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US4103136A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Switch housing with cable seal

Assignee: Allen Bradley Co LLC
•
Filing: 1977-08-04
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Granted: 1978-07-25
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Expires: 1997-08-04
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Abstract

Abstract A prewired electrical switch having an attached electrical cable includes a housing which provides a cable seal which prevents fluid from traveling by capillary action from outside the housing through the electrical cable into the interior of the switch housing where the fluid can interfere with the normal operation of the switch. The cable seal is provided by a separate cable receiving section of the housing which has pockets which receive and isolate uninsulated portions of the individual electrical conductors of the cable. A non-conductive potting compound such as an epoxy resin fills the pockets and forms fluid-tight seals with the uninsulated portions of the individual conductors and adjacent insulated portions within the pocket. The potting compound also forms a fluid-tight seal with the end of the cable.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas G. Karakis
  • 👤 Clayton J. Klotz

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 08:12
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01H; H01H9/00; H01H9/02; H01H9/04; H01H1/00; H01H1/58

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 89 words
A prewired electrical switch including a housing providing a cable seal, said housing having an electrical cable receiving section which includes a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, at least one of said pockets containing a folded portion of an individual electrical conductor, said folded portion including both insulated and uninsulated sections of said conductor, said pocket further containing a non-conductive potting compound which forms fluid-tight seals with the portions of the conductor within the pocket thereby preventing fluid from the outside from traveling along the conductor into the switch.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 89 words
A prewired electrical switch including a housing providing a cable seal, said housing having an electrical cable receiving section which includes a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, at least one of said pockets containing a folded portion of an individual electrical conductor, said folded portion including both insulated and uninsulated sections of said conductor, said pocket further containing a non-conductive potting compound which forms fluid-tight seals with the portions of the conductor within the pocket thereby preventing fluid from the outside from traveling along the conductor into the switch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
The switch of claim 1 in which the pockets are of a non-conductive material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
The switch of claim 1 in which the potting compound is an epoxy resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 121 words
A prewired electrical switch which prevents fluid from the outside from entering into the interior of the switch by traveling through an attached electrical cable, which switch includes a housing having a switch contact block containing compartment and a separate electrical cable receiving section, said electrical cable receiving section including a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, at least one of said pockets containing an intermediate length of a conductor, said intermediate length including both insulated and uninsulated sections, said pocket further containing a non-conductive potting compound which forms a fluid-tight seal with that portion of the conductor which is within the pocket thereby preventing fluid from the outside from traveling through the conductor and into the switch contact block containing compartment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 121 words
A prewired electrical switch which prevents fluid from the outside from entering into the interior of the switch by traveling through an attached electrical cable, which switch includes a housing having a switch contact block containing compartment and a separate electrical cable receiving section, said electrical cable receiving section including a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, at least one of said pockets containing an intermediate length of a conductor, said intermediate length including both insulated and uninsulated sections, said pocket further containing a non-conductive potting compound which forms a fluid-tight seal with that portion of the conductor which is within the pocket thereby preventing fluid from the outside from traveling through the conductor and into the switch contact block containing compartment.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 12 words
The switch of claim 4 in which the pockets have non-conductive walls.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The switch of claim 4 in which the potting compound is an epoxy resin.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
The switch of claim 4 in which the entire switch housing including the cable receiving section is of a non-conductive material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 176 words
A prewired electrical switch including a housing, having a switch component compartment, switch components including a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said compartment, an electrical cable receiving section in said housing separate from said switch component compartment, said cable receiving section including a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, a passage leading through the wall of said cable receiving compartment to the outside, a length of electrical cable extending through said passage with a first end of the cable within the cable receiving section of the housing, and the other end outside said housing, said first end of the cable in the cable receiving section being devoid of covering and filler so that lengths of the individual insulator conductors of the cable are exposed, an intermediate portion of at least one of the exposed lengths of conductors being uninsulated, said uninsulated portion being positioned in its own conductor receiving pocket which is filled with a non-conductive potting compound which forms fluid-tight seals with both the insulated and the uninsulated portions of the conductor within the pocket.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 176 words
A prewired electrical switch including a housing, having a switch component compartment, switch components including a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said compartment, an electrical cable receiving section in said housing separate from said switch component compartment, said cable receiving section including a plurality of conductor receiving pockets, a passage leading through the wall of said cable receiving compartment to the outside, a length of electrical cable extending through said passage with a first end of the cable within the cable receiving section of the housing, and the other end outside said housing, said first end of the cable in the cable receiving section being devoid of covering and filler so that lengths of the individual insulator conductors of the cable are exposed, an intermediate portion of at least one of the exposed lengths of conductors being uninsulated, said uninsulated portion being positioned in its own conductor receiving pocket which is filled with a non-conductive potting compound which forms fluid-tight seals with both the insulated and the uninsulated portions of the conductor within the pocket.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
The switch of claim 8 in which the cable receiving section also contains sufficient potting compound to form a fluid-tight seal with the first end of the cable.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
The switch of claim 8 in which the portion of the conductor within the pocket is folded.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2287650A Cited
US2785251A Cited
US2814703A Cited
US2859313A Cited
DE1090737B Cited
US2915614A Cited
FR1246653A Cited
US3200208A Cited
US3328512A Cited
US3781456A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-07-24 1982-01-23 1982-07-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-07-24 1986-01-23 1986-07-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-07-24 1990-01-23 1990-07-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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