GB2177265A

GB2177265A - Pressure-tight housing for cable connector fittings, particularly light wave guides

Info

Publication number: GB2177265A
Application number: GB08611796A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dieter Fremgen; Friedbert Papenheim
Original assignee: Walter Rose GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Walter Rose GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1985-06-26
Filing date: 1986-05-14
Publication date: 1987-01-14
Also published as: GB2177265B; DE3522778A1; FR2584244A1; GB8611796D0; FR2584244B3; DE3522778C2

Abstract

In a housing having a main body (2) and a cover (3) for closing said body, with intervening sealing ridge (17), groove (18), and deformable seal (19), the fitting and the removal of the cover (3) are simplified, without the sealed nature of the housing being put at risk by providing a locking element (11, 11a, 11b) which bears on contact shoulders (15, 15a, 15b) and (15; 15a' 15b') on the cover and body respectively. In the first embodiment the locking element comprises a V- shaped spring plate and the cover is released by a tool inserted through openings (9). In an alternative embodiment, locking members (11a) slide over the edges of the housing and engage grooves in the body and cover. In another embodiment an internal pivotal shaped metal member (11b) engages longitudinal grooves in the body and cover. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pressure-tight housing for cable connector fittings The present invention relates to a pressuretight housing for cable connector fittings, in particular for light wave guides, comprising a main body and a cover for closing said body, wherein provided between the main body and the cover is a sealing groove and a sealing ridge which engages into the groove, with a deformable seal. The housing may very conveniently be made of plastics material.

Housings of that kind may be used in many ways, but in particular they are used in the communications art as a coupling housing for cables. In practice the housings are put under pressure, in particular to prevent moisture from'penetrating thereinto. In order for the housing and the cover to be sealed relative to each other, a series of proposals have already been put forward, in which respect attention is to be directed for example to German Patent Specification No. 2630411.

A particular disadvantage with the known housings is that in such arrangements the main body and the cover are generally connected together by screws or similar connecting means, which results in assembly thereof being very expensive and time-consuming.

Subsequent removal of the cover is also an expensive procedure as all the screws have to be released again.

The problem of the present invention is to provide a construction with which, in such housings, both the operation of fitting and also the operation of removing the cover are simplified, without the sealed nature of the known constructions being put at risk.

According to the invention the aforesaid problem is solved by a pressure-tight housing for cable connector fittings comprising a main body and a cover for closing the body, wherein provided between the main body and the cover is a sealing groove and a sealing ridge which engages into the groove and a deformable seal, the cover and the main body being provided respectively with contact shoulders for a locking element to bear against.

By virtue of the provision of locking elements which can bear against a corresponding contact shoulder on the main body and on the cover, the arrangement provides for a nonscrewed connection between the cover and the main body of the housing, without the sealed nature thereof suffering.

The locking elements may be of various configurations, in accordance with the invention: An embodiment of the invention provides that the locking element is in the form of a spring plate which is folded substantially in a V-shape in cross-section, wherein the free ends of the limbs of the spring plate bear against the contact shoulders. Folded spring plates of that kind may be provided at all four sides of the housing or however at only two oppositely disposed sides. That will vary depending on the use and the strength of the spring plate.

In another form of that embodiment in accordance with the invention it is provided that the main body is provided with an open channel which extends therearound and which faces in the direction of the cover, for receiving the spring plate, the cover having a limb portion which engages into said channel and which has one of the contact shoulders.

That channel-like configuration provides that the spring plate does not project beyond the outline of the housing, but on the contrary is contained within the housing outline. At the same time it permits easy assembly as the cover only has to be pressed into the channel having the spring plate. The limb portion which carries the one contact shoulder then has a limb of the spring plate engaging thereover to retain it in position.

Another embodiment provides that the cover is provided with an edge region which covers over the open channel of the main body, wherein openings for the engagement of unlocking tools are provided in said edge region. In that way, in the position of use, the channel on the main body is completely covered over, which then also applies in respect of the spring plate so that no fouling can occur in that location, which could possibly impede proper operation of the spring plate.

Advantageously each edge of the housing is provided with an unlocking opening and the unlocking tool is in the form of a loop-like member for engagement into the unlocking openings in pairs.

Another alternative embodiment of the invention provides that the locking element is in the form of a shaped metal member which is substantially L-shaped in cross-section, with inwardly bent-over locking limb portions at the free ends of the legs of the L-shape.

That construction permits the locking element to be pushed over edge regions both on the cover and also on the main body of the housing, while that configuration is suitable for example for carrying comparatively high pressures inside the housing.

A form of that embodiment provides that within the cover is an engagement groove for the engagement therein of a locking limb portion and provided at the edge of the main body is a contact shoulder for the corresponding locking limb portion. That configuration makes it possible to achieve a highly accurate association between the cover and the main body.

That aim is also served by a further embodiment of the invention which provides that the cover is provided with an inclined contact sur face and the main body is provided with a corresponding inclined contact surface, while in particular it may be provided that the inclined contact surfaces are formed on the main body and the cover respectively substantially starting from the sealing groove and the sealing ridge respectively.

The inclined contact surfaces already centre the cover and the main body relative to each other during the closing operation, while by virtue of the inclined surfaces being provided in the region of the sealing groove and the sealing ridge respectively, it is possible to achieve an increase in the sealing effect by virtue of the taper surfaces being precisely matched relative to each other.

A further embodiment of the basic concept according to the invention provides that the main body is of such a configuration as to engage around the cover at the outward edge at least in a region-wise manner, wherein said region of the main body is provided with a first groove that is open towards the cover, and the cover is provided with a second groove which is aligned with said first groove at least in a region-wise manner, and wherein a locking element which engages into the two grooves is provided in the form of a pivotable shaped metal member.

In principle, the locking element could be in the form of a shaped metal member, which could be inserted into the locking grooves at the ends. In that case however, upon dismantling of the arrangement, the entire locking element would have to be withdrawn from the grooves over its entire length, while in addition an additional means would be necessary, between the cover and the main body, to prevent displacement in the axial direction of the grooves. By virtue of the locking element being in the form of a shaped pivotable metal member however it is possible to avoid both those aspects, in particular if the groove on the cover is in the form of a pocket into which the locking element engages in the locking position in such a way that axial displacement of the cover is no longer possible.

A form of this embodiment according to the invention provides that both the groove in the main body and the groove in the cover are each provided with a respective contact shoulder such that the locking element bears against the contact shoulders in a region-wise manner in the locking condition and for the unlocking condition is pivotable from the contact position into a position of releasing the cover.

In order to hold the locking element in the individual positions, the invention also provides that the locking element is mounted at least at one side in a mounting serving to hold the locking element in the invididual positions.

The invention is described by way of example in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a housing of an embodiment of the invention; Figures 2 and 3 show perspective views of two further embodiments of the housing; Figure 4 is a view in section through the edge of the embodiment in Figure 1, taken along line IV-IV therein; Figure 5 is a view in section through the edge of the embodiment shown in Figure 2, taken along the line V-V therein; Figure 6 is a view in section through the edge of the embodiment shown in Figure 3, taken along line VI-VI therein; and Figure 7 is a view onto an edge region as indicated by arrow VII in Figure 6.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 4, the housing which is generally denoted by reference numeral 1 has a main body 2 and a cover 3 which are shown in Figure 1 in the assembled condition. A multiplicity of cable input connections 4 lead into the housing and are provided for example with a peripheral annular bead or ridge 5 so that, after the cables have been inserted and fitted in position, the beads 5 can provide a firm seat for the shrink tubes which connect the connections 4 to the edge regions of the cables. Those features are not shown in greater detail however because they are not relevant to the present invention.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the main body 2 has an outwardly projecting region 6 at its upper edge, which forms a peripheral, upwardly open channel 7, the function of which is described in greater detail hereinafter and which can be seen in greater detail in particular from Figure 4. The cover 3 has a region 8 which covers over the channel 7 at the top thereof and which is provided with engagement openings 9. Loop-like unlocking tools 10 engage into the openings 9 so that the tools 10 act through the openings 9 in respective pairs thereof.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 4, arranged in the interior of the channel 7 is a locking element 11 in the form of a spring plate which in this embodiment is folded into a V-shape in cross-section. One limb 12 of the spring plate is secured in the channel 7 for example by means of rivets 13 and bears with its free end against a contact shoulder 15'.

The cover 3 has a limb portion 14 which engages into the channel 7 from above and which is provided with a contact shoulder 15 for the free end of the other limb 16 of the spring plate.

When the cover 3 is fitted onto the main body 1, then initially a sealing bead or ridge 17 on the upper edge of the main body 2 engages into a sealing groove 18 in the cover 3, the sealing groove 18 being at least partially filled with an elastically or plastically deformable sealing material 19. In that movement of fitting the cover onto the main body, the free end of the limb portion 14 firstly urges the limb 16 of the spring plate towards the side until it can pivot into a position of bearing against the contact shoulder 15, thereby locking the cover 3 relative to the main body 2.

For the purposes of releasing that connection, the loop-like tools 10 are pushed into the unlocking openings 9, as shown by an arrow 20 in Figure 4, and pressing the tools 10 downwardly causes the free ends of the limbs of the spring plate to pivot from the solid-line position shown into the position shown in broken line in Figure 4, thus releasing the cover 3.

In the following description of the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 5 on the one hand and Figures 3 and 6 and 7 on the other hand, as far as possible, the reference numerals used in Figures 1 and 4 are also employed, the components which are functionally equivalent being identified in the first case by the addition of a lower-case letter "a" and in the second case by the addition of a lowercase letter "b".

The housing which is generally denoted by reference numeral la, in the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 5, has a main body 2a and a cover 3a, with the main body 2a and the cover 3a being fixed to each other by locking elements 11 a.

The locking elements 1 lea are metal rail members which are of a substantially Cshaped configuration in cross-section, with the free ends 21 and 21' additionally being bent over inwardly. The limb 21 engages under a contact shoulder 15'a on the main body 2a or on an outwardly projecting region 6a, while the bent-over free end 21' engages into a groove 22 in the cover 3a, the engagement groove 22 providing the contact shoulder 15a.

For the purposes of centering the cover 3a with respect to the main body 2a, the two elements are provided with inclined contact surfaces 23 and 24 respectively which are disposed as to extend from the sealing ridge 17a and the sealing groove 18a respectively.

After the cover has been closed, the locking element 11 a is pushed on laterally and thereby permanently connects the cover with respect to the main body. Figures 2 and 5 also show that each shaped metal member may have reinforcing beads or fins 25.

The third embodiment illustrated in the drawings again comprises a main body 2b and a cover 3b, wherein the outwardly projecting regions 6b engage around the cover 3b at the outward edge at least at the longitudinal sides thereof, that is to say the cover 3b is fitted from above into the recess formed in that manner between the regions 6b on the two sides.

The end faces which bear against each other in the closure position, being identified in Figure 6 by reference numeral 26 in respect of the main body 2b and reference numeral 27 in respect of the cover 3b, each have mutually facing grooves 28 and 29 respectively.

The groove 28 is of such a configuration that it has a contact shoulder 15'b while the groove 29 in the cover 3b has a contact shoulder 15b, more specifically for a bar-like locking element 1 1b which is arranged pivotably in the grooves 28 and 29.

In the position shown in Figure 6, the locking element 1 1b is illustrated in the unlocking condition, that is to say the cover 3b can be lifted out, while the broken lines show the way in which the locking element 1 ib bears against the contact shoulders 15b and 15'b.

For the purposes of displacement and actuation, the locking element 11 b is provided at least at one side with an actuating square 30 and mountings 31 which permit the individual retaining positions, that is to say, which prevent the element from pivoting by mistake from the locking position back into the unlocking position.

It will be appreciated that the above described embodiments of the invention may also be modified in many ways without thereby departing from the basic concept. If that is possible, instead of the locking elements which extend substantially over the entire lengths of the sides of the main body and the cover, it would also be possible to use shorter elements which are provided for example only in the region qf the four corners, and so forth. The housing may be made from metal or plastics material or from mixed materials. Plastics material however is particularly suitable in this context. The number and configuration of the cable input connections 4 may be varied entirely as desired, and so forth.

Claims

1. A pressure-tight housing for cable connector fittings comprising a main body and a cover for closing said body, wherein provided between the main body and the cover is a sealing groove and a sealing ridge which engages into the groove and a deformable seal, the cover and the main body being provided respectively with contact shoulders for a locking element to bear against.

2. A housing according to Claim 1, in which the locking element is in the form of a spring plate which is folded substantially in a Vshape in cross-section and wherein the free ends of the limbs of the spring plate bear against the contact shoulders.

3. A housing according to Claim 2, in which the main body is provided with an open channel which extends therearound and which faces in the direction of the cover, for receiving the spring plate, the cover having q limb portion which engages into said channel and which has one of the contact shoulders.

4. A housing according to Claim 3, in which the cover is provided with an edge region which covers over the open channel of the main body openings for the passage of unlocking tools being provided in said edge region.

5. A housing according to Claim 4, in which each edge of the housing is provided with an unlocking opening, an unlocking tool in the form of a loop-like member being provided for engagement into the unlocking openings in pairs.

6. A housing according to Claim 1, in which the locking element is in the form of a shaped metal member which is substantially L-shaped in cross-section, with inwardly bent-over locking limb portions at the free ends of the legs of the L-shape.

7. A housing according to Claim 6, in which there is provided in the cover an engagement groove for the engagement therein of a locking limb portion and there is provided at the edge of the main body a contact shoulder for the corresponding locking limb portion.

8. A housing according to Claim 6 or Claim 7, in which the cover is provided with an inclined contact surface and the main body is provided with a corresponding inclined contact surface.

9. A housing according to Claim 8, in which the inclined contact surfaces are formed on the main body and the cover respectively so that they start substantially from the sealing groove and the sealing ridge respectively.

10. A housing according to Claim 1, in which the main body is of such a configuration that a region thereof engages around the outer edge of the cover, and said region of the main body is provided wth a first groove that is open towards the cover, and the cover is provided with a second groove having at least a region thereof aligned with said first groove, and wherein a locking element which engages into the two grooves is provided in the form of a pivotable shaped metal member.

11. A housing according to Claim 10, in which the first groove in the main body and the second groove in the cover are each provided with a respective contact shoulder such that the locking element bears against the contact shoulders in the locking condition and for the unlocking condition is pivotable from the contact position into a position for releasing the cover.

12. A housing according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the locking element is mounted at least at one side in a mounting serving to hold the locking element respectively in its individual locking and unlocking positions.

13. A housing according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the locking element is mounted at least at one end in a mounting serving to hold the locking element respectively in its individual locking and unlocking positions.

13. A pressure-tight housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A pressure-tight housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A pressure-tight housing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1-12 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows: Claims 13-15 above have been renumbered as 14-16 and their appendancies corrected.

1. A Pressure-tight housing for cable connector fittings comprising a main body and a detachable cover for closing said main body, wherein extending along each of two oppoeite sides of the housing there are provided between the main body and cover an elongated sealing groove containing therealong a deformable seal and an elongated sealing ridge which engages into the groove and into the deformable seal; and locking means extending along at least portions of said sides at parallel upper edges of the main body, each locking means comprising an elongated locking element extending along adjacent edges of the main body and cover which are formed in relation to the cross-section of the locking element to be held in fixed relative positions by the locking element, and the locking element being mounted for movement to an unlocking position.

2. A housing according to Claim 1, in which each said upper edge of the main body has a outwardly projecting region overlapping a downwardly projecting region at the adjacent edge of the cover, the locking element being formed to extend along said outwardly projecting region and along or over said downwardly projecting region, and said outwardly projecting region and said downwardly projecting region or the top surface of the cover being formed in relation to the cross-section of the locking element to be held in fixed relative positions by the locking element.

3. A housing according to Claim 2, in which the locking element is in the form of a spring plate which is folded substantially in a Vshape in cross-section and wherein the free ends of the limbs of the spring plate bear against contact shoulders respectively on the outwardly projecting region and the downwardly projecting region.

4. A housing according to Claim 3, in which the outwardly projecting region is provided with an open channel which extends therealong and which faces in the direction of the cover, for receiving the spring plate, the cover having a limb portion which engages into said channel and which has one of the contact shoulders.

5. A housing according to Claim 4, in which the cover is provided with an edge region which covers over the open channel, an open ing for the passage of an unlocking tool being provided in said edge region.

6. A housing according to Claim 5, in which the housing and cover are rectangular with similar formations along all four sides of the housing and cover, an unlocking tool in the form of a loop-like member being provided for engagement into the unlocking openings in pairs of the edge regions of the cover.

7. A housing according to Claim 2, in which the locking element is in the form of a shaped metal member which is substantially L-shaped in cross-section, with inwardly bent-over locking limb portions at the free ends of the legs of the L-shape.

8. A housing according to Claim 1, in which there is provided in the cover an engagement groove for the engagement therein of a locking limb portion and there is provided beneath the outwardly projecting region a contact shoulder for the corresponding locking limb portion.

9. A housing according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the outwardly projecting portion is provided with an inclined contact surface that engages a corresponding inclined contact surface on the downwardly projecting region.

10. A housing according to Claim 9, in which the inclined contact surfaces are formed on the outwardly projecting region and the downwardly projecting region respectively so that they start substantially from the sealing groove and the sealing ridge respectively.

11. A housing according to Claim 2, in which said outwardly projecting region of the main body is provided with a first groove that is open towards the downwardly projecting region of the cover, and the downwardly projecting region is provided with a second groove having at least a region thereof aligned with said first groove, and wherein the locking element which engages into the two grooves is in the form of a pivotable shaped metal member.

12. A housing according to Claim 11, in which the first groove and the second groove are each provided with a respective contact shoulder such that the locking element bears against the contact shoulders in the locking condition and for the unlocking condition is pivotable from the contact position into a position for releasing the cover.