Cable terminal or joint means

Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C174S068300

Reexamination Certificate

active

06521832

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In invention relates to a cable terminal or joint means as disclosed in commonly owned, related patent application DE 199 51 455, which has been filed as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/695,415, and is drawn to a cable terminal or joint means for making an electrically conductive connection. The invention relates to a cable terminal or joint means for making an electrically conductive connection between a cable and an electrical device, or for making an electrically conductive connection between two cables. When connecting one cable to an electrical device, the connection is a cable terminal means; while, if two cables are to be connected to one another, the connection is a cable joint means. When the invention is a cable terminal means, the invention includes a cable terminal component and a device terminal component. Further, when the invention is a cable joint means, the electrically conductive connection includes a first cable joint component and a second cable joint component. In the discussion of the invention to follow, most of the focus is on a cable terminal means, but nevertheless a cable joint means is always intended as well.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related German patent application DE 199 51 455, and corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/695,415, the electrically conductive connection can be between a multi-core cable and an electrical device, or between two multi-core cables with one cable terminal component and with a device terminal component, or between a first cable joint component and second cable joint component. The electrically conductive connection can also be made between a cable terminal component and a first cable joint component, a device terminal component, or a second cable joint component. The cable terminal or joint means includes a union nut, a wire receiving and guide part which has a plurality of wire guide channels, a clamping and terminal unit which is provided with insulation piercing connecting devices and with terminal elements, and a sleeve-like terminal body or connecting body which is provided with an outside thread which corresponds to the inside thread of the union nut. The wire ends make contact with the insulation piercing connecting devices and are squeezed by the insulation piercing connecting devices, each running at an angle less than 180°, thereby cutting through the wire insulation of the wire ends and making contact with the conductors when the union nut is screwed onto either the terminal body or the connecting body, or when the terminal body or the connecting body is screwed into the union nut.
In the discussion to follow, it is also noted that reference to a cable terminal means is intended to relate to a means for making an electrically conductive connection between a cable and an electrical device; where an electrical device should be understood quite generally, and in particular, the expression electrical device includes electrical components, means and devices.
It is further noted that for the cable terminal or joint means discussion to follow, the cable terminal component and the first cable joint component, the device terminal component, or the second cable joint component includes the following
a union nut,
a wire receiving and guide part,
a clamping and terminal unit which is provided with insulation piercing connecting devices and with terminal elements and
a sleeve-shaped terminal or connection body which is provided with an outside thread which corresponds to the inside thread of the union nut.
Thus, it is intentionally left open which of the individual parts, for example, the union nut, the wire receiving and guide part, the clamping and terminal unit, or the terminal or connecting body relate to the cable terminal component, the first cable joint component, the device terminal component, or the second cable joint component. However, it can be generally understood that:
that the union nut generally relates to the cable terminal component or the first cable joint component,
that the wire receiving and guide part relates to the cable terminal component or the first cable joint component,
that the clamping and terminal unit relates to the device terminal component or the second cable joint component and
that the terminal or connection body generally relates to the device terminal component and the second cable joint component.
It is also noted that the wire ends and the insulation piercing connecting devices run at an angle of less than 180° to each other which means that the wire ends and the insulation piercing connecting devices do not run parallel to one another, because to do so would mean the insulation piercing connecting devices cannot act on the wire ends in the proper manner. The angle between the wire ends and the insulation piercing connecting devices can be both an acute and also a right angle; however, an obtuse angle is also not precluded. Accordingly, the wire guide channels which hold the wire ends and which are provided in the wire receiving and guide part are angled relative to the insertion direction of the cable. In order to ensure simple deflection of the wire ends during insertion that angle should be less than 90°.
Finally, it is noted that when the union nut is screwed onto the terminal or connecting body or when the terminal or connecting body is screwed into the union nut, the insulation piercing connecting devices cut the wire insulation of the wire ends and make contact with the conductors. Screwing the union nut onto the terminal or connecting body or screwing the terminal or connecting body into the union nut leads to relative motion between the wire receiving and guide part and the clamping and terminal units and thus leads to relative motion between the wire ends and the insulation piercing connecting devices. This relative motion leads to the insulation piercing connecting devices cutting through the wire insulation of the wire ends and then making contact with the conductors.
For better understanding, the cable terminal or joint means discussed below is limited to a cable terminal means, with the referred to individual components being the cable terminal component on the one hand and the device terminal component on the other hand.
Therefore, the discussion specifically refers to a cable terminal means for making an electrically conductive connection, which includes one cable terminal component and one device terminal component, of preferably a multi-core cable to an electrical device. The cable terminal component includes a union nut and a wire receiving and guide part; while the device terminal component includes a clamping and terminal unit which is provided with insulation piercing connecting devices and with terminal components, and a sleeve-shaped outside terminal body which is provided with an outside thread which corresponds to the inside thread of the union nut. When the terminal components are being assembled, the wire ends, running at an angle of less than 180° to the insulation piercing connection devices, are squeezed by the insulation piercing connecting devices to pierce the insulation on the wire ends and make electrical connection with the conductors. This occurs when the union nut is screwed onto the terminal body, that is, the insulation piercing connecting devices cut through the wire insulation of the wire ends and making contact with the conductors.
The aforementioned individual parts, that is, the wire receiving and guide part, the clamping and terminal unit, and the terminal or connecting body will now be explained. The following explanation of these individual parts relates to the above addressed cable terminal means in which the terminal or connecting body is called only the terminal body.
The wire receiving and guide part which belongs to the cable terminal component is conventionally provided on the cable side with a single receiving or insertion opening for the receiving all of the wires, or is conventionally provided with a number of receiving or insertion openings w

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