Electrical connectors – With vitreous-type envelope – Having bayonet-coupling contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-01
2001-12-04
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With vitreous-type envelope
Having bayonet-coupling contact
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325671
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of electrical connections and more particularly to enclosures for spliced cable connections such as telephone wires.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common in the telephone industry, where cable splices need to be made along the path of distribution, that splices be made which will include some type of an electrical connection to splice the individual wires of the cable and environmentally seal them in a connection enclosure to prevent degradation to the connection. This type of splice could be either a so-called drop wire splice or could be a buried splice in the case of underground cable. It is also common to have both six and twelve pairs of twisted wire, which comprise the telephone cable.
As in almost any electrical connection device, where a cable is involved, and where an individual wire or a plurality of wires are interconnected to terminals or like wires, a so-called strain relief mechanism is desirable, such that tension or force outwardly on the cable is not transmitted to the electrical connection of the wires, but rather the force as transmitted to a housing into which the cable is being terminated. Various strain relief mechanisms exist in the marketplace and in the prior art for transferring the forces to the connector housings.
One such device is shown in the Tyco Electronics (AMP Division) commercial product known as the CERTI-SEAL wire splice enclosure (for 2- to 6-pair buried drop wire splice) where the housing is formed as a shell of two similar halves, where one of the halves includes grounding contact. The cables to be spliced are brought in from opposite ends and the cables are stripped to expose the individual wires to be spliced, and a section of the shielding. The two wires are positioned in the grounding contact to common or ground the two shields. Splice connection blocks known as TEL-SPLICE (also a commercial of Tyco Electronics) then interconnect the individual wires to one another for making the individual wire splices.
While the above-mentioned connection assembly is adequate for its intended use, it would be, however, advantageous to provide such a splice enclosure, which can accommodate more than one cable size, in order that the enclosure can accommodate at least 6-pair and 12-pair cable. it would also be advantageous if the enclosure could accept three cables, such that the enclosure could terminate combinations of cable, for example, two 6-pair; two 12-pair; or a 12-pair to two 6-pair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing an electrical splicing enclosure for splicing a plurality of shielded cables, which comprises an insulating housing having a first housing member and a second housing member, where the first housing member is hinged to the second housing member so that the first housing member and second housing member are movable from an open position to a closed position. The first housing member and the second housing member overlie each other, with the first housing member and the second housing member each having a base wall, and a peripheral wall, the peripheral walls conforming to provide an enclosure when in the closed position. At least two cable receiving openings are provided through the housing for the cables to be spliced. Grounding contacts, carried by the first and second housing members, comprise cable receiving slots having gripping edges to grip shielding of the shielded cables to be spliced, and the grounding contacts being profiled for overlapping contact with the cables, so as to trap the cable there between, and to provide strain relief thereto.
Preferably, the grounding contacts are comprised of a unitary member having multiple cable receiving slots. The grounding contacts are comprised of a base contact portion having upstanding wall sections extending from marginal edges thereof, with the cable receiving slots are formed in the upstanding wall sections. The cable receiving slots are comprised of upwardly facing openings in opposing walls of the upstanding wall sections, such that the cables are terminated transversely of the upstanding wall sections. The grounding contacts have at least one central cable-receiving slot and an end cable-receiving slot on opposite sides of the central cable-receiving slot. The end cable-receiving slots are profiled to accept a plurality of wire sizes. The base contact portions of the grounding contacts are deformable through a line parallel with the slots.
Also preferably, a ferrule is insertable under the shielding of the cables to be spliced, to enhance the strain relief effect on the cable.
In another embodiment of the invention, an electrical splicing enclosure for splicing a plurality of shielded cables comprises an insulating housing for enclosing cables to be spliced having at least two cable receiving openings provided therethrough for the cables to be spliced. The enclosure has at least one grounding contact carried by one of the housing members, the grounding contact comprising cable receiving slots having gripping edges to grip shielding of the shielded cable to be spliced. A ferrule is included which is profiled to be receivable beneath the shielding of cables to be spliced to rigidify the connection and strain relief of the cable with the grounding contact.
Preferably, the housing comprises a first housing member and a second housing member, the first housing member being hinged to the second housing member so that the first housing member and second housing member are movable from an open position to a closed position where the first housing member and the second housing member overlie each other. The first housing member and the second housing member each having a base wall, and a peripheral wall, the peripheral walls conforming to provide an enclosure when in the closed position. The two grounding contacts are carried by the first and second housing members, the grounding contacts comprising cable receiving slots having gripping edges to grip shielding of the shielded cables to be spliced, and the grounding contacts are profiled for overlapping contact with the cables, so as to trap the cable there between, and to provide strain relief thereto. The grounding contacts are comprised of a unitary member having multiple cable receiving slots. The grounding contacts are comprised of a base contact portion having upstanding wall sections extending from marginal edges thereof, and the cable receiving slots are formed in the upstanding wall sections. The cable receiving slots are comprised of upwardly facing openings in opposing walls of the upstanding wall sections, such that the cables are terminated transversely of the upstanding wall sections. The grounding contacts have at least one central cable receiving slot and an end cable-receiving slot on opposite sides of the central cable-receiving slot. The end cable-receiving slots are profiled to accept a plurality of wire sizes. The base contact portions of the grounding contacts are deformable through a line parallel with the slots.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3458649 (1969-07-01), Channell
patent: 4744769 (1988-05-01), Grabbe et al.
patent: 5606150 (1997-02-01), Radliff et al.
patent: 5722841 (1998-03-01), Wright
patent: 5746610 (1998-05-01), Shiu
patent: 5831815 (1998-11-01), Miller et al.
patent: 6087584 (2000-07-01), Daoud
patent: 6111201 (2000-08-01), Drane et al.
Nguyen Phuongchi
Paumen Gary
Tyco Electronics Corporation
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