Abstract

In the case of high-voltage connectors applied to automobiles, waterproofing has become an important issue for the safety of automobiles. In this study, structural analysis is performed on silicone rubber-type waterproof seals used in the voltage connector. For the structural analysis, the tensile properties of the actual rubber seal are evaluated using a miniaturized tensile testing machine. The Mooney-Rivlin material constants of the rubber seal are determined as follows; <TEX>$D_10$</TEX>, <TEX>$C_{01}0.241$</TEX>, <TEX>$C_{10}0.0142$</TEX>. The analysis shows that the contact pressure at the top of the seal where the seal and male connector are in contact is approximately three times higher than that at the bottom of the seal where the seal and female connector are in contact. It is confirmed that the waterproofing performance of the rubber seal depends on the contact pressure of the seal bottom where the seal and female connector are in contact. The contact pressure for waterproofing is found to be 4.7 bar. The strain concentration of the curved part is attributed to excessive initial tension. Therefore, a redesign is recommended for uniform stress or strain distribution in the curved section of the seal in response to the stress relaxation problem due to permanent deformation.