End sealing system for an electrical connection

• US 4,755,152 A
• Filed: 11/14/1986
• Issued: 07/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tele-Communications, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tele-Communications, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Brink, Hal E., Elliot, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidenfeld, Gil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pirlot, David
• Application Number:
  US06/930,446
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 339/94, 339/60, 339/177 R, 339/177 E, 339/218, 339/275, 339/97 R, 339/97 P, 339/99 R, 339/276 R, 339/136, 339/126 RS, 174/89, 174/75 C, 29/854-858
• US Class Current: 439/452
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5216 characterised by the sealing material, e.g. gels or resins

Abstract

A system for protecting exposed portions of an electric cable mounted in an electrical connector from detrimental components, such as liquids and gases, by inserting a movable sealing material into a cavity in the electrical connector and displacing the movable sealing material during the insertion of the electrical cable into the electrical connector so as to form an effective seal between the outer surface of the electrical cable and the inner surface of the electrical connector to prevent any detrimental components from entering into the electrical connector and attaching a continuous glob of movable sealing material to close an opening in the electrical connector so that, when an electrical cable is mounted in the electrical connector with the bared end portion passing through the glob of movable sealing material, exposed portions of the electrical cable will be protected by the movable sealing material.

Claims

1. A method for protecting exposed portions of an electrical cable surrounding a center conductor when said electrical cable is secured to an electrical connector comprising:

providing an electrical connector comprising a hollow annular member having at least a first generally cylindrical inner surface having at least one open end and having a relatively small diameter and a second generally cylindrical inner surface having at least one open end and having a relatively large diameter;

inserting a quantity of a movable sealing material into said hollow annular member;

providing an electrical cable having a center conductor having at least one surrounding layer of material and having an outer surrounding layer having an outer surface;

removing a portion of said at least one surrounding layer of material and said outer surrounding layer to provide a bared end portion on said center conductor and an exposed portion on said at least one surrounding layer of material;

inserting said electrical cable into said hollow annular member through said at least one open end of said second generally cylindrical inner surface;

passing at least said bared end portion through said at least one open end of said first generally cylindrical inner surface;

displacing portions of said movable sealing material by the continued insertion of said electrical cable to form at least a continuous ring of said movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with annular portions of said outer surface of said outer surrounding layer and said second generally cylindrical inner surface.

2. A method as in claim 1 and further comprising:

displacing portions of said movable sealing means to form a continuous seal between said bared end portion and said first generally cylindrical inner surface.

3. A method as in claim 1 and further comprising:

attaching a continuous glob of said movable sealing material to said first generally cylindrical inner surface to close said at lesat one open end thereof; and

passing at least said bared end portion through said glob of said movable sealing material so that a continuous seal exists between said bared end portion and said first generally cylindrical inner surface to prevent detrimental components from contacting said exposed portion of said at least one surrounding layer of material.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein said movable sealing material comprises:

a silica dielectric sealant.

5. A method as in claim 3 wherein:

said electrical connector comprises an F-fitting connector comprising an axial extension of said first generally cylindrical inner surface to form a hollow annular space between said axial extension and said second generally cylindrical inner surface and connecting means for connecting said F-fitting connector to another electrical connector;

inserting movable sealing material into said hollow annular space;

said electrical cable comprises a first annular layer surrounding and in contact with said center conductor, an electrically conducting second annular layer surrounding and in contact with said first annular layer and a third annular layer surrounding and in contact with said second annular layer and a fourth annular layer surrounding and in contact with said third annular layer and wherein said center conductor projects outwardly from said first annular layer so that said first annular layer has an exposed annular end portion, and said second annular layer projects outwardly from said third annular layer so that said second annular layer has an exposed outer surface and an exposed annular end portion and said third annular layer projects outwardly from said fourth annular layer so that portions of said third annular layer are exposed;

inserting said electrical cable into said F-fitting connector through said at least one open end of said second generally cylindrical inner surface until portions of said third and fourth annular layers have moved into said hollow annular space and into contact with said movable sealing material; and

displacing said movable sealing material by the continued insertion of said third and fourth annular layers into said hollow annular space to form at least a continuous ring of said movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with portions of said outer surface of said fourth annular layer and said second generally cylindrical inner surface to protect said exposed portions of said third layer by preventing entry of detrimental components into the electrical connector and into contact with exposed portions of said first, second and third annular layers.

6. A system for protecting exposed portions of an electrical cable surrounding a center conductor when said electrical cable is secured to an electrical connector comprising:

an electrical connector comprising a hollow annular member having at least a first generally cylindrical inner surface having at least one open end and having a relatively small diameter and a second generally cylindrical inner surface having at least one open end and having a relatively large diameter;

an electrical cable having a center conductor, at least one layer of material surrounding said center conductor and an outer layer having an outer surface;

a bared end portion of said center conductor projecting outwardly from said at least one layer and said outer layer;

portions of said electrical cable being located in said hollow annular member with said bared end portion extending through and projecting outwardly from said open end of said first generally cylindrical inner surface;

a continuous ring of a movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with annular portions of said outer surface of said outer layer and said second generally cylindrical inner surface wherein said continuous ring of movable sealing material is formed by inserting a quantity of said movable sealing material into said hollow annular member and inserting said electrical cable into said hollow annular member through said at least one open end of said second generally cylindrical inner surface and passing said bared end portion through said at least one open end of said first generally cylindrical inner surface; and

a continuous ring of said movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with an annular portion of said bared end portion and an annular portion of said first generally cylindrical inner surface.

7. A system as in claim 6 and further comprising:

a glob of said movable sealing material attached to said first generally cylindrical inner surface to close said at least one open end thereof with said bared end portion passing through said glob to form a continuous ring of said movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with an annular portion of said bared end portion and an annular portion of said first generally cylindrical inner surface.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein said movable sealing material comprises:

a silica dielectric sealant.

9. A system for protecting exposed portions of an electrical cable surrounding a center conductor when said electrical cable is secured to an electrical connector comprising:

an F-fitting connector comprising a first hollow annular member having a generally cylindrical inner surface having an outer open end and an inner open end and having a relatively small diameter said first hollow annular member having a generally cylindrical outer surface and a flange portion projecting outwardly therefrom, a second hollow annular member projecting axially from said flange portion and concentric to said first hollow annular member, said second annular hollow member having a generally cylindrical inner surface spaced from said generally cylindrical outer surface of said first hollow annular member so as to form a hollow annular space therebetween having a closed end and an open end and having a diameter greater than said relatively small diameter, and connecting means for connecting said F-fitting connector to another electrical connector;

an electrical cable having a center conductor having a bared end portion and a plurality of layers of material surrounding the remaining portions of said center conductor;

said electrical cable having an outer layer having an outer surface;

said plurality of layers of material having exposed portions;

portions of said center conductor and at least one of said plurality of layers of material being located in said first hollow annular member with said bared end portion extending through and projecting outwardly from said outer open end of said first hollow member;

at least one of the remaining layers of material and said outer layer being located in said hollow annular space;

a continuous ring of a movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with annular portions of said outer surface of said outer layer and said generally cylindrical inner surface of said second annular hollow member wherein said continuous ring of movable sealing material is formed by inserting a quantity of movable sealing material into said hollow annular space and displacing said quantity of movable sealing material as said at least one of the remaining layers and said outer layer are inserted into said hollow annular space; and

a glob of said movable sealing material attached to said generally cylindrical inner surface of said first hollow portion to close said outer open end thereof with said bared end portion passing through said glob to form a continuous ring of said movable sealing material between and in sealing engagement with an annular portion of said bared end portion and an annular portion of said generally cylindrical inner surface of said first hollow member.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein said movable sealing material comprises:

a silica dielectric sealant.