US3336569A

US3336569A - Electrical connector with contact sealing means

Info

Publication number: US3336569A
Application number: US411798A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph A Nava
Original assignee: Pyle National Co
Current assignee: BRAND-REX WILLIMATIC CT; Pyle National Co
Priority date: 1964-11-17
Filing date: 1964-11-17
Publication date: 1967-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-15
Also published as: DE1540302A1; GB1077057A

Description

J. A. NAVA 3,336,569

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH CONTACT SEALING MEANS Aug. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 17, 1964 INVENTO R JOSEPH A NAVA BY V'W ATTO RN EYS Aug. 15, 1967 J. A. NAVA 3,336,569

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH CONTACT SEALING MEANS Filed Nov. 17, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOSEPH A NAVA ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ill., assignor to The Pyle- Chicago, [1]., a corporation of New ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector comprising a pair of rigid insulators and a resilient disc sandwiched between the rigid insulators. Axially aligned bores are formed in the rigid insulators and in the disc, with the diameter of the bore in one rigid insulator being greater than the diameters of the bores in the other insulator and in the disc. An electrical contact member extends through the bores. An annularly shaped radially outwardly projecting rib disposed within the bore of said one insulator is formed on the contact member and engages the disc in abutting relation. A collet is mounted in the bore of said one insulator for engaging the rib of the contact member and for urging the rib into pressing relation with the disc to compress the disc between the rib and said other insulator to provide a good sealing relation between the rib and the disc.

The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly relates to an electrical connector wherein the contact members are insertable and removable from the rear of the connector and which incorporates an improved contact sealing arrangement wherein each of the respective contact members is engaged by struck-out tines of a collet for retaining the member within the bore of an insulator and for continuously biasing a shoulder on the contact member against one face of an elastic or resilient disc to trap and to compress the disc between the contact member and the insulator.

The arrangement of this invention provides an exceptional seal between the contact portions of male and female contact members. In addition, the number of parts is reduced and assembly is not only simplified but requires less time.

The invention provides for rugged construction and a long, useful life of the connector aside from reducing manufacturing costs and providing an extremely effective seal.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide, in an electrical connector, a substantially improved seal between the contact portions of male and female contact members.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector comprising a compression type seal.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved connector wherein a one-piece rigid insulator houses a contact member retaining collet for urging an enlarged rib portion of a contact member extending through the insulator against a face of a resilient insulating disc clamped against one end of the rigid insulator and through which the contact member also extends to provide a good sealing relation between the rib and the disc and to isolate that portion of the contact member within the one-piece rigid insulator from that portion extending out of the insulator and through the disc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a more simply constructed connector characterized by the incorporation of improved sealing means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which is rugged in construction,

3,336,569 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 ICC requires a minimum number of parts, is easily assembled, is inexpensive in manufacture and embodies improved sealing means.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a multiple pin connector incorporating the principles of the present invention with portions thereof shown in cross-section to illustrate the relation between parts;

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate respectively a cross-sectional side view and an elevational end view of the configuration of a contact member retaining collet constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention immediately prior to complete assembly of the collet in a collet-receiving bore of a rigid insulator;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are similar respectively to FIG- URES 2 and 3 but illustrate the configuration of the collet after it has been completely assembled in the bore of the rigid insulator;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional side view of a collet assembled within the bore of a rigid insulator and illustrates in elevation the forward position of a contact member or pin being inserted into the collet and engaging the tines thereof, but before complete assembly of the contact member in the collet;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a collet of the invention in its sheet form configuration after struck-out tines and slots thereof have been formed but before the collet has been wound or rolled into a tubular shape for insertion into a rigid insulator; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of FIGURE 1 illustrating the relation between parts.

As shown on the drawings:

Although the principles of the present invention are of general applicability, a particularly useful application is made to electrical connectors incorporating multiple male and female current-continuing cont-act members which are insertable and removable from opposite ends of the connector and wherein sealing and isolating characteristics are required between the contact members generally and those portions thereof which actually engage and make contact with each other.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated an electrical connector 10 having a male component indicated at M and a female component in dicated at F. The two components M and F constitute separable members of a multi-pin or multi-contact connector assembly of the present invention. Comparable parts are indicated by like reference numerals for the sake of clarity and brevity.

The male component M has a cylindrical housing 11 internally structured to receive a wire or conduit connecting means 12 and a mounting means 13 for retaining a plurality of male contact members 14. The housing 11 also receives a thin sleeve or tube 16 adapted to retain the connecting means 12 and the mounting means 13 in position within the housing 11. The sleeve 16 is retained in position by an annular flange 17 which is formed internally within the housing 11 for engagement with a circumferential groove 18 formed on the sleeve 16.

An end portion 19 of the housing 11 is threaded as at 20 to receive a nut 21 threaded complementarily as at 22.

Internally, the male housing 11 has a chamber 23 in which male insertion portions 24 of the male currentcontinuing member 14 are adapted to be positioned.

Adjacent the chamber 23 the housing 11 has formed therein a smooth cylindrical bore wall 26 which is adapted to closely receive the peripheral surface of a resilient rubber sealing member or disc 27 of the male mounting means 13. The inner diameter of the bore wall 26 is preferably of somewhat smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the disc 27 to yieldably deform the periphery of the resilient disc 27 for improving the seal between the housing 11 and the mounting means 13.

The female component F has a housing 28 having a cylindrical portion 29 sized to be received in telescoping relation in the end portion 19 of the male housing 11 and providing a rib 30 for receiving in abutting engagement an end wall 31 of the male housing 11.

The female housing 28 also provides a circumferential groove 32 adjacent the rib 30 for receiving an annular ring 33 against which is biased by means of a shoulder 34 of the nut 31 a resilient seal member 36 for sealingly locking the male component M and the female component F in joined together relationship.

In general, the female housing 31 has formed thereon a flange 37 in the same manner as the flange 17 of the male housing 11. A plurality of female current-continuing contact members 38 are carried by mounting means 39 similar to the male mounting means 13 and a wire or conduit connecting means 40 is also provided adjacent the mounting means 39. A sleeve 41 similar to the sleeve 16 of the male component effectively retains the mounting means 39 and the connecting means 40 in assembled relation within the female housing 31.

Each male contact member 14 has a socket portion 42 on which is formed substantially centrally thereof a radially enlarged circumferentially continuous rib 43 having a pair of axially spaced radially extending front and rear faces or shoulder surfaces 44 and 46 respectively which are joined by an axially extending cylindrically shaped outer peripheral wall 47.

The male mounting means 13 comprises rigid cylindrical front and rear insulating members 48 and 49, one or both of which may be of one-piece construction, with the cylindrical resilient rubber seal member or disc 27 sandwiched therebetween. The rear insulator 49 has formed therethrough a plurality of cylindrical contact member bores or passages 45 for receiving the male contact members 14 and a collet 50 is retained in each of the passages 45 for preventing withdrawal of its respective contact member 14.

The front rigid insulating member 48 has an outer surface 51 with a stepped configuration forming a rib 51a which is disposed between the rubber disc 27 and a radial shoulder 52 formed on the inner wall 26 of the male housing 11. In addition, the front insulating member is counterbored at one end to form a plurality of cylindrical passages as at 53, each of which is axially aligned with one of the passages 45 of the rear insulating member 49. The diameters of the respective passages 53 are smaller than the diameters of the ribs 43 formed on their respective male contact members 14.

A plurality of holes or bores 54 are formed in the rubber disc 27 and are arranged to align in registry with the respective passages 45 and 53 of the front and rear insulating members 48 and 49. The disc holes 54 have diameters which are smaller than the diameters of the corresponding ribs 43 and may preferably have diameters somewhat smaller than the diameters of the corresponding passages 45 in the rear insulating member 49.

As shown, the rubber disc 27 is sandwiched between end or abutment walls 48a and 49a of the front and rear insulating members 48 and 49, and the outer diameter of the disc may be slightly oversized with respect to the diameter of the bore wall 26 to provide a good seal between the insulating members along the bore wall 26.

The female contact members 38 are each provided 4- with a socket portion 56 having a male receiving cavity or socket bore 57 formed therein, and a rib 58 the diameter of which may be equal to the diameter of the rib 43 of the corresponding male contact member 14.

The female contact mounting means 39 is similar to the male mounting means 13 and comprises a rigid front insulating member 60 and a rear insulating member 61, a rubber seal or disc 62 similar to disc 27 being sandwiched therebetween.

The front insulating member 60 has a plurality of counterbored elongated contact bores or passages 63 formed therein, each of which is axially aligned with an opening 64 for receiving an insertion portion 24 of a male contact member 14. In addition, the rear insulating member 61 has a plurality of passages 66 formed therein, each of which is axially aligned with one of the passages 63 of the insulating member 60. The dimensional characteristics of the passages 63 and 66, the ribs 58 and the rubber disc 62 may be substantially similar to corresponding parts of the male portion M of the connector 10.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the collets 50 is housed completely within its respective rear insulating member, which may preferably be of rigid one-piece construction.

Referring to FIGURES 2, 3 and 7, the collets 50 are each constructed from a thin, elongated rectangularly shaped sheet-form member 50a which has formed therein a plurality of tines 70 arranged in aligned side-by-side relation. Each of the tines 70 is formed by a pair of spaced parallel leg slots or grooves 71 interconnected at one end thereof by means of a transverse slot 72.

The sheet-form members 50a are constructed of resilient material such as metal and have parallel rear and front edges 73 and 74 and a pair of parallel end edges 76 and 77, and may be folded or wound into the tubular or annular configuration shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein the opposed end edges 76 and 77 form an axially or longitudinally extending slot 78. A forward or free end 79 of each of the tines is pushed radially inwardly to engage the rib of a respective contact member.

FIGURES 2 through 6 are described in relation to the male component M, but it will be appreciated that the description and the figures are similarly applicable to the female component F.

In order to effect a snap-in assembly of the collets 50 in their corresponding rear insulating members, lug and groove means are provided. For example, a plurality of circumferentially spaced collet retaining key portions 80,

which may also be designated lugs or shoulders, are 1 formed in the passages 45 of the rear insulating member 49, and each comprises a radially inwardly inclined and axially outwardly extending sloping surface 81 and a radially extending shoulder surface 82. Also formed in the passages 45 in axially spaced relation to the shoulder surfaces 82 are collet retaining shoulders 83 which are formed respectively of a chamfered portion 84 and a radially extending shoulder surface 86 which, in cooperation with the shoulder surface 82, forms therebetween an axially extending groove 87, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the diameter of the corresponding passage 45.

Although it is necessary to provide only one key in each passage to retain a collet therein, more than one per passage may be effectively utilized, and in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 3, two collet retaining keys are shown within the passage 45 for the purpose of retaining the collet 50 therein, and such keys 80 may be conveniently circumferentially spaced by In order to receive the keys 80, one of the leg slots or grooves 71 of each of a pair of tines 70 is enlarged as indicated at 71a of FIGURE 7 and extends axially when arranged in assembled condition to receive the entire sloping portion 81 of the respective keys.

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate a collet 50 after it has been Wound or rolled into a tubular configuration, and after it has been partially inserted into the passage 45. The rear edge 73 of the collet 50 has been urged radially inwardly by the ramps provided by the sloping portions 81 of the keys 80 whereby a rear end 88 of the collet 50 has been radially compressed and the corresponding rear portions of the end edges 76 and 77 of the collet have been urged together to reduce the width of the slot 78 at such rear end of the collet.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a collet 50 after it has been completely assembled within its respective rear insulating member 49 and it will be noted that the rear edge 73 of the collet has been moved forwardly sufiiciently such that the key members 80 have been received by the enlarged slots 71a of the collet 50. As a result, the collet has resiliently expanded to a true tubular shape as exemplified by the spaced parallel disposition of the wall 76 and 77, which now form a rectangularly shaped slot 89. The rear wall 73, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, forms a shoulder which faces the opposing shoulder surface 86 of the collet retaining shoulder 83 to prevent further axial movement of the collet 50 in the direction of the shoulder 83, and the lugs or shoulders formed by the front walls 71b of the enlarged slots 71a are in oppositely-facing relation to the corresponding shoulder surfaces 82 of the collet key members 80 to preclude reverse axial movement or withdrawal of the collet.

It will be appreciated, therefore, that the complete collet retaining means for retaining the collets in the rear rigid one-piece insulating members of the male and female components resides exclusively within such rear insulating members and the collets themselves, and requires no additional retention means.

As illustrated in the enlarged view of FIGURE 6, the free state diameter of the free ends 79 of the tines '70 is less than the diameter of portion 42 of the male contact member 14, and as the contact member 14 is inserted, spreading effect of the tines is produced. As best illustrated in FIGURE 1, after the contact members have been fully inserted into their respective collets, the free ends of the tines are resiliently radially inwardly contracted to abut against the enlarged ribs 43 of the contact members, thereby preventing withdrawal of the contact members.

In addition, the tines are bent radially inwardly sulficiently in their sheet-form configurationsuch that in an assembled condition, when engaged by the contact members, there will remain a radially outward bias exerted on the tines which will, in turn, maintain a radially outward bias on the collet to assist the natural resiliency or spring action of'the collet to maintain engagement thereof with I the collet key members 80.

Referring to FIGURE 8, it will be noted that the front face 44 of the rib 43 of the male contact member 14 is not only firmly engaged with but is actually depressed within a rear face 90 of the disc 27, which not only forms a good sealing relation therebetween, but also forms a sealing relation between a portion of the outer peripheral wall 47 of the rib 43 with a contiguous portion of the disc 27.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that in like manner, the ribs 58 of the female contact members 38 are engaged with and slightly depressed within a rear face 91 of the rubber disc 62. In addition, the discs 27 and 62 are supported at opposite front faces 92 and 93 respectively by the front insulating members 48 and 60, whereby the discs are actually clamped and compressed between the ribs and the insulating members to provide an exceptional seal.

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a connector,

a contact member having an annular radially outwardly extending rib forming a shoulder,

a tubular insulator made of rigid material and having a bore formed therein for receiving said contact member,

a resilient disc having one face engaging said shoulder of said contact member and having an opening through which said contact member extends, means forming an abutment wall on said insulator engaging the opposite face of said disc and having an opening formed therein axially aligned with and of substantially the same size as said opening in said disc, and a collet in said bore having struck-out tines engaging said rib and urging said rib against said disc and said disc against said abutment wall, whereby said disc is snugly sandwiched between said rib and said abutment wall to provide'a seal between said one face of said disc and said shoulder of said rib.

2. In a connector,

a resilient disc having one face engaging said shoulder of said contact member and having an opening through which said contact member extends, means forming an abutment wall on said insulator engaging the other face of said disc, and a collet in said bore engaging said rib for urging said rib against said disc and said disc against said abutment wall, whereby said rib displaces the material of said disc to form a compression seal therebetween.

3. In a connector,

a contact member having a rib forming front and rear shoulders,

a tubular insulator made of rigid material and having an abutment wall formed thereon, a contact bore of a predetermined diameter formed in said insulator and opening to said abutment wall for receiving said contact member,

a collet ,made of resilient material and being radially compressible to a diameter less than the diameter of said bore to allow insertion in said bore,

said collet and said bore having complemental lug and groove means formed thereon for effecting snap-in assembly,

said collet having struck-out tines engaging said rear shoulder of said rib and,

a resilient disc having an opening dimensioned less than that of said rib through which said contact member extends and having one face thereof engaging said front shoulder of said rib, and an opposite face thereof engaging said abutment wall, said collet urging said rib against said disc and said disc against said abutment wall so that said front shoulder of said rib and said one face of said disc snugly abut in good sealing relation.

4. In a connector,

a tubular rigid insulator,

a resilient insulating disc,

clamping means pressing said disc against said insulator,

a cylindrical contact member receiving bore of a given diameter formed in said insulator and an axially aligned bore of a smaller diameter formed in said disc,

a contact member extending through said born and having an annular rib situated within the bore of said insulator and forming a shoulder,

the diameter of said rib being greater than that of the bore of said disc and said front shoulder of said rib abutting said disc, and

a collet securely retained in the bore of said rigid insulator and having means to press said rib against the disc to trap and to compress the disc between said shoulder and said clamping means for forming a seal between said shoulder and said disc.

5. In a connector, first and second rigid insulators and a resilient insua contact member insertable into said first insulator to extend through said bores and having an annular radially outwardly extending rib situated within the bore of said first insulator and forming first and second shoulders,

the diameter of said rib being greater than that of said bore of said disc and said second insulator and said second shoulder of said rib abutting said disc, and

a collet securely retained in the bore of said first insulator and having a plurality of struck-out tines engaging said first shoulder and operative to urge said rib against said disc to trap and to compress said disc between said second shoulder and said second insulator for forming a seal therebetween.

In a connector,

front and rear rigid insulators and a resilient insulating disc sandwiched in between said rigid insulators, contact member receiving bore of a given diameter formed in said rear insulator and axially aligned bores of smaller diameters formed respectively in said disc and in said front insulator, contact member extending through said bores and having an annular radially outwardly extending rib situated within the bore of said rear insulator and forming front and rear shoulders joined by an outer peripheral wall,

the diameter of said rib being greater than that of said bore of said disc and said front insulator and said front shoulder of said rib abutting said disc, and collet securely retained in the bore of said rear insulator and having a plurality of struck-out tines engaging said first shoulder and operative to urge said 8 rib against said disc to trap and to compress said disc between said front shoulder and said front insulator for forming a seal therebetween.

7. In a connector, front and rear rigid insulators and a resilient insulating disc sandwiched in between said rigid insulators,

a cylindrical contact member receiving bore of a given diameter formed in said rear insulator and axially aligned bores of smaller diameters formed in said disc and in said front insulator,

said diameter of said bore in said disc being at least as great as the diameter of said bore in said front insulator,

contact member extending through said bores and having an annular radially outwardly extending rib situated within the bore of said rear insulator and forming front and rear shoulders joined by an outer peripheral wall,

the diameter of said rib being greater than that of said bore of said disc and said front insulator and said front shoulder of said rib abutting one face of said disc, and a collet securely retained in the bore of said front insulator and having a plurality of struck-out tines engaging said rear shoulder of said contact member,

said tines operative to urge said front shoulder against said disc to trap and to compress said disc between said front shoulder and said front insulator and to press said rib into said one face of said disc to form a seal between said disc and said front shoulder and said outer peripheral wall of said rib.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,258,737 10/1941 Browne 339177 2,383,926 8/1945 White 339-61 2,450,528 10/1948 Sprigg 339-130 X 3,029,407 4/1962 Burton et a1 33989 X 3,068,443 12/1962 Nava et al 339-217 3,182,278 5/1965 Bridle 33959 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A CONNECTOR, A CONTACT MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING RIB FORMING A SHOULDER, A TUBULAR INSULATOR MADE OF RIGID MATERIAL AND HAVING A BORE FORMED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING SAID CONTACT MEMBER, A RESILIENT DISC HAVING ONE FACE ENGAGING SAID SHOULDER OF SAID CONTACT MEMBER AND HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID CONTACT MEMBER EXTENDS, MEANS FORMING AN ABUTMENT WALL ON SAID INSULATOR ENGAGING THE OPPOSITE FACE OF SAID DISC AND HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AS SAID OPENING IN SAID DISC, AND A COLLET IN SAID BORE HAVING STRUCK-OUT TINES ENGAGING SAID RIB AND URGING SAID RIB AGAINST SAID DISC AND SAID DISC AGAINST SAID ABUTMENT WALL, WHEREBY SAID DISC IS SNUGLY SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAID RIB AND SAID ABUTMENT WALL TO PROVIDE A SEAL BETWEEN SAID ONE FACE OF SAID DISC AND SAID SHOULDER OF SAID RIB.