Elastomeric molded strain relief

Claim 1

A molded elastomeric strain relief to extend longitudinally through an opening in a wall of a housing, the wall having a predetermined thickness, the housing comprising a barrier extending across a first side of the opening and comprising an outwardly facing surface forming part of the periphery of the opening and an inwardly facing surface spaced from the outwardly facing surface by a predetermined first distance, the opening further being defined by an edge portion of the wall spaced from the outwardly facing surface by a second predetermined distance, the strain relief comprising: an entrance end and an external end longitudinally spaced from the entrance end; a central portion extending longitudinally along the strain relief between the entrance end and the exernal end and having a cross-section for substantially filling the opening; a first shoulder extending transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the strain relief at a location intermediate the ends and on a first side of the strain relief to abut against the outwardly facing surface to prevent the strain relief from being inserted too far into the opening; a second shoulder at one end of the central portion and facing in the opposite direction from the first shoulder and extending transversely relative to a second side of the strain relief opposite the first side to engage the inner surface of the wall when the strain relief is fully inserted into the opening to prevent the strain relief from being easily removed from the opening; a projection extending from the first side of the strain relief offset closer to the entrance end than the second shoulder is and spaced from the first shoulder towards the entrance end by a distance substantially equal to the first distance to form a trough in the strain relief between the projection and the first shoulder, whereby the outwardly facing surface and the inwardly facing surface on the barrier are clasped in the trough when the strain relief is in position in the opening; a beveled surface on the second side of the strain relief extending from the height of the second shoulder toward the first side, whereby the portion of the strain relief adjacent the entrance end is tapered so that the extremity of the entrance end of the strain relief is smaller than the opening, to permit the tapered portion of the strain relief to be inserted at an angle into the opening, the distance between the bottom of the trough adjacent the first shoulder and the distal edge of the second shoulder being greater than the distance between the barrier and the edge portion of the wall; a third shoulder extending substantially parallel to and in the same direction relative to the strain relief as the second shoulder and spaced from the second shoulder toward the external end of the strain relief to define the other end of the central portion, the cross-section of the central portion substantially conforming in shape to the shape of the opening; and side portions of the strain relief along third and fourth mutually opposite sides of the strain relief adjacent the second shoulder and facing away from the entrance end, whereby pressure can be applied to the side portions to force the tapered portion of the strain relief adjacent the second shoulder far enough into the opening to permit the second shoulder to engage the inner surface of the wall with the strain relief in position such that the projection locks behind the inwardly facing surface of the barrier and the second and third shoulders lock on opposite sides of a portion of the edge of the wall immediately adjacent the opening.