Molded conduit penetration seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12398829-B2
Application number	US-202117508868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A conduit seal that serves to connect conduits between different environments while providing sufficient insulation to mitigate condensation and molding issues. The conduit seal can also provide grounding continuity with an electrical conducting insert, thereby providing electrical continuity across a thermal barrier between the environments. The conduit seal includes a through-hole connector including a body, a first end, and a second end, a compliant member, and a locking member. The body has an exterior surface, and the body defines an internal cavity. The compliant member is disposed circumferentially around the exterior surface of the through-hole connector. The compliant member is connected to the locking member and is configured to seal the locking member to a barrier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conduit seal, comprising:
a through-hole connector,
wherein the through-hole connector includes:
a body,
wherein the body has an exterior surface,
wherein the body defines an internal cavity,

a first end, and
a second end,
wherein the second end is longitudinally opposite the first end;

a compliant member,
wherein the compliant member is disposed circumferentially around the exterior surface of the through-hole connector;

a locking member,
wherein the compliant member is connected to the locking member and is configured to seal the locking member to a barrier; and

at least one electrical conducting insert comprising:
a first interface member connected to the first end of the through-hole connector, the first interface member configured to connect to a first, separate conduit,
a second interface member connected to the second end of the through-hole connector, the second interface member configured to connect to a second, separate conduit, and
a conducting member electrically connecting the first interface member to the second interface member,
wherein the at least one electrical conducting insert is located within the internal cavity defined by the body, and wherein the at least one electrical conducting insert extends longitudinally within the internal cavity along the through-hole connector to electrically connect the first end of the through-hole connector to the second end of the through-hole connector,
wherein the first interface member has a first threaded portion and the second interface member has a second threaded portion.

2. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
further comprising a second compliant member,
wherein the second compliant member is disposed circumferentially around the exterior surface of the through-hole connector.

3. The conduit seal of claim 2 ,
wherein the second end of the through-hole connector comprises a flange, and
wherein the second compliant member is connected to the flange and is configured to seal the flange to the barrier.

4. The conduit seal of claim 2 ,
wherein the compliant member and the second compliant member are elastomeric.

5. The conduit seal of claim 2 ,
wherein the compliant member and the second compliant member comprise polyisoprene, polybutadiene (butadiene rubber), styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, isobutylene-isoprene copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer, polychloroprene, polysulfide, silicones, polyurethane, polyacrylate elastomer, chlorinated polyethylene, styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), ethylene-propylene-diene polymer, fluoroelastomers, or any combination thereof.

6. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the first threaded portion of the first interface member is configured to be connected to the first, separate conduit, and
wherein the second threaded portion of the second interface member is configured to be connected to the second, separate conduit.

7. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the first interface member and the second interface member comprise a metallic material.

8. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the conducting member comprises copper, aluminum, or stainless steel.

9. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the through-hole connector is injection molded, compression molded, transfer molded, or potted.

10. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the through-hole connector comprises a thermoplastic or a thermoset resin.

11. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein the through-hole connector comprises an additive of ultra-violet (UV) resistance, antimicrobial, conductivity, mechanical and thermal stability, chemical resistance, insulation property or decreased flammability.

12. The conduit seal of claim 1 ,
wherein a thermal conductivity of the through-hole connector ranges from about 0.2 Watt per meter-Kelvin to about 5 Watt per meter-Kelvin.

13. A method of securing a conduit seal to a barrier, comprising:
inserting a first end of a body of a through-hole connector through the barrier to a first side of the barrier;
maintaining a flange connected to a second end of the body of the through-hole connector on a second side of the barrier;
sealing the through-hole connector to the barrier by connecting a first compliant member connected to a locking member to the first side of the barrier and connecting a second compliant member connected to the flange to the second side of the barrier,
wherein the through-hole connector comprises at least one electrical conducting insert comprising:
a first interface member connected to the first end of the through-hole connector, the first interface member configured to connect to a first, separate conduit,
a second interface member connected to the second end of the through-hole connector, the second interface member configured to connect to a second, separate conduit, and
a conducting member electrically connecting the first interface member to the second interface member,
wherein the at least one electrical conducting insert is located within an internal cavity defined by the body, and wherein the at least one electrical conducting insert extends longitudinally within the internal cavity along the through-hole connector to electrically connect the first end of the through-hole connector to the second end of the through-hole connector,
wherein the first interface member has a first threaded portion and the second interface member has a second threaded portion.

14. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
wherein the barrier is a floor in a building, and wherein the first side of the barrier is located vertically above the second side of the barrier.

15. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
wherein the barrier is a floor in a building, and wherein the second side of the barrier is located vertically above the first side of the barrier.

16. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
wherein the barrier is a wall in a building.

17. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
wherein the locking member has a threaded interior surface and the first end of the through-hole connector has a threaded exterior surface,
wherein the threaded interior surface of the locking member and the threaded exterior surface of the first end of the through-hole connector are reciprocally threaded, and
wherein connecting the first compliant member to the first side of the barrier comprises screwing the threaded interior surface of the locking member onto the threaded exterior surface of the first end of the through-hole connector.

18. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
further comprising connecting a first conduit to a first end of the conduit seal.

19. The method of securing the conduit seal to the barrier of claim 13 ,
further comprising connecting a second conduit to a second end of the conduit seal.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Tremelling Darren
• Zhong Sheng
• Hetrich Matthew

Classifications

• F16L5/06 Primary

  by means of a swivel nut compressing a ring or sleeve · CPC title