Patent Publication Number: US-10777986-B2

Title: Outdoor electrical box cord and method of making an outdoor electrical box cord

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/592,337, filed May 11, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,020,645, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/240,299, filed on Aug. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,653,897, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/593,441, filed on Jan. 9, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,653,900, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/084,102, filed Nov. 25, 2014, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to outdoor power distribution and, more particularly, to a cord for use in an electrical box that can be located outdoors in the ground. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     Known outdoor electrical boxes for providing electrical connection points for outdoor power access include wall-mounted receptacles and post-mounted receptacles that may be mounted on vertical surfaces, and electrical boxes mounted in the ground or other horizontal outdoor surface for providing electrical connection points distant from existing walls. For example, in an athletic field, a large public flower garden, or a public park, it may be desirable to provide electrical receptacles for intermittent electrical connections, such as short-term lighting, power washers, and electric maintenance equipment, e.g., hedge trimmers and chain saws. The electrical connection points must be accessible so that a user can plug and unplug devices as required. 
     Moisture is a significant problem for outdoor electrical boxes because it may lead to electrical box failure and/or may result in a serious electrocution risk. Moisture is particularly problematic for electrical boxes installed in the ground because water may collect and pool therein. Therefore, when electrical power fed into an outdoor electrical box from a power source, for example through a power line buried underground, the power line is led into a NEMA Type 6 enclosure, which is designed to be impenetrable to water during occasional submersions in water. NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturer&#39;s Association. From the NEMA Type 6 enclosure, power may then be routed to electrical connection points, such as receptacles, within the electrical box, where the electrical box is typically designed in such a way to keep water from reaching the faces of the electrical receptacles and/or the electrical connection points. 
     However, even though the NEMA Type 6 enclosure is designed to be impenetrable to water, if the enclosure is left submerged for an extended period of time, air may be able to slowly escape the enclosure through the cord or cords that exit the enclosure and connect to the electrical connection points, thereby allowing the NEMA Type 6 enclosure to fill with water. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE 
     According to the present disclosure, a power cord may comprise at least one electrically insulated wire, including a wire conductor disposed within an insulated sleeve, and a connection terminal. The connection terminal includes a crimp portion crimped and soldered to the wire conductor at at least one end of the at least one insulated wire. The power cord further comprises a heat shrink sleeve covering the crimp portion of the connection terminal and a portion of the insulated sleeve of the at least one electrically insulated wire, and an overmold molded around at least a portion of the heat shrink sleeve. 
     According to the present disclosure, a method for forming a power cord including at least one electrically insulated wire comprising a wire conductor disposed within an insulated sleeve is disclosed. The method includes crimping a connection terminal on the wire conductor at one end of the at least one electrically insulated wire and soldering the crimped portion of the connection terminal. The method further comprises heat shrinking a heat shrink sleeve onto the crimped portion and at least a portion of the insulated sleeve of the at least one electrically insulated wire, and molding an overmold tube around at least a portion of the heat shrink sleeve. 
     According to the present disclosure, a power cord for an outdoor electrical box may comprise three electrically insulated wires. Each electrically insulated wire may comprise a wire conductor disposed within an insulated sleeve and a connection terminal including a crimp portion crimped and soldered to the wire conductor at a first end of the power cord. Each electrically insulated wire may further comprise a heat shrink sleeve covering the crimp portion and a portion of the insulated sleeve, and an overmold tube molded around at least a portion of the heat shrink sleeve. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the detailed description of embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an electrical cord according to the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective cut-away view of an electrical box including the electrical cord of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3A-3I  show a method for forming the electrical cord of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Before the various embodiments are described in further detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described. It is also to be understood that the terminology used is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present application. 
     In the drawings, although certain descriptions may refer only to certain figures and reference numerals, it should be understood that such descriptions might be equally applicable to like reference numerals in other figures. Additionally, although various features have been shown in different figures for simplicity, it should be readily apparent to one of skill in the art that the various features may be combined without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  shows an electrical cord  10  according to the present disclosure. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the electrical cord  10  may be used in an electrical box  12  for connecting a NEMA Type 6 enclosure  14 , which is designed to be impenetrable to water during occasional submersions in water, to a receptacle  16  or other similar electrical connection point. The electrical box  12  may be an outdoor electrical box for installation outdoors in the ground such as that described in U.S. application Ser. No. 15/592,337, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Thus, the electrical box  12  may allow for easy access to the electrical receptacle  16  while protecting the electrical receptacle  16  from water by keeping water away from the electrical connections and receptacle  16 , even while the electrical box  12  is not completely waterproof and may, itself, fill with water. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , the electrical cord  10  includes at least one electrically insulated wire  18  comprising a wire conductor  20  disposed within an insulated sleeve  22 . For example, the electrical cord  10  may include three electrically insulated wires  18  configured to provide standard positive, negative, and ground wiring connections. At at least a first end  24  of the electrical cord  10  connecting to the NEMA Type 6 enclosure  14 , shown in  FIG. 2 , each electrically insulated wire  18  includes a fork terminal  26  attached thereto according to the method shown in  FIGS. 3A-3I  to form an airtight and watertight connection. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , the fork terminal  26  is first connected to the electrically insulated wire  18  by crimping a crimp portion  28  of the fork terminal  26  to conductor  20  of the insulated wire  18 . Referring to  FIGS. 3B and 3C , heat is then applied to the fork terminal  26  using a soldering iron  32  and solder  34  is applied to top  36  and cavity  38  of the fork terminal  26 , as seen in  FIGS. 3B and 3C  respectively, until the cavity  38  is full, as seen in  FIG. 3D . The soldered fork terminal  26  shown in  FIG. 3D  may then be cleaned to remove any contaminants that could compromise the additional seals formed in the steps shown in  FIGS. 3E-3I . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3E , a heat shrink sleeve  40  is then positioned over the crimp portion  28  of the fork terminal  26 , with the heat shrink sleeve extending from the crimp portion  28  to also cover a portion of the insulated sleeve  22  of the electrically insulated wire  18 . Once the heat shrink sleeve  40  is in position, heat is applied to the sleeve  40  to shrink the sleeve  40  onto the crimp portion  28  and the insulated sleeve  22 . Immediately after, pressure may be applied to the sleeve  40  to set the heat shrink, for example, by pressing a contact element along the length of the sleeve  40 . The pressure may be applied at multiple locations around the circumference of the sleeve  40 , for example, at 90° intervals, by successively rotating and pressing the electrically insulated wire  18  and fork terminal  26  with the sleeve  40  disposed thereon.  FIG. 3F  shows the insulated wire  18  and fork terminal  26  with the heat shrink sleeve  40  after the heat shrink sleeve  40  has been fully applied thereto. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3G and 3H , the fork terminal  26  and the end of the insulated wire  18  with the heat shrink sleeve  40  applied thereto is then positioned within a mold  42 , such as an injection mold or the like. Liquid nylon is then injected into the mold and allowed to harden to form a nylon overmold  44  around the fork terminal, insulated wire  18 , and heat shrink sleeve  40 , to provide a finished wire terminal  46  as shown in  FIG. 3I . As seen, the overmold  44  does not cover need to cover the entire heat shrink sleeve  40  and, in embodiments, the heat shrink sleeve  40  may extend outward from the overmold  44  at one or both ends of the overmold  44 . 
     The overmold  44  provides increased rigidity to the connection between the electrically insulated wire  18  and the fork terminal  26 , thereby making a stronger connection. Additionally, without the overmold  44 , the heat shrink sleeve  40  at the connection between the electrically insulated wire  18  and the fork terminal  26  could crack or break when flexing. This finished wire terminal  46 , which includes a crimped, soldered, heat shrink, and overmolded connection, prevents water from seeping through the electrically insulated wire  18  into the enclosure  14 , shown in  FIG. 2 , and/or prevents air from escaping the enclosure  14  through the electrically insulated wire  18 , both of which can result in flooding of the interior of enclosure  14  if the enclosure  14  is submerged when the electrical box  12  is filled or partially filled with water. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , each electrically insulated wire  18  of the cord  10  includes the finished wire terminal  46  according to the present disclosure at at least the first end  24  of the cord  10  to prevent any flooding of the interior of enclosure  14  during submersion. A second end  48  of the electrical cord  10  may include standard wire connections as shown in  FIG. 1  or, alternatively, may have the same airtight and watertight finished wire terminals  46  of the present disclosure described in connection with the first end  24 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the enclosure  14  may include an opening  50  connected to a conduit  52 , such as a steel or poly-vinyl-chloride conduit, through which power wires from a power mains are routed into the enclosure  14  for connection to the finished wire terminals  46  of the cord  10  according to any conventional manner. For example, the enclosure  14  may house a ground fault circuit interrupter connecting the power wires from the power mains to the electrically insulated wires  18  of the cord  10  in a conventional manner so that electrical power may be disconnected from the receptacle  16  by the ground fault circuit interrupter in a hazardous situation is detected. Because enclosure  14  is water impenetrable and because cord  10  prevents water from seeping through the electrically insulated wires  18  into the enclosure  14  and prevents air from escaping the enclosure  14  through the electrically insulated wire  18 , the electrical connection between the power wires from the power mains and the electrically insulated wires  18  of the cord  10  will not be exposed to water even when the electrical box  12  is filled with water and the enclosure  14  is submerged, thus preventing that electrical connection from presenting an electrocution risk. 
     Although the electrical cord  10  according to the present disclosure has been described in connection with an outdoor electrical box for installation in the ground for exemplary purposes, the electrical cord  10  may be suitable for any other similar application where preventing leakage is desirable. 
     As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, numerous changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the particular embodiments described in this specification are to be taken as merely illustrative and not limiting.