation body, a metal shell, a plurality of terminals, a waterproof rubber, and a waterproof rubber ring. The insulation body includes a rubber core portion and a tongue plate portion, the tongue plate portion extends outward from the rubber core portion. The metal shell surrounds the insulation body and forms a receiving cavity, and the metal shell is a seamless structure. These terminals are fixed in the rubber core portion, one end of these terminals is located in the tongue plate portion, and the other end of these terminals pierces through the side of the rubber core portion away from the tongue plate portion. The waterproof rubber is located at the side of the rubber core portion away from the tongue plate portion, and stuck to the metal shell, the rubber core portion, and these terminals. The waterproof rubber ring surrounds the front end of the metal shell.

In one embodiment of the invention, the metal shell is a metal injection molded piece.

In one embodiment of the invention, the metal shell includes four plates, these plates that seamlessly connect to each other and form the receiving cavity.

In one embodiment of the invention, the side of the rubber core portion away from the tongue plate portion and the inside of the rear end of the metal shell together form a recess, the waterproof rubber is located in the recess and fills the recess.

In one embodiment of the invention, the metal shell comprises a stopper which extends to the recess, and the waterproof rubber is stuck to the stopper.

In one embodiment of the invention, the waterproof electrical connector further comprises a rubber tape, wherein the stopper is formed by inward bending the rear end of the metal shell toward the recess to form a gap.

In one embodiment of the invention, the waterproof electrical connector further comprises a metal plate, and the metal plate is attached to the side of the tongue plate portion away from these terminals.

In one embodiment of the invention, the tongue plate portion includes a first tongue plate portion and a second tongue plate portion, the second tongue plate portion extends outward from the rubber core portion, the first tongue plate portion extends outward from the second tongue plate portion, these terminals include a first terminals and a second terminals, one end of the second terminals is located at the second tongue plate portion, one end of the first terminals is located at the first tongue plate portion.

The metal shell of the waterproof electrical connector proposed by the present invention is seamlessly connected, therefore the metal shell has no gap. And thus there is no need to additionally add a layer of plastic shell, the waterproof effect can just be achieved, therefore the thickness and the whole volume of the shell can be reduced. In addition, the metal shell of the present invention is produced by metal injection molding; the strength of the shell of the metal injection molding is higher than that of the shell formed by bending. Compared with the prior art, the present invention of the waterproof electrical connector not only has a smaller volume and higher strength, but also is not easy to be deformed and is more durable. The proposed invention of a waterproof electrical connector, its metal casing itself based seamless connection, and therefore does not have a slit, no need to additionally add a layer of plastic casing, can achieve the effect of water, thereby reducing the thickness and overall size of the housing, in addition, the metal shell of the system of the present invention produced using a metal injection molding, metal injection molding of the casing strength will be higher than the bending shape.

To make the purpose, the features, and the advantages of this present invention easier to be comprehended by those who have the general knowledge in the field, the following text provides a preferred embodiment with the accompanying drawings to describe in detail below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2. TheFIG. 1is a schematic diagram of one preferred embodiments of the waterproof electrical connector of the present invention. TheFIG. 2is an exploded schematic diagram of one preferred embodiments of the waterproof electrical connector of the present invention. This application provides a waterproof electrical connector10which has the waterproof function and effect and can be applied to a waterproof portable electronic device (not shown), for example, the waterproof smart phone. In the present embodiment, the waterproof electrical connector10is a receptacle connector which conforms to the micro universal serial bus (Micro USB) 2.0 specification, but is not limited thereto.

The waterproof electrical connector comprises an insulation body11, a metal shell12, a plurality of terminals13, a metal plate14, a waterproof rubber ring15, a waterproof rubber16, and a waterproof rubber tape17. The insulation body11includes a rubber core portion20and a plate portion21. The tongue plate portion21is extended outwardly from the rubber core portion20. The metal shell21surrounds the insulation body11and forms a receiving cavity22. These terminals13are fixed in the rubber core portion20. The ends of these terminals13are located in one side of the tongue plate portion21, the other ends of these terminals13pierce through the side of the rubber core portion20away from the tongue plate portion. The metal plate14is attached to the other side of the tongue plate portion21away from these terminals13, and inserted into the rubber core portion20. The metal plate14can enhance the whole strength of the tongue plate portion21and the rubber core portion20. The waterproof rubber ring15surrounds the front end of the metal shell12. When the waterproof electrical connector10is mounted to the portable electronic device, the waterproof rubber ring15can seal the gap between the waterproof electrical connector10and the portable electronic device to avoid the water seepage.

Please refer toFIGS. 1˜3at the same time, theFIG. 3is a schematic diagram of one preferred embodiments of the metal shell of the present invention. The metal shell12is seamless structure. In the practice, the metal shell12includes four plates121,122,123,124, these plates121,122,123,124that seamlessly connect to each other form a generally rectangular sample. The insides of these plates121,122,123,124form the receiving cavity22. The key point is that there is no gap between the connecting of these four plates121,122,123,124, and there is no gap generated by the connecting on these plates121,122,123,124, as shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 3. In this embodiment, the metal shell12is a metal injection molding (Metal Injection Molding, MIM) piece, that is to say, the metal shell12is made by the metal injection molding technology. These plates121,122,123,124of the metal shell12is made by the metal powder via the injection molding method to form in one piece, there the metal shell12of the invention will not has gap formed at the connection of the head and the tail of the metal shell12after bending as in the prior art.

Please refer to theFIG. 4, theFIG. 4is the schematic diagram of one preferred embodiment of the waterproof electrical connector without the waterproof rubber of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 4, the side of the rubber core portion20away from the tongue plate portion21and the inside of the rear end of these plates121,122,123,124of the metal shell12form a recess23, one plate121of the metal shell12is equipped with a stopper24which extends to the recess23. The stopper24is formed by bending inward the rear end of the metal shell12toward the recess23to form a gap25. The stopper24is pressed against the side of the rubber core portion20away from the tongue plate portion21, when there is a plug plugging into the receiving cavity22of the waterproof electrical connector10, part of the plugging stress can be counteracted by the stopper24and the backward movement trend of the insulting body11is stopped, so as to avoid the damage of the waterproof electrical connector10due to the possible movement of the insulation body11after the long term of usage of plug-and-unplug. In the present embodiment, the stopper24and the four plates121,122,123,124are integrally formed in one piece by the metal injection molding. In other embodiment, the stopper can be formed, after the forming of these plates121,122,123,124, by the further cutting.

Please refer to theFIG. 5, theFIG. 5is the schematic diagram of one preferred embodiment of the waterproof electrical connector with the waterproof rubber of this present invention. As described above, the metal shell12is a seamless structure, whereas there is a gap between the metal shell12and the insulation body11. Therefore a waterproof rubber16is necessary to be further coated onto the recess23when being manufactured. Because of the mentioned gap25, in order to let the waterproof rubber16solidify in the recess23and fill the recess23rather than leak out from the gap25, a rubber tape17will be attached onto the metal shell12first and block the gap25in the process. After that, the waterproof rubber16is coated onto the recess23. When the waterproof rubber16has solidified, the waterproof rubber16will be fixed in the recess23and also stuck to the metal shell12, the stopper24, the rubber tape17, the rubber core portion20, and these terminals13, which thus fill up the gap25between the metal shell12and the insulation body11. With the seamless structure of the metal shell12itself as well as the waterproof rubber16blocking the seam between the metal shell12and the insulation body11, when the waterproof electrical connector10is installed to the mentioned portable electronic device, even if the liquid was poured into the a receiving cavity22. of the waterproof electrical connector10, the liquid will not penetrate into the interior space of the portable electronic device.

Please refer to both theFIG. 2andFIG. 6, theFIG. 6is a schematic diagram of the preferred embodiment of the insulation body with these terminals of this present invention. The rubber core portion20includes a first rubber core201and a second rubber core202. The tongue plate portion21includes a first tongue plate portion211and a second tongue plate portion212. The second tongue plate portion212extends outwardly from the first rubber core201. The first tongue plate portion211extends outwardly from the second tongue plate portion212. The second tongue plate portion212and the first rubber core201locate at different levels to form a height difference between the second tongue plate portion212and the rubber core201. The first tongue plate portion211and the second tongue plate portion212also locate at different levels to form a height difference between the first tongue plate portion211and the second tongue plate portion212. These terminals13include first terminals131and second terminals132. These first terminals131are fixed at the first rubber core201. The ends of the first terminals131are located in the first tongue plate portion211. The second terminals132retain in the second rubber core202. The second rubber core202is connected to the first rubber core201, and the ends of the second terminals132are located in the second tongue plate portion212. The first terminals131, for example, conform to the Micro USB 2.0 specification, and the second terminals132are input/output (Input/Output, I/O) terminals.

The metal shell of the waterproof electrical connector proposed by the present invention is seamlessly connected, therefore the metal shell has no gap. And thus there is no need to additionally add a layer of plastic shell, the waterproof effect and function can just be achieved, therefore the thickness and the whole volume of the shell can be reduced. In addition, the metal shell of the present invention is produced by metal injection molding, the strength of the shell of the metal injection molding is higher than that of the shell formed by bending. Compared with the prior art, the present invention of the waterproof electrical connector not only has a smaller volume and higher strength, but also is not easily deformed and is more durable.

The metal shell of the waterproof electrical connector proposed by the present invention is seamlessly connected, therefore the metal shell has no gap. And thus there is no need to additionally add a layer of plastic shell, the waterproof effect can just be achieved, therefore the thickness and the whole volume of the shell can be reduced. In addition, the metal shell of the present invention is produced by metal injection molding, the strength of the shell of the metal injection molding is higher than that of the shell formed by bending. Compared with the prior art, the present invention of the waterproof electrical connector not only has a smaller volume and higher strength, but also is not easily deformed and is more durable.