Electrical connection assembly with unitary sealing and compression ring

Abstract

An electrical connection assembly for securing electrical metal conduit to a junction box or the like, having a connection body with an inlet end portion for receiving a conduit wherein the inlet end includes a first portion sized to snugly receive an end portion of a conduit and a second portion having an internal surface that diverges outwardly toward the opening of the inlet end portion. A unitary sealing and compression ring is fitted onto the end portion of a conduit, and is positioned thereon so that the sealing ring portion of the unitary ring is received within the inlet end portion. A fastening nut secures the conduit to the inlet portion by causing the sealing ring portion to form a water or fluid tight seal between the connector body and the associated conduit and forming a mechanically sound connection between the connector body and the conduit. The unitary sealing and compression ring formed of metal insures positive electrical grounding of the assembled connection.

1 . An electrical connection for connecting a conduit thereto comprising: 
 a connector body having an inlet end and an outlet end,    a bore extending through said connector body from said inlet end to said outlet end to form opposed inlet and outlet openings,    said bore extending through said inlet end having a first inner portion and a second outer portion,    said first inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of said second outer portion,    said first inner portion having an internal surface sized and shaped to snugly receive an end portion of a conduit,    and said second outer portion having an axial length forming an internal surface that tapers progressively outwardly toward said inlet opening,    a unitary sealing and compression metallic ring being adapted to be fitted onto an end portion of a conduit,    said unitary sealing and compression metallic ring including a sealing ring portion having an external outwardly tapering, smooth surface having an axial length for extending into said second portion of said bore whereby said external tapering surface of said sealing ring portion complements said internal taper of said second outer portion,    a radially outwardly shoulder circumscribing said metallic ring intermediate the width of said metallic ring,    a compression ring portion having a smooth inclined camming outer surface that converges toward the axis of said unitary ring,    said inclined camming outer surface sloping from the outer periphery of said shoulder toward the inlet opening of said metallic ring whereby the outer surface of said compression ring portion is threadless,    and a fastening nut having a complementary cam surface arranged to engage said inclined camming outer surface of said compression ring portion,    said fastening nut being adapted to be fitted onto an end portion of a conduit for securing the end portion of a metallic conduit to said inlet end and whereby said sealing ring portion is urged in sealing relationship with said second outer portion of said inlet end as said compression ring portion is compressed onto the end portion of a conduit, adapted to be received in said inlet end, as said fastening nut is threaded onto said inlet end,    and said unitary combined sealing and compression ring including a smooth cylindrical inner surface extending therethrough,    and wherein said unitary metallic ring is formed of brass.    
   
   
       2 . A unitary metallic sealing and compression ring for sealing and securing an electrical conduit to a connecting body comprising 
 a unitary member forming a closed circular ring having a radially outwardly circumscribing shoulder intermediate the axial length thereof to define a sealing ring portion adapted to be received within an inlet end of a connector body and a compression ring portion,    said sealing ring portion having inner and outer surfaces,    said inner and outer surfaces being smooth and free of any threads, and said inner surface being adapted to be snugly fitted onto an electrical conduit and said outer surface having a smooth and threadless taper that slopes radially outwardly from one end of said sealing ring portion toward said intermediate shoulder of said unitary sealing and compression ring,    said taper being adapted to complement an internal surface of a connector body inlet end,    and said compression ring portion having a smooth inner peripheral surface and a smooth and threadless outer peripheral surface,    said outer peripheral surface being shaped so as to slope downwardly from said shoulder toward the other end of said unitary sealing and compression ring, and    said inner peripheral surface of said compression ring portion forming an extension of said inner surface of said sealing ring portion,    wherein the angle of taper of the outer periphery of said compression ring portion is greater than the angle of taper of said outer surface of said sealing ring portion.    
   
   
       3 . An electrical coupling assembly for connecting electrical conduits in an end to end relationship comprising: 
 a coupling body having opposed end portions,    a bore extending through said opposed end portions,    each of said end portions having an a distal inner surface portion and a proximal inner surface portion,    each of said distal inner surface portions having an internal peripheral surface sized and shaped to snugly receive an electrical conduit,    and each of said proximal inner surface portions of said end portions having an internal peripheral surface that gradually diverges radially outwardly,    a unitary sealing and compression ring forming a closed ring having an inlet opening and an outlet opening adapted to be snugly received on the end of each conduit to be connected to said coupling body,    each of said sealing and compression rings including a sealing ring portion and a compression ring portion,    a radially outwardly extending circumscribing shoulder defining said sealing ring portion from said compression ring portion,    said sealing ring portion having a smooth, tapering outer peripheral surface that complements the internal surface of said proximal inner surface portion of said end portions,    said compressing ring portion having a circumscribing, smooth, threadless surface that slopes radially inwardly from said shoulder toward said outlet opening,    and a fastening nut having an opening sized to be fitted onto the end of an electrical conduit to be connected to said end portion, and    said fastening nut having a cam surface adjacent said nut opening for engaging the external sloping, threadless surface of said compression ring portion as said fastening nut is being tightened onto said inlet end portion for simultaneously effecting a fluid tight seal and a secured compressive connection with an electrical conduit,    wherein said coupling body is formed of metal,    and including an electric metal conduit for connection thereto,    said unitary sealing and compression ring being formed of metal, whereby said compression ring portion effects a positive electric grounding of said electrical metal conduit in the assembled position.    
   
   
       4 . An electrical connector assembly comprising: 
 a connector body having an inlet end and an outlet end,    said inlet end being externally threaded,    a bore extending through said inlet end and outlet end to form opposed inlet and outlet openings,    said bore extending through said inlet end having a first inner portion and a second outer portion, each of which extending over an axial length of said inlet end,    said second outer portion having an internal surface that progressively diverges toward said inlet opening wherein the internal minimum diameter of said second outer portion is greater than the internal diameter of said first inner portion,    a unitary sealing and compressing metallic ring adapted to be fitted onto an end portion of an electrical conduit,    said metallic ring including a sealing ring portion and a connected compression ring portion,    said sealing ring portion having an external, threadless, progressively outwardly tapering surface having an axial length for complementing said internal diverging surface of said second outer portion,    a radially outwardly extending shoulder circumscribing said metallic ring intermediate the axial length thereof for delineating the sealing ring portions from said compression ring portions of said metallic ring,    said compression ring portion having a smooth and threadless outer surface that converges toward the axis of said metallic ring,    said outer surface of said compression ring portion converging from said shoulder toward the axis of said metallic ring whereby the slope of said outer surface of said compression ring portion is greater than the external taper of said sealing ring portion,    and a fastening nut adapted to be fitted onto the end of a conduit,    said fastening nut having a complementary cam surface arranged to engage the camming outer surface of said compression ring portion whereby said sealing ring portion is urged into sealing relationship with said second portion of said inlet end as said compression ring portion is compressed onto the end portion of a conduit, as said fastening nut is threaded onto said inlet end.