Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Patent
1988-04-11
1990-09-25
Picard, Leo P.
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
174 521, 220298, 285158, 285401, H02G 314
Patent
active
049595067
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a Junction Box used for connecting two or more conduit connectors for shielding wiring or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Existing methods of joining two or more lengths of conduit to a junction box involves coating the end of the conduit to be glued with adhesive and inserting the end into the spigot of the junction box. It is necessary to have respective size of spigot for the conduit. Further a junction box having the desired number of spigots for the required sizes is required. Thus a large range of junction boxes must be produced and stored to meet the needs. Further because of the requirement of gluing, the joints are permanent and the junction box is therefore non-reusable or altered to a different configuration.
Attempts have been made to overcome this problem by providing a junction box which has connectors which lock into ports in a junction box. Some systems utilized a metal junction box with threaded ports where adaptors are screwed thereto. A modification of this system is described in South African Patent No. 71/3652.
In particular, there are provided ports in a junction box having the same sized notches surrounding each port. The connector comprises a series of lugs, located at one end thereof, which are so sized and positioned as to fit through the notches of a port such that when the connector is inserted in the port and rotated, the wall surrounding the port is located between an annular shoulder and the lugs. Also located on the shoulder is a projection which snaps into a notch in the wall surrounding the port to lock the connector in place. The problem with this arrangement is that the connection is not readily released. As the wall of the port is sandwiched between the lugs and the shoulder, with the projection connected to the substantially rigid shoulder there is very little chance of distorting the material to free the projection except by considerable force or by prying the wall away from the projection by a screw driver or the like which could damage either the wall of the junction box or the connector and prevent reuse of the component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to ameliorate these problems by providing a junction box assembly comprising:
a plurality of ports of the same diameter located therearound; each port having an inwardly radially extending wall with cutouts of at least two different sizes located around the periphery thereof, and a projection extending substantially radially inwardly into said port; and
at least one connector adapted to engage in any one of said ports, each connector having: a set of castellations at or adjacent one end, and being of a size complementary to the cutouts in said ports;
an annular recess located between an abutment surface and said castellations;
resilient ramp means with a locking recess; and
tightening means located on said castellations facing said abutment surface whereby to connect said connector to a port, the castellations are aligned with, and pushed through their respective cutouts and the connector rotated such that the said projection rides up said ramp means and engages in said locking recess, with the said annular wall being held in said annular recess and being urged into abutment with said abutment surface by said tightening means so that the connector is releasably locked against rotational and lateral movement in said port and whereby to release the connector the ramp is deflected so as to free the said projection from said locking recess to allow for rotation and then withdrawal of the connector.
In a further form the invention comprises a junction box having a circular opening;
an annular wall extending from said opening to an inwardly projecting shoulder
at least one recess located in said annular wall adjacent the inwardly projecting shoulder and;
an inwardly extending projection having a ramped surface and a locking recess located adjacent the projection;
a circular lid having a cylindrical outer wall with a first series of p
REFERENCES:
patent: 1131399 (1915-03-01), McGinley
patent: 3728470 (1973-04-01), Maier
patent: 3901574 (1975-08-01), Paullus
patent: 4103101 (1978-07-01), Maier
patent: 4203686 (1980-05-01), Bowman
McNeil Sandy
Petty John
Elconnex Pty. Limited
Picard Leo P.
Tone David A.
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