Electronic filter assembly

Abstract

An electronic filter comprises a housing having input and output ends. The housing has a body and a connector. The connector is located at the input end of the housing. A circuit board is located within the body. A collet assembly is located within the connector to receive electrical signals and conduct them to the circuit board. The collet assembly includes an insulator, a conductor, and an elastomeric sealing member. The insulator is located within the connector. The insulator contains a generally cylindrical opening through its length. The conductor extends through the opening of the insulator. The conductor has an input end adjacent the input end of the housing and an output end adjacent the circuit board. The conductor has a hollow interior at its input end. The sealing member surrounds the insulator in compressed engagement with the insulator and the surrounding connector.

1 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a bore therethrough;    a collet terminal extending through the bore of the insulator; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       2 . The electronic filter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the collet terminal has at least one barb which penetrates the insulator material of the insulator, to help prevent moisture from entering said filter housing between the bore of the insulator and the collet terminal.  
   
   
       3 . The electronic filter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the insulator of said collet assembly has a substantially cone-shaped nose portion.  
   
   
       4 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an elongated insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       5 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing an axially directed hole therethrough;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       6 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, and a circuit board, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end and a coupling end, the female end being surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap, the coupling end being coupled to said circuit board; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       7 . An electronic filter as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said coupling end has a neck-shaped portion.  
   
   
       8 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap, the collet terminal having at least one barb which penetrates the insulator material of the insulator; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       9 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, and a circuit board, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing an axially-directed hole therethrough;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of said insulator, said collet terminal having a female end surrounded by said insulator and a coupling end coupled to said circuit board,    said collet terminal further having a barb engaging the insulator material of said insulator inside the hole of said insulator, the barb having an inclined side; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between said collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       10 . An electronic filter as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising a circuit board, said collet terminal further comprising a coupling end which is coupled to said circuit board.  
   
   
       11 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough, the insulator having a substantially cone-shaped nose portion,    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end and a coupling end, the female end being surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap, the coupling end being integrally formed with said female end and electrically connected with a circuit board; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       12 . An electronic filter assembly of the type that includes a female terminal cap having a fitting portion and containing a terminal passage through the fitting portion, and a collet assembly secured in and substantially closing the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, wherein said collet assembly comprises: 
 an insulator, made from a single piece of insulator material, containing a hole therethrough, the insulator having distal and proximal ends, said hole axially extending through the insulator and opening at the distal and proximal ends, the female end of said collet terminal opening at the distal end;    a collet terminal extending substantially through the hole of the insulator, the collet terminal having a female end surrounded by the insulator and tightly fitted in the hole of the insulator, such that the female end is insulated from the fitting portion of said female terminal cap; and    a seal located inside the terminal passage of said female terminal cap, between the collet terminal and said female terminal cap.    
   
   
       13 . An electronic filter comprising: 
 a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a body portion and a female connector, the female connector being located at the input end of said housing and having a diameter less than that of the body portion;    a circuit board within the body portion of said housing; and    a collet assembly within the female connector to receive electrical signals and conduct them to the circuit board, the collet assembly including 
 an insulator member within the female connector, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical opening through its length,  
 a conductor extending through the opening of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent the circuit board, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, and  
 an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector, to provide a moisture seal between the insulator member and the female connector.  
   
   
   
       14 . The electronic filter of  claim 13 , wherein the input end of the conductor is surrounded by the insulator member and is tightly fitted in the opening of the insulator member.  
   
   
       15 . The electronic filter as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said female connector is cylindrical.  
   
   
       16 . An electronic filter comprising: 
 a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a cylindrical body portion and a cylindrical female connector at the input end of said housing;    at least one printed circuit board within the body portion of said housing; and    a collet assembly within the female connector to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, the collet assembly including 
 an insulator member, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length,  
 a conductor extending through the bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent said printed circuit board, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, and  
 an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector, to provide a moisture seal between the insulating member and the female connector.  
   
   
   
       17 . The electronic filter of  claim 16 , wherein the insulator member has a reduced diameter over a portion of its length, and the elastomeric sealing member surrounds the reduced diameter portion.  
   
   
       18 . The electronic filter of  claim 16 , wherein the conductor is a unitary member which extends beyond the length of the insulator member and is connected to the printed circuit board.  
   
   
       19 . The electronic filter of  claim 18 , wherein the conductor has a reduced diameter portion beyond the length of the insulator member.  
   
   
       20 . An electronic filter comprising: 
 a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a cylindrical body portion and a threaded female connector at the input end of said housing, a printed circuit board within the body portion of said housing; and    a collet assembly within the female connector to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, the collet assembly including 
 only a single substantially cylindrical insulator member that extends through at least a portion of the female connector in close proximity to an interior surface of the female connector, the insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length,  
 a conductor extending through the cylindrical bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end connected to said printed circuit board, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, and  
 an elastomeric sealing member in compressed engagement with the interior surface of the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal against the interior surface thereof,  
 the insulator member surrounding at least the input end of the conductor.  
   
   
   
       21 . An electronic filter comprising: 
 a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a cylindrical body portion and a cylindrical threaded female connector, said connector being located at the input end of said housing; and    a printed circuit board within the housing, the threaded female connector enclosing a cylindrical space that contains only a single cylindrical insulator member, an elastomeric sealing member, and an elongated conductor member, the cylindrical insulator member containing a generally cylindrical bore through its length, the elongated conductor extending through the bore of the insulator member, the conductor having an input end adjacent the input end of said housing and an output end adjacent said printed circuit board, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, the input end being surrounded by and tightly fitted in the insulator member, the elastomeric sealing member being in compressed engagement with the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal against the surrounding female connector.    
   
   
       22 . An electronic filter comprising: 
 a conductive housing having input and output ends, said housing having a body portion and a cylindrical female connector, said female connector being located at the input end of said housing and having a diameter that is less than the diameter of the body portion,    a printed circuit board within the body portion; and    a collet assembly within the female connector to receive electrical signals and conduct them to said printed circuit board, said collet assembly including 
 a single insulator member within the female connector,  
   a conductor extending through the insulator member, the conductor having an input end and an output end, the input end being adjacent the input end of said housing, the conductor having a hollow interior at its input end, the input end of the conductor being surrounded by and in close contact with the insulator member, and    an elastomeric sealing member surrounding the insulator member in compressed engagement with the insulator member and the surrounding female connector to provide a moisture seal between the insulator member and the female connector.