Waterproof Connector Eliminating Adhesive Peeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional waterproof connectors for electronic equipment face issues with maintaining waterproof performance due to intermittently applied forces causing the filling material to peel off, leading to gaps and compromised durability, and they hinder size reduction in small devices like multifunctional mobile phones and mobile information terminals.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof connection apparatus featuring a tubular outer case with a supporting portion and a circumferential sealing portion made of elastic material, which is press-fitted to the outer case, eliminating the need for a filling material and reducing the connector's length, ensuring high durability and improved sealing performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filling material is provided in the space formed by the supporting portion and the circumferential wall on the back side of the case to provide waterproof function, then waterproof performance is improved, but the filling material may peel off by intermittently applied force and gaps may form, deteriorating waterproof durability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the filling material from the waterproof structure, replacing it with a sealing member that provides waterproof functionality without the adhesion problems. The sealing member is positioned between the supporting portion and the case back wall, providing waterproof sealing without requiring adhesion to the case inner surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member acts as an intermediary element between the supporting portion and the case back wall, providing waterproof sealing without directly adhering to the case. This intermediary approach solves the adhesion problem by using a dedicated sealing component rather than relying on filling material bonded to the case surface.
2Reliability
If a filling material is provided in the space formed by the supporting portion and the circumferential wall on the back side of the case, then waterproof function is achieved, but the length of the waterproof connector must be increased to secure the filling material space, hindering size reduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the filling material and the associated deep space requirement, replacing it with a compact sealing member structure. This extraction allows the connector to achieve waterproof function with significantly reduced length, enabling size reduction in mobile electronic equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member functions as a thin film or flexible sealing element that provides waterproof protection without requiring the deep space previously needed for filling material. This thin-film approach enables compact connector design while maintaining waterproof integrity.
3Reliability
If a circumferential sealing portion is provided between the outer case and the supporting portion to seal the space, then waterproof performance is improved with high durability and size reduction is achieved, but the sealing portion must be precisely positioned to ensure effective sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting portion is designed with a built-in positioning structure that pre-establishes the correct position of the sealing member during assembly. This preliminary positioning action ensures that the sealing portion is correctly placed without requiring high-precision manual positioning, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
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 solution effectively prevents water ingress with high durability, reduces the size of the connection apparatus, and enhances the internal layout design of electronic equipment by eliminating the need for a filling material and maintaining waterproof performance under varying forces.
Implementation Method 1
a circumferential sealing portion made of elastic material, which is press-fitted to the outer case
Data Source
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AI summary
A waterproof connection apparatus (10) for electronic equipment includes: an approximately tubular outer case (11); a supporting portion (12) accommodated in a wall form on a deep side of the outer case (11); a contact terminal (13) supported by the supporting portion (12) and introduced in the outer case (11); and a circumferential sealing portion (14) provided at a position between the outer case (11) and the supporting portion (12) to seal a space between the outer case (11) and the supporting portion (12). The sealing portion (14) formed of an elastic material is provided so as to protrude outward from a portion of an outer circumferential surface (123) of the supporting portion (12) and the sealing portion (14) is pressure-contacted to an inner surface of the outer case (11) in a circumferential form in a state of press-fitting the protruding portion. In this way, it is possible to reliably prevent water from entering from the space between the outer case (11) and the supporting portion (12) accommodated therein into the deep side of the outer case with high durability and to decrease the length of the space to realize size reduction.