Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-07-24
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264495
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrical components and more particularly to electrical receptacles and switches having insulation-displacement contacts therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical receptacles or outlets as well as electrical switches are electrically connected to current-carrying electrical conductors of copper wires covered with insulation. The procedure to electrically connect the electrical conductors to electrical contact members of the receptacles or switches involves the following: strip the insulation to expose wire ends of the copper wires, form the wire ends into hooks, place the hooks under heads and around the shafts of screws of the contact members, and tighten the screws thereby securing the copper wires on the contact members and effecting electrical connections therewith.
Care must be exercised in each of the above steps to insure an effective electrical connection. The insulation must be removed so as not to nick or cut the copper wires, because nicking or cutting the copper wires weakens them and also creates a local spot of increased electrical resistance due to copper material being removed which will result in a local hot spot as electrical current flows through the copper wires. The hooks must be large enough to fit around the screw shafts but small enough to be engaged by the screw heads upon tightening of the screws. None of the insulation must be disposed between the screw heads and the contact members. If insulation is present in the electrical connections, the connecting force applied to the copper wires will be decreased thereby increasing the electrical resistance of the electrical connections. The screws must be tight in order to provide optimum electrical connections; however, overtightening the screws will strip the threads of the screws or the threaded holes of the contact members, thereby resulting in poor electrical connections. Increases in electrical resistance caused by poor electrical connections described above result in increases in temperature during current flow which could also result in ignition of flammable material in close proximity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide electrical receptacles and switches having electrical contact members for electrically connecting insulated electrical conductors without stripping, forming and connecting wires of the electrical conductors by screws.
The present invention is directed to an electrical component for electrical connection to insulated electrical conductors comprising a dielectric housing including a first housing section and a second housing section, first and second electrical contact members disposed in the dielectric housing and having first contacts and second contacts positioned in the first housing section; insulation-displacement contacts as part of the first contacts along which the insulated electrical conductors are positioned, and conductor-moving members for engaging the insulated electrical conductors for moving the insulated electrical conductors into the insulation-displacement contacts thereby effecting electrical connections between the insulation-displacement contacts and the insulated electrical conductors.
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patent: 5947761 (1999-09-01), Pepe
Introduction to AMP Insulation Displacement Technique and Products (HB 5351 Rev B) pp. 1-30, AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, PA, dated 1979.
Capper Harry Milton
Laun Deborah
Naas Robert
Robertson James William
Ryan Howard Scott
Hammond Briggitte R.
Luebke Renee
The Whitaker Corporation
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