Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With grounding means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2002-08-27
Sterrett, Jeffrey (Department: 2838)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With grounding means
C174S0450TD
Reexamination Certificate
active
06441303
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for contacting, in particular, elongated, illustratively substantially cylindrical bodies such as cables or pipes or tubes, where hereafter the word “pipe” also includes the meaning of “tube”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such devices are used for instance to connect a metallic pipe or a bared outer conductor of a coaxial cable to a grounding cable.
A device of this species is known from the European patent document 0,744,788 A1 and comprises therein a base structure coming to rest against a body to be contacted and a contact element to implement an electrically conducting connection with this body to be connected, this contact element being affixed to a side of the base structure which in the assembly position will face the body to be contacted. In the known device, the base structure comprises a band-shaped metal clamp imbedded in an elastic material, a contacting surface being left free to accommodate the contact element at the side which in the assembly position faces the body to be contacted. The contact element of the known device is a band of copper braid and is manually affixed using adhesive or is spot-welded to the contact surface of the base structure. Seen in topview, the contact element is substantially rectangular and, in the desired affixation position, its longitudinal edges essentially run parallel to adjacent edges of the base structure.
The known device incurs the drawback that the contact element may slip during its affixation and shall then be in a position on the base structure in which its longitudinal edges do not run parallel, but undesirably obliquely to the edges of the base structure and that as a result the contact element projects laterally from the base structure. When assembling the device of the state of the art, the required contact between the contact element and the body to be contacted then might not be implementable as desired. In such a case the contact element must be loosened from the base structure and then be reaffixed to it in the desired position. Such refinishing work takes time and money.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the invention is to create a device which shall be free of the drawback of the known device, namely which facilitates affixing the contact element in the desired affixation position to the base structure.
The basic concept of the invention is to provide adjusting means allowing to adjust the position of the contact element relative to edges of the base structure. In this manner slipping and projection of the contact element beyond the edge of the base structure are reliable averted when affixing this contact element to the base structure at manufacture of the device of the invention. Consequently manufacture is facilitated and time consuming and hence expensive corrective work is saved.
The device of the invention is rugged in design and can be manufactured in simple and economical manner. Moreover it is widely applicable.
The adjusting means may be designed in versatile manner. Illustratively the adjusting means may be optical, for instance being markings on the base structure. Appropriately however they shall be fitted with at least one rest edge or at least one rest surface slanting to a retaining surface at which the contact element is affixed to the base structure in its affixation mode. The rest edge or rest surface allow adjusting the contact element in its position relative to the edges of the base structure and hence its affixation in the desired affixation position is made easier.
In principle it suffices that the adjusting means be fitted with merely one rest edge or rest surface and that therefore the contact element shall be resting only over a segment of its edge against the rest edge or rest surface. However, in an advantageous further implementation, at least two mutually spaced rest edges or rest surfaces are provided to support the contact element at mutually spaced zones of its edge. As regards a contact element which is substantially rectangular in topview for instance, two mutually substantially parallel and spaced rest edges may be used, the contact element in the affixation position resting opposite zones of its edge against a rest edge in each case. Moreover rest edges subtending an angle between them also may be used, for instance at a right angle. In that case the contact element will rest by adjoining zones of its edge against the rest edges. Again four rest edges may be used which support the contact element at opposite zones of its edge.
In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention, the adjusting means are centering means to center the contact element between opposite edges of the base structure. In this manner the contact element will be centered between the base-structure edges and the adjustment of contact-element position is simplified further.
In another variant of the above embodiment, the centering means are fitted with mutually spaced rest edges running substantially parallel to each other and to adjacent edges of the base structure. In this variant, a contact element which is essentially rectangular when seen in topview is held in place parallel to the base-structure edges and is centered thereby.
In another embodiment, the centering means are fitted with mutually spaced and relatively slanted rest surfaces extending in the longitudinal as well as the circumferential direction of the base structure and supporting the affixation element when in the affixation position. Centering of the contact element is achieved in the desired manner also in this embodiment.
In a variant of the above embodiment, the rest surfaces slant away from each other. In this manner the rest surfaces form a trough to receive the contact element. However the rest surfaces also may slant toward each other in the manner of another variant. In this latter variant, the rest surfaces for instance may span mutually opposite edges of the contact element.
The shape, size and number of rest edges or surfaces can be selected within wide limits. Appropriately the, or each, rest edge or surface is formed at a protrusion, in particular a stud or a rib formed at the base structure. This variant is simple and economical.
In principle however the, or each, stud or rib may be constituted by a separate element connected to the base structure. In an advantageous variant, however, the base structure is partly made of an elastic material, preferably an elastomer into which is integrated the, or each. stud or the, or each, rib. The, or each, stud or the, or each, rib is therefore integral with a part of the base structure. This feature simplifies the manufacture of the device of the invention. If, in this variant, two mutually spaced rest edges are provided, then, upon an appropriate selection of the spacing between the rest edges of the contact element, this contact element can be clamped between the elastically deforming rest edges and be elastically held in place. As a result additional affixation means to hold the contact element, for instance adhesive or welding, no longer are required.
In another embodiment, the base structure is fitted with a recess of which the edge(s) constitute(s) the, or each, rest edge or of which the slope(s) constitute(s) the, or each, rest surface. This embodiment also assures accurate adjusting of the contact element. Moreover this embodiment allows simple and economical manufacture.
In principle it is enough that the contact element rest by a segment of its edge against the rest edges or surfaces. In an especially advantageous variant of the invention, the contour of the recess substantially corresponds to that of the contact element in such manner that the contact element shall be snugly held in the recess. In this variant, the contact element is precluded in especially reliable manner from slipping.
The material of the base structure can be selected within wide limits. The base structure also may be composed of several materials. In one embodiment, the base structure comprises a band-shaped met
Karin Daume Maschinenteile, GmbH & Co. KG
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
Sterrett Jeffrey
LandOfFree
Device for electrically contacting and sealing a tubular member does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for electrically contacting and sealing a tubular member, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for electrically contacting and sealing a tubular member will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2922968