Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-12
2001-04-10
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S521000, C439S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213808
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of joining electrical conductors and an apparatus for practising this method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The provision of a telephone service generally involves routing a cable having multiple electrical conductors from an external network connection into a building where the service is required.
In the past externally mounted terminal blocks have been used for linking a cable coming from a telephone pole, for example, to conductors leading into the building concerned. Each terminal block may include an array of metal strips embedded in an insulating body, with each strip having a pair of screws for securing the terminations of respective conductors.
Other connecting systems include terminal blocks comprising a body of insulating material equipped with built-in metallic fasteners having notched cutting edges for piercing the electrical insulating sleeves surrounding the conductors in order to establish the required electrical contact. These systems eliminate the previously required installation step of stripping the insulation off conductor ends before joining them.
Connectors having exposed metal portions remain susceptible to moisture penetration, and resultant undesirable stray electrical currents. More recent connecting systems accordingly provide individual connectors, each having an insulating body encasing a displaceable blade-like metal element. In use the metal element first strips the insulation off the terminations of electrical conductors, and then forms an electrical link between them.
The present invention seeks to provide a method and an apparatus to facilitate and simplify the installation of electrical cables, and joining their respective conductors as required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of joining electrical conductors to each other by means of existing connectors which are receivable in a common housing having a base portion and a matching cover portion, and each connector includes a casing holding captive a displaceable element for locking together the terminations of the conductors, the said method including the steps of
inserting respective terminations of the conductors into corresponding apertures defined by the casing of each connector;
positioning each connector in a complementary recess formed by the base portion of the housing; and
applying an external force to the displaceable element of each connector by means of a tool which is operable by means of the cover portion of the housing until the displaceable element electrically joins together the terminations of the respective conductors.
The steps set out above are conveniently applied sequentially to join the respective conductors of at least 2 multi-cored cables with each other. An installation process involving these steps may include a final step of securing the cover portion of the housing to the base portion to form a weather-proof enclosure for the connectors and their associated conductors.
The invention extends to an electrical housing for joining electrical conductors by means of existing connectors, wherein each connector has a casing holding captive a displaceable element for joining together terminations of at least two conductors at a time, the said housing including
a base portion defining complementary recesses for respectively receiving the connectors;
a cover portion matching the base portion to form an enclosure for accommodating the connectors; and
a tool which is operable by the cover portion during use to apply an external force to the displaceable element of each connector in order to join together the conductor terminations located within each connector.
The base portion may include a mounting plate supporting tubular elements defining recesses for the connectors.
The cover portion preferably fits in complementary relationship on to the base portion. The housing preferably includes securing means for securing the cover portion to the base portion during use.
The cover portion may define at least one port for inserting a cable comprising 2 or more conductors.
The tool may be integrally connected to the housing, and arranged immediately adjacent to at least one port. The tool may include a peripheral ridge formation matching the external dimensions of the casing of each connector to allow the tool to be centred over the displaceable element before any force is applied to the displaceable element.
In other embodiments of the invention the tool may be temporarily located in a cable port in the housing, and removed after use.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3803530 (1974-04-01), Lapraik
patent: 5947762 (1999-09-01), Katsuma
Four Page Utilux Sales Brochure Entitled: “Snap Con Moisture Resistant Connectors”.
Whatmore Errol James
Whatmore Gregory Jay
Bradley Paula
Ta Tho D.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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