Field-assembled two-piece snap-fit self-sealed electrical connector

• US 6,010,348 A
• Filed: 05/19/1998
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Alden Products Company (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alden Products Co.
• Inventors: Alden, Peter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/081,270
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 439/271, 439/281, 439/274, 439/275, 439/280, 439/286, 439/681, 439/686
• US Class Current: 439/274
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/521 Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5221 having cable sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90

Abstract

A resilient tapered conical insert (40,70) is snap fit into a mating recess in each side of a two-piece multi-circuit connector (50, 80). A coupling body segmented latch arm (501, 801) expands over an insert ramp (410, 701) with segmented tabs (42, 82) and locks into an insert recess groove (402, 702) for a tactile and audible signal of engagement and a secure permanent union. Replaceable contact elements (20, 90) are snap fit in a fluid-resistant self-sealing relationship to selected mating openings (44, 74) in the inserts with a contact protrusion (22, 92) engaging an insert shoulder (140, 170) and contact barbs (23, 93) engaging resilient insert openings (145A, 171). A front contact barb (24, 94) snaps into a larger insert opening (45, 74) for a tactile and audible feedback of complete insertion. Replaceable inserts may be fitted with any desired configuration of paired contact elements assembled in the field. Blank or partially blank inserts (40B, 70B) may be drilled in the field.

Claims

1. A multi-circuit connector having snap-fit self-sealing field-assernbled components to interconnect a plurality of contact elements which can be arranged in some desired mating configuration, the contact elements snap fit into mating inserts within the multi-circuit connector, the multi-circuit connector comprising:

a pair of mating coupling bodies each having a body opening therethrough, an aligning tab, an annular snap latch, a series of key slots;

a self-sealing coupling sleeve for forming a sealed aligned connection between the coupling bodies with the body openings in mutual communication, the coupling sleeve having a visual aligning guide on the outer surface of the coupling sleeve;

a pair of mating inserts, each formed of a resilient material, each having a mating end, and each insertable in the body opening of one of the coupling bodies, each of the mating inserts having a tapered conical surface at the mating end of each of the mating inserts, each of said conical surfaces having a self-sealing O-ring groove therein, an annular slot for receiving the annular snap latch of the coupling body to provide a snap fit, and a series of segmenting key tabs in each of the pair of inserts to insert in the mating series of key slots in each of the coupling bodies for engaging the body opening, the inserts each having a resilient mating end face for mutually aligning, engaging, and self-sealing the mating end faces together, and the inserts each having a plurality of insert passages therethrough aligned with a plurality of insert passages in the other insert, the pairs of aligned insert passages being of various desired diameters and positioned as desired in mating configurations within the mating inserts;

the plurality of paired contact elements, each of the paired contact elements capable of being secured in the insert passages and being mutually aligned, and each of the paired contact elements having a mutually mating connecting end, each of the contact elements having at least one friction fitting barb for engaging in each of said passages, said engagement between each contact element and each passage being a self-sealing snap fit, so that when the coupling bodies are aligned and coupled together, the paired contact elements in the pair of mating inserts are capable of being connected together and the resilient mating end faces self-sealing together to seal the paired contact elements therein, thereby providing in a simplified assembly of the inserts with the coupling bodies with no assembly tools required.

2. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein each of the inserts further comprises a ramped latch feature on the conical surface adjacent to the annular slot, the ramped latch feature being segmented by a series of engagement tabs, the series of annular snap latch arms of each of the coupling bodies being capable of engaging in the circumferential groove after the insert is inserted into the coupling body in a telescoping manner with the series of annular snap latch arms capable of being expanded over the ramp feature and subsequently locking into the circumferential groove to provide a tactile and audible signal of engagement of the latch arms in the recess groove, which engagement secures the insert within the coupling body in a fashion that provides a permanent and sealed assembly of the insert and the coupling body.

3. The multi-circuit connector of claim 2 wherein the latch arms have a series of segmenting slots which are specifically sized such that proper orientation is attained by their correct alignment with the correspondingly sized series of insert tabs, the insert being provided with an insert line marked therein, and the coupling body being provided with a mating coupling line outside the coupling body, the series of segmenting slots being capable of mating with the series of mating insert tabs when the insert line is aligned with the mating coupling line when the insert is snap-fit into the coupling body.

4. The multi-circuit connector of claim 3 wherein the O-ring groove comprises an annular groove in the tapered conical surface and further comprising an O-ring insertable in the annular groove of the tapered conical surface, the O-ring forming a fluid resistant seal between the tapered conical surface of each of the inserts and the mating tapered conical body opening inside the coupling body.

5. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein the pair of inserts is configured to allow the formation of at least one of the pairs of insert openings therein by a drilling means capable of being performed in the field with a standard drill.

6. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein each of the pairs of insert passages comprises a smaller hole in the mating end of the insert passage and a larger axially aligned hole in the other end meeting the smaller hole within the insert passage to form a shoulder between the two holes.

7. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein the mating end of a first insert protrudes from a first coupling body and the first insert further comprises an enlarged insert passage mouth in each of the insert passages on the mating end face of the first insert, the connecting end of each of the contact elements being recessed within one of the insert passage mouths, and the insert passage mouths are adapted to receive the connecting ends of the contact elements from a second insert inserted with one of the connecting ends from the second insert in each of the passage mouths of the first insert with a frictionally engaging self-sealing connection, the connecting ends of the contact elements mating in a tight friction fit therein, and a second coupling body connected to the second insert further comprises a coupling body extension extending beyond the second insert the second insert recessed within the coupling body extension and the connecting ends of the contact elements of the second insert protruding a distance from the mating end of the second insert less than the coupling body extension so that the contact elements of the second insert are shielded by the coupling body extension, the mating end of the first insert being formed into an external tapered conical shape and the coupling body extension of the second coupling body being structured with a mating internal tapered conical opening to receive the mating end of the first insert therein with a snap-fit sealed connection, the mating end faces of the two inserts contacting and sealing together due to the resilient material of the inserts.

8. The multi-circuit connector of claim 7 wherein the second insert further comprises a protruding finger having a tapered conical shape extending from the mating face of the second inserts the protruding finger being longer than the protruding connecting ends of the contact elements of the second insert to shield the protruding connecting ends and shorter than the coupling body extension, and the first insert is provided with a mating tapered conical opening in the mating face of the first insert, the mating tapered conical opening adapted to receive the protruding finger with a self-sealing fit therein.

9. The multi-circuit connector of claim 8 wherein the protruding finger further comprises an opening therein extending through the second insert and the mating conical opening of the first insert further comprises a smaller extension opening through the first insert and further comprising a pair of mating contact elements snap-fit with a self-sealing connection within the finger opening and mating conical opening extension opening.

10. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein each of the insert passages is provided with an undersized opening hole in the insert passage, a shoulder at a distal end of the insert passage, and a larger opening past the shoulder, and each of the contact elements is provided with an annular ridge capable of engaging the protruding shoulder of the appropriate insert passage upon full insertion to prevent the contact element from being pulled out of the insert passage by the force of the contact elements being disconnected, and at least one annular protruding rearwardly angled barb larger in diameter than the undersized opening hole of the insert passage, so that the contact element is capable of being inserted with a forced fit through the undersized opening hole creating a seal therebetween, and a front rearwardly angled barb which is capable of snap fitting into the larger opening upon complete insertion of the contact within the insert, so that a tactile and audible feedback of complete insertion is provided.

11. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein at least one coupling body of the pair of coupling bodies has an inline circuit connecting end for receiving a circuit therein, the coupling body inline circuit connecting end comprising a tapered frustoconical surface having a series of annular barb-type ridges protruding therefrom and a circuit opening to admit the circuits therein;

and further comprising a strain relief of flexible material having a circuit opening therethrough to admit circuits, the strain relief structured with an internal mating tapered frustoconical surface having mating annular barb-type ridges radiating inwardly so that when the strain relief is snap fit onto the coupling body inline circuit connecting end, the mating barb-type ridges interlock to secure the strain relief to the coupling body with a self-sealing interconnection.

12. The multi-circuit connector of claim 11 wherein the circuits are contained within a cable and the strain relief further comprises a series of resiliently compressible labyrinth-type ridge seals within the circuit opening, the ridge seals capable of being compressed by the cable to form a seal therebetween.

13. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein one coupling body of the pair of coupling bodies has a panel mount end having an exterior threaded surface to receive a securing nut, and the insert of the one coupling body further comprises an annular peripheral end flange extending beyond the end of the one coupling body, and further comprising a potting cup of flexible material having an interior annular groove adjacent to an attaching end of the potting cup to receive and mate in a sealed connection with the annular peripheral end flange of the insert with the potting cup snap fit onto the insets, the potting cup having an opening at an opposite end to receive circuits therethrough and an interior hollow space which may be filled with a sealer.

14. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein the coupling body is provided with a circuit opening end to admit the circuit therein and the coupling body is formed of a conductive material so that the coupling body is capable of receiving a shielded cable attached to the circuit opening end during assembly to create a completely shielded composite connector that may be cost effectively fabricated and is shielded against electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference.

15. The multi-circuit connector of claim 1 wherein the coupling body is provided with a circuit opening end to admit the circuit therein and the coupling body is plated with a conductive material so that the coupling body is capable of receiving a shielded cable attached to the circuit opening end during assembly to create a completely shielded composite connector that may be cost effectively fabricated and is shielded against electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference.