U.S. patent application number 11/402739 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-17 for insulating cover for electrical connectors.
This patent application is currently assigned to Thomas & Betts International, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ronald L. Jackson, Ed Jacobs, Julio F. Rodrigues.
Application Number | 20060180333 11/402739 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35610419 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060180333 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rodrigues; Julio F. ; et
al. |
August 17, 2006 |
Insulating cover for electrical connectors
Abstract
An insulated cover for electrical connectors which includes a
transparent housing having a top section and a bottom section, a
pair of opposing end walls and a plurality of flexible fingers
extending inwardly from the periphery of an aperture in each end
wall. The fingers have a plurality of transverse grooves which
increase the flexibility of the fingers. The depth of the grooves
increases towards their terminus to increase their flexibility.
Inventors: |
Rodrigues; Julio F.;
(Collierville, TN) ; Jackson; Ronald L.; (Boise,
ID) ; Jacobs; Ed; (Germantown, TN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOFFMAN & BARON, LLP
6900 JERICHO TURNPIKE
SYOSSET
NY
11791
US
|
Assignee: |
Thomas & Betts International,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
35610419 |
Appl. No.: |
11/402739 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11159495 |
Jun 23, 2005 |
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11402739 |
Apr 12, 2006 |
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60587607 |
Jul 13, 2004 |
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60619634 |
Oct 18, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
174/66 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02G 15/10 20130101;
H01R 4/70 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
174/066 |
International
Class: |
H02G 3/14 20060101
H02G003/14 |
Claims
1. An insulated cover for electrical connectors comprising: a
housing having a pair of opposing end walls; a first aperture in
one of the opposing end walls and a second aperture in the other
opposing end wall, wherein each aperture has a periphery; a
plurality of flexible fingers extending inwardly from the periphery
of each aperture; and a plurality of grooves on each of the
fingers, wherein the grooves increase the flexibility of the
fingers.
2. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein each finger
terminates at an end, and wherein one of the fingers extending from
each aperture includes a plug at its end.
3. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein the housing is
transparent.
4. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein the grooves
increase in depth as they approach the ends of the fingers.
5. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein the housing
further comprises at least one side wall having an interior side
and a label slot on the interior side of the side wall, and wherein
the slot is configured to receive an identification label.
6. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein the housing
further comprises at least one side wall having an exterior side
and at least one cable tie slot on the exterior side of the side
wall, and wherein the cable tie slot is configured to receive a
cable tie.
7. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein the housing is
formed from a material comprising a thermoplastic material, elastic
synthetic polyamide material (Nylon), a polycarbonate, an
acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, a polyester terephthalate or a
styrene-acrylonitrile.
8. The insulated cover according to claim 7, wherein the
thermoplastic material is a polyethylene, polypropylene or
polybutylene.
9. The insulated cover according to claim 1, wherein each finger
has a base at the periphery of the aperture with a base thickness
and terminates at an end with an end thickness, and wherein the end
thickness is between 20-60% of the base thickness.
10-20. (canceled)
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority based on U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/587,607, filed on Jul. 13,
2004, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/619,634, filed
on Oct. 18, 2004, which are hereby incorporated by reference in
their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to an insulating
cover for electrical connectors wherein electrical conductors are
connected together. More particularly, the present invention
relates to a method and apparatus for insulating and visually
monitoring an electrical connector and improved fingers for
contacting the cables.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Electrical connectors are often used to join together two
sections of electrical cable, for example, connections to motors
from a motor control center. When connecting two sections of
electrical cable, the metal shield and outer protective sheath must
be removed to expose the underlying conductor. A connector is
installed on the end of each cable that is to be joined and the
connectors are then mated to complete the installation. Typically,
the connectors are not insulated and require a cover to prevent
grounding or injury to personnel.
[0004] Many techniques are currently known for covering cable
connectors. Wire splice closures have been used to protect
multi-conductor cable connections. Typically, a wire splice closure
includes an enclosure filled with an encapsulant that fully
surrounds and seals the splice. The encapsulants are usually
provided in a fluid state and are poured into the enclosure after
the enclosure has been fitted over the cable splice. The
encapsulant may be forced into the enclosure under pressure so that
the encapsulant fully surrounds the cable splice and fills the
interstices between conductors. The encapsulant then cures to a
gel-like consistency to effectively seal the splice and isolate it
from the surrounding environment.
[0005] Various other prior art insulating covers and closures exist
for housing and protecting spliced wires and cable connectors. A
first group of prior art closures are formed with separate top and
bottom portions. Two-piece closures are oftentimes less convenient
to use in the field, and are less convenient to manufacture.
Moreover, a typical two-piece closure is assembled by installing
one part directly on top of the other part. As will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art, this type of assembly may require the
application of significantly large forces to the respective halves
of the closure, thus making installation more difficult. Another
group of prior art closures are formed as one-piece components. The
two halves of the closure are pivotable with respect to one another
about a hinge until such halves contact one another to complete the
closure.
[0006] Other cable splice covers and enclosures include two
half-shells which form the upper and lower sections of the splice
enclosure. Examples of this type of enclosure are shown in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,550,965 and 4,423,918. Still other cable splice
enclosures are known which include two-part enclosure housings
which are assembled around the splice. Examples of this type of
enclosure are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,138,657; 3,992,569 and
4,554,401.
[0007] In order to isolate the interior, the ends of the enclosure
must be sealed. End seals generally fall into two categories. The
first type of end seals which may be used in combination with
splice enclosures are rigid end seals. These end seals are clamped
in sealed fashion to spaced apart locations on the cable on either
side of the splice. The splice enclosure is then sealably secured
to the end seals at each end thereof. Rigid end seals of this type
provide an effective technique for sealably closing the opposed
ends of a splice enclosure so as to resist moisture intrusion. An
example of rigid end seals used in combination with a cable splice
enclosure is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,245,133 and 5,251,373. While
extremely effective, these rigid end seals are multi-component
devices requiring time-consuming and skilled installation.
[0008] A second approach is to employ sealing collars or dams about
the cable on either side of the splice. Each sealing dam may be
formed, for example, by wrapping mastic tape around the cable to
form a buildup of mastic about which the ends of the enclosure may
be positioned. The mastic provides good sealing contact with the
cable as well as with the enclosure. The mastic tape, while
sufficiently viscous to permit wrapping and positioning about the
cable, does exhibit some degree of flow. While this permits good
compressive engagement to be made, it does make securing the cover
around the dams more difficult. The enclosure is typically secured
by applying a compression strap around the enclosure about the
sealing dams as well as at other locations. However, compression of
the straps may tend to cause movement of the mastic tape. In order
to prevent this tendency, the user must secure the sealing dams to
the ends of the enclosure. This is typically accomplished by
wrapping the ends of the enclosure and the cable adjacent the
sealing dams with a sealing tape. As can be appreciated, this
requires additional steps as well as additional materials which
must be available to the installer. Furthermore, the integrity of
such a tape-wrapped assembly is extremely craft-sensitive and is
difficult to construct for longer cable splice extents.
[0009] It is therefore desirable to provide an insulated cover for
an electrical connector, which can be easily applied and which
provides an adequate seal to prevent dirt from coming in contact
with the connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with the present invention, an insulated cover
for an electrical connector for protecting a cable connector is
provided. As used herein, the term "insulated cover" refers to an
enclosure which both electrically and environmentally isolates an
electrical connector. The insulated cover includes: a housing which
can be transparent and which has a pair of opposing end walls; a
first aperture and a second aperture in the opposing end walls,
wherein each aperture has a periphery; a plurality of flexible
fingers extending inwardly from the periphery of each aperture; and
a plurality of transverse grooves on the fingers, which increase
the flexibility of the fingers. The grooves increase in depth as
they approach the ends of the fingers. In another embodiment,
instead of the grooves increasing in depth, the thickness of each
finger decreases as it approaches the end. Preferably, one of the
fingers extending from each aperture includes a plug at its
end.
[0011] The housing of the insulated cover can also include at least
one side wall having an interior side with a label slot which is
adapted to receive an identification label. In another embodiment,
the housing also includes at least one side wall having an exterior
side with at least one cable tie slot which is adapted to receive a
cable tie. The housing is preferably formed from a material
comprising a polycarbonate. However, other transparent materials
can be used including an elastic synthetic polyamide material
(Nylon), an acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, a polyester
terephthalate, a styrene-acrylonitrile or a thermoplastic material
such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutylene.
[0012] In another embodiment, the insulated cover includes: a
transparent housing which has an interior surface and an exterior
surface and includes a top section and a bottom section. The top
section has a top wall, a pair of opposing top side walls and a
pair of opposing top end walls and the bottom section has a bottom
wall, a pair of opposing bottom side walls and a pair of opposing
bottom end walls. The corresponding top and bottom opposing end
walls form an aperture when the top and bottom sections are joined
together. The housing also includes a plurality of flexible fingers
extending inwardly from the periphery of each aperture. Each finger
terminates at an end and has a plurality of transverse grooves. The
grooves in the fingers increase in depth as they approach the end
of the fingers and thereby increase the flexibility of the fingers.
Preferably, one of the fingers extending from each aperture
includes a plug at its end.
[0013] In still another embodiment, the insulated cover includes: a
transparent housing having a top section and a bottom section,
which form an interior space when joined together. The top section
has a top wall, a pair of opposing top side walls and a pair of
opposing top end walls and the bottom section has a bottom wall, a
pair of opposing bottom side walls and a pair of opposing bottom
end walls. A first aperture and a second aperture are formed in the
opposing end walls when the top section and the bottom section are
joined together. Each aperture has a periphery from which a
plurality of flexible fingers extend inwardly. Each finger
terminates at an end and decreases in thickness as it approaches
the end. The fingers also have a plurality of transverse grooves,
which increase in depth as they approach the end of the fingers and
increase the flexibility of the fingers. A plug is formed at the
terminus of one of the fingers.
[0014] In addition, the housing includes a label slot on the
interior side of one of the side walls, wherein the slot is adapted
to receive an identification label, and at least one cable tie slot
on the side wall of the top section or the bottom section is
adapted to receive a cable tie. The housing is preferably formed
from a material comprising a polycarbonate. However, other
materials can be used including an elastic synthetic polyamide
material (Nylon), an acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, a polyester
terephthalate, a styrene-acrylonitrile or a thermoplastic material
such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutylene.
[0015] The preferred embodiments of the outlet box of the present
invention, as well as other objects, features and advantages of
this invention, will be apparent from the following detailed
description, which is to be read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0016] Other objects and many attendant features of this invention
will be readily appreciated as the invention becomes better
understood by reference to the following detailed description when
considered in connection with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a view of the interior of a top/bottom section of
the insulated cover of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a view of the exterior of a top/bottom section of
the insulated cover of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a phantom side view of the interior of a insulated
cover showing an H-tap connector that connects two cables.
[0020] FIG. 4 is side view of a closure showing cable ties
encircling the insulated cover and passing through cable tie slots
on the side walls of the closure.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a side view of a flexible finger with the size of
the transverse grooves increasing as the finger extends outwardly
towards the end.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a side view of a flexible finger with the
thickness of the finger decreasing as the finger extends outwardly
towards the end.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention is an insulated cover for electrical
connections that allows connections to be visually examined without
opening the insulated cover. For the purposes of the present
invention, the term insulated cover is used interchangeably with
the terms enclosure and cover. The insulated cover includes a
transparent housing with at least two apertures in the housing for
electrical conductors. The exterior of the housing has at least one
slotted member extending outwardly from the surface of the housing
for receiving a cable tie. The cable tie extends around the
latitudinal perimeter of the housing to secure the housing in a
closed position.
[0024] Insulated cover for protecting electrical connections are
well known. Examples of such closures are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,732,628; 5,802,715; 6,111,201; and 6,218,618. All of which
are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. The
insulated cover for connectors electrically isolate and protect the
connectors inside the closure from the surrounding environment.
[0025] The insulated cover of the present invention can be used for
a wire splice or a variety of different electrical connectors,
preferably crimped H tap connectors. In a preferred embodiment, the
insulated cover is provided with a-clear plastic body material
which allows visual inspection of the connector through the clear
plastic.
[0026] The insulated cover includes a housing with a top section
and a bottom section that are sealably fitted together. The top
section is a box-like structure that has walls on five sides and
includes opposing top side walls, a top wall and opposing top end
walls. The opposing top side walls and the opposing top end walls
extend downwardly from the top wall and form a continuous top
section edge. The bottom section is a box like structure that has
walls on five sides and includes opposing bottom side walls, a
bottom wall and opposing bottom end walls. The opposing bottom side
walls and the opposing bottom end walls extend upwardly from the
bottom wall and form a continuous bottom section edge. In one
embodiment, the top and bottom sections have identical structures.
However, the invention also includes top (or bottom) sections with
a curved top wall and no side walls and top/bottom sections with a
plurality of top/side walls.
[0027] In a preferred embodiment, the top and bottom section are
pivotably connected at the edge of one of the opposing top side
walls and the edge of one of the opposing bottom side walls. In
another preferred embodiment, at least one of the side walls of the
top section and the bottom section are sealably fitted together
using a tongue and groove construction along the edges of the side
walls, wherein one of the side walls has a raised surface that is
received by a recessed portion of the corresponding side wall of
the other section.
[0028] When the top section and the bottom section of the closure
housing are joined together, the top end walls and the bottom end
walls provide openings (also referred to herein as apertures) for
the passage of electrical conductors. In a preferred embodiment,
both the top end walls and the bottom end walls have a plurality of
flexible fingers which extend inwardly from the periphery of each
aperture to a semi-circular plug which can be removable. The plug
allows the termination of the fingers to form rounded edges. In
contrast, the flexible fingers of insulated covers currently in use
terminate at a single point with sharp tips in order to minimize
openings into the closure. This helps keep out dirt and
contaminants. However, the sharp ends of the fingers require care
during installation to avoid cuts and scrapes. The insulated cover
design of the present invention solves this problem by including a
semi circular plug at the tip of one of the fingers (see FIG. 2).
This allows the tips of the other fingers to be substantially flat
and reduces the chance of injury.
[0029] The insulated cover is made of transparent material so that
the connection inside the cover can be periodically inspected
without opening the cover. The insulated cover material is a clear,
impact resistant material preferably a polycarbonate material.
However, other non-electrically conductive materials can be used
including an elastic synthetic polyamide material (Nylon), an
acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene, a polyester terephthalate, a
styrene-acrylonitrile or a thermoplastic material such as
polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutylene.
[0030] Many clear plastic materials are not as pliable and flexible
as required in order to conform to the cable jacket. Therefore, a
preferred embodiment of the invention has small, transverse grooves
in the fingers that allow the fingers to bend more readily around
the cable jacket. In an even more preferred embodiment, the depth
of the grooves increases towards the end of the fingers. Shallow
transverse grooves are located close to the end wall near the
periphery of the aperture and provide a moderate degree of
flexibility. As the fingers extend outwardly from the end wall, the
grooves are deeper which increases the flexibility of the fingers.
The deepest grooves are located near the ends of the fingers to
provide maximum flexibility.
[0031] In another embodiment, the grooves in the fingers do not
increase in depth, but instead the thickness of the fingers
decrease as the fingers extend toward their ends. This provides
increasing flexibility as the fingers extend from their base
towards their ends.
[0032] A preferred embodiment of the present invention also
includes an internal pocket for holding an identification label
which can be read without having to open the cover. Pertinent
information identifying the connection and the installation of the
closure can be included on the label. This is an advantage over
external identification labels presently in use which are more
susceptible to being damaged or detached. The identification label
is inserted in the internal pocket before the housing is sealed
closed.
[0033] In another embodiment of the invention, slots are provided
on the outside of the cover to allow cable ties to be installed
around the covers and complement the cover latches in tightly
securing the cover. The slots are located on the side walls of the
cover and after the top and bottom sections have been fitted
together, the cable ties are passed through the slots and encircle
the cover. Preferably, the top and bottom sections have slots at
corresponding locations which form mating pairs so that each cable
tie passes through a pair of slots. The slots maintain the cable
ties in fixed positions so that they are located at fixed intervals
along the length of the closure.
[0034] The different features of the present invention are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Referring now to FIGS. 1
and 2 which show a preferred embodiment of the insulated cover
wherein the top section and the bottom section 10 have the same
structure. FIG. 1 shows an internal view of the top/bottom section
10 and FIG. 2 shows an external view of the section 10. The section
10 has opposing side walls 12, 14 and opposing end walls 16, 18
which extend downwardly from the top/bottom wall 20. The end walls
16, 18 include a plurality of flexible fingers 24 which extend
inwardly from the periphery and one of the fingers 24 terminates in
a semi-circular plug 26. When the semi-circular plug 26 is either
pulled back or removed, an aperture 22, 23 is formed in the
top/bottom section 10 end wall 16, 18. FIG. 1 shows the internal
transverse grooves 28 on the flexible fingers 24 which provide
additional flexibility. When the two sections 10 which form the
insulated cover are placed around a cable the flexible fingers 24
conform to the shape of the cable.
[0035] A pair of slots 50 are attached to the exterior side wall 12
of the section 10 for receiving cable ties (not shown). When two
sections 10 are mated together, the pairs of slots 50 on one
section 10 align with the slots 50 on the other section 10. FIG. 1
shows the internal label pocket 40 on the interior side of the side
wall 14. An identification label (not shown) can be inserted in the
label pocket 40 before the two sections 10 of the insulated cover
are fitted together.
[0036] The side wall 12 (FIG. 1) of one of the sections 10 has a
raised portion 60 and the side wall 12 (FIG. 2) of the other
section 10 has a recessed portion 70. When the two sections 10 of
the insulated cover are mated together, the raised portion 60 of
one section 10 engages the corresponding recessed portion 70 of the
other section 10. This securely mates the two sections 10 of the
closure together.
[0037] FIG. 3 shows an insulated cover 100, which includes a top
section 110A and a bottom section 110B, installed around an H-tap
connector 194 that connects two cables 190, 192. The connector 194
is shown in phantom to illustrate how the cables 190, 192 are
connected inside the insulated cover 100. The flexible fingers 124
are deflected around the cables 190, 192 to securely enclose the
connector 194.
[0038] FIG. 4 shows an insulated cover 100 with sections 110A and
110B fitted together in the closed position. The slots 150A, 150B
for the two sections 110A, 110B are aligned and cable ties 152
encircle the insulated cover 100 and pass through the slots 150A,
150B. This figure shows an embodiment of the invention in which the
cables 190, 192 are offset from the center axis of the insulated
cover 100 and the flexible fingers 124 are deflected around the
cables 190, 192. In preferred embodiments, the cables enter the
insulated cover along the longitudinal axis of the cover.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows a flexible finger 224 in more detail. Each
finger 224 has a plurality of transverse grooves 221, 223, 225
which increase in depth as the finger 224 extends outwardly from
its base 227 towards the end 229 so that the groove 221 closest to
the base 227 is shallower than the succeeding groove 223, which in
turn is shallower than the groove 225 closest to the end 227. When
the finger 224 contacts a cable 292, the deeper grooves 225 at the
end of the finger 224 are more flexible and provide increased
contact between the finger 224 and the cable 292.
[0040] FIG. 6 shows a flexible finger 324 having a thickness 321
near its base 327. The thickness of the finger 324 decreases as the
finger extends towards the end 329 so that the thickness 325 at the
end 329 is between 10-90% of the thickness 321 at the base 327.
Preferably, the thickness 325 at the end 329 is between 20-60% of
the thickness 321 at the base 327, and most preferably between
30-50%. When the finger 324 contacts a cable 392, the tapered
construction of the finger 324 provides increased contact between
the finger 324 and the cable 392. In another embodiment (not
shown), the fingers have a plurality of grooves and the thickness
of the fingers decreases as the finger extends towards the end. In
this embodiment, increased flexibility is provided by both the
grooves and the decreased thickness of the fingers.
[0041] Thus, while there have been described the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will
realize that other embodiments can be made without departing from
the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to include all such
further modifications and changes as come within the true scope of
the claims set forth herein.
* * * * *