U.S. patent number RE32,787 [Application Number 06/834,982] was granted by the patent office on 1988-11-22 for sealing ring for an electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Amphenol Corporation. Invention is credited to David L. Frear, David O. Gallusser, David W. MacAvoy, Stephen Punako.
United States Patent |
RE32,787 |
Gallusser , et al. |
November 22, 1988 |
Sealing ring for an electrical connector
Abstract
This invention provides an improved moisture seal for an
electrical connector assembly. The invention is characterized by an
annular rubber member (10) having generally flat surfaces (11, 12,
13, 14) and an annular groove (15) in one of the surfaces (11) that
abuts against a forward surface of one of the housings (30). A
second groove (16) extending radially from the annular groove (15)
to a circumferential surface (14) provides an escape path for air
that would normally be trapped in the annular groove (15) when the
sealing member (10) is compressed.
Inventors: |
Gallusser; David O. (Oneonta,
NY), MacAvoy; David W. (Bainbridge, NY), Punako;
Stephen (Bainbridge, NY), Frear; David L. (Afton,
NY) |
Assignee: |
Amphenol Corporation
(Wallingford, CT)
|
Family
ID: |
27017917 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/834,982 |
Filed: |
February 28, 1986 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
402528 |
Jul 28, 1982 |
04456320 |
Jun 26, 1984 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/271;
439/312 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/5219 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/52 (20060101); H01R 013/52 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/89R,99M
;179/75R,77R ;277/75,205 ;285/336 ;439/271,272,312 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0090074 |
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Nov 1983 |
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EP |
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2200695 |
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Apr 1979 |
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FR |
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2061027 |
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May 1981 |
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GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Desmond; Eugene F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bacon & Thomas
Claims
Having described the invention what is claimed is:
1. In combination with a separable electrical connector assembly of
the type having first and second housings, each having a front face
and separably connected together in face to face relationship .[.by
a coupling nut mounted on one of the housings.]., the improvement
comprising:
a compressible annular member having a rear face, a forward face,
an inner circumferential face and an outer circumferential
face;
.[.an.]. .Iadd.a first .Iaddend.annular groove in the rear face of
said annular member, .[.the forward face having an area less than
the area of said rear face,.]. said annular member located in said
first housing with the .Iadd.first .Iaddend.annular groove located
against and facing the front face of .[.first.]. said .Iadd.first
.Iaddend.housing; .[.and.].
.Iadd.a second groove in said rear face extending radially between
the annular groove and the outer circumferential face; and
.Iaddend.
an annular projection in the front face of said second housing
adapted to engage said compressible .Iadd.annular .Iaddend.member
upon connecting together .Iadd.of .Iaddend.the two housings, said
projection having a radial width about the same as the diameter of
the groove in said member so that said annular groove accepts
material displaced by the projection in the forward face of said
second housing when said housings are connected together and said
projection is pressed into said annular member .[.by rotation of
said coupling nut.]..
2. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular member
is comprised of rubber.
3. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of
said faces is a flat surface. .Iadd.4. The combination as recited
in claim 1 wherein the forward face has an area less than the area
of said rear face.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.5. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein a
coupling nut is rotatably mounted to one said shell for connecting
to the other shell whereby to axially advance the shells towards
one another and axially compress the rear and forward faces of the
annular member between the connected shells. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to an electrical connector and more
particularly to a moisture seal.
An electrical connector assembly is generally comprised of two
separate housings connected together by a coupling ring mounted on
one of the housings. In cylindrically shaped connectors there are
bayonet type couplings, which include an internal groove that mates
with a pin on a housing, a threaded coupling which includes threads
that mate with threads on a housing so that when a coupling member
is rotated the housings are drawn together mating the contacts
within the housing. In many environments water or moisture present
in the air present a problem to the electrical connections within a
mated electrical connector assembly. Accordingly some connectors
provide a rubber O ring between the connector housings to provide a
moisture seal when the coupling ring is rotated and the housings
held together. An example of a multi contact electrical connector
having a coupling ring may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,292
entitled "Electrical Connector" issued Nov. 30, 1965. In some
instances, because of the limited space available for the moisture
sealing ring, the ring prevents the coupling ring from drawing the
housings together as far as would otherwise be possible because
there is no place for the deformed material of the O ring to
displace itself.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an improved moisture seal for an electrical
connector assembly. The invention is characterized by an annular
rubber member having generally flat surfaces and an annular groove
in one of the surfaces of the member that abuts against a forward
surface of one of the housings. A second groove extending radially
from the annular groove to a circumferential face provides an
escape path for air that would normally be trapped in the annular
groove when the sealing member is compressed.
Accordingly, it is an advantage to provide an improved moisture
seal for use in an electrical connector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an annular sealing member and a cross
sectional view of the sealing member which incorporates the
principles of this invention.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a portion of electrical connector assembly
utilizing the invention.
Referring now to drawings FIG. 1 illustrates an annular sealing
member 10 comprised of an elastomeric material such as rubber. The
sealing member 10 includes an inner circumferential face 13, an
outer circumferential face 14, a rear face 11 having an annular
groove 15 therein, and a second groove 16 extending radially from
the first annular groove 15 to the outer circumferential face
14.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the annular member 10 and
illustrates how the forward face 12 of annular member 10 has an
area less tha the area of the rearward face 11 having the annular
groove 15 therein.
FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of an electrical connector assembly in
an unmated position. The electrical connector assembly generally
includes two separate housings 20, 30 each having inserts 21, 31
mounted therein that have a plurality of contacts 22, 32 mounted
therein. The annular member 10 is mounted with its rear face 11 in
contact with a forward face of the housing 30. The inner
circumferential face 13 includes an angled surface which fits the
angled surface on the connector insert 13 to secure the sealing
member 10 in the connector housing 30. The other housing 20
includes an annular projection 25 having a radial width about the
same as the diameter of the groove 15. When the coupling nut (not
shown) mounted on one of the housings 30 is rotated it draws the
two housings 20, 30 together so that the contacts are mated and the
housings compress the annular member 10 as shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 illustrates how the forward projection 25 on one housing 20
has deformed the annular member 10 so as to virtually eliminate the
groove that was in the rear face of the member 10. The groove
provides space for material displaced by the forward projection 25
of the housing 20 during mating of the contacts 22, 32. By
providing a space for material to displace the housings 20, 30 can
be drawn closer together thereby assuring better electrical contact
between the mated electrical contacts (32, 22 FIG. 3). The space 15
also allows the projection 25 to penetrate deeper into the sealing
member 10 thereby providing a better seal. The radially extending
groove 16 shown in FIG. 1 allows the air to escape from the annular
groove 15 when the forward projection 25 presses into the annular
member 10.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed,
it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be
made in the invention as set forth in the appended claims and, in
some instances, certain features of the invention may be used to
advantage without corresponding use of the other features. For
instance, the sealing member may or may not have the second
radially extending groove 16 and still provide substantially all of
its advantages. Accordingly, it is intended that the illustrative
and descriptive materials herein be used to illustrate the
principles of the invention and not to limit the scope thereof.
* * * * *