JPH0815100B2 - Flat power cable connection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial field of application) The present invention connects an electrical connector, particularly between a round conductor wire power cable and a flat conductor undercarpet power cable, and mounts it on a standard utility box (power supply connection box). The present invention relates to a power cable connecting device.

(Conventional technology and its problems) Undercarpet (UC) cables require power wiring to each part of the modular office space, for example, and receptacles (outlets) can be placed there to supply power. It is generally used for office buildings. Typically, a round electric cable is terminated (connected) to a junction box (abbreviated as JB below) slightly above the floor through the inside of the wall. Then UC
The cable is interconnected to the round cable via some transition (or transient) member, which is mounted in the JB.

UC cables are substantially flat and generally have a thickness of approximately
It is on the order of 0.6 mm and has 3 or 5 conductors (generally 3) inside. Thickness of each conductor of UC cable is approx.
It is 0.25 mm wide and about 13 mm wide. These three conductors are respectively arranged in a row with a space therebetween, and an insulating material is laminated or injected on the conductors to form a cable assembly. Cables assembled in this way are generally about 76 mm wide, and the transition elements interconnecting these UC cables and round power cables are, due to their physical requirements, wider than the width of this assembled UC cable. Usually there is. Therefore, the width of the JB that houses this transition piece and the UC cable is generally at least about
It will be on the order of 100 mm.

A conventional connection method for connecting a flat cable and a round conductor wire is by a flat transition member similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,687. Therefore, both JBs that house this transition member have dimensions (cross-sections) that house both the flat UC cable and the terminating member. Therefore, this JB is considerably larger and more expensive than the standard JB generally used in the electric industry. The reason why a special box for housing the terminated UC cable is required is that the use of the UC cable is preferable for an office building or the like.

Another conventional example is to use a flat transition member, which is also large enough to accommodate both the transition member and the UC cable, and this transition member has a JB of about 100 mm square.
Otherwise it cannot be stored.

Further, examples of transition members for connecting flat UC cables and round cables are U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,564,256, 4,240,687, and 4,289,
No. 370, No. 4,387,949 and No. 4,4446,330.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to design and provide an electrical termination device for flat UC cable to round conductor wire interconnections, i.e., a flat power cable connection device, which is mountable to a standard JB or the like.

 Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and to achieve the above-mentioned objects, the flat power cable connecting device of the present invention uses a block member, and one of the flat conductors is The flat conductor is superposed on the flat conductor and the block member includes means for electrically connecting the flat conductor and the round conductor wire. As a result, the flat power cable connecting device of the present invention is approximately 50 mm ×
It can be stored in a standard JB with a size of 76 mm.

(Examples) Hereinafter, preferred examples of the flat power cable connecting device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a flattened down wall 112 via conduit 114.
1 illustrates a typical office building with a power round cable transitionally connected to a CU cable 90. FIG. 1 also shows a box (enclosure) such as a surface mount JB116, a single box 118 or a 4-inch (about 100 mm) square box 120. The flat UC cable 90 has its wall surface pulled down from JB, and is wired to the duplex type receptacle 121 along the floor surface. The UC cable 90 is covered with a carpet, and the wall surface is covered with the base board 126. Such U
C cables are commonly used in office buildings, etc., and supply power to modular offices that require power.

The UC cable 90 is routed under the carpet and terminated to a receptacle anywhere within the office. The duplex type receptacle 121 is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.
It may be of the type shown in No. 3,998 or No. 4,479,692. The transition between round conductor wire and flat wire required a special utility box and was therefore expensive because the transition member, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,687, is wider than the standard utility box. However, in the flat power cable connecting device of the present invention, a large number of UC power conductors can be electrically connected to each other by superimposing them on a round conductor on a wire, and a single switch box, a utility box, and two insulated It can be mounted in a standard utility box such as a box or a 4-inch square box.

Next, description will be made with reference to FIG. The electrical interconnection according to the invention is made of insulating material and consists of three identically shaped block members which are superposed on one another. FIG. 4 shows the details of the electrical connection parts and terminals. The terminal 2 comprises an insulation displacement (pressing) part 4 with a poke-through (connecting) round conductor wire terminating part 6 and a flat plate part 16 having side walls 18, 20 and an end wall 14. The pressure contact portion 4 includes a barb 8 that is punched out from the opposite side of the flat plate portion 16 so that the barb 8 projects upward from the flat plate portion 16. The round conductor wire termination 6 comprises a resilient finger 12 which is continuous with the side wall 20 and which is bent under the flat plate 16. The terminal 2 also comprises an insulator insertion area 10.

Each block member 30 includes a flat plate portion 32 having an upstanding alignment boss (projection) 34. Further, each block member 30 includes a terminal receiving portion 40. The terminal receiving portion 40 has recesses 42 to 48. The surface of the terminal receiving portion 40 is recessed from the surface of the flat plate-like portion 32 by a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of the terminal 2, and when the terminal 2 is inserted into the terminal receiving portion 40, the surface of the flat plate portion 16 of the terminal 2 and the block are blocked. The surfaces of the flat plate portion 32 of the member 30 are substantially the same surface. Each block member 30 also has a round conductor wire inlet 50 and a slot 52 to allow access to the elastic fingers 12 by a small screwdriver or the like. The lower surface of each block member 30 is provided with a hexagonal recess 36 having a through hole 35 formed therein. The through hole 35 is aligned with the alignment boss 34. Also, a block member 30 for electrical interconnection
Has an insulator insert 38.

Next, description will be made with reference to FIG. This flat power cable connection device (electrical interconnection assembly) stands up 1
It comprises a grounding terminal 80 having a pair of lances 82, a central hole 81 and a barb 84 stamped downwardly towards the opposite terminal 2. This connecting device also has a through hole 35 for terminal 2.
Centered tapped hole 62, tapped hole 7
2. Includes slotted hole 74 and tapped hole 77.

Next, description will be made with reference to FIG. A power cable is shown with three flat conductors. These conductors are composed of two outer conductors 92 which are power conductors and a center conductor 94 which is a ground conductor. These two outer conductors 92 and center conductors 94
The preferred method for arranging the conductors in overlapping and longitudinal alignment is to fold each outer conductor 92 inward toward the center at a 90 degree angle and then fold back over itself. The outer conductor 92 is aligned with the center conductor 94. Each outer conductor 92 and center conductor 94 is then inserted between the next consecutive block members 30 for interconnection between and with the terminals 2. The hexagonal recess 36 provided on the lower side of each block member 30 is formed so as to fit on the alignment boss 34, and as a result, the three flat conductors are formed between the plurality of block members 30. , And the plurality of block members 30 may be arranged such that one is generally aligned with the other and one overlaps the other. The center conductor 94 is terminated at the terminal 2,
The central conductor 94 is then placed between the terminal 2 and the ground terminal 80 to connect the same central conductor 94 to the electrical conduit 114 described below. The ground terminal 80 is electrically connected to the mounting strap 60 by a lance 82 which is interconnected to a through hole 68 in the mounting strap 60. Once all flat conductors are in place and all block members 30 are sequentially aligned on top, the clamping screws 64 are inserted through the tapped center holes 62 in the mounting straps 60 and the through holes in the block members 30. It is inserted downward through 35 and screwed onto a nut 66 that is captured in the underlying block member 30. . The nut 66 will fit in the recess 36 as the tightening screw 64 is screwed onto the nut 66. As the tightening screw 64 and the nut 66 are screwed together, the barb 8 on each terminal begins to penetrate the insulating material of the flat conductor and makes electrical contact with the internal copper conductor. Center conductor 94
It should also be noted that is terminated between the terminal 2 and the ground terminal 80 and the center conductor 94 is connected to the mounting strap 60. It should also be noted that each pair of barbs 8 on the terminals 2 is substantially aligned with the insulator insert 38 on the underside of the block member 30. As a result, a region for releasing the insulating material removed by the sticking of the barbs 8 is secured. In the case of the upper center conductor 94, the barbs 84 are substantially aligned with the insulator insertion area 10, which also allows release of the insulation that is rejected by the barbs 84.

Next, the outer conductor 92, the center conductor 94, and the round conductor wire 19
Interconnections with 2 and 194 are made. Round conductor wire 192
And 194 are respectively outer conductor 92 and center conductor 94.
Is inserted through the round conductor wire inlet 50 for interconnection with the. Each round conductor wire has an elastic finger 12 and a side wall 18
It is elastically held in place with the inner surface of the.

In FIG. 2, the assembled electrical interconnect is
It is then inserted into a standard utility box mounted in the wall, which utility box is shown as a single box 118. The width of the assembled transition piece and flat power cable should be less than about 50 mm (2 inches), which allows 50 mm x 76 mm (2 inches).
Easily mounted longitudinally in a single box (inch x 3 inches). All electric JBs have mounting holes 134 in place and spacing for proper mounting of the switch inside.

In FIG. 2, the preferred method for mounting the single box 118 is to install the JB horizontally so that the flat conductors are vertically aligned with the single box. The slotted mounting holes 134 receive mechanical screws 132 and are conveniently spaced at precise distances. If the UC cable is used in an existing JB vertically installed building, the cable and electrical interconnections can be installed vertically above the wall and then on each side. Is bent at a 90 degree angle around itself to approach the JB.

Installing the UC wiring will install a shield 98 placed on the UC wire and directly below the carpet. This shield 98 must also be connected to both the mounting straps and conduit 114 by NEMA standards. Therefore, the shield 98 is guided from the floor-mounted double-type receptacle and is guided to the side of the utility box 118 that overlaps with the UC wiring. Next, the shield 98
It is folded at the intersection of the wall and floor and then guided up to the utility box as shown in FIG. The shield 98 is then secured to the mounting strap via the clip 76 as shown in FIG. To retain the entrance to the tapped holes 72 and 70, the shield 98 has a side edge 102 mounted between the tapped holes 72 and the hole 100 is centered, as shown in FIG. It may be formed so as to overlap the screw hole 70, or the shield 98 may be tapped hole 72 as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to provide two other punched holes 106 close to

When the installation of the UC cable and shield is complete, the carpet can be placed on the shield and the board 136
Can be installed around the bottom of the wall. As shown in FIG. 3, the preferred method of mounting the utility box in the wall is to ensure that the cover plate 130 is mounted on the utility box 118 and covers the box and shield 98. Installing the utility box at a vertical distance above the floor, just above the height of the board 136. Placing the cover plate 130 directly above the substrate 136 conceals the shield 98 and provides an aesthetically pleasing assembly.

The mounting straps 60 are capable of a variety of mounting methods that make the present invention adaptable for use in NEMA standard mounting configurations. As mentioned above, slotted holes 74 are provided in the mounting straps for mounting the electrical interconnect to the JB. All NEMA standard JBs are shown in Figure 2.
As shown at 134, as part of the box, it has a tapped hole on the center of about 31 mm (about 39/32 inches). Therefore, the long hole 74 is
To interconnect the electrical interconnects to mounting holes 134,
It is formed so as to be attached to the attachment hole 134. The mounting strap 60 also has a tap hole 70 for attaching the cover plate to itself, which tap hole 70 is a center hole for the cover plate, such as a single dual receptacle cover. Centrally located for mounting on. For example, if a single duplex receptacle is removed from the JB and replaced with the electrical interconnect of the present invention, the cover plate used to coat the receptacle will typically have an opening that approaches the duplex receptacle. It is reused by plugging it with the plug member. The tapped holes 72 are provided for attaching other forms of cover plate, such as a single switch cover plate, to the mounting strap 60. For example, if the switch were removed from JB and replaced with an electrical interconnect, the cover could be reused by closing the switch opening. Finally, the outer tapped hole 77
Are provided for mounting other forms of cover plates.

A power cable with three conductors is most typical, but a cable with five conductors may be needed. FIG. 3 illustrates, in phantom, five block members stacked in a single utility box to achieve interconnection to five round conductive cables.

8 and 9 there is shown an embodiment with a terminal 302 having a coupling screw 380 and a screw 384.
The terminals 302 may be fitted within cavities 370 of the block member 330 to prevent inadvertent short circuits between the terminals. To more positively prevent inadvertent short circuits, the terminals should be such that the two terminals are on one side and the third and middle terminals are on the other side, as shown in FIG. It may be rotated. In the example shown in FIG.
Includes four barbs 308 to ensure proper piercing when the terminals 302 and blocking member 330 are rotated.

In the example shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the terminals are
A piercing portion 206 and a connecting screw portion 280 are also provided. The piercing portion 206 is the terminal receiving portion 4 in the preferred embodiment.
It will enter into a cavity 240 having dimensions similar to zero. First
As shown best in Figure 10, the coupling screw section 280
Are located in the cavity 272 near the wall 274, which allows the threaded boss 282 to align with the recess 272 and form a clearance for the threaded portion of the screw to enter. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the surfaces 264, 266 and the wire tightening portion 262 are
And a wire alignment region 260 including As shown in FIG. 11, the round conductor wires 192 are
Located within alignment area 260 between 62 and surface 266 and located near surface 264. The height of the threaded portion of the screw 284 relative to the surface 264 is such that when the round conductor wire 192 is inserted,
Allow the conductor to occupy the position below the thread.
Further, the tolerance between the head of the screw 284 and the surface 268 reduces the need for the conductor to be trapped under the head of the screw and wrap the conductor around the threaded portion of the screw prior to termination. It is something that allows you to. The conductor of the round conductor wire 192 is also
As shown in phantom in FIG. 11, it can be inserted under the head of the screw without being located in the wire alignment section and then moved into the wire alignment section. , The round conductor wire is interference fitted between the top of the restraint portion 262 and the bottom of the adjacent block portion 230.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an office building wall showing various JB configurations that can be used to house a transition member that interconnects a round conductor wire to a flat UC cable. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an office wall partially broken away to show the installed JB and the flat power cable connection device disassembled from the box. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electrical terminal exploded from the block area. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing how flat conductors can be stacked in a flat power cable connector and electrically interconnected to the conductors of a round conductor wire. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the assembled flat conductor terminated in the flat power cable connector and the installation of the shield on the flat power cable. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an essential portion of an alternative embodiment of the shield shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another example of the terminals of the flat power cable connecting device. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the alternative example of FIG. FIG. 10 is a second view of the terminals of the flat power cable connecting device showing the terminals being disassembled from the transition block member.
It is a perspective view of the alternative example of. 11 is a perspective view of the alternative of FIG. 10 in an assembled configuration. 2 ... Terminal, 8 ... barber 16 ... flat plate part, 30 ... block member 32 ... flat plate part, 92 ... outer conductor 94 ... center conductor, 192,194 ... round conductor wire

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A flat power cable connecting device for connecting each flat conductor of a flat power cable including a plurality of flat conductors to a round conductor wire, comprising: a plurality of substantially flat plates corresponding to the flat conductors of the flat power cable. Of the block member, the flat plate portion of the block member is provided with a terminal having a flat plate portion having a plurality of outwardly protruding barbs and a connecting portion with the round conductor wire, and the flat plate portion is the block. A flat power cable connecting device, wherein the flat conductor is embedded so as to be substantially flush with the flat portion of the member, the flat conductors are superposed between the block members, and the flat conductors are fastened and connected to each other. .