US3068443A - Multi-conductor connector - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1962 J. A. NAVA ETAL 3,068,443

MULTI-CONDUCTOR CONNECTOR Filed May 5, 1960 fnl E'nfurs kayo/i d. A/ava. Rafier L Hume United. States Patent 3,068,443 MULTl-CONDUCTOR CONNECTOR Joseph A. Nava, Villa Park, 111., and Robert Lee Hume,

Parma Heights, Ohio, assignors to Pyle-National Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 5, 1960, Ser. No. 27,032 8 Claims. (Cl. 339-217) This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector having elastic mounting means sealingly receiving current continuing means in pop-in assembly therewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector which overcomes the deficiencies of multi-contact connector arrangements heretofore provided.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector wherein a contact member is positively retained against axial displacement while having positive alignment in a plane of radial orientaion.

Another object of the invention is to provide spring means affording coacting snap-in engagement for mating contact members of the connector.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector of the multi-contact type wherein the current continuing ccntact members are securely sealed by double-acting seal means which accommodate variations in diameter, and are effective over a Wide range of temperature and pressure.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows on the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred embodiment of an electrical connector incorporating the-principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example. I

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of an electrical connector incorporating the principles of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged cross sectional View of current continuing means according to the invention as assembled in retaining means therefor;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of sealing means utilized in the structure shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a blank from which snap-in spring retaining means accordnig to the invention is formed; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines VV of FIGURE 4.

As shown on the drawings:

Referring now to the drawings, an electrical connector embodying the principles of the present invention is shown in FIGURE 1 at and comprises a male component indicated at M and a female component indicated at F, the two components M and F constituting separable members of a m'ulti-pin or a multi-contact connector assembly. The male component M constitutes acylindrical housing 12 configured to engage an internally threaded nut 14. Thehousing 12 is internally structured to receive amounting member 16 for retaining male contact members (not shown) and a rigid thin walled sleeve ortube 18 around themember 16. Thesleeve 18 is retained in position by anut member 20 which is internally threaded for engagement with an externally threaded portion of thehousing 12.

For the female component F there is provided ahousing 22 sized to receive in telescoping relation an end of thehousing 12 and externally threaded as at 24 for engagement with the internally threaded nut member 14.

A tool-engaging flange 26 is formed on the female 3,068,443 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 housing 22 and the outer end thereof is externally threaded for cooperation with anut member 28 similar to thenut member 20.

Amounting member 30 is retained within thehousing 22 by means of the saidnut 28 and associated structure such as a thin walled rigid sleeve ortube 32 corresponding to the sleeve ortube 18. Desirably, themounting member 30 also corresponds structurally to themounting member 16, and has aninsulating disk 34 of rigid material'in abutting engagement therewith as indicated in FIGURE 2, a suitable insulating disk (not shown) also being provided for abutting engagement with themounting member 16 within the housing Themounting members 16 and 30, which are as stated structurally similar, are formed of a mass of elastic material such as rubber or a rubber compound and in ac-' cordance with the principles of the present invention, any elastic, material of suitable characteristic may be used desirably having a durometer in the order of about Shore A 40 to 80, a durometer of 60 having been I utilized with a high degree of effectiveness.

The massof elastic'material constituting themounting members 16 and 30 is shaped in generally cylindrical form, and will hereinafter'be described with reference to themounting member 30. Thus themember 30 has a radiallyextendingfront face 36 formed for abutting engagement with a complementary face .38 on theinsulative disk 34, and an external peripheral surface 40. Desirablyalso, the-member 30 further includes a re duced portion "42 so that an annularradial shoulder 44 is provided between thereducedportion 42 and the peripheral surface 40. This structure, as suitably dimensioned, may be utilized for engaging the thinwalled tube 32 in telescopic relationshipand with thetube 32 closely surrounding and confining themember 30, the 'tube' 18 correspondingly closely surrounding and confining the member '16. It will be understood that variations in the external configuration of themounting member 30, as well as of themounting member 16, may be encompassed within the scope of the invention, but thenuts 20 and 28 may be configured to urge thetubes 18 and 32 axially inwardly as by means of inter-engaging shoulders on said nuts and tubes respectively to assist in providing an abutting sealing engagement between contacting surfaces of the respective mounting and insulating members such as thesurfaces 36 and 38 as set forth and illustrated in the copending application for EICC', trical Connector With Pop-In Current-Continuing Means Serial Number 806,590, filed April 15, 1959, now issued as Patent No. 3,029,407, dated April 10, 1962.

The mass of elastic material constituting themember 30 is shaped to form a plurality of through openings, each having a bore wall shaped to engage a contact member such as themember 46 shown in FIGURE 2. The bore wall in themounting member 30 is designated generally byreference numeral 48, and it will be seen that it includes a relativelylarge diameter portion 50, and a relatively reducedportion 52 connected to theportion 50 by a preferablyarcuate shoulder 54. This construction corresponds to the configuration of thefemale contact member 46, wherein asocket portion 56 is provided so that aconductor wire 58 may be crimped or otherwise secured in thesocket portion 56 with the wire portions thereof being bared within the socket portion.

Theconductor wire 58 may be sheathed with a suitable material, and in order to seal the interior of the mounting member against differential pressures, the invention provides for .a sealing gland orboot 60 to be formed integrally with themounting member 30 and at the portion of thebore 48 receiving theconductor wire 58. It will be 'understood'that a similar butterfly gland will be utilized for themounting member 16, and that the individual through openings in the respective mounting members will be similarly formed with corresponding sealing members.

Thebutterfly gland 60 is characterized, as best seen in FIGURE 3, by a seal structure having individualconical sealing sections 62 and 64 diverging at a desired angle from a plane taken perpendicular to the axis of thebore 48, in opposite directions. For example, an angle of approximately 45 may be utilized. Theconical sections 62 and 64 extend to ajunction 66 which, in the form shown, preferably constitutes an annular surface having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the enlargedbore portion 50, and of a predetermined axial dimension such as to maintain thejuncture lines 68 and 70 of the sections '62 and 64 in a desired proximate relation. In the normal position of theconical sections 62 and 64 shown in FIGURE 3,openings 72 and 74 are defined thereby whose diameter is substantially less than the minimum diameter of a wire to be inserted in sealing engagement therethrough, such as thewire 58. Thus when such a wire is inserted, as shown in FIGURE 2, the butterfly gland becomes elongated and theorifices 72 and 74 become relatively widened. How ever, because of the firm connection of thesections 62 and 64 with the mass ofmaterial 30, a biasing action radially inwardly will be afforded for each of the conical sections such as to effect a firm sealing engagement with the ends thereof around the Wire.

For this purpose, the outer ends of each of the sections are formed with a bead or lip construction indicated byreference numerals 76 and 78 respectively. At least theexternal bead 76 has a doughnut" shaped configuration such that regardless of the angular position of theconical section 62 as it engages thewire 58, a tangential line of contact between the wire and thehead 76 will be afforded which is completely continuous to prevent leakage therethrough. Thus theconical section 62 will have a thickness less than the diameter of thehead 76 and desirably will intersect the bead along a plane such as to provide a bead surface of predetermined arcuate extent both internally and externally of the section. Thebead 78, however, may have a rectangular configuration so as to define an annular flange extending axially of thewall 48, at least when engaging a wire such as thewire 58. Thus a surface. contact will be afforded of relatively large extent between thebead 78 and the wire.

Accordingly, pressure differentials may be effectively maintained between theinterior 80 of thegland 60, and the exterior portions thereof, and any relatively large pressure externally of thestructure 30 will tend to force thesection 62 downwardly so that thehead 76 engages the wire orconductor 58 with considerable sealing force. Furthermore, the natural resilience of the elastic material of which thehousing 30 and thesections 62 and 64 are integrally formed is such as to afford a further downward compressive force on thebead 76 as well as on thehead 78, and a wide range of temperatures and pressures may be resisted by the gland without significant effect on the sealing action.

As an example of dimensions which may be utilized in thegland 60, theorifices 72 and 74 may have a normal diameter of approximately .020 inch, and theinner surface 66, as well as thebore wall 50, may have a diameter of approximately .112 inch. Thesection 62 and thesection 64 may have an overall thickness of approximately .006 inch, for example, and it will be seen that the section '62 preferably merges with therear wall 82 of themounting portion 30 in spaced relation to thesurface 66 such as to maintain the described resilient downward action on the saidsection 62. For example, the spacing between theline 70 and thewall 82 may be approxi mately .045 inch for this purpose. Thebead 76 may have a diameter of approximately .012 inch in a construction of the general dimensional range in icate thehead 78 may have a width of approximately .012 inch also. However, variations in the particular size of the sealing gland, and the sections such as thesections 62 and 64 are, of course, encompassed within the scope of the invention.

The doughnut shaped configuration of thehead 76 permits thecontact element 46, and theconductor 58, to be inserted therethrough without any tendency of the gland to fold inwardly or to resist such entry.

Theinsulator member 34 is provided with a plurality of throughpassages 84 corresponding in number and placement to the number and placement of thethrough passages 48. Eachpassage 84 is counterbored as at 86 to receive ashoulder 88 on thefemale contact member 46, theportion 86 and theshoulder 88 preferably having a dimension essentially corresponding to the dimension of theportion 50 of thepassage 48 and thesocket portion 56 of thecontact 46. Likewise, thebore 84 includes aportion 90 of similar diametrical dimension and, as seen in FIGURE 2, anintermediate bore portion 92 is provided which defines a plurality ofsegmental shoulders 94 and 96 .as hereinafter described; In order-to secure thefemale member 46 in position in theinsulator 34 and to hold the insulator in abutting engagement with themember 30, a spring member orcollet 102 may be used, as for example, a collet formed from the blank shown in FIGURE 4, to be snugly inserted in the through opening or bore 84 as shown in FIGURE 2. It will of course be appreciated that in the relationship shown in FIGURE 1, the portion 34- will be at the innermost portion of the female structure F, whereas theportion 30 will constitute an end cap.

As seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, thestructure 102 may include an arcuately bowedportion 104, which may have a slightly greater inclination at theupper portion 106 thereof than at the lower orrear portion 108 to merge with therear portion 108. In the assembled condition of the collet illustrated, theportion 106 is disposed in alignment with a chamfered shoulder 110 on thecontact member 46. A plurality ofteeth 112 may be stamped in the bowedportion 104 to extend inwardly from thearea 106 and to engage in abutting relationship with the shoulder 110. The bowedportion 104 may afford a biasing action urging thecontact member 46 in the direction of thebore portion 90 of themember 34, although it will be understood that thecollet 102 is in no sense indicative of the scope of structure which may be utilized in the invention. In the form shown, a plurality of transversely extending cuts orslots 114 may be provided between each of theteeth 112, thereby assisting the spring-like action of the collet. In the assembled condition of the device, therefore, the collet will havecontinuous margins 116 and 118 in axial alignment with thebore portion 90 and in abutting relation therewith.

Also in the example shown, theplanar portion 120 of FIGURE 4 is provided with a plurality of rectangular cut-outs 122, 124, 126 and 128 which engage over the plurality of segmental shoulders in thebore portion 92, such as indicated byreference numerals 94 and 96, when the blank is formed and inserted in theinsulator 34, to securely fix the collet in assembled position in thebore 84. In this position, the cut-outs 122 through 128 will have their greater dimension extending longitudinally of the bore, this dimension being substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of the shoulders such asshoulders 94 and 96 to prevent slidable movement of the collet, The outermarginal edge 130 of thespring 102 thus lies within thebore region 86 in snug engagement therewith coextensively with the solid areas of theportion 120, which are received in arcuate recesses (not shown) of thebore portion 92 coextensive with thebore portions 86 and 90. i

Thecontact 46 has a gradually slopingportion 132 leading to the shoulder 110 so as to pass freely into thecollet 102, and asocket portion 134 is provided which may receive a socket extension (not shown) and a napkin thereover (also not shown) affording a resilient contact finger for engagement with a male contact member. It will be understood that other variations in the particular construction of thefemale member 46 are also encompassed within the scope of the invention.

In accordance with the practice of the present invention, the current continuing contact,member 46, as well as male members, such as may be similarly mounted in the mountingmember 16, may have conductor means such as thewire 58 preassembled or crimped thereto at thesocket port'ion 56, and it will be seen that when thesocket portion 56 has itsshoulder 136 in abutting engagement with theshoulder 54 in thebore 48, theshoulder 88 will abut thewall 36 of the mounting member flush with thewall 38 of the insulatingmember 34, as retained by'the spring orcollet 102 and theshoulder 54. Thus thefemale member 46 will be maintained against slidable movement with respect both to the mountingmember 30 and theinsulator member 34, thereby to implement the sealing action afforded by thegland 60 relative to thewire 58.

Accordingly, a plurality of thecontact members 46 are matched toappropriate openings 48 in the mountingmember 30 and corresponding contact portions are inserted in similar openings in the mountingmember 16 of the male member M. Themembers 46 may be inserted past theglands 60 in theopenings 48, it being noted again that thebead 76 will not interfere with such movement due to its beaded configurations and theshoulder 88 will move readily past the arcuate or chamferedshoulder 54 in the elastic mountingmember 30 and emerge in snug abutting engagement with the outer end of thebore 48 so that a pop-in action is afforded.

Movement of thecontact member 46 through the elastic material of the mountingmember 30 may be effected by a suitable tool, and since the elastic material of themember 30 is of a selected durometer as above set forth, it responds to the resulting axial force by deformably displacing radially outwardly to permit thereby theshoulder 88 to pass theshoulder 54 as described. When theend 134 forming the socket holding means for the female member is passed beyond thecollet 102 to an extent that the shoulder 110- is in register with thedetent teeth 112, the device will be snugly held so that thewalls 36 and 38 of the mountingmember 30 andinsulative member 34 are in the described snugly abutting, sealing engagement as urged by the collet or holdingmember 104 engaging the shoulder 110 of thecontact 46 and theshoulders 94 and 96 of themember 34, with theshoulder 136 of thecontact 46 engagingshoulder 54 of themember 30 as hereinabove set forth.

The irregularities on thebore wall 48 being complementary to the irregularities on thepin 46, a firm contact between the pin and the mounting member is provided. The described snug engagement between theshoulder 88 and thecontact mounting member 30 thus produces an effective seal therebetween coacting with the gland 6t} and the seal between theinsulator 34 and mountingmember 30. 1

Although I have herein set forth and described my invention with respect to certain specific principles and details thereof, it Will be understood by those skilled in the art that these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an electrical connector, a rigid member having an opening therethrough for receiving a contact member, a collet inserted in said opening having means for releasably engaging the contact member in spring biased relationship to urge it in one direction axially, an elastic member having an opening therethrough for receiving the contact member and a shoulder in said opening for engaging a shoulder on the contact member and facing oppositely from said one direction, said collet and said shoulder in said opening of said elastic member being disposed to urge said rigid member and said elastic member togetherin sealing relation when the contact member is inserted in said openings for engagement by said collet and said shoulder in said opening in said elastic member.

2. In an electrical connector, a rigid member having an opening therethrough for receiving a contact member, a collet inserted in said opening having means for releasably engaging the contact member in spring biased relationship to urge it in one direction axially, an elastic member having an opening therethrough for receiving the contact member and a shoulder in said opening for engaging a shoulder on the contact member and facing oppositely from said one direction, said collet and said shoulder in said opening of said elastic member being disposed to urge said rigid member and said elastic member together in sealing relation when the contact member is inserted in said openings for engagement by said collet and said shoulder in said opening in said elastic member, said elastic member having a sealing gland including a pair of sealing elements formed integrally with said elastic member at said opening, said sealing elements diverging from one another and extending inwardly to engage the contact member in sealing relationship.

3. In an electrical connector, a contact member, a rigid member having an opening therethrough receiving said contact member, a collet inserted in said opening having means releasably engaging said contact member in spring biased relationship, an elastic member having an opening therethrough receiving the contact member and a shoulder in said opening, said contact member having a shoulder for engaging said shoulder in said opening and a shoulder engaged by said collet means, said rigid member and said elastic member having opposed faces disposed in abutting sealing relationship by the spring action of said collet.

4. In an electrical connector, a contact member, a rigid member having an opening therethrough receiving said contact member, a collet inserted in said opening having means releasably engaging said contact member in spring biased relationship, an elastic member having an opening therethrough receiving the contact member and a shoulder in said opening, said contact member having a shoulder for engaging said shoulder in said opening and a shoulder engaged by said collet means, said rigid member and said elastic member having opposed faces disposed in abutting sealing relationship by the spring action of said collet, said contact member having a shoulder disposed in abutting sealing engagement with the said face on said elastic member.

5. In an electrical connector, a rigid member having an opening therethrough for receiving a contact member, a collet in said opening having means for releasably en gaging the contact member in spring biased relationship, an elastic member having an opening therethrough for receiving the contact member and a shoulder in said opening for engaging a shoulder on the contact member, said collet and said shoulder in said opening of said elastic member being disposed to urge said rigid member and said elastic member together in sealing relation when a contact member is inserted in said opening for engagement by said collet and said shoulder in said opening in said elastic member, said elastic member having a sealing gland for engaging the contact member in sealing relationship.

6. A mounting member for use in an electrical connector comprising, a mass of elastic material having an opening therethrough for receiving a contact member, and a sealing gland formed integrally with said mass of elastic material and disposed in said opening, said sealing gland having a pair of separate relatively thin resilient extensions, said extensions joining said mass of elastic material in proximate relation to one another and extending radially inwardly from said mass of elastic material in mutually divergent relationship, said extensions forming openings of lesser diameter than the opening through the mass of elastic material whereoy said sealing gland is effective to sealingly engage a wire connected to a contact member in said opening.

7. The mounting member according to claim 6 wherein the radially innermost ends of said extensions have radially inwardly extending beads for engaging a wire in sealing relationship in any angular disposition of the extensions.

8. A collet for use in retaining a contact member in an electrical connector or the like comprising a resilient metal blank having one side longitudinally bowed with transversely spaced slots and teeth extending from the bowed areas between the slots outwardly of the bowed areas, and a plurality of openings in the longitudinal portion of the blank opposite said bowed portion, said blank being shaped as a ring with the bowed portion facing inwardly to provide a resilient engagement of'the teeth with a contact member shoulder, and the openings in the blank being adapted to retain the collet in an opening in a receiving member for the contact member with the material of the receiving member extending therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,252,553 Campbell Apr. 12, 1941 2,411,861 Antony et al Dec. 3, 1946 2,419,018 Gudie Apr, 15, 1947 2,477,849 Adams Aug. 2, 1949 2,750,573 Mika June 12, 1956 2,800,526 Moorhead July 23, 1957 2,881,406 Arson Apr. 7, 1959 2,892,991 Beebee et al June 30, 1959 2,935,720 Lorimer May 3, 1960 'Nava et al Jan. 16, 1962

Images