Electrical connector having a seal retainer
AssigneeTe Connectivity Corporation
InventorDennis Craig Whitacre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector includes a shell having a cavity configured to receive a complementary connector. The shell has a front end and a rear end and a circumferential channel in the cavity. The channel has an undercut defined by a seal retention flange extending circumferentially around the channel. A seal retainer is received in the cavity at the front end. The seal retainer has a front edge and a rear edge received in the channel. The rear edge of the seal retainer has an undercut defined by a seal retention flange. The seal retention flange of the seal retainer faces the seal retention flange of the shell across the channel to define a seal pocket. An O-ring seal is received in the seal pocket and is held in the seal pocket by the seal retention flanges.
Claims19
An electrical connector comprising:
- a shell having a cavity configured to receive a complementary connector through a front end of the shell, the shell having a rear end, the shell having a circumferential channel in the cavity proximate to the front end, the channel having an undercut defined by a seal retention flange extending circumferentially around the channel;
- and
- a seal retainer received in the cavity at the front end of the shell, the seal retainer having a securing feature securing the seal retainer to the shell, the seal retainer having a front edge and a rear edge, the rear edge of the seal retainer being aligned with the channel, the rear edge of the seal retainer having an undercut defined by a seal retention flange,
- wherein the seal retention flange at the rear edge of the seal retainer faces the seal retention flange of the shell across the channel to define a seal pocket;
- an O-ring seal received in the seal pocket, the O-ring seal being held in the seal pocket by the seal retention flanges.
An electrical connector comprising:
- a shell having a cavity configured to receive a contact assembly including at least one contact, the shell having a generally cylindrical cross-section and extending between a front end and a rear end, the shell configured to receive a complementary connector through the front end, the shell having an internal channel in the cavity proximate to the front end, the internal channel having a circumferential outer wall along a radially outer side of the channel and a seal retention flange along a rear side of the channel, the seal retention flange being angled to define an undercut between the seal retention flange and the outer wall;
- and
- a seal retainer received in the cavity at the front end of the shell, the seal retainer having a securing feature securing the seal retainer to the shell, the seal retainer having a ring-shaped body extending to a rear edge, the rear edge being received in the channel such that the rear edge faces the seal retention flange across the channel to define a seal pocket;
- and
- an O-ring seal received in the seal pocket, the O-ring seal being held in the seal pocket by the rear edge and the seal retention flange.
An electrical connector comprising:
- a shell defining a rear receptacle housing extending between a front end and a rear end, the rear receptacle housing having a cavity configured to receive a complementary connector through the front end, the rear receptacle housing having a generally cylindrical cross-section;
- a seal retainer defining a front receptacle housing received in the cavity at the front end of the shell, the front receptacle housing having a securing feature securing the front receptacle housing to the rear receptacle housing, the front receptacle housing having a ring-shaped body extending to a rear edge;
- wherein the rear receptacle housing and front receptacle housing form a seal pocket therebetween, the seal pocket being positioned radially outward of the cavity, the seal pocket having seal retaining flanges formed by undercuts;
- and
- an O-ring seal received in the seal pocket, the O-ring seal being held in the seal pocket by the seal retention flanges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.