FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and
particularly, but not exclusively, to a moisture absorber in a sealed connection system.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A sealed connection system is an electrical connector, creating an
electrical circuit, which is sealed from entry of water or moisture near the electrical terminals. The electrical connector is a device that usually consists of a male terminal and a female terminal. Moisture or water entry into the electrical terminals may cause short-circuiting and thereby, damage to the terminals and components which are connected by said terminals.
[0003] Within a sealed connection system, electrical terminals are well
protected from coming into contact with water, moisture or other contaminants through use of a number of seals such as radial seals and family seals.
[0004] In an electronic device, a printed circuit board is conventionally
mounted on the male terminal of the sealed connection system. A radial seal is configured to seal any gap between the printed circuit board and the male terminal. The male terminal is connected to the female terminal inside a female connector housing which also comprises of a family seal. The family seal prevents entry of water, moisture or other contaminants through a connecting wire.
[0005] While the conventionally used seals are effective in preventing
ingress of water, moisture or other contaminants into a sealed connection system, such a protection is only present after the male and female terminals have been connected and the sealed connection system is locked. Depending upon the measure of humidity present in the air, certain amount of moisture gets locked during the assembly of the electrical connector.

[0006] Electronic devices tend to dissipate enormous amount of heat when
in operation. On cooling, the moisture trapped within a sealed connection system condenses to form water droplets. The water droplets, thus formed, leads to short-circuiting at the electrical terminals, which render the electric circuits highly unreliable. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a solution that prevents short-circuit of electric connectors, in a sealed connection system, at the terminals due to condensation of moisture locked in during assembly of said electric connectors.
[0007] In two-wheeled vehicles, transmission of electricity as well as
signals is carried out through wires. The wires, being exposed to moisture, rain and water, tend to transfer some amount of moisture to the electric connector, regardless of the seals. Such unwanted moisture transfer occurs due to capillary effect of said wires. Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution enabling absorption of the moisture reaching the terminals of a sealed connection system due to capillary effect of the transmission wires.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0008] The detailed description of the present subject matter is described
with reference to the accompanying figures. Same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
[0009] Figure 1 illustrates a sectional side view of an exemplary sealed
connection system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter,
[0010] Figure 2 illustrates a top view of a printed circuit board housing of
the exemplary sealed connection system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0011] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the printed
circuit board housing of the exemplary sealed connection system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] Sealed connection systems are used, particularly in electronic
devices, to ensure reliability of electrical connections which may fail if contaminants such as water and moisture are allowed to come in contact with electrical terminals of said electrical connections.
[0013] The sealed connection systems prevalent in the state of the art are
partially effective in preventing entry of water, moisture and other contaminants from outside environment into said sealed connection systems and thereby, protecting the electrical terminals from the contaminants after the sealed connection systems are assembled. However, some amount of moisture tends to get trapped inside the sealed connection systems depending upon the measure of humidity present in the environment in which said sealed connection system were assembled.
[0014] The trapped moisture condenses into water droplets due to the
sealed connection system being exposed to a cycle of heating and cooling. The cycle of heating and cooling is because of heat generated by the electronic devices during operation and the subsequent cooling down to room temperature when the electronic devices are not in operation,
[0015] The electric terminals used in the electrical connections of
electronic devices are usually very small in area. The area of each of said electric terminals is small enough to be short-circuited by a droplet of water. The average area of a droplet of water is larger than the area of each of the electric terminals. Therefore, presence of condensed water droplets inside the sealed connection systems increases the probability of occurrence of short-circuits and therefore, renders the electrical connections highly unreliable.
[0016] Filling of the entire area between the terminals in the sealed
connection system, as prevalent in the art, with moisture absorber material or
hygroscopic material is undesirable as such an arrangement leads to problems of
r. assemble servicingKandAincurring -jpf, unnecessary^ cost. j_Whenc;the moisture

absorber material or hygroscopic material is adapted to fill a large portion of the space between the terminals of the sealed connection systems, it places huge pressure on the sealed connection system. If the assembly is slightly misaligned due to manufacturing variations or human error, the sealed connection system may break or fail under additional pressure of the amount of moisture absorber material or hygroscopic material.
[0017] Optimum amount of moisture absorber material or hygroscopic
material is necessary to be employed within the sealed connection system to prevent damage or failure of the sealed connection system during assembly, use and servicing. Even if the sealed connection system were to be carefully assembled in a manufacturing unit, servicing is usually done by personnel of ordinary skill. A sealed connection system containing moisture absorber material or hygroscopic material in excess cannot be reassembled effectively and without a possibility of breakage and damage of the same.
[0018] Moreover, positioning of moisture absorber material or
hygroscopic material over the conducting portions of the terminals causes interference with contact between the male terminal and the female terminal. Moisture absorber material or hygroscopic material when placed very close to the terminals leads to insufficiency of contact area between the terminals. Besides, unnecessary use of excess amount of moisture absorber material or hygroscopic material is cost ineffective.
[0019] Assembling the sealed connection system in a humidity controlled
environment is another solution prevalent in the state of the art. However, this is an expensive process as well. It is certainly not economically viable in case of manufacture of products requiring a large assembly area such as automobiles and particularly two-wheelers. Therefore, an economical solution that overcomes all above problems & other related problems in the art is desirable. The improved solution as per the present subject matter, prevents short-circuit of electric terminals in a sealed connection system due to moisture being trapped during 0 Sssimbiyfof trie sealed c'brrhlction ^ys^em^'fiig'hiy^eljiribleWttie art?

[0020] The present invention discloses a sealed connection system
comprising a male terminal, a female terminal, a female connector housing and an element made of hygroscopic material, wherein the two terminals are housed in the female connector housing with the element made of hygroscopic material being disposed at the lowest portion, inside the female connector housing.
[0021] Water droplets form when moisture trapped inside a sealed
connection system condenses inside the sealed connection system due to heat generated by electronic devices and the subsequentcooling to room temperature. Force of gravity induces the condensed water droplets to collect at the lowest portion of the assembled terminals. Therefore, placing an element made of hygroscopic material at the lowest portion of the two terminals will provide maximum protection to the terminals from short-circuit and cause the condensed water droplets to be absorbed.
[0022] Out of all the components inside the sealed connection system, the
terminals are most sensitive to water as they short-circuit when they come in contact with water. Such an occurrence is highly probable in sealed connection systems which have terminals having an area smaller than the average area covered by a water droplet.
[0023] The hygroscopic material used to make the element is one or more
of blue silica gel and orange silica gel. The mentioned hygroscopic materials change colour on absorption of water. On absorption of water or moisture, blue silica gel turns pink and orange silica gel turns white.
[0024] Use of such hygroscopic materials indicates the extent of water
absorbed by the element. The change in colour indicates if the element made of hygroscopic material has reached the end of its capacity to absorb water and therefore, needs to be replaced. The indication by colour change improves ease in replacement of the element made of hygroscopic material during servicing of the sealed connection system.

[0025] In an embodiment, a printed circuit board is mounted on the male
terminal of the sealed connection system. The printed circuit board is disposed inside a printed circuit board housing wherein the male terminal lies outside the printed circuit board housing. A radial seal is used to prevent entry of water into the printed circuit board housing.
[0026] The male terminal is mated with the female terminal which is
located inside a female connector housing. The printed circuit board housing with the male terminal and the radial seal are assembled inside the female connector housing. A family seal is used in the female connector housing to prevent entry of contaminants through wiring connections of the sealed connection system.
[0027] In this embodiment, a thin detachable band of hygroscopic material
is located around the male terminal, adjacent to the printed circuit board mounted on the male terminal. The printed circuit board housing is assembled inside the female connector housing, such that the male terminal and the female terminal are connected to each other.
[0028] Depending upon the humidity of the environment in which the
sealed connection system is assembled, some amount of moisture is likely to be trapped inside the sealed connection system. The trapped moisture condenses to form water droplets inside the sealed connection system due to heating of the printed circuit board during operation and its subsequent cooling to room temperature. The thin band of hygroscopic material serves to absorb the water droplets formed due to condensation.
[0029] The location of the thin band of hygroscopic material is at the
lowest portion of the assembled terminals. The lowest portion of the assembled terminals is most likely to accumulate the condensed water droplets due to force of gravity.
[0030] In an embodiment, the thin band of hygroscopic material is made
of one or more of blue silica gel and orange silica gel. The mentioned hygroscopic

materials change colour on absorption of water. On absorption of water or moisture, blue silica gel turns pink and orange silica gel turns white.
[0031] When the colour of the band of hygroscopic material changes, it is
to be replaced. The change in colour indicates the necessity to replace the band of hygroscopic material. The colour indication improves ease of servicing of the sealed connection system.
[0032] Thus, the present subject matter provides a solution to the problem
of short-circuit occurring in electric terminals in a sealed connection system due to moisture being trapped during assembly of the sealed connection system.
[0033] The present invention protects electrical terminals of a sealed
connection system, especially, the sealed connection systems having electrical terminals that are small in size and area and electrical terminals likely to be damaged due to short-circuits when in contact with water droplets. Controlling the environment in which the sealed connection systems are assembled is an expensive process.
[0034] The present invention is particularly used in saddle type
automotive vehicles as said saddle type two & three-wheeled vehicles face problems in addition to those discussed above. Such vehicles use transmission wires that are exposed to the elements of the weather and other sources of water and moisture. The transmission wires transfer to the terminals at least some amount of the moisture and water that they come in contact with. The transfer of moisture or water occurs due to capillary action of the transmission wires. This problem may be solved by using transmission wires having anti-capillary action. However, the transmission wires having anti-capillary action are very expensive as compared to the transmission wires that have capillary effect. Therefore, the present invention proposes an economical solution to the problem of water and moisture collecting at the terminals of a sealed connection due to capillary effect of the transmission wires.

[0035] The abovementioned problem is prevalent in all apparatus having
transmission wires exposed to water and moisture. Therefore, the proposed solution is applicable to all such apparatus.
[0036] The present invention advantageously discloses an arrangement
wherein the element made of hygroscopic material is made of optimum volume and located at an advantageous position. The base of a terminal is ideal to absorb any moisture in the space between the terminals as well as to absorb any water droplets formed due to condensation and which flows down due to force of gravity.
[0037] The element made of hygroscopic material as disclosed in the
present invention incurs reduced possibility of breakage and damage of the sealed connection system during assembly or subsequent assembly and disassembly during servicing of the sealed connection system.
[0038] Therefore, the present invention addresses the drawbacks prevalent
in the state of the art. Further, it is more economical and has the added advantage of ease in servicing of the sealed connection systems.
[0039] Some embodiments of the present invention are described in
further detail in conjunction with the figures in the following description. In the following embodiment, a thin band of hygroscopic material is placed around a male terminal of a sealed connection system, wherein a printed circuit board is mounted on said male terminal. However, the hygroscopic material may be formed in several shapes and sizes and positioned in various areas on the inside of a sealed connection system depending upon the application of the sealed connection system and that it is another embodiment of the present invention.
[0040] Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a sectional view of an exemplary
sealed connection system (100) showing the male terminal (101), female terminal (102), printed circuit board housing (103), radial seal (104), female connector housing (105), family seal (106) and a thin detachable band or a detachable
element (110), for example made of a hygroscopic materiaL(UO))rirL-accordance
D F F I C E XHt M HA..I U 1 ' tf 4 ri Q l y TS :"5 ^

with an embodiment of the present subject matter. A printed circuit board (not shown) is mounted on the male terminal (101) of the sealed connection system (100). The printed circuit board (not shown) is housed in the printed circuit board housing (103). A radial seal (104) is used to prevent entry of water and moisture into the printed circuit board housing (103). The thin band of hygroscopic material (110) is disposed at the lower end of the male terminal (101), adjacent to the printed circuit board housing (103). The female connector housing (105) comprises of the female terminal (102). The printed circuit board housing (103), the male terminal (101) the radial seal (104) and the thin detachable band of hygroscopic material (110) are inserted into the female connector housing (105), in such a manner as to connect the male terminal (101) and the female terminal (102). The family seal (106) prevents entry of water and moisture through wiring connections to the sealed connection system (100).
[0041] Figure 2 illustrates a top view of the printed circuit board housing
(103) of the exemplary sealed connection system (100), showing the male terminal (101) and the thin detachable band of hygroscopic material (110), in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The thin band of hygroscopic material (110) surrounds the lower end of the male terminal (101), adjacent to the printed circuit board housing (103). The male terminal (101), as seen in the figure, has multiple connections (201), each of which is small in size and surface area. Presence of a water droplet on one of the multiple connections (201) of the male terminal (101) is highly likely to cause said male terminal (101) to short-circuit. The thin band of hygroscopic material (110) absorbs water droplets which may form due to condensation of moisture inside the sealed connection system (100). The condensation occurs due to heating of the printed circuit board (not shown), when in operation, housed inside the printed circuit board housing (103) and subsequent cooling of the printed circuit board (not shown) to room temperature, when not in operation.
[0042] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the printed
circuit board housing,(1031 of the; exemplary'sealed connection system (100),

showing the male terminal (101) and the thin detachable band of hygroscopic material (110), in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The thin band of hygroscopic material (110) is removed by slipping it off the male terminal as shown in the figure 3. This configuration allows easy assembly and removal of the thin band of hygroscopic material (110). This improves ease of servicing of the sealed connection assembly (100) because the thin band of hygroscopic material (110) is easily replaced and assembled. The point of replacement of the thin band of hygroscopic material (110) being necessitated is indicated by a change in colour of the thin band of hygroscopic material (110). Thus, the present invention describes a sealed connection system (100) comprising a male terminal (101), a female terminal (102), a printed circuit board housing (103) and an element made of hygroscopic material (110), wherein the two terminals (101, 102) are housed inside the female connector housing (105) with the element made of hygroscopic material (110) being disposed at the lowest portion of the assembled terminals (101,102).
[0043] Figure 4 illustrates a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled
vehicle (400), in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The two-wheeled vehicle (400) has a frame assembly comprising a main frame (428), a head tube (426), a rear sub frame (404) and a swing arm (431). The head tube (426) is disposed of towards the front portion of the two-wheeled vehicle (400). The main frame (428) extends from the head tube (426). The rear sub frame (404) and the swing arm (431) are secured pivotally to the other end of the main frame (428). The head tube (426) is configured to rotatably support a steering tube (not shown ). The steering tube () supports a handle bar assembly (427).
[0044] Two telescopic front suspension system (422, 424) is attached to a
bracket (not shown) on the lower part of the steering tube on which is supported
the front wheel (421). The upper portion of the front wheel (421) is covered by a
front fender (425) mounted to the lower portion of the steering,shaft. .,A fuel tank

(429) is disposed between a seat (430) and the handle bar assembly (427). The internal combustion (IC) engine (not shown) is disposed towards the front portion of the vehicle below the fuel tank (429) and behind the head tube (426) of the two-wheeled vehicle (400).
[0045] The rear sub-assembly comprises a seat (430) on which a rider may
sit, a rear sub frame (404) which supports a battery box (401) underneath the seat (430), together with electrical transmission and connecting elements (not shown), a main tail cover (403), a bottom tail cover (402) and a rear fender (410) on which rear tail lights (411) are mounted.
[0046] The exhaust emission system (not shown) is disposed at the side
extending rearward coupled to the frame assembly. There is front brake (423) and rear brake (not shown) arranged on the front wheel (421) and a rear wheel (409) respectively. The rear wheel (409) is shrouded by a rear wheel hugger (408) and mounted on the swing arm (431).
[0047] Sealed connection systems (100) are necessary in a two-wheeled
vehicle (400) to provide secure and reliable electrical connections. The two-wheeled vehicle (400) remains exposed to the elements of the weather throughout its usage and it is relatively far more exposed than other machines or apparatus incorporating the sealed connection system (100). Extremely vital functions are conventionally carried out through electrical transmissions. Failure of a sealed connection system could prove extremely hazardous to a rider of said two or three-wheeled vehicle (400). Moreover, the two-wheeled vehicle (400) is a relatively large machine which cannot be assembled in small chambers in which the environment can be effectively controlled and regulated to exclude moisture. Therefore, the present invention is particularly applicable to sealed connection systems (100) deployed in a two or three-wheeled vehicle (400) vulnerably exposed to environmental loads.
[0048] The application as explained above is only one such instance in
which the sealed connection system (100) as disclosed in the present invention is

applied. However, the explanation of Figure 4 does not, in any manner, restrict the scope of the present invention disclosed.
[0049] It is to be understood that the aspects of the embodiments are not
necessarily limited to the features described herein. Many modifications and variations of the present subject matter are possible in the light of above disclosure. Therefore, within the scope of claims of the present subject matter, the present disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described.
We claim:
1. A sealed connection system (100) comprising a plurality of terminals (101, 102), including at least a male terminal (101) and at least a female terminal (102), wherein said at least one male terminal (101) is connected to said at least one female terminal (102), configured with a detachable element (110) made of hygroscopic material is disposed to surround at least partially one of said at least male terminal (101) and said at least a female terminal (102), wherein said element (110) made of hygroscopic material.
2. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealed connection system (100) further comprises a printed circuit board housing (103) configured to have a printed circuit board mounted on said at least one male terminal (101), wherein at least a portion of the male terminal (101) is positioned outside the printed circuit board housing (103).
3. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said sealed connection system (100) further comprises a female connector housing (105) including said at least one female terminal (102), wherein said at least one male terminal (101) and said at least one female terminal (102) are adapted to be located inside the female connector housing (105).
4. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element (110) made of hygroscopic material is disposed at a base (101a) of said at least one male terminal (101).
5. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the element (110) made of hygroscopic material is disposed at the base (101a) of said at least one male terminal (101), and wherein the

element (110) made of hygroscopic material is located adjacent to the printed circuit board housing (103).
6. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element (110) made of hygroscopic material is configured to be a thin band of hygroscopic material (110).
7. The sealed connection system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element (110) of hygroscopic material is capable of displaying a change in colour on absorption of moisture.
8. A sealed connection system (100) in a vehicle (400) comprising:
a plurality of terminals (101, 102), including at least a male terminal (101) and at least a female terminal (102), wherein said at least one male terminal (101) is connected to said at least one female terminal (102);
a printed circuit board housing (103) configured to have a printed circuit board mounted on said at least one male terminal (101), wherein at least a portion of the male terminal (101) is positioned outside the printed circuit board housing (103);
a female connector housing (105) including said at least one female terminal (102), wherein the printed circuit board having said at least one male terminal (101) connected to said at least one female terminal (102) is adapted to be located inside the female connector housing (105);
a thin detachable band of hygroscopic material (110) is configured to surround said at least one male terminal (101), wherein said thin band of hygroscopic material (110) is located adjacent to the printed circuit board housing (103), and wherein the thin band of hygroscopic material (110) is located at a base (101a) of said at least one male terminal (101).