Patent ID: 8491282

Claim:
A submersible well pump assembly comprising: a submersible electrical motor; an electrical motor lead for connection to a power cable; a male connector portion mates with a female connector portion in a connected position, one of the connector portions connected to the motor lead and the other connector portion is connected to the motor; the male and female connector portions, each having a plurality of passages and an end face; a plurality of male electrical contact members mounted in each of the passages of and protruding past the end face of the male connector portion; a plurality of female electrical contact members mounted and recessed within each of the passages of the female connector portion; an elastomeric debris seal on the end face of the male connector portion comprising an insulating barrier having a plurality of bores circumscribing one of the male electrical contact members; and a plurality of thermal expansion slots in the insulating barrier that are formed through the debris seal at angular positions with respect to a center of the debris seal and each other, and the expansion slots are offset from angular positions of the bores, and define a space, so that when a temperature of the insulating barrier increases and the insulating barrier expands, material of the insulating barrier is urged into the space.