Electrical connector for attaching conductors to speaker leads

Details Electrical connector for attaching conductors to speaker leads Electrical connector for attaching conductors to speaker leads

1998-01-16

2001-06-12

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Plural-contact coupling part

C439S441000, C439S268000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06244904

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to electrical connectors for releasably attaching conductors to leads of acoustical speakers, and more particularly to such connectors having a simplified actuating mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the conductors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Remote acoustical speakers used with various audio systems are typically interconnected with their audio system by means of multiple conductors. Each of the conductors is releasably received in a separate connector that is attached to a respective one of each of the speakers. These separate connectors usually include an opening through which one of the conductors is inserted and a button or lever that is depressed to move a contact within the opening to one side so that the conductor can be fully inserted. When the button or lever is released, a spring urges the movable contact across the opening so that it picks up the conductor and presses it against a fixed contact to make the desired electrical connection. Each single speaker requires two such electrical connections and, therefore, two individual connectors. Speaker hook-up wire is usually provided as integrated pairs of conductors, similar to lamp wire, the ends of each conductor must be stripped and split away from the other conductor sufficiently far to allow manipulation of the individual conductors during insertion into their respective connectors. The buttons or levers that actuate the movable contacts are bulky and usually are pivotally coupled to the connector so that they are difficult to aesthetically integrate into the speaker housing.
What is needed is a single speaker connector having contacts for receiving both speaker conductors by depressing a single actuating button and then electrically engaging and holding the two conductors upon release of the button. And the connector should lend itself to aesthetic integration into the speaker enclosure. Further, the means for returning the actuating button to its non-depressed state should be independent of the resilient members that grip and make electrical contact with the conductors, even where the conductors are of different sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electrical connector is disclosed for associating with a component for releasably receiving a conductor and electrically interconnecting the conductor to the component. The connector includes an insulating housing and an insulating button in sliding engagement with the housing. The button is slidable between a first position and a second position. A contact is disposed in a cavity within the housing and includes a tail extending therefrom through an opening in the housing and into electrical engagement with the component. The contact has a gripping portion for receiving the conductor when the button is in its second position and for electrically engaging the conductor when the button is in its first position.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5410257 (1995-04-01), Swaffield
patent: 5823807 (1998-10-01), Yamasaki et al.

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