U.S. patent number 3,586,811 [Application Number 04/826,963] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-22 for moisture seal for pushbutton capped electrical cartridges which are clamped to a panel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Korry Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to James W. Amis, Jr., James B. Dobson, Maurice D. Fuller.
United States Patent |
3,586,811 |
Amis, Jr. , et al. |
June 22, 1971 |
MOISTURE SEAL FOR PUSHBUTTON CAPPED ELECTRICAL CARTRIDGES WHICH ARE
CLAMPED TO A PANEL
Abstract
A resiliently flexible moisture seal is disclosed for a
pushbutton capped electrical cartridge which is clamped to a panel.
The seal comprises an elastomeric sleeve which has an inside
diameter in one cross-sectional plane thereof that is greater than
the width of the end opening in the cartridge; and axially inclined
body portions thereof on the opposite sides of the plane, one of
which is clamped onto the panel with the cartridge, about the open
end thereof, and the other of which enables the seal to flex with
respect to the panel, when the cap is peripherally engaged with the
seal and reciprocably inserted in the cartridge, through the
opening in the sleeve.
Inventors: |
Amis, Jr.; James W. (Bellevue,
WA), Fuller; Maurice D. (Mercer Island, WA), Dobson;
James B. (Seattle, WA) |
Assignee: |
Korry Manufacturing Company
(Seattle, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
25247959 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/826,963 |
Filed: |
May 22, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
200/302.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01H
9/162 (20130101); H01H 13/063 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01H
13/06 (20060101); H01H 9/16 (20060101); H01H
13/04 (20060101); H01h 009/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;200/168G |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Jones; H. O.
Claims
What we claim is:
1. An electrical assembly comprising a panel having an opening
therein, a tubelike electrical cartridge installed in the opening
of the panel and having an out-turned flange thereon which is
disposed opposite the edge of the opening on the front side of the
panel, a pushbutton cap inserted in the cartridge from the front
side of the panel, to reciprocate on the axis of the cartridge, and
having an axially extending groove about the periphery thereof and
an axially extending skirt around the groove which is disposed
opposite the edge of the opening, and an elastomeric sleeve
interposed between the panel and the cap to form a moisture seal
for the cap and cartridge assembly, the body of which sleeve has an
inturned flange on one end thereof which is clamped between the
flange of the cartridge and the front face of the panel, and an
axially extending collar on the other end thereof which is
compressibly interengaged in the groove of the cap, within the
skirt, and a trapezoidal web extending between the ends thereof
which is resiliently collapsible along the axis of the cartridge to
enable the sleeve to accommodate to the reciprocable motion of the
cap.
2. The electrical assembly according to claim l wherein there are
spaced circumferential beads on the outer peripheral wall of the
collar which undergo compression when the sleeve is interengaged in
the groove of the cap.
3. The electrical assembly according to claim l wherein the
aforesaid one end of the sleeve has a greater diameter than the
other.
4. The electrical assembly according to claim l wherein the outer
periphery of the groove in the cap is defined by the skirt.
5. The electrical assembly according to claim 1 wherein the web
fits snugly about the flange on the cartridge.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to sealing devices for electrical cartridges
which are mounted in openings on panels; and in particular, to a
moisture seal for a pushbutton capped electrical cartridge which is
installed in an opening in a panel and clamped to the edge
thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION INCLUDING CERTAIN OBJECTS THEREOF
Electrical assemblies such as pushbutton switches are often mounted
in small tubelike cartridges on a panel. The cartridges are
installed in openings in the panel, and if possible, secured to the
panel by clamping them to the edges of the openings. One such
cartridge is disclosed in our copending application Ser. No.
826,964 which was filed on even date herewith. As is seen therein,
the cartridge has peripheral means such as an out-turned flange on
the open end portion thereof for clamping the cartridge to the
panel. Moreover, in use the cartridge has a pushbutton cap
reciprocably inserted and latched therein, such as is described in
another copending application Ser. No. 826,962 which we also filed
on even date herewith.
One object of the present invention is to provide a moisture seal
for a pushbutton capped electrical cartridge which is clamped to a
panel, as in the case of the cartridge described in our above
copending applications. Another object is to provide a moisture
seal of this nature which is annular in shape and can be clamped
onto the panel with the cartridge, about the open end thereof, to
peripherally interengage with the cap when it is reciprocably
inserted on the cartridge, through the opening in the seal. A
further object is to provide an annular seal of this nature which
is resiliently flexible so as to follow the pushbutton movement of
the cap, when it is employed to operate the electrical assembly in
the cartridge. Other objects include the provision of a seal of
this nature which is cheap to manufacture and readily assembled
with the cartridge and the cap. Still further objects will become
apparent from the description of the invention which follows
hereafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects and advantages are realized by a resiliently flexible
moisture seal of our invention which comprises an elastomeric
sleeve having an inside diameter in one cross-sectional plane
thereof that is greater than the width of the end opening in the
cartridge; and axially inclined body portions thereof on the
opposite sides of the plane, one of which is clamped onto the panel
with the cartridge, about the open end thereof, and the other of
which enables the seal to flex with respect to the panel, when the
cap is peripherally engaged with the seal and reciprocably inserted
in the cartridge through the opening in the sleeve. The
first-mentioned body portion of the sleeve takes the form of a
relatively inturned flange thereon which can be clamped to the
front face of the panel, as for example, by the out-turned flange
of the inner sleeve in the telescopically assembled cartridge
described in our above application Ser. No. 826,964. The other body
portion takes the form of a trapezoidal web which has the flange
portion interconnected about the larger diameter end thereof, and
an axially extending collar on the smaller diameter end thereof.
The collar interengages with the cap, in an axially extending
groove disposed about the periphery of the cap; and preferably,
there are spaced circumferential beads on the outer peripheral wall
of the collar which undergo compression when the sleeve is
interengaged in the groove, to effect a moisture tight seal with
the cap.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These and other features of the invention will be better understood
by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein such a sleevelike
construction is employed to seal the joint around an illuminated
pushbutton cap which is reciprocably inserted in a telescopically
assembled cartridge of the type described in our above application
Ser. No. 826,964.
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 is a part perspective view of the cap, seal, and cartridge
assembly;
FIG. 2 is a part cross-sectional view of the assembly;
FIG. 3 is another part cross-sectional view of the seal assembly,
illustrating the flexural capability of the seal when the cap is
depressed in use; and
FIG. 4 is a part cross-sectional view of the seal when the cap has
been removed from the cartridge.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the cap 2 comprises
a rectangular molded plastic tube section 4 which has an insulative
ceramic mounting base (not shown) clamped on the forward or
concealed inner end portion thereof. Though the base and the inner
end portion of the tube 4 are concealed, a pair of light bulbs 6
can be seen projecting into the hollow rear end portion 4' of the
tube from the base. The bulbs 6 are electrically interconnected
through the medium of a U-shaped bus bar 8 which is carried on a
spring biased latch mechanism 10 employed in releasably latching
the cap in the cartridge, as described in our above application
Ser. No. 826,962. The latch mechanism is mounted on an elongated
cylindrical rod, one end portion 12 of which is "riveted" to a
thick crossbeam 14 molded widthwise into the body of the tube
within the hollow rear end portion 4' thereof. See FIG. l.
In addition, the extreme rear end portion of the tube is laterally
expanded or flared to form a deeply recessed peripheral shoulder 16
on the inner wall of the tube. The recess 17 of the flared portion
4" is occupied by a color filter plate 18 which is clamped against
the shoulder by a molded plastic cover 20 having a broad, flat
rectangularly shaped legend plate 22 at the center thereof, the
base of which is sized to frictionally engage in the recess 17.
Extending about the plate, and depending therefrom, is a peripheral
skirt 24 which is outwardly spaced from the base of the plate so
that the flared portion 4" of the tube can be frictionally engaged
in a circumferential groove 26 formed therebetween. The skirt
depends to a point well below the shoulder 16 of the tube so that
in addition, an axially extending peripheral groove 28 is formed
about the waist 4' of the tube. This latter groove 28 enables the
cap to interengage with the seal 30 when it is reciprocably
inserted in the cartridge. The seal 30 is also rectangular in
outline and comprises an elastomeric sleeve 32 which has an
inturned flange 34 on the forward or inner end portion thereof. The
web 36 of the sleeve is trapezoidal in cross section and is
interconnected at its larger diameter end with the flange portion
34. The smaller diameter end has an axially extending rectangular
collar 38 thereon which in turn has spaced circumferential beads 40
on the outer peripheral wall thereof.
As mentioned, the seal 30 is employed with a cartridge of the type
illustrated in our above copending application Ser. No. 826,964.
Such a cartridge includes a pair of telescoping inner and outer
metal sleeves 42 and 44, respectively, the inner 42 of which is
received in an opening 46 in the panel 48 and has an out-turned
flange 50 on the projecting forward end thereof. The edge of the
opening is clamped between the flange and the adjacent forward end
44' of the outer sleeve. Thereafter, the cap is slidably inserted
in the inner sleeve 42, through the opening 52 in the elastomeric
sleeve 32, and latched to the cartridge in such a way that it can
be operated in conventional pushbutton fashion.
In order that the seal 30 can be clamped to the face 48' of the
panel the elastomeric sleeve 32 has an inside diameter in the plane
of the flange 34, which is greater than the outside diameter of the
flange 50 of the outer sleeve 44. On the other hand, the collar 38
of the seal is sized to slidably interfit with the groove 28 formed
within the skirt 24 of the cap, although the beads 40 have
sufficient body to undergo compression when the collar works its
way into the groove. The trapezoidal web 36 is axially inwardly
inclined toward the collar from the flange, and as seen by
comparing FIGS. 2 and 3 the inclination of the web enables the seal
to collapse or flex when the cap is depressed into the cartridge in
operation. Otherwise, due to the resiliency of the sleeve, the seal
stands erect in an outwardly projecting disposition on the face of
the panel, as seen in FIG. 4 wherein the cap has been removed.
* * * * *