Abstract:
A waterproof connector, in which adhesion of rubber by unnecessary outflow thereof is prevented from occurring when a packing made of the rubber is molded in one body in a connector housing of the waterproof connector, is provided. The waterproof connector includes: a main chamber and a sub-chamber continuously formed in a connector housing of the waterproof connector with a step therebetween; a hole for introducing rubber penetratingly formed inside a wall of the sub-chamber arising from the step and communicating with a base of the connector housing; and a packing made of the rubber formed in one body in the main chamber and at the base of the connector housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a waterproof connector preventing rubber from unnecessarily adhering when packing made of the rubber is molded in one body in a connector housing of the waterproof connector. 
     (2) Description of the Related Art 
     FIGS. 7 through 12 show a conventional waterproof connector. 
     As to the conventional waterproof connector  24  (see FIG.  11 ), a packing  29  made of rubber is formed in one body within a female connector housing  28  made of synthetic resin. The connector housing  28  has two main chambers (chambers for mating connectors)  30  situated in parallel each other (see FIG.  7 ), each of which is contiguous to a small sub-chamber  33  situated at a base  32  side of the connector housing through a step  31  (see FIG.  8 ). On one inner wall  35  of the sub-chamber  33 , there are provided a plurality of grooves  27  for introducing rubber, each of which communicates with a peripheral groove  34  (see FIG. 9) at the back of the base  32  of the connector housing. At the peripheral groove  34  side, a print circuit board (PCB; not shown in the figure) is arranged. 
     At an end of the inner wall  35  of the main chamber  30  and on an inner and outer surfaces of the base  32  of the connector housing, small projections for preventing the rubber from leaking are formed in a mating direction of the connectors. Each projection  36 ,  37  or  38  prevents molten rubber from leaking by being closely in contact with a mold  25  (shown by an alternate long and two short dashes line in FIG. 8) for casting. 
     The mold  25  is inserted into the connector housing  28  in a direction of arrow E (see FIG. 8) and comes in contact with the projections  36  and  37 . The mold  25  has a wavelike lip-forming portion  25   a  and a rectangular block portion  25   b , which enters into the sub-chamber  33 . At the base  32  side of the connector housing, a mold  39  for casting having a V-shaped lip-forming porion  39   a  that continues to the peripheral groove  34  is placed. 
     Heated and molten rubber is injected from a gate  40  of the mold  25  into a gap between the mold  25  and the connector housing  28 , thereby the packing  29  (see FIG. 11) is formed in one body within the connector housing  28 . In the main chamber  30 , a packing portion  29   a  (see FIGS. 10 and 11) for a mating male connector (not shown in the figure) is formed. The rubber flows into the peripheral groove  34  of the base  32  side of the connector housing through the groove  27  for introducing rubber (see FIG.  8 ), thereby another packing portion  29   b  (see FIGS. 11 and 12) is formed. A male terminal (not shown in the figure) at the PCB side is formed in the connector housing  28  by press-fit or integral molding, thereby the waterproof connector  24  is completed. 
     However, as to the conventional waterproof connector  24  described above, when the molten rubber is introduced into the groove  27  in a direction of arrow J in FIG. 13, the rubber enters into a small gap between the mold  25  and the connector housing  28  in directions of arrow G and arrow H, resulting in a formation of an unnecessary thin layer portion  41  (see FIG. 11) or unnecessary thick layer portion  42  on an inner wall  26  of the sub-chamber  33  or the step  31 . Moreover, rubber injected from an opposite gate  40 ′ (see FIG. 11) with respect to the groove  27  enters into a small gap between the mold  25  and the connector housing  28 , similarly resulting in a formation of an unnecessary thin layer portion  41  or unnecessary thick layer portion  42 . The formation of these layer portions causes unnecessary material cost-up due to the increased use of an amount of the rubber. In addition, since the unnecessary rubber adheres on the inner wall  26  of the connecter housing  28  or the step  31 , there is such a fear that a mating condition between this waterproof connector and the mating connector (not shown in the figure) deteriorates. 
     Even when projections  43  and  44  for preventing the rubber from leaking are formed at the periphery of the groove  27  for introducing rubber and the step  31  as shown in FIG. 14 in order to solve the above problem, the projection  43  extended in an inserting direction of the mold is scraped off by an edge of the rectangular block portion  25   b  of the mold  25  (see FIG.  8 ), whereby the rubber leaks out in directions of arrow G and arrow K, resulting in no solution of the problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a waterproof connector, in which the unnecessary rubber never leaks out into the inner wall of the sub-chamber or the step between the main chamber and the sub-chamber of the connecter housing and the rubber is prevented from unnecessarily adhering, when a packing is molded in one body in the main chamber side and the base side of a connector housing of the waterproof connector. 
     In order to attain the above objective, the present invention is to provide a waterproof connector comprising: a main chamber and a sub-chamber continuously formed in a connector housing of the waterproof connector with a step therebetween; a hole for introducing rubber penetratingly formed inside a wall of the sub-chamber arising from the step and communicating with a base of the connector housing; and a packing made of the rubber formed in one body in the main chamber and at the base of the connector housing. 
     A groove for introducing rubber is formed on an inner wall of the main chamber, allowing the hole for introducing the rubber to be contiguous to the groove for introducing the rubber in one body. 
     Projections for preventing the rubber from leaking are formed closely in contact with a mold for casting and that continuously at a periphery of an opening of the hole for introducing the rubber and a whole periphery of the step. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a connector housing of a waterproof connector according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along II—II line in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the connector housing; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a primary part of the connector housing; 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of a waterproof connector, in which packings are formed in the connector housing; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along VI—VI line in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a connector housing of a conventional waterproof connector; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along VIII—VIII line in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a rear view illustrating the connector housing of the conventional waterproof connector; 
     FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the conventional waterproof connector; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along XI—XI line in FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 12 is a rear view illustrating the conventional waterproof connector; 
     FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a problem of the conventional waterproof connector; and 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a problem of a modified conventional waterproof connector. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 
     FIGS. 1 to  6  illustrate an example of the waterproof connector according to the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a connector housing  1  has two main chambers  2  (chambers for mating connectors) situated in parallel each other, each of which is contiguous to a sub-chamber  4  situated at a base  3  side of the connector housing  1  as shown in FIG.  2 . As shown in FIG. 4 as well, a plurality of grooves  6  (three grooves in this example) for introducing rubber are formed on one inner wall  5  of the main chamber  2  and a hole  8  for introducing rubber, which is contiguous to the groove  6 , is penetratingly formed inside a wall  7  of the sub-chamber  4  in a mating direction of the connectors (i.e. in an insertion direction of a mold for casting the rubber or in a direction of an arrow E in FIG.  4 ). 
     The groove  6  having a rectangular shape in section arises from an end of the inner wall  5  situating at a point a little apart from an opening  2   a  (see FIG. 2) of the main chamber  2  in the mating direction of the connectors and straightly extends in the insertion direction of a mold so as to be intergated with the hole  8  for introducing rubber. 
     The hole  8  having a rectangular shape in section arises from a step  9  situated between the inner wall  5  of the main chamber  2  and the inner wall  7   a  of the sub-chamber  4  and has an opening  8   a  (see FIG. 2) at the step  9 , then straightly extends in the insertion direction of a mold so as to be intergated with the groove  6 , penetrating through the base  3  and then, is in communication with a circular groove  10  situated at a PCB (not shown in the figure) side. A partition wall  5   a,  which is a part of the inner wall  5 , is formed between the groove  6  and the exterior. Another partition wall  7   a′,  which is a part of the inner wall  7   a,  is formed between the hole  8  and the sub-chamber  4 . One inner surface  8   b  (see FIG. 2) of the hole  8  straightly continues to an inner surface  10   a  of the circular groove  10 . 
     A small projection  11  for preventing the rubber from leaking is formed at a periphery of the opening  2   a , i.e. at an end of the inner wall  5  of the main chamber  2  of the connector housing  1 . Another projection  12  for preventing the rubber from leaking is formed at a periphery of the opening  8   a  of the hole  8  at the step  9  that extends to the inner wall  5 , wherein the projection  12  surrounds about half of the opening  8   a  from the partition wall  7   a ′ and straightly extends toward the periphery on the surface of the step  9 . That is, the projection  12  consists of a half-surrounded portion  12   a  (see FIG. 4) and a straight portion  12   b  continuing to the half-surrounded portion  12   a , wherein the straight portion  12   b  is situated near the inner wall  5 . 
     A projection  12 ′ for preventing the rubber from leaking straightly extends at a step  9 ′ (see FIG.  1 ), which extends to an opposite inner wall  5 ′ of the main chamber  2 , near the inner wall  5 ′. The projection  12 ′ extends on a step  9 ″ at a short side of the connecter housing crossing at right angles with a projection  12 ″ that continues to the projection  12 . Each projection  11 ,  12 ,  12 ′ or  12 ″ protrudes in the mating direction of the connectors (i.e. the insertion direction of the mold for casting rubber). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a projection  14  for preventing the rubber from leaking is formed at the circular groove  10 . 
     As shown by an alternate long and two short dashes line in FIG. 2, a mold  15  for casting comes in contact with the projection  11  of the inner wall  5 ,  5 ′ and  5 ″ side and the projections  12 ,  12 ′ and  12 ″ of the steps  9 ,  9 ′ and  9 ″, respectively, at the main chamber  2  side. While, the mold  16  comes in contact with the projection  14  near the circular groove  10  at the base  3  side. A bottom  15   a  of the mold  15  (see FIG. 2) abuts against the half-surrounded portion  12   a  of the hole  8  and the straight portion  12   b  at the step  9  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     Molten rubber is injected from a gate  18  into a gap  17  between a lip-forming portion  15   b  (see FIG. 2) and the inner wall  5  within the main chamber  2 , thereby a packing  19  (see FIG. 6) is formed in one body with the connector housing  1 . The injected rubber from the gate  18  (see FIGS. 5 and 6) forms a packing portion  19   a  for a mating connector (not shown in the figure) within the main chamber  2  and is fed into a gap the circular groove  10  at the base  3  side and a V-shaped groove  16 a of the mold  16  after flowing through the groove  6  and the hole  8 , thereby a packing part  19   b  at the PCB side is formed. 
     Since the rubber is fed to the circular groove  10  side not through a groove (as in the conventional art) but through a hole, a leak of the rubber, which takes place from a small gap between the mold  25  (see FIG. 8) and the inner wall  26  of the sub-chamber  33  as shown by the arrow G in FIG. 13 as to the conventional example, never occurs in this example according to the present invention, therefore, unnecessary adhesion of the rubber to the inner wall  7   a  of the sub-chamber  4  (see FIG. 6) never takes place. Since only the rubber corresponding to a volume of the hole  8  is fed into the hole  8 , unnecessary feed of the rubber into the groove  27  (see FIG.  11 ), as is occurred in the conventional example, never takes place. In addition, as to this example according to the present invention, the groove  6  allows the introduction of the rubber to take place securely and smoothly as a guide for the rubber to flow into the hole  8  as shown by an arrow F in FIG.  4  and also makes the volume of the hole  8  so as to allow the flow of the rubber to occur quickly and securely. 
     Since the projections  12 ,  12 ′ and  12 ″ are formed at the periphery of the hole  8  or on the surface of the steps  9 ,  9 ′ and  9 ″ and the mold  15  for casting abuts against the projections  12 ,  12 ′ and  12 ″ in an insertion direction of the mold  15 , therefore, the rubber between the mold  15  and the inner walls  5 ,  5 ′ and  5 ″ is prevented from leaking into the inside (the inner wall  7   a  side of the sub-chamber  4 ), thereby unnecessary adhesion of the rubber onto the steps  9 ,  9 ′ and  9 ″ or the inner wall  7   a  of the sub-chamber  4  can be prevented from occurring. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the rubber never adheres to the inner wall  7   a  and the step  9 ′ and the packing  19  is formed in one body with the connector housing  1 . In contrast to the conventional example (see FIG.  11 ), since the unnecessary adhesion of the rubber never takes place, the using amount of the rubber decreases and the production cost of the waterproof connector is reduced. 
     A waterproof connector  20  includes the connector housing  1 , the packing  19  and a terminal (not shown in the figure) to be inserted in the connector housing  1 . The waterproof connector  20  according to the present invention is characterized in that it also includes the groove  6  for introducing rubber provided on the inner wall  5  of the main chamber  2  of the connector housing  1  and the hole  8  for introducing rubber, which arises from the step  9  situated between the main chamber  2  and the sub-chamber  4  and penetratingly extends inside the wall  7  of the sub-chamber  4 . The projections  12 ,  12 ′ and  12 ″ for preventing the rubber from leaking are continuously formed at the periphery of the opening  8   a  of the hole  8  near the sub-chamber  4  around the step  9  and the whole periphery of the steps  9 ,  9 ′ and  9 ″. The groove  6  and the hole  8  are filled with the rubber, then the packing portion  19   a  in the main chamber  2  and the packing part  19   b  at the circular groove  10  that continues to the hole  8 . Unnecessary adhesion of the rubber onto the steps  9 ,  9 ′ and  9 ″ or the inner wall  7   a  of the sub-chamber  4  never takes place. 
     As to the example of the waterproof connector described above, the connector housing  1  has two main chambers  2  in parallel each other, however, the connector housing  1  may have one main chamber or more than two main chambers instead. The construction of the waterproof connector described above is also useful as a process for producing a waterproof connector. 
     The aforementioned preferred embodiments are described to aid in understanding the present invention and variations may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     According to the main feature of the present invention, since molten rubber is introduced up to the base side of the connector housing by flowing through the hole for introducing the rubber, the unnecessary adhesion of the rubber onto the wall of the sub-chamber never takes place, unnecessary outflow of the rubber is prevented from occurring, the using amount of the rubber decreases and the production cost of the waterproof connector is reduced. Moreover, since the molten rubber is smoothly guided into the hole for introducing the rubber via the groove for introducing the rubber formed on an inner wall of the main chamber, unnecessary outflow of the rubber is more securely prevented from occurring. In addition, since the projections for preventing the rubber from leaking are formed closely in contact with a mold for casting, outflow of the rubber from the opening of the hole for introducing the rubber is prevented from occurring, therefore, a leak of the rubber along the inner wall of the main chamber never takes place, thereby the packing is securely attained.