GB2174851A - An improved electrical connector - Google Patents
An improved electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2174851A GB2174851A GB08511800A GB8511800A GB2174851A GB 2174851 A GB2174851 A GB 2174851A GB 08511800 A GB08511800 A GB 08511800A GB 8511800 A GB8511800 A GB 8511800A GB 2174851 A GB2174851 A GB 2174851A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- side walls
- channel
- conductor
- piggy
- upper compartment
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
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
- H01R4/28—Clamped connections, spring connections
- H01R4/30—Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a screw or nut clamping member
- H01R4/36—Conductive members located under tip of screw
- H01R4/363—Conductive members located under tip of screw with intermediate part between tip and conductive member
Abstract
In a piggy-back electrical connector comprising a metal body of channel shaped transverse cross-section, a bridge piece spanning the gap between and detachably secured to the side walls of the body and a pressure pad freely slidably between the side walls and dividing the channel into a lower compartment for reception of a main conductor and an upper compartment for reception of a service conductor, a pair of auxiliary side walls are integral with one another and adapted to be removably housed in the upper compartment against upper parts of the side walls of the channel to define a reduced space for reception of a service conductor. Preferably, the pair of auxiliary side walls constitute integral parts of the pressure pad sub-dividing the channel into lower and upper compartments. Alternatively, the auxiliary side walls depend from a second pressure pad provided in the upper compartment and urged against the upper part of the service conductor. A screw is in screw fitted engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a service conductor in the upper compartment or in the reduced space of the upper compartment of the body. The auxiliary side walls facilitate connection of a smaller service cable in the upper compartment of the connector. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
An'improved electrical connector
This invention relates to an electrical connector for making an electrical connection between a main conductor and a branch or service conductor.
The invention is particularly concerned with an electrical connector of the kind comprising a body of metal or metal alloy of substantially channei-shaped transverse cross-section, a bridge piece spanning the gap between and detachably secured to the side walls of the channel-shaped body, a pressure pad freely slidabie betwen the side walls of the channelshaped body and dividing the channel into a lower compartment for reception of a main conductor and an upper compartment for reception of a branch or service conductor, and at least one screw in screw threaded engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a branch or service conductor in the upper compartment of the channel-shaped body.
An electrical connector of this kind is generally and hereinafter, for convenience, will be referred to as a "piggy-back" connector.
Main conductors of underground three-phase cable systems are generally of any one of a number of cross-sectional areas differing from one another, e.g. 500mm2 and 300mm2, and each main conductor of a particular cross-sectional area may have electrically connected to it a branch or service conductor of any one of a number of cross-sectional areas differing from one another, e.g. 95mm2 and 70mm2.
It is the general practice to provide, for use with a main conductor of a particular cross-sectional area, an electrical connector having a body with a channel which over a lower part of its depth is of a size and shape to accommodate the main conductor and which, over an upper part of its depth, is of a size and shape to accommodate any one of two or more branch or service conductors of cross-sectional areas differing from one another.It will be appreciated that the upper part of the channel must be of a size and shape to accommodate the larger or largest of the branch or service conductors and, as a consequence, when the piggy-back connector is employed to connect to the main conductor a branch or service conductor or smaller size, until the or each clamping screw has been screwed sufficiently to clamp the two conductors in the connector, the
branch or service conductor will be so loosely
housed in the upper part of the channel that it is
liable to stray from the central part of the channel
unless care is taken to ensure that it is held there
manually until the or each clamping screw has been sufficiently tightened.To overcome this disadvantage, it has been proposed to provide, for use with a
main conductor of a particular cross-sectional size, a
range of piggy-back connectors each having a body with a channel which over a lower part of its depth is
of a size and shape to accommodate the main conductor and which over an upper part of its depth
is of a size and shape to accommodate one of two or
more branch or service conductors of cross
sectional areas differing from one another, but this proposal has the serious disadvantage that several piggy-back connectors with channels of sizes and shapes differing from one another must be provided to accommodate the full range of main conductors and branch and service conductors of crosssectional areas differing from one another.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved piggy-back electrical connector which is particularly designed to accommodate a main conductor of one predetermined cross-sectional shape and size and at least two branch or service conductors of predetermined cross-sectional sizes and shapes differing from one another.
According to the invention the improved piggyback electrical connector comprises a body of metal or metal alloy of substantially channel-shaped transverse cross-section, a bridge piece spanning the gap between and detachably secured to the side walls of the channel-shaped body, a pressure pad freely slidable between the side walls of the channelshaped body and dividing the channel into a lower compartment for reception of a main conductor and an upper compartment for reception of a branch or service conductor, a pair of auxiliary side walls integral with one another and adapted to be removably housed in said upper compartment against upper parts of the side walls of the channel to define a reduced space for reception of a branch or service conductor, and at least one screw in screw-threaded engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a branch or service conductor in the upper compartment or in the reduced space of the upper compartment of the channel-shaped body.
When the improved piggy-back connector is to be employed to effect an electrical connection between a main conductor and a branch or service conductor of the larger predetermined cross-sectional area, the pair of auxiliary side walls will be removed from the connector and will not be used. When the improved piggy-back connector is to be employed to effect an electrical connection between a main conductor and a branch or service conductor of the smaller crosssectional area, the pair of auxiliary side walls will be housed in the upper compartment to ensure that the branch or service conductor is maintained centrally therein.
Preferably, the pair of auxiliary side walls constitute integral parts of the pressure pad sub-dividing the channel into lower and upper compartments and, in this case, the improved piggy-back connector will also include a second pressure pad for subdividing the channel into lower and upper compartments, which pressure pad will not have a pair of auxiliary side walls integral therewith and will be used when a branch or service conductor of the larger cross-sectional area is to be electricaily connected to the main conductor.
Alternatively, where, as is preferred, a pressure pad is also provided in the upper compartment of the channel which will be urged against the upper part of a branch or service conductor positioned therein by the clamping screw or screws, the pair of auxiliary side wails may be integral with and dependent from the undersurface of the pressure pad in the upper compartment. Here again, when the upper
compartment is to house or branch or service
conductor of the larger cross-sectional area, the
pressure pad with the pair of auxiliary side walls
integral therewith will not be employed and will be
replaced by a pressure pad of conventional form.
The surfaces of the base of the channel and of the
pressure pad or pads that will be in contact with the
main conductor or with the branch or service
conductor preferably have upstanding ribs of in
verted V-shape extending lengthwise of the connec
tor or are otherwise serrated or roughened to
improve the electrical contact with the conductor.
The or each clamping screw may be of conven
tional form but, preferably, the or each clamping
screw is a shear headed screw from which the head
will shear when a predetermined torque has been
applied to the screw.
The channel-shaped body and the bridge piece
spanning the gap between and detachably secured
to the side walls of the body preferably each has an
external profile of such a shape that the external
profile of the connector is smoothly curved through
out its periphery so that it can be enclosed within a
sleeve of heat shrunk plastics material.
The bridge piece is preferably detachably secured
to the side walls of the channel-shaped body in such
a way that relative movement of the bridge piece
with respect to the body in a direction transverse to
the longitudinal axis of the body is prevented. The
bridge piece may have extending along its side
edges ribs which engage in grooves in the inner
surfaces of the upper parts of the side walls of the
channel-shaped body but, preferably, the side edges
of the bridge piece have inwardly extending ribs
which engage in grooves in the outer surfaces of the
side walls of the channel-shaped body, the bridge
piece thereby preventing bowing out of the upper
parts of the side walls of the channei-shaped body
when the clamping screw or screws is or are
tightened.
All components of the improved piggy-back con
nector are preferably made of an aluminium alloy
such as HE3OTF.
The invention is further illustrated, by way of
example, by the accompanying informal drawing
which shows an end view of the preferred piggy
back electrical connector.
Claims (13)
1. A piggy-back electrical connector comprising a
body of metal or metal alloy of substantially chan
nel-shaped transverse cross-section, a bridge piece
spanning the gap between and detachably secured
to the side walls of the channel-shaped body, a
pressure pad freely slidable between the side walls
of the channel-shaped body and dividing the chan
nel into a lower compartmentfor reception of a main
conductor and an upper compartment for reception
of a branch or service conductor, a pair of auxiliary
side walls integral with one another and adapted to
be removably housed in said upper compartment
against upper parts of the side walls of the channel
to define a reduced space for reception of a branch or service conductor, and at least one screw in screw-threaded engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a branch or service conductor in the upper compartment or in the reduced space of the upper compartment of the channelshaped body.
2. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in
Claim 1, wherein the-pair of auxiliary side walls constitute integral parts of the pressure pad subdividing the channel into lower and upper compartments.
3. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in
Claim 1 or 2, wherein a pressure pad is also provided in the upper compartment of the channel which will be urged against the upper part of a branch or service conductor positioned therein by the clamping screw or screws.
4. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in
Claim 1,wherein a pressure pad is also provided in the upper compartment of the channel which will be urged against the upper part of a branch or service conductor positioned therein by the clamping screw or screws and wherein the pair of auxiliary side walls is integral with and dependentfom the undersurface of the pressure pad in the upper compartment.
5. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the surfaces of the base of the channel and of the pressure pad or pads that will be in contact with the main conductor or with the branch or service conductor have upstanding ribs of inverted V-shape extending lengthwise of the connector or are otherwise serrated or roughened to improve the electrical contact with the conductor.
6. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the or each clamping screw is a shear headed screw from which the head will shear when a predetermined torque has been applied to the screw.
7. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the channel-shaped body and the bridge piece spanning the gap between and detachably secured to the side walls of the body each has an external profile of such a shape that the external profile of the connector is smoothly curved throughout its periphery.
8. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in
Claim 7, wherein the connector is enclosed within a sleeve of heat shrunk plastics material.
9. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bridge
piece is detachably secured to the side walls of the channel-shaped body in such a way that relative
movement of the bridge piece with respect to the
body in a direction transverse to the longitudinal
axis of the body is prevented.
10. A piggy-back electrical connector as claimed
in Claim 9, wherein the side edges of the bridge
piece have inwardly extending ribs which engage in
grooves in the outer surfaces of the side walls of the
channel-shaped body, the bridge piece thereby
preventing bowing out of the upper parts of the side
walls of the channel-shaped body when the clamp
ing screw or screws is or are tightened.
11. A piggy-back electrical connector substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
12. A kit of parts for use in the assembly of a piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, which kit of parts comprises a body of metal or metal alloy of substantially channel-shaped transverse cross-section; a bridge piece for spanning the gap between and for detachably securing to the side walls of the channelshaped body; two pressure pads each for freely sliding between the side walls of the channel-shaped body and for dividing the channel into a lower compartment for reception of a main conductor and an upper compartment for reception of a branch or service conductor, one of which pressure pads has integral with and upstanding from its upper surface a pair of auxiliary side walls which, when the pressure pad is freely slidable between the side walls of the channel-shaped body, will bear against upper parts of the side walls of the channel to define a reduced space in the upper compartment for reception of a branch or service conductor; and at least one screw for screw threaded engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a branch or service conductor in the upper compartment or in the reduced space of the upper compartment of the channel-shaped body.
13. A kit of parts for use in the assembly of a piggy-back electrical connector as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 3 and 4, which kit of parts comprises a body of metal or metal alloy of substantially channel-shaped transverse cross-section; a bridge piece for spanning the gap between and for detachably securing to the side walls of the channel-shaped body; a pressure pad for freely sliding between the side walls of the channel-shaped body and for dividing the channel into a lower compartment for reception of a main conductor and an uppercom- partment for reception of a branch or service conductor; a second pressure pad for freely sliding between the side walls of the upper compartment and, integral with and dependent from the undersurface of said second pressure pad, a pair of auxiliary side walls which, when the second pressure pad is freely slidable between the side walls of the upper compartment will bear against upper parts of the side walls of the channel to define a reduced space for reception of a branch or service conductor; and at least one screw for screw-threaded engagement in a tapped hole in the bridge piece for clamping a main conductor in the lower compartment and a branch or service conductor in the upper compartment or in the reduced space of the upper compartment of the channel-shaped body.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08511800A GB2174851B (en) | 1985-05-09 | 1985-05-09 | An improved electrical connector |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08511800A GB2174851B (en) | 1985-05-09 | 1985-05-09 | An improved electrical connector |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8511800D0 GB8511800D0 (en) | 1985-06-19 |
| GB2174851A true GB2174851A (en) | 1986-11-12 |
| GB2174851B GB2174851B (en) | 1988-10-26 |
Family
ID=10578895
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08511800A Expired GB2174851B (en) | 1985-05-09 | 1985-05-09 | An improved electrical connector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2174851B (en) |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2216737A (en) * | 1988-02-26 | 1989-10-11 | B & H Ltd | Electrical screw-clamp terminal |
| GB2195837B (en) * | 1986-10-01 | 1991-01-30 | Clive Dickson Robinson | Electrical earth connector |
| FR2729506A1 (en) * | 1995-01-12 | 1996-07-19 | Simel | JUNCTION FOR THE PERMANENT CONNECTION OF ELECTRICAL CABLES |
| WO1997011510A1 (en) * | 1995-09-22 | 1997-03-27 | Birkett Electric Ltd. | Mechanical connectors |
| FR2739727A1 (en) * | 1995-10-05 | 1997-04-11 | Cahors App Elec | Gripping/connection mechanism for auxiliary/main cable |
| US5821463A (en) * | 1996-06-14 | 1998-10-13 | The Whitaker Corporation | Mechanical connector splice for cable |
| US6099344A (en) * | 1999-05-11 | 2000-08-08 | Framatome Connectors Usa, Inc. | Electrical connector with a clamping screw having an insulating portion |
| WO2016054449A1 (en) * | 2014-10-01 | 2016-04-07 | Hubbell Incorporated | Pressure pad for screw and breakaway pressure screw |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4458975A (en) * | 1982-03-19 | 1984-07-10 | Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson | Cable clamp |
-
1985
- 1985-05-09 GB GB08511800A patent/GB2174851B/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4458975A (en) * | 1982-03-19 | 1984-07-10 | Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson | Cable clamp |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| THE LEAFLET ISSUED IN NOVEMBER 1984 BY HEPWORTH ELECTRICAL DEVELOPMENTS LTD, TITLED }LEADERS IN LOW VOLTAGE JOINTING TECHNOLOGY}. * |
Cited By (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2195837B (en) * | 1986-10-01 | 1991-01-30 | Clive Dickson Robinson | Electrical earth connector |
| GB2216737A (en) * | 1988-02-26 | 1989-10-11 | B & H Ltd | Electrical screw-clamp terminal |
| FR2729506A1 (en) * | 1995-01-12 | 1996-07-19 | Simel | JUNCTION FOR THE PERMANENT CONNECTION OF ELECTRICAL CABLES |
| WO1997011510A1 (en) * | 1995-09-22 | 1997-03-27 | Birkett Electric Ltd. | Mechanical connectors |
| FR2739727A1 (en) * | 1995-10-05 | 1997-04-11 | Cahors App Elec | Gripping/connection mechanism for auxiliary/main cable |
| US5821463A (en) * | 1996-06-14 | 1998-10-13 | The Whitaker Corporation | Mechanical connector splice for cable |
| US6099344A (en) * | 1999-05-11 | 2000-08-08 | Framatome Connectors Usa, Inc. | Electrical connector with a clamping screw having an insulating portion |
| EP1054472A2 (en) * | 1999-05-11 | 2000-11-22 | Framatome Connectors International | Electrical tapping connector |
| EP1054472A3 (en) * | 1999-05-11 | 2002-05-02 | Framatome Connectors International | Electrical tapping connector |
| WO2016054449A1 (en) * | 2014-10-01 | 2016-04-07 | Hubbell Incorporated | Pressure pad for screw and breakaway pressure screw |
| US9702393B2 (en) | 2014-10-01 | 2017-07-11 | Hubbell Incorporated | Pressure pad for screw and breakaway pressure screw |
| CN107078411A (en) * | 2014-10-01 | 2017-08-18 | 豪倍公司 | For screw and the pressure pad of separating pressure screw |
| CN107078411B (en) * | 2014-10-01 | 2021-04-20 | 豪倍公司 | Pressure pad for screw and separation pressure screw |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2174851B (en) | 1988-10-26 |
| GB8511800D0 (en) | 1985-06-19 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |