KR20240002715A - Cable connector with 90 degrees exit and cover for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cover (50) for a connector (100) having a 90 degree outlet wherein the cover (50) is configured to partially cover one or more cables, and the cover (50) comprises: one or more first ports (52) for receiving one or more cables; a second port (54) perpendicular to the one or more first ports (52); and a waterproof sealing part (90) formed on one part of an inner part surface of the cover (50) and comprising the ribs (95). The invention also relates to the connector (100) having the 90 degree outlet comprising such cover (50).

Description

Cable connector with 90 degree exit and cover therefor {CABLE CONNECTOR WITH 90 DEGREES EXIT AND COVER FOR THE SAME}

[0001] The present invention relates to cable connectors, in particular cable connectors with 90° outlets, comprising covers with waterproof seals.

[0002] Connectors for connecting cables, for example optical or electrical cables for transmitting optical signals or electric currents respectively, are ubiquitous. The reliable connection of one or more cables to a device or to one or more other cables, especially in harsh environments, poses challenging problems in the context of a wide variety of applications, including, for example, automotive applications.

[0003] A particular class of connectors connects one or more cables coming from a first direction to a device in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction or to one or more cables running in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. designed for This connector is designated herein as a connector with a 90 degree exit. Relatively complex and expensive configurations of connectors with 90 degree outlets are known in the art, allowing watertight sealed connections of one or more cables. In particular, these conventional connectors must be assembled from a relatively large number of individual parts in a time-consuming and cost-consuming manner, and in order to obtain and assemble the necessary seals without damaging the seals in a watertight manner, Be careful.

[0004] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a cover for a connector with a 90 degree outlet and such a cover having a relatively simple construction allowing fast and reliable watertight sealed connection of cables, for example electrical or optical cables. To provide a connector having a 90° outlet, including.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned object by providing a cover for a connector having a 90 degree outlet, the cover being configured to partially cover one or more cables, and the cover being configured to receive one or more cables. A watertight seal comprising one or more first ports, a second port perpendicular to the one or more first ports, and formed (e.g., by a mold) on a portion of the interior surface of the cover and including ribs. Includes wealth. The cover may be configured to be partially inserted into the housing of the connector with the 90 degree outlet. The cover containing the seal provides a reliable watertight seal for the cables to be connected in a relatively easy manner. A cover including a seal can be manufactured relatively easily at relatively low costs. For example, the cover and seal can be formed integrally by a 2 k (2-shot) process, or the seal can be overmolded onto the inner surface of the cover. The cover may be made of or include a plastic material. The seal may be made of or contain a polymeric material, such as silicone.

[0006] The cover may include a recessed portion (formed in the inner surface) of the interior surface, and in such case a seal is formed in the recessed portion in contact with the sidewall of the recessed portion to increase adhesion of the seal to the cover. This can be advantageous for reliable watertight sealing.

[0007] According to an embodiment, a (lateral) portion of at least one of the ribs extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover. The mold used to form the seal can be removed after forming the seal in a direction parallel to the lateral portion of the ribs so that the ribs facilitate removal of the mold. In particular, each of the ribs is: a) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover; b) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cover and substantially parallel to a first axis extending parallel to the side surface of the cover, and c) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cover (also perpendicular to the first axis). and may extend partially parallel to a second axis that extends parallel to the bottom surface (and, possibly, the top surface) of the cover. This configuration provides a particularly reliable watertight seal.

[0008] According to an embodiment, a portion of at least one of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover extends to a portion of the other of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the first axis. , and/or a portion of at least one of the ribs extends from the at least one portion of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the first axis to a side surface of the recessed portion of the cover. By this, the corner parts of the ribs can be avoided so that removal of the mold after completion of the mold process is much easier.

[0009] According to further embodiments, removal of the mold is made much easier. For example, at least two of the ribs have different heights. For example, the seal comprises regions between the ribs, and at least two of the regions have different heights so as to provide free spaces allowing deflection of the ribs during removal of the mould. Thereby, damages to the ribs of the seal can be reliably avoided.

[0010] Furthermore, there is provided a connector with a 90 degree outlet comprising a cover according to one of the embodiments described above. Such a connector includes a retainer configured to hold a terminal configured to be connected to one or more cables to be connected to the connector, a housing configured to partially house the terminal and a cover, and configured to fasten the cover to the housing. lever that becomes; and a connector position assurance device configured to secure the lever to the cover. Such connectors can be assembled and used relatively easily, for example, to connect cables to devices or other cables. According to a specific example, the connector may be a power connector. The device may be, for example, an electrical device, power supply, harness, optical device, optical transmission line, etc.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the connector further includes one or more sealing caps configured to seal portions of one or more cables to one or more first ports of the cover. For example, sealing caps may include threadings and may be configured to screw into one or more first ports.

[0012] Furthermore, a method of manufacturing a connector having a 90° outlet is provided, the method comprising forming a cover of the connector, and forming a watertight seal on a portion of the interior surface, the seal comprising a rib. includes them. Steps to form a watertight seal include overmolding or 2k processing. The ribs may be formed according to one or more of the rib specifications described above. The method comprises the steps of providing a mold for forming a seal on a portion of the inner surface of the cover, molding the seal by the mold, and forming the seal longitudinally along the longitudinal (lateral) portions of the ribs. The method may further include removing the mold longitudinally (substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover).

[0013] Furthermore, a method is provided for connecting one or more cables with a connector having a 90 degree outlet, the method comprising providing a connector according to the above-described embodiments, comprising a cover according to one of the above-described embodiments. , conveying one or more cables through one or more sealing caps, and conveying one or more cables (passing through one or more sealing caps) through one or more first ports of a cover of the connector. The method also includes connecting one or more terminals (e.g., by welding) to one or more cables conveyed through one or more first ports of the cover, inserting the terminals into a retainer, and (retainer and locking the retainer into the housing) by pushing it into the end locking position. Subsequently, the cover is inserted into the housing, one or more sealing caps are inserted into one or more first ports of the cover, the lever is locked (turned over), and the lever ensures the connector position. It is fixed to the cover by the device.

[0014] Figure 1 shows a sketch illustrating a connector with a 90 degree outlet including a cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] [Figure 2] shows an exploded view of the connector illustrated in Figure 1.
[0016] [FIG. 3A] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0017] [FIG. 3B] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0018] [FIG. 3C] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0019] [FIG. 3D] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0020] [FIG. 3E] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0021] [FIG. 3F] shows the steps of the procedure for connecting two cables with the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0022] [0022] Figure 4 shows a sketch illustrating a cover for a connector with a 90 degree outlet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 5 shows a sketch illustrating details of a seal included in a cover for a connector with a 90 degree outlet according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] Figure 6 shows a sketch illustrating details of a seal included in a cover for a connector with a 90 degree outlet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The present invention provides a cover for a connector with a 90 degree outlet, as well as a connector with a 90 degree (right angle) outlet including such a cover. The cover includes a watertight seal for providing, by means of a connector, a watertight connection of one or more cables exiting the device from a first direction or one or more other cables to a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

[0026] Cables may be, for example, electrical or optical cables. Fiber-optic communication systems are becoming more common in part because service providers want to deliver high-bandwidth communication capabilities (eg, data and voice) to customers in different environments. Fiber optic communication systems employ a network of fiber optic cables to transmit large amounts of data and voice signals over relatively long distances. Fiber optic connectors represent important components of fiber optic communication systems. Fiber optic connectors allow two optical fibers or multiple optical fibers to be quickly optically connected without requiring a splice. Fiber optic connectors optically interconnect two lengths of optical fiber, or may be used to interconnect lengths of optical fiber in some equipment. The connector with 90 degrees provided herein can be used as an optical fiber connector. With regard to electrical cables, the connector with 90 degrees provided herein can be used, for example, as an automotive connector that is part of or connected to a harness.

[0027] Compared to conventional connectors, the connector according to the invention contains fewer individual parts and can allow simpler and faster connection of cables with each other. In particular, the seal included in the cover is configured to allow the mold used to form the seal on the inner surface of the cover to be removed more easily and reliably compared to the state of the art.

[0028] Figure 1 shows a connector 100 with a 90 degree exit for connecting two (e.g. electrical or optical) cables (e.g. electrical or optical cables), and Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the connector 100 shown in FIG. 1. The connector 100 includes a housing 10, a retainer 20 for receiving terminals to be secured to ends of cables coming from a first direction, a lever 30, a device, or a second perpendicular to the first direction. A seal (40), a cover (50), a connector position assurance (CPA) device (60) for sealing connection to one or more cables running from the connector (100) in that direction, and a cover (50) from the first direction. It includes two sealing caps (70) to seal the two cables (80) coming out. Housing 10, retainer 20, lever 30, cover 50, and CPA 60 may be made of or include plastic material.

[0029] The two cables 80 are connected by the connector 100 in a second direction (i.e., toward the bottom in FIG. 1) to the device or to one or more other cables (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). can be connected As can be learned from Figure 2, cover 50 has two first ports 52 for receiving two cables coming from a first direction and allowing connection in a second direction (in Figure 2 and a second port 54 (directed towards the bottom). Moreover, the cover 50 includes a seal 90 formed on the inner surface of the seal 90 . The seal 90 may be formed, for example, by overmolding or a 2 k (2-shot) process. By the 2k process, the cover 50 and the seal 90 can be formed integrally with each other. The seal 90 may be formed of or include some polymer material, such as silicone.

[0030] FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate a method of connecting two cables with a connector having a 90 degree outlet, e.g., connector 100 shown in FIG. 1, comprising the components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. exemplifies. Arrows in the drawings indicate the directions of movement of the individual parts of the connector during the connection/assembly procedure. As shown in Figure 3A, cable 80 is fed through sealing cap 70. Subsequently, the cable 80 is inserted into the cover 50 through the first (inlet) port 52 and extends over and beyond the second (outlet) port 54 of the cover 50 (Figure 3b). The cover 50 includes a CPA 60 for securing the connection and a seal 90 for a watertight seal of the connection (see description below).

[0031] The terminal 110 is welded to the end of the cable 80, as shown in FIG. 3C. The same procedure as shown in Figures 3A-3C is performed for the second cable. The terminals 110, which are welded to the ends of the cables, are inserted into a retainer 20 (see Figure 3d), and subsequently the retainer 20 is placed in the end locking position provided by the housing 10. (end lock position) (see Figure 3e). Subsequently, the cover 50 is inserted into the housing 10 and, as illustrated in FIG. 3F, sealing caps 70 are placed on the first ports 52 of the cover 50 (see FIG. 3B). ) is inserted into. The sealing caps 70 can have threads, by means of which the sealing caps can be screwed into corresponding threads formed in the first ports 52 . Subsequently, the lever 30 can be turned over and secured to the cover 50 by the CPA 60 to lock the housing to the cover.

[0032] The procedure described with reference to FIGS. 3A-3F includes a connector having a 90 degree exit (e.g., connector 100 shown in FIG. 1) and a connector (via second port 54). 100 allows seamless and reliable connection of the two cables 80 to some devices and other cables.

[0033] Figure 4 shows details of a seal 90 formed on the inner surface of the cover 50. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the seal 90 is formed in a recessed portion 55 inside the cover 50 and contacts the sidewalls of the recessed portion 55 for improved adhesion to the cover 50. do.

[0034] In addition, the seal includes ribs (95). Ribs 95 provide a watertight seal 90 for the connector. The seal 90 may be formed by overmolding or a 2k process. In principle, the formation of a seal by a mold on the inner surface of some member poses the problem of removing the mold after completion of the forming process, without damaging the formed seal. The ribs 95 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 have major lateral portions extending substantially along the longitudinal axis of the cover 50 . After completion of the forming process, the mold can be removed in a direction parallel to the lateral portions of the ribs 95. Thereby, removal of the mold can be facilitated by the ribs 95.

[0035] Additionally, the ribs 95 shown in FIG. 4 include extended portions 95a extending to the side walls of the recessed portion 55 of the cover 50. Due to the extending portions 95a, during removal of the mold, the portions perpendicular to the lateral portions of the ribs 95 and the edges of the ribs 95 formed by the lateral portions are pushed into the mold. No strain is applied. Accordingly, removal of the mold after formation of the seal 90 is further facilitated by the provision of extended portions 95a of the ribs 95 of the seal 90.

[0036] According to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ribs 95 (e.g., ribs 95 shown in FIG. 4) (at least two of them) will have different heights. You can. Providing ribs 95 with different heights further facilitates the removal of the mold M shown in FIG. 6 after formation of the seal 90, so that the formed seal 90 is As indicated by the arrows in 6, protection is provided against damage caused by removal of the mold M in a direction parallel to the lateral portions of the ribs 95.

[0037] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the regions 97 located between or adjacent to the ribs 95 also have ribs 95 along the cover 50 of the connector. ) have different heights and different extensions perpendicular to the Thereby, free spaces are provided allowing deflection of the ribs 95 during removal of the mold M, so that damages to the ribs 95 of the seal 90 can be reliably avoided.

[0038] All previously discussed embodiments are not intended as limitations, but serve as examples illustrating the features and advantages of the invention. It should be understood that any or all of the features described above may also be combined in different ways.

Claims (14)

A cover for a connector having a 90 degree outlet,
The cover is,
the cover is configured to partially cover one or more cables; and
The cover has one or more first ports for receiving one or more cables, a second port perpendicular to the one or more first ports, and is formed on a portion of an interior surface of the cover and includes ribs. Comprising a waterproof seal that does,
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. According to claim 1,
the cover includes a concave portion of the inner surface, and the seal is formed in the concave portion,
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. According to claim 1 or 2,
Each of the ribs is partially
a) substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover;
b) substantially parallel to a first axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cover and parallel to the side surface of the cover; and
c) extending in part substantially parallel to a second axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cover and parallel to the bottom surface of the cover,
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. According to clause 3,
A portion of at least one of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cover extends to a portion of another one of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the first axis.
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. The method of claim 4, in combination with clause 2,
A portion of at least one of the ribs extends from a portion of the at least one of the ribs extending substantially parallel to the first axis to a side wall of the recessed portion of the cover.
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
At least two of the ribs have different heights,
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The seal comprises regions between the ribs, and at least two of the regions have different heights and extensions between the ribs or adjacent to the ribs.
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
wherein the seal is overmolded over a portion of the interior surface of the cover or formed integrally with the cover in a 2 k process.
Cover for connectors with 90 degree exit. A connector having a 90 degree outlet,
The connector includes a cover according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Connector with 90 degree outlet. According to clause 9,
a retainer configured to retain a terminal configured to be connected to one or more cables to be connected by the connector;
a housing configured to partially accommodate the terminal and the cover;
a lever configured to fasten the cover to the housing; and
a connector position assurance device configured to secure the lever to the cover,
Connector with 90 degree outlet. According to claim 10,
further comprising one or more sealing caps configured to seal portions of one or more cables to one or more first ports of the cover,
Connector with 90 degree outlet. A method of manufacturing a connector having a 90 degree outlet, comprising:
The above method is,
forming a cover for the connector; and
further comprising forming a watertight seal on a portion of the interior surface of the cover by overmolding or 2k processing, the seal comprising ribs.
Method of manufacturing a connector with a 90 degree outlet. According to claim 12,
providing a mold for forming the seal on a portion of the interior surface of the cover, molding the seal, and a length of the mold and the ribs in the longitudinal direction of the formed seal along the longitudinal axis of the cover. further comprising removing the directional portions,
Method of manufacturing a connector with a 90 degree outlet. As a method of connecting one or more cables with a connector,
The above method is,
Providing a connector according to claim 11;
passing the one or more cables through the one or more sealing caps;
transporting the one or more cables through the one or more first ports of the cover;
connecting the one or more terminals to the one or more cables conveyed through one or more first ports of the cover;
inserting the terminals into the retainer;
locking the retainer to the housing;
inserting the cover into the housing;
inserting the one or more sealing caps into one or more first ports of the cover;
locking the lever; and
securing the lever to the cover by the connector position assurance device,
A method of connecting one or more cables with a connector.