US3636238A - Solderless connector for insulated electrical conductors - Google Patents

Solderless connector for insulated electrical conductors Download PDF

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Publication number
US3636238A
US3636238A US49748A US3636238DA US3636238A US 3636238 A US3636238 A US 3636238A US 49748 A US49748 A US 49748A US 3636238D A US3636238D A US 3636238DA US 3636238 A US3636238 A US 3636238A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
shell
conductors
contact pin
contact
open end
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US49748A
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English (en)
Inventor
Erwin Biebach
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Siemens Corp
Original Assignee
Siemens Corp
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3636238A publication Critical patent/US3636238A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • H01R4/70—Insulation of connections
    • H01R4/72—Insulation of connections using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve
    • H01R4/726—Making a non-soldered electrical connection simultaneously with the heat shrinking
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S174/00—Electricity: conductors and insulators
    • Y10S174/08—Shrinkable tubes

Definitions

  • the con- [22] Filed; June 25, 1970 nector includes a conical contact pin having a series of sharp edge contact points in the form of annular ridges spaced along [21] PP N05 49,748 and projecting from the periphery of the pin.
  • a cylindrical shell having a closed end and an open end. extends about the [30] Foreign Application P i i D m contact pin. The contact pin abuts the closed end of the shell and tapersto'ward the open end of the shell, The shell is made y 1969 -"Q 19 9 from a polymerized plastic material which shrinks under the influence of heat and sets to its shrunk condition as it cools. 52 U.S.Cl.
  • solderless connectors for electrical conductors such as plastic-insulated telephone cables have heretofore been used for connecting the cables without stripping the insulation from the cables.
  • An illustrative form of connector is shown and described in US. Pat. No. 3,064,072 and termed a B wire connector.
  • the connector consists of an outer plastic shell, an innermost metal shell within the plastic shell and an additional metal shell surrounding the innermost metal shell.
  • the inmost metal shell is punched at several places to produce sharp-edged teeth projecting from the inner periphery of the shell which penetrate into the insulation of the conductors when inserted into the shell.
  • the inmost shell is pressed into engagement with the conductors by means of a tool.
  • the metal shells are made from a springy metal which tends to swell after a certain period of use after deformation of the shell. This swelling of the deformed shells, therefore, interfers with the reliability of the cable-core connection.
  • the present invention I cure the deficiencies of previous solderless connectors by surrounding a contact pin with a shell made from a material shrinking under the influence of heat and maintaining its set when cooled and thereby pressing the electrical conductors inserted in the shell into engagement with the contact pin with sufficient force to cause sharp contact ridges or points on the contact pin to penetrate the insulation of the conductor and make good contact therewith.
  • the shell is preferably made from heat-shrinkable polymerized plastic material which looses its flowing ability when heated and cooling, and thereby maintains firm contact pressure against the conductors even in places where there is a wide variation in temperature.
  • a principal object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and reliable connector for insulated electrical conductors applicable to a series of conductors and requiring no mounting tools to make the connection.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a connector for electrical conductors in which the reliability of the connection does not depend upon a careful mounting of the connector on the conductors.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified connector for electrical conductors in which a cylindrical shell encircles a conical contact pin tapering inwardly toward an open end of the shell, to facilitate the insertion of a series of electrical conductors into the shell and along the pin, and in which the shell shrinks to the form of the contact pin as heated.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a self-sealing connector for connecting a series of conductors in conducting relation relative to each other in which a contact pin is encircled by a shell and the shell has an open end spaced from the contact pin having a sealing ring of thermoplastic material carried thereby which melts upon the shrinking of the shell and seals the conductors against the moisture and other harmful influences.
  • Still another object of the invention is to provide a connector for a series of electrical conductors arranged with a view toward utmost simplicity in construction and operation and efficiency in making contact between two conductors without the use of the tools heretofore required for such connectors.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the contact pin in solid.
  • FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through the connector, with the contact pin in solid and illustrating the form of the shell, as the shell encircling the contact pin is shrunk under the influence of heat;
  • FIG. 3 is a crosysectionalview taken substantially along line A-B of FIG. 2.
  • a connector for a series of electrical conductors including a shell 1 of a generally cylindrical form having a closed end 7 and extending about a contact pin 4 extending axially along the shell from said closed end toward an open end 6 of the shell.
  • the shell 1 is made from a material which will shrink under the influence of heat and will maintain its set as it cools and may be made from several well-known forms of polymerized plastic materials which will shrink when heated and lose their flowing ability, and will then set to a shrunk form.
  • Shrinking of the plastic shell thereby provides radially inwardly extending shrinking forces, effective about the circumference of the shell, and pressing the insulated conductors against sharpedged contact points 5 of the contact pin 4.
  • the closed end 7 of the shell is formed by tapering the rear end of the shell and closing the end of the shell by means of a suitable sealing material 2 which may also seal the contact pin 4 to the shell.
  • the open end 6 of the shell is formed by turning the end of the shell inwardly as indicated by reference numeral 8, to form an opening 3 in the shell of smaller diameter than the largest diameter of the contact pin, and accommodating the insertion of insulated conductors 9,10 and 11 into the shell to extend along the contact pin 4.
  • thermoplastic ring 12 which melts as the shell is heated to a shrinking temperature and seals the conductors 9,10 and 11, and the interior of the shell, against moisture or other harmful influences, and anchors the conductors to the shell.
  • the contactpin 4 is of a generally conical form and converges toward the open end of the shell.
  • the end of said contact pin facing the open end of the shell terminates into a rounded apex, enabling the conductors 9,10 and 11, or any other number of conductors to readily be inserted in the shell along the contact pin 4 and into engagement with a series of sharp-edged cutting rings 5 spaced along and projecting from the periphery of the shell,
  • the contact pin 4 is made from a metal having good electrical conducting qualities and having the sharp-edged cutting ridges 5 spaced therealongjan'd herein shown as fonned integrally therewith.
  • the cutting ridges 5 are V-shaped in cross section and terminate into sharp peaks extending about the contact pin, which are sufficiently sharp to cut into the insulation of the conductors and make good contact with the conducting cores thereof as the shell is heated and shrinks to press the conductors against the cutting ridges 5.
  • Said conductors may have copper or other conducting cores or wires providing good conductors of electricity and preferably covered by plastic insulation, which will soften as the shell is heated and facilitate the cutting the insulation by the sharpedged contact ridges, as the shrinking shell presses the conductors into engagement with the sharp-edged cutting ridges 5.
  • the conductors 9,10 and 11, or any other number of conductors are inserted into the shell from the open end 6 thereof along the contact pin 4, close to the closed end of the shell, as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the shell is then heated by a suitable heat source to a temperature in the range of 250 C., it being understood that as the shrinking shell is heated, the temperature range may vary, since, the shell is made from a polymerized plastic material, the material looses its flowing ability as it shrinks and cannot be melted further.
  • the shrinking of the shell by heat provides shrinking forces which are effective all around the circumference of the shell and thereby press the conductors 9, and 1 1 against the sharp-edged contact ridges of the contact pin, and displace the insulation of the conductors by means of the sharp-edged ridges, which cut into the metal cores of the conductors by the force of displacing the insulation thereof and thereby make a good electrical connection with the cores of the conductors, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
  • the plastic shell then loses its flowing properties as it cools, and effects continuous pressure onto the conductors, to provide good electrical contact between the conductors, even under large fluctuations in temperature.
  • thermoplastic sealing ring 12 will melt and seal the interior of the shell and the conductors against moisture and other harmful influences on the outside of the shell.
  • the melting of the sealing ring further anchors the conductors within the shell and holds the conductors from being pulled from the shell, in addition to positively sealing the open end of the shell.
  • the shell when shrinking generally conforms to the conical form of the contact pin and positively retains the conductors and contact pin to the shell, but provides undistorted opposite ends of the shell, retaining the conductors and contact pin to the shell and readily fitting in small spaces.
  • a solderless connector for insulated electrical conductors and particularly the plastic-insulated conductors of telephone cables comprising a generally cylindrical shell made from a heat-shrinkable plastic material, settable to its shrink form when cool and having,
  • a contact pin contained within said shell and extending concentrically of and spaced from the interior wall of the shell and having a plurality of sharp contact cutting edges extending from its external periphery and spaced radially inwardly from the interior wall of the shell,
  • said shell adapted to exert radially inward force on the insulated conductors disposed between said pin and said shell when shell is heated and shrunk and pressing the conductors against said contact cutting edges with said contact cutting edges cutting through the insulation of the conductors and making a good electrical connection with the conducting cores of said conductors and retaining said conducting cores into engagement with said contact cutting edges.
  • solderless connector of claim 1 wherein the shell is generally cylindrical in form, the contact pin is generally conical and has a converging end facing the open end of the shell, and the shell is adapted to shrink and generally conform to the form of said contact pin and maintain the general form of said contact pin when shrunk.
  • the shell has one closed end and an opposite intumed end terminating into an opening smaller than the larger outer diameter of the contact pin, to retain said contact pin to said shell and accommodate the insertion of electrical conductors along said contact pin through the open end of said shell.
  • solderless connector of claim 4 wherein a sealing ring extends within the open end of the shell along the inturned end thereof and is adapted to melt to seal the open end of the shell and conductors extending thereinto when said shell is shrunk.
  • solderless connector of claim 6 wherein a plastic sealing ring extends within the open end of the shell and radially inwardly from the interior wall thereof and is adapted to melt to seal the conductors to said connector when the shell is permanently shrunk.

Landscapes

  • Connections Effected By Soldering, Adhesion, Or Permanent Deformation (AREA)
  • Connections By Means Of Piercing Elements, Nuts, Or Screws (AREA)
  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
US49748A 1969-07-15 1970-06-25 Solderless connector for insulated electrical conductors Expired - Lifetime US3636238A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19691935976 DE1935976A1 (de) 1969-07-15 1969-07-15 Anordnung zur loetfreien Verbindung isolierter elektrischer Leiter

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3636238A true US3636238A (en) 1972-01-18

Family

ID=5739879

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US49748A Expired - Lifetime US3636238A (en) 1969-07-15 1970-06-25 Solderless connector for insulated electrical conductors

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3636238A (de)
JP (1) JPS509350B1 (de)
AT (1) AT301656B (de)
DE (1) DE1935976A1 (de)
GB (1) GB1270367A (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0055543A3 (en) * 1980-12-12 1982-08-04 Raychem Pontoise S.A. Wire stripping arrangement
EP0129339A1 (de) * 1983-05-20 1984-12-27 Raychem Pontoise S.A. Steckverbinder

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4196308A (en) * 1976-01-28 1980-04-01 Raychem Corporation Insulated crimp splicer
US4174563A (en) * 1977-12-12 1979-11-20 Raychem Corporation Wire wrap post terminator for stranded wire
GB1603880A (en) 1978-05-09 1981-12-02 Raychem Pontoise Sa Electrical connections
EP0110519B1 (de) * 1982-10-01 1989-08-23 RAYCHEM CORPORATION (a Delaware corporation) Wärmeschrumpfbarer Kupplungszusammenbau
US4648684A (en) * 1983-12-09 1987-03-10 Raychem Corporation Secure connector for coaxial cable
GB8816291D0 (en) * 1988-07-08 1988-08-10 Raychem Ltd Electrical terminal

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3243211A (en) * 1962-07-23 1966-03-29 Raychem Corp Connector with fusible material
US3320355A (en) * 1965-09-07 1967-05-16 Aylwin R Booker Heat shrinkable connector for electrical wire
US3480723A (en) * 1968-05-24 1969-11-25 Reliable Electric Co Splice for conductor pairs

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3243211A (en) * 1962-07-23 1966-03-29 Raychem Corp Connector with fusible material
US3320355A (en) * 1965-09-07 1967-05-16 Aylwin R Booker Heat shrinkable connector for electrical wire
US3480723A (en) * 1968-05-24 1969-11-25 Reliable Electric Co Splice for conductor pairs

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0055543A3 (en) * 1980-12-12 1982-08-04 Raychem Pontoise S.A. Wire stripping arrangement
US4781606A (en) * 1980-12-12 1988-11-01 Raychem Corporation Wire stripping arrangement
EP0129339A1 (de) * 1983-05-20 1984-12-27 Raychem Pontoise S.A. Steckverbinder

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AT301656B (de) 1972-09-11
GB1270367A (en) 1972-04-12
JPS509350B1 (de) 1975-04-11
DE1935976A1 (de) 1971-02-04

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