Sealing ring for an electrical connector

Abstract

This invention provides an improved moisture seal for an electrical connector assembly. The invention is characterized by an annular rubber member (10) having generally flat surfaces (11, 12, 13, 14) and an annular groove (15) in one of the surfaces (11) that abuts against a forward surface of one of the housings (30). A second groove (16) extending radially from the annular groove (15) to a circumferential surface (14) provides an escape path for air that would normally be trapped in the annular groove (15) when the sealing member (10) is compressed.

Having described the invention what is claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination with a separable electrical connector assembly of the type having first and second housings, each having a front face and separably connected together in face to face relationship .[.by a coupling nut mounted on one of the housings.]., the improvement comprising: a compressible annular member having a rear face, a forward face, an inner circumferential face and an outer circumferential face;   .[.an.]. .Iadd.a first .Iaddend.annular groove in the rear face of said annular member, .[.the forward face having an area less than the area of said rear face,.]. said annular member located in said first housing with the .Iadd.first .Iaddend.annular groove located against and facing the front face of .[.first.]. said .Iadd.first .Iaddend.housing; .[.and.].   .Iadd.a second groove in said rear face extending radially between the annular groove and the outer circumferential face; and .Iaddend.   an annular projection in the front face of said second housing adapted to engage said compressible .Iadd.annular .Iaddend.member upon connecting together .Iadd.of .Iaddend.the two housings, said projection having a radial width about the same as the diameter of the groove in said member so that said annular groove accepts material displaced by the projection in the forward face of said second housing when said housings are connected together and said projection is pressed into said annular member .[.by rotation of said coupling nut.]..   
     
     
       2. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the annular member is comprised of rubber. 
     
     
       3. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said faces is a flat surface. .Iadd.4. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the forward face has an area less than the area of said rear face. 
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.5.  The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein a coupling nut is rotatably mounted to one said shell for connecting to the other shell whereby to axially advance the shells towards one another and axially compress the rear and forward faces of the annular member between the connected shells. .Iaddend.