Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Sealing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-06
2001-12-04
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Sealing
C439S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325669
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One type of connector includes a rigid insulator of rigid molded engineering plastic, which is a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity of at least 100,000 psi, and a seal member of elastomeric material, which is a material having a Young's modulus of elasticity of no more than 50,000 psi. The rigid insulator and elastomeric seal member have aligned passages which receive contacts that have wires extending rearwardly therefrom. The wires extend through and behind the seal member. The rigid insulator forms forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders that engage corresponding shoulders on the contact to prevent movement of the contact, while the seal member seals to the wire to prevent water or other fluids from passing therethrough to the exposed parts of the contact and wire.
Most contacts carry signals and have maximum diameters that are not much greater than the diameter of the wire extending therefrom. However, some contacts have a large diameter, such as contacts for carrying power and coaxial contacts that have center and outer contact parts. It is often possible to connect wires of moderately small diameter to such large diameter contacts. However, there is a problem in assuring a seal between the walls of the seal passage and the outside diameter of such moderately small diameter wires that are connected to large diameter contacts. When the difference in diameter between the maximum diameter of the contact and the diameter of the wire is only moderate, then the contact can be pushed into place and removed through the seal passage without damage. However, a large difference in diameters results in damage to the seal passage as the large diameter contact is pushed through the seal passage. It is possible to use a larger diameter wire for the large diameter contact, but this has the disadvantage that the larger diameter wire takes up more space in a cable, as well as increasing the cost. A connector that enabled a large diameter contact to be forced forwardly or rearwardly through a seal passage without damage thereto, while the seal passage provided a reliable interference fit with the wire extending from the contact, in a simple and easily installed assembly, would be of value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an improved connector is provided, of the type that has a rigid insulator and an elastomeric seal member behind the rigid insulator, with a contact being securely held in the rigid insulator and a wire that extends from the contact being sealed to the seal member. The improved connector enables a contact to pass through the seal passage without damage to the seal passage, despite a large difference in diameter between the maximum diameter of the contact and the outside diameter of the wire extending therefrom. The connector includes a modular elastomeric insert having a tubular inside surface lying in interference fit with the wire to seal to it and having an outside surface lying in an interference fit with the corresponding seal passage. The modular insert is threaded on the wire so the contact can pass through the insulator passage without the insert in place, the insert then being forced into the insulator passage. The connector can include additional contacts with wires extending therefrom, where there is not such a large difference in diameters between the largest diameter of the contact and the outside of the wire, so those smaller contacts can be forced through sealing walls of the sealing passage without damage to them and with the sealing walls being integral with the rest of the seal member.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Turner Roger C.
Vu Hien
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