U.S. patent number 3,745,515 [Application Number 05/242,055] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-10 for tee connector for wiring harnesses.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Molex Incorporated. Invention is credited to Leonard H. Michaels.
United States Patent |
3,745,515 |
Michaels |
July 10, 1973 |
TEE CONNECTOR FOR WIRING HARNESSES
Abstract
A tee connector is connected between adjacent end connectors of
a pair of main circuit wiring harnesses in a modular wiring system
to provide a branch circuit take off. The connector includes an
insulating housing having coupling portions each engageable with
one of the end connector housings, and further includes a plurality
of conductive terminals engageable with terminals of the end
connectors. The housing of the tee connector includes cavities
containing the terminals, each cavity including a main passage
extending between the coupling portions of the housing and a
transversely extending branch passage. Each terminal includes a
main body portion having electrical contact disposed at the ends
thereof and a branch body portion including flanges crimpable about
a branch circuit wire. The terminal includes stop means for holding
itself in position in the insulating housing, and the housing
includes a housing portion which is separable from the main housing
in order to expose the inside of the terminal receiving cavities
for mounting of the terminals.
Inventors: |
Michaels; Leonard H.
(Naperville, IL) |
Assignee: |
Molex Incorporated (Downers
Grove, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22913280 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/242,055 |
Filed: |
April 7, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/651 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
27/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
27/00 (20060101); H01R 27/02 (20060101); H01r
013/50 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/32,33,59,63,153-159,176MP,196,200,206,210 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Champion; Marvin A.
Assistant Examiner: Staab; Lawrence J.
Claims
What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the
United States is:
1. A tee connector for use with wiring harnesses of the type
including mating plug and socket connectors having male and female
socket and pin terminals of mating configuration, said tee
connector comprising:
a housing formed of insulating material and including a main
circuit portion and a branch circuit portion extending transverse
to said main circuit portion;
a plug and a socket disposed at opposte extremities of the main
circuit portion and adapted to be connected respectively with a
wiring harness socket connector and a wiring harness plug
connector;
a plurality of substantially straight, parallel main circuit
passages in the main circuit portion of said housing extending
between said plug and said socket, each main circuit passage
including a reduced diameter neck portion flanked on both sides by
passage portions of larger diameter than said neck portion;
a plurality of parallel branch circuit passages extending from said
main circuit portion of said housing through the branch circuit
portion of said housing to the exterior of said housing, each
branch circuit passage intersecting one said main circuit passage
at an intersection adjacent said neck portion;
a plurality of identical tee terminals each having a main circuit
segment slidably receivable in one said main circuit passage and
each having a branch circuit segment receivable in one said branch
circuit passage,
said housing including a separable segment attachable to said
housing after insertion of said tee terminals and composed of a
first wall common to each of said branch circuit passages and
extending throughout the entire length of said branch circuit
passages and a second wall transverse to said first wall, said
second wall being common to each of said main circuit passages and
extending from said intersections to the ends of said first
passages opposite said neck portions;
pin and socket contacts of mating configuration formed on opposite
ends of each said main circuit segment engageable respectively with
the wiring harness socket and pin terminals;
a wire crimp contact disposed on the end of said branch circuit
segment; and
said main circuit segment of each said tee terminal including
retaining means engageable with said housing adjacent said neck
portion of each said main circuit passage for holding said tee
terminal in said housing prior to attachment of said separable
segment.
2. The tee connector of claim 1, further comprising latch means for
releasably holding said separable segment against said housing.
3. The tee connector of claim 2, an integral hinge interconnecting
said housing and said separable segment.
4. The tee connector of claim 1, said retaining means including
first and second projecting stop means spaced from one another and
disposed along the main circuit segment of said tee terminal.
5. The tee connector of claim 4, one said stop means comprising at
least one resilient, inwardly displaceable latch finger permitting
mounting of the terminal through said neck portion.
6. The tee connector of claim 1, said socket including a
circumferential wall formed in part of a wall of said separable
segment.
7. The tee connector of claim 1, said tee terminal touching said
housing only in the region of said neck portion.
8. The tee connector of claim 3, said integral hinge being parallel
with said main circuit passages.
9. The tee connector of claim 1, said main circuit passages all
lying in a first common plane, and said branch circuit passages all
lying in a second common plane normal to said first common plane.
Description
The present invention relates to a tee connector for providing a
branch circuit connection between connectors of wiring harnesses or
the like.
The use of modular wiring harness units having easily assembled
plug-in connectors is replacing traditional hand wiring of discrete
wires in many areas. Among the advangages of the modular approach
are centralized manufacture and assembly of the components, ease of
assembly with consequent reduction in labor expense and
installation time, and uniform quality of installation without
wiring errors or the like. One example of an area in which the use
of modular wiring techniques is currently receiving attention is
that of home wiring. It would be desirable to be able to install
the wiring in a home under construction using prefabricated
assembled units plugged into one another without the services of
expensive and highly skilled labor.
One approach to modular wiring that has been used in the past is to
utilize wiring harnesses including several wire conductors and end
connectors having housings that are connected together to extend
the main wiring harness conductors to desired areas. Branch
circuits for outlets, switches, fixtures and the like are connected
to the main wiring harness at desired locations. In one
arrangement, the insulation is removed from the main harness wires,
and a connector is attached to the wires and branch wire conductors
extend from from the connector. This approach is not satisfactory
due to the necessity for stripping the harness wires and for
assembling the branch circuit connector and conductors.
Among the important objects of the present invention are to provide
an improved tee connector for use in modular wiring system; to
provide a tee connector including a novel arrangement of a huosing
and a plurality of terminals; to provide a novel terminal structure
for use in a tee connector; to provide a novel tee connector
housing which facilitates assembly of the complete tee connector;
and to provide an improved tee connector capable of being plugged
in between the end connectors of wiring harnesses to create a
branch circuit connection.
In brief, the above and other objects and advantages of the
invention are attained by the provision of a tee connector
including an insulating housing enclosing a pluraity of conductive
terminals connectable to branch circuit wires. The housing includes
two coupling portions engageable with cooperating coupling portions
of end connectors of a pair of wire harnesses, and the terminals
include contact portions engageable with cooperating terminals of
the harness end connectors.
The tee connector housing includes cavities in which the terminals
are received. To facilitate assembly, a portion of the housing may
be opened to expose parts of the cavities so that the terminals may
be inserted therein. Each cavity includes a first passage extending
between the coupling portions of the housing and a branch passage
extending to the exterior of the housing. Each terminal includes a
branch portion extending into the branch passage with contact
structure crimpable onto a branch conductor wire. Preferably the
tee connector is preassembled to branch conductors, and if desired
to a branch circuit component, so that plugging of the connector
between end connectors of two wiring harnesses is all that is
required at the site to complete the connection of the branch
circuit.
The invention together with the above and other objects and
advantages may best be understood from the following detailed
description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the
drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with parts of the wiring broken away,
of a tee connector constructed in accordance with the principles of
the present invention and of a pair of wiring harness end
connectors with which the tee connector may be used;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partly broken away perspective view of the
housing of the tee connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the tee connector
terminal of the tee connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the terminal of FIG. 3 taken
from the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the terminal of FIG. 3 taken
from the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the terminal of FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 3;
and
FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the tee connector
and end connectors of FIG. 1, partly in section, and illustrating
the orientation of structure when the branch circuit connection has
been completed.
With reference now to the drawing, there is illustrated a tee
connector designated as a whole by the reference numeral 10 and
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention. Referring more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 8, the tee
connector 10 is used to provide a connection to a branch circuit
indicated by the reference numberal 12 extending from an
intermediate point along a main circuit generally designated by the
reference numeral 14.
The circuit arrangement illustrated in part in FIGS. 1 and 8 is a
portion of a modular wiring system made possible through the use of
the novel tee connector 10 of the present invention. Preferably the
main circuits of the modular system, such as the main circuit 14,
are made up of a series of wiring harnesses which are plugged
together in end-to-end relationship without the necessity of any on
site preparation of or alteration of the harnesses. In FIGS. 1 and
8 there are illustrated portions of two such wiring harnesses which
are identical to one another and which are designated by the
reference numerals 16 and 18. In accordance with the invention, the
tee connector 10 is plugged between the harnesses 16 and 18 thereby
establishing a connection to branch circuit 12 from main circuit 14
without the necessity of any on site wiring operations such as must
be performed by a skilled electrician in conventional wiring
systems.
Each of the harnesses 16 and 18 may be of conventional construction
and includes, in the illustrated arrangement, a group of four
conductors 20 extending between a pair of cooperating pluggable end
connectors. Although only adjacent end connectors 22 and 24 of
harnesses 16 and 18 are illustrated, it will be understood that
each harness includes an end connector at each end and that each
harness incudes one end connector 22 and one end connector 24. The
illustrated main and branch circuits 12 and 14 include four wires
because this arrangement has advantages in typical home wiring
systems. However, the invention is applicable to all types of
modular wiring situations when more or fewer wires may be used.
End connector 22 (FIGS. 1 and 8) includes a housing 26 formed of
insulating material provided with a socket 28 defined by a
circumferential wall 30. Recessed within the socket 28 are a series
of four male pin type plug terminals 32 each electrically connected
to a corresponding wiring harness conductor 20. The circumferential
wall 30 of the housing 26 also defines a resiliently displaceable
latching tongue 34 including an inclined cam surface 36 and a latch
opening 38.
End connector 24 (FIGS. 1 and 8) mates with end connector 22 and
includes an insulating housing 40 having a nose or plug end portion
42 defined by a circumferential wall 44. Recessed within the plug
portion 42 are a group of four female socket type terminals 46 each
electrically connected to a corresponding one of the wiring harness
conductors 20. The circumferential wall 44 of the housing 40 is
provided with a latching protuberance 48 projecting outwardly from
its external surface.
In accordance with known practice, a series of harnesses such as
wiring harnesses 16 and 18 are connected in end-to-end relation by
interconnecting end connectors such as the connector 22 with
cooperating end connectors such as the end connector 24. The
connectors 22 and 24 are provided with beveled corners 50 and 52
respectively (FIG. 1) to assure that the end connectors can be
oriented in only one way with respect to one another thereby to
assure that the conductors 20 maintain proper orientation
throughout the run of the main circuit 14. When the connectors are
plugged together, the nose or plug portion 42 of the housing 40
enters the socket 28 of the housing 26. The latch protuberance 48
engages the inclined cam surface 36 forcing the latching tongue 34
outwardly. Upon full insertion, the protuberance 48 is received
within latch opening 38 to prevent separation of the connectors 22
and 24 until such time as the latching tongue 34 is lifted. When
the connectors are joined, the pin terminals 32 enter the socket
terminals 46 in order to provide an electrical connection between
the coresponding wires 20 of the wiring harnesses.
In accordance with an important feature of the present invention,
the tee connector 10 is capable of being plugged between the end
connectors 22 and 24 to provide a take off for the branch circuit
12. For example, in a typical home wiring situation, the conductors
20 could comprise No. 10 or No. 12 AWG solid wire conductors
capable of handling typical household current loads. Each harness
may have a length such as ten feet or so providing a junction of
end connectors at sufficient frequency so that service can be
provided for a typical arrangement of sockets, switches, fixtures
and the like. Where a branch circuit is desired for any such use, a
tee connector 10 is connected between the end connectors 22 and
24.
Referring now more specifically to the structure of the tee
connector 10, the connector includes a novel insulating housing
designated as a whole by the reference numeral 60 and designed to
mate with both the socket 28 of the housing 26 of the end connector
22 and with the plug portion 42 of the housing 40 of the end
connector 24. In addition, the tee connector 10 also includes a
series of four novel terminals each designated as a whole by the
reference numeral 62. Each terminal 62 is constructed to provide
connections to the pin terminals 32 associated with the end
connector 20 and with the socket terminals 24 associated with the
end connector 24 and also to provide connections to a series of
branch circuit conductors 64 forming part of the branch circuit
12.
An important aspect of the present invention resides in the
structure of the novel tee connector terminals 62, one of which is
illustrated in detail in FIGS. 4-7. With reference more
specifically to these figures of the drawing, the terminal 62 is
formed from a blank of sheet metal such as cartridge brass,
modified copper, steel, or the like. The terminal may be formed
very economically in a series of high speed progressive die
stamping operations carried out by conventional equipment.
In general, the tee connector terminal 62 includes a pair of spaced
contact portions 66 and 68 each adapted to establish an electrical
connection with terminals of the end connectors 22 and 24. The
contact portions 66 and 68 are disposed at the opposite ends of a
main body section 70 of the terminal 62. In addition, the terminal
includes an additional electrical contact or connection structure
72 disposed on a transversely extending branch body portion 74. The
electrical connection structure 72 is adapted to be interconnected
with a corresponding one of the branch circuit wires 64.
The main body section 70 is substantially cylindrical in form. In
the regions of the contact portions 66 and 68 the main body section
70 is substantially fully cylindrical and includes a longitudinal
seam 76. In the central region of the main body section 70, a
portion of the cylindrical body of the terminal is removed to
provide an opening or recess 78 defined at one side by the seam 76.
The contact portion 66 comprises a female socket type cylindrical
contact sized to receive the male pin terminal 32 of the end
connector 22 of the wiring harness 16. The outermost end of the
contact 66 is provided with an outwardly tapered flare or bevel 80
to facilitate insertion of the pin terminal.
Contact portion 68 comprises a male pin type contact sized to
cooperate with the female socket terminal 46 of the end connector
24 of the wiring harness 18. The pin contact 68 is provided with a
rounded or tapered nose portion 81 and, as can be seen in FIGS. 3,
5 and 6, the seam 76 extends to the nose portion where it joins a
pair of additional symmetrically located side seams 82 and 84.
The diameter of the contact 66 is somewhat larger than the diameter
of the contact 68 in order that the contacts may accommodate the
cooperating terminals of end connectors 22 and 24. Intermediate the
contact portions 66 and 68 the main body section 70 of the terminal
62 includes a flared, transitional section 86 (FIG. 3) providing
the necessary increase in diameter. In order to hold the terminal
62 within the housing 60 of the tee connector 10 in a manner
described in more detail below, the main body section 70 is also
provided with a stop structure in the form of a pair of flanges 88
and 90 struck outwardly from the metal of the terminal. In
addition, immediately inwardly of the contact portion 66, the wall
of the terminal is provided with a pair of resilient, inwardly
deflectable, outwardly angled arms or wings 92 and 94.
As indicated above, the contact or connection structure 72 disposed
on the branch body section 74 serves the purpose of interconnecting
the terminal 62 with a wire 64 of the branch circuit 12. For this
purpose, the connection structure 72 is provided with a wire
gripping section 96 preferably in the form of crimpable flanges. In
accordance with known practice, the wire gripping section includes
grooves or serrations to assure firm contact between the terminal
62 and a wire to which the terminal is connected. Outward of the
wire gripping section 96, and separated therefrom by a pair of
notches 98, is an insulation gripping section 100 in the form of a
pair of crimpable flanges somewhat larger than the flanges of the
wire gripping section 96. The insulation gripping section 100
prevents the insulation from working back away from the terminal to
expose bare wire and provides strain relief.
Referring now to FIG. 8, the terminal 62 is illustrated after a
connection has been made to a corresponding wire 64 of the branch
circuit 12. It can be seen that the wire gripping section 96 is
crimped around the wire conductor, while the insulation gripping
section 100 is similarly crimped around the insulation surrounding
the conductor. An advantage of the present invention is that the
terminal 62 can be crimped to the wires 64 in an automatic
operation capable of being performed by available terminal crimping
equipment. One type of commercially available machine can be used
to cut the branch circuit wires to a desired length, to strip the
insulation from an end of the wire, and to attach the terminal 62
to the end of the wire. As a result, the branch circuit including
the wire 62 and the tee connector 10 can be prefabricated easily
and inexpensively to permit connection on site at a later time by a
simple plug-in operation. In addition, if desired, the wires 64 of
the branch circuit may be preconnected to a switch, socket,
fixture, or the like which is energized by the branch circuit.
Another important aspect of the present invention relates to the
structure of the tee connector housing 60. In accordance with the
invention, the housing 60 includes a portion or segment generally
designated as 102 separable from the main or principal portion of
the housing in order to facilitate mounting of the terminals 62
within the housing.
Referring more specifically to the structure of the housing 60, the
housing includes a main body section 104 including at the opposite
ends thereof a socket 106 and a nose or plug 108 engageable
respectively with the end connectors 24 and 22 of the wiring
harnesses 18 and 16. The socket 106 is formed by a circumferential
wall 110, and the socket is sized to receive the nose or plug
portion 42 of the housing 40 of the end connector 24. The nose or
plug section 108 is defined by a circumferential wall 112, and is
sized to be received within the socket 28 of the housing 26 of the
end connector 22.
The walls 110 and 112 disposed at the oppsoite ends of the main
body section 104 are provided with latching structure for holding
the tee connector 10 in place between the end connectors 22 and 24.
More specifically, the wall 110 is provided with a resiliently
deflectable latching tongue 114 similar to the tongue 34 of the
housing 26 and including an inclined cam surface 116 and a latch
opening 118 capable of receiving the latch protuberance 48 of the
housing 40. Conversely, the circumferential wall 112 includes a
latching protuberance 120 (FIG. 8) similar to the latching
protuberance 48 of the housing 40 and receivable in the latch
opening 38 of the end connector 26. Proper orientation of the end
connectors 22 and 24 with the tee connector 10 and thus with one
another is assured by the use of beveled surfaces 122 and 124
associated respectively with the walls 110 and 112.
In order to receive the tee terminals 62, the interior of the tee
connector housing 60 is provided with a series of four
substantially identical cavities 126. Each such cavity includes a
first passage 128 extending from the socket 106 through the body of
the housing 60 to the region of the nose or plug portion 108. A
cross sectional view of one such through passage appears in FIG. 8
where in can be seen that adjacent the nose or plug portion 108 the
passage includes a flared or truncated cone shaped segment 130.
Adjacent the socket 106, the passage 128 opens into the region or
recess defined by the circumferential wall 110. Between this region
and the segment 130 of the passage, there is provided a reduced
diameter opening 132, one end of which is provided with an entrance
bevel 134.
Each cavity 126 also includes a transversely extending branch
passage 136 intersecting and extending away from the main passage
128 adjacent the reduced diameter opening 132. In order to prevent
undesirable contact betwene adjacent terminals 62, the passages 128
are separated from one another by intermediate portions of the
housing 60 and the branch passages 136 as well as parts of the
passages 128 are separated from one another by walls 138. The
intermediate walls 138 are discontinued in the region of the socket
106 in order to provide clearance for insertion of the nose or plug
portion 42 of the end connector housing 24.
Assembly of the tee connector 10 is facilitated by the arrangement
of the housing 60 including the separable housing portion 102. A
comparision of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 indicates that the separable
housing portion 102 includes a substatnial portion of the
circumferential wall 110 defining the socket 106, this portion
being designated by the reference numeral 140. In addition,
separable portion 102 also includes a wall designated by the
reference numeral 142 common to each of the branch passages
136.
In order to permit separation of the housing portion 102 from the
main housing 60, an integral hinge 144 is formed at one of the
corners of the socket 106. In order to hold the housing in its
closed, operational position, there is provided a latching recess
146 (FIG. 2) adjacent the opposite corner of the socket 106. A
latch protuberance 147 (FIG. 2) carried by the free end of wall 140
seats in the recess 146 when the portion 102 is in the position
illustrated in FIG. 1. The material of the connector housing 60 is
sufficiently resilient to permit latching and unlatching of
separable portion 102. Rigidity of the fully assembled structure is
assured by a series of support shoulders 148 projecting from the
intermediate walls 138 and engageable with the underside of the
wall 140. In addition, axial movement of the portion 102 is
prevented by engagement of the wall 142 with the sides of walls 138
and by engagement of the wall 140 with a support flange 150
disposed adjacent the end of the recess 146 (FIGS. 1 and 2). As
shown in FIG. 1, the housing 40 of end connector 24 is provided
with notches 152 to prevent interference iwth the support shoulders
148.
As indicated above, the branch circuit wires 64 are preassembled to
tee terminals 62, and if desired to other components of the branch
circuit. In order to complete assembly of the tee connector 10, the
separable portion 102 is unlatched from the main housing 60 and
moved to the open position illustrated in FIG. 2. Since the
separable portion 102 includes substantial portions of the housing
60 defining the main and branch passageways 128 and 136, these
passages are exposed to a large extent when the separable portion
102 is opened.
At this point, the terminal 62 may be inserted into the housing 60
of the tee connector 10. More specifically, the socket contact
portion 66 of each tee terminal 62 is sized to fit within the
reduced diameter opening 132 of the main passage 128. Entrance
bevel 134 facilitates this loading operation. As the contact 66 is
inserted, the resilient arms or wings 92 and 94 are depressed
inwardly by engagement with the housing 60 and are capable of being
moved through the reduced diameter opening 132. As can be seen in
FIG. 8, upon full insertion these arms or wings resiliently snap
back to their initial position to engage a shoulder or surface 154
(FIG. 8) formed at the juncture of the opening 132 and the flared
passage segment 130. These arms or wings 92 and 94 therefore
prevent withdrawal of the terminal from the housing.
As also appears in FIG. 8, the flanges 88 and 90 struck from the
body of the tee terminal 62 engage the other end of the reduced
diameter opening 132 to limit insertion of the terminal to the
desired extent. In the illustrated arrangement, the flanges 88 and
90 engage the entrance bevel segment 134 of the reduced diameter
opening 132.
After the tee terminal 62 and attached branch circuit conductor 64
have been assembled by insertion of the terminal through the
reduced diameter opening 132, the segment 102 of the housing 60 of
the tee connector is moved from the open position of FIG. 2 to the
closed position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8. This completes the
assembly of the tee connector 10 and at this point the tee
connector is ready for connection between the end connectors 22 and
24 of main circuit wiring harnesses 16 and 18. The fully assembled
arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 8 where it can be seen that the
branch circuit wires 64 are electrically connected to both of the
corresponding main circuit conductors 20 by the tee terminal 62,
and the tee terminal housing 60 is held firmly in position between
the end connector housings 26 and 40.
In some situations it may not be necessary to extend all four main
circuit wires into the branch circuit. In this case, one or more of
the tee terminals 62 may be inserted in a blank condition i.e.,
without being connected to a branch circuit conductor 64.
Although the invention has been described with reference to details
of the illustrated embodiment, it should be understood that other
modifications and alterations may be devised by those skilled in
the art. Such details should not be understood to limit the
invention as defined in the following claims.
* * * * *