Abstract:
A compliant cap for inserting into an aperture of an electrical connector. The cap includes two halves connected by a living hinge. The two radial members in the two halves each extend perpendicular to the living hinge with the second radial member being longer than the first. One of the halves includes a plurality of chamfers, and the other half includes an outer rim surrounding the chamfers such that when the cap is compressed, the rim envelops the chamfers decreasing the area of the cap. In a second embodiment, chamfers include extensions adjacent to the outer rim for wrapping around or extending over the rim and further enhancing the secure fit of the two halves.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a plastic end cap for plugging openings in electrical connectors to prevent particulates from entering the connectors during storage. More particularly, the invention relates to a plastic end cap molded in two halves with a living hinge connecting the two halves of the cap. Each of the two halves further includes a tab molded into each side of the cap, the two tabs being offset from each other. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Conventional caps are formed of a rigid material which is solid throughout the entire cap body. When installed in electrical connector apertures, these caps cannot change shape to adapt to the size of the respective aperture because the area between the diameters is inflexible and compact. 
   This known design prevents caps from covering a wide range of connector opening diameters and tolerances because the diameter does not widely vary. The manufacturing expenses and cost of parts for these types of caps is often high because the caps are made for a specific size of connector opening diameter and tolerance. 
   Accordingly, a need exists for a compliant cap that is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to insert, and covers a wider range of connector opening diameters and tolerances than that engaged by a conventional solid cap. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a compliant cap for an electrical outlet having a living hinge connecting two halves, each half having a tab molded therein. 
   Another object is to provide a cap having a first diameter in an open position and a smaller, compressed second diameter in a closed position. 
   A further object is to provide a cap having a plurality of chamfers adjacent to the outer rim. 
   Still another object is to provide a cap having a living hinge between a first radial member and a second radial member, one of the radial members being longer than the other. 
   Yet another object is to provide a cap having the first radial member overlapping the living hinge and resting adjacent the second radial member. 
   The foregoing objects are basically attained by providing a compliant cap for inserting into an aperture in an electrical connector. The cap includes two halves connected by a living hinge. The halves each include a radial member positioned adjacent to the living hinge. Further, one of the radial members is longer than the other. One half includes a plurality of chamfers, and the other half includes an outer rim surrounding the chamfers. 
   By forming the compliant cap in this manner, a user can insert the cap into an aperture in an electrical connector by collapsing the hinge so the larger and shorter radial members are adjacent one another and the half having an outer rim surrounds the half with the plurality of chamfers. 
   As used in this application, the terms “top”, “bottom”, and “side” are intended to facilitate the description of the invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to any particular orientation. 
   Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the present invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring to the drawings which form a part of this disclosure: 
       FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the compliant cap plugged into an electrical connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the compliant cap of  FIG. 1  in an open position; 
       FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the compliant cap of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in the process of being inserted into an electrical connector; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the compliant cap of  FIG. 2  in an open position; 
       FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of a compliant cap in a fully open position without the electrical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the compliant cap of  FIG. 5  in a closed position as if inserted into an electrical connector. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Turning to  FIGS. 1-4 , a compliant cap  10  is a substantially circular cup shaped structure having a living hinge  16  on a continuous bottom  11  connecting a first half  12  and a second half  14  of the cap  10  bound by the continuous bottom member  11 . The bottom member  11  is formed by a first bottom surface  11   a  and a second bottom surface  11   b , as seen in  FIG. 4 , having the living hinge  16  midway therebetween. The compliant cap  10  is mainly used for plugging an aperture  18  in an electrical connector  20  with the closed bottom member  11 . 
   First half  12  is a resiliently deflectable body including first radius or radial member  22  extending through the middle of its body, perpendicular to the living hinge  16  and perpendicular to the bottom member  11 . The living hinge  16  is positioned along the midline of the cap  10 . Opposite the first half  12  and completing the remaining structure of the cap  10  is the second half  14 . The second half  14  is a resiliently deflectable body including second radius or radial member  24  also extending through the middle of its body, perpendicular to the living hinge  16  and perpendicular to the bottom member  11 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 4 , first half  12  includes a side member  13  extending from the first bottom surface  11   a  toward the outer rim  30 . Similarly, second half  14  includes a side member  15  extending from the second bottom surface  11   b  towards the outer rim  31 . The side members  13 ,  15  make up the walls between the bottom surfaces  11   a ,  11   b  and the outer rims  30 ,  31 . As seen in  FIG. 3 , the side members  13 ,  15  fill the aperture  18  of the electrical connector  20 . 
   First radial member  22  and second radial member  24  are not equal in length. As seen in  FIG. 1 , second radial member  24  is somewhat longer than first radial member  22  and extends across the living hinge  16  when the cap  10  is inserted into the electrical connector  20 . The different sizes of the first radial member  22  and second radial member  24  enable the cap  10  to collapse upon itself when the tabs  32 ,  34  are pulled together, prior to insertion into the connector  20 . Tabs  32 ,  34  are the upper portions of the first radial member  22  and second radial member  24 , respectively. They can extend along part or all of the entire radial length. 
   The size differential between the first radial member  22  and the second radial member  24  accounts for the ability of the cap  10  to collapse upon itself because the second radial member  24  crosses over the living hinge  16  and rests adjacent to the first radial member  22 . The tabs  32 ,  34  are offset by lead-ins in the form of chamfers or radii. 
   The collapsing motion of the cap  10  reduces the diameter of the cap  10 . The cap  10  has a first diameter d  1  when the cap is in a closed position ( FIGS. 1 ,  6 ) and a second diameter d 2  when the cap is in an open position ( FIGS. 4 ,  5 ). The living hinge has the cap halves disposed towards their open position. The ability of the cap  10  to collapse upon itself allows the cap  10  to cover a wide range of apertures in electrical connectors  20 . The second diameter d 2  is therefore greater than the first diameter d 1  because the radial members  22 ,  24  are at a distance from each other and do not perfectly match up to constitute an even diameter. 
   When the cap  10  is in a closed position, the cap  10  is insertable into an aperture  18  in an electrical connector  20 . This collapsible position eases the placement of the cap  10  into the connector  20  because the cap  10  is at its narrowest orientation, thus easily fitting within the border of the aperture  18 . Each half  12 ,  14  includes an outer lip or rim  30 ,  31 , respectively to prevent the cap  10  from slipping completely into the electrical connector  20  by engaging an electrical connector aperture rim  19  about aperture  18 . The rim  31  of the second half  14  is further defined by chamfers  26 ,  28  for advancing the second half  14  into the closed position of the cap  10 . 
   Rims  30 ,  31  clamp the wall of the junction box to hold the cap  10  in place. When the cap  10  is inserted, the rims  30 ,  31  are pinched together such that inwardly projecting tabs  32 ,  34  are pulled towards the living hinge  16 . As the cap  10  is compressed, the living hinge  16  flexes to pull the tabs  32 ,  34  inwardly. 
   Also, when crossing over, the second half  14  sits within a portion of the first half  12 . This crossover junction is enabled by the plurality of chamfers  26 ,  28  disposed on the outer edge of the second half  14 . The chamfers  26 ,  28  are narrower than the outer rim  30  of the first half  12  such that the outer rim  30  surrounds the chamfers  26 ,  28  when the cap is in a closed position ( FIG. 1 ,  6 ). 
   The second embodiment, as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , is similar to the cap  10  as described above with the exception of the relationship between the plurality of chamfers. Cap  100  is a substantially circular cup shaped structure having a living hinge  116  connecting a first half  112  and opposite second half  114  of the cap  100 . First half  112  includes a radial member  122  perpendicular to the living hinge  116  and across from the second half  114  with a second radial member  124  also perpendicular to the living hinge  116 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 1 , first radial member  122  and second radial member  124  are not equal in length so the cap  100  collapses upon itself when the tabs  132 ,  134  are pulled together, prior to insertion into the connector  20 . These tabs  132 ,  134  can extend along part or all of the entire radial length, but preferably extend along part of the radial length closest to the hinge  116 . This enables the user to pull the sides of the cap  100  towards the hinge  116  into a closed position as the collapsing motion of the cap  100  reduces the diameter of the cap  100 . 
   Each half  112 ,  114  includes an outer lip or rim  130 ,  131  respectively to prevent the cap  100  from slipping completely into the electrical connector  20 . The rim  131  of the second half  114  is further defined by chamfers  126 ,  128  for advancing the second half  114  into the closed position of the cap  100 . The chamfers  126 ,  128  are received within the area of the first half  112  such that a rim extension  136 ,  138  adjacent each chamfer  126 ,  128  wraps around or extends over the rim  130  of the first half creating a close fit. The crossover junction is enhanced by a plurality of rim extensions  136 ,  138  that clamp the rim  130  to further hold the cap in its closed position. The rim extensions  136 ,  138  are oriented substantially perpendicular to said chamfers  126 ,  128  such that the rim extensions  136 ,  138  tightly fit over the rim  130  of the first half  112 . 
   Operation 
   Regarding each disclosed embodiment, when the cap  10  is selected to plug the aperture  18  of an electrical connector  20 , a user grabs the tab  32  of the first half  12  and the tab  34  of the second half  14 , or the rims  30 ,  31 , and pulls them towards each other against the opening biasings of the living hinge. The living hinge  16  controls the expandability and collapsibility of the cap  10 . 
   The chamfers  26 ,  28  of the second half adjacent its rim  31  are received within or on top of the exterior rim  30  of the first half  12 . This coupling pulls the tabs  32 ,  34  towards each other as the living hinge  16  enables the flexibility of the halves  12 ,  14 . This decrease in cap  10  diameter aids the user with insertion into the electrical connector  20 . 
   When the desired depth of the cap  10  fills the aperture  18 , the user releases the tabs  32 ,  34 , or the rims  30 ,  31 , and allows the force of the living hinge  16  to expand the cap  10 . The cap  10  expands from a closed diameter d 1  to a maximum open diameter d 2  depending on the diameter of the aperture  18 . 
   While particular embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.