Apparatus for and method of sealing a lead exit on a motor

A motor comprising:

• a motor shell and leads that exit the motor shell through a lead opening in the motor shell;
• a conduit box having a bottom wall and side walls extending at an angle from the bottom wall, the bottom wall and side walls of the conduit box defining an interior of the conduit box, the bottom wall having a conduit box lead opening and the bottom wall being attached to the motor shell so that the lead opening in the bottom wall is aligned with the motor shell lead opening;
• a gasket positioned between the conduit box and the motor shell to provide a liquid tight seal between the conduit box and the motor shell so that no liquid can enter the conduit box or the motor shell through the conduit box lead opening or the motor shell lead opening, the gasket having opposite first and second surfaces, the first surface having a projection that extends outwardly from the first surface and has a cavity within the projection, the cavity has a lead opening that extends through the gasket and the gasket first and second surfaces and aligns with the conduit box lead opening and the motor shell lead opening so that the leads extend from the motor, through the motor shell lead opening, through the gasket cavity lead opening, through the conduit box lead opening and into the conduit box interior;
• and
• a sealant residing in the gasket cavity, the sealant forming a liquid tight seal between the gasket cavity and the leads while limiting the sealant from coming in contact with the conduit box lead opening or the motor shell lead opening, the gasket thereby allowing the conduit box to be removed from the motor shell and rotated to an alternate orientation relative to the motor shell and reattached to the motor shell in the alternate orientation without breaking the seal between the leads and the gasket cavity formed by the sealant.

A motor comprising:

• a motor shell and leads that exit the motor shell through a lead opening in the motor shell;
• a conduit box having a bottom wall and side walls extending at an angle from the bottom wall, the bottom wall and side walls of the conduit box defining an interior of the conduit box, the bottom wall having a conduit box lead opening and the bottom wall being attached to the motor shell so that the lead opening in the bottom wall is aligned with the motor shell lead opening;
• a gasket positioned between the conduit box and the motor shell to provide a liquid tight seal between the conduit box and the motor shell so that no liquid can enter the conduit box or the motor shell through the conduit box lead opening or the motor shell lead opening, the gasket having opposite first and second surfaces, the first surface having a project that extends outwardly from the first surface and has a cavity within the projection, the cavity has a lead opening that extends through the gasket and aligns with the conduit box lead opening and the motor shell lead opening so that the leads extend from the motor, through the motor shell lead opening, through the gasket cavity lead opening, through the conduit box lead opening and into the conduit box interior;
• a sealant residing in the gasket cavity, the sealant forming a liquid tight seal between the gasket cavity and the leads while limiting the sealant from coming in contact with the conduit box lead opening or the motor shell lead opening, the gasket thereby allowing the conduit box to be removed from the motor shell and rotated to an alternate orientation relative to the motor shell and reattached to the motor shell in the alternate orientation without breaking the seal between the leads and the gasket cavity formed by the sealant;
• the conduit box lead opening is an annular lead opening;
• the gasket projection is an annular wall that forms a cup on the first surface of the gasket, the annular wall being complementary to the conduit box annular lead opening;
• and
• the gasket cavity is an interior of the cup.

A method of sealing a lead opening on a motor, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a motor in a motor shell, the motor having leads extending from the motor, providing a lead opening in the motor shell and positioning the leads through the lead opening in the motor shell;
• providing a conduit box having a bottom wall and an interior, providing a lead opening in the bottom wall;
• providing a gasket and positioning the gasket between the conduit box and the motor shell to form a liquid tight seal between the gasket and the conduit box and between the gasket and the motor shell, providing the gasket with opposite first and second surfaces and a projection extending outwardly from the first surface, forming a cavity in the projection with the cavity having a lead opening that extends through the gasket first and second surfaces;
• extending the motor leads through the gasket cavity lead opening;
• placing the gasket on the motor shell so that the gasket cavity lead opening is aligned with the motor shell lead opening and so that the leads pass through the gasket cavity lead opening;
• attaching the conduit box to the motor shell so that the gasket is between the conduit box and the motor shell and so that the gasket cavity lead opening is aligned with the conduit box lead opening and the leads pass through the conduit box lead opening and into the conduit box interior;
• and
• applying a sealant in the gasket cavity so that the sealant forms a liquid tight seal between the leads and the gasket projection.