US2536088A - Hermetically sealed connector - Google Patents

Description

1951 w. s. QUINCY, JR 2,536,088

HERMETICALLY SEALED CONNECFIOR Filed June 50, 1947 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a container which is hermetically sealed against the entrance of moisture and fungi and is provided with a multiple electrical connection for the actuation of electrical elements inside the receptacle from an outside source of electrical energy, or vice-versa.

One object of the invention is to provide a container of this character which will maintain electrical assemblies therein in working order, insofar as protection against moisture and fungi are concerned, in climates of a tropical or excessively damp character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealed, electrically connectible container which is adapted for simultaneous multi-terminal connection by means of a multiple-conductor socket.

Another object is the provision of means on such a container by which the terminal socket is protected against mechanical pull created for example, by withdrawing the plug from the socket, so that the seals against moisture etc. will not be ruptured.

Another object is to uti1ize,so far as possible the present standardized Army and Navy multiple connectors to make electrical connections of the character mentioned and to increase their dimensions as little as possible to adapt them to this use.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation; partly in section, of a container wall through which a water tight receptacle extends.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the outer or socket end of the receptacle. The container wall is shown in the background.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner end of the receptacle. The container wall is shown in the background and the socket flange is shown in dashed line.

I is any appropriate external wall of a container, the remainder of which it is unnecessary to the understanding of the invention, to show. An electrical assembly (not shown) is inside the container. Electrical power is either to be supplied to the electrical assembly through a socket II of multiple conductor type or led away from it through this socket, or even both simultaneously but obviously not through the same conductors. The socket II is preferably provided with an external thread I2 by means of which a plug of the multiple conductor type (not shown) may be threadedly attached to the socket ll. Below amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) the threaded portion I2 there is a flange l3, preferably square but permissibly of other shape. At the corners or elsewhere around the periphery and near the edge of flange I3 there are holes I 4 through which extend screws or rivets 15. The screws or rivets l5 are threadedly or otherwise attached to the wall II]. A preferred method is to provide holes I ia in the screws I5, said holes registering with the holes I4 and being threaded but blind. Any method of attachment of the screws or rivets to the wall will do provided that no moisture or fungi can enter and that the attachment is very strong. The screws l5 may be made double, i. e. of inner and outer section as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to provide a construction that will resist a push from the exterior.

The socket II has a continuation l6 below the flange I3, said continuation I6 forming the body of the receptacle which, as a whole, is designated 9. The receptacle comprises the socket H and a cap 18 which fits over the continuation Hi. The cap I 8 extends a substantial distance, both out and in from wall I0, and is securely and hermetically attached to said wall by a solder fillet I9. Another solder fillet 20 seals the cap I8 to the underside of the flange 13.

Within the continuation I6 near its top there is a disk 2| of insulation through which forwardly extend metallic pins 22 which are the carriers of the electric current. The pins 22 appear in Figs. 1 and 2. A second insulation disc 23 is held in the continuation l6 near its bottom. Thus two points of support are provided for the pins 22. The latter are hollow and are telescopically connected to smaller diameter wires 24 which extend through the bottom of the cap I8. If desired, the wires 24 may be soldered into the pins 22 for better electrical conductivity, but so far as watertightness is concerned, solder is not here necessary, since fillet 2D assures a tight seal. The wires 24 pass through individual metallic sleeves 25 which are fixedly held in individual glass seals 26. Each wire 24 is sealed by a drop of solder 21 to its respective sleeve 25. A free path is thus provided for electricity but the path is completely blocked for moisture and fungi.

The presence of the solder joint 20 is optional. No moisture or fungi can enter the container even though this seal be absent.

I claim as my invention:

In combination a container and a receptacle adapted for the reception of a multiple-conductor plug, said receptacle comprising a socket and,

3 a cap, a flange on said socket, holding means extending between the flange and the container to hold the receptacle and container together, said cap projecting into the interior of said container and supported thereby, hermetic sealing means at the junction between the cap and the container to prevent passage of fluid therethrough and to keep the receptacle and centainer adhesively joined, a plurality of sleeves extending through the Wall of the cap into said container, said sleeves being arranged in a predetermined pattern, a plurality of wire conningtors extending through said receptacle in the same pattern and likewise through said sleeves, a seal of fused-glass type connecting each sleeve with said cap in said receptacle, and airtight seal between said cap and said socket and a metallic seal between each conductor and each sleeve whereby the interior of said container is held watertight, fungustight and substantially airtight but electrically accessible to a male plug having the same predetermined conductor pattern as said sleeves.

WILLIAM S. QUINCY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 283,990 Pfaff et al. May 18, 1943 2,089,044 Thomas Aug. 3, 1937 2,247,386 John July 1, 1941 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 15 2,307,972 Strunk June 12, 1943 2,379,226 Frey June 26,1945 2,402,927 Slupakoff June 25, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 20 Number Country Date 352,945 England July 10, 1931

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