Patent Publication Number: US-9425542-B1

Title: Water-proof connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a water-proof connector. 
     2. the Related Art 
     The current electronic products develop a variety of different specifications of the communication protocol of data transmission. In order to apply different specifications of the communication protocol of data transmission, different forms of electrical connectors is produced. Among them, a lightning connector with function of reversible access is greatly convenient for data signals, electric connection, therefore the lightning connector is widely used. Along with the widespread use of the lightning connector, a socket connector mating with the lightning connector has also been widely developed. A traditional socket connector includes a housing, a plurality of terminals assembled in the housing, a shielding shell covering the housing and a lock piece. The shielding shell connects the socket connector to the electronic products. The lock piece inserts into the housing to fixing the lightning connector. 
     However, as an external interface, when the socket connector is applied to the water environment, the reliability of the socket connector will be greatly reduced. Therefore, a waterproof socket connector with a good sealing effect is needed to improve performance in the water environment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a water-proof connector. The water-proof connector includes a housing, a plurality of terminals and a waterproof component. The housing has a base portion, a center of a top face of the base portion defines a cavity, a bottom of the cavity defines a plurality of terminal grooves extending frontward and rearward and penetrating a rear face of the base portion. The plurality of terminals are assembled in the terminal grooves of the housing. The waterproof component includes an insulation cover board, a sealing element. The insulation cover board is assembled in the cavity, the sealing element is secondary molded in a rear end of the cavity of the housing and on a rear end of the insulation cover board. 
     As described above, the insulation cover board is assembled in the cavity, the sealing element is secondary molded in a rear end of the cavity of the housing and on a rear end of the insulation cover board, therefore, the terminal grooves are sealed, and then a water-proof function is improved. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a water-proof connector in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled, another perspective view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 2 , without a shielding shell; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded, perspective view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is another cross-sectional view of the water-proof connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an embodiment of the present invention is shown as a water-proof connector  100  includes a housing  10 , a plurality of terminals  20 , a lock piece  30 , a waterproof component  40  and a shielding shell  50 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the housing  10  has a base portion  11 . Two opposite sides of a rear end of the base portion  11  protrude outward to form a pair of wings  12 . A front face of the base portion  11  protrudes frontward to form a plug part  13 . A front face of the plug part  13  is recessed rearward to form a plug slot  14  extending to the base portion  11 . Specifically, a bottom of the base portion  11  defines a plurality of lower locking slots  111 . Two sides of a top of the base portion  11  define a plurality of upper locking slots  112 . A center of the top of the base portion  11  defines a cavity  113 . A bottom of the cavity  113  defines a plurality of locating slots  114  and a plurality of terminal grooves  115  extending longitudinally and penetrating a rear face of the base portion  11 . A rear end of the bottom of the cavity  113  defines a transverse fastening slot  116  traversing rear ends of the terminal grooves  115 . Front ends of the terminal grooves  115  communicate with the plug slot  14 . Each of the wings  12  defines a first locking hole  121  penetrating through the wing  12  up and down. The rear face of the base portion  11  defines a recess  117 . A front wall of the recess  117  protrudes rearward to form at least one positioning pillar  118 . Two ends of the front wall of the recess  117  are concaved frontward to form two inserting slots  119 . Front ends of the inserting slots  119  communicate with the plug slot  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the plurality of terminals  20  are assembled in the terminal grooves  115  of the housing  10 . The terminals  20  include two detect terminals (not labeled) and a plurality of signal terminals (not labeled). Each of the terminals  20  has a holding portion  21 , a soldering portion  24  and a U-shaped fastening portion  23  connected between a lower edge of a rear end of the holding portion  21  and a lower edge of a front end of the soldering portion  24 . A bottom edge of a front end of the holding portion  21  protrudes downward to form a first contact part  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the lock piece  30  has a base plate  31  received in the recess  117 . The base plate  31  defines at least one positioning hole  311  corresponding to the positioning pillar  118 . Two ends of the base plate  31  are bent frontward and extended to form two clamping parts  32 . A free end of the clamping part  32  is arched inward to form a second contact part  33 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the waterproof component  40  includes an insulation cover board  41 , a sealing element  42  and two elastic pieces  43 . 
     The insulation cover board  41  is assembled in the cavity  113  to seal the terminal grooves  115 . The insulation cover board  41  has a base board  411 . A bottom face of the base board  411  has a plurality of positioning columns  412  corresponding to the locating slots  114  protruded downward. A rear end of the bottom face of the base board  411  protrudes downward and further protrudes rearward to form an L-shaped fixing lump  413 . The bottom face of the base board  411  defines a plurality of slots  414  corresponding to the terminals  20 . The slots  414  penetrate downward through the fixing lump  413 . 
     The sealing element  42  is secondary molded in a rear end of the cavity  113  of the housing  10  and on a rear end of the insulation cover board  41 . In this embodiment, the material of the sealing element  42  is plastic. 
     The two elastic pieces  43  are assembled in two sides of a rear end of the lock piece  30  and inserted in the inserting slots  119  to seal the inserting slots. In this embodiment, the elastic pieces  43  are rubber. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the shielding shell  50  covers the housing  10 . The shielding shell  50  includes an upper shell  52  and a lower shell  51 . The lower shell  51  has a rear base plate  511 , a front base plate  512  and a connecting plate  513  connecting the front base plate  512  and the rear base plate  511 . A rear edge of the rear base plate  511  connects with a stopping plate  514 . Two sides of a top edge of the stopping plate  514  protrude upward to form two soldering feet  5141 . The soldering feet  5141  are soldered on the circuit board (not shown). Two sides of a bottom edge of the stopping plate  514  are extended frontward and then transversely to form two rear locking plates  515  corresponding to the wings  12 . The rear locking plate  515  defines a second locking hole  5151  corresponding to the first locking hole  121 . Two sides of the front base plate  512  are bent and extended upward and further protrude outward to form two front locking plates  516 . Each of the front locking plates  516  defines a third locking hole  5161 . The lower shell  51  is punched upward to form a plurality of locking slices  517  corresponding to the lower locking slots  111 . 
     The upper shell  52  has a upper base plate  521 . Two sides of the upper base plate  521  are bent downward and then further extended outward to form two upper locking plates  522  corresponding to the front locking plates  516 . Each of the upper locking plate  522  defines a fourth locking hole  5221  corresponding to the third locking hole  5161 . The upper shell  52  is punched downward to form a plurality of locking slices  523  corresponding to the upper locking slots  112 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 7 , in assembly, the terminals  20  are assembled in the terminal grooves  115  of the base portion  11  of the housing  10 . The first contact parts  22  extend to the plug slot  14 . The fastening portions  23  are fastened in a substantial junction of the terminal grooves  115  and the fastening slot  116 . The soldering portion  24  is soldered on the circuit board. 
     In this embodiment, the insulation cover board  41  is glued in the cavity  113  with double-sided adhesive  60 . The double-sided adhesive  60  is stuck on a front periphery and two side peripheries of the bottom face of the base board  411  of the insulation cover board  41 . The positioning columns  412  are inserted in the locating slots  114 . The fixing lump  413  is inserted in the fastening slot  116 . After the insulation cover board  41  is assembled in the cavity  113 , the sealing element  42  is secondary molded in a rear end of the cavity  113  of the housing  10  and on a rear end of the insulation cover board  41 . The sealing element  42  is formed on the fixing lump  413  to seal the fastening slot  116  and further seal the terminal grooves  115 . 
     The base plate  31  of the lock piece  30  is inserted in the recess  117 . The positioning pillar  118  of the housing  10  is inserted in the positioning hole  311 . The clamping part  32  is inserted into the inserting slot  119 . The second contact part  33  of the lock piece  30  protrudes inward into the plug slot  14 . The two elastic pieces  43  are inserted in the inserting slots  119  to seal the inserting slots  119 . 
     The upper shell  52  is assembled in the top face of the housing  10 . The lower shell  51  is assembled in the bottom face of the housing  10 . The locking slices  517  of the lower shell  51  are locked in the lower locking slots  111 . The first locking hole  121  and the second locking hole  5151  are connected by a fastening element (not shown). The stopping plate  514  spots welds on the base plate  31  by laser. The locking slices  523  of the upper shell are locked in the upper locking slots  112 . The third locking hole  5221  and the fourth locking hole  5161  are connected by the fastening element. 
     As described above, the insulation cover board  41  is assembled in the cavity  115  of the housing  10 , the sealing element  42  is secondary molded in a rear end of the cavity  113  of the housing  10  and on a rear end of the insulation cover board  41 , the insulation cover board  41  and the sealing element  42  together seals the terminal grooves  115 . The elastic pieces  43  seal the inserting slots  119 . Therefore, a complete seal effect is achieved, and then a water-proof function is improved.