DK146897B - ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ORGANIZATION - Google Patents

Description

(19) DENMARK

φ (ice, PRESENTATION ου 146897 Β

DIRECTORATE OF THE PATENT AND TRADEMARKET SYSTEM

(21) Patent Application No. 3262/73 (51) Int.CI.3: H01R 4/24 (22) Filing Date: 13 Jun 1973 (41) Alm. available: 15 Dec 1973 (44) Submitted: 30 Jan 1984 (86) International Application No: - (30) Priority: 14 Jun 1972 US 262801 (71) Applicant: 'AMPINCORPORATED; Harrisburg, US.

(72) Inventor: Gustaf Rudolph 'Lawson; US.

(74) Agent: Hofman-Bang & Boutard Patent Office ___ (54) Electrical connection body

The present invention relates to an electrical connector of the kind set forth in claim 1.

The invention thus relates to a connecting means for establishing electrical connection between the conductive cores in insulated wires, and which consists of an insulating housing with a bottom piece having an 0 cavity for accommodating a plurality of wires, an opening providing - access to the cavity, and a closure member associated with the base member hinged to the base member and movable for closure of the access opening, with guide means for guiding the closure means for closing the opening, an exit opening for each conduit, and a metal plate disposed therein. conduit receiving cavity and protruding from the base, which plate has a plurality of thread slots extending perpendicular to the base and opening at an edge of the plate at the orifice opening through which leads can be driven across their longitudinal directions of the closure member when this is brought to a closed position so that the edges of each slot penetrate the wire insulation and form electricity contact with the core of the cord.

A connector of this kind is known from the disclosure to U.S.A. Patent No. 3,576,518.

Since the closure member of this known connecting member is coherent with the base piece, the disadvantages of storing and processing a separate closure member which is small in size and can easily be lost are avoided. Furthermore, the closure means will both provide electrical connection and form an enclosure by a single movement or operation of an installer. A disadvantage of connecting means of this kind, however, is that the cord will not be affected by a force which drives it vertically down into the slot, as a result of the closure means having to move through an arch for engagement with the bottom piece. The resultant insertion force has unfortunate transverse or axial components which not only cause the required mounting force to increase, but which can also cause permanent deformation of the slotted metal plate.

By another connector known from U.S. Pat. Patent No. 3 012 219, the closure means is not designed to be integral with the bottom piece, but is flush with the bottom piece prior to insertion of a conduit. At this known connecting means, the conduit must be passed through openings in the base, as the access opening is blocked by the closing means.

The invention has for its object to provide a connecting means by which the disadvantages mentioned above are avoided.

This object is achieved by the forming part of claim 1 which is formed.

Hereby, a one-piece connecting means is obtained, which provides a rectilinear vertical mounting force which provides simple mounting without the risk of deformation, and in which it is not necessary to pass or thread the wire into the connecting means, and finally the advantage is that a single wire can be removed from the connector without the other wire coming out of position.

By the measures specified in claim 2, a guide is provided which ensures correct alignment of the closure member with respect to the bottom piece.

The invention will be explained in greater detail by the following description of an embodiment, with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to the invention, in the open position with one of the closing members slightly lifted; FIG. 2 shows the same from the end, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a side view of the connecting member with the closure means placed over the bottom piece prior to application and with a locking ring partially removed, while FIG. 5 shows the connecting member from the end, partly in section, with the closure means applied to the base to form a connection between a pair of wires.

The connecting member 10 shown consists of a base piece 12 with two closure members or upper parts 50 and 52 which are connected to the base piece by flexible bands 58. The base piece has two wire grooves 14 and 4 of semi-circular cross section and a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of usually insulated electrical wire so that wires of different thickness can be inserted. The diameter of the grooves 14 and 16 may e.g. Suitable for recording solid or multi-wire cables 14 to 18 with vinyl or polyethylene insulation. Of course, the grooves may also be larger or smaller, similar to the threads used.

The grooves 14 and 16 are formed between a center rib 18 and side ribs 20 and 22 which rise from the base. Two opposing arms 38 and 40 rise from the ribs 20 and 22 approximately at the center of the longitudinal direction of the bottom piece.

A contact piece 24 is inserted into a slot 26 extending across the base. The contact piece preferably consists of a conventional electrical contact metal such as phosphor source or cartridge brass having a thickness of approx. 0.8 mm. Such metals possess good conductivity in connection with good mechanical strength and good elasticity. The contact piece 24 is formed with thread slots 34 and 36 which open at the upper edge of the contact piece and are formed between a center piece 28 and two elastic fingers 30 and 32.

The slot 26 enters the arms 38 and 40 and has an effective width greater at the top of the raised arms 38 and 40 than at their root ends. Thereby, there is sufficient clearance to allow the elastic fingers 30 and 32 to bend outwardly from the middle portion 28 of the contact piece 24 as lead wires are inserted into the slots without deforming the arms 38 and 40 or the lower portion of the bottom piece.

The head pieces 50 and 52 are of similar construction with a base 54 in which a thread groove 56 is formed. These parts correspond substantially to one half of the bottom piece 12, and the thread groove 56 has substantially the same dimensions as the corresponding groove in the bottom piece. The flexible strips 58 connecting the tops to the bottom piece each have a reduced thickness portion 60, and these parts form hinges.

146897 5

Each of the head pieces 50 and 52 has a channel 66, FIG. 4, which fits one of the upright arms 38 or 40 as the head piece is moved toward the bottom piece. Each header has a lock in the form of an elastic locking ring 68 adapted to engage a flat underside 70 of a locking knob 62 or 64 on the outside of the arms 38 or 40 for retaining the head pieces on the base. piece.

Each of the headers has a transverse slot 72 across the grooves 56 and adapted to receive the upper portion of the contact piece 24 when the headboard is mounted on the bottom piece. A solid bridge 74 extends across the center of each slot 75 and is adapted to fit into the opposing wire slot 34 or 36, thereby pushing the inserted wires deeper into the wire slots to improve the electrical connection.

The connector is integrally formed by conventional injection molding of a resiliently flexible polymeric insulating material such as polypropylene, nylon, polycarbonate or other suitable plastic material. In this, various additives can be introduced to provide special properties. For example, a flame retardant material is added or various pigments can be added for identification purposes.

Prior to connection, the connector is open as shown in FIG.

1 and 2. A conduit is inserted over the mouth of one of the slots 34 and 36 and the corresponding groove 14 or 16. The conduit can then be pressed into the slot by exerting pressure directly against the conduit, e.g. by means of a tool whereby the edges of the slit are cut through the insulation 48 of the conduit and make direct metallic contact with the core of the conduit. During insertion, the arms 30 and 32 are bent outward, but as they lie in the upper wide portion of the slot 26, no deformation of the sides of the bottom piece will occur.

In an alternative, preferred mounting method, a conduit 6 is laid over a slot orifice and the associated head is bent to a partially closed position, as shown in FIG. 4 so that it is disposed over the wire. The straps 58 are bent precisely around the hinges 60 and are so long and so pliable that the associated upright arm 30 or 32 can be accurately accommodated in the channel 56 and thereby guide the head precisely with respect to the bottom piece. The connector is then clamped together, e.g. by means of pliers, such that the bridge 74 drives the cord vertically down into the thread slot and holds it there, while the locking ring 68 slips over the locking box 62. It is clear that two wires can be inserted simultaneously into the connector, but the use of the separate headers allows greater agility than a single head piece, firstly a first cord can be completely locked in place and then a second cord can be inserted. Furthermore, it is possible to open only one of the plugs if one of the connected wires is to be replaced, thereby avoiding the risk of the other wire being accidentally detached from the connector.

The precise control of the headpiece is particularly advantageous when the connecting means is used in narrow space conditions or a place where it cannot be seen by the operator underpinning, in such circumstances the mounting time will be greatly reduced, as the operator can apply the headpieces to the bottompiece accurately and quickly without to see them.

The connector may be used to form both X and T connections between insulated wires. In forming an X connection, two wires passing through the connecting member are connected on their intermediate portion thereof. When forming a T-connection, one wire extends only slightly through the connector 24. Both wires will be held in place by the plugs.