Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Duplicate receiving means having independently operated...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2001-03-27
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Duplicate receiving means having independently operated...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206736
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to splicing devices for connecting electrical conductors and, more particularly, is concerned with an electrical conductor splicing assembly having a spring with opposite end portions captured by and interconnecting conductor gripping members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Splicing devices are used to connect electrical conductors to one another. A variety of splicing devices are known in the prior art. Such splicing devices typically include a tubular shell, a plurality of conductor gripping members, one or more springs and one or more conductor stopping members. The shell may be one piece and have a pair of tapered opposite end portions. The gripping members are generally disposed within the shell. The one or more springs are generally interposed between and urge the gripping members outwardly toward the tapered opposite end portions of the shell causing the gripping members to grip the conductors inserted therethrough. The one or more stopping members may be disposed between or at opposite ends of the one or more springs to capture or block the ends of the conductors.
Representative examples of prior art splicing devices and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,657,253 to Fortin, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,854,782 and 1,854,783 to Cook, U.S. Pat. No. 1,997,649 to Ohlund, U.S. Pat. No. 2,041,108 to Becker, Sr., et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,063,718 and 2,078,051 to Berndt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,120,469 to Kyle, U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,050 to Fotsch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,458 to Berndt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,358 to Frank, U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,722 to Hubbell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,940 to Lockhart, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,859,424 and 3,166,373 to Berndt and U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,352 to Hawkins et al. While these prior art splicing devices may be satisfactory in use under the specific conditions for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide a simple and comprehensive solution for the splicing of electrical conductors.
Consequently, a need remains for further innovations which will provide an optimum solution for splicing electrical conductors without introducing any new problems that will replace those of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an electrical conductor splicing assembly designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The electrical conductor splicing assembly of the present invention includes a pair of conductor gripping members and a single spring disposed within a tubular shell. The spring has opposite end portions captured within cavities of the gripping members. The spring urges the gripping members away from one another and outwardly within tapered opposite end portions of the shell and causes the gripping members to grip electrical conductors inserted therethrough. The spring also has a pair of reduced diameter portions each disposed adjacent to one of the opposite end portions of the spring. The reduced diameter portions of the spring block the ends of the conductors from passing farther into the shell beyond the gripping members and toward one another. The combination of the spring and gripping members allows the shell to have a minimum length and the splicing assembly to have a minimum number of parts.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an electrical conductor splicing assembly which comprises: (a) a tubular shell made of a substantially electrically conductive material and having opposite ends, a middle portion and opposite end portions extending between the middle portion and opposite ends and tapering from the middle portion to the opposite ends, the shell defining an interior chamber open at the opposite ends of the shell; (b) a pair of tubular conductor gripping members made of a substantially electrically conductive material and disposed within the interior chamber of the shell, each of the gripping members having opposite inner and outer ends and defining a longitudinal passageway open at the inner and outer ends, the shell and gripping members being adapted for receiving an end portion of an electrical conductor through each of the opposite ends and within the interior chamber of the shell and through the outer end and within the passageway of each of the gripping members; and (c) a spring disposed within the interior chamber of the shell between the gripping members and having a main portion, a pair of opposite end portions and a pair of intermediate portions each disposed between and interconnecting one of the opposite end portions of the spring to the main portion thereof, the spring being mounted at the opposite end portions thereof to the inner ends of the gripping members and urging the gripping members away from one another outwardly toward the opposite ends of the shell and causing the gripping members to abut against the opposite end portions of the shell and press radially inwardly toward and grip the end portions of the electrical conductors received within the passageways and thereby provide an electrical connection between the electrical conductors via the gripping members and shell. The intermediate portions of the spring are disposed adjacent to the inner ends of the gripping members and are adapted to block the end portions of the electrical conductors from passing farther into the shell through the main portion of the spring located between the gripping members.
More particularly, the intermediate portions of the spring have diameters which are reduced in size relative to diameters of the opposite end portions of the spring. Further, the diameters of the intermediate portions of the spring are reduced in size relative to a diameter of the main portion of the spring. Each gripping member has an inner portion and an outer portion extending and tapering from the inner portion to the outer end of the gripping member. Each gripping member defines a cavity within the inner portion thereof in communication with the longitudinal passageway. The opposite end portions of the spring are captured within the cavities of the gripping members.
Each gripping member is internally threaded within the longitudinal passageway thereof adjacent to and interiorly of the outer end of the gripping member for gripping the end portion of the electrical conductor inserted into the longitudinal passageway of the gripping member. Each gripping member has a plurality of longitudinal slots spaced apart circumferentially from one another. Each slot extends interiorly from the outer end toward the inner end of the gripping member and is in communication with the longitudinal passageway of the gripping member. The longitudinal slots divide the gripping member into longitudinal segments which may be pressed radially inwardly toward one another for gripping the end portion of the electrical conductor inserted therebetween. One of the plurality of slots of each gripping member extends from the outer end to the inner end of the gripping member such that the gripping member may be pulled apart at the one slot for placing one of the opposite end portions of the spring within the cavity of the gripping member.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1657253 (1928-01-01), Fortin
patent: 1854782 (1932-04-01), Cook
patent: 1854783 (1932-04-01), Cook
patent: 1997649 (1935-04-01), Ohlund
patent: 2041108 (1936-05-01), Becker, Sr. et al.
patent: 2063718 (1936-12-01), Berndt
patent: 2078051 (1937-04-01), Berndt
patent: 2120469 (1938-06-01), Kyle
patent: 2128832 (1938-08-01), Lusher
patent: 2144050 (1939-01-01), Fotsch
patent: 2166458 (1939-07-01), Berndt et al.
patent: 2434358 (1948-01-01), Frank
patent: 2521722 (1950-09-01), Hubbell et al.
patent: 2572940 (1951-10-01), Lockhart
patent: 2859424 (1958-11-01), Berndt
patent: 3166373 (1965-01-01), Berndt
patent: 4362352 (1982-12-01),
DeFrance Robert V.
Nordstrom Carl B.
Nordstrom Elizabeth A.
'Hubbell Incorporated
Nguyen Phuong Chi
Nordstrom Elizabeth A.
Paumen Gary
Swartz Michael R.
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