Single pole cable connector

Details Single pole cable connector Single pole cable connector

1998-10-23

2001-10-30

Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation

C439S814000, C439S224000, C439S792000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06309258

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to single pole cable connectors.
BACKGROUND
Single-pole connectors are used to connect a single wire or cable. One type of known connector uses a retention screw to secure a contact of the connector in an insulating sleeve of the connector. The contact includes a threaded hole that receives the retention screw, which also passes through the insulating sleeve. The contact attaches to an electrical cable on one end and the contact is configured to connect to another contact on the other end.
Another type of connector uses a contact having a locking drive pin. After a cable is connected to the contact, the contact is inserted into an insulated sleeve until the locking drive pin engages a locking structure in the sleeve.
SUMMARY
In one general aspect, a single-pole electrical connector includes an insulating sleeve defining an inner channel and a groove defined in a surface of the inner channel. A blocking mechanism is operable to be positioned to block the groove.
Embodiments may include one or more of the following features. For example, the connector may include a retention ring positioned in the insulating sleeve and defining at least a portion of the inner channel. The groove may be defined in an inner surface of the retention ring. The retention ring may carry the blocking mechanism, which may be, for example, a screw. To this end the retention ring may include a threaded hole that perpendicularly intersects the groove. The blocking mechanism also may be, for example, a snap in retaining pin, a rotating member, or a component glued or snapped into place in the groove.
The connector also includes an electrical contact sized to fit within the inner channel. A drive pin extending from an outer surface of the contact is sized to fit within the groove. Generally, the channel and contact have circular cross sections.
The screw may be a nonconductive screw having a nonconductive head and a nonconductive threaded portion. This offers advantages over screws having nonconductive heads and conductive threaded portions in that the screws are inexpensive to manufacture and pose no risk of exposed conductive material in the event that the head of the screw is broken.
In general, the screw is accessible from outside the insulating sleeve through a hole in the insulating sleeve. A cross section of at least a portion of the hole is smaller than a maximum cross section of the screw to prevent separation of the screw from the electrical connector. This ensures that the screw will not be lost and thereby eliminates a major source of inconvenience and user frustration.
The invention provides a single pole electrical connector that provides safe operation, that is inexpensive to manufacture, and that is easy to reuse. In particular, assembly and disassembly of the connector requires only a screwdriver.
The drive pin-and-groove connection arrangement provides considerable advantages over approaches that use a screw threaded into the contact to secure the contact in the insulating sleeve. In particular, the contact only needs to be positioned in the channel of the insulating sleeve with the drive pin aligned with the groove. The contact is then pushed completely into the insulating sleeve and secured in place by tightening the screw to block the groove. By contrast, to thread the screw into the contact, the contact needs to be carefully aligned, both radially and axially, with the screw in order to insert the screw into the hole in the contact.
Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description, including the drawings, and from the claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3784964 (1974-01-01), Newman et al.
patent: 4214806 (1980-07-01), Kraft
patent: 4428641 (1984-01-01), Flachbarth et al.
patent: 4565417 (1986-01-01), Düssel et al.
patent: 4917632 (1990-04-01), Smith
patent: 5137476 (1992-08-01), Noble
patent: 5201914 (1993-04-01), Hollick
patent: 5244415 (1993-09-01), Marsilio et al.
patent: 5536183 (1996-07-01), Brandolf
patent: 5722841 (1998-03-01), Wright
patent: 0 818 849 A2 (1998-01-01), None
Circle 58 on Reader Service Card; ECT. Advertisement; 09/97; p.88.
ECT Single Pole Cam-Type Cable Connectors Catalog.

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