Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Terminal connector having insulating tube or sleeve adapted...
Patent
1991-03-05
1992-06-02
Schwartz, Larry I.
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Terminal connector having insulating tube or sleeve adapted...
439936, H01R 418
Patent
active
051183137
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical terminals and especially to small electrical terminals for primary wires that may be employed for example in general electronic equipment, in automotive equipment and the like.
Such terminals may be manufactured in many forms, for example as ring terminals, or fork terminals in which the terminal is in the form of a punched annulus or "C" shaped element, as pins or tags, or as so-called "slip-on" terminals in which the side edges of a small flat substantially rectangular piece of metal are curled toward the centre of the piece so that the edges and the central part together form bearing surfaces for a corresponding connection tag. They are usually provided with a crimp portion that can be crimped onto the conductor of a wire.
The object of the present invention is to provide a simple form of electrical terminal for connection to primary wires which can prevent or reduce the likelihood of moisture ingress to the cable conductor.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a terminal for an electrical wire, which comprises a terminal portion for forming a disconnectable electrical connection to a corresponding terminal, a crimp portion for forming a crimp to the conductor of the electrical wire, a neck that connects the terminal portion to the crimp portion, and a plastics sleeve that is located over the neck and crimp portion and extends beyond the end of the crimp portion, the neck and the part of the sleeve located over the neck together retaining a quantity of sealant for preventing passage of moisture from the terminal portion to the crimp portion.
The neck is preferably at least 2.0 mm long, preferably at least 2.5 mm long and usually up to 4 mm long e.g. from 2.5 to 3.5 mm long, although in some forms of terminal the neck is even longer, e.g. from 5 to 10 mm long and especially from 7 to 8 mm long. The increase in length of the neck enables a quantity of sealant to be provided between the neck and the plastics sleeve for sealing the neck portion of the terminal against passage of moisture to the wire. Usually the neck will have a substantially "U" or "C" shaped cross-section which has been formed by stamping, in order to increase the rigidity of the neck against any bending forces. In this case the sealant will be located in the interior of the neck and will occupy substantially the entire space between the neck and the plastics sleeve so as to prevent, or at least greatly reduce, any passage of moisture along the neck.
The sealant is preferably a hot-melt adhesive, and especially one formed from an olefin homo- or copolymer with other olefins, or ethylenically unsaturated monomers, e.g. high, medium or low density polyethylene and ethylene copolymers with alpha olefins especially C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 alpha olefins, vinyl acetate or ethyl acrylate; polyamides, polyesters, halogenated polymers and the like. Preferred polyamides include those polyamides having an average at least 15 carbon atoms between amide linkages for example those based on dimer acids and/or dimer diamines. Examples of such adhesives are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,018,733 to Lopez et al and 4,181,775 to Corke et al. Preferred polyesters include polybutylene terephthalate and butylene ether butylene terephthalate block copolymers.
The plastics sleeve may be formed for example from an olefin homo- or copolymer e.g. high, medium or low density polyethylene or ethylene copolymers with C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 alpha olefins, vinyl acetate or ethyl acrylate, polyamides e.g. nylon 6, nylon 6,6, nylon 11 or nylon 12, polyesters, e.g. polybutylene terephthalate or butylene terephthalate butylene or butylene terephthalate butylene ether copolymers, fluoropolymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride or aromatic polymers e.g. polysulphones, polyetherimides, polyetherketones and the like. Preferably the polymer will be relatively strong having an M.sub.100 value above the melting point of the plastics material, e.g. at 200.degree. C. in the case of nylon 11, of at least 2.1, and especially at le
REFERENCES:
patent: 23688 (1953-07-01), Watts
patent: 2715716 (1955-08-01), Woolley, Jr.
patent: 2789278 (1957-04-01), Soreng
patent: 2932685 (1960-04-01), Raila et al.
patent: 3634817 (1972-01-01), Wise
patent: 3963295 (1976-06-01), Askman et al.
Burkard Herbert G.
Raychem SA
Rice Edith A.
Schwartz Larry I.
Vu Hien D.
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