Patent ID: 7264503

Claim:
In combination: a) a first connecting assembly comprising: a port having a central axis, a radially outwardly facing surface, a first free end, and a second end spaced axially from the first free end, the port having threads on the radially outwardly facing surface; and an axially facing surface; and b) a second connecting assembly for operatively connecting a cable to the port on the first connecting assembly, the second connecting assembly comprising: a tubular fitting having a central axis and axially spaced first and second ends, the tubular fitting defining a receptacle for a cable at the first end of the tubular fitting, the tubular fitting further comprising a threaded element with threads which can be engaged with the threads on the port to maintain the first and second connecting assemblies operatively engaged and thereby a cable in the receptacle in the tubular fitting operatively connected to the port; and a sealing assembly, the first and second connecting assemblies operatively engageable by i) relatively situating the first and second connecting assemblies in a pre-assembly state wherein the first and second connecting assemblies are separated from each other; ii) relatively moving the first and second connecting assemblies from the pre-assembly state to engage the threads on the port and threaded element; and iii) rotating at least one of the port and threaded element relative to the other of the port and threaded element to cause the threads on the port and threaded element to interact and thereby cause the threaded element to move axially relative to the port in a first direction from the first free end towards the second end of the port into a secured position, the sealing assembly comprising a first sealing surface that abuts to the axially facing surface on the first connecting assembly with the threaded element in the secured position, the sealing assembly comprising a sealing portion with a second sealing surface, the sealing portion having a first state and a deformed state, wherein the sealing portion is caused to be changed from the first state into the deformed state and the second sealing surface is caused to thereby be moved sealingly radially inwardly against the radially outwardly facing surface on the port as an incident of the threaded element moving in the first axial direction with the first sealing surface abutted to the axially facing surface of the first connecting assembly, wherein the sealing assembly and tubular fitting are maintained together as a unitary assembly with the second connecting assembly separated from the first connecting assembly, the sealing assembly having a first axially facing shoulder and the tubular fitting having a third axially facing shoulder, the first and third axially facing shoulders abutting to each other to prevent the sealing assembly and tubular fitting from being separated from each other by relative axial movement.