Weather Resistant Electrical Connector With Compressible Bushing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors lack adequate water resistance and strain relief, often leading to inadequate sealing and potential damage from over-tightening, especially in wet environments.
Innovation Solution
A weather-resistant electrical connector design featuring a frustoconical bushing with annular recesses and a flexible seal, which forms a watertight seal when axially compressed by a threaded cap, combined with an elastomeric outer sheath for enhanced protection against water and debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a nut or cap is threaded onto the device to apply axial compression to the bushing to grip the cord and form a seal, then water resistance is improved, but over-tightening can damage the cord or deform the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing incorporates annular recesses that change the compression characteristics by allowing controlled deformation. As the cap is tightened, the recesses collapse in a controlled manner, limiting the maximum compression force and preventing over-tightening damage while maintaining adequate seal pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular recesses act as a cushioning element that absorbs excess compression force. When the cap is overtightened, the recesses have already collapsed to their limit, preventing transmission of excessive force to the cord and connector components.
2Reliability
If the grip member is tightened to form a seal, then water resistance is improved, but strain relief may become inadequate if under-tightened or excessive if over-tightened
Solution Approach 1:
The annular recesses transform the compression-force versus seal-pressure relationship by introducing a non-linear response. The recesses collapse progressively, providing adequate seal pressure across a wider range of cap tightness, thereby decoupling sealing effectiveness from precise tightening control.
3Strength
If a deformable bushing is captured between tapered surfaces to provide strain relief, then cord coupling is improved, but water resistance is insufficient for wet locations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cord-gripping function and water-sealing function into a single integrated bushing structure. The annular recesses simultaneously provide cord deformation for strain relief and create sealing surfaces that prevent water ingress, eliminating the need for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The bushing features localized sealing surfaces created by the annular recesses that are specifically designed for water resistance, while the overall frustoconical shape provides the strain relief function. Different regions of the bushing serve different functions.
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 design effectively prevents water and debris from entering the connector while providing sufficient strain relief, maintaining the integrity of the electrical connection and preventing damage from over-tightening.
Implementation Method 1
A compressible bushing is adapted to be received in the axial bore. The outer surface of the bushing has at least one annular groove. A cap is coupled to the first end of the body for axially compressing the bushing and compressing the annular groove to form a compression seal between the bushing and the body.
Implementation Method 2
An outer sheath is formed from an elastic, flexible material to enable forming a water resistant seal between the body and the sheath and a cap.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector is provided including a housing supporting an electrical device and for receiving an electrical cord or cable. A cap having internal threads and an axial passage for receiving the electrical cord and clamping the electrical cord to the housing to form a waterproof connection. The cap includes a conical shaped seal member for forming a waterproof seal with the outer surface of the electrical cord. A conical shaped bushing is received in a frustoconical shaped bore of the housing and is axially and radially compressed by the threaded cap onto the housing. The bushing has an axial bore for receiving the electrical cable and an outer surface with at least one annular recess to facilitate the axial and radial compression of the bushing. The bottom end of the cap has a chamfered edge which mates with a frustoconical shaped outer surface of the housing to form a waterproof seal.