Environmentally Sealed Electrical Connector With Rupturable Boots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors fail to provide a reliable, environmentally sealed connection that prevents contaminants such as moisture and dust from degrading electrical performance, and they do not allow for easy customization or field repairs.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a plug connector and a socket connector with a mono body structure, rupturable boot features, and an interfacial seal that forms a liquid-tight seal when mated, allowing for customization and field repairability by using a two-component bonding process and silicone rubber materials for the seals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional electrical connectors are used, then electrical connections can be made, but contaminants such as moisture and dust can penetrate the connections degrading electrical performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a boot made of flexible material that forms a seal around the cable entry point, and an interfacial seal that creates a barrier between the plug and socket bodies. These flexible sealing elements prevent contaminants like moisture and dust from penetrating the electrical connection while allowing for assembly and disassembly operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sealed connector designs are implemented, then environmental protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional components: a sealed body structure, a boot for cable protection, an interfacial seal for mating protection, and rupturable features for controlled access. This segmentation allows each component to address specific sealing requirements independently, making the overall complex sealing function manageable through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot and interfacial seal are pre-installed on the connector bodies before final assembly. The rupturable features are pre-formed in these sealing elements, allowing wires to be inserted through predetermined paths. This preliminary preparation simplifies the final assembly process while maintaining the sealed environment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom contact layouts are required, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The boot and interfacial seal incorporate rupturable features at specific locations corresponding to desired contact positions. By selectively placing these rupturable features in different patterns, custom contact layouts can be achieved without requiring different seal components. The local modification of the seal structure allows customization while maintaining overall manufacturing precision.
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
The solution effectively prevents contaminants from penetrating the electrical connections, maintains electrical integrity, and allows for field repairs and customization, including the use of less than the total contact positions, ensuring reliable and adaptable connections.
Implementation Method 1
the interfacial seal deforms when the plug connector is coupled to the socket connector so as to form a water-tight seal at the interface between the plug body and the socket body
Implementation Method 2
The boot extends over a portion of the connector body so as to completely cover the wire entry face
Data Source
AI summary
An environmentally sealed electrical connector comprises a plug connector and a complimentary socket connector. The plug connector includes a plug body, a plug shell, a plug boot, a backshell and an interfacial seal. The socket connector includes a socket body, a socket shell, a socket boot and a backshell. The plug boot and the socket boot each have a plurality of rupturable features, each feature in register with a corresponding aperture through the corresponding connector body. The interfacial seal seats between the plug connector and socket connector when the plug connector is mated to the socket connector. The interfacial seal also has a plurality of rupturable features corresponding to a predetermined contact layout. Thus, when the socket connector is mated with the plug connector, a connector is provided, which prevents contaminants from penetrating the connection.