Abstract:
An adapter assembly for connecting a multi-contact electrical plug within a cable support arrangement includes an elongated adapter body containing a through passage and having a rectangular first end portion containing a chamber for receiving the electrical plug, and a tubular second end portion threadably connected adjacent its free extremity with a concentrically arranged cable sleeve, an annular sealing device being provided for sealing one end of the annular space defined between the cylindrical outer surface of the adapter body tubular end portion and the inner surface of the adjacent end portion of the concentrically arranged sleeve. A second annular seal is supported within the cable sleeve for sealing the entrance of the cable into the adapter through passage, and a third sealing ring is provided for sealing the space between the outer surface of the adapter body rectangular end portion and a slidably mounted outer sleeve member.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a companion application to the U.S. application Ser. No. 11/641,433 filed Dec. 19, 2006, in the names of Claudia Hanning et al entitled “Adapter Housing for Connecting Insert Devices With a Cable Fitting”. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   An adapter assembly is provided for connecting a multi-contact electrical plug within a cable support arrangement, including an elongated adapter body containing a cable-receiving through passage and having a rectangular first end portion containing a chamber for receiving an electrical plug connected with the cable, and a tubular second end portion threadably connected at its free end with a concentrically arranged cable sleeve, annular sealing means being provided for sealing one end of the annular space defined between the cylindrical outer surface of the adapter body tubular end portion and the inner surface of the adjacent end portion of the concentrically arranged sleeve. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   As evidenced by the U.S. patent to Guelden (Bell Telephone Laboratories) U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,236 and the German patent of Bernat et al No. DE 102 36 275, various adapter devices have been proposed for supporting electrical plugs relative to cable fittings. 
   Adapters of this type facilitate the use of the plug arrangements in rough environments—for example, in production facilities or automotive vehicles—by attaining a protective class that is higher when compared to the protective class of the plug part, such as IP65 or IP67. The idea of attaining higher requirements from environmental classifications in the IEC 61067-3-106 Variant 4, in EN 50173-1:2005, in ISO/IEC 24702 and in IEC 61918 was further developed. The afore-mentioned German patent shows a possibility of achieving these standards. This known design, however, presents a problem in that it is suitable only for the transmission of electrical signals and that, as a rule, it is necessary to enlarge the structural space in order to use the solution also for other plug parts, for example, in light conductor techniques (for instance, SC simplex uses, especially at an interval of 7.35 mm). The known design furthermore should be improved with regard to high mechanical and chemical stresses, which it does not meet in an optimum fashion. 
   The present invention therefore was developed to provide an improved adapter with whose help it is possible by means of simple design features to meet the rigid mechanical and chemical stresses and requirements. Preferably, it should be possible in a simple manner to facilitate the reception of plug parts of varying designs without having to change the adapter. Usefulness would be desired for plugs of data transmission technology with copper and/or light wave conductors, especially for Ethernet and field bus systems; plugs for energy supply technology with copper and/or compressed air lines; and plugs of signal transmission technology with copper conductors, especially for sensors and/or actuators. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an adapter assembly including an elongated adapter body containing a cable-receiving through passage and having a rectangular first end portion containing a chamber for receiving an electrical plug connected with the cable, and a tubular second end portion threadably connected at its free end with a concentrically arranged cable sleeve, annular sealing means being provided for sealing one end of the annular space defined between the cylindrical outer surface of the adapter body tubular end portion and the inner surface of the adjacent end portion of the concentrically arranged sleeve. 
   According to a further object of the invention, a second annular seal is supported within the cable sleeve for sealing the entrance of the cable into the adapter through passage, and a third sealing ring is provided for sealing the space between the outer surface of the adapter body rectangular end portion and a slidably mounted outer sleeve member. 
   A more specific object of the invention is to provide an adapter assembly of the type described above, wherein the sealing means for sealing the annular space between the adapter body tubular end portion and the concentrically arranged cable sleeve end portion comprises either a separate sectional adapter sleeve component, or is carried directly by the end portion of the outer sleeve member that is slidably mounted on the rectangular end portion of the adapter body. 
   According to the present invention, the rectangular first end portion of the adapter body contains a chamber for receiving the plug means, and the cylindrical second end portion has external screw threads for the purpose of screwing on a cable sleeve for the cable passage. The cable sleeve has an interior screw threading area extending over a portion of its axial length, and a sleeve end portion that extends axially out over the end of the threading, which cable sleeve end portion has a somewhat larger inside diameter than the outside diameter of the cylindrical end portion of the adapter body, whereby between the inside diameter of the sleeve segment and the outside diameter of the cylindrical segment, there is formed an annular space that is open in the direction of the plug face and that is axially closed off at the other end by the screw threading. The other end of the annular space is closed by an annular seal device that is either integral with an outer member slidably mounted on the adapter body rectangular end portion, or a separate adapter sleeve arranged between the sliding out sleeve and the cable sleeve. 
   The invention provides a standardized design, especially in the area of the portion that is to be sealed off between the cable sleeve of the cable passage and the sliding outer member; it does so with simple means and in a decisive fashion so that one can achieve a high degree of tolerance and mechanical and chemical resistance. The adapter furthermore can be used for plug parts of the most varied kind without basically having to alter the design to attain a high protective class such as IP65 or IP67. 
   It is possibly only necessary to use an auxiliary frame or to make parts of the adapter from a certain material. For example, many parts of the adapter can be made either from plastic or metal. The optimum material source will be made according to the requirements profile. 
   According to another advantageous feature of the invention, at least one plug part is mounted in an auxiliary frame that can be inserted into the plug chamber at the rectangular end of the adapter body. Preferably, the auxiliary frame can also be locked in the receiving housing. The auxiliary frame makes it possible in the simplest way to insert various plug elements in uniformly shaped receiving housings. The need for having various receiving housings ready is thus obviated. It is also conceivable that some plug parts can be attached with the auxiliary frame and that differently shaped plug parts can be inserted directly without an auxiliary frame in the receiving housing and can be locked there. 
   The adapter arrangement of the present invention is suitable for use with cables having a sheathing diameter of about 5-10 mm, and with plugs such as the RJ45 8xAWG 27/7 piercing contact plug, RJ45 8xAWG26/7-22/7 IDC-contact plug, and LC duplex, 2×SC simplex units at the interval of an SC-RJ:7.35 mm, power contacts, USB, firewall, coax or sensor/actuator contacts. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of the electrical plug adapter assembly of the present invention including an auxiliary plug support member, and 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  are perspective front and exploded views of the electrical plug adapter assembly of the present invention as used without the auxiliary plug support member of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are perspective front and exploded views, respectively, of the plug adapter assembly using a multi-plug type of auxiliary plug support member; 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are perspective and exploded views, respectively, of the plug adapter assembly used with a further type of multi-plug auxiliary plug support; 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  are front and rear partially exploded perspective views of the adapter assembly of the present invention 
       FIG. 11  is a fully exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the adapter assembly of the present invention, and 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  are front perspective and longitudinal sectional views, respectively, of the assembled apparatus of  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIGS. 14 and 15   a - 15   c  are exploded views illustrating the apparatus of the present invention provided with color coded means,  FIG. 15   d  is a perspective view illustrating the apparatus of  FIG. 15   c  in an assembled condition; and  FIG. 15   e  is a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIGS. 16-18  are perspective views illustrating the manner in which the color coded bands are mounted on the cable sleeve components; 
       FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b  are perspective and exploded views, respectively, illustrating the mounting of color-coded or indicia-bearing labels to the outer sleeve member of the adapter assembly including an auxiliary plug support, and 
       FIGS. 20   a  and  20   b ,  FIGS. 21   a  and  21   b , and  FIGS. 22   a  and  22   b  are corresponding perspective and exploded views, respectively, illustrating the adapter assembly of  FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b  when used with various other electrical plug arrangements. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring first more particularly to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  11 , the adapter assembly  1  includes an adapter body  3  having a first rectangular end portion  3   a , and a second tubular end portion  3   b , as best shown in  FIG. 11 . The adapter body  3  contains a through passage which defines in the rectangular first end portion  3   a  a plug-receiving chamber  30  having a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, thereby to receive an electrical plug  2   a , such as an RJ45 plug, that is connected with the cable C that extends through the adapter body. The cylindrical outer surface of the tubular second end portion  3   b  of the adapter body is provided with external screw threads  8 . Arranged concentrically about the tubular second end portion  3   a  of the adapter body is a tubular cable sleeve  9  formed of a synthetic plastic material or metal having a tubular first end portion  9   a , an internally threaded intermediate portion  9   b  provided with the screw threads  26 , and a second tubular end portion  9   c . As shown in  FIG. 13 , the cable sleeve  9  is mounted concentrically about the tubular end portion  3   b  of the adapter body  3 , with the screw threads  26  on the cable sleeve in threaded engagement with the screw threads  8  at the free end of the tubular end portion  3   b  of the adapter body  3 . As will be explained in greater detail below, the tubular first end portion  9   a  of the cable sleeve  9  extends in concentrically spaced relation about the outer cylindrical surface of the tubular portion  3   b  of the adapter body, thereby to define an annular space  13 . At one end, the annular space  13  is closed by the threadably engaged screw threads  8  and  26 , and the other end of the annular space is closed by the tubular first end portion  19   a  of an adapter sleeve  19 . At its other end, the adapter sleeve  19  includes a rectangular second end portion  19   b  that extends about the outer circumferential surface of the rectangular first end portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , this adapter sleeve  19  is longitudinally divided to define a pair of bifurcated sections  19 ′ and  19 ″ that are fastened together by pin and opening snap fastening means  24  and  25 . 
   Arranged concentrically within the tubular end portion  3   b  of the adapter body  3  is an annular chuck member  10  having a plurality of spring fingers that extend axially about the outer circumferential surface of an annular seal member  11 , thereby to support the same within the second end portion  9   c  of the cable sleeve  9 . Thus, when the cable C is inserted within the adapter assembly as shown in phantom in  FIG. 13 , the seal  11  is in concentric engagement with the outer sheath surface of the cable C. 
   Slidably mounted on the rectangular end portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3  is a hollow rectangular outer sleeve member  15 . Snap fastener means including projections  14  on the outer surface of the rectangular portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3  engage corresponding snap recesses  16  ( FIG. 13 ) contained in the adjacent inner surfaces of the outer sleeve member  15 , thereby to fasten the sleeve member to the adapter body. A rectangular seal member  27  is mounted between the end surface of the adapter body  3  and a corresponding surface within the outer sleeve member  15 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in order to mount an electrical plug  2   a  within the adapter assembly  1 , an auxiliary plug support member  4  is provided that is fastened within the rectangular end of the adapter body  3  by releasable locking hooks  18  on the auxiliary plug support that engage corresponding locking opening  17  contained in the rectangular end portion  3   a  of the adapter body. Similarly, the adapter sleeve  19  is locked within the outer sleeve member  15  by locking means  28  including locking openings  28   a  provided on the adapter sleeve  19 , and locking projections  28   b  provided on the inner circumferential surface of the outer sleeve member  15 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , it will be seen when a second type of electrical plug  2   b  is provided, use of an auxiliary plug support member (similar to the member  4  of  FIG. 2 ) is not required, since the plug may be inserted directly into the chamber  30  contained in the rectangular end of the adapter body  3 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an auxiliary frame  4 ′ is provided for supporting a pair of plugs  2   c  (such as LC duplex plugs) within the rectangular chamber  30  contained in the end portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a pair of electrical plugs  2   d  are mounted by the auxiliary plug support  4 ″ within the chamber  30  contained within the end portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3 . In accordance with one feature of the invention, the longitudinal position of the auxiliary plug support member  4 ′ ( FIG. 6 ) may be fixed relative to the chamber  30  contained within the adapter body  3  by screw means S that extend through a corresponding opening  17 ′ contained in the auxiliary support member. In  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the plugs  2   d  are of the SC-RJ: 7.35 mm type. 
     FIG. 9  illustrates the manner in which the sections  19 ′ and  19 ″ of the adapter sleeve  19  are mounted together on the outer surface of the rectangular portion  3   a  of the adapter body  3 , and the manner in which the rectangular seal  27  is arranged between the adapter body  3  and the outer sleeve member  15 . Also illustrated are the support ribs  15   a  that guide and support the plug means relative to the adapter body  3   a  and serve as a stop means.  FIG. 10  illustrates the manner in which the annular seal  11  is supported by the resilient fingers of the chuck member  10 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 14 , it will be seen that the cable sleeve  9  may be provided at its end portion  9   b  with a protective sleeve  32  that protects the cable C against bending. A protective sleeve  32  may be formed of metal for example or, as illustrated by the protective sleeve  33  in  FIG. 15   a , from a synthetic plastic material. It will be seen that in  FIGS. 14 and 15   a , a color-coded split resilient sleeve member  35  is provided that is snapped around the first end portion  9   a  ofthe cable sleeve  9 , which split annular member extends within a corresponding circular groove  34  contained in the outer peripheral surface of the cable sleeve  9 . The split rings  35  may be color-coded to peripheral identification of the adapter assemblies corresponding to the types of electrical plugs that are to be incorporated in the devise. Similarly, in  FIGS. 15   b  and  15   c , the color-coded bands  35  are mounted on the external cylindrical surface of the cable sleeve  9 . in this embodiment, the outer sleeve member  15  is provided with recesses  31  that receive color-coded or indicia-bearing labels L, thereby to further identify the specific adapter assemblies. 
   In accordance with another modification of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 15   e , the seal means extending within the annular space  13  may be a tubular portion  119  that is either secured directly to the adjacent end of the outer sleeve member  15 , or is integral with the outer sleeve member  15 . Thus, in the embodiment of  FIG. 15   e , one end of the annular space  13  is closed by the screw thread engagement of the screw threads  8  and  26 , and the other end of the annular space  13  is closed by the seal means  119 .  FIGS. 16-18  illustrate the manner in which the color-coded bands  35  are mounted on the cable sleeve  9 .  FIGS. 19   a ,  19   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  21   a ,  21   b ,  22   a , and  22   b  illustrate various plug arrangements for use with adapter assemblies that are identified by color band means  35  or color-coded or indicia-bearing label means L. 
   The adapter body  3  has end walls which are made thinner, segment by segment, in the introduction area or in the area of the front opening in  FIGS. 1 to 8  in order also to be able to insert wider plug parts into the chamber  30 . The side walls, thus set back, lead to a widened opening in the front area and facilitate the reception of wider plug parts and their assembly/supply. This also decisively contributes to the ability to house relatively large plug parts in the adapter. 
   The adapter sleeve  19  is connected in a locking manner directly, for example, with the sliding sleeve  15 , which, at one of its ends, has a tubular portion  19   a  that engages the annular space  13  inside the projection of cable sleeve  9 . At the other end, it engages the band portion  19  upon locking means  28  into the axial end of the sliding sleeve, whereby one might also conceive that sealing rings and/or additional locking means will secure adapter sleeve  19  on the sliding sleeve  15  and/or cable sleeve  9  (in the annular space  13 ). 
   Adapter sleeve  19  can consist of two easily assembled half-shells  19 ′ and  19 ″ that are connected with each other, for example, via a press seat upon pins  24  and corresponding blind holes  25 . As an alternative, one can also make an integral design (not shown, for example, consisting of rubber or an elastomer), provided it can be assembled or can be taken out of the mold. 
   In this way, one can in a simple fashion achieve a good protective effect, especially against the penetration of dirt and/or moisture, in particular, in the area of annular space  13  in which engages adapter sleeve  19  (or a sleeve segment on the sliding sleeve), which effect can be further increased by means of sealing rings or other measures to attain particularly high protection classes. 
   Optionally, one could also conceive designing adapter sleeve  19  and sliding sleeve  15  together in one piece (not shown). Adapter sleeve  19 , which advantageously and in an easily assembled manner consists preferably of the two half-shells  19 ′ and  19 ″, can possibly be made as a two-component injection-molded part with sealing ring areas along its interior and exterior surfaces. 
   The plug components  2  are locked directly in the chamber  30  of the adapter body  3 . Therefore, the locking arrangement will offer high stability. The protruding eyelet, plus the pertinent tongue of the state of the art, which can be easily damaged, is thus avoided. Locking means  17 ,  18  furthermore are advantageously arranged outside the sealing ring  27  between the receiving frame  3  and the sliding sleeve  15  in such a manner that unlocking or unlatching is or remains possible from outside the assembly. 
   In order to receive various plug components  2  in a sealed manner, it is necessary to provide either the plug components  2  or the auxiliary frames  4  for the plug parts  2  with the necessary locking contours or locking means  18  for locking upon locking means  17 . As locking contours or means  18 , one might conceive of projections, locking hooks, a hole, recesses, etc. that are made on plug part  2  and that are correspondingly again found on the adapter body  3 . 
   In this manner, one can in a simple manner, with the help of the adapter assembly  1 , implement the reception of an RJ45 plug (reference symbol  2   a ,  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ) from the office setting with the help of the adapter. The following plugs can preferably be accepted: RJ45 8xAWG 27/7-24/7 (Piercing contacts), RJ45 8xAWG 26/7-22/7 (IDC contacts), LC duplex ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ), 2×SC simplex units (at the interval of an SC-RJ; 7.35 mm;  FIGS. 7 and 8 ), power contacts, USB, firewire, coax and/or sensor/actuator contacts. The invention-based arrangement is particularly suitable for use in the sensor/actuator or field bus technique area. 
   Sliding outer sleeve member  15  as well as adapter sleeve  19  and/or cable sleeve  9  and/or an optional bending protection can be implemented just like the plug parts  2  with plastic or metal parts or also as composite parts made up of several materials. In the metal version, all external housing parts preferably consist of metal (against welding beads and high mechanical stress). The indivisible, internal plug reception or the receiving housing  3  can also be made of metal in order to meet stiff mechanical requirements. Depending on requirement and use, individual parts of the adapter can also consist of plastic or metal. On the receiving housing  3  made of metal, the locking hooks  14  preferably also consist of metal, for example, of spring steel to enhance the mechanical stability. Mixed forms (receiving housing  3  made of plastic or metal and the adapter sleeve made of metal or plastic) are conceivable. 
   The locking hooks  14  can be actuated instead via a ram, also via a rocker, to reduce production costs (as low-cost version without sliding sleeve  15  and adapter sleeve  19 ). 
   Associated with the adapter can also be an arresting element for locking the position of the sliding sleeve after insertion of the adapter into the socket. The arresting element can be made as a flexible ring segment consisting of plastic or spring steel and, after the production of the plug connection (adapter  1  with plug part  2  in socket), it can be snapped on between sliding sleeve  15  and cable sleeve  9 . An encoding color selection can then be implemented also by means of or on the arresting element (all of which is not shown here). 
   It is, however, advantageous when cable sleeve  9  consists of metal and/or when the cable sleeve  9  is arranged or fashioned in one piece in a traction relief, especially in the form of a strap. 
   Preferably, the optical plane of the plug part according to an advantageous version of the invention, which can also be considered as an independent invention, is so made on adapter  1  that one can make a connection—free of any coupling piece—of the light-conducting media (glass, HCS, POF) to a transceiver housing (not shown here). To achieve this, one would have to adjust different thicknesses of cabinet/housing walls and differing positions/locations of the transceiver housing. This can be done in a functional manner in that the optical plane is positioned during the cable/plug production or in that the locking point of auxiliary frame  4  is additionally so designed that it can be set in adapter  1 . 
   As an alternative to the standard locking in the lowest position, the auxiliary frame  4  can also be positioned and fixed further forward with a sealed screw S ( FIG. 6 ) between the locking hook attachment  14  in receiving housing  3  in almost any desired location; only then are the sliding outer sleeve  15  and the adapter sleeve  19  assembled. For this purpose, there is a corresponding hole for the fastening screw. The sealing can be implemented by a flat seal under the partly lowered screw head. 
   Preferably, receiving housing  3  is made with a fastening hole for auxiliary frame  4 , optionally for the purpose of making it without a fastening hole (something that can be done on the same conversion WZ) with otherwise identical design and dimensions of adapter  1  in compliance with the IEC 61067-3-106 Variant 4. In that way, we get a connection—free of any coupling pieces—of the light-conducting media by way of the free positioning of the optical plane in the adapter by means of the fastening screw. 
   According to  FIGS. 14 and 15  and some other figures, surfaces  31  (depressions) are made on sliding sleeve  15 , which are suitable for receiving markers L or the like (also adhesive tags).  FIGS. 14 and 15  as well as some other figures furthermore disclose on cable sleeve  9  the already previously mentioned bending protection nozzle  32 ,  33  for a cable on plug part  2  that according to  FIG. 14  consists of metal and according to  FIG. 15  consists of plastic. 
   Along its outer circumference, cable sleeve  9  furthermore contains a groove  34  to receive a preferably slit ring  35  that can be used, for example, as a color marking.  FIGS. 14 and 15  also show an alternative design of the spring chuck  10  (in this case, without sealing ring  11 ). 
   While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without deviating from the invention described above.