Electrical connection assembly with unitary sealing and compression ring

• US 7,438,327 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgeport Fittings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bridgeport Fittings Incorporated (NSI Industries, LLC)
• Inventors: Kiely, Kenneth M., Auray, Delbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt; James M
• Application Number:
  US11/359,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20060138775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 285/136.1, 2851391-1393, 285/149.1, 285/151.1, 285/15, 285/383, 285/386, 285/339, 285/152.1, 285/382.7
• US Class Current: 285/151.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/063 by means of conical threaded surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/065 the wedging action being effected by means of a ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/075 specially adapted for spigot-and-socket joints for pipes of the same diameter
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/10 the profile of the ring being altered
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/04 Cable-end sealings
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0675 with bolts operating in a direction parallel to the conductors

Abstract

An electrical connection assembly for securing electrical metal conduit to a junction box or the like, having a connection body with an inlet end portion for receiving a conduit wherein the inlet end includes a first portion sized to snugly receive an end portion of a conduit and a second portion having an internal surface that diverges outwardly toward the opening of the inlet end portion. A unitary sealing and compression ring is fitted onto the end portion of a conduit, and is positioned thereon so that the sealing ring portion of the unitary ring is received within the inlet end portion. A fastening nut secures the conduit to the inlet portion by causing the sealing ring portion to form a water or fluid tight seal between the connector body and the associated conduit and forming a mechanically sound connection between the connector body and the conduit. The unitary sealing and compression ring formed of metal insures positive electrical grounding of the assembled connection.

Claims

1. An electrical connection for connecting a metal conduit thereto comprising:

a connector body having an inlet end and an outlet end,

a bore extending through said connector body from said inlet end to said outlet end to form opposed inlet and outlet openings,

said bore extending through said inlet end having a first inner portion and a second outer portion,

said first inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of said second outer portion adjacent said inlet opening,

said first inner portion having an internal surface sized and shaped to snugly receive an end portion of a conduit,

and said second outer portion having an axial length forming an internal surface that tapers progressively uninterruptedly outwardly free of any irregularities toward said inlet opening,

a unitary sealing and compression metallic ring adapted to be received onto an end portion of a conduit,

said unitary sealing and compression metallic ring including a sealing ring portion having an external outwardly tapering, smooth surface having an axial length for extending into said second outer portion of said bore whereby said external smooth tapering surface of said sealing ring portion complements said internal taper free of any irregularities of said second outer portion,

a radially outwardly extending shoulder having an outermost diameter circumscribing said metallic ring intermediate the longitudinal length of said metallic ring,

a compression ring portion having a smooth inclined camming outer surface free of any irregularities that converges from the outer periphery of said outermost diameter of said shoulder toward the central longitudinal axis of said unitary metallic ring,

said inclined camming outer surface sloping away from the outer periphery of said outermost diameter of said shoulder toward an inlet opening of said unitary metallic ring whereby the outer surface of said compression ring portion is smooth and threadless,

and said unitary sealing and compression ring including a smooth, cylindrical, inner surface free of any irregularities, extending throughout the axial length of said metallic ring and a generally uniform diameter extending there through,

and a fastening nut having a complementary cam surface arranged to engage said inclined camming outer surface of said compression ring portion,

said fastening nut being adapted to be fitted onto an end portion of a conduit for securing the end portion of a metallic conduit to said inlet end, whereby said sealing ring portion is urged in sealing relationship with said second outer portion of said inlet end as said compression ring portion is compressed onto the end portion of a conduit, adapted to be received in said inlet end, as said fastening nut is threaded onto said inlet end,

and wherein said unitary metallic ring is formed of brass so as to effect a positive surface to surface grounding of said metal conduit in the assembled position.

2. An electrical coupling assembly connecting electrical conduits in an end to end relationship comprising:

a coupling body having opposed end portions terminating in opposed openings sized to receive the ends of electric conduits adapted to be connected thereto,

a bore extending through said coupling body and said opposed end portions,

each of said end portions of said coupling body having an a distal inner smooth surface and a proximal inner smooth surface,

each of said distal inner smooth surfaces having an internal peripheral surface sized and shaped to snugly receive an electrical conduit,

and each of said proximal smooth inner surfaces of said end portions having an internal peripheral surface that gradually diverges radially outwardly toward its corresponding opening,

a unitary sealing and compression ring forming a closed ring having an inlet opening and an outlet opening adapted to be snugly received on the end of each conduit to be connected to said coupling body,

each of said sealing and compression rings including a sealing ring portion and a compression ring portion,

a radially outwardly extending shoulder circumscribing said unitary ring for defining said sealing ring portion from said compression ring portion,

said shoulder having an outermost diameter, said shoulder being substantially perpendicular to said sealing ring portion,

said shoulder being substantially perpendicular to said sealing ring portion,

said sealing ring portion having a smooth, tapering outer peripheral surface free of any irregularities that complements the respective proximal smooth inner surface of said end portions, and an inner smooth surface free of any irregularities,

said compression ring portion having a circumscribing, smooth, threadless outer surface that slopes radially inwardly and away from said outermost diameter of said shoulder toward said outlet opening, said compression ring portion having an inner smooth cylindrical surface coincidental to said inner smooth surface of said sealing ring portion to define a uniform diameter extending therethrough,

and a fastening nut having a nut opening sized to be fitted onto the end of an electrical conduit to be connected to said end portions and

said fastening nut having a cam surface adjacent said nut opening for engaging the external sloping, threadless uninterrupted outer surface of said compression ring portion as said fastening nut is being tightened onto said inlet end portion of said coupling body for simultaneously effecting a fluid tight surface to surface seal and a secured compressive surface to surface connection,

wherein said coupling body is formed of metal,

an electric metal conduit connected to each of said opposed end portions, and

said metal unitary sealing and compression ring effecting a positive electric surface to surface sealing and surface to surface grounding of said electrical metal conduit in the assembled position.