Raintight Compression Connector for EMT Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing raintight electrical connectors and couplers for securing EMT or RMC to enclosures or each other face challenges in maintaining a watertight seal due to surface imperfections and diameter variations, especially with larger diameters, leading to water intrusion.
Innovation Solution
A raintight compression connector and coupler design incorporating an upper sealing ring and a wedge-shaped elastomeric sealing ring, which accommodates outside diameter variations and skewed terminating faces, forming a watertight seal by deforming around the conduit's terminating face, and a split compression ring for secure engagement with the conduit, along with a knockout gasket for sealing against an electrical enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing gland is used to prevent water intrusion, then the connector can maintain a basic seal, but the seal fails due to surface imperfections and diameter variations in larger diameter EMT or RMC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs elastomeric sealing rings (such as O-rings or唇 seals) that are flexible and can deform to conform to the outer surface of the conduit. This flexibility allows the sealing rings to adapt to surface imperfections, diameter variations, and slight misalignments in larger diameter EMT or RMC, maintaining a reliable water-tight seal that conventional rigid sealing glands cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system utilizes elastomeric materials whose physical properties (such as hardness, elasticity, and deformability) can be adjusted to match different conduit sizes and surface conditions. By changing the material parameters of the sealing rings, the connector can effectively seal across a range of conduit diameters and surface qualities, resolving the contradiction between seal reliability and adaptability to conduit variations.
2Device complexity
If a rigid sealing mechanism is used, then the connector structure remains simple, but it cannot accommodate skewed terminating faces or surface imperfections
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric sealing rings provide the necessary flexibility to accommodate skewed terminating faces without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms. The flexible material can deform and conform to non-perpendicular or slightly misaligned conduit ends, maintaining an effective seal while keeping the overall connector structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector combines rigid structural components (such as the connector body and compression ring) with flexible elastomeric sealing elements. This composite approach allows the rigid parts to provide structural support while the elastomeric materials provide the adaptability needed to handle skewed faces and surface imperfections, achieving both simplicity and versatility.
3Device complexity
If a single sealing ring is used, then the connector design remains simple, but it cannot reliably seal against both surface imperfections and diameter variations simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is divided into multiple elastomeric sealing rings, each positioned at different locations within the connector body. This segmentation allows each sealing ring to address specific sealing challenges (such as surface imperfections at one location and diameter variations at another), achieving reliable water-tight sealing while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of multiple elastomeric sealing rings leverages the flexible nature of these materials to create a multi-point sealing system. Each ring can independently adapt to local variations in conduit geometry and surface quality, providing redundant sealing paths that ensure reliability even when facing combined challenges of surface imperfections and diameter variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively prevents water intrusion by accommodating surface imperfections and diameter variations, ensuring a reliable watertight seal even with larger diameter EMT or RMC, and maintaining a secure connection in outdoor environments.
Implementation Method 1
the wedge-shaped sealing ring dimensioned to contact a terminating face of the conduit so as to pliably deform around the conduit terminating face so as to form a watertight seal
Implementation Method 2
a split compression ring dimensioned for contact with the gland nut so as to secure the gland nut and the first portion of the connector body to the conduit when the conduit is inserted into the first portion
Data Source
AI summary
A raintight compression connector has a connector body with first and second portions and a bore extending therethrough. The first portion is dimensioned for receipt of an EMT or RMC conduit. A gland nut threads onto the first portion and a split compression ring contacts the gland nut so as to secure the connector body to the conduit. An upper sealing ring makes sealing contact with the conduit; and a wedge-shaped sealing ring is positioned in the bore of first portion against a shoulder formed in the first portion. The sealing ring contacts a terminating face of the conduit so as to pliably deform around the face so as to form a watertight seal. The second portion is securable to an enclosure. A coupler with two portions similar to the first portion of the connector has corresponding components to form a watertight seal with two conduits.