Patent ID: 6071146
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A seal for disposition between a connector housing and a wire, comprising:opposed faces having at least one wire hole therethrough;an interior sealing surface connecting said opposed faces to form said at least one wire hole;said interior sealing surface having at least two inwardly extending compressive ribs contacting an outer surface of the wire, said ribs having a notch therebetween, said inwardly extending compressive ribs having a contacting apex, each said rib having trailing sides that extend from said apex toward said notch, each said outermost rib having lead-in side surfaces extending toward said opposed faces, said notch having a diameter less than a diameter of the hole at a connection point between said lead-in side surfaces and said opposed faces, wherein said at least one wire hole has a seal opening with a diameter greater than the diameter of the hole at said connection point to form lead-in taper surfaces, said trailing sides having a significantly more shallow taper than said lead-in taper surfaces; wherein a thickness of said outer sealing edge has a dimension C that is employed to derive a plurality of radius values associated with said connection point, said compressive ribs and said notch; and wherein said seal has a first plurality of intersection points for said plurality of radius values derived from said dimension C such that said first and second plurality of intersection points intersect to position the location of radiuses associated with said connection point, said compressive ribs and said notch, said compressive ribs only being positioned within about a middle section of said seal equal to about one-half of dimension C, wherein the seal is made of an elastomeric material having a durometer hardness that allows deflection of said compressive ribs as the wire passes through said wire hole without said compressive ribs remaining in contact with said lead-in taper surfaces upon completion of wire insertion.