Electrical connectors – With circuit component or comprising connector which fully... – Connector includes or covers additional component
Patent
1992-10-19
1994-06-07
McGlynn, Joseph H.
Electrical connectors
With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...
Connector includes or covers additional component
H01R 1300
Patent
active
053184602
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a wire trap having first and second parts which coact to trap a wire end therebetween to leave at least one of said parts in secure electrical communication with the wire end.
The invention is expected to find its main application in electrical connectors (e.g. power plugs, switches and sockets) and in particular connectors in which closing of the wire trap is occasioned by a relative movement between two components of the connector, the said movement causing the wire end to be bent transversely as it enters the closing trap. A particularly important application is expected to be connectors in which a turning movement of one component relative to the other (e.g. through substantially a right angle) is used to close the wire trap around the wire end. One example of a connector employing such wire traps is described in GB-B-2198598 and EP-A-0277800 and in these prior art examples each trap comprises male and female parts, the male part entering into the female part to trap a wire end therebetween.
One problem in connection with the operation of wire traps of the kind disclosed in the aforesaid patent specifications is the security of trapping of the wire end in the trap. In some circumstances, smaller diameter wire ends are less securely trapped than larger diameter wire ends. Entrapment which is less secure than a required minimum can lead to resistive heating of the wire trap on current flow and/or the risk of dislodgement of the wire end from the trap on the appearance of tension applied lengthwise of the wire leading to the trap. Both these effects are undesirable and this invention seeks to obviate these disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention a wire trap comprising coacting first and second parts carried by respective first and second components of a housing for the trap, which housing defines a wire passage leading to the trap and which components are relatively movable from an open condition of the trap, in which a wire end may be interposed between the separated parts, to a closed condition of the trap, in which the wire end is bent transverse to the wire passage by the first part and is trapped in contact with the second part by the first part, is characterised in that the first part is provided with a slot in the end thereof which is closest to the second part, said slot narrowing in the direction away from said end, whereby a wire end can become wedged in the slot as well as being trapped between the first and second parts.
The first part can be a blade exhibiting a generally V-shaped slot and the second part can be a plate-shaped member against which the wire end is pressed by the first member. Conveniently, however, the second part is a generally U-shaped receptor (the plane of the U being normal to the plane of the V) into which the blade enters in the closed condition of the trap.
Typically both first and second parts will be of electrically conducting material but this is not necessary provided good electrical contact is secured between the wire end and one of the trap parts.
The shaping of the slot is not seen as being a critical factor and V-shaped slots of semi-angles in the range from under 10.degree. to over 45.degree. have been used successfully. Conveniently the slot has a wide mouth to gather stray wires, but a shallow taper at the narrow end to provide an effective trapping action. In some circumstances (e.g. in a three-pin electrical plug), dimensional constraints limit the slot depth to some 5 mm and this may make a slot with curved edges desirable. One such slot with curved edges effectively gave a wide taper of semi-angle circa 50.degree. at the mouth and a narrow taper of semi-angle circa 12.degree. at the narrow end. A straight-edged V-shaped slot of semi-angle between 20.degree. and 30.degree. (preferably about 25.degree.) and depth of between 4 and 6 mm measured along the line bisecting the angle has proved to be effective with a variety of stranded wire ends of cross-sectional areas in the range betwee
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McGlynn Joseph H.
Rotacon Limited
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