GB2203002A

GB2203002A - Cable clamp

Info

Publication number: GB2203002A
Application number: GB08805970A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leonard John Owen; Robert Terence Runagall
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1987-04-02
Filing date: 1988-03-14
Publication date: 1988-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2008-03-14
Also published as: GB2203002B; GB8707877D0; GB8805970D0

Abstract

The cable clamp comprises clamping members (2, 2') each having a rear wall (4, 4') from which projects a pair of cable gripping plates (16) defining a cable receiving notch (20). The plates (16) are separated by a slot (22) and slope theretowards. Each plate (16) is connected to the rear wall (4, 4') so as to be capable of flexure. The clamping members (2, 2') are brought together about a cable (C) with the plates of one clamping member (2) overlying those of the other clamping member (2'). As the clamping members (2 and 2') close about the cable (C) the plates (16) flex so as to open out the slots (22), and thereby to increase the widths of the notches (20) to accommodate the cable (C). The cable clamp can thus tolerate a range of cable gauges. <IMAGE>

Description

CABLE CLAMP This invention relates to a cable clamp comprising a pair of cable clamping members each defining a cable receiving recess, and means for securing the clamping members together about the periphery of the cable extending through the cable receiving recess and about which the cable clamping members have been brought together to clamp said cable.

The invention is intended to provide such a cable clamp which can be used with cables of a range of cable gauges and which will securely clamp smaller gauge cables and will not damage larger gauge cables or be subjected to undesirabiy high stresses when used therewith.

According to the invention, each cable clamping member is provided with a pair of cable gripping plates which project from a rear wall of the clamping member in the outward direction of the cable receiving recess thereof, inner edges of the plates diverging from each other in said outward direction of said recess to define a cable receiving notch and the plates being divided from each other by an opening extending through the base of the notch, the planes of the plates of each clamping member being inclined in the same sense, and towards said opening and each plate being free from said rear wall of the clamping member at least to an extent to allow the plates thereof to flex in the same sense so as to increase the width of said opening, whereby as the cable clamping members are brought together about the cable to clamp it with the plates of one clamping member overlapping those of the other clamping member, the plates of the clamping members flex to increase the width of said notches to accommodate the cable.

Since the extent to which the plates flex, before the clamping members have been secured together about the cable, will depend upon the gauge of the cable, the cable clamp can accept cables of a range of gauges, without damage to the cable or the clamping members.

Each clamping member may comprise a pair of side walls extending normally from said rear wall, in the same direction, each plate being formed integrally with a respective one of the side walls, and with the rear wall at a position proximate to that side wall, the rear wall having a V-shaped slot, coterminous with rear free edges of the plates of the clamping member and extending towards each side wall up to the connection between the plate and the rear wall. In view of the inclination of the plates, the slot will be chevron shaped, and, where, as will normally be the case, the clamping members are molded from a synthetic plastics material, the chevron shaped slots can be formed by coring.

Each slot, and thus the plates of each clamping member, may define an obtuse angle of about 3200.

Conveniently, each clamping member is formed integrally with a respective half of a shell for receiving an electrical connector, to contacts of which the conductors of the cable have been terminated. The half shells are hinged to one another so as to be relatively pivotable between an open position to receive the connector, and a closed position about the connector, to bring the clamping members together so as to clamp the cable.

The means for securing the clamping members together about the periphery of the cable preferably comprises interengaging latching means on both the clamping members and on the half shelis.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic, fragmentary, isometric view, with parts omitted, of a cable clamp comprising a pair of cable clamping members; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 illustrating the clamping members in an initial position of closure about a cable to be clamped; FIGURE 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 but showing the clamping members in a final position of closure about the cable; FIGURE 4 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the cable clamp, in a closed position; FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the cable clamp of Figure 4 in an open position; FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 5; FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary front view of one of the cable clamping members;; FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary front view of the other cable clamping member illustrating the operation of the clamping members, when the cable has been clamped between them; and FIGURE 9 is a end view of Figure 7.

The cable clamp comprises clamping members 2 and 2', respectively, each of which has been molded in one piece, from a synthetic plastics material. Those parts of the clamping members 2 and 2', which are identical will, in the following description, bear the same reference numerals.

The clamping members 2 and 2' comprise rear walls 4 and 4', respectively, from which extend normally thereof, and in the same direction, a pair of spaced sidewalls 6 to provide a generally box-shaped, rectangular clamping head 8 or 8', as the case may be. Each head 8 or 8' has an upper wall 10 or 10', as the case may be, and an opposite lower wall 12 or 12', as the case may be, each of these upper and lower walls defining a semicircular cable receiving recess 14. Each clamping member 2 and 2' is provided with a pair of cable gripping plates 16 which project from the wall 4 or 4', as the case may be, outwardly of the cable receiving recesses 14. Inner edges 18 of the plates 16 diverge from each other outwardly of the respective wall 4 or 4', as the case may be, to define a cable receiving notch 20.The plates 16 of each pair are divided from each other by an opening in the form of a slot 22 extending through the base 24 of the notch 20. The planes of the plates 16, of each pair, are inclined in the same sense, that is to say downwardly (as seen in Figures 1, 5 and 7) towards the slot 22 between these plates.

An outer edge portion 26 of each plate 16, is formed integrally with the adjacent side wall 6, a rear edge portion 27 thereof being formed integrally with the rear wall 4 or 4', as the case may be, in the vicinity of the adjacent wall 6, as best seen in Figures 1 to 3. A free end part 29 of each plate 16 projects forwardly beyond the adjacent side wall 6. Each rear wall 4 and 4' is formed with a chevron shaped slot 28 which is coterminous with a free rear edge portion 30 of each of the plates 16 of the pair, and which includes an obtuse angle A of approximately 3200, said angle being determined by the inclination of the plates 16.

There project from the rear wall 4 of the clamping member 2, a pair of latch arms 32, which are not shown in Figures 1 to 3, and which extend forwardly beside the walls 6 of the member 2 and have latching heads 34 which protrude therebeyond. The upper wall 10' of the clamping head 8' extends laterally beyond the walls 6 of the head 8' to provide the upper walls of latch arm receiving pockets 36 on either side of the head 8', in each of which pockets is a latch bar 37 (Figure 8).

Each clamping head 8 and 8' is formed integrally with a half shell 38 or 38', as the case may be, the shells 38 and 38' being connected together by a flexible hinge 40, for pivotal movement between an open position (Figures 5 and 6) and a closed position (Figure 4). At its end remote from the hinge 40, the shell 38 is provided with a latch arm 32 for engagement in a latching pocket 44 on the end of the shell 38' remote from the hinge 40. A resiliently mounted, conductor engaging pad 46 projects from each head 8 and 8', into the respective shell 38 or 38', as the case may be.

As will best be apparent from a comparison of Figures 7 and 8, the slot 28 in the wall 4 of the head 8, and thus the arms 16 of the head 8, are positioned slightly above the slot 28 in the wall 4' and arms 16 thereon, of the head 2'.

In use of the clamping members 2 and 2', an electrical connector EC, which is shown schematically in Figure 8, is placed in one of the shells 38 or 38', with a cable CA, the conductors C of which have been terminated to contacts (not shown) of the connector EC, extending through the recesses 14, and the notch 20 between the plates 16 of the clamping member.

The clamping members are then moved toward their closed position about the hinge 40 so that the cable C is also received in the notch 20 between the plates 16 of the other clamping member, with opposite plates 16 of the clamping members in overlapping relationship, as shown in Figure 2, the plates 16 of the member 2' engaging beneath those of the clamping member 2. As the clamping members 2 and 2' approach their closed position (Figure 3), the plates 16 thereof flex downwardly (as seen in Figure 8), that is to say through a compound angle and towards the connector EC, and thus towards the shells 38 and 38', until the heads 34 of the latch arms 32 engage behind the latch bars 37 in the pockets 36 and the latch arm 42 of the shell 38 engages latchingly, in the pocket 34 of the half shell 38', whereby the clamping members 2 and 2' are secured in their clamping position.

As indicated in broken lines in Figure 8, the downward tilting movement of the plates 36 causes each slot 22 to open out that is to say for its width to be increased, whereby the edges 18 of the plates 16 are spread apart from one another to accommodate the cable, although the cable is tightly gripped between the edges 18 of each pair of plates 16. The cable clamp is accordingly self-adaptable to cable gauge.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cable clamp comprising a pair of cable clamping members each defining a cable clamping recess, and means for securing the clamping members together about the periphery of a cable extending through the cable receiving recess and about which the cable clamping members have been brought together to clamp the cable, wherein each cable clamping member is provided with a pair of cable gripping plates which project from a rear wall of the clamping member in the outward direction of the cable-receiving recess thereof, inner edges of the plates diverging from each other in said outward direction to define a cable-receiving notch and the plates being divided from each other by an opening extending through the base of the notch, the planes of the plates of each clamping member being inclined in the same sense, and towards said opening and each plate being free from said rear wall of the clamping member at least to an extent to allow the plates thereof to flex in the same sense so as to increase the width of said opening, whereby as the cable clamping members are brought together about the cable to clamp it, with the plates of one clamping member overlapping those of the other clamping member, the plates of the clamping members flex to increase the width of said notches, to accommodate the cable.

2. A cable clamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear wall of each clamping member has projecting therefrom, in the same direction, a pair of spaced side walls between which the plates of the clamping member are located, each plate being formed integrally with one of the side walls and projecting therebeyond in a direction away from the rear wall, each plate being connected to the rear wall of the clamping member at a position adjacent to the respective side wall.

3. A cable clamp as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear wall of each clamping member has formed therein a chevron shaped slot, which is coterminous with rear free edges of both plates of the clamping member.

4. A cable clamp as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chevron shaped slot includes an obtuse angle of about 3200.

5. A cable clamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each clamping member is provided with means for engaging an electrical connector.

6. A cable clamp as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the rear walls is provided with an electrical connector-receiving half shell constituting said connector engaging means, the half shells being hinged together so as to be pivotable between an open, connector receiving position and a closed, cable clamping position in which a cable which has been terminated to the connector is clamped between said inner edges of the plates, said securing means including latch arms and latching projections on the half shells.

7. A cable clamp as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the cable gripping plates of one cable clamping member are displaced from those of the other cable clamping member in a direction away from said connector engaging means.

8. A cable clamping member for a cable clamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A cable clamp substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A cable clamping member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.