Electrical connector having means for sealing against moisture

Claim 1

An electrical connector having means for sealing against moisture, the electrical connector of the type including a pair of electrical connector members (10, 20) having their forward end portions (14, 24) mated; a duality of electrical contacts (11, 21) carried by said connectors and forming an electrical interconnection in the mated connectors; means (40, 30, 35, 37, 17) for releasably coupling the connector members, the releasable coupling means being carried by one connector member for connection to the other connector member and including a sleeve (40) having an interior wall (49) circumposed about a spring retainer (35) and mounted for movement rearwardly of said forward end portions; and means (39) disposed in the retainer for resisting rearward movement of the sleeve and for normally biasing the sleeve forwardly, the means for sealing against moisture characterized by: said sleeve (40) having an annular recess (48) circumposed around the interior wall (49); a sealing adapter (50) mounted to said one connector member and including a radial collar (56) defining oppositely disposed first and second end faces (57, 59); and a moisture seal (60) carried by the sleeve (40), said mositure seal comprising an outer ring portion (62) sized to fit the annular recess (48), an inner ring portion (66) adapted to contact and seal about the radial collar (56) and a resilient skirt (64) interconnecting said ring portions (62, 66), said skirt (64) including first and second skirt portions (70, 72) with said first skirt portion (70) extending from its connection to the outer ring portion (62) and said second skirt portion (72) extending from its connection to the inner ring portion (66).