Sealing unit, particularly for electric connectors

Details Sealing unit, particularly for electric connectors Sealing unit, particularly for electric connectors

1997-08-13

2001-04-17

Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Sealing

C439S942000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217385

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a sealing unit about one or more elongated elements such as cables, pipes or the like, and is particularly, though not exclusively, suitable for insertion between the casing and one or more cables of an electric connector, to which application the following description refers purely by way of example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The electric cable of sealed electric connectors is normally sealed by means of a sealing element having a through opening through which the cable is fitted. The sealing element may be a straightforward rubber ring for a single cable, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,639, or a multiple seal with a number of holes for respective cables, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,227. As the efficiency of the sealing element depends on its exerting a certain amount of pressure on the cable, the section of the opening must be smaller than the cross section of the cable to produce a certain amount of radial forcing when the cable is assembled.
Known sealing elements of the above type present several drawbacks.
One way of assembling the connector is to insert the cable through the sealing element before crimping the terminal on to the cable, which solution, however, involves a fairly complex, time-consuming assembly sequence. Alternatively, the sealing element may be assembled beforehand inside the casing, in which case the electric terminal, already crimped to the cable, must be fitted through the opening in the seal when the terminal is inserted inside the casing. On account of the small section of the opening in the seal, such a solution may result in severe distortion of the seal, and in tearing or cutting of the edge of the opening, thus impairing sealing efficiency in actual use. What is more, subsequent removal and reassembly may result in further damage, to the extent that the seal must eventually be replaced, with all the disadvantages this entails in terms of time and money.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing unit, particularly for an electric connector, designed to overcome the drawbacks typically associated with known seals of the aforementioned type.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sealing unit about an elongated element comprising first and second elastically deformable sealing elements facing each other and gripped against each other and against the elongated element interposed between the sealing elements. The sealing elements comprise respectively at least a first and at least a second portion complementary in shape, at least one of the portions being deformable by the other to cooperate in sealing manner with the elongated element.


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Elements of Materials Science by Lawrence H. Van Vlack, pp. 319-321, Addison Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., MA, U.S.A., 1960.

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