GB1585576A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

(54) AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR (71) We, THE PLESSEY COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company of Vicarage Lane, Ilford, Essex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to an electrical connector.

Tags for connecting electrical leads to terminal posts are well known. The known tags usually each have an aperture for placing over the terminal post, the tag then being secured to the terminal post by means of a nut which is screwed on to the terminal post. Advantageously, washers are employed between the tag and the nut. It has been found in practice that the nuts and washers can often be dropped during positioning and removal of the tags on the terminal posts, and the washers can often be wrongly positioned or omitted during assembly. Also, the time required to fit one or more washers, a tag and a nut to a terminal post can result in an excessive time for replacement of the terminations, due in part often to the need to work in a confined space.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an electrical connector in which the above mentioned disadvantages are obviated or reduced.

Accordingly, this invention provides an electrical connector comprising a tag and a nut, the nut being rotatably secured to the tag such that the nut traps a washer in position between the nut and the tag and such that the nut can be screwed directly on to a threaded terminal post whereby the tag becomes attached to the terminal post.

Preferably the electrical connector is such that the washer extends around the nut such that the nut can rotate with respect to the washer, the washer being fixed in position to the tag. The washer can then be secured to the tag by, for example, soldering, welding, rivetting or crimping. In an alternative construction of an electrical connector in accordance with the invention, if the tag is sufficiently large then the tag can be crimped around the nut such that the nut is retained on the tag but can still rotate with respect to the tag. In another construction of an electrical connector in accordance with the invention, the nut can be formed with a downwardly depending flange. The flange can be placed through the aperture in the tag and can then be outwardly flared to retain the nut on the tag such that the nut can still rotate with respect to the tag.

Preferably, the tag is a ring tag having an apertured ring portion for receiving the terminal post and a body portion for attachment to an electric lead. If desired, the electric lead can be permanently fixed to the tag. The electric lead may be fixed to the tag by, for example, crimping or soldering.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are plan and crosssectional side views respectively of a first electrical connector in accordance with the invention; Figures 3 and 4 are plan and crosssectional side views respectively of a second electrical connector in accordance with the invention; and Figures 5 and 6 are plan and crosssectional side views respectively of a third electrical connector in accordance with the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown an electrical connector 2 comprising a tag 4 and a nut 6 which is rotatably secured to the tag 4 and which is for securing on to a terminal post (not shown) whereby the tag 4 becomes attached to the terminal post. As shown in the drawing, the nut 6 is provided with a captive washer 8 and the nut 6 and washer 8 can rotate relatively to each other.

The washer 8 is secured, for example, by soldering, to the tag 4 so that the washer 8 becomes fixed to the tag 4 and the nut 6 can then rotate with respect to the tag 5. The bore 10 in the tag 4 is for receiving an electrical lead (not shown).

Referring now to Figures 3 - 6, similar parts have been given the same reference numeral and their construction and operation will not again be given. In Figures 3 and 4, the washer 8 is still present as shown in Figure 4 but the nut 6 is held captive on the tag 4 by the sides of the flat tag post 5 being bent upwardly around the nut 6. The nut 6 can thus rotate on the washer 8 whilst being held captive on the nut 6.

In Figures 5 and 6, washer 8 is still present as shown in Figure 6 but the nut 6 is formed with a downwardly depending flange 12 which passes through an aperture 14 in the flat tag part 5. The flange 12 is then bent outwardly as shown in Figure 6 to retain the nut 6 on the tag 4 whilst still allowing the nut 6 to rotate on the washer 8 and the tag 4.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the nut 6 can be rotatably secured to the tag 4 in various other ways whilst still giving the advantages of a quick and correct assembly without the possibility of the nut 6 or the washer 8 being lost.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An electrical connector comprising a tag and a nut, the nut being rotatably secured to the tag such that the nut traps a washer in position between the nut and the tag and such that the nut can be screwed directly on to a threaded terminal post whereby the tag becomes attached to the terminal post.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the washer extends around the nut such that the nut can rotate with respect to the washer, the washer being fixed in position to the tag.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 2 in which the washer is soldered, welded or rivetted to the tag.

4. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the tag is crimped around the nut such that the nut is retained on the tag but can still rotate with respect to the tag.

5. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the nut is formed with a downwardly depending flange.

6. An electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tag is a ring tag having an apertured ring portion for receiving the terminal post and a body portion for attachment to an electric lead.

7. An electrical connector according to claim 6 in which the electric lead is permanently fixed to the tag.

8. An electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. shown in the drawing, the nut 6 is provided with a captive washer 8 and the nut 6 and washer 8 can rotate relatively to each other. The washer 8 is secured, for example, by soldering, to the tag 4 so that the washer 8 becomes fixed to the tag 4 and the nut 6 can then rotate with respect to the tag 5. The bore 10 in the tag 4 is for receiving an electrical lead (not shown). Referring now to Figures 3 - 6, similar parts have been given the same reference numeral and their construction and operation will not again be given. In Figures 3 and 4, the washer 8 is still present as shown in Figure 4 but the nut 6 is held captive on the tag 4 by the sides of the flat tag post 5 being bent upwardly around the nut 6. The nut 6 can thus rotate on the washer 8 whilst being held captive on the nut 6. In Figures 5 and 6, washer 8 is still present as shown in Figure 6 but the nut 6 is formed with a downwardly depending flange 12 which passes through an aperture 14 in the flat tag part 5. The flange 12 is then bent outwardly as shown in Figure 6 to retain the nut 6 on the tag 4 whilst still allowing the nut 6 to rotate on the washer 8 and the tag 4. It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the nut 6 can be rotatably secured to the tag 4 in various other ways whilst still giving the advantages of a quick and correct assembly without the possibility of the nut 6 or the washer 8 being lost. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An electrical connector comprising a tag and a nut, the nut being rotatably secured to the tag such that the nut traps a washer in position between the nut and the tag and such that the nut can be screwed directly on to a threaded terminal post whereby the tag becomes attached to the terminal post.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the washer extends around the nut such that the nut can rotate with respect to the washer, the washer being fixed in position to the tag.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 2 in which the washer is soldered, welded or rivetted to the tag.

4. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the tag is crimped around the nut such that the nut is retained on the tag but can still rotate with respect to the tag.

5. An electrical connector according to claim 1 in which the nut is formed with a downwardly depending flange.

6. An electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tag is a ring tag having an apertured ring portion for receiving the terminal post and a body portion for attachment to an electric lead.

7. An electrical connector according to claim 6 in which the electric lead is permanently fixed to the tag.

8. An electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.