EP0442044B1 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Electrical connector Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0442044B1
EP0442044B1 EP90121336A EP90121336A EP0442044B1 EP 0442044 B1 EP0442044 B1 EP 0442044B1 EP 90121336 A EP90121336 A EP 90121336A EP 90121336 A EP90121336 A EP 90121336A EP 0442044 B1 EP0442044 B1 EP 0442044B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conductor
bore
connector
electrical
threads
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90121336A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0442044A1 (en
Inventor
Rodney A. Herman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Monster Cable Products Inc
Original Assignee
Monster Cable Products Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Monster Cable Products Inc filed Critical Monster Cable Products Inc
Publication of EP0442044A1 publication Critical patent/EP0442044A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0442044B1 publication Critical patent/EP0442044B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
    • H01R4/56—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation one conductor screwing into another
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
    • H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
    • H01R11/28—End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
    • H01R4/22—End caps, i.e. of insulating or conductive material for covering or maintaining connections between wires entering the cap from the same end

Definitions

  • This invention concerns connectors for electrical wires, cables, leads, conductors and the like, and more particularly, to a new and improved switch or connector plug for use in making temporary electrical connection to or from electrical conductors and an electrically operated machine or switchboard or any similar terminal of the type having a plug-receiving socket, such as a spring clip socket.
  • this invention concerns solderless, non-crimp connectors for electrical conductors suitable for use in wiring power circuits, audio and video components and other communications lines.
  • the electrical connector of the invention is adapted to connect a current carrying conductor, especially a large diameter speaker wire or cable typically used in high power audio entertainment systems, to a terminal having a plug-receiving socket, such as is typically found in loud-speakers, amplifiers and other audio equipment for commercial and home use.
  • soldering or crimping to hold electrical conductors such as wire or cable in place in a connector is recognized and widespread.
  • the difficulty encountered with these methods are the expense, inconvenience and difficulty of manipulation.
  • FR-A-0 806 320 An example of such a connector is disclosed by FR-A-0 806 320.
  • the connector is provided with a tapered, internally threaded, bore, extending inwardly from an open end of the connector.
  • the bore is provided with threads which, upon rotation of the connector, engage and press into a conductor in non-abrasive manner such that inter-locking threads are formed.
  • Yet another object of the invention is to provide a one-piece solderless, non-crimp connector for firmly gripping a conductor and positively locking it against withdrawal by an outward pull on that conductor.
  • the invention comprises a one-piece, solderless, non-crimp electrical wire connector for effecting connection between the stripped ends of an insulated electrical conductor and a socket of a terminal of the type having a plug-receiving bore, as shown specifically in Fig. 7.
  • a connector 10 formed of a single piece of metal which includes a conductive body member 11 having a tapered bore 12 extending inwardly from one end thereof and a plug portion 13 for attachment to a corresponding socket of a terminal or the like at its opposite end.
  • the bore is closed at its small end by an end wall 14 and open at its large end to receive the end of an electrical conductor 15, such as a wire or cable of the single or multiple strand type.
  • the bore 12 preferably is tapered at a taper angle in the range of approximately 10 to 30 degrees.
  • Such a connector is known from FR-A-0 806 320, disclosing a thread pitch which is constant along the length of the bore.
  • the tapered walls 16 of the bore 12 are provided with internal threads 17 which constitute teeth for engaging and firmly gripping the conductor wire or cable 15, so as to prevent the conductor from easily being withdrawn from the bore of the connector.
  • the threading may be of any conventional form, but saw tooth threading is preferred. Left handed or right handed threading may be provided.
  • the open end of the bore may optionally carry a counterbore, not shown, to receive the insulation of the conductor.
  • An elongated plug portion 13 extends generally axially from the opposite end of the body member 11.
  • the plug portion 13 is adapted to be inserted and seated upon a complementary socket or receptacle 18 of a terminal 19.
  • the socket 18 for securing the plug portion 13 may be of any desired construction and is screwed to or in electrical union with a terminal 19.
  • Shown in Fig. 6 is a socket of the spring clip type having a bottom spring clip contact 20 housed in a fixed insulated housing 21 and a top spring clip contact 20a housed in an insulated pivoted housing 22, the pivot being indicated at 23. Pressure exerted on the insulated pivoted housing 22 causes the contacts to open, releasing the plug portion 13 from the socket.
  • Plug portion 13 is optionally notched to obtain a snug and secure fit within the complementary socket. It will be understood that the plug portion 13 including the notches and its complementary socket 18 illustrated in Fig. 3 are merely representative and are not in-tended to be limiting. Although three notches are shown it will be understood that more or less notches may be provided, the only constraint being the security of the connection. Sample dimensions shown are for purposes of illustration only.
  • the connector is adapted to be threaded or screwed onto the end portion of a conductor wire or cable, cutting or forming a corresponding thread on the outer surface of the relatively soft conductor wire or cable, as the conductor advances longitudinally into the bore.
  • the connector is preferably constructed of any rust-proof metal of sufficient hardness to cut threads in the relatively soft copper customarily used for wire conductors.
  • the thread valleys advantageously offer an increased surface area on the connector bore for interfacial contact with the conductor, thereby reducing the electrical resistance of the connection. Where the thread is cut, a bright clean contact is obtained. When formed, the wire rolls into the bore threading without direct surface pressure, where the wire is soft and/or multi-stranded.
  • the conductor As the connector is twisted or screwed onto the conductor wire, the conductor is forced to the interior of the bore.
  • the metal bore threads directly engage the conductor wire and smoothly groove or thread the surface of the wires.
  • the partial threads formed in the conductors become increasingly hardened until the wires work-harden sufficiently to prevent further thread formation.
  • the ends of the conductor will substantially cease their inward movement in the bore and will begin to rotate with the bore. This rotation further coils the insulated portion of the conductor outside of the connector and results in a very tightly wound connection between the wire.
  • the twisting action ceases when the user can no longer rotate the connector on the conductor.
  • the plug portion of the body member is then inserted into the complementary socket, and the connector is secured in place within the socket.
  • the bore threads are provided with predetermined, pointed tips that smoothly groove and displace the metal of the conductor thereby forming interlocking threads in the conductor without abrasion.
  • the tips of the bore threads have a predetermined diameter in the range of approximately .5 mm to approximately 8 mm, it being understood that the diameter of the threads depends on the degree of taper and that the threads may taper down to virtually nothing. Tips of adjacent threads are spaced a distance apart such that a valley between adjacent threads is provided to receive and engage with metal worked from the conductors by the pressure of rotating said connector on said conductor.
  • the valley between adjacent threads may be flat in cross section or may terminate in a point.
  • the sides of the threads leading up to the tips are preferably flat and smooth.
  • the threading shown as in one stage in Fig. 4 according to the prior art, is according to the invention in two stages, as shown in Fig. 7, with the first stage at a pitch of approximately 4,8 threads/cm (12 threads/inch, 12 TPI), and the second at a pitch of approximately 9,6 threads/cm (24 threads/inch, 24 TPI).
  • Thread height is a function of thread pitch.
  • the thread height is in the range of approximately 1 mm to 3 mm
  • the height is in the range of approximately 4 mm to approximately 6 mm.
  • connectors of various sizes, lengths and widths be available to accommodate conductors of various dimensions.
  • the connector bore should be in the range of, but not limited to, 1 mm to 6 mm in diameter.
  • the connector plug portion be available in a variety of design shapes and sizes to adapt to various commercially available sockets.

Landscapes

  • Connections By Means Of Piercing Elements, Nuts, Or Screws (AREA)
  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
EP90121336A 1990-02-16 1990-11-07 Electrical connector Expired - Lifetime EP0442044B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US48197390A 1990-02-16 1990-02-16
US481973 1990-02-16

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0442044A1 EP0442044A1 (en) 1991-08-21
EP0442044B1 true EP0442044B1 (en) 1995-07-05

Family

ID=23914136

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90121336A Expired - Lifetime EP0442044B1 (en) 1990-02-16 1990-11-07 Electrical connector

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0442044B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPH03238774A (ja)
AT (1) ATE124810T1 (ja)
DE (1) DE69020715T2 (ja)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ATE227594T1 (de) * 1996-06-25 2002-11-15 Schneider Europ Gmbh Halteverbindung für die verlängerung eines führungsdrahtes
JP7115955B2 (ja) * 2018-10-17 2022-08-09 矢崎総業株式会社 端子構造

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR806320A (fr) * 1935-05-24 1936-12-12 Cosse, connexion ou similaire pour câbles
SE452079B (sv) * 1986-02-27 1987-11-09 Thorsman & Co Ab Skarvklemma for forbindning av elledningar

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69020715T2 (de) 1996-02-08
JPH03238774A (ja) 1991-10-24
EP0442044A1 (en) 1991-08-21
ATE124810T1 (de) 1995-07-15
DE69020715D1 (de) 1995-08-10

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