Abstract:
A weathertight connector for electrical connectors having multiple connection chambers. Compression seals are used for each connection chamber.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 10/266,947, filed Oct. 9, 2002 and entitled WEATHERTIGHT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to a weathertight electrical connector using the positive wire-locking features of U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,875, 5,695,369 and 5,868,589 which features are adapted in a unique manner to achieve a weathertight connector. It is an improvement in the connector shown in U.S. Ser. No. 10/266,947.  
           [0003]    The electrical connecting of two discrete wires using the positive wire locking features of the above-referenced U.S. patents has been highly successful commercially and sold under the trademark POSI-LOCK by the assignee hereof. In the electrical connectors of the type disclosed in the above-identified patents as well as others, a connection chamber is formed in an non-conductive body and a conductive metal insert is provided which extends between the two connection chambers. The ends of the conductive element in the connection chambers is shaped as a splaying member for splaying a wire on its surface. The interior surface of the connection chamber is threaded for receiving a threaded male member which has a throughbore, and a portion of the throughbore is shaped to form a complementary surface to the bullet-shaped splaying surface. When a wire is passed through the throughbore and engages the splaying surface, it is splayed along the splaying surface and then a male member having a threaded exterior engaged with threaded connection chamber walls to clamp the wire between the shaped splaying surface and the complementary clamping surface formed on the throughbore male member. It is desirable in a number of situations to provide a weathertight seal for the connection chambers.  
           [0004]    The object of the present invention is to provide improved techniques and structures for forming a weathertight connector in which the connection chambers are sealed from the ingress of moisture and the like.  
           [0005]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a movable discrete clamp member is provided with a throughbore having a complementary surface on it for clamping the wire to the surface of the conductive insert. For each connection chamber, there is a clamp member, and each clamp member has a throughbore, one end of which has the aforesaid clamping surface, the opposite end of which has a recess for receiving a seal in the form of a compression sleeve. The compression sleeve is carried in the end of the non-conductive clamp member, which is adapted to be retained inside a force member. The compression sleeve has an internal wire passage size designed to freely pass the insulation of a wire inserted therein. In a preferred embodiment, the external surface of the connection chamber is threaded, and the force member which, in the preferred embodiment, is threadably engaged with the external threads on the body member engages and advances the compression sleeve and clamping member to force the complementary end of the clamping member against the wire splayed on the splaying member to thereby clamp the wire between the splaying surface and the complementary surface in the throughbore. At the same time, the compression sleeve is being compressed in an axial direction thereby constricting the wire passage in the compression sleeve radially inwardly and thereby seal against the insulation along the length of the internal wire passage. At the same time, the end of the compression sleeve seals the outer end thereof against the inside of the force member. A second seal-ring in the form of a flanged annular sleeve is adapted to be seated in an annular groove and abut an annular shoulder abutting a seal shoulder approximate the mid-point between the two connection chambers. Thus, when the two force members are threadably engaged with the external threads on the body member and caused to move inwardly to clamp the wire between the two clamping surfaces on the conductive member, the ends of the force members engage their respective seal-rings to thereby provide weathertight seals for the connection chambers from external ambient environment.  
           [0006]    Thus, the invention features a weathertight connector comprising a non-conductive body member having one or more connection chambers formed therein and a conductive element having a pair of ends, each end being positioned coaxially in one of the connection chambers, respectively, and being shaped to form a crimp-free wire connection, the outer surfaces of the non-conductive body member is threaded at each end. A non-conductive clamp member is adapted to be fitted inside the connection chambers, there being one non-conductive clamp member for each chamber. Each non-conductive clamp member has an internal surface adapted to coact with the operative member for clamping the wire to the shaped end of the conductive element in the connection chamber. Compression seals are adapted to be seated in each clamping member, respectively, and have an internal wire passage sized to pass on the insulation of a wire inserted therethrough. A pair of sealing ring members are seated against an annular flange formed in the external surface of the body member and proximate mid-way between the connection chambers. Force members are threadably engaged with the external threads on the body member and engage the compression sleeve/clamp member to force the clamping member against the wires and thereby clamp the wire to the conductive element end therein. At the same time, the compression sleeve is axially compressed constricting the wire passage to sealingly grip the wire insulator axially along the length thereof. It will be appreciated that the external threads on the body member may be internal and the internal threads on the force members may be external and the seal rings carried on the respective force member. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The above and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent when considered with the following specification and accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a weathertight connector incorporating the invention,  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view thereof,  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof,  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 4A and 4B are explanatory sectional views, and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate further embodiments. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The invention features a non-conductive body member  10  having a central annular rib  11  against which are seated compressive seal-ring members  12 R and  12 L, respectively. The external ends  13  and  14  of body member  10  are threaded and have connection chambers  15  and  16  formed therein. Conductive element CE, which may be brass, copper, or other conductive material, is centrally located in a bulkhead BH which is integrally formed with the body member  10 . The conductive element CE has a pair of wire-splaying ends  15 SE and  16 SE in connection chambers  15  and  16 , respectively as disclosed in the manner set forth in the above-identified patents.  
         [0014]    Clamp members  17  and  18  have throughbores  19  and  20 , said throughbores being shaped at one end to have a complementary internal surface S adapted to coact with the splaying member of a conductive element CE (see FIG. 3) having splaying ends  15 SE,  16 SE. The opposite ends  23 ,  24  of the clamp members are cupped to carry compression sleeves  25 ,  26  which are adapted to be seated in the clamping member ends  23 ,  24  and have an internal wire passage sized to allow the free passage of insulation I of the wire inserted therein. Force members  29  and  30  have an internally threaded portion  31 ,  32  which are adapted to engage the threads of the external ends  13  and  14 , respectively, of the non-conductive body member  10 . As noted earlier, the threading may be reversed. Compressive seals  12 L and  12 R and compressive sleeves  25  and  26  may be made from softer plastic such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).  
         [0015]    Force members  29  and  30  have an internal space  41 ,  42  adapted to sealingly engage annular seals  12 L and  12 R and an end  43 ,  44  which engages annular portions  12 LV,  12 RV of seals  12 L and  12 R. The surface  42  engages the horizontal (in FIG. 2) surfaces  12 LH and  12 RH.  
         [0016]    Force members  29  and  30  also are provided with seal recesses  45  and  46  which are adapted to be engaged by the ends  47 ,  48  of compression seal members  25  and  26  as shown FIG. 3.  
         [0017]    When the force members  29  and  30  are turned (they have knurled or grooved surfaces for good gripping) to tighten them on the non-conductive body member  10 , clamp members  17  and  18  are urged by the respective force members  29  and  30 , and the clamping member is forced against the wire splayed on the splaying member to thereby clamp the wire between the splaying surfaces  15 SE,  16 SE and the complementary internal surface S on the force member. At the same time, the ends  41 ,  42  of the force members engage the central seal-rings  12 L,  12 R thereby forming a weathertight arrangement for each of the connection chambers.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 3, the force members  29  and  30  are threadably engaged with the threads  13  and  14  of the external ends of the body member  10 . At the same time, the force member is bearing down on the seal-ring in the ends of clamp members  17  and  18  which causes the compression seal  25 ,  26  to close in or constrict and grip the wire. Thus, two forces are acting on the insulated wire, (1) the conductive wire strands are gripped tightly between the clamping surface of the splaying ends of the conductive elements and (2) the compression seal is gripping the external surfaces of the wire insulation.  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 4A, force member  29  is shown as having its thread  31  threadably engaged with thread  13 , and by virtue of the threads serves as a multiplier of the twisting force applied thereto. As the force member is rotated, it is advanced on the threads and thereby the advancing the clamp member  17  until the clamp member engages the splayed wires, FIG. 4B, and clamps the splayed wires to the end  15 SE on conductive element CE. As the force member  29  is rotated further, the right ends of the clamp member is essentially stationary, and the end  45  of force member  29  is in effect moved closer to the end of the cup member  23 . Further rotation of the force member causes the compression of the compression seal  25  which, due to the fact that it is constrained, expands radially inward (see arrows A) and outward such that the wire passage is constricted or reduced in diameter to grip the outer insulation and form a weathertight seal. At the same time, the back end of the force member at the area labeled B is sealed tightly at this point. Therefore, it is clear that the gripping of the wire by the constriction of the compression seal  24  forms a seal in the area A and area B. At the same time, the ring-seal  12 L at the ends of the gland  11  are pressed by the end  43  of the force member  29  to compress compression seal at area C so that it may bulge outwardly. Thus, the seals are made at areas A, B and C. It is interesting to note that at the same time that the compression seal  24  is gripping the wire insulation, and the force member  20  is moving to the right, it forms two additional functions: (1) It grips the wire, thereby further enhancing the strength of the connection and (2) at the same time is urging the wire to better contact the conductive member  21 .  
         [0020]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the end of the compression seal sleeve  25  is square or not chamfered or beveled, as in FIG. 2. At the same time, the internal sealed engaging recess  45  is shaped to conform to the shape of the compression seal member  25 ′. In this case, the seal is formed against the surface  45 V and  45 H so that as the compression seal is closed inwardly and expands radially, and seal expansion takes place against the wire insulation. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the end of the compression sleeve  25 ″ is squared off, whereas the coacting surface in the force member is chamfered or beveled as at  45 ″.  
         [0021]    Instead of a splaying member, the ends of the conductive element in the connection chambers can be shaped to have a wire bore for receiving a wire and a transversely moved ball clamp element seated in a transverse aperture can be forced by the respective clamp members into clamping engagement with the wire in the wire bore by the non-conductive clamp member.  
         [0022]    While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated that many other embodiments, adaptations, changes and modifications to the invention can be done by those skilled in the art.