GB2470860A

GB2470860A - Electrical junction box

Info

Publication number: GB2470860A
Application number: GB1015456A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Appleton
Original assignee: Hager Engineering Ltd
Current assignee: Hager Engineering Ltd
Priority date: 2009-09-30
Filing date: 2010-09-16
Publication date: 2010-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-16
Also published as: GB0917104D0; GB201015456D0; GB2470860B

Abstract

An electrical junction box for providing an enclosed electrical connection between first 12-14 and second 15-17 wires or cables comprises a tubular body with a central axis along its length forming a housing with opposed ends and holding a junction block 9. The junction block 9 comprises a plurality of connectors which grip and conductively connect the first 12-14 and second 15-17 wires. The first wires 12-14 extend along a first axis such that the first axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel and define a first plane. The second wires 15-17 extend along a second axis such that the second axes for each connector are also substantially mutually parallel and define a second plane, wherein the first and second planes are not mutually parallel (e.g. mutually orthogonal) and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block 9. The long axis of the junction block 9 lies substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body. The tubular body may comprise a base 30 and a lid 31. The lid 31 may be rotatably moveable about the central axis and may be accepted in a recess 37 adapted to accept the lid 31 when the lid 31 is opened.

Description

Electrical Junction Box

Field

The invention relates to an electrical junction box comprising a junction block, for use in wiring arrangements for distributing electrical power throughout structures, such as buildings, to power outlet sockets, lighting and luminaires, control switches and the like. In particular, the invention relates to an electrical junction box for use in providing mains power supply to light fittings and luminaires.

Background

Light fittings, referred to hereinafter as luminaires, when fitted to a building after the initial build, are typically offered up to a mounting surface, such as a wall or ceiling, for mechanical attachment, and the luminaire must also be connected to an electrical power supply. The wires for the power supply are typically concealed in cavities behind the wall or ceiling, and so an aperture is typically provided in the attachment surface through which the wiring circuit can be electrically connected to the luminaire.

It is usual for the electrical connections to be made using junction blocks to provide mechanical and conductive connection between the wires of the luminaire and the wires in the cavity behind the mounting surface. For reasons of safety and fire prevention, such junction blocks are preferably enclosed inside junction boxes. In order to minimise the bulk of the mount holding the luminaire to the mounting surface, it us usual for the junction box to be pushed through an aperture in the mounting surface, after electrical connections have been completed, in order to conceal the junction box inside the cavity. The aperture through which the junction box has been pushed may then be either covered by the housing or mounting plate holding the luminaire to the mounting surface, or a repair may have to be made to close the hole if it is too large to be covered.

It is desirable to have the aperture through which the junction box is pushed into the cavity as small in size as possible. This is to provide the designer of luminaire mounts greater freedom for designing the mounts, in that the mount needs to be sufficiently large to mask the aperture, so a smaller aperture size is desirable in order that any mount covering the aperture may be of a small size. It is also desirable to be able to make the aperture with a conventional tool such as a drill which leads to the aperture being circular in shape.

Conventional junction boxes are typically roughly rectangular paralellepiped in shape, and so any circular hole to be drilled should have a diameter sufficient to permit the largest width of the junction box cross-section, typically a diagonal of the cross section, to pass though the aperture.

Conventional junction blocks comprise pairs of adjacent connectors, typically aligned along a face, or opposed faces of a substantially roughly rectangular-shaped junction block (i.e. a right parallelepiped). The need to connect the correct wires to provide conductive connection through the junction block may lead to a considerable volume of insulated wires surrounding the junction block as all wires are oriented parallel to each other and in the same plane as they enter the connection shafts of the junction block. This may result in crowding of the volume available in the vicinity of the junction block and tangling or undesirable bending of wires. The wires should not be bent through acute angles as this may lead to eventual work-hardening fracture of the wires, and so the wires leaving junction block should ideally be provided with sufficient space available for them to be smoothly directed to the entrance ports of the junction box holding the junction block without sharp bends (i.e. having small radius of curvature, say less than 3mm) being necessary.

Hence there is a need to provide a junction box which is of reduced cross-sectional size compared to prior art junction boxes, so that it may easily slide through small diameter drilled holes, yet which can safely and effectively provide an enclosure for wiring connections for luminaires.

Summary of the Invention

One object of the invention, amongst others, is to provide a junction box which is capable of providing electrical connections between at least two sets of wires in a reduced volume compared to prior art junction boxes. Another object of the invention is to provide a junction box for connecting and enclosing the connection between two sets of wires which has a reduced cross sectional area suitable for passage through a drilled hole, into a cavity, yet which does not require the wires to be bent excessively within the junction box.

A first aspect of the invention provides an electrical junction box for providing an enclosed electrical connection between first wires and second wires, the junction box comprising: a tubular body extending along a central axis between first and second ends, the tubular body having an inner face forming a housing holding a junction block, the junction block comprising: a plurality of connectors arranged to mechanically grip and conductively connect first wires and second wires, each connector comprising a first connection means arranged to accept a said first wire extending along a first axis and a second connection means, conductively joined to the first connection means, and arranged to accept a said second wire extending along a second axis, wherein the first axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a first plane and the second axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a second plane, and wherein the first and second planes are not mutually parallel and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block, wherein the junction block is arranged with the long axis lying substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body.

Detailed Description of the Invention.

The first aspect of the invention provides a junction box for providing an enclosed electrical connection between first wires and second wires. The junction box comprises a substantially tubular body extending along a central axis between first and second ends, the tubular body having an inner face forming a housing holding a junction block.

The term "substantially parallel" as used herein means within 100 of parallel.

The terms "substantially normal" or "substantially orthogonal" as used herein mean within 100 of normal or orthogonal.

The term "tubular", as used herein, is not meant to be restrictive to any particular shape for the interior or exterior of the tube, but instead is meant to describe an extended hollow body of substantially uniform cross section (i.e. having substantially the same cross-section along its long axis. For instance the tubular body may have a square or elliptical cross section, but for compatibility with drilled apertures in mounting surfaces is preferably substantially cylindrical in shape (i.e. with an external cross section that deviates from that of a circle by less than +1-10% radially from the central axis.

Typically, the central axis may be defined by the centroid of the tubular body's cross section.

The housing formed by the interior of the tubular body may also be substantially cylindrical in shape (i.e. substantially circular in cross-section) The electrical junction block held within the tubular body comprises a plurality of connectors arranged to mechanically grip and conductively connect first wires and second wires. Typically, in use, the first wires may be bundled together into a first cable and the seconds wires bundled together into a second cable, with each wire electrically insulated from the adjacent wires by an insulating sheath. Typically, in use, the ends of wires are stripped of the insulating sheath for a few millimetres, whereby the bare end of a wire may be gripped in a connector.

Each connector comprises a first connection means arranged to accept a first wire extending along a first axis and a second connection means, conductively joined to the first connection means, and arranged to accept a said second wire extending along a second axis. In other words, each connector has a pair of conductively joined connection means, the first intended for gripping a first wire extending along a first axis and the second intended for gripping a second wire extending along a second axis, so that the first and second wires are brought into conductive connection with each other, through the connector, when gripped thereby. The first axes, defined by the first connection means for each of the connectors, are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a first plane. The second axes for each connector, defined by the second connection means, are also substantially mutually parallel, defining and lying in a second plane.

The first and second planes are not mutually parallel and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block. The line and the long axis are merely for reference and will not necessarily be physically present; i.e. they may be hypothetical.

Suitably, the angle between the first and second planes is from 30° to 1000, preferably from 60° tol 00°, more preferably from 80° to 1000. Preferably, the first and second planes are substantially mutually orthogonal (i.e. for instance the angle is from 85 to 95°, such as 90°).

This arrangement of the first and second planes means that the wires enter the junction block from different directions, so that the wires, with their insulating coatings, do not have to be pressed together tightly to enter the junction block, and the first (e.g. input) and second (e.g. output) wires may be subsequently directed in opposite directions from the junction block without the first and second wires being entangled.

Suitably, the first connection means may comprise shafts defining the first axes and opening onto a first face of the junction block and the second connection means comprise shafts defining the second axes and opening onto a second face of the junction block, the first and second faces meeting to define an edge of the junction block parallel to the long axis. By the term shafts is meant hollow tubes, typically of a conductive metal, of suitable internal diameter to accept a bare wire. For instance, the wires may be gripped in the shafts by screws passing through a wall of the shaft to press the wire against the opposite side of the shaft wall. This is a conventional means used for gripping wires in junction blocks in the prior art.

The faces of the junction block are not necessarily physically present as planar faces, but instead may be faces forming planes defined by the ends of the shafts of the connection means, and lying normal to the first and second axes respectively, so the first face lies normal to the first axes (and hence normal to the first plane) and the second face lies normal to the second axes (and hence normal to the second plane). Hence, the faces may not necessarily meet at a physical edge, but the thus-defined faces may intersect to define a hypothetical edge lying parallel to the long axis of the junction block.

The shape of the junction block is described herein by the shape of the smallest hypothetical rectangular parallelepiped, having a face in common with the first face, into which the junction block fits. This allows a length, width and depth for the junction block to be defined, with the length measured parallel to the long axis, the width measured along a diametral axis running from the centroid of the tubular body to its inner face and the depth measured along a tangential axis normal to both the long and diametral axes. When the first and second planes are substantially mutually orthogonal, then the first and second faces will form mutually orthogonal faces of the hypothetical rectangular parallelepiped, with the first face parallel to the diametral axis and the second face parallel to the tangential axis. When the first and second planes are not mutually orthogonal, then only the first face will form a common face of the hypothetical rectangular parallelepiped.

The junction box is arranged with the long axis of the junction block lying substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body. Suitably, the junction block is located at the inner face of the tubular body with the long axis of the junction block substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body and the first plane substantially normal to the inner face at the location of the junction block. In other words, the first plane suitably lies substantially along or parallel to, preferably along, a diametral axis and also along or parallel to, preferably along, the central axis of the tubular body whereby the wires from the first connectors are directed towards the centroid of the tubular body as they emerge from the first connectors. For instance, the junction block may be attached or adhered to the inner face of the tubular body, or it may, for instance be unitarily formed with the tubular body, for instance as part of a polymeric or plastic moulding.

This consequently results in the second plane being substantially aligned along or substantially parallel to the inner face of the tube at or near the location of the junction block. This arrangement allows the first wires to remain substantially in the first plane as they leave the first connection means at the junction block and then gradually bend towards the first end to leave the junction box through its first end. In contrast, the second wires exit the second connection means along or substantially parallel to the inner face of the tubular body and so may be directed around the inner face in a spiral or helical fashion to bend towards the second end of the junction box where they leave the junction box. This arrangement prevents or reduces any interference, crowding or entanglement between the first and second wires on their paths from the junction block to the ends of the junction box. Furthermore, the wires may extend from the junction block to the ends of the junction box without requiring bending of the wires through sharp angles or small radius bends whilst employing only a small volume of housing enclosed by the tubular body.

This permits a tubular body of relatively small external dimensions to be used, requiring only a small diameter hole to be formed in surfaces to permit the electrical junction box of the invention, instance, to be inserted into a cavity wall or ceiling space. This may allow the small diameter hole to be hidden by a small mounting plate of the luminaire to be fitted using the electrical junction box of the invention, for instance, rather than requiring repair to the wall or ceiling where the junction box was inserted or requiring the luminaire to have a large mounting plate to cover the hole.

In order for there to be adequate space for the first and second wires to bend smoothly from where they exit the junction block towards the first and second ends of the junction box, the cross-section of the junction box normal to its long axis is suitable substantially smaller in area than the cross section of the housing of the tubular body, normal to the central axis, the long and central axes being substantially parallel. As explained above, the cross-section of the junction block means the cross-section of the smallest hypothetical rectangular parallelepiped which contains the junction block and has a face in common with the first face. In other words, the junction block has a junction block cross-sectional area and the housing has a housing cross-sectional area such that the junction block cross-sectional area is suitably less than 60% of the housing cross-sectional area, preferably less than 50%, more preferably less than 40% even more preferably less than 30%.

The tubular body may comprise a base and a lid together forming the tubular body. Preferably, the lid is movable from a closed configuration, wherein the base and lid enclose the housing and junction block, to an open configuration wherein the junction block is accessible. By "accessible" it is meant that an electrician may connect or disconnect the wires at the junction block, for instance using a screwdriver or other suitable tool, when the lid is in the open configuration.

Preferably, the lid is arranged to be accepted in a recess adapted to accept the lid when in the open configuration. This allows the lid to be held in the recess in the base so that it is not misplaced or lost by the person using the junction box whilst the wires are being connected or disconnected at the junction block.

Preferably, the lid is rotatably moveable around or about the central axis relative to the base from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

Hence, the lid may be slidable into the recess in the base from the closed configuration to form the open configuration. This is particularly useful when the tubular body is substantially cylindrical in shape.

The first and second wires may enter the junction box through its sides but preferably through its ends to minimise the hole diameter needed for inserting the junction box into a cavity. The electrical junction box according to the invention may comprise a first entrance port in the first end for the first wires and a second entrance port in the second end for the second wires. The entrance ports will suitably be openings of a size to allow ingress or egress of the first and second wires, which may be in the form of cables, whilst preventing the ingress of body parts such as fingers, or dust. The ports may be provided with gripping means to hold the cables or wires in place and to prevent the connections at the junction box from being stressed if the wires or cables are tugged from outside the junction box. Gripping means such as cable grips formed using flexible bands screwed in place to grip a cable are well known in the art.

Also disclosed herein is an electrical junction block suitable for use in the junction box of the first aspect of the invention, the junction block comprising: a plurality of connectors arranged to mechanically grip and conductively connect first wires and second wires, each connector comprising a first connection means arranged to accept a said first wire extending along a first axis and a second connection means, conductively joined to the first connection means, and arranged to accept a said second wire extending along a second axis, wherein the first axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a first plane and the second axes for each connector are substantially parallel, lying in and defining a second plane, and wherein the first and second planes are not mutually parallel and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block.

Examples

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector for use in an electrical junction block suitable for use with the invention, Figure 2 shows a side view of the connector of Figure 1 gripping first and second wires, Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a junction block suitable for use with the invention and including three connectors according to the first embodiment of the connector as shown in figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the junction block of Figure 3 with first and second wires connected through the junction block using the connectors, Figure 5 shows a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of a junction box according to the invention, the junction box having a tubular body and including a junction block as shown in Figures 3 and 4, with first and second wires shown in place and connected through the junction block, Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a junction box according to the invention including a junction block as shown in Figure 3, with first and second wires not shown, Figure 7 shows a side view of the second embodiment of the junction box as shown in Figure 6.

Turning to Figures 1 and 2, these show a connector 28 having a first connection means I in the form of a hollow cylindrical shaft into which a first wire 5 may slidably fit to be gripped in place in the shaft by screw 2. First shaft 1 is unitarily formed from a conductive metal with second connection means 3, also a hollow cylindrical shaft, and second wire 7 may slidably fit into shaft 3 to be gripped in place by screw 4. The conductive sheaths 6, 8 are stripped from wires 5, 7 prior to connection so that the wires 5, 7 are brought into electrical conductive connection through the connector 28. The axes of shafts 1, 3 form first and second axes which are mutually orthogonal (i.e. at 900 to each other) although the first and second axes do not intersect.

Figures 3 and 4 show a junction block 9 of an electrically insulating polymeric material (such as HDPE or nylon for instance) holding three connectors 28 The first axes for each connector 28 are parallel to each other defining a first plane and the second axes for each connector 28 are also parallel to each other defining a second plane, with the first and second planes mutually orthogonal. The shafts 1, 3 emerge, or open, onto adjacent first 50 and second 51 faces of the junction block 9, the two faces meeting at edge 52 which lies parallel to the long axis of the junction block 9. The three connectors 28 are embedded in the junction block 9 so that each connector is electrically insulated from its neighbouring connector(s).

Holes 10 in second face 51 extend from the face to the screws 2 of connectors 28 to allow access for a screwdriver so that the screws may be tightened or slackened when connecting or disconnecting first wires 12, 13, 14.

Similar holes 11, in first face 50, provide screwdriver access to screws 4 for connecting or disconnecting second wires 15, 16, 17.

As shown in Figure 4, first wires 12, 13, 14 are connected to the separate first connection means I of the connectors 28 embedded in the junction block 9 through the openings in the shafts 1 where each shaft 1 opens onto first face 50. Similarly, second wires 15, 16, l7are connected to the separate second connection means 3 of the connectors 28 embedded in the junction block 9 through the openings in the shafts 3 where each shaft 3 opens onto second face 51. By this means, the wire 12 is conductively connected to wirel5 and to no other wire, wire 13 to wire 16 and to no other wire and wirel4 to wire 17 and to no other wire.

The first wires 12, 13 and 14 are bundled into first cable 18 and second wires 15, 16 and 17 are bundled into second cable 19. It can be seen that as the first wires 12, 13, 14 emerge from first face 50, they lie in the same plane as that defined by the first axes of first connection means 1. Similarly second wires 15, 16 and 17 lie in the same plane as that defined by the second axes of second connection means 3, as they emerge from the second face 51.

Figure 5 shows the wired junction block as shown in Figure 4 held inside a junction box having a tubular body formed from a base 20 and lid 21. The junction block 9 is fastened to the inner wall 27 of the base 20. The lid 21 is shown in a partially removed state, and in the open configuration, the lid 21 will be set aside, or may be held under the base, whilst the wires are connected through the junction block 9. Typically, in use, the cables 18, 19 will be threaded through the entrance ports 25, 26 in first and second end walls 53, 54 where they may be held in place by cable grips, or the like (not shown), to prevent them from being accidentally pulled through the entrance ports. The cables may then be stripped, separated and cropped to suitable length for connection in the conventional manner using wire strippers, for instance.

Once the wires have been connected through junction block 9, the lid 21 may be replaced to form the closed configuration and held in place to form an enclosure around the junction block using a threaded bolt (not shown) passing through opening 23 in flap 22 and engaging in tapped hole 24 in base 20. A similar arrangement is provided on the other edge of lid 21 and base 20 but is not visible in Figure 5.

It can be seen that firstwires 12, 13, 14 and corresponding second cable 18 emerge from the junction block 9 along a diametral plane of the cylindrical tubular body, parallel to the first plane, and are directed towards its central axis before the first cable 18 eventually emerges from entrance port 25 in first end wall 53 after gradually bending towards the first end wall 53.

The second wires 15, 16, 17 and corresponding second cable 19 are initially directed tangentially around the inner face of the tubular housing formed by the tubular body before the cable 19 eventually emerges through entrance port 26 in second end wall 54.

Hence it can be seen that the first wires 12, 13, 14 and second wires 15, 16, 17 are directed towards their respective ports 25, 26 in a manner such that highly efficient use is made of the volume available in the housing without the wires needing to come into direct contact with each other or needing to be bent through sharp angles on emerging from the junction block.

Figures 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of a junction box according to the invention. In this drawing, the wires have been omitted for the sake of clarity.

The tubular body of the junction box has a base 30 having a lid 31 arranged to slidably fit within recess 37 formed between a rib 36 attached to end wall 33 and the outer wall of the base 30. A similar arrangement of a rib providing a recess is also present at the other end wall 32 but is not visible in the Figures.

The Figures show the lid 31 in open configuration with the junction box 9 accessible for connection of first and second wires once these have been fed into the tubular body through entrance ports 34, 35 in end walls 32, 33. Once the wires have been connected, as has already been set out in relation to the first embodiment show in Figure 5, the lid 31 may be moved to the closed configuration by rotating the lid about the central axis of the tubular body until leading edge 44 of lid 31 comes into contact with edge 39 of base 30. The flap engages with recess 41 and the lid 31 can be locked in place using a threaded bolt (not shown) passing through opening 42 into tapped hole 43.

The base 30 is hollow beneath edge 39 to accommodate the trailing edge (not shown) of lid 31 when lid 31 is in the open configuration. The trailing edge is provided with a protrusion (not shown) on its inner face arranged to engage with lip 38 when the lid 31 is in the closed configuration in order to prevent the lid 31 from accidentally or unintentionally being pulled out of its recess 37 in the body 30 when it is rotated to the closed configuration.

As with the first embodiment of the junction box shown in figure 5, the first wires 12, 13, 14 and second wires 15, 16, 17 will be directed towards their respective ports 34, 35 in a manner such that highly efficient use is made of the volume available in the housing without the wires needing to come into direct contact with each other or needing to be bent through a sharp angle, or small radius bend, on emerging from the junction block. This embodiment also provides the advantage that the lid 31 is held conveniently in the base 30 whilst the electrician is connecting wires at the junction block 9, so there is no risk of losing the lid by setting it down.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the lid in the first embodiment of the junction box shown in Figure 5 might by hinged to the base of the tubular body. For instance, the junction block 9 may have more than three connectors so that greater numbers of first and second wires may be conductively connected in the junction box. Typically, the junction box may be used to provide conventional single phase power supply to a luminaire (i.e. live, neutral and earth connection), but in more sophisticated lighting systems, other connections such as emergency live, switched live and digital control lines may also be connected to the luminaire through a junction box of the invention provided with adequate numbers of first and second connectors.

The described and illustrated embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the inventions as defined in the claims are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as "preferable", "preferably", "preferred" or "more preferred" in the description suggest that a feature so described may be desirable, it may nevertheless not be necessary and embodiments lacking such a feature may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. In relation to the claims, it is intended that when words such as "a," "an," "at least one," or "at least one portion" are used to preface a feature there is no intention to limit the claim to only one such feature unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language "at least a portion" and/or "a portion" is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.

Claims

Claims 1. An electrical junction box for providing an enclosed electrical connection between first wires and second wires, the junction box comprising: a tubular body extending along a central axis between first and second ends, the tubular body having an inner face forming a housing holding a junction block, the junction block comprising: a plurality of connectors arranged to mechanically grip and conductively connect first wires and second wires, each connector comprising a first connection means arranged to accept a said first wire extending along a first axis and a second connection means, conductively joined to the first connection means, and arranged to accept a said second wire extending along a second axis, wherein the first axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a first plane and the second axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a second plane, and wherein the first and second planes are not mutually parallel and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block, wherein the junction block is arranged with the long axis lying substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body.
2. An electrical junction box according to claim 1 wherein the angle is from 30° to 100°.
3. An electrical junction box according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and second planes are substantially mutually orthogonal.
4. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim, the junction block having a junction block cross-sectional area and the housing having a housing cross-sectional area, wherein the junction block cross-sectional area is less than 60% of the housing cross-sectional area.
5. An electrical junction box according to claim 4 wherein the junction block cross-sectional area is less than 30% of the housing cross-sectional area.
6. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the tubular body is substantially cylindrical in shape.
7. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the junction block is located at the inner face of the tubular body with the first plane substantially normal to the inner face of the junction block.
8. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the tubular body comprises a base and a lid, the lid movable from a closed configuration wherein the base and lid enclose the housing to an open configuration whereby the junction block is accessible.
9. A junction box according to claim 8 wherein the lid is arranged to be accepted in a recess adapted to accept the lid in the open configuration.
10. A junction box according to claim 9 wherein the lid is rotatably moveable about the central axis relative to the base from the closed configuration to the open configuration.
11. A junction box according to any preceding claim comprising a first entrance port in the first end for said first wires and a second entrance port in the second end for said second wires.
12. An electrical junction box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying figures.Amendment to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. An electrical junction box for providing an enclosed electrical connection between first wires and second wires, the junction box comprising: a tubular body extending along a central axis between first and second ends, the tubular body having an inner face forming a housing holding a junction block, the junction block comprising: a plurality of connectors arranged to mechanically grip and conductively connect first wires and second wires, each connector comprising a first connection means arranged to accept a said first wire extending along a first axis and a second connection means, conductively joined to the first connection means, and arranged to accept a said second wire extending along a second axis, wherein the first axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a first plane and the second axes for each connector are substantially mutually parallel, lying in and defining a second plane, and wherein the first and second planes are not mutually parallel and meet enclosing an angle at a line defining a long axis of the junction block, wherein the junction block is arranged with the long axis lying substantially parallel to the central axis of the tubular body.2. An electrical junction box according to claim 1 wherein the angle is from 300 to 100°.3. An electrical junction box according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first and second planes are substantially mutually orthogonal.4. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim, the junction block having a junction block cross-sectional area and the housing having a housing cross-sectional area, wherein the junction block cross-sectional area is less than 60% of the housing cross-sectional area.5. An electrical junction box according to claim 4 wherein the junction block cross-sectional area is less than 30% of the housing cross-sectional area.6. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the tubular body is substantially cylindrical in shape.7. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the junction block is located at the inner face of the tubular body with the first plane substantially normal to the inner face of the tubular body.8. An electrical junction box according to any preceding claim wherein the tubular body comprises a base and a lid, the lid movable from a closed configuration wherein the base and lid enclose the housing to an open configuration whereby the junction block is accessible. 20 9. A junction box according to claim 8 wherein the lid is arranged to be * accepted in a recess adapted to accept the lid in the open configuration. *, e*10. A junction box according to claim 9 wherein the lid is rotatably moveable about the central axis relative to the base from the closed configuration to the open configuration.11. A junction box according to any preceding claim comprising a first entrance port in the first end for said first wires and a second entrance port in the second end for said second wires.12. An electrical junction box substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying figures.