Patent Publication Number: US-10770816-B2

Title: Connector assembly and seal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation application and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/867,304, filed Jan. 10, 2018, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/539,656, filed Aug. 1, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This disclosure generally relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly relates to a connector assembly that includes a seal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded-view of an illustration of a connector assembly in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an cross-section of the mated connector assembly of  FIG. 1  in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a second-housing isolated from the connector assembly of  FIG. 1  in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective-view of an illustration of a seal-hanger of the second-housing of  FIG. 3  in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a section-view of the second-housing of the connector assembly of  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective-view of a half-section of a seal isolated from the second-housing of  FIG. 2  in accordance with one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded-view of a connector assembly  10 . The connector assembly  10  is an improvement over previous connector assemblies because the connector assembly  10  includes a seal  12  configured to inhibit an unwanted displacement of the seal  12  when the connector assembly  10  is mated and unmated. This provides a technical benefit of improving the sealing-quality of the seal  12  when the connector assembly  10  is exposed to extreme conditions of heat and moisture. The connector assembly  10  includes a first-housing  14  and a second-housing  16  configured to mate with the first-housing  14  along a mating-axis  18 . The first-housing  14  and second-housing  16  may include electrical-terminals (not shown) that may attach to a vehicle electrical system (not shown). The first-housing  14  and the second-housing  16  are formed of any dielectric material capable of electrically isolating portions of the electrical-terminals, and is preferably a polyamide (NYLON) material. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-section view of the mated connector assembly  10  and illustrates a sealing-interface between the first-housing  14  and second-housing  16 . The second-housing  16  has an outer-perimeter  20  disposed within the first-housing  14  which established the sealing-interface. The outer-perimeter  20  includes a seal-support surface  22  having a first-surface  24  aligned parallel with the mating-axis  18 , and a second-surface  26  extending outwardly from the first-surface  24  in a lateral-direction  28  perpendicular to the first-surface  24 , and generally forming an L-shape  30 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of the second-housing  16  isolated from the first-housing  14  and the seal  12 , and exposes the seal-support surface  22 . The seal-support surface  22  includes a plurality of seal-hangers  32  projecting outward from the first-surface  24  in the lateral-direction  28 . The plurality of seal-hangers  32  are distributed evenly (i.e. equivalent spacing between each of the seal-hangers  32 ) around the seal-support surface  22 , and in the example illustrated in  FIG. 3  are spaced in a range from 10 mm to 15 mm center-to-center, and preferably in the range from 11.7 mm to 11.95 m center-to-center. The plurality of seal-hangers  32  project upwardly from the second-surface  26  along the mating-axis  18 , and further project outwardly from a portion of the first-surface  24 . Each of the seal-hangers  32  have equivalent dimensions (i.e. are identical in geometry along all three axes) and in the example illustrated in  FIG. 3  are shown as having a length (L) of 4.8 mm, a width (W) of 1.45 mm, and a height (H) of 2.3 mm. The inventors have discovered that this combination of spacing and dimensioning of the plurality of seal-hangers  32  provides adequate support for the seal  12  without compromising the sealing-quality of the connector assembly  10 . 
       FIG. 4  is a close-up perspective-view of one seal-hanger  32  from  FIG. 4  and illustrates a retention-lip  34  configured to retain a wall  36  of the seal  12  against the first-surface  24 . The retention-lip  34  extends beyond a top-surface  38  of each seal-hanger  32  along the mating-axis  18  for a distance of 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm beyond the top-surface  38 , and in the example illustrated in  FIG. 4  extends for a distance 0.25 mm beyond the top-surface  38 . The retention-lip  34  extends beyond the top-surface  38  from a first-side  40  to a second-side  42  of each seal-hanger  32  (i.e. extends all along an outside-face of each seal-hanger  32 ). The plurality of seal-hangers  32  are configured to inhibit bunching or rolling of the wall  36  of the seal  12  when the first-housing  14  is mated with the second-housing  16 , a condition that may comprise the sealing-quality of the connector assembly  10 . As used herein, “bunching or rolling” refers to a deformation of the seal  12  along the mating-axis  18  where the wall  36  of the seal  12  is either compressibly shortened, or a portion of the seal  12  separated from a portion the seal-support surface  22 . 
       FIG. 5  is a section-view of the second-housing  16  illustrating the seal  12  installed on the second-housing  16 . The seal  12  is a continuous compliant seal  12 , preferably formed of a silicone rubber, in direct contact with the seal-support surface  22 . The seal  12  defines the wall  36  and a lip  44  extending from the wall  36  in the lateral-direction  28  and generally forming the L-shape  30 . The wall  36  defines an inner-surface  46  that engages the first-surface  24  of the seal-support surface  22  and an outer-surface  48  that engages the first-housing  14 . The wall  36  defines a plurality of horizontal-ribs  50  extending beyond the outer-surface  48  in the lateral-direction  28 , and in the example illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the wall  36  includes two horizontal-ribs  50 . In an alternative embodiment, the wall  36  includes three horizontal-ribs  50 . 
     The lip  44  of the seal  12  defines a base  52  that engages the second-surface  26  of the seal-support surface  22  and a top  54  that engages a leading-edge  56  of the first-housing  14  (see  FIG. 2 ). The lip  44  is configured to extend beyond the leading-edge  56  of the first-housing  14  so that the leading-edge  56  imparts a compressive-force on the lip  44  when the first-housing  14  is mated with the second-housing  16 . This compressive-force has the technical benefit of improving the sealing of the connector assembly  10  and dampens vibrations that may be transmitted through the connector assembly  10 . 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective-view of a half-section of the seal  12  isolated from the second-housing  16  and illustrates both the inner-surface  46  and the outer-surface  48 . The wall  36  further defines a plurality of apertures  58  configured to receive the plurality of seal-hangers  32  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The plurality of apertures  58  are distributed evenly around a perimeter of the seal  12  and have the same spacing as the evenly distributed seal-hangers  32  described above. Each of the plurality of apertures  58  have equivalent dimensions (i.e. are identical in geometry along all three axes) and in the example illustrated in  FIG. 6  are shown as having a length (L) of 5.5 mm, a width (W) of 1.45 mm, and a height (H) of 2.3 mm. The length of the apertures  58  is slightly larger than the length of the seal-hanger  32  to aid in the installation of the seal  12  over the seal-hangers  32 . The apertures  58  are located at an intersection between the wall  36  and the lip  44  of the seal  12  and extend through the wall  36  from the inner-surface  46  to the outer-surface  48  of the seal  12 . The apertures  58  define a top-wall  60  that is in direct contact with the top-surface  38  of each seal-hanger  32  enabling the wall  36  to be supported by the plurality of seal-hangers  32 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 5 , the second-housing  16  further includes a seal-retainer  62  attached to a tip  64  of the seal-support surface  22  of the second-housing  16  that is configured to inhibit bunching or rolling of the wall  36  of the seal  12  when the first-housing  14  and the second-housing  16  are un-mated. The seal-retainer  62  is characterized by a continuous band of material encircling the tip  64  of the seal-support surface  22  and may be formed of a similar material as the second-housing  16 . The seal-retainer  62  captures a top-edge  66  of the seal  12  and inhibits movement of the seal  12  relative to the seal-support surface  22  as the first-housing  14  is moved along the mating-axis  18  away from the second-housing  16  during the un-mating process. 
     Accordingly, a connector assembly  10  is provided. The connector assembly  10  is an improvement over other connector assemblies because the connector assembly  10  includes the plurality of seal-hangers  32  and the seal-retainer  62  that inhibit the bunching or rolling of the wall  36  of the continuous compliant seal  12  when the connector assembly  10  is both mated and un-mated. 
     While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, upper, lower, etc. does not denote any order of importance, location, or orientation, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.