Leakage Assessments for Electronic Connectors
Journal
Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention
Journal Volume
19
Journal Issue
5
Pages
1487-1492
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Huang, Y.-W.
Abstract
Systematic procedures are developed to investigate sealing characteristics of a 2-in-1 electronic connector applied to audio equipments in the present study. A silicon elastomer gasket located between a plastic housing of the connector and a back-cover of the audio equipment will be squeezed to provide the sealing function when the back-cover is displaced at a designated position. Gas is subsequently pumped into the confined chamber up to the specific pressure while the internal pressure is continuously monitored. Leakage indicated by the pressure loss percentage, however, could occur through the gasket after a certain period. A finite element analysis is performed to explore the time-dependent response of the silicon elastomer gasket. The Mooney–Rivlin and the Prony series constitutive models are employed in the numerical simulations to account for the hyperelasticity and the stress-relaxation behaviors of the gasket material, respectively. Required parameters of these mathematical models are evaluated based on experimental measurements of the specified silicon elastomer specimen subjected to the uniaxial compression–relaxation and tensile–relaxation loading conditions as well. Sealing performances can be then assessed by the introduction variations of the contact stress at the critical location of the gasket over the relatively long period to a proposed leakage rate prediction model. Pressure loss percentages in the chamber based on the numerical calculations agree well with those based on the corresponding experiments. In order to validate the appropriateness of the current developed procedures, the leakage of an enclosed cavity of an audio jack connector is further examined here.
Type
journal article