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 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, with a compression ring portion having a greater degree of slope than the sealing ring portion, is positioned 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 and forming a mechanically sound connection between the connector body and the conduit. The unitary sealing and compression ring formed of metal provides electrical grounding.

1 . A unitary sealing and compression ring for sealing and securing an electrical conduit to a connecting body comprising:
 a unitary sealing and compression metallic ring adapted to receive the end portion of an electrical conduit forming a closed circular ring having a sealing ring portion and a compression ring portion, and a radially outwardly circumscribing shoulder intermediate the axial length of said unitary sealing and compression metallic ring to define the sealing ring portion and the compression ring portion adapted to be received within an inlet end of a connector body,   the radially outwardly circumscribing shoulder having an outermost diameter,   the sealing ring portion having inner and outer surfaces,   the inner and outer surfaces of the sealing ring portion being smooth and free of any irregularities throughout the axial length thereof, and the inner surface being generally cylindrical of uniform diameter, and adapted to be snugly fitted onto an electrical conduit and the outer surface having a smooth taper free of any irregularities that slopes radially outwardly from one end of the sealing ring portion toward a base of the radially outwardly circumscribing shoulder of said unitary sealing and compression ring,   the taper of the sealing ring portion being adapted to complement an internal surface of a connector body inlet end,   and the compression ring portion having a smooth inner peripheral surface free of any irregularities and a smooth and threadless outer peripheral surface,   the smooth and threadless outer peripheral surface of the compression ring portion being shaped so as to have an angle of taper sloping downwardly away from an outer periphery of the outermost diameter of the radially outwardly circumscribing shoulder toward the other end of said unitary sealing and compression metallic ring, and   said smooth inner peripheral surface of the compression ring portion forming a longitudinal extension of the inner surface of the sealing ring portion, the inner surfaces of the sealing ring portion and the compression ring portion having a uniform diameter there through and free of any irregularities to form a surface to surface contact with an electrical conduit adapted to be connected thereto and,   wherein the angle of taper of the smooth and threadless outer peripheral surface of the compression ring portion is greater than the smooth taper of the outer surface of the sealing ring portion.   
   
   
       2 . An electrical connection assembly comprising:
 a body having external threads and an internal surface adapted to receive an electrical conduit, the internal surface having a first portion with a uniform diameter of a size and shape to snugly receive an end portion of the electrical conduit and a second portion that tapers outwardly to an inlet opening of said body;   a unitary sealing and compression ring having a sealing ring portion and a compression ring portion separated by a shoulder, the inner surfaces of the sealing ring portion and the compression ring portion having a uniform diameter there through and free of any irregularities to form a surface to surface contact with an electrical conduit adapted to be connected thereto, the sealing ring portion having an external surface that has a taper complementing the second portion of said body that tapers outwardly, the compression ring portion having an outer camming surface that slopes downwardly from the shoulder away from the inlet opening of said body, the outer camming surface having a greater degree of slope than the taper of the sealing ring portion; and   a fastener nut having internal threads with an internal cam surface threaded onto the external threads of said body, the internal cam surfaced contacting the outer camming surface of the compression ring portion,   whereby the sealing ring portion is wedged between an outer surface of the electrical conduit and the external surface that has a taper of the sealing ring portion forming a fluid tight seal while causing the compression ring portion to be compressed tightly onto the electrical conduit.   
   
   
       3 . An electrical connection assembly as in  claim 2  wherein:
 said unitary sealing and compression ring is metallic.   
   
   
       4 . An electrical connection assembly as in  claim 2  wherein:
 the electrical connection assembly comprises a connector assembly,   whereby the conduit is connected to an electrical junction box.   
   
   
       5 . An electrical connection assembly as in  claim 2  wherein:
 the electrical connection assembly comprises a coupling assembly,   whereby the conduit is connected to another conduit.