Waterproof Electrical Connector Shield Leg Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof electrical connectors fail to effectively seal the legs of the shield and the overmold, leading to fluid leakage.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring an inner insulative member, contacts, an outer housing with injection holes, and a shielding member with mounting legs, where glue is injected through the injection holes to seal gaps between the legs and the mounting holes, ensuring a complete fluid seal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shield legs are inserted through the overmold without additional sealing structures, then the device complexity is reduced, but waterproof performance deteriorates due to fluid leakage around the legs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates injection holes and mounting holes during the overmold manufacturing stage, enabling subsequent glue injection to seal the gaps between shield legs and overmold. This preliminary preparation of sealing pathways resolves the waterproofing issue without requiring complex post-assembly sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces glue as an intermediary sealing material that fills the gaps between the shield legs and overmold. The glue acts as a mediator that creates a fluid-tight seal in the interface region, solving the waterproofing problem while maintaining structural simplicity
2Reliability
If injection holes are added to the overmold for glue sealing, then waterproof performance is improved, but the overmold manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The injection holes and mounting holes are integrated into the overmold design during the molding process itself, rather than being added as separate components. This preliminary incorporation of sealing pathways enables efficient glue injection without requiring additional manufacturing steps or complex tooling
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting holes serve dual purposes: they facilitate the insertion of shield legs during assembly and simultaneously serve as pathways for glue injection to seal the gaps. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sealing structures and simplifies the overall manufacturing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances the waterproof performance by preventing fluid flow from the outer housing into the device, providing a reliable and sealed connection.
Implementation Method 1
a shielding member (4)
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector (100) includes an inner insulative member (1), a number of contacts (2) mounted to the inner insulative member, an outer housing (3) mounted to the insulative member, and a shielding member (4). Each of the contacts includes a mounting end (23) for being mounted to an inner portion of a device. The outer housing defines a pair of mounting holes (331), and a pair of injection holes (351) respectively in fluid communication with the mounting holes. The shielding member includes a pair of mounting legs (421) inserted through respective mounting holes for being mounted to the inner portion of the device. A gap is formed between each of the mounting legs and a corresponding mounting hole. Glues seal the injection holes to prevent fluid flow from the hollow portion into the inner portion of the device.