IL37802A - Closures for a connector box - Google Patents

Description

Closxaree £ο a connect©* fcox BUMEE M COSPORASIOii eg 55905 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of closures for boxes* particularly to closures for sealing electrical connector boxes which may be exposed to adverse environments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Connector boxes of this kind are usually employed for accommodating an electric socket into which a plug can be introduced. When the connector is not inserted into the socket* the lid of the connector box closes automatically in order to protect the socket from dirt, humidity, and other contaminants.

The lid is usually biased towards the closed position by means of a spring, so that the connector box is automatically closed when the plug connector is removed. Connector boxes of this type are often employed in automobiles as part of the electrical connection between the vehicle and a trailer, or as wall sockets in humid rooms, such as bathrooms, or in vehicles running on rails.

In known connector boxes, the sealing member provided between the lid and the body is fixedly connected with the lid and consists of an elastic disc or an elastic ring. In order to create a hermetic seal for the internal space of the connector box, care inusf: be taken that the sealing member uniformly contacts the entire periphery of the opening in the housing body to be sealed. To obtain this uniform contact, the lid and the body of prior art connectors have to be precision machined or adjustable, thus contributing considerably to the production cost of the connector boxes. Despite the high quality of the parts composing the connector box, a gap between the sealing member and the housing body usually developed as a consequence of deformation occurring in the course of time in the sealing member (which was usually made of rubber). Dirt and humidity could enter through this gap into the connector box and result in malfunction or permanent damage .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved closure for a box which tightly seals the box.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved closure for a box which remains tightly sealed even after deformation of the sealing member.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a closure for a box which is simple in design and economical to produce.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a reliable, tightly sealed closure for a connector box utilizing a lid having a sealing member which is wobbingly coupled to the lid. The wobbing coupling of the sealing member to the lid allows the sealing member to adjust its position so that the sealing member is always uniformly pressed against the periphery of the opening in the body when the lid is closed. Thus, tilting of the closed lid with respect to the periphery of the opening in the body (which may result from variations in dimensions within production tolerances) does not result in a gap between the closure and the periphery of the opening, since the wobble of the sealing member compensates for the tilt. Even deformation of the seal during the life of the con-nector does not destroy the tight seal.

The wobbling mounting of the seal member in the lid is preferably obtained by providing a dome-shaped rise on at least one of the mutually facing surfaces of the lid and the sealing member. The sealing member may then wobble around the dome-like rise. The resulting small contact area between the lid and sealing member guarantees that the sealing member is not highly stressed on only one portion of the sealing area by the pressure exerted by a lid which may be slightly tilted with respect to the body. Consequently, even when small forces are exerted on the lid, the sealing member is uniformly pressed against the periphery of the opening in the housing body, thereby providing a tight seal.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sealing member includes a rigid metal disc joined to a resilient disc. The rigid disc faces the lid and the resilient disc faces the box. The pressure force exerted by the lid upon the sealing member is transferred through the rigid disc and through the resilient disc to the sealing surface of the resilient disc adjacent the periphery of the opening in the body. Thus, the resilient disc of the sealing member is supported by the rigid disc and maintains its shape over extended periods of time so that a tight seal is obtained even when the box is tilted with respect to the lid.

In one convenient embodiment, the rigid disc contains an aperture in the contact area, through which the resilient disc of the sealing member engages the lid by means of a screw which is threaded through the resilient disc into the lid. Thus, the sealing member is readily coupled to the lid in a manner permitting wobbling of the sealing member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying Figure is a par ial view of a connector box with a cutaway portion showing a cross section through the closure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing representing a preferred embodiment of a closure for an electrical connector box.

The figure shows the connector box with the lid in the closed position. The body 2 is shown in schematic form partially cut open to clearly show the lid 4 with the sealing member 6 situated between the body 2 and the lid 4. The mating socket which is normally inserted into the body is not shown in the figure.

Sealing member 6 comprises a rigid annular disc 8 which can be made of a metal such as brass, and a resilient (or elastic) disc 10 which has the same diameter as the rigid disc 8 and which is attached to rigid disc 8 preferably by an adhesive cement. Resilient disc 10 is made of an appropriate material such as rubber or plastic. It is to be understood that a single solid resilient disc could be used without a rigid support, if desired.

The resilient disc 10 is centered in the opening of the rigid annular disc 8 by means of a shoulder 12 and fills the space within the center of annular disc 8. The diameter of sealing member 6 is slightly greater than the diameter of the opening to be sealed in body 2. An annular shoulder 14 is provided at the periphery of the elastic disc 10 so that shoulder 14 contacts closely the edge of the opening In body 2. A hole 16 is provided in the center of sealing member 6 for a screw 18. A washer 20 is inserted between the head of the screw 18 and the sealing member 6 in order to increase the area over which the screw head contacts the elastic disc 10. The screw 18 is threaded into the hole 16 in the lid 4 in order to hold the sealing member 6 to the lid 4. a convex portion (dome-like rise) 22 protrudes from the lid surface facing the sealing member and includes the threaded hole 16. Convex portion 22 abuts the surface of the sealing member 6 thus creating an annular gap 24 between the sealing member 6 and the lid 4. The sealing member 6 can wobble within this annular gap 24. It is contemplated that the convex portion 22 may be an integral part of the sealing member assembly rather than the lid and serve the same purpose .

The lid 4 is connected to the body 2 by means of a hinge which pivots about shaft 6. A spring (not shown) is mounted on shaft 6 to urge lid 4 into the closed position.

When lid 4 is closed, sealing member 6 automatically engages the edge of the opening to be closed with a force which is relatively uniform over the entire periphery of the sealing member 6.

If the sealing member 6 were rigidly attached to the lid, normal deviations within the production tolerances would result in contact being established at only a single point along the periphery. In the present invention, however, the sealing member can move (or wobble) about the convex portion 22 at screw 18, thus» causing the sealing member 6 to uniformly engage the entire periphery of the opening. Only very small forces are required to move the sealing member 6, since only a small portion of the resilient disc 10 around the convex portion 22 restrains the resilient disc 10.

From the foregoing, it can be readily realized that this invention can assume various embodiments. For example, the sealing member 6 can be attached to the lid by inserting a pin- like extension of the resilient part into a hole in the lid, and by attaching this extension to the lid with adhesive cement. In an additional embodiment, the rigid disc can be provided with a ball at its center which bears against the lid, rather than having the resilient disc extending through an aperture in the rigid metal disc. 27802/2

Claims (6)

1. A closure for a box comprising: a movable lid coupled to said box adjacent an opening in the said box; a sealing member wobblingly coupled to said lid and held by said lid in alignment with said opening between said lid and said box when said lid is in a closed position, said sealing membe including a rigid backing disc facing said lid and an underlyin resilient disc facing said box* said backing disc having a centrally located aperture theffiin through which said resilient disc is exposed? and means coupling to said lid that portion of said resilient disc which is exposed through said aperture whereby said sealing member self-adjusts its pposition to uniformly seal said opening when said lid is in a closed position.

2. A closure according to claim 1 wherein said means for coupling said resilient disc to said lid comprises a projection on said resilient disc which extends into said centrally located aperture in said rigid disc and coupled t© said lid.

3. · 9Jhe closure according to claim 2 wherein said lid is provided with convex protrusion against which the projection on said resilient disc abutts.

4. She closure according to claim 2 wherein said projection is fixed to said lid by means of a connecting screw extending through both the aperture in said backing disc and said resilient disc and into said lid.

5. · A closure for a box comprisin i a movable lid coupled to said box ad eacent an opening in said box the inner edge of 37802/2 in closed position, said sealing member including a rigid backing disc cfacing said lid and an annular shoulder of resilient material affixed to said disc and extending around the face ^hereof at its outer periphery, the inner ando outer diameters of said shoulder being such that when said lid is closed the peripheral wall of said shoulder most remote from the center of said disc yields to conform to the rounded inne edge of said opening whereby said sealing member self-adjaets its position to uniformly seal said opening.

6. A closing for a box according to any of the preceding claims substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanyin drawing. For the Applicants FARTHERS BHAsPB