US3621448A

US3621448A - Accordion seal for electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: US3621448A
Application number: US14579A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bruce K Arnold; Edward C Paugh
Original assignee: Deutsche ITT Industries GmbH
Current assignee: TDK Micronas GmbH; ITT Inc
Priority date: 1970-02-26
Filing date: 1970-02-26
Publication date: 1971-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-16
Also published as: DE2037208A1; GB1274777A

Abstract

An accordion seal for electrical connectors for sealing the external surfaces of a pair of mated connectors. The seal comprises a rear portion which is secured to a surface of the connector shell. The front portion of the shell engages the other connector member with the intermediate portion folding in an accordion fashion as the connector shells are drawn closer together. Moreover, the intermediate portion may be formed of a plurality of rippled sections, the sections folding in accordion fashion upon mating of the connector shells.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 inna Bruce K. Arnold Pasadena;

Edward C. Paugh, Hacienda liigts, both 01 Calif.

Feb. 26, 1970 Nov. 16, 1971 International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation New York, NY.

[72] Inventors Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee ACCORDION SEAL FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl.....

Int. Cl

Field of Search 339/94 Ml ll'Iillr 13/52 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ,005 101. 'm9..----

2,755,449 7/1956 Anderson 339/47 2,136,848 11/1938 Hassler..... 339/60 3,449,706 6/1969 Carissimi 339/94 M Primary Examiner-Joseph l-I. McGlynn Attorneys-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Paul W.

Hemminger, Charles L. Johnson, Jr. and Thomas E. Kristofferson ABSTRACT: An accordion seal for electrical connectors for sealing the external surfaces of a pair of mated connectors. The seal comprises a rear portion which is secured to a surface of the connector shell. The front portion of the shell engages the other connector member with the intermediate portion folding in an accordion fashion as the connector shells are drawn closer together. Moreover, the intermediate portion may be formed of a plurality of rippled sections, the sections folding in accordion fashion upon mating of the connector shells.

PAIENTEDunv 16 Ian 3,521,44

sum 2 0r 2 o. A. m fi INVENTOR. BRUCE K ARA/OLD BY EON/1RD C. HQUGH f/MJM HTTORNE V ACCORDION SEAL FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS This invention relates in general to an accordion seal for electrical connectors and, more particularly to peripheral seals which provide environmental sealing on an external surface on a pair of mated connectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The use of peripheral seals in electrical connectors have categorically been classified in two major classes; (A) purely compressive seals, and (b) frictional compressive seals. To perform their intended function, the seals are mounted either externally or internally of the mating connectors and are deflected by a mating member surface. If the seal is primarily compressive in nature, it takes the form of an O-ring or flat washer surface that can be compressed by a mated member to form a gas or liquid seal. If, however, the seal is frictional in nature, it is compressed by the mating member and provides frictional resistance of a specific distance during the mating and unmating of the connectors. In both cases, the prime purpose of this seal is to provide an environmental seal between the two mating connector members during a single or repeated coupling. These seals in order to provide the necessary function, must provide adequate protection against pressural differentials, the effects of temperature extremes, liquid contaminants, as well as gases. Further, the seal must retain resiliency over extended life conditions.

Heretofore, conventional environmental seals of the abovementioned type have failed to adequately perform its intended functions, due to the inability to remain dynamic or resilient after prolonged usage or extreme exposure to environmental conditions. A part of this tendency toward failure has resulted from the seal materials inability to return to its unstressed condition. This failure has primarily existed, due to the seal configuration and the manner in which it is deflected or compressed.

While Oring or butt-type seals normally tend to be compressed a given amount when the coupling members have been mated and in a positive stop position, if on a subsequent mating, the sealing member has lost its resiliency and it is not possible to mate beyond the initial depth, the desired sealing may not be achieved. Further, frictional-type seals have been found to be quite sensitive and difficult to be provided with adequate tolerances. To attempt to provide required tolerances and the resultant force provided by these type of seals tends to vary substantially from seal to seal. Moreover, in frictional-type seals, while mating depths have not been nearly as critical as in a butt seal, it has been found that the memory factor, i.e., the ability to return to its initial shape becomes highly critical.

In order to overcome the attendant disadvantages of prior art peripheral environmental connector seals, the present invention allows sealing of mating connector seals over a wide range of mating conditions. The seal can be used in applications that may require a wide range of closure distances, as well as relatively low mating forces. The device can be mounted externally or internally on one of the mating connectors and compresses accordingly on the mating half. By operating in a dynamic mode, large changes in closure of the mated members can be accommodated while simultaneously maintaining a seal. Upon mating of the two connectors, a positive seal is formed which protects the connectors from the adverse effect of the surrounding environment.

The advantages of the invention, both as to its construction and mode of operation, will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like references numerals designate like parts throughout the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. I depicts a perspective view of an electric connector member having an environmental seal mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the electrical connector member in FIG. 1 being mated with another connector member;

FIG. 3 illustrates the electrical connector members of FIG. 2 in a fully mated condition;

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the seal of FIGS. 1-3, partly in section; and

FIG. 5 depicts the seal of FIG. 4 in a mated condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. II a plug connector member 12 which may be used for mating with a corresponding receptacle connector (not shown in FIG. 1). The plug connector contains a flange member 114 at the rear end thereof. The flange 14 contains a plurality of holes 16 which may be used to mount the connector half in a typical installation. Mounted on the axially extending front outer surface 18 of the connector 12 is a seal 22 used in accordance with the invention. The rear end of the seal 22 abuts the flange 114 with the seal extending forwardly therefrom.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the plug connector 12 partially mated with a receptacle connector 24. The plug connector is a conventional design and comprises a front bore surface 26 and a rear bore surface 28 which are interconnected by an inwardly extending flange surface 32. The flange surface has a forward facing shoulder 34 and rearwardly facing shoulder 36 which define the inner ends of the

bores

26 and 28, respectively.

Mounted within the plug connector 12 is a front insulator 38 and a rear insulator 42, the front surface of the front insula tor terminating just short of the front end of the bore 26 and the rear end thereof terminating in the plane of the rearwardly facing shoulder 36. The front surface of the rear insulator 42 abuts both the rearwardly facing shoulder 36 and the rear end of the front insulator 38. The rear surface of the rear insulator 42 is flush with the axis of the rear surface of the connector shell. A retainer ring 44 prevents the rear insulator 42 from being removed from the insulator. Mounted within bores 46 of the front insulator 38 are socket contacts 48 whose rear end thereof are connected to a crimping portion 52, mounted in bores 54 in the rear insulator 42. Conductors 56 are crimped to the crimp members 52.

The receptacle connector 24 is of conventional design also and comprises a flange member 62 which is integral with the outer surface 64 of the receptacle connector 24, near the front end thereof. The inner surface of the receptacle connector 24 contains a forward bore portion 66, which terminates a forward facing shoulder 68 and contains a flared opening 72 at the front end thereof. The front end of the flared opening 72 defines the front surface of the receptacle connector shell. The connector shell contains a rear reduced diameter bore 74, which extends from the rear end of the connector shell to a rearward facing shoulder 76.

The receptacle connector further comprises a rear insulator member 82 having forward bore portions 84 and rearward bore portions 86. The rear surface of the rear insulator 82 is flush with the plane of the rear surface of the receptacle connector and the front surface of the rear insulator terminate short of the rearward facing shoulder 76. The receptacle connector also comprises a front insulator 92 having a reduced outer front surface 94 and an enlarged rear surface 96. The surface 96 is approximately equal to the outer dimension of the rear insulator 82 with the front surface of the rear insulator 82 abutting the rear surface of the front insulator 92.

Further, a forward facing shoulder 98 of the front insulator abuts the rearward facing shoulder 76 of the connector shell. The front insulator contains reduced diameter forward bore portions 102 and enlarged diameter rear bore portions 104. Mounted within the forward bore portion 102 is a terminal pin I06 whose front ends extend forwardly from the front surface of the front insulator 92. The rear end of the terminal pins 106 are integral with a terminal portion I08 mounted in the rear bore 104 of the front insulator 92. The rear end of the terminal portion 106 is secured to a crimp member 112, mounted in the forward bore 84 of the rear insulator. Conductors 114 are secured to the crimp member 112 and are passed through the rear bore portion 86 of the rear insulator with the conductor 114 extending rearwardly therefrom. Further, a retaining ring 116 is used to secure the rear insulator within the receptacle connector shell.

The seal 22, which is normally made of a resilient elastomer which contains silicone, but can be made of other resilient materials, is formed of a terminal portion 124 which is generally L-shaped and abuts the junction of the front face of the flange 14 and the outer surface 18. The seal then extends forwardly in a somewhat bowed portion 126 and terminates in a circular lip portion 128. The bottom inner surface 132 of the bowed portion 126 is spaced slightly away from the surface 18. The portion 124 rests at the junction of the flange l4 and the surface 18. However, in other applications, this portion of the seal can be permanently attached by bonding or vulcanization. In the embodiment as shown, however, by leaving the seal unattached on site installation or replacement may be performed relatively simply.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the two

connection halves

12 and 24 are mated, the flared opening 72 of the receptacle shell 24 abuts the seal at the outer edge of the member 128. Since the seal is relatively fixed at its end of the L-shaped member 124, deflection of the seal equally around the shell surface 18 occurs along its columnar axis with the bow at the center of the member 126. Thus, a positive seal is formed between the inner surface of the receptacle connector 24 and the outer surface of the plug connector 12 by means of the seal 22.

Due to its columnar configuration, the seal is deflected equally around the surface 18 of the plug connector 12 and the force on the seal increases lineraly with deflection. Since the seal is deflected along its columnar axis, every advantage is taken of its columnar strength and its attendant recovery characteristic. If a minimum of deflection is available, the seal memory characteristic will be fully utilized and the resultant movement becomes purely deflective in nature rather than compressive.

Further, while the seal has been shown mounted on the outer surface of the plug connector 12, it should be understood, of course, that other arrangements are possible, for example, the seal could be mounted on the inner surface of the receptacle connector 24 and, as previously pointed out,

may be permanently attached to the connector shell by conventional techniques.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an alternative embodiment of the seal of FIGS. 1 through 3. In FIG. 4, the seal, instead of being bowed at one place, contains a multiple of bowed portions, 142, 144 and 146, which are interconnected at one end by the terminal portion 148 and at the other end by the circular lip portion 152. When the two connector arrangements are mated, as shown in FIG. 5, an accordion arrangement is effected with the

member

142, 144 and 146 folding together. The arrangement of FIGS. 4 and 5 allows sealing over a greater range with lower force per unit of deflection than the arrangement of FIGS. 1-3.

What is claimed is:

1. An accordion seal for environmentally sealing a pair of mating connector members at the outer surface thereof, comprising:

a first connector member having a shell surface and having a flared opening at the front end thereof,

a second connector member having a shell surface which is adjacent said first connector member shell surface when said connector members are mated,

said accordion seal comprising a rear portion, an intermediate portion and a front portion; said rear portion being secured to said second connector member shell surface in a relatively fixed manner, said intermediate portion having a portion of which is spaced from said second connector shell surface a first predetermined distance when said connector shells are not mated, said front portion engaging said first connector member at said flared opening and forming a sealing arrangement between said connector members, said intermediate portion folding in an accordion fashion as said connector shells are drawn closer together.

2. An accordion seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said intermediate portion is formed of a plurality of rippled sections, said sections folding in accordion fashion upon mating of said connector shells.

3. An accordion seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the seal is deflected equally around the connector shell surface upon which it is mounted when the connector members are mated.

4. An accordion seal in accordance with claim 3 wherein the force on the seal increases linerly with deflection during mating of said connector members.

Claims

1. An accordion seal for environmentally sealing a pair of mating connector members at the outer surface thereof, comprising: a first connector member having a shell surface and having a flared opening at the front end thereof, a second connector member having a shell surface which is adjacent said first connector member shell surface when said connector members are mated, said accordion seal comprising a rear portion, an intermediate portion and a front portion; said rear portion being secured to said second connector member shell surface in a relatively fixed manner, said intermediate portion having a portion of which is spaced from said second connector shell surface a first predetermined distance when said connector shells are not mated, said front portion engaging said first connector member at said flared opening and forming a sealing arrangement between said connector members, said intermediate portion folding in an accordion fashion as said connector shells are drawn closer together.