Patent Publication Number: US-10777923-B2

Title: Electrical adaptor and method makikng the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical adaptor having two opposite mating cavities for connecting two opposite plug connectors having the similar mating tongues, and particularly to the hermetic electrical adaptor. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     China Utility Patent No. CN207572564U discloses a pair of board-to-board connectors having complementary mating interfaces for mating with each other and respectively mounted upon two opposite printed circuit boards (PCBs) for electrically connecting these two PCBs. Anyhow, in some situations it requires to have an adaptor connecting two opposite connectors having the similar mating interface. 
     It is desirable to provide an electrical adaptor for connecting two electrical connector having the similar mating tongues, and particularly to provide a hermetic electrical adaptor so as not to affect the in-and-out signal transmission. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a hermetic electrical adaptor including an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained therein. The housing includes a base having opposite first and second surface in a vertical direction, a set of first side walls extending from the first surface to form a first mating cavity, a set of second side walls extending from the second surface to form a second mating cavity opposite to the first mating cavity in the vertical direction. Each contact includes a retention section extending through the base, a first extending section located in the first mating cavity and including a first bending section. The set of first side walls forms, adjacent to the first surface, a first recess communicating with the first mating cavity so as to expose a portion of the first extending section in the first recess. A waterproof glue occupies the first recess and a bottom portion of the first mating cavity so as to surround the exposed portions of the first extending sections of the contact for assuring sealing of the adaptor above the first surface. The first recess extends through the set of first side walls in the transverse direction, and a covering device is attached upon an exterior surface of the adaptor to shield the first recess from an exterior so as to prevent contamination of the waterproof glue on the exterior surface of the adaptor. The set of second side walls may be optimally provided with a second recess, similar to the first recess, filled with the waterproof glue for the same purpose 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hermetic electrical adaptor according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 1  and the corresponding two mating connectors adapted to be mated therewith; 
         FIG. 4  another perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another exploded perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the hermetic electrical adaptor and the two mated electrical connectors of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the hermetic electrical adaptor and the two electrical connectors removed away from the adaptor of  FIG. 3 ;  FIG. 8(A)  is another cross-sectional view of the hermetical adaptor; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor according to the second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is another perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 9  to show the inside glue; 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 13  is another perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 12  to show the inside glue; 
         FIG. 14  is an exploded perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 16  is another perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 15 ; and 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded perspective view of the hermetic electrical adaptor of  FIG. 16 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-18 , a hermetic electrical adaptor  100  for connecting two opposite mating connectors in the Y direction oppositely, includes an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of contacts  2  retained in the housing  1 , a waterproofing glue  3  inside the housing  1 , and a covering device  4  shielding the waterproofing glue from an exterior. 
     The insulative housing  1  includes a base  10  with opposite first surface  101  and second surface  102 . A set of first side walls  11  extend from the first surface  101  away from the base  10 , and a set of second side walls  12  extend from the second surface  102  away from the base  10 . A pair of first end walls  13  connect the set of first side walls  11 , and a pair of second end walls  14  connect the set of second side walls  12 . The set of first side walls  11  cooperates with the pair of first end walls  13  and the first surface  101  to commonly form a first mating cavity  15 , and the set of second side walls  12  cooperates with the second end walls  14  and the second surface  102  to commonly form a second mating cavity  16 . The first mating cavity  15  is isolated from the second mating cavity  16  by the base  10  in the Y direction. Notably, the set of first side walls  11  forms the first mating portion facing toward the first mating cavity  15 , and the set of second side walls  12  forms the second mating portion facing toward the second mating cavity  16 . Notably, the base  10  is dimensioned larger than the first mating portion and the second mating portion in both the X direction, i.e., the transverse direction, and the Z direction, i.e., the longitudinal direction which are perpendicular to each other and both are perpendicular to the Y direction, i.e., the vertical direction. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , the set of first side walls  11  forms a first recess  111  along the X direction to communicate the first mating cavity  15  with an exterior in the X direction wherein the first recess  111  is slightly higher than the first surface  101 , Similarly, the set of second side walls  12  is adapted to be optionally formed with the second recess (not shown), if necessary. 
     The contact  2  includes a first extending section  21  upon the set of first side wall  11  to face toward the first mating cavity  15 , a retention section  23  extending through the base  10  along the Y direction, and a second extending section  22  upon the set of second side wall  12  to face toward the second mating cavity  16 . The first extending section  21  includes a first bending section  211  and the second extending section  22  includes a second bending section  221 . The set of first side walls  11  and the set of second side walls  12  form a plurality of inner passageways  17  to respectively receive the first extending sections  21  and the second extending sections  22 , and further form a plurality of outer passageways  18  to respectively receive the first bending section  211  and the second bending section  221 . Notably, all the first extending section  21 , the retention section  23  and the second extending section  22  extend in the Y direction while both the first bending section  211  and the second bending section  221  extend in the X direction. 
     The first recess  111  communicates with the first mating cavity  15 , and a portion of the first extending section  21  is essentially exposed in/toward the first recess  111 . The covering device  4  is attached upon the set of first side walls  11  to shield the first recess  111  from the exterior so as to prevent contamination of the waterproofing glue  3  upon the exterior surface of the housing  1 . In this embodiment, the covering device  4  is a strap secured upon the exterior surface of the set of first side walls  11 . The fluidal glue  3  is poured into the first mating cavity  15  and enters into the first recess  111  without splitting due to the covering device  4 , and successively solidified so as to stop humidity invasion along the vertical direction in the adaptor  100 . In some applicable situation, the first mating portion is shielded by a shielding device and filled with the gas of Nitrogen. Understandably, such gas will not escape from the first mating cavity  15  to the second mating cavity  16  because of the hermetic structure derived from the waterproofing glue  3 . 
     Optimally and similarly, a second recess may be optionally formed in the set of second side walls  12  and communicate with the second mating cavity  16  so as to have a portion of the second extending section  22  exposed in the second recess so as to have waterproofing glue filled within a bottom portion of the second mating cavity  16  adjacent to the second surface  102  and the second recess for enhancing the hermetical arrangement of the whole adaptor  100 , i.e., both first mating cavity  15  and the second mating cavity  16  being waterproofing and hermetic. 
     The method of making the adaptor as shown in the embodiment, comprising the following steps: providing a plurality of contacts  2  each having a first extending section  21 , a second extending section  22  and a retention section  23  therebetween; Integrally forming an insulative housing  1  with the contacts  2  via an insert-molding process wherein the housing  1  includes a base  10  with opposite first surface  101  and second surface  102 , a set of first side walls  21  extending from the first surface  101  away from the base  10  to form a first mating cavity  15 , and a set of second side walls  22  extending from the second surface  102  away from the base  10  to form a second mating cavity  16 , the first extending section  21  disposed upon the set of first side walls  21 , a first recess  111  formed in the set of first side wall  11  to expose a portion of the first extending section  21  therein; shielding the first recess  111  from an exterior with a covering device  4 ; and filling a bottom portion of the first mating cavity  15  adjacent to the first surface  101  and the first recess  111  with fluidal waterproofing glue  3  and having said glue  3  solidified. 
     Referring  FIGS. 9-11 , the covering device  5  is a frame structure so as to surround both the set of first side walls  11  and the first end walls  13  so as to shield the first recess  111  for preventing contamination of the glue  3  upon the housing. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12-14 , the covering device  6  forms a hook at either end of the strap wherein the covering device  6  includes a plate  61  and a pair of hooks  62  at two opposite ends. Correspondingly, the set of first side walls  11  form a shallow groove  112  communicating with the first recess  111 , and a retention slot  1121  communicating with the shallow groove  112  so as to have the plate  61  received within the shallow groove  112 , and the hooks  62  received within the corresponding retention slots  1121 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 15-17 , the covering device  7  is of a frame structure wherein the covering device  7  replaces the exterior part of the base on an exterior surface of the housing. In other words, the covering device  7  not only shields the first recess but also provides abutment support against the mating connector during mating. In this embodiment, the covering device  7  forms a skirt surrounding the housing with a transverse dimension similar to a width of the first mating cavity in the transverse direction. 
     Understandably, in the invention the upper part of the glue only covers an inner half of the half-exposed first extending section which faces toward the first mating cavity while the lower part of the glue circumferentially covers both inner half and outer half of the fully exposed first extending section.