Abstract:
A two sealant two-phase wire connector having sequential sealant interfaces for preventing an electrical failure through interactive sealant sharing between a twist-on electrical wire connector having a spiral cavity containing a first waterproof sealant which is immersed in a tube that contains a second water proof sealant, wherein the first water proof sealant and the second water proof sealant each form an interface that shields an electrical connection from the environment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of twist-on electrical wire connectors in areas that may be wet or exposed to moisture requires the bared ends of the electrical wires, which are mechanically joined through a twisting action, to be protected from exposure to moisture, not only immediately after formation of the electrical connection but in some cases for years or decades after formation of the electrical connection. Compounding the problem of waterproofing an electrical wire connection and in particularly a twist-on wire connector where the electrical wire connection may have to last for decades are the conditions existing during the formation of the electrical connection. Typically, an electrical wire connection is formed on-the-go and in the field where the field conditions and the environment may be adverse to formation of an electrical wire connection and the skills of the electricians forming the electrical wire connections may range from novice to expert. 
     In one type of waterproofing an electrical wire connection an electrician forms an electrical connection in a sealant filled twist-on wire connector by twisting the wires in relation to the housing of the twist-on wire connector. In the sealant filled wire connectors a sealant, which is located in a central cavity of the twist-on wire connector, provides a waterproof covering over the electrical junction between a set of bared wire ends. Examples of sealant filled electrical twist-on wire connectors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,113,037; 5,023,402 and 5,151,239. In these type of sealant filled twist-on wire connectors the wires are inserted through a pierceable cover and into a viscous sealant contained in a wire cavity of the twist-on wire connector. The housing is then twisted with respect to the wires to bring the bared ends of the wires into electrical contact with each other in the presence of the sealant, which forms a sealant air interface to shield the electrical connection from the environment. In some embodiments sleeves are placed on the twist-on wire connector to contain extra sealant. In other embodiment the twist-on wire connector includes clips for looping the wires thereon to prevent the wires from pulling out of the twist-on wire connector. 
     Another example of a sealant filled wire connector is shown in King U.S. Pat. No. 8,431,824. King U.S. Pat. No. 8,431,824 discloses a direct bury splice kit having a sealant filled twist-on wire connector formed as an integral part of an elongated tube, which contains a sealant. In this example the formation of a sealant covered wire connection occurs within the tube and in one continuous action. 
     In the above examples the formation of an electrical junction in a sealant filled twist-on wire connector the water resistant wire connection is made in the field and on-the-go by inserting a plurality of bared ends of electrical wires into the waterproof sealant and twisting the wires with respect to the housing of the twist-on wire connector to form a sealant covering around the plurality of bare ends of electrical wires, which are in electrical contact with each other, and a spiral housing located within the twist-on wire connector. This type of sealant filled twist-on wire connector is popular since the formation of the electrical wire connection and the formation of the sealant covering over the bared ends of the electrical wires can be quickly formed without the aid of special tools. 
     In an immersion method of waterproofing the electrical connection is formed in an electrical wire connector, which contains no sealant. Once the electrical connection is formed the entire wire connector with the electrically connected wire ends therein is immersed in a waterproof sealant. An example of an immersion type of waterproofing an electrical wire connection using a twist-on wire connector can be found in the commercially available direct bury splice kit sold by the 3M electrical products of Austin Tex. and Fox U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,473. Typically, the kit includes, a twist-on wire connector, an elongated tube with an integral cover that is closeable on the wires to provide stain relief and a waterproof sealant, which is located in one end of the elongated tube. The twist-on wire connector and the tube are both stored loosely in a plastic package that is breached before the twist-on wire connector and the elongated tube can be used. The elongated tube contains a sealant in a closed end of the tube and a cover proximate an open end of the tube. The cover can be closed which typically clamps the wires extending into the tube to support the wires with respect to the elongated tube and thus reduce stress on the electrical connection in the twist-on wire connector. In this type of electrical connection formation the twist-on wire connector contains no sealant but once the electrical connection is formed in the twist-on wire connector the entire twist-on wire connector with the electrical connection therein is immersed in the sealant. This type of waterproofing is referred to as an immersion type since the entire twist-on wire connector is immersed in the sealant to form a sealant air interface to shield the wire connector as well as the electrical connection from the environment. 
     The immersion method of waterproofing twist-on wire connectors, which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,431,824, discloses a direct bury splice kit including an elongated housing having a chamber for inserting a wire connector therein and a lateral wire cradle together with a cover having at least one jaw to clamp a portion of a wire against the wire cradle. Clamping the wire to the container inhibits or prevents loosing of the electrical wire connection while maintaining the electrical wire connection between the ends of wires in a waterproof condition in the sealant of the elongated housing. This type of waterproofing a twist-on electrical wire connector relies on immersion of the twist-on wire connector with the formed electrical junction therein into a body of sealant within a tube or the like. 
     In contrast U.S. Pat. No. 7,170,005 shows an example of another the twist-on wire connector containing a sealant where the twist-on wire connector is an integral part of a one-piece tube, which eliminates the handling of a separate wire connector. The tube also includes a dome for extending into the tube to force the wires against the tube sidewalls. In this example the formation of the wire connection occurs in the presence of the sealant within the twist-on wire connector, which is a part of a tubular housing. 
     The above described methods of forming a water resistant electrical connection utilizing twist-on wire connectors fall into two main methods of waterproofing i.e. either waterproofing while forming an electrical connection in a sealant filled twist-on wire connector or waterproofing after forming an electrical connection by immersing the entire wire connector in a sealant. Either method of waterproofing the electrical junction has been found to work well, however, failures have been known to occur with either method of waterproofing. 
     While such failures are rare the time to failure varies since the failure of electrical connections have been known to occur many months or even decades after the formation of the electrical connection. While it difficult to determine the actual cause of the electrical failure there has been speculation that the failure of the electrical connection, which in some cases is due to exposure of a portion of the bared end of the electrical wires, may be due to human error in forming the electrical connection or human error in the immersion of the twist on wire connector in a body of sealant. While the failure of twist-on wire connectors occurs in both the sealant filled wire connector and the sealant immersed wire connector the time of failure and location of the failure makes is difficult to diagnose the events that lead to the failure of the electrical connection. 
     Consequently, conditions exist where waterproof twist-on wire connectors, which have a viscous sealant for encapsulating the bared ends of an electrical wire, fail causing a short. Likewise there exist conditions where the twist-on wire connectors, which are immersed in a sealant, also fail. In either case the failures are extremely rare, however, the shear number of twist-on electrical wire connectors used at a work site and through the electrical industry increases the odds that an electrical connection may fail at a job site with the potential for disastrous results. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A two sealant two-phase wire connector having sequential sealant interfaces for preventing an electrical failure through interactive sealant sharing. The two-phase wire connector comprising a sealant containing tube and a twist-on electrical wire connector having a spiral cavity containing a first waterproof sealant. In the first phase the bared ends of the electrical wires are joined in a twist-on wire connector containing the sealant to form a first sealant/air interface protecting the joined bared ends from contact with the environment. In the second phase the twist-on electrical wire connector and the electrically joined wires are subsequently immersed in a tube, which contains a second water proof sealant, wherein the first water proof sealant and the second water proof sealant sharingly interface with each other to convert the first sealant/air interface to a sealant/sealant interface while the second waterproof sealant forms a sequential second sealant/air interface external to the sealant/sealant interface so that the sealant/sealant interface coaction and the sequential second sealant/air interface form a barrier to the environment to thereby inhibit or prevent a future electrical failure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a twist-on wire connector containing a water-resistant sealant; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the twist-on wire connector of  FIG. 1  with the sealant in the twist-on wire connector extending past the junction of the electrical wires; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a container and cover for receiving a sealant; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view partially in section showing the container of  FIG. 3  with a sealant therein; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the twist-on wire connector and wires of  FIG. 2  immersed in the sealant in the container. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a twist-on wire connector  10  containing a water-resistant sealant with twist-on wire connector  10  having an outer electrically insulating shell  11  and a base  12  with a peripheral band of ridges  10   a  for grasping between the user&#39;s thumb and fingers. A pierceable cover  13  comprising a set of pie shaped flexible segments  13   a  extends over the open end of the connector  10 . The flexible segments flex in response to axial wire pressure to enable a person to insert electrical wires into the interior of the twist-on wire connector and into twisted engagement with each other in a chamber in the interior of the twist-on wire connector  10 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a sectional view of the twist-on wire connector  10  of  FIG. 1  revealing an interior spiral coil  15  and a sealant  16  located in a chamber  14  within the twist-on wire connector  10 . A pair of electrical wires  17  and  18  having bared ends  17   a  and  18   a  are shown electrical joined to each other in the presence of the sealant  16  within the twist-on wire connector. In this example the insertion of the electrical wires  17  and  18  into the twist-on wire connector  10  forces sealant  16  outward past the cover  13  of the twist-on wire connector to create a sealant air interface  45  that extends axially outward from the wire or open end  19  of the twist-on wire connector as the wires are twisted into electrical engagement with each other. 
     In the above example the twist-on wire connector  10  includes a pierceable cover and sufficient sealant that extends outward of the twist-on wire connector when the wires are inserted into the twist-on wire connector  10 . However, other twist-on wire connectors may or may not have a pierceable cover. Also in other twist-on wire connectors the sealant contained within the twist-on wire connector may be less so that the sealant is not forced out of the connector when the wires are engaged. In still others the volume of the wires may be insufficient to force the sealant out of the twist-on wire connector. Thus the sealant/air interface  45  may be inside or outside of the twist-on wire connector  10 . Typically, the formation of an electrical connection in the presence of a sealant such as shown in  FIG. 2  provides a reliable waterproof protection of the electrical connection therein. However, for reasons not fully understood, although rare, a failure of the electrical connection may occur sometimes years or decades after the electrical connection has been formed within the twist-on wire connector. Reasons for the failure of the electrical connection remain unknown although some speculate a factor involved the skill of the person forming the electrical connection. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show another device for waterproofing an electrical connection through immersion of an entire electrical wire connector.  FIG. 3  is a top view of a container  50  having a wire ledge  51 , a wire ledge  52  and a tube  40  for receiving a sealant  44 . In this example a cover  41  includes a flexible dome  53  and a flexible dome  54 , which can be used to clamp wires to a wire ledge  51  and a wire ledge  52 . A living hinge a allows one to close the cover  50  and a latch  55  that engages with extension  50  allows one to secure the cover  41  thereto as the wires are clamped to the container. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the container  40 , which comprises an elongated tube with the tube  40  partially in section, showing a viscous sealant  44  located therein. This type of container is often used instead of sealant filled twist on wire connectors or in other cases when electrically joined wires without a connector are immersed directly into the sealant in order to protect the wire junction therein from failure. The device of  FIG. 4  provides a reliable waterproof protection of the electrical connection therein through immersion of the wire connector. However, for reasons not fully understood, although rare, a failure of immersed electrical connectors may occur, sometimes years or decades after the electrical connector has been immersed in the container  40 . Reasons for the failure of the electrical connection although infrequent remain unknown. 
     Thus, there exist two separate systems for waterproofing an electrical connection and both have the same problem, namely, that failure of the electrical connection may occur years or decades after the formation of the electrical connection with the reason for the failure not fully understood. In the present invention two electrical wire waterproofing systems, which have the same type of failure, are utilized in part to provide a two sealant two phase electrically safety connector that virtually eliminates failures that occur when each of prior art waterproofing systems are used alone. 
       FIG. 5  shows a partial view of a two-sealant two-phase safety connector  60  that provides enhanced resistance to failure of an electrical junction, which can occur in either sealant filled twist on wire connectors or sealant immersed twist-on wire connectors, which contain no sealant within the twist-on wire connector. In the example of  FIG. 5  the sealant containing twist-on wire connector  10  of  FIG. 2 , which has a sealant air interface  45 , has been immersed in a body of sealant  44  in container or elongated tube  40 . The immersion of the twist-on wire connector  10  of  FIG. 2  into the sealant  44  of container  40  converts the sealant/air interface  45  into a sealant/sealant interface  45   a , which is located below a sealant/air interface  43 . Thus, in the first phase the wire connection within twist-on wire connector  10  is located beneath a sealant air interface  45  and in the second phase the wire connection is located beneath a sealant/sealant interface  45   a  and a sealant/air interface  43 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the two-sealant two-phase electrical safety connector  60  for prevention of an electrical failure comprising a twist-on wire connector  10  having a wire end  10   a , a closed end  10   b  and a spiral coil  15  for electrically engaging a plurality of wires therein. A first viscous waterproof sealant  14  is located in a chamber  44  in the twist-on wire connector with a plurality of electrically joined electrical wires  17  and  18  within the chamber  14  of the twist-on wire connector with the electrically joined wires  17  and  18  located proximate the first viscous waterproof sealant  14  in the twist on wire connector  10 . The safety connector  60  includes an elongated tube  40  having an interior space therein with sufficient width to freely receive the twist-on wire connector  10  with the elongated tube having a closed end  10   c  and an open end or wire end  10   d . A second viscous waterproof sealant  44  is located in a closed end of the tube with the second viscous waterproof  44  having a sealant/air interface  43 . As shown in  FIG. 5  the twist-on wire connector  10  with the plurality of electrically joined wires  17  and  18  proximate the first viscous sealant are immersed below the sealant air interface  43  to form a sealant/sealant interface  45   a  below the sealant air interface  43 . In this state the sealant  44  and sealant  16  being proximate to each other form a sealant sharing relationship. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 5  the first viscous sealant and the second viscous sealant are the same, however, in some cases one may have the second sealant different from the first sealant. The viscous sealants are sufficient flowable so as to flow around the wires and the twist-on wire connector as the electrical wire connector is inserted into the sealant. 
     As viewed in  FIG. 5  a portion of the electrical wires  17  and  18  extending from the twist-on wire connector  10  are covered by the first viscous sealant  14  and a further portion are covered by the second viscous sealant  44  with the interface  45   a  separating the two portions of the electrical wires.  FIG. 2  shows the two-sealant two-phase electrical safety connector  60  wherein the sealant/air interface  43  is larger than the sealant/sealant interface  45   a  and the sealant/air interface is located below a cover  41  of the elongated tube when the cover is in a closed condition. 
     A feature of the invention shown herein is that it may be sold as a kit for protecting a junction in a twist-on wire connector from an electrical failure with the kit comprising: a twist-on wire connector  10  having a first viscous sealant  16  therein with an air sealant interface  45  and a container  40  having a second viscous sealant  44  therein wherein the sealant  44  in the container has a second air sealant interface  43  and the container is larger than the twist-on wire connector  10  and the amount of the second viscous sealant  44  is sufficient to enable immersion of the twist-on wire connector  10  below an air sealant interface  43  of the second viscous sealant  44 . In this example the container comprises an elongated tube  40  with a cover  41  for securing a plurality of wires to the container with the area of the sealant/air interface  43  of the second sealant  44  larger than the area of the sealant/air interface  45  of the twist-on wire connector  10 . 
     In some kits the first viscous sealant and the second viscous sealant may be the same and in other cases one may prefer to use different sealants. A feature of the invention is that the sealant/air interface of the elongated tube is larger in area than the area of the sealant/air interface of the twist-on wire connector and the size of the twist-on wire connector is sufficiently small such that it is immerseable and spaceable from a sidewall of the container as illustrated in  FIG. 5  to maintain a body of sealant around the entire twist-on wire connector.