Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A sealed electrical through-connector assembly including a barrier of predetermined thickness; a connecting member extending through a hole in the barrier; a resilient annular seal ring surrounding the connecting member, the seal ring having an uncompressed thickness greater than the thickness of the barrier and an outer perimetral surface making sealing contact with the inner surface of the hole through the barrier; a first metal part mounted on said connecting member and positioned on one side of said seal ring; a second metal part mounted on the connecting member and positioned on the other side of the seal ring; and means for applying a releasable clamping force against said metal parts for axially compressing said seal ring, wherein the improvement comprises: rigid spacer means defining the positions of said parts relative to each other, thereby determining a fixed compression of the seal ring for any clamping force above a predetermined minimum valve.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
152 words
A sealed electrical through-connector assembly including a barrier of predetermined thickness; a connecting member extending through a hole in the barrier; a resilient annular seal ring surrounding the connecting member, the seal ring having an uncompressed thickness greater than the thickness of the barrier and an outer perimetral surface making sealing contact with the inner surface of the hole through the barrier; a first metal part mounted on said connecting member and positioned on one side of said seal ring; a second metal part mounted on the connecting member and positioned on the other side of the seal ring; and means for applying a releasable clamping force against said metal parts for axially compressing said seal ring, wherein the improvement comprises: rigid spacer means defining the positions of said parts relative to each other, thereby determining a fixed compression of the seal ring for any clamping force above a predetermined minimum valve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacer means comprises a metal member having two oppositely facing parallel surfaces, and said metal parts bear against said respective surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 2 wherein said spacer means comprises part of said connecting member, and said clamping means comprises an externally threaded portion extending from one of said spacer surfaces through the adjacent one of the metal parts and an internally threaded member screwed onto the externally threaded portion and clamping said adjacent one of the metal parts against said one spacer surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 2 wherein said spacer means comprises part of said connecting member and has a tapped blind hole in one of said parallel surfaces, and said clamping means comprises a screw passing through the corresponding metal part and screwed into the tapped hole to clamp said corresponding metal part against said one spacer surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said spacer means is an annular cylindrical ring surrounding said connecting member, the outer peripheral surface of said spacer ring making sealing contact with an inner surface of said annular seal ring, and the connector assembly further comprises at least one additional resilient seal ring positioned around and in sealing contact with the connecting member.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 5 wherein said additional resilient seal ring makes sealing contact with the spacer ring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 5 wherein said additional resilient seal ring makes sealing contact with one of said metal parts.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 5 wherein said connecting member comprises a threaded bolt having a head at one end, said head bearing against one of said metal parts, and the clamping means comprises a nut threadably engaged with the other end of said bolt and bearing against the other of said metal parts.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises at least one wall made of a plastic material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises two abutting walls made of a plastic material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
A through-connector assembly according to claim 9 or 10 wherein said at least one plastic wall separates two adjacent compartments of a storage battery, and the two metal parts are electrically connected to corresponding electrodes in the respective compartments.