Electrical connector with environmental seal

Claim 1

In a conductor receiving assembly having a conductor receiving end for receiving, containing and coupling the extremity of a given length of at least one of a plurality of different conductors of substantially circular cross-section and including a contact member to an element contained within said assembly, the minimum outside diameter and maximum outside diameter of any part of said given length of conductor not being less than a first diameter value and not in excess of a second larger diameter value respectively, a member for environmentally sealing said conductor receiving end prior to and following the insertion of a conductor through said conductor receiving end forwardly into said assembly, said member comprising: an insert of elastic material such as an elastomer or the like affixed to said assembly and environmentally closing said conductor receiving end, said insert having at least one longitudinally extending pocket for forwardly receiving said given length of conductor; said pocket extending from substantially the conductor receiving end of said conductor assembly forwardly through the insert for communicating with an element within said assembly remote from said conductor receiving end; said pocket having at least one radially inwardly extending riser formed of said material defining a substantially circularly shaped constriction in said pocket, the diameter of said constriction being of a value less than said minimum diameter value by an amount which taken along with the elastic properties of said material will allow passage of said given length of conductor yet produce a gas seal between the outer surface of said conductor and the material defining said riser when said given length of said conductor is contained within said assembly; said pocket having a substantially circular enlarged portion extending rearwardly from the rearward longitudinal extent of said riser to a given longitudinal position adjacent the conductor receiving end surface of said insert, the diameter of said enlarged portion at said given longitudinal position, being substantially larger than said second diameter value; and a relatively thin membrane having a substantially uniform thickness over an area thereof equal to an area corresponding to said second diameter value affixed to said insert and sealingly closing said pocket at said given longitudinal position, said membrane being sufficiently thin to permit its puncturing when said conductor is inserted into said pocket, with the inner longitudinal displacement between the rearward longitudinal extent of said riser and said given longitudinal position of said membrane being such to define a space within said pocket sufficiently large to allow portions of said membrane, when punctured, to be contained therein and thereby prevented from being carried into portions of said pocket forward of the rearward longitudinal extent of said riser when said conductor is fully inserted into said assembly, said membrane being formed with a central section which is relatively thin compared to the surrounding membrane portions affixed to said insert so as to produce a central stress area tending to enforce puncturing of the membrane at its central portion without severing the membrane from the insert when punctured by said conductor.