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US3742427A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sealable electrical connector

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-08-26
•
Granted: 1973-06-26
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Expires: 1991-08-26
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Abstract

Abstract A re-usable, sealable, electrical connector for making an electrical connection in adverse environments, which electrical connection is made by drawing two bodies of relatively hard, insulating material together with electrical conducting tips projecting through layers of resilient and less hard material that is positioned between the body surfaces. The body surfaces have rings projecting therefrom that encircle the conducting tips and project into the softer layer. The softer layer has less thickness and thus an increased pressure gradient immediately around the conducting tips that forces fluid out of this area forming a sealed surface around the electrical conducting tips.

Inventors

  • 👤 A Ballard

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 04:35
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/46; H01R13/52; H01R13/523

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 171 words
A sealable electrical connector comprising, first and second bodies having adjacent mating surfaces, each of said bodies having a base portion of relatively hard insulating material and a layer of resilient, less hard insulating material positioned on the said respective mating surfaces, each of said bodies having at least one electrical conductor passing through said bodies with an electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard insulation material, said electrical conducting tips being aligned, connector means for drawing said first and second bodies together compressing said layers of less hard material between said mating surfaces causing said tips to electrically contact each other, greater compression means positioned around each of said tips for compressing said layers of less hard insulation material to a greater extent than the remainder of said less hard material, and said greater compression means comprising members of material harder than said less hard material positioned in a generally ring shape to project into the surface of said less hard material on the surface adjacent said mating surfaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 171 words
A sealable electrical connector comprising, first and second bodies having adjacent mating surfaces, each of said bodies having a base portion of relatively hard insulating material and a layer of resilient, less hard insulating material positioned on the said respective mating surfaces, each of said bodies having at least one electrical conductor passing through said bodies with an electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard insulation material, said electrical conducting tips being aligned, connector means for drawing said first and second bodies together compressing said layers of less hard material between said mating surfaces causing said tips to electrically contact each other, greater compression means positioned around each of said tips for compressing said layers of less hard insulation material to a greater extent than the remainder of said less hard material, and said greater compression means comprising members of material harder than said less hard material positioned in a generally ring shape to project into the surface of said less hard material on the surface adjacent said mating surfaces.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which, said greater compression means compresses said layers of less hard material at a rate greater than the rate of compression of the remainder of said less hard material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which, one of said tip portions having a conical recess, and the other tip portion having a mated conical projection that upon electrical contact one of said conical surfaces mates with the other conical recess surfaces.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 including, means for holding said first and second bodies in alignment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which, said layers of less hard material being fixed to said mating surfaces of said first and second bodies.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 48 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 5 in which, said greater compression means comprises ring projections of said first and second bodies that project into said less hard material, and circles said conducting tips with a slightly greater diameter than the diameter of said conducting tips.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which, said material harder than said less hard material being in the form of a ring that is embedded in said less hard material around said conducting tips.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 40 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which, said harder material comprising ring projections of said first bodies, that project into said less hard matrial in the form of a ring around each of said conducting tips.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 270 words
A sealable electrical connector comprising, first and second bodies having adjacent mating surfaces, each of said bodies having a base portion of relatively hard insulating material and a layer of resilient, less hard insulating material positioned on the said respective mating surfaces, each of said bodies having at least one electrical conductor passing through said bodies with an electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard insulation material, said electrical conducting tips being aligned, connector means for drawing said first and second bodies together compressing said layers of less hard material between said mating surfaces causing said tips to eleCtrically contact each other, greater compression means positioned around each of said tips for compressing said layers of less hard insulation material to a greater extent than the remainder of said less hard material, one of said layers of less hard material having a space between said less hard material and the mating surface of one of said bodies, said layer of less hard material being sealably connected around its outer edge to the outer edge of said one of said bodies, said electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard material being separate from said electrical conductor passing through said one of said bodies, said greater compression means resiliently holding said layer of less hard material spaced from said adjacent mating surface and said electrical conductor tip from electrical contact with said electrical conductor, and said seprated conducting tip making electrical contact between the conducting tip of the other body and the electrical connector of said one of said bodies upon the drawing of said first and second bodies together,
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 270 words
A sealable electrical connector comprising, first and second bodies having adjacent mating surfaces, each of said bodies having a base portion of relatively hard insulating material and a layer of resilient, less hard insulating material positioned on the said respective mating surfaces, each of said bodies having at least one electrical conductor passing through said bodies with an electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard insulation material, said electrical conducting tips being aligned, connector means for drawing said first and second bodies together compressing said layers of less hard material between said mating surfaces causing said tips to eleCtrically contact each other, greater compression means positioned around each of said tips for compressing said layers of less hard insulation material to a greater extent than the remainder of said less hard material, one of said layers of less hard material having a space between said less hard material and the mating surface of one of said bodies, said layer of less hard material being sealably connected around its outer edge to the outer edge of said one of said bodies, said electrical conducting tip projecting through said less hard material being separate from said electrical conductor passing through said one of said bodies, said greater compression means resiliently holding said layer of less hard material spaced from said adjacent mating surface and said electrical conductor tip from electrical contact with said electrical conductor, and said seprated conducting tip making electrical contact between the conducting tip of the other body and the electrical connector of said one of said bodies upon the drawing of said first and second bodies together,
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 62 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 9 in which, said space between said less hard material and said mating surface of said one of said bodies having an insulated fluid therein, and said less hard material having expansion means for receiving said insulated fluid upon the compression of said cavity with the drawing of said first and second bodies together.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 37 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 10 in which, said expansion portion comprising an outer band of said less hard material that secures said layer to the outer surface of said one of said bodies.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 52 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 11 in which, said electrical conducting tip of said layer of less hard material being removable from said less hard material for allowing access to said cavity between said layer of less hard material and said mating surface of said one of said bodies.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 43 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 12 in which, said conducting tips making electrical contact between each other and between the electrical conducting tip and the electrical conductor of said one of said bodies by projecting conical projections into conical recesses.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 65 words
A sealable electrical connector as claimed in claim 13 in which, said layer of less hard material is directly secured to the mating surface of said other body, and said greater compression means of said other body comprising a ring projection from said other body into said less hard material, which ring projection has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said conducting tip.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1976-06-25 1976-12-25 1977-06-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1980-06-25 1980-12-25 1981-06-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1984-06-25 1984-12-25 1985-06-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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