US3259872A

US3259872A - Sealed multi-contact connector

Info

Publication number: US3259872A
Application number: US178158A
Authority: US
Inventors: James C Kyle
Original assignee: Physical Sciences Corp
Current assignee: Physical Sciences Corp
Priority date: 1962-03-07
Filing date: 1962-03-07
Publication date: 1966-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1983-07-05

Description

July 5, 1966 J. c. KYLE 3,259,872

SEALED MULTI-CONTACT CONNECTOR Filed March '7, 1962 2 Sheets-Shea?. l

July 5, 1966 J. C. KYLE 3,259,872

SEALED MULTI-CONTACT CONNECTOR Filed March 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,259,872 SEALED MULTI-CONTACT CONNECTOR `lames C. Kyle, Glendora, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Physical Sciences Corporation, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 178,158 15 Claims. (Cl. 339-94) This invention relates to a multi-contact connector of the general type wherein a multi-contact plug assembly is engageable with a complementary multi-contact receptacle assembly.

While the 4invention is widely applicable to various specific purposes, the invention has special utility for connecting a multi-conductor cable with electrical components behind a bulkhead or a like wall structure, the receptacle assembly being mounted on the cable and the plug assembly being mounted in an opening in the bulkhead. Such an embodiment has been selected for the present disclosure and will provide adequate guidance for those skilled in the art who may have occasion to apply the same principles to other specific purposes.

In general, a plug assembly or a receptacle .assembly of the type to which the invention pertains comprises a plurality of contact elements, insulating means in the form of one or more bodies of insulating material to embrace and support the contact elements and a suitable housing shell encasing the insulating means. Since the contact elements vary in type and vary in number for dilferent installations, and since some insulations require sealed connectors, and since the multi-conductor cables are required to enter lhousing shells from various directions in various installations, it is common practice to fabricate -a wide variety of housing shells yand a wide variety of insulating bodies to make up different connectors that vary in these diterent respects.

An important object of the present invention is to simplify matters by providing a single model of housing shell for a plug assembly in combination with a single model of insulating means, which combination may be aptly termed universal since it may be assembled with various numbers of diiferent types of contact elements for both sealed and v'unsealed installations and the receptacle assembly may receive a multi-conductor cable from any desired direction. A similar universal combination is provided for a receptacle assembly. Such versatile combinations reduce fabrication cost, minimize manufacturing delays, reduce the inventory burden and, in addition, make it possible to salvage used connectors since a connector made for one specific purpose may be dismantled and reassembled to serve Ianother specic purpose.

The invention is characterized by a construction in which two plate-like insulating bodies or blocks .are clamped together face to face in a surrounding housing shell with pairs of laligned bores in the two bodies, respectively. Diierent specific .types of interchangeable contact elements may be mounted in the pairs of aligned bores of the two insulating bodies and `any number of contact elements may be used up to the total number of aligned pairs of bores.

A feature of the invention is the provision of sealing means embracing the individual contact elements and sandwiched between the two insulating bodies under sealing compression. As exemplied by the presently preferred practice of the invention, such sealing means may comprise individual elastomer collars embracing the individual contact elements at intermediate points thereof. Since the elastomer collars are rmly bonded to the contact elements and since the elastomer collars are firmly trapped between the two insulating bodies, the contact elements are positively retained at their assembled positions.

ice

A feature of the preferred practice of the invention is that the aligned .pairs of bores in the two insulating bodies are slightly oversized relative to the contact elements that are mounted therein, the contact elements being resiliently supported and centered in the bores, by the elastomer collars. In effect, the contact elements are oatingly supported with a certain degree of individual freedom for lateral movement. Resiliently mounting the contact elements in this manner permits pin contacts and cooperating socket contacts to adapt themselves to each other in such manner as to permit liberal dimension tolerances and to reduce breakageof contact elements. In this regard, a feature of the invention is that both the pin contacts and the cooperating socket contacts may be oatingly mounted in their respective assemblies so that the resilient mounts in both of the assemblies may yield as required for alignment of the individual pin contacts with the corresponding socket contacts.

In the preferred practice of the invention, Iat least one bore of each pair ofthe aligned bores of the two insulating bodies is formed with an enlargement that opens onto the confronting faces of `the two insulating bodies and the elastomer collars of the contact elements are shaped .and dimensioned to t into the bore enlargements under substantial compression when the two insulating bodies are clamped together, Thus the compressed elastomer collars etectively seal the aligned bores in which the contact elements are mounted. In the present embodiment of the invention, both bores of each aligned pair of bores have such enlargements.

If there are remaining aligned bores of the two insulating bodies that are not needed to house contact elements in a particular connector assembly, these empty bores may also be effectively sealed by installing elastomer bodies therein of the same profile dimensions -as the elastomer collars. As will be explained, additional continuous sealing members may be lused to seal the peripheral regions of the two insulation bodies as well as to seal the juncture of the plug receptacle with the rim of the bulkhead opening and to seal the juncture between the plug assembly and the mating Areceptacle assembly.

With reference to the direction of entry of a multiconductor cable into a receptacle assembly, the housing shell of the assembly is provided with knockout portions in all of its sides, any one of which may be easily manually removed to provide an opening to'receive the cable from the corresponding direction. An important feature of the invention is the provision not only for sealing the entry of the cable into the housing shell, but `also for mechanically connecting the cable to the housing shell to keep the cable from transmitting stresses to the contact elements inside the housing shell.

As will be explained, two telescoped anged ferrules embrace the cable at the housing shell opening with the anges of the two ferrules clamping the rim of the opening, the outer ferrule being crimped to the inner ferrule and the inner ferrule being crimped to the cable for mechanically attaching the cable to the housing shell. Two provisions seal the entry, one provision being a sealing ring under sealing pressure by the outer ferrule flange, the other provision being a sealing sleeve embracing both the outer ferrule and an adjacent portion of the cable.

A further feature of the invention is a simple means to key or polarize the two assemblies of a multi-contact connector to insure that only the two particular assemblies can be connected together. A plurality of pins is divided between the two assemblies and a corresponding plurality of sockets is divided between the two assemblies, the combined pins and sockets of each of the two assemblies being arranged on a given pattern.

In the preferred practice of the invention, two anges on opposite sides of one assembly are paired with two corresponding anges on the opposite sides of the other assembly and each of these side flanges is initially fabricated with a row of four holes, thereiibeing sixteen holes forming eight pairs of aligned holes on the two assemblies. Eight pins are xedly mounted in eight of the sixteen holes, the selected eight holes being divided between the two assemblies. Thus each keying pin on each connector assembly registers with a corresponding hole ,or keying socket on the other connector assembly. Y

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description and f the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the plug assembly of amulti-contact connector mounted in an opening in a bulkhead and showing the complementary receptacle assembly of the connector attached to a multi-conductor cable with the two connector assemblies plugged together;

FIG. 2 is a face view of the receptacle assembly as `seen along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with a pair of fastening screws shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational View of the plug assembly as seen along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with certain fastening screws shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a fastening screw provided with a collar for creating separation force between two abutting pairs of a connector assembly;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the structure of the two assemblies that provideA the keying or polarizing means;

FIG. 6 isa view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the construction of a socket Contact that may be used in an assembly; v FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged end view of the same socket Contact element as viewed along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a similar View of a plug contact that may be used in an assembly;

FIG. 9 is a similar view of a second plug contact of v smaller diameter that may be used interchangeably with the plug contact of FIG. 8; FIGS. l0 and l1 are similar views of other plug contacts that may be used interchangeably; and

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of an elastomer sealing ibody that may be used in kaligned bores where a contact element is omitted. Y

In the presently preferred embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. l, the multi-contact electrical connector comprises a plug assembly, generally designated P and a receptacle assembly, generally designated R. The plug assembly P is illustrated as mounted in a circular opening in a bulkhead or other wall structure 22 and the receptacle assembly R is illustrated as mounted on a multi-conductor cable 24.

Eachrof the two assemblies P and R comprises a plurality of contact elements mounted in a housing shell by suitable insulation means, which insulation means is made in separable sections. Thus the plug assembly P has a plurality of pin contacts 25 mounted in a housing shell 26 by insulating means in the form of a rst plate-like insulation body 28 and a second similar insulation body 30, the two -bodies being assembled face toface. In like manner the receptacle assembly R comprises a plurality -of socket contacts 32 mounted in a housing shell 34 by insulation means in the form of a first plate-like insulation body 35 and a second similar insulation body 36.

The housing shell 26 of the plug assembly P has a continuous side wall that is formed with Va forwardly facing shoulder 40, the'shoulder being spaced substantially rearwardly from the opened front side of the housing shell. In the construction shown, the forwardly facing shoulder 40 is in the form of an inward flange of 4 the khousing shell.k The first insulation body 28 rests against the shoulder 40 and the second insulation body 39 rests tiat against the rstinsulation body.

Suitable means is provided for engagement withthe margin of the second insulation body 30 and the housing shell 26 to retain the two insulationbodies firmly seated in the housing shell. For this purpose the housing shell 26 may be formed with a relatively thick peripheral ange 42 and a relatively thick clamp member 44 in the form of an open rectangular frame may be connected to the flange by short screws 45 with the clamp -member overlying the margin of the second insulation body 30. The marginal portion of the second insulation body 30 may be recessed as shown in FIG. 1

to receive the overlapping portion of the clamp member t 44 so that the clamp member protrudes only slightly beyond the face of the second insulation body. Additional longer screws 46 extend through both the clamp member 44 and the peripheral flange 42 of the housing shell into the bulkhead 22 `to anchor the plug assembly P in the circular opening 20 of the bulkhead.

Referring to FIG. 4, a feature of `this embodiment of the invention is thateach of the relatively short screws t 45 that connect the clamp member 44 yto the housingV ange 42 is providedrwithV a radial ange 48 with the clamp member 44'counterlbored as indicated at 50 to receive the auge. As shown in FIG. 4, the radial flange f 48 may be in the form of a washer or collar with the screw upset as indicated at 52 to keep the collar from shifting axially towards the threaded end of the screw. Each screw V45 slidingly extends through the clamp member 44 andfor this purpose each screw 45 maybe formed with a smooth shank portion as shown in FIG. 4-V or, instead, kkthe bore`54 in the housing flange 42 may .be oversized to avoid engagement with the thread of the screw. The advantage of thisv construction Aof the four short screws 45 is `that when the screws are loosened the radial flanges 48 exert separationrforce between the cla-mp member and the housing shell. Y

If a sealed construction for the multi-contact connector is desired, a continuous sealing member 55 imay be seated in a peripheral recess of the second insulation body 30 in sealing contact with the insulation body and both the clamp member 44 and the inner surface of the housing shell 26. A `second continuous sealing member 56 may be mounted in a continuous groove inthe rear face of the housing ange 42 to provide Aa seal between the housing ange and the bulkhead 22. A

third continuous sealing member 58 may be seated in ak continuous groove in the outer face of the clamp member 44 to forma seal between the plug assembly P andv the receptacle assembly R. These three continuous seal-` ing members 55, 56 and 58 may be omitted if a sealed construction is not required in a particular insulation.

In-FIG. l, the pin contacts 25 are of the construction shownin FIG. 8. For connection to a corresponding wire, each pin contact 25 has `an axial bore 60 at its base end with a portion of the side wall of the bore cut away as indicated to form what is commonly termed a solder pot 61, to facilitate the soldering of the wire to the contact.

For mounting the plurality of pin contacts 25, ythe lirst insulation body 28 is formed with a plurality of bores 62 and the second insulation body 3() is formed wit-h a corresponding plurality of bores 64, the bores of the two pluraiities registering with each other to form pairs of aligned bores. Itis contemplated that the -bores of at least one of these two pluralities of 'bores 62 and 64 will be formed with enlargements that open onto the confronting faces of the two

insulation lbodies

28 and 30. In the construction shown, both of the two sets of bores are formed with flared or conical enlargements 65. Thus the insulation means that mounts the contacts in the plug assembly may be considered as having a plurality of bores corresponding to the plurality of pin contacts 25 with4 these bores enlarged at intermediate points and with the insulation means made in sections that may be separated for access to the bore enlargements.

Since the solder pots 61 are enlargements on the :base ends of the pin contacts 25 Iand since the bores 62 in the first insulation body 28 must clear the solder pots, the bores 62 are oversized relative to the portions of the pin contacts that extend through the bores. A feature of this embodiment of the invention is that the bores 64 in the second insulation lbody 30 are also slightly oversized with the result that there is appreciable freedom for lateral movement of the pin contacts 25 relative to the two insulation bodies in which they are mounted.

The pin contacts 25 are resiliently mounted in the pair of insulation Ibodies 28 and 30 by means of elastomer collars 66, best shown in FIG. 8, that embrace intermediate portions of the pin contacts and are bonded thereto by any well known means, as by a suitable ladhesive, to form resilient enlargements on the pin contacts. Preferably each pin contact 25 is formed with a circumferential bead or rib 68 which is encased by the elastomer collars 66, the rib presenting oppositely directed shoulders to strengthen the bond between the collar and the pin contact. The elastomer collars 66 are of a configura-tion to seat in the ared enlarge-ments of the aligned bores 62 and 64. In the construction shown, the bores are conically ared and therefore each rof the elastomer collars 66 has the general configuration of two cones positioned back to back, a configuration which maybe aptly termed a double wedge. The elastomer collars 66 are dimensioned somewhat oversized relative to the pairs of bore enlargements 65 in which they seat wit-h the result that the elastomer collars are substantially compressed by tightening of the four screws 45 `and thus serve as seals for the pairs of aligned bores 62 and 64, the seals functioning with wedging action.

The elastomer collars 66 center the pin contacts 25 in the aligned oversized bores in a resilient manner that permits appreciable variation in the alignment of the pin contacts. In elect the pin contacts are floatingly mounted as distinguished from xedly or rigidly mounting.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, there is a total of nine pairs of aligned bores 62-64 in this embodiment of the invention and therefore the plug assembly may be fabricated with any selected number of pin contacts up to a total of nine. In this example there are eight pin contacts 25, there being no contact in the bore 62a (FIG. 3).

If a sealed construction yis desired, a suitable elastomer sealing lbody is mounted in each pair of aligned bores 62- 64 that does not house a pin contact. Thus the bore 62a of the first insulation body 28 and the corresponding bore 64 of the second insulation body 30 may be sealed by an elastomer sealing member 70 of the character shown in section in FIG. l2. The elastomer sealing ymember 70 is of substantial-ly the same configuration in profile and the same dimensions in profile as an elastomer collar 66 on a pin Contact 25. Consequently the tightening of the screws 45 also places the elastomer sealing member 7G under sealing compression.

It is apparent that all paths of possible leakage are sealed olf to -make the plug assembly duid-tight. The elastomer collars 66 and the elastomer sealing member 'lil seal all of the aligned bores through the two insulation Ibodies 28 and 30; the continuous sealing member S5 blocks leakage around the periphery of the insulation bodies inside the housing shell 26; and the continuous sealing member 56 blocks leakage around the outside of the lhousing shell between the lhousing shell and the rim of the opening in the bulkhead 22. In addition, the continuous sealing lmember 58 prevents leakage at the juncture of the plug assembly P and the receptacle assembly R.

The receptacle assembly R may be of the same general construction as the plug assembly P with suitable provision for fluid-tight connection with the cable 24. In the construction shown, the housing shell 34 is of box-like configuration with a continuous side wall 72 and a back wall 74, the side wall being olset to form a forwardly facing shoulder 75 for abutment by the first insulation body 35. The housing shell 34 is further formed in the previously described manner with a relatively thick peripheral flange 76 and a rectangular clamp member 78 overlaps fboth the -ange and the -margin of the second insulation body 36. Here again a continuous sealing member 80 may make sealing contact with the perimeter of the second sealing body 36 as well as 'with the clamp member 78 and the inner surface of the side wal172 of the housing shell.

Four short screws 82 (FIG. 2) extend through the housing flange 76 into the clamp member 78 to tighten the t-wo

insulation bodies

35 and 36 against each other and two longer screws 84 extend through both the housing flange 76 and the clamp member 78 into the clamp member 44 of the plug assembly P to lock the two assemblies R and P together. The short screws 82 may be of the same construction as the previously described short screws 45 to function in the same manner to create separation force between the clamp member 78 and the housing lian-ge 76.

The stocket contacts 32 are mounted in the two

insulation bodies

35 and 36 in the same manner as heretofore described. Thus the iirst insulation body 35 has a plurality of slightly oversized bores 85, the insulation body 36 lhas a corresponding plurality of slightly oversized bores 86 and both sets of the aligned bores have ared enlargements 88 that open onto the confronting faces of the two insulation bodies. In the previously described manner each of the socket contacts 3-2 has an elastomer collar 90 that is dimensioned to seat under compression in the bore enlargements.

Preferably, each of the socket contacts 32 is of the construction shown in FIG. 6. The base end of each socket contact 32 is formed with a solder pot 61 but may be adapted in other ways for connection to a wire. The shank of the socket contact is formed with a previously described circumferential rib 68 for increasing the effectiveness of the bond with the elastomer collar 90.

The leading end of a socket contact 32 has an axial bore 92 to serve as a socket for the cooperating pin contact 25. A substantial portion of the wall of the bore is cut away to form a longitudinal slot 94 that terminates short of the leading end of the socket contact to leave a solid ring portion 95 at the leading end of the socket contact to receive the leading end of the corresponding pin contact v 25. A spring clip, generally designated 96 has a cylindrical base portion 98 which fxedly embraces the shank of the socket contact 32 and this spring clip has a forwardly extending spring finger 100 which extends along the length of the longitudinal slot 94.

As may be seen in FIG. 8, the corresponding pin contact 25 lhas a rounded nose -102 and the ring portion 95 at the leading end of the socket contact 32 is tapered or chamfered as indicated at 104 to facilitate entry of the rounded nose. The leading end of the spring finger ,160 is curved outward as indicated at 105 and lies in the path of entry of the rounded nose to be cammed radially outward by entry of the pin contact 25. Thus when the pin contact 25 is inserted into the socket contact 32, the spring finger 100 insures a friction lit for effective electrical connection. The ring portion 95 of the socket contact serves as a Iguard for the leading end of the spring :finger 100 to insure that the spring finger will not be encountered endwise by the pin contact.

To provide choice in the matter of the direction of entry of the multi-conductor cable 24 into the housing shell 34, the housing shell is provided with four knockouts 106 on its four opposite sides and a fth knockout in its back wall 74. In FIG. 1, the knockout in the back wall 74 has been removed to provide a circular opening for admission of the cable 24. As shown in FIG. 1 a irst inner ferrule 108 embraces the cable 24 and is formed with a radial flange 1510 at its inner end which abuts the inner surface of the back wall 74 of the housing shell. A second outer 7 ferrule 112 that is entirely outside of the housing shell 34 is telescoped over the inner ferrule 108 Aand is provided with a second radial flange 114 that abuts a sealing ring 115.

The procedure of assembling the two

ferrules

108 and 112 and the sealing rin-g 115 consists in placing the ferrules in the relative positions shown in FIG. 1 and then applying axial force to the two ferrules in opposite directions to drive the

ferrule flanges

112 and 114 towards each other to place the sealing ring 115 under sealing compression. While the sealing ring 115 is held under compression in this manner, a crimping tool is applied to crimp the two ferrules as indicated at 116 in FIG. l, the outer ferrule 112 being crimped against the inner ferrule -108 and the inner ferrule being crimped against the cable 24.

The crimping operation has two important results in that it not only fixedly interconnects the two ferrules to maintain the sealing ring 115 permanently under compression, but also causes the inner ferrule to grip the cable 2'4 permanently. In this manner the cable 24 is connected to the housing shell 34 to prevent any tension load on the cable from being transmitted to the individual wires of the cable inside the housingshell 34.

The .final step in sealing the entry of the cable 24 into the housing shell 34 is the application of a plastic sleeve 11-8 to embrace both the outer ferrule 112 and the adjacent portion of the cable 24 as shown in FIG. 1. After the plastic sleeve 118 is mounted in this manner, the sleeve is shrunk to make a `duid-tight fit. In the construction shown, the outer ferrule 112 is swaged to Aform a circumferential rib 120 for increasing the eiectiveness of the seal.

A suitable plastic may be employed that may be shrunk by the application of heat. A sleeve of irradiated polyethylene is highly satisfactory for this purpose.

The key or polarizing arrangement will now be described, which arrangement insu-res that a receptacle assembly R can be connected only to the correct plug assembly P. When the two assemblies are interconnected as shown in FIG. l, the two

clamp members

44 and 78 are in face to face abutment and these two clamp members may be considered as forming two opposite side llanges on the plug assembly P and the receptacle assembly R respectively. As may be seen in FIG. 2, the clamp member 78 has two rows of keying bores 122 on each of its opposite sides, there being four bores in each row.V In like manner, as indicated in FIGS. 3

` and 5,V the clamp member 44 of the plug connector P has a corresponding pattern of key bores 124 arranged in two rows of four each, the key bores extending through the contiguous peripheral housing flange 42.

It is contemplated that eight key pins 125 will be divided between the key bores 122 in the Ireceptacle assembly and the key bores 124 in the -plug assembly, the various key pins being mounted for example by staking. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, seven key Vpins 125 (FIG. 2) are mounted in seven of the eight key bores 122 with one key bore 122 empty and an eighth key pin 125 (FIGS. 3 and 5) is mounted in the particular key bore 124 of the plug assembly that registers with the key bore 122a. This arrangement of a series of eight key pins and a series of eightkey sockets with each of the two series divided between the plug assembly P and the receptacle assembly R permits 256 permutations. With reference to the keying feature it is also to be noted that the pattern of the nine aligned bores for mounting the -pin contacts 25 and the similar pattern of nine bores for mounting the socket contacts 32 has a keying function since only one relative orientation permits the two patterns to match.

The manner in which the invention serves its purpose may be readily understood from the foregoing description. It is apparent that each of the two described connector assemblies may be fabricated with any desired number of contact elements up to a maximum number of nine and that the invention is not limited to this particular maximum. It is also apparent that various types S of contact elements may be used interchangeably. For example, relatively thin pin contacts may be substituted for any or all of the relatively heavy pin contacts 25. FIG. 9 shows such a thin pin contact 26 which is ofthe same general construction as the pin contact 25 and is t the character described fabricated to meet certain requirements, may be dismantled and reassembled for reuse in a new installation having different requirements. The separation force exerted by the screws 45 of the plug assembly and the screws 82 of the receptacle assembly facilitate the dismantling of an assembly for such a coni version.

My description in specific detail of the selected embodiment of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a multi-contact connector assembly for mating with a similar complementary multi-contact connector device, the combination of:

a plurality of contact elements each extending in a rst direction;

individual elastomer collars having insulating properties and embracing the individual contact elements and bonded to the elements to form on the elements elastomer enlargements extending in a second direction transverse to the first direction;

a housing shell; and

insulating means mounting thefplurality of contact elements and the elastomer collars in the housing shell, said insulating means having a plurality of bores housing the corresponding .contact elements, said bores being oversized relative to the contact elements, said bores being formed with enlargementsfat intermediate points thereof to seat and retain said elastomer enlargements of the corresponding contact elements with the elastomer enlargements having dimensions greater than the enlargements in the bores and resiliently retaining and iloatingly supporting the contact elements with freedom for lateral shift of the contactA 2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the portion of each contact element on which an elastomer collar is mounted is formed with oppositely directed shoulders extending in the second direction from the contact elements for interlocking engagement with the elastomer collar to strengthen the bond between the Contact` elements and the collar.Y

3. In a multi-contact connector assembly for mating with a similar complementary multi-contact connector device having a plurality of contact elements, the combination of:

- a housing shell having an open front side, said housingY shell having a continuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced yrearward from said front side; a rst insulation block nested laterally in said housing shell against said shoulder; a second insulation block nested laterally inside said housing shell in face-to-face contact with said first insulation block;

a plurality of spaced bores extending forwardly in said first insulation block;

a corresponding plurality of spaced bores in said second insulation block registering with the bores in the first insulation block to form aligned pairs of forwardly extending bores,

the bores of at least one of said pluralities being formed with enlargements at positions corresponding to the confronting faces of the two blocks;

contact elements mounted in at least some of said pairs of aligned bores for cooperation with the corresponding contact elements of said complementary device, the contact elements being provided with oppositely directed lateral shoulders;

elastomer collars embracing said contact elements Yrespectively bonded to the elements and seated in the enlargements of the aligned bores and seated on the oppositely directed shoulders of the contact elements, said collars being oversized relative to the enlargements of the bores;

a clamp member engaging said second insulation block at the marginal extremities of the second insulation block; and

fastening means engaging said clamp member and said housing shell and clamping said two insulation blocks together with consequent sealing compression of said sealing collars in the enlargements in the bores.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 in which the contact elements are in only some of said aligned bores; and

which includes solid sealing bodies in the remaining aligned bores nested in said enlargements thereof under sealing compression.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said clamp member has a continuous portion overlapping the front margin of said second insulation block; and

in which a continuous sealing element extends along said margin under sealing compression between the second insulation block and the clamp member, said sealing element abutting said continuous side wall of the housing shell.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 3 in which said enlargements of the bores are conically flared enlargements and said elastomer collars are of corresponding configuration dimensioned for compression by the bore enlargements and in which the oppositely directed lateral shoulders of the contact elements are conical enlargements.

7. In a multi-contact connector assembly for mating with a similar complementary multi-contact connector device, the combination of:

a housing shell having an open front side, said housing shell having a continuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced rearward from said front side;

a first insulation block nested laterally in said housing shell against said shoulder;

a second insulation block nested laterally inside said housing shell in face-to-face contact with said first insulation block;

a plurality of spaced, forwardly extending bores in said first insulation block;

a corresponding plurality of spaced, forwardly extending bores in said second insulation block the bores in said second block registering with the bores in the rst insulation block to form aligned pairs of bores,

all of the bores in the two blocks being formed with enlargements that open onto the confronting faces of the two blocks;

elastomer elements mounted in said enlargements of the bores, said elastomer elements being oversized relative to the enlargements of the bores to seal the bores;

contact elements mounted in at least some of said pairs of aligned bores for cooperation with corresponding contact elements of said complementary device, said contact elements being embraced by the corresponding elastomer elements and bonded thereto, said contact elements being provided with oppositely directed lateral shoulders for interlocking engagement with the elastomer element;

a clamp member engaging opposite marginal portions of said second insulation block; and

fastening means engaging said clamp member and said housing shell and clamping said two insulation blocks together with consequent compression of said elastomer elements.

8. In a multi-contact connector assembly for mating with a similar complementary multi-contact connector de-V vice, having a plurality of contact elements, the combination of:

a housing shell having an open front side, said housing shell having a continuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced rearward from its front side;

a first insulation block nested in said housing shell against said shoulder;

a second insulation block nested inside said housing shell in face-to-face contact with said first insulation block;

a plurality of forwardly extending spaced bores in said first insulation block;

the bores in the rst and second blocks being enlarged at the faces of the first and second insulation blocks;

a corresponding plurality of forwardly extending spaced bores in said second insulation block, the bores in the second block registering with the bores in the first insulation block to form aligned pairs of bores;

contact elements mounted in said pairs of aligned bores for coooperation with the corresponding contact elements of said complementary device, the contact ele'- p ments having oppositely directed lateral shoulders;

elastomer sealing means embracing, and bonded to said oppositely directed lateral shoulder of said contact elements at the confronting faces of the two insulation blocks and disposed in the enlargements in the bores at the faces of the first and second insulation blocks, said elastomer elements being oversized relative to the enlargements in the bores at the faces of the rst and second insulation blocks;

continuous sealing means abutting the inner surface of said continuous side wall of the housing shell and a continuous margin of at least one of said two insulation blocks; and

means engaging said second insulation block and said housing shell to hold the housing shell and the insulation block assembled together and to place all of said sealing means under sealing compression to cut off all leakage paths from the open front side of said housing shell to the rear face of the rst insulation block.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 which includes a continuous peripheral sealing means on the front side of said assembly for sealing compression between the assembly and said complementary connector device.

10. In a multi-contact connector assembly for mating with a similar complementary multi-contact connector device, the combination of:

a housing shell having an open front side and a convtinous peripheral flange and a continuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced rearward from the front side of the housing shell;

a first insulating block nested in said housing shell against said shoulder;

a second insulating block nested inside said housing the first insulation block to form aligned pairs ofY bores;

the bores of at least one of said pluralities of bores being formed with enlargements that open onto the confronting faces of the two insulation blocks;

elastomer sealing bodies in said enlargements respectively of the bores, said elastomer sealing bodies being oversized relative to the enlargements to seal the bores;

contact elements mounted in at least some of said pairs of aligned bores for cooperation with corresponding contact elements of said complementary device, said contact elements being provided with oppositely directed lateral walls embraced by, and bonded to the corresponding elastomer sealing bodies;

a clamping frame conforming to the configuration of said flange and overlapping the peripheral margin of said second block; and

fastening means engaging said clamp member and said housing shell and clamping said two insulation blocks together with consequent sealing compression of said elastomer sealing bodies at the enlargements of the aligned bores.

11. A combination as set forth in claim in which said fastening means comprises a plurality of screws eX- tending through said flange and said clamping frame, said screws being in screw-threaded engagement with only one of said flange and said clamping frame, said screws having collars to engage the other of said flange and said clamping frame to create separation force between the flange and the clamping frame in response to unscrewing of the screw.

12. A multi-contact connector assembly for mounting in an opening in a bulkhead with a rim in a fluid-tight manner for mating with a similar multi-contact device comprising:

a housing shell having an open front side and having a continuous peripheral flange to overlie the rim of the bulkhead opening, said housingy shell having a continuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced rearward from the front side of the housing shell;

a first insulating block nested in said housing shell against said inner shoulder;

a second insulating block nested inside said housing shell in face-to-face contact with said first insulation block;

a plurality of spaced forwardly extending bores in said first insulation block;

a corresponding plurality of spaced forwardly extending bores in said second insulation block, the bores in said second insulation block registering with the bores in the first insulation block to form aligned pairs of bores;

elastomer sealing means embracing, and bonded to,

said oppositely directed lateral shoulders in said contact elements at the confronting faces of the two insulation blocks;

continuous sealing means abutting the inner surface of said continuous side wall of the housing shell and abutting a continuous margin of at least one of said two insulation blocks to seal paths through the bulkhead opening along the inner surface of the housing shell;

means engaging said second insulation block and said housing shell to hold the housing shell assembled together and to place said elastomer sealing means under sealing compression to seal off paths through said bores;

a continuous sealing member on the back side of said flange at the housing shell for contact with the bulk- 12 head around the rim of the bulkhead opening; and means to anchor said flange of the housing shell to the bulkhead and thereby compress said continuous sealing member to seal paths through the bulkhead Vopening around the outer surface of the housing shell. 13. A combination as set forth in claim12 in which said engaging means includes a continuous clamp member overlapping said flange of the housing shell and contacting with said clamp member and said com` plementary device to seal the juncture between the multi-contact assembly and the multi-contact device. 14. In combination for mounting in an opening in a lin the opening in the wall; a second multi-contact connector assembly joining with said first connector assembly, each of said two assemblies having a housing shell with an open front` side and with a continuous peripheral flange around the housing shell, eachy housing shell having a con-` tinuous side wall formed with an inner forwardly facing shoulder spaced rearward from the front side of the housing shell, the peripheral flange of the first assembly being dimensioned to overlap the rim of said wall opening, each of said assemblies having a first insulating block nested in its housing shell against said inner shoulder thereof and a second insulating blocknested in its housing shell `in face-toface contact with the first insulation block, each 'of said blocks having a plurality of forwardly extend-Y ing bores therethrough .with the bores of the two blocks registered with each other to form pairs of aligned bores, Y

the bores of at least oneV of said first and second insulating blocks in eachl assembly having enlargements that open onto the confronting tfaces of the two blocks in each assembly;

contact elements mounted in the pairs of bores of the insulation blocks ofthe first assembly and having oppositely directed lateral shoulders disposed at theY positions of the enlargements in the bores;

complementary contact elements mounted in the pairs of bores of the insulationblocks of the second assembly and having oppositely directed lateral shoulders disposed at the positions of the enlargements in the bores;

elastomer sealing collars embracing, and bonded to, `the i individual contact elements of each of said assemblies at the positions of the oppositely directed lateral shoulders and seating in said enlargements of the bores of the assembly and being oversize relative to the enlargements in thel bores, each of said assemblies having a continuous clamping member overlapping the flange of the housing shell of the assembly, each of said assemblies having fastening means interconnecting its clamping member and the peripheral flange of its housing shell to clamp its ltwo insulation blocks together for sealing compression of said elastomer collars, each of said assemt blies having continuous sealing means around at least one of its two insulation blocks; Y

fastering means to hold the two assemblies together;

continuous sealing means sealing the juncture between the two assemblies.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14 and including continuous sealing means to seal the juncture between the peripheral flange of the first assembly and the rim of said wall opening.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Halvorson 339-103 Seils 339-226 Borchert 339-63 Shrunk 339-185 Unger 336-90 Streb 339-185 Doane 339-94 11/1953 Gilbert 339-176 2/ 1954 Klostermann 339-196 4/ 1954 Stevens 339-60 10/ 1956 Schwennesen et al. 174-18 FOREIGN PATENTS 5/ 1947 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED S. TRASK, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A MULTI-CONTACT CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR MATING WITH A SIMILAR COMPLEMENTARY MULTI-CONTACT CONNECTOR DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF: A PLURALITY OF CONTACT ELEMENTS EACH EXTENDING IN A FIRST DIRECTION; INDIVIDUAL ELASTOMER COLLARS HAVING INSULATING PROPERTIES AND EMBRACING THE INDIVIDUAL CONTACT ELEMENTS AND BONDED TO THE ELEMENTS TO FORM ON THE ELEMENTS ELASTOMER ENLARGEMENTS EXTENDING IN A SECOND DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE FIRST DIRECTION; A HOUSING SHELL; AND INSULATING MEANS MOUNTING THE PLURALITY OF CONTACT ELEMENTS AND THE ELASTOMER COLLARS IN THE HOUSING SHELL, SAID INSULATING MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF BORES HOUSING THE CORRESPONDING CONTACT ELEMENTS, SAID BORES BEING OVERSIZED RELATIVE TO THE CONTACT ELEMENTS, SAID BORES BEING FORMED WITH ENLARGEMENTS AT INTERMEDIATE POINTS THEREOF TO SEAT AND RETAIN SAID ELASTOMER ENLARGEMENTS OF THE CORRESPONDING CONTACT ELEMENTS WITH THE ELASTOMER ENLARGMENTS HAVING DIMENSIONS GREATER THAN THE ENLARGEMENTS IN THE BORES AND RESILIENTLY RETAINING AND FLOATINGLY SUPPORTING THE CONTACT ELEMENTS WITH FREEDOM FOR LATERAL SHIFT OF THE CONTACT ELEMENTS WITHIN THE RANGE PERMITTED BY THE OVERSIZED BORES, SAID INSULATING MEANS BEING MADE IN RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTED SECTIONS IN FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT FOR SEPARATION AT THE POSITIONS OF THE ENLARGEMENTS IN THE BORES TO MAKE SAID ENLARGEMENTS OF THE BORES ACCESSIBLE FOR THE MOUNTING OF THE CONTACT ELEMENTS WITH THE ELASTOMER ENLARGEMENTS THEREIN.