AU688532B2

AU688532B2 - Connector, in particular singel-entry connector

Info

Publication number: AU688532B2
Application number: AU28421/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Paul Blanchard; Francois Kerneur
Original assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Current assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Priority date: 1994-08-08
Filing date: 1995-08-04
Publication date: 1998-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-04
Also published as: EP0697750A1; GR3035685T3; FR2723475B1; PT697750E; ES2154324T3; FR2723475A1; DE69520125T2; AU2842195A; EP0697750B1; DE69520125D1

Description

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Patents Act 1990

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Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: CONNECTOR, IN PARTICULAR SINGLE-ENTRY CONNECTOR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us Connector, in particular single-entrv connector The present invention is generally concerned with connectors of the type including an insulative material body containing at least one terminal with a bore for receiving at least one electrical conductor, in practice a cylindrical bore. A screw transverse to the bore clamps the electrical conductor.

The invention is more particularly, although not exclusively, directed to so-called "single-entry" 10 connectors in which the insulative material body forms a :blind housing to receive the terminal so that, when two electrical conductors must be connected together, both *..electrical conductors are inserted into the terminal from the same side, rather than from respective opposite sides as with two-entry connectors.

For both single-entry and two-entry connectors it has already been proposed to make the terminal thicker on the side engaging with the screw than on the opposite side so as to give the screw sufficient grip in the 20 terminal whilst optimising the total quantity of material used to manufacture the terminal.

To facilitate the insertion of an electrical conductor into the bore in the terminal, and thus to prevent at least partial blocking of the electrical conductor at the bore entry, especially in the case of a stranded electrical conductor, it has been proposed to chamfer the exterior opening at the relevant end of this bore so that, at its corresponding front face, the terminal merges more continuously with the insulative material body in which it is disposed; in the case of a single-entry connector, the provision of this chamfer is all the more desirable in that the problem of inserting two electrical conductors from the same side is significantly accentuated.

If both the prior proposals are applied

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simultaneously, they inevitably produce a terminal that is asymmetric about a transverse plane containing the axis of the screw, its length on the side opposite the screw parallel to the generatrices of the bore being inevitably reduced by the chamfer compared to its length on the same side as the screw if, as is usually the case, the chamfer is coaxial with the bore so that it is equally effective all around the latter.

However, it is desirable for the terminal to be 10 symmetrical so that it can be inserted into the insulative material body either way around as this facilitates assembly of the connector.

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0 A general object of the present invention is an arrangement which satisfies these two apparently 15 contradictory requirements in a relatively simple way and which, although more particularly intended for application to a single-entry connector, can nevertheless also be used in a two-entry connector.

To be more precise, the present invention consists in a connector comprising an insulative material body containing at least one terminal having a cylindrical bore to receive at least one electrical conductor and the outside end of which is widened by two separate chamfers, one on the same side as the screw and the other on the opposite side, and a screw transverse to said bore to clamp said at least one electrical conductor.

The terminal is then advantageously symmetrical about the transverse plane containing the axis of the screw, as required.

The chamfer on the same side as the screw being separate from that on the opposite side, the terminal can have the same length at all points on its front faces.

The eatures and advantages of the invention will emerge frort the following description given by way of example with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings, in which: figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector of the invention; figure 2 is a view of the connector in longitudinal section on the line II-II in figure 1; figure 3 is a top view of the connector as seen in the direction of the arrow III in figure 1; figure 4 is a perspective view of the terminal of the connector, shown separately; 10 figure 5 is an elevation view of the terminal as seen in the direction of the arrow V in figure 4; figure 6 is a view of the terminal in longitudinal section on the line VI-VI in figure figures 7 and 8 are used respectively analogous to those of figures 5 and 6 and concern a different embodiment of the invention, in practice a higher gauge connector; figures 9 and 10 are views respectively analogous to figures 5 and 6 and refer to a further embodiment of 20 the invention; figure 11 is a view in longitudinal section of one .o:i embodiment of the insulative material body of the connector of the invention.

The figures show, by way of example, application of the invention to a connector 10 with a single entry 11, i.e. a connector 10 into which two electrical conductors 12 to be connected together must be inserted from the same side.

In the embodiment shown both the electrical conductors 12 are stranded electrical conductors, i.e.

electrical conductors in which the conductive core 13, stripped of insulation at one end, is formed of a multiplicity of metal strands.

In the manner that is known in itself the connector 10 includes an insulative material body 14 containing at least one terminal 15 in which a smooth cylindrical bore 16 receives at least one electrical conductor 12, in practice two conductors in the embodiment shown; a screw 18 transverse to the bore 16 clamps the electrical conductor(s) 12.

In the embodiments shown there is only one terminal The terminal 15 is preferably made from a conductive material such as a metal, for example.

10 However, in the case of a connector 10 with a single entry 11, this is not necessarily so since the stripped conductive cores 13 of the electrical conductors eg*4 12 to be connected are in contact with each other inside .:the connector in any event.

In the embodiments shown the bore 16 in the terminal 15 has a circular contour in transverse section and is open at both axial ends.

The bore 16 has an axis Al.

The axis Al is shown in chain-dotted line in 20 figures 2, 6 and 8 and its location is shown in figures and 7.

The axis A2 of the screw 18 and therefore of the screwthreaded hole 19 passing transversely through the terminal 15 and cooperating with the screw is perpendicular to Al.

The axis A2 is shown in chain-dotted line in figures 2, 6 and 8 and its location is shown in figure 3.

In the embodiments shown the front faces 20 of the terminal 15 onto which the bore 16 opens at each end are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis Al of the bore 16.

On one side at least, i.e. at one end at least of the bore 16, the outside end of the bore 16 is formed with a chamfer 22A the concave side of which faces outwards.

In accordance with the invention, the outside end of the bore 16 in the terminal 15 on a front face 20 of the latter is formed with two separate chamfers 22A, 22B of which one, the chamfer 22B in this instance, is on the same side as the screw 18 and the other, the chamfer 22A in this instance, is on the side opposite the screw.

In the embodiments shown in figures 1 through 8 the angles of inclination I

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IB of the chamfers 22A, 22B to the generatrices of the bore 16 and therefore to the axis 10 Al of the bore are different.

To be more precise, these angles I

A

IB are different from each other.

In the embodiment shown, the chamfer 22B on the same side as the screw 18 and therefore on the same side as the screwthreaded hole 19 has the higher angle of inclination and the chamfer 22A on the side opposite the screw 18 has the lower angle of inclination.

The thickness E B of the terminal 15 on the same side of the screw 18 and therefore on the same side as 20 the screwthreaded hole 19 is greater than that EA on the side opposite the screw 18.

The less inclined chamfer 22A is in practice a frustoconical chamfer coaxial with the bore 16 and therefore with the axis Al of the latter and the more inclined chamfer 22B is a frustoconical chamfer the axis A3 of which is parallel to and spaced from the axis Al of the bore 16.

In other words, the more inclined chamfer 22B is offset relative to the bore 16.

Its axis A3 is shown in chain-dotted line in figures 6 and 8 and its location is shown in figures and 7.

The axis A3 in practice lies between the axis Al of the bore 16 and the screw 18.

The value of the angle of inclination of I

B

of the more inclined chamfer 22B is preferably between 1.3 times and 2.2 times the value of the angle of inclination IA of the less inclined chamfer 22A.

For example, in the embodiment shown in figures 1 through 6, which corresponds to a relatively small gauge, i.e. a relatively small diameter of the bore 16, the angle of inclination IA of the less inclined chamfer 22A is in the order of 300 whereas the angle of inclination

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B of the more inclined chamfer 22B is in the order 10 of 450 In this case, both chamfers 22A, 22B form a crescent around the bore 16, each flanking the latter 9.9 locally, over an angle of grater than 1800 in the case of one of them, in this instance the less inclined chamfer 22A, and less than 1800 in the case of the other of them, in this instance the more inclined chamfer 22B. At their ends, the two chamfers 22A, 22B intersect along two edges 23 each running from a point on the corresponding front face 20 of the terminal 15 to a point on the inside "20 surface 25 of the bore 16.

In the embodiment shown in figures 7 and 8, which corresponds to a relatively large gauge, i.e. to a relatively large diameter of the bore 16, the value of the angle of inclination IA of the less inclined chamfer 22A is in the order of 300, for example, as previously, whereas the value of the angle of inclination I B of the more inclined chamfer 22B is in the order of 600, for example.

The two chamfers 22A, 22B then intersect at a single edge 24 which runs between two points on the corresponding front face 20 of the terminal 15 and is spaced at all points from the inside surface 25 of the bore 16.

In other words, in this case, the less inclined chamfer 22A extends all around the bore 16 and the more inclined chamfer 22B is separate from the latter.

All intermediate solutions are feasible, including an edge 24 tangential to the bore 16 and in practice comprising two edges 23.

The less inclined chamfer 22A is made first, for example, and the more inclined chamfer 22B is formed by a subsequent machining operation.

In the embodiment shown in figures 9 and 10 the angles of inclination I

A

IB of the two chamfers 22A, 22B 10 to the generatrices of the bore 16 are equal, to be more precise equal to each other.

As previously, the chamfer 22A on the side opposite the screw 18 and therefore on the side opposite the hole 19 is a frustoconical chamfer coaxial with the bore 16 and the chamfer 22B on the same side as the screw 18 and therefore on the same side as the hole 19 is a frustoconical chamfer offset relative to the other chamfer and the axis A3 of which, parallel to the axis Al of the bore 16, lies between that axis Al and the screw 20 18 and thus between that axis Al and the hole 19.

In the embodiment shown, the two chamfers 22A, 22B intersect along two edges 23 each of which runs from a point on the corresponding front face 20 of the terminal to a point on the inside surface 25 of the bore 16.

In the embodiments shown, the part of the terminal on the same side as the screw 18 and therefore on the same side as the screwthreaded hole 19 in practice has a generally parallelepiped-shape outside contour whereas the diametrally opposite part has a generally cylindrical outside contour.

In all cases, identical arrangements are adopted at both axial ends of the bore 16 and the terminal 15 is therefore symmetrical about a transverse plane containing the axis A2 of the screw 18, i.e. the axis of the screwthreaded hole 19.

8 In all cases the insulative material body 14 comprises a housing 28 to receive the terminal 15 and a chimney 29 in which the screw 18 moves to and fro.

In the embodiments shown the insulative material body 14 is extended by a sleeve 30 on one side at least of the housing 28 and the sleeve 30, the opening in which forms the entry 11, widens at least on the same side as the chimney 29.

In the case of a terminal 10 with a single entry 10 11, the housing 28 is in practice blind on the side opposite the sleeve 30, forming on this side a pocket 31 to the rear of the terminal 15 to accommodate any surplus lengths of the electrical conductors 12.

S. In the embodiment shown the sleeve 30 does not o* widen significantly on the side opposite the chimney 29.

*In other words, the sleeve 30 widens only on the same side as the chimney 29.

On the side opposite the screw 18 the chamfer 22A *on the terminal 15 is such that the inside surface 25 of e 20 the bore 16 is substantially flush with the inside surface 32 of the sleeve 30, and likewise for the chamfer 22B on the same side as the screw 18.

Accordingly, an electrical conductor 12 can advantageously be inserted into the bore 16 at any point on the corresponding front face 20 of the terminal without any significant risk of blocking of the electrical conductor 12 against the front face In the embodiments shown the insulative material body 14 has back-to-back concave lateral surfaces 33 parallel to the axis of the screw 18 and therefore to the axis of the chimney 29. The surfaces 33 have projecting striations 34 parallel to each other and parallel to that axis.

The insulative material body 14 is in practice in one piece and has one or more bosses 36 projecting from its inside surface near the outlet of the chimney 29 to retain the screw 18.

To the same end, in a different embodiment (figure 11) these bosses are replaced with ribs 36' running up at least part of the height of the chimney 29, for example its full height.

The free end 37 of the shank 38 of the screw 18 is formed with a smooth frustoconical chamfer for easy entry into thc screwthreaded hole 19 in the terminal 15. Once 10 it has been inserted in the terminal 15, the screw 18 retains the terminal 15 axially inside the insulative material body 14.

*In the embodiment shown the head 39 of the screw 18 has a cruciform imprint 40 on the outside for turning it.

In an alternative embodiment the imprint 40 is a conventional diametral slot extending completely across a diameter of the head 39, possibly with a shorter slot transverse to its middle portion.

.If required, the connector 10 can be supplied 20 separately, as shown in figure 1.

However, as indicated in chain-dotted line in figure 3, it is in practice separable from a strip 42 comprising a row of connectors 10 of the same type.

In the strip 42, each connector 10 is detachably joined to at least one other connector 10 along terminal edges 43 of the lateral surfaces 33 of its insulative material body 14 being joined to the other connector(s) by these terminal edges 43 along at least part of their height.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but encompasses all variant executions thereof.

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Claims

1. Connector including an insulative material body containing at least one terminal having a cylindrical bore to receive at least one electrical conductor and the outside end of which is widened by two separate chamfers, one on the s.ne side as the screw and the other on the opposite side, and a screw transverse to said bore to clamp at least one electrical conductor, the terminal being symmetrical about a transverse plane containing the axis of the screw.

2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the two chamfers have angles of inclination in relation to the generatrices of the bore which are different.

3. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the chamfer on the same side as the screw has the greater angle of inclination and the chamfer on the side opposite the screw has the lower angle of inclination.

4. Connector according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the value of the angle of inclination of the more ir,;ined chamfer is between 1.3 times and 2.2 times that of the angle of inclination of the less inclined chamfer.

Connector according to claim 1, wherein the angles of inclination of the two chamfers to the generatrices of the bore are equal.

6. Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the two chamfers extends crescent-fashion around the bore, each flanking the latter locally, over an angle of more than 1800 in the case of one of them and over an o angle of less than 1800 in the case of other of henm and, at their ends, they intersect along two edges each running from a point on a front face of the terminal to a point on the inside surface of the bore.

7. Co::.=ct r according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the two chamfers intersect along a single edge running between two points on a front face of the terminal and spaced at all points from the inside surface of the bore. I 11

8. Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the bore in the terminal has a circular contour in transverse section, one of the chamfers is a frustoconical chamfer coaxial with said bore and the other chamfer having an axis spaced from and parallel to the axis of said bore.

9. Connector according to claim 8, wherein the axis of one chamfer is between the axis of the bore and the screw.

Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the thickness of the terminal on the same side as the screw is greater than that on the side opposite the screw.

11. Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the bore in the terminal is open at both ends.

12. Connector according to any one of claims I to 11, wherein the insulative i. material body includes a housing to receive the terminal and a chimney in which S.I the screw moves to and fro and said insulative material body is extended by a sleeve on one side at least of said housing and said sleeve widens at least or the same side as the chimney.

13. Connector according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve does flare on the side opposite the chimney. 0

14. Connector according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the housing of the insulative material body is blind on the side opposite the sleeve, S

15. Connector according to any one of claims 12 tu i4, wherpin the insuiative material body has back-to-back concave outside lateral surfaces.

16. Connector according to claim 15, wherein the lateral surfaces of the .1 12 insulative material body have projecting striations.

17. Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 16, detachably incorporated in a strip of connectors of the same type disposed in a row.

18. Connector according to claims 15 and 17 in conjunction detachably joined to another connector along terminal edges of lateral surfaces of its insulative material body. DATED this 11th day of December, 1997 LEGRAND SA AND LEGRAND SNC WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 4TH FLOOR, "DURACK CENTRE" 263 ADELAIDE TERRACE PERTH W.A. 6000 AUSTRALIA .1 9* p. P p pp o WEE9 13 ABSTRACT A connecting connector comprises at least one terminal (15) with a cylindrical bore (16) in it to receive at least one electrical conductor On one side at least, the outside end of the bore is widened by a chamfer (22A). A screw (18) transverse to the bore (16) clamps the electrical conductor(s) The outside end of the bore (16) in the terminal (15) is widened by two separate chamfers (22A, 22B) inclined at different angles to the generatrices of the bore (16). One application is to single-entry connectors. S 555