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
  • H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
  • H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
  • H01R11/12—End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R11/00—Individual connecting elements providing two or more spaced connecting locations for conductive members which are, or may be, thereby interconnected, e.g. end pieces for wires or cables supported by the wire or cable and having means for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal, or conductive member, blocks of binding posts
  • H01R11/11—End pieces or tapping pieces for wires, supported by the wire and for facilitating electrical connection to some other wire, terminal or conductive member
  • H01R11/32—End pieces with two or more terminations

Definitions

• This invention relates to electrical conductivity connectors and has particular, but not exclusive, application to metal enclosures for housing electrical or electronic equipment, of the form comprising a skeleton frame structure with a plurality of panels secured thereto.
• Such enclosures often called 'racks' , may be adapted to be wall-mounted, or may be free-standing.
• an electrical conductivity connector comprises a conductive member for connection to a metal enclosure of multi-panel form, a plurality of leads, each lead being permanently secured at one end thereof to the conductive member, and each lead being provided at the opposite end thereof with respective attachment means for electrically connecting the conductive member to a respective panel or frame member of the enclosure, the attachment means each carrying a respective captive fastener.
• Such conductivity connectors allow conductivity to be established throughout the metal enclosure.
• the conductive member is preferably of planar form, with a fixing hole, enabling the conductive member to be fixed to the enclosure frame, (or other suitable part of the structure) , by use of a screw, or onto a stud.
• the respective first ends of the leads are preferably secured to the periphery of the conductive member, which is preferably provided with laterally spaced-apart pairs of integral clamping jaws.
• each captive nut assembly preferably comprises a nut provided with an integral axial extension of reduced lateral dimensions compared with the diameter of the nut, the axial extension extending through a hole in a connector tag and being captively connected at the free end thereof to a washer positioned on the opposite side of the tag from the nut.
• connection between the free end of the axial extension and the washer, and the dimensions of the axial extension are arranged such that, on initial supply of the conductivity connector, the nut is capable of being turned freely relative to the washer and tag, to reduce the tendency of the tag from being turned round when the nut is tightened onto the tag.
• the axial extension is preferably an integral tubular extension of the nut.
• the free end of the axial extension is preferably deformed radially outwards to define an annular retaining rib that is received in a counterbore to the bore of the washer.
• the retaining rib is preferably formed by a swaging operation which is controlled to permit rotation of the washer relative to the axial extension.
• the tag preferably carries a pair of clamping jaws by which said other end of the lead is secured to the tag.
• the washer is preferably provided with gripping formations at least on the side that engages with the tag.
• the invention also comprises the combination of a metal enclosure and a plurality of said electrical conductivity connectors.
• the combination may be of kit form whereby the enclosure comprises a flat pack.
• the metal enclosure may be supplied to an installer as a pre- assembled unit, but without connection of the connectors that are to be secured to removable panels. (The panels are generally removed during installation of the electrical/electronic items.) Said one ends of the leads are preferably pre-assembled to the enclosure, whereby the leads are available in the unit in the correct locations, ready for said other ends of the leads to be secured to the panels once the electrical installation has been performed, and the panels are ready for assembly to the framework.
• an electrical lead carrying a captive nut assembly at one end thereof comprising a nut provided with an integral axial extension of reduced lateral dimensions compared with the diameter of the nut, the axial extension extending through a hole in a connector tag and being captively connected at the free end thereof to a washer positioned on the opposite side of the tag from the nut.
• Figure 1 is a view in perspective, and of exploded form, of a metal enclosure for housing electronic components (not shown)
• Figure 2 is a view in perspective of an electrical conductivity connector for use with the enclosure of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a view in perspective, and partly in section, of one of the lead attachment means of the connector of Figure 2.
• the metal enclosure 1 of Figure 1 comprises a skeleton frame structure 2 with a plurality of side 3, top 4 and bottom 5 panels releasably secured thereto.
• the enclosure 1 which houses electronic (or electrical) equipment (not shown) , is mounted on castors 6 so that it may be moved over a floor 7.
• the enclosure is demountable, having been assembled from a kit comprising a flat pack.
• the panels 3, 4, 5 may be painted.
• FIGS 2 and 3 together illustrate an electrically conductivity connector 10 comprising one of eight used to earth or ground the enclosure 1 of Figure 1.
• the connector 10 comprises a conductive member 11 of planar form for connection to the frame structure 2 of Figure 1.
• the conductive plate 11 which is of substantially segmental form, has a substantially central hole 12, for demountably fixing the plate to the frame structure 2, by use, for example, of a screw, or onto a stud fixed to the frame structure.
• each conductivity lead 13 carries an individual captive nut assembly 20 whereby the lead is demountably securable to a screw-threaded stud 21 mounted on the inner surface of an associated panel. (In this example, a side panel 3.)
• the stud 21 is secured to panel 3 by welding 22 of the stud disc 21 ' , and co-operates with a nut 23 which releasably clamps a lead crimping tag 24 disposed between the nut 23 and a captive washer 25.
• the washer 25, (see Figure 2) , has serrated upper and lower surfaces 26, 27.
• the nut 23 has a serrated lower surface 23' .
• the lead attachment tag 24 has a fixing hole 28 in the tag ring 24' whereby the tag is received by the stud 21.
• the nut 23 is formed with an integral tubular extension 29 the lower end of which has been deformed outwardly by swaging to hold captive the washer 25.
• Washer 25 is provided in its underside with a counterbore 32 to the main bore 33 of the washer, and the axial height of the deformed portion 31 is less than the depth of counterbore 32.
• the swaging of portion 31 is performed in a controlled manner such that on completion the nut, with extension 29, is capable of being turned freely relative to tag ring 24' and washer 25.
• the conductivity leads 13 may of varying length, in order to suit assembly requirements.
• a captive clamping screw may be used to demountably secure a lead 13 to an enclosure component.
• the enclosure component is a panel
• an internally threaded boss could be welded to the panel to receive the screw.
• the complexity of achieving earth continuity may be reduced from 84 to 8 components, using connectors 10 according to the present invention.
• the enclosure 1 is provided with a good earth, as shown at 30 in Figure 1.
• the invention also improves assembly by substantially eliminating the opportunity to wrongly assemble, or omit components.
• Nuts 23 or equivalent components are preferably formed so that special tools are needed to mount or demount them in place.
• the invention enables the preparation of the leads, the sub-assembly of the termination and the crimping of these components into a single assembly with the main attachment plate to be mechanised to reduce costs.
• the integrity of the resulting assembly is also improved by practically eliminating the opportunity for the installer to misassemble or omit components.

Landscapes

• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
• Elimination Of Static Electricity (AREA)
• Casings For Electric Apparatus (AREA)
• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
• Connections Effected By Soldering, Adhesion, Or Permanent Deformation (AREA)
• Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
• Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=10858999

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (3)

Citations (9)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1999
  • 1999-08-12 GB GBGB9918991.2A patent/GB9918991D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2000
  • 2000-08-11 DE DE60017871T patent/DE60017871T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-11 EP EP00951712A patent/EP1145383B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-08-11 WO PCT/GB2000/003037 patent/WO2001013467A2/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-08-11 AU AU64569/00A patent/AU6456900A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-08-11 AT AT00951712T patent/ATE288625T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (9)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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