Connector with sealing boot and moveable shuttle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276969-B2
Application number	US-201815948156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	Apr 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

Various connectors are disclosed. The connectors include a sealing assembly for providing a seal around a cable extending through the connector. The sealing assembly can include a moveable shuttle, a stop component, and a sealing boot. The sealing boot can be compressed between the stop component and the shuttle, such as a sleeve of the shuttle. The sealing boot can be configured to change shape (e.g., buckle) around the cable in response to movement of the shuttle. The change in shape of the sealing boot can facilitate sealing around the cable. The connector can be configured to inhibit or prevent the sealing boot from being extruded out of position in response to a pressure gradient between first and second ends of the connector.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1. An electrical connector comprising:
a housing comprising a longitudinal axis;
a sealing assembly positioned in the housing, the sealing assembly comprising:
a stop component having a bore extending therethrough and a shoulder, the stop component fixedly positioned in the housing;
a shuttle configured to move relative to the stop component along the longitudinal axis;
a sleeve projecting from the shuttle, the sleeve extending between a first end and a second end, the sleeve configured to move with the shuttle as a unit;
a spring positioned in the housing, the spring biasing the shuttle towards the stop component; and
a sealing boot comprising a first end, a second end, and a channel, the sealing boot positioned in the bore of the stop component, the first end of the sealing boot abutted against the shoulder of the stop component, the second end of the sealing boot configured to abut against the first end of the sleeve,
wherein the sealing boot is configured to receive a cable through the channel and to form a seal around the cable by applying a sealing load around the cable, the sealing boot configured to buckle in response to the shuttle moving toward the stop component, thereby increasing the sealing load around the cable.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further comprises an aperture, the aperture configured to receive the cable therethrough, wherein the cable can pass through the sleeve and the shuttle.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the sealing boot comprises one or more ridges and one or more valleys.

4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein, when the sealing boot buckles, an inner diameter of the channel of the sealing boot decreases.

5. The connector of claim 4 , wherein, when the sealing boot buckles, an outer diameter of the sealing boot increases.

6. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal length of the sealing boot decreases as the shuttle moves toward the stop component.

7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein, when the shuttle moves along the longitudinal axis towards the stop component, the first end of the sleeve is received within the bore of the stop component.

8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured such that the shuttle moves toward the stop component in response to an increase in ambient temperature.

9. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the sleeve is positioned in a cavity in the shuttle.

10. A connector for providing a seal around a cable, the connector comprising:
a support structure comprising an opening;
a movable shuttle having a bore extending therethrough, the bore configured to receive the cable, the shuttle configured to move relative to the support structure;
a sealing boot having a channel extending therethrough, the channel configured to receive the cable, the sealing boot positioned within the opening of the support structure, the sealing boot configured to collapse when compressed along a longitudinal axis; and
a sleeve having an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture configured to receive the cable, the sleeve extending outward from the shuttle and moveable with the shuttle, the sleeve configured to be at least partially received in the opening of the support structure and to contact the sealing boot,
wherein, when the sealing boot is compressed and collapses, a length of the sealing boot measured along the longitudinal axis decreases and an inner diameter of the channel of the sealing boot decreases.

11. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the sealing boot comprises an elastomeric material.

12. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the sealing boot is configured to provide an amount of sealing around the cable that is a function of the position of the shuttle relative to the support structure.

13. The connector of claim 10 , wherein, when the sealing boot is compressed and collapses, an outer diameter of the sealing boot increases.

14. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the opening includes a shoulder, and wherein a first end of the sealing boot abuts against the shoulder.

15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein a first end of the sleeve extends into the opening and abuts against a second end of the sealing boot, and wherein the sealing boot is compressed between the shoulder and the first end of the sleeve as the shuttle moves towards the support structure.

16. The connector of claim 10 , wherein a length of the sealing boot is less than a length of the opening such that the entire sealing boot is positioned within the opening.

17. The connector of claim 10 , further comprising a spring that biases the shuttle towards the support structure.

18. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the sleeve is monolithic with the shuttle.

19. A method of sealing an electrical cable, the method comprising:
receiving a first pressure on a first end of a moveable shuttle of an electrical connector;
receiving a second pressure on a second end of the shuttle, the second pressure being about equal to the first pressure;
biasing the shuttle with a biasing member;
at least partly in response to the bias of the biasing member, moving the shuttle and a sleeve extending therefrom within a housing of the electrical connector and towards a support structure of the electrical connector;
compressing a sealing boot that is positioned within an opening of the support structure, wherein compressing the sealing boot comprises compressing the sealing boot between a shoulder of the support structure and an end of the sleeve that is positioned within the opening;
buckling the sealing boot; and
adjusting a sealing load around the cable in response to the buckling of the sealing boot.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising increasing an outside diameter of the sealing boot.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein adjusting the sealing load around the cable in response to the buckling of the sealing boot comprises increasing the sealing load around the cable in response to an increase in ambient temperature.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the biasing member comprises a helical spring.

Assignees

• Itt Mfg Enterprises Llc

Inventors

• Campbell Charles

Classifications

• H01R43/20

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H01R13/533

  Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure (H01R13/52 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/005

  Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling · CPC title

• H01R13/5208 Primary

  having at least two cable receiving openings · CPC title

• H01R43/005

  for making dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof connection, coupling, or casing · CPC title