EP0460727B1 - Connecteur électrique - Google Patents

Connecteur électrique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0460727B1
EP0460727B1 EP19910201166 EP91201166A EP0460727B1 EP 0460727 B1 EP0460727 B1 EP 0460727B1 EP 19910201166 EP19910201166 EP 19910201166 EP 91201166 A EP91201166 A EP 91201166A EP 0460727 B1 EP0460727 B1 EP 0460727B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
connector body
end cap
electrical connector
electrical
connector
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19910201166
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0460727A1 (fr
Inventor
Robert G. Plyler
Joseph M. Senk
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motors Liquidation Co
Original Assignee
Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motors Liquidation Co filed Critical Motors Liquidation Co
Publication of EP0460727A1 publication Critical patent/EP0460727A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0460727B1 publication Critical patent/EP0460727B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H01R13/52—Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases
    • H01R13/5219—Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H01R13/52—Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases
    • H01R13/5219—Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal
    • H01R13/5221—Sealing means between coupling parts, e.g. interfacial seal having cable sealing means

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more specifically to electrical connectors for electrical cable that are sealed by compliant sealing material at the cable end.
  • U.S. Patent 3,555,171 discloses an electrical connector for coupling together two single electrical wires which includes an electrical terminal attached to each electrical cable and disposed in a terminal cavity of a connector body. An end cap is secured over the connector body. A dielectric sealant material is provided in a cavity in the end cap which is extruded on application of pressure thereto into the cavities of the connector.
  • An object of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector for electric cable.
  • an aspect of the present invention provides an electrical connector as defined in claim 1.
  • the invention can provide improved means for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector, for example when multiple electric terminals and cables are involved. It can also provide means for sealing the cable end of a multiple terminal electrical connector which is sturdy and easy to install.
  • the invention can provide an improved electrical connector having improved sealing means for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector which can relieve strain and assure that the electric terminals are properly seated in the electrical connector.
  • an end cap that seals the cable end of the electrical connector as well as assures that the electric terminals are properly seated in the electrical connector.
  • the end cap also provides strain relief.
  • the end cap is a simple snap-on end cap.
  • the end cap may include a chamber containing compliant sealing material for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector.
  • the end cap comprises means for securing it to the electrical connector that do not perforate or interrupt the walls of the chamber containing compliant sealing material for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector.
  • the end cap may cooperate with the connector body of the electrical connector to bend the electric cables so as to provide improved strain relief.
  • the end cap is preferably made so as not to have perforations, interruptions, slits or the like for electric cables to exit from the chamber containing compliant sealing material for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector.
  • an electrical connector 10 is shown connected to an electrical device 12, such as a temperature sensor, that includes a mating electrical connector 14 comprising a socket 16 and blade or pin terminals 18 that project into the socket 16.
  • an electrical device 12 such as a temperature sensor
  • a mating electrical connector 14 comprising a socket 16 and blade or pin terminals 18 that project into the socket 16.
  • the electrical connector 10 comprises a connector body 20 having a contact end 22, a cable end 24 and a plurality of terminal cavities 26 which extend through the connector body from the contact end 22 to the cable end 24.
  • a plurality of electrical terminals 28 attached to electric cables 30 are disposed in respective terminal cavities 26 so that trailing portions of the electric cables 30 extend out of the terminal cavities 26 at the cable end 24 of the connector body 20.
  • the electrical terminals 28 are properly positioned and retained in the terminal cavities 26 by a front wall at the contact end 22 of the connector body 20 and latch shoulders in the terminal cavities 26 that are engaged by latch tangs of the terminals 28, as best shown in Figure 1.
  • the connector body 20 further includes a shroud 32 that fits over the connector 14 when the connector body 20 is plugged into the socket 16.
  • the shroud 32 has an inner conical portion 34 of circular cross-section and an outer oval shaped portion 36.
  • the inner conical portion 34 supports an elastomeric O-ring 38 that has a circular section when installed.
  • the tip of the connector 14 has an outer conical surface 40 that is at substantially the same angle as the inner surface of the inner conical portion 34.
  • the elastomeric O-ring 38 is elastically distorted by this inner surface to seal against the outer conical surface 40 at the tip of the connector 14 when the connector body 20 is plugged into the socket 16, as best shown in Figure 1.
  • the matching angles of the inner surface of conical portion 34 and conical surface 40 are preferably less than 45° so that the compression of the elastomeric O-ring 38 is less than the longitudinal travel of the connectors 10 and 12 during engagement. This compensates for connector lock over-travel and O-ring material stiffness while allowing the sealing surfaces of the connectors to be moulded in a conventional manner.
  • the outer oval shaped portion 36 includes inwardly directed latches 42 at its minor diameter which engage lock nibs 44 of the electrical connector 14 to lock the electrical connector 10 to the electrical device 12.
  • the electrical connector 10 is released and pulled out of the socket 16 in conventional manner, by squeezing the oval shaped portion 36 of the shroud 32 at its major diameter.
  • the electrical connector 10 includes an end cap 46 that is secured to the connector body 20 for sealing the cable end 24 of the connector body, assuring that the electric terminals 28 are properly positioned and retained in the terminal cavities 26, and providing strain relief, as is explained in detail in connection with Figures 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
  • the connector body 20 has a longitudinal hood 48 at the cable end 24 that forms a common cavity 50.
  • the common cavity 50 communicates with the terminal cavities 26 and receives protruding portions of the electric terminals 28 and trailing portions of the electric cables 30 that extend out of the terminal cavities 26.
  • the longitudinal hood 48 is U-shaped in cross section so that the bottom of the common cavity 50 is open as best shown in Figure 6.
  • the connector body 20 has a partition wall 52 between each set of adjacent terminal cavities 26 that extends part-way into the common cavity 50 for isolating the protruding portions of the electrical terminals 28 from each other.
  • the connector body 20 also has an anvil 54 beneath the terminal cavities 26 which extends part way into the common cavity 50 crosswise of the terminal cavities 26. This anvil 54 bends the trailing portions of the electric cables 30 substantially perpendicular to the terminal cavities 26 when the end cap 46 is secured to the connector body 20, as best shown in Figure 1.
  • the connector body 20 further includes a separator 56 that is disposed below the anvil 54 for spacing the perpendicularly bent trailing portions of the electric cables 30 from each other. The separator 56 projects rearwardly and downwardly from the cable end 24 of the connector body 20 and into the open space at the bottom of the U-shaped hood 48.
  • the anvil 54 and the separator 56 create a channel 57 below the anvil 54 which permits each of the trailing portions of the electric cable 30 to be completely encapsulated as explained below.
  • the end cap 46 comprises an end wall 58, an outer hood 60 that is integrally attached to an outer edge of the end wall 58 and an inner hood 62 that is integrally attached to the end wall 58 inwardly of the outer hood 60.
  • the inner hood 62 is spaced from the outer hood 60 so that the longitudinal hood 48 of the connector body 20 fits between the inner and outer hoods 62 and 60 as best shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5.
  • the end cap 46 has an outer hood 60 that is disposed outside the longitudinal hood 48 of the connector body 20 and an inner hood 62 that is disposed inside the longitudinal hood 48.
  • the end cap 46 further includes a lip 64 that is integrally attached to a lower edge of the end wall 58 and to the lower ends of the inner and outer hoods 62 and 60.
  • the lip 64, the inner hood 62 and the end wall 58 cooperatively form a seal chamber 66 containing a compliant sealing material 68 that seals the cable end of the electrical connector 10 when the end cap 46 is secured to the connector body 20 as best shown in Figures 1 and 5.
  • a preferred compliant sealing material 68 is silicone dielectric gel such as Sylgard 527 marketed by Dow Corning Corporation. This material is a two component, transparent silicone encapsulant specially designed to seal, protect and preserve electrical characteristics. The two parts of the silicone dielectric gel may be mixed in various ratios depending upon the firmness and cure rates desired.
  • the end cap 46 containing the compliant sealing material is secured to the hood 48 of the connector body 20 by snap-on retaining means comprising lock shoulders 70 of the end cap 46 and cooperating outwardly projecting lock nibs 72 of the longitudinal hood 48.
  • the end cap 46 is secured to the longitudinal hood 48 simply by pressing the end cap 46 on the end of the hood 48 with thumb pressure which causes the lock nibs 72 to snap past and engage behind the lock shoulders 70.
  • the lock shoulders 70 are formed as part of the outer hood 60 by molding slots in the outer hood 60 that extend from the end wall 58 up to an enlarged rim 74 of the outer hood 60.
  • the lip 64 is disposed below the separator 56 and spaced from the connector body 20 to permit the perpendicularly bent trailing ends of the electric cables 30 to pass out of the common cavity 50 at the cable end of the connector body 20 and the seal chamber 66.
  • the separator 56 and the lip 64 are configured so that they cooperate to bend the perpendicularly bent trailing portions back toward the contact end 22 of the connector body 20 as best shown in Figure 1. This reversely bent configuration of the trailing portions of the electrical cables 30 provides an excellent strain relief.
  • the end caps 46 are preferably made of a stiff plastic material, such as Hytrel, which is a block copolymer of a glycol (soft segment) and a polyester PTB marketed by E. I. DuPont de Nenmours and Company.
  • the end caps 46 are preferably molded in strip form in which a series of end caps 46 are integrally attached to a carrier strip 76 for ease of handling during the manufacturing process.
  • the strip is then delivered to a fill station where the seal chambers 66 are filled with compliant sealing material 68.
  • a sealing material such as the silicone dielectric gel Sylgard 527 is used, the two parts are mixed and poured into the seal chambers 66 in liquid form and cured in the end caps 46.
  • the end caps 46 are then severed from the carrier strip 76 and attached to the connector body 20.
  • FIG 8. An end cap 46 having its seal chamber 66 filled with the cured sealing material 68 is shown in Figure 8. Such an end cap 46 is then simply pushed onto the end of the longitudinal hood 48 at the cable end of the connector body 20. When the end cap 46 is secured in place, the sealing material 68 closes the open ends of the terminal cavities 26 and encapsulates the end portions of the electric terminals 28 and the trailing portions of the electric cables 30 as best shown in Figures 1 and 5. It should be noted that the channel 57 between the anvil 54 and separator 56 ensures that each trailing portion of the electric cables 39 is completely surrounded and encapsulated by the sealing material 68.
  • the amount of sealing material 66 that is initially poured and cured in the end cap 46 is advantageously sufficient to seal the ends of the terminal cavities 26 completely and to encapsulate the terminal ends and trailing portions of the electric cables 30 within the end cap 46.
  • the amount of sealant is preferably such that little or no sealing material escapes out of the end cap 46 between the lip 64 and the connector body 20.
  • end cap 46 for sealing the cable end of the electrical connector 10 cannot be secured to the electrical connector unless the electric terminals 28 are properly seated in the terminal cavities 26 due to the necessary proximity of the end wall 58 which cooperates with the anvil 54 to bend the trailing portions of the cables 30 perpendicularly.
  • the snap-on end cap 46 not only seals the cable end of the electrical connector 10 but it also assures that the electric terminals 28 are properly seated in the electrical connector as well.

Landscapes

  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

Claims (11)

  1. Connecteur électrique comprenant un corps de connecteur (20) comprenant une extrémité de câble (24) et une pluralité de cavités de bornes (26) ouvrant dans une cavité commune (50) à l'extrémité du câble du corps de connecteur; une pluralité de bornes électriques (28) fixées aux câbles électriques (30) et disposées dans les cavités de bornes respectives (26), des parties arrière des câbles électriques étant disposées dans la cavité commune; et un embout (46) fixé au corps de connecteur pour étanchéifier l'extrémité du câble du corps de connecteur, l'embout comportant une paroi d'extrémité (58), une première paroi latérale (62) et un rebord (64) qui forment une chambre d'étanchéité fermée (66), la chambre d'étanchéité communiquant avec la cavité commune (50) du corps de connecteur et contenant un matériau d'étanchéité élastique (68) pour étanchéifier l'extrémité du câble du connecteur électrique lorsque l'embout est fixé au corps du connecteur, le rebord (64) de l'embout étant espacé du corps de connecteur pour permettre aux parties arrière des câbles électriques (30) de traverser le connecteur à l'extrémité du câble du corps de connecteur.
  2. Connecteur électrique selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le corps de connecteur comporte un séparateur (56) s'étendant dans la cavité commune pour espacer les parties arrière des câbles électriques l'une de l'autre, le séparateur (56) étant disposé entre la première paroi latérale (62) et le rebord (64).
  3. Connecteur électrique selon la revendication 2, dans lequel le rebord (64) est apte à coopérer avec le séparateur (56) pour plier les parties arrière du câble électrique de manière à former une décharge de tension.
  4. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, dans lequel le corps de connecteur comporte un bec (54) s'étendant dans la cavité commune (50) dans le sens transversal des cavités de bornes (26) et étant apte à plier les parties arrière des câbles électriques sensiblement perpendiculairement aux cavités de bornes lorsque l'embout est fixé au corps de connecteur.
  5. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel l'embout (46) comporte des moyens de fixation (70) pour fixer l'embout au corps de connecteur.
  6. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel l'embout comporte une paroi latérale extérieure (60), la première paroi latérale (62) étant disposée entre la paroi latérale extérieure et la cavité commune (50), la paroi latérale extérieure comprenant des moyens de fixation (70) pour fixer l'embout au corps de connecteur.
  7. Connecteur électrique selon la revendication 6, dans lequel les moyens de fixation (70) de la paroi latérale extérieure (60) sont aptes à fournir un enclenchement sur le corps de connecteur.
  8. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel la paroi d'extrémité (58) de l'embout (46) est apte à être à proximité immédiate de l'extrémité du câble du corps de connecteur (20) pour assurer un positionnement correct des bornes électriques (28).
  9. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le corps de connecteur comporte une paroi de séparation (52) entre chaque série de cavités de bornes adjacentes s'étendant dans la cavité commune pour isoler l'une de l'autre les parties en saillie de bornes électriques adjacentes.
  10. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le matériau d'étanchéité élastique est un matériau d'étanchéité en gel.
  11. Connecteur électrique selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le matériau d'étanchéité élastique est un gel diélectrique au silicone apte à être durci dans la chambre d'étanchéité de l'embout avant que l'embout soit fixé au corps de connecteur.
EP19910201166 1990-06-06 1991-05-15 Connecteur électrique Expired - Lifetime EP0460727B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US53458690A 1990-06-06 1990-06-06
US534586 1990-06-06

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0460727A1 EP0460727A1 (fr) 1991-12-11
EP0460727B1 true EP0460727B1 (fr) 1994-08-24

Family

ID=24130694

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19910201166 Expired - Lifetime EP0460727B1 (fr) 1990-06-06 1991-05-15 Connecteur électrique

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0460727B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH07105248B2 (fr)
DE (1) DE69103578T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3090011B2 (ja) * 1995-12-08 2000-09-18 住友電装株式会社 電線カバー付コネクタ
FR2749444B1 (fr) * 1996-05-31 1998-07-24 Marechal Sepm Dispositif de connexion electrique etanche
US7104840B2 (en) 2003-06-27 2006-09-12 Yazaki Corporation Electrical connector
JP2019087456A (ja) * 2017-11-08 2019-06-06 ホシデン株式会社 コネクタ
TWI739689B (zh) * 2020-12-07 2021-09-11 佳必琪國際股份有限公司 連接器的固定結構

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1295369A (fr) * 1960-08-02 1962-06-08 Procédé et appareil permettant d'obtenir une protection et isolation décoratives pour un équipement électrique et électronique, et des systèmes de câblage
US4173349A (en) * 1978-08-24 1979-11-06 General Motors Corporation Connector interface sealing arrangement
DE3417811C1 (de) * 1984-05-14 1985-10-17 kabelmetal electro GmbH, 3000 Hannover Verfahren zum Anbringen eines Kupplungsteils am Ende einer elektrischen Leitung
DE3623927C1 (en) * 1986-07-16 1987-10-01 Kabelmetal Electro Gmbh, 3000 Hannover, De Method for fitting a coupling element to the end of an electrical cable (line, lead)
ES2067473T3 (es) * 1987-07-16 1995-04-01 Raychem Ltd Articulo para proteger un conector multiconductor.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69103578T2 (de) 1994-12-22
EP0460727A1 (fr) 1991-12-11
JPH04229572A (ja) 1992-08-19
DE69103578D1 (de) 1994-09-29
JPH07105248B2 (ja) 1995-11-13

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