Electrical connection assembly

Feb. 20, 1962

E. R, THOMPSON, JR

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 5, 1958

3,022,484

<img file="US3022484A_D0001.tif" />

United States Patent Office

3,022,484

Patented Feb. 20, 1962

3,022,484 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ASSEMBLY Earl R. Thompson, Js·., South Bend, Ind,, assignor to The Bendsx Corporation, a corporation of Delaware

Filed Dec. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 778,399 5

Claims. (CL 339—129)

This invention relates to electrical connections of the axially mating type and more particularly to a design &lt; for a connector adapted to be operative through a bulk- io '* head and having special utility in the field of electrical controls for high performance aircraft wherein particu larly high temperature resistance and moisture-proofing ’ requirements are present.

In control systems for modern high performance air- 15 craft, particularly for military service, it is well known that electrical equipment employed must meet very rigid specifications as to ability to function at high operating temperatures and as to resistance to penetration by moisture. Because of these requirements, it has been found 20 desirable to completely enclose all electrical junctions, wherever possible, in an insulating potting compound to insure that the wiring is kept free from, moisture. Where an electrical connection is effected through a port in a wall or bulkhead it has sometimes happened that damage 25 to either the connector or the electrical assembly requires that the wires be cut in order to remove the assembly from the wall to effect repairs or replacement, thus destroying the moisture-proof integrity of . the wiring and requiring that the assembly be rewired and repotted. Sometimes it ³⁰has been desired to separate a plate forming part of the bulkhead to which the connector has been fastened from the electrical assembly. This also has required cutting *- of the wires with connectors previously in use. The connectors which have been used are a standard “box” type ³⁵j in which an insulating member is molded in such a way » as to hold a plurality of connecting pins in a desired spaced relationship and said insulating member is held inside a flanged cylindrical connecting member which is bolted to the outside of a wall or bulkhead leaving a pro- ⁴⁰jecting threaded cylindrical portion for protecting the connecting pins and for engagement with a mating connector. Wires are then soldered to the connecting pins on the inside of the bulkhead and these connections are completely enclosed by potting material. With this type of ⁴^ connector it has been found that the protruding threaded members are often damaged in service and this damage presents the same problem as set forth above where the connections on the back part of the connector are all enclosed with potting compound and neither the connector ⁵⁰nor the electrical assembly can be pulled through the port. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector of the type described in which the electrical connections may be enclosed in potting material and the connector may be removed from ⁵⁵the wall or bulkhead to which it is attached without the necessity for destroying the moisture-tight integrity of the wiring.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector of the type described in which the ⁶⁰electrical connections may be enclosed in potting material and the threaded member which protects the connecting pins may be replaced without the necessity for cutting wires or otherwise destroying the moisture-tight integrity of the wiring. ⁶⁵

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a con- ₇₍₁nector incorporating my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the connector of FIGURE as seen from the outside of the bulkhead to which it is attached; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the device of FIGURES 1 and 2 taken on line 3—3 of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1 my connector is shown attached to a wall or bulkhead 10. This connector provides communication between an electrical assembly (not shown) connected to a plurality of wires 12 and a corresponding number of connector pins which are adapted to engage a mating connector on the opposite side of wall 10. The wires 12 are assembled in an integral unit with a flanged cylindrical member 14 which is inserted into a hole or port 16 in wall 10. On the opposite side of wall 10 a second flanged cylindrical member 18 is also fastened to wall 10 and has a shoulder 20 which is inserted into port 16 in axial alignment with the cylindrical portion of flanged member 14. Flanged member 18 includes a threaded cylindrical portion 22 adapted to receive a threaded collar 24 from a mating connector 26. Mating connector 26 includes a plurality of receptacles 28 for receiving the connecting pins which project into the hollow interior of flanged member 22 (see FIGURE 3).

FIGURE 2 shows an end view of a connector of FIGURE 1 as seen from the outside of the wall 10. The threaded cylindrical portion 22 is shown as is the flange 18 which contains a plurality of mounting bolts or screws 32 for attaching the member 18 to the bulkhead. Visible in the hollow interior of the threaded portion 22 are a plurality of connecting pins 34 which are molded in a cylindrical insulating member 36. In FIGURE 3 the electrical connections through the entire assembly are shown in somewhat greater detail in that the wires 12 are shown soldered or otherwise fastened to a plurality of lugs 38 on the top or back side of the connecting pins 34. These pins extend axially through the port 16 and are held in spaced relation by means of the cylindrical insulating member 36 which is potted together with flanged member 14 and the connections with lugs 38 and the wires 12 to form a unitary moisture-proof assembly. As shown, the connections with lugs 38 are entirely enclosed by means of an insulating member 40 consisting of potting compound. The potting compound also extends into the annular space 42 between members 36 and 14 to effect a seal. On the opposite side of wall or bulkhead 10 the flanged member 18 is shown connected to wall 10 by means of bolts 32 threadedly engaged with member 10 through holes drilled therein for this purpose. Flanged member 14 is also fastened to member 10 by means of a plurality of bolts 44 shown in axial alignment with bolts or screws 32. The seal between members 14 and 18 and the wall or bulkhead 10 is insured by means of a pair of gaskets 46 and 48.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a number of operations may be performed with this type of connector which would have been very difficult or impossible with other types of connectors. For instance, should the threaded flanged member IS become damaged in service, it may be replaced by the simple removal of the bolts 32. Should it be decided that the electrical assembly connected to wires 12 must be separated from the wall or bulkhead 10 this may be done by removal of bolts 44 which will free the entire assembly consisting of wires 12, flanged member 14, insulating member 36 and pins 34 and the enclosing potting material 40 without fear of damaging any electrical insulation. A typical installation utilizing this type of connector might involve a torque motor which is positioned within a housing of which member 10 is a removable part. Should it be desired to remove the torque motor assembly and replace it with another or place it in another housing separate from the member 10, this can be easily effected as set forth above.

8,022,484

While only a single embodiment is shown and described herein, modification may be made to suit the requirements of particular applications.