Waterproof Connector Metal Mid-Plate Gap Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof connectors face challenges in achieving both thin thickness and high waterproofness while minimizing signal crosstalk, and their manufacturing process is time-consuming and labor-intensive due to the need for potting and resin contraction.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof connector design featuring a metal mid-plate with a flat front and rear portion and coupling portions, where the mid-plate-side waterproof shaped portions are embedded in the housing to block water entry, allowing for a varying gap length to optimize water blocking and reduce crosstalk, eliminating the need for a potting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the resin disposed around the contacts is increased to improve waterproofness, then waterproofness is improved, but the connector increases in size, particularly in thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproof shaped portion of the mid-plate is strategically positioned to protrude into the resin only in the coupling portion area, allowing the resin to be thicker only where needed for waterproof sealing around the contacts, while maintaining thin overall connector thickness in other areas.
2Reliability
If the mid-plate is lengthened to face each contact over sufficient length, then signal crosstalk is minimized, but the resin thickness around contacts decreases, requiring more complex manufacturing processes to achieve waterproofness
Solution Approach 1:
The mid-plate structure is designed with a waterproof shaped portion at the coupling portion that integrates seamlessly with the resin molding process, eliminating the need for separate waterproofing treatments or complex multi-step manufacturing processes while maintaining both signal quality and waterproofness.
3Reliability
If a waterproof plate is formed by potting, then waterproofness is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The waterproof shaped portion of the mid-plate is pre-formed as an integral part of the connector structure during the injection molding process, eliminating the need for subsequent potting operations. This preliminary integration of waterproofing features into the main manufacturing process significantly reduces production time and labor requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof connector includes a plurality of contacts each extending in a fitting direction, a housing configured to hold the plurality of contacts and a mid-plate made of metal arranged to face the plurality of contacts, the plurality of contacts each including a contact-side waterproof shaped portion, a contact front portion, and a contact back portion, the mid-plate including a front portion, a rear portion, and a coupling portion for coupling the front portion with the rear portion such that a gap is formed therebetween and having a mid-plate-side waterproof shaped portion, a length in the fitting direction of a portion of the gap facing one part of contacts among the plurality of contacts and a length in the fitting direction of another portion of the gap facing the other part of contacts differing from each other.