Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Patent
1990-10-03
1992-12-29
Pirlot, David L.
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
439425, H01R 424
Patent
active
051747839
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to an electrical connecting module, and is applicable for connecting to a single or multi-core cable, of rotational symmetric or asymmetric configuration. The cable may be of circular cross-section, but the connection module is particularly, though not exclusively, suitable for use with a generally flat cable, for example of substantially rectangular configuration.
The connector of the invention obviates the requirement of stripping insulation from the or each conductor.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a connecting arrangement comprises an insulating housing that has a tapered inner surface and a pair of co-operating insulation-piercing teeth, the teeth and tapered surface being movable relative to each other so as to engage an insulated conductor when placed therebetween, pierce its insulation and thus allow electrical connection to be made thereto.
For a multi-conductor cable, a corresponding number of pairs of insulation-piercing teeth may be provided--for example in side-by-side relationship when the cable is a flat cable.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an arrangement for making electrical connection on to an insulated conductor, the arrangement comprising an insulating housing and a pair of insulation-piercing conductive teeth that are arranged to receive the conductor therebetween and, on relative movement between the pair of teeth and the housing, longitudinally of the conductor, to pierce the conductor insulation and make contact with the conductor.
The invention finds particular application for connecting to a self-regulating heater cable having a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of resistance. Such cables may have two (or more) elongate conductors (bus bars) that are embedded in a conductive polymeric material that has a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of resistance, and that is itself enclosed within an insulating polymeric sheath and perhaps also a metallic earthing braid and outer protective polymeric jacket. Such PTC heating cables are disclosed in for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,334,148, 4,318,881, 4,334,351, 4,400,614, 4,398,084, 4,582,983, 4,659,913, 4,574,188, 4,459,473, 4,638,150. Heaters for which the connector of the present invention is particularly suitable are sold by Raychem's Chemelex Division, for example under the trade names AUTOTRACE, HWAT, and WINTERGARD. In some operating conditions, connection to such cables can be a time-consuming operation, and skill can be required to remove reliably the conductive and insulating polymeric materials in order to expose the conductors. The present invention on the other hand, allows quicker and less craft sensitive connections to be made.
Advantageously, the insulating housing comprises a metal enclosure that is arranged to surround the springloaded insulation-piercing teeth. In this way, when the portion of the housing that carries the cable and teeth is urged into the enclosure, sufficient force can be applied to the teeth to force them through the cable insulation and make good electrical contact with the conductors. The metal enclosure may be in several parts that are electrically insulated from each other for co-operation with respective pairs of teeth and thus respective conductors.
The housing portion mounting the teeth may be slid into the portion having the metal enclosure and this action can be arranged by means of a threaded engagement between the two parts of the housing.
In some insulation-piercing cornection arrangements, there is a tendency for the conductors of a multi-conductor cable to be urged towards each other, by compression of the insulation therebetween for example. With the self-regulating heater cables referred to above, this can have an adverse effect on their operation because of the electrical characteristics of the material in which the bus bars are embedded. Accordingly, it can be advantageous to introduce an insulating member between the conductors when making connection to such a cable, or otherwise to
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Amyes Terrence J.
Stassen Joe
Burkard Herbert G.
Gerstner Marguerite E.
Pirlot David L.
Raychem Limited
Richardson Timothy H. P.
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