CONNECTOR ENCLOSURE

• US 3,669,470 A
• Filed: 06/03/1970
• Issued: 06/13/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johannis M. Deurloo
• Original Assignee: Johannis M. Deurloo
• Inventors: Deurloo, Johannis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Callaghan, Thomas F.
• Application Number:
  US05/043,117
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 285/45,165,164,166,167,223,114,226
• US Class Current: 285/45
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 51/025 with several corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/56 Means for preventing chafing or fracture of flexible leads at outlet from coupling part

Abstract

To connect two apparatuses a connector assembly is used comprising two connector units and a plurality of conductors, and to protect said conductors a connector enclosure is provided consisting of an inner member of non elastic material, which member is constructed with two articulate inner tubes adapted to be coupled with the said two connector-units and with an outer tube, which is coupled telescopically and rotatably about a limited angle with the coupling extremities of the inner tubes opposite the articulate extremities of said inner tubes; and as an outer enclosure a bellow or sleeve of elastic material is used, said connector assembly permits a limited relative movement of the connector units, which is for an improved protection of the conductors against damage through imprudent use.

Claims

1. A connector-enclosure for a plurality of conductors between two connector units of a connector assembly comprising a sleeve of elastic material secured at the ends thereof to the connector units and an inner member of non-elastic material, which inner member comprises two inner tubes having each one end adapted to form with an output end of an associated connector unit a ball and socket joint, an outer tube coupled telescopically and rotatably about a limited angle with the other ends of said inner tubes, two tube-retaining rings to be screwed on the extremities of the outer tube, and two stop-rings which may be mounted between the inner face of said tube-retaining rings and said other ends of said inner tubes;

said ball and socket joint being provided perpendicularly on the axial direction of said connector assembly with two pins in one component of said joint, which pins engage in axial extending elongated openings in the other component of said joint to prevent a twisting movement of said inner tubes with respect to the output ends of the associated connector units on the one hand and yet to allow for a limited pivotal movement of said ball and socket joint on the other hand, and with an outer ring having inner screw thread such that said ring may be screwed to enclose said one end of said inner tubes of the ball and socket joints;

each of said other ends of said inner tubes being provided with a cylindrical recess bounded by two collars of which the collar nearest to the extremity of said other end of an inner tube is formed of recesses and projections angularly spaced along the periphery of said collar and with a relative different width, and said outer tube being provided internally with corresponding axial recesses and projections, but such that the angular width of the projections of an inner tube is smaller than that of the associated recesses in the inner face of the outer tube and vice versa;

the inner diameter of said stop rings being smaller than the outer diameter of the collars on said other ends of said inner tubes and of such a magnitude that these rings fit in said first mentioned cylindrical recesses of said inner tubes.

2. A connector-enclosure for a plurality of conductors betweeN two connector units of a connector assembly comprising a sleeve of elastic material secured at the ends thereof to the connector units and an inner member of non-elastic material, which inner member comprises two inner tubes having each one end adapted to form with an output end of an associated connector unit a ball and socket joint, an outer tube coupled telescopically and rotatably about a limited angle with the other ends of said inner tubes, two tube-retaining rings to be screwed on the extremities of the outer tube, and two stop-rings which may be mounted between the inner face of said tube-retaining rings and said other ends of said inner tubes;

said ball and socket joint being provided perpendicularly on the axial direction of said connector assembly with two pins in one component of said joint, which pins engage in axial extending elongated openings in the other component of said joint to prevent a twisting movement of said inner tubes with respect to the output ends of the associated connector units on the one hand and yet to allow for a limited pivotal movement of said ball and socket joint on the one hand, and with an outer ring having inner screw thread such that said ring may be screwed to enclose said one end of said inner tubes of the ball and socket joints;

each of said other ends of said inner tubes being provided with a cylindrical recess bounded by two collars of which the collar nearest to the extremity of said other end of an inner tube is formed of recesses and projections angularly spaced along the periphery of said collar and with a relative different width, and said outer tube being provided internally with corresponding axial recesses and projections, but such that the angular width of the projections of an inner tube is smaller than that of the associated recesses in the inner face of the outer tube and vice versa;

the inner diameter of said stop rings being smaller than the outer diameter of the collars on said other ends of said inner tubes and of such a magnitude that these rings fit in said first mentioned cylindrical recesses of said inner tubes, and each of said stop-rings comprising two half rigid portions.

3. A connector-enclosure for a plurality of conductors between two connector units of a connector assembly comprising a sleeve of elastic material secured at the ends thereof to the connector units and an inner member of non-elastic material, which inner member comprises two inner tubes having each one end adapted to form with an output end of an associated connector unit a ball and socket joint, an outer tube coupled telescopically and rotatably about a limited angle with the other ends of said inner tubes, two tube-retaining rings to be screwed on the extremities of the outer tube, and two stop-rings which may be mounted between the inner face of said tube-retaining rings and said other ends of said inner tubes;

said ball and socket joint being provided perpendicularly on the axial direction of said connector assembly with two pins in one component of said joint, which pins engage in axial extending elongated openings in the other component of said joint to prevent a twisting movement of said inner tubes with respect to the output ends of the associated connector units on the one hand and yet to allow for a limited pivotal movement of said ball and socket joint on the other hand, and with an outer ring having an inner screw thread such that said ring may be screwed to enclose said one end of said inner tubes of the ball and socket joints;

each of said other ends of said inner tubes being provided with a cylindrical recess bounded by two collars of which the collar nearest to the extremity of said other end of an inner tube is formed of recesses and projections angularly spaced along the periphery of said collar and with a relative different width, and said outer tube being provided internally with corresponding axial recesses and projections, but such that the angular width of the projections of an inner tube is smaller than that of the Associated recesses in the inner face of the outer tube and vice versa;

the inner diameter of said stop rings being smaller than the outer diameter of the collars on said other ends of said inner tubes and of such a magnitude that these rings fit in said first mentioned cylindrical recesses of said inner tubes, and each of said stop-rings existing of a split resilient ring.