Waterproof Connector Structure With Floating Spacer And Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector connection structures fail to prevent water from permeating through openings in mounting walls when there are mounting dimension errors or center deviations during connector fitting, leading to exposure of panel holes in water-sprayed areas.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof connector connection structure is designed with a cylindrical spacer and housing system, utilizing multiple ring-shaped seal members to ensure fluid-tight fitting between connectors, allowing for alignment adjustments and preventing water ingress despite mounting errors or deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ring-shaped packing is used at the leading end of the connector to contact the panel surface, then waterproofing is improved, but the solution becomes inapplicable when the connector is inserted in parallel with the panel or when the panel and connector are separate
Solution Approach 1:
An O-ring seal member is introduced as an intermediary element between the connector body and the panel opening. This O-ring can adapt to various mounting configurations including perpendicular insertion and parallel insertion, replacing the configuration-specific ring-shaped packing while maintaining waterproofing functionality across different mounting scenarios
2Device complexity
If the ring-shaped packing is omitted to simplify the structure, then device complexity is reduced, but the panel hole becomes exposed to water-sprayed areas allowing water permeation
Solution Approach 1:
The O-ring seal member serves as a mediator that seals the panel hole opening while allowing the connector to be mounted in various configurations. This eliminates the need for configuration-specific packings and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining waterproofing through the versatile O-ring mechanism
3Manufacturing precision
If the connector is rigidly fixed to prevent movement, then positioning precision is improved, but the ability to absorb mounting dimension errors and enable alignment operation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly incorporates a spring mechanism that provides浮动 (floating) support, allowing the connector to move dynamically during alignment operations to absorb mounting dimension errors. After alignment, the spring maintains a predetermined pressing force to secure the connector in position, thus achieving both ease of alignment and secure positioning
Data Source
AI summary
A first connector is fluid-tightly fitted with a second connector through an opening of a mounting wall. The first connector includes a cylindrical spacer fitted into the opening, and a housing having a support part and a housing body. The support part is mounted to a first surface of the mounting wall while being able to be displaced along a plane perpendicular to a connector fitting direction of the first and second connectors. The housing body has a leading end which is inserted in the opening with a clearance. A first ring-shaped seal member is interposed between the opening and the spacer, a second ring-shaped seal member is interposed between the spacer and the support part in the connector fitting direction, and a third ring-shaped seal member is interposed between the second connector and the leading end.