U.S. patent number 3,804,971 [Application Number 05/259,653] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-16 for solderless wire connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to James H. Bazille, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,804,971 |
Bazille, Jr. |
April 16, 1974 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
SOLDERLESS WIRE CONNECTOR
Abstract
A solderless wire connector including a first connector member
having wire receiving channels, and a second connector member
mounted on the first connector member for relative movement from an
open position to a closed position to engage a contact element
carried by the second connector member with wires in the channels.
Latching projections, interacting between the connector members to
define the positions thereof, afford movement of the connector
members to a partially closed position by finger pressure. At the
partially closed position retaining members within the connector
engage and retain wires within the channels to facilitate use of a
pliers for further movement of the connector members to their
closed position.
Inventors: |
Bazille, Jr.; James H. (Village
of North St. Paul, MN) |
Assignee: |
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
Company (St. Paul, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
26853970 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/259,653 |
Filed: |
June 5, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
157275 |
Jun 28, 1971 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
174/88R; 439/402;
439/299 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
4/2433 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
4/24 (20060101); H02g 015/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;174/88R,92,84R
;339/95R,97R,98,99R,95A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Clay; Darrell L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alexander, Sell, Steldt &
DeLaHunt
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 157,275,
filed June 28, 1971, now abandoned.
Claims
Having thus described the invention with reference to a
preferred
1. In a solderless wire connector adapted for electrically
connecting at least two electrical wires each having a metal
conductor and an insulating coating thereabout, said connector
comprising:
an electrically insulating resilient first connector member having
parallel wire receiving channels and a groove extending
perpendicular to said channels, said first connector member having
a first set of latching projections;
an electrically insulating resilient second connector member
mounted on said first connector member for movement relative
thereto from an open position to a closed position, and having a
second set of latching projections interacting with said first set
of latching projections to define said open position and to lock
said connector members in said closed position upon movement
thereof to said closed position; and
a metal contact element mounted on said second connector member and
having spaced extending legs defining parallel wire receiving
recesses therebetween, said contact element being spaced from said
wire receiving channels when said connector members are in said
open position and being transverse of said channels in said slot
when said connector members are in said closed position to engage
and make electrical connection between electrical wires within said
slot;
the improvement wherein said sets of latching projections include
cooperating projections to releasably retain said connector members
at a partially closed position between said open and closed
positions; said connector includes retaining members adapted to
engage the insulating coating on wires in said channels when said
connector members are in said partially closed position to retain
the electrical wires within said channels and in alignment with
said contact element; and said latching projections and said
retaining members are adapted to afford movement by finger pressure
of said first and second members from said open position
2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said retaining members
are formed on said second connector member and comprise spaced
extending fingers defining parallel slots, said fingers being
positioned with said slots in alignment with said recesses in said
contact element and being positioned transverse of said channels to
engage wires in said channels
3. A connector according to claim 2 including two retaining members
spaced on opposite sides of said contact element, with the distal
ends of said fingers defining diverging openings into said slots
adapted to engage wires in said channels and align said wires with
the recesses in said contact element during movement of said
connector members from said open
4. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said connector is
adapted for making an electrical connection to a continuing wire,
said first connector member has a transverse opening communicating
with one side of one wire receiving channel adapted for receiving a
length of a continuing wire, and said second connector member
includes a wall spaced from said opening to afford positioning a
length of a continuing wire in the channel when said connector
members are in said open position, and positioned to entirely close
said transverse opening when said connector members are in said
5. A connector according to claim 4 wherein said connector members
have interfitting walls which provide a generally complete
enclosure about said contact element when wires are positioned in
said connector and said connector members are in their closed
position, said closure being useful for retaining a quantity of
dielectric grease around the contact element.
6. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said first connector
member includes bars in said groove across said channels, each bar
having a width less than that of said recesses, having a surface
generally coplanar with the surface of a said channel opposite said
contact member, and being oriented to enter one of the recesses and
force a wire within the channel into said recess when said
connector members are moved to their closed position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of this disclosure relates to solderless wire
connector assemblies such as may be used for electrically
connecting together insulated metal wire conductors commonly used
in telephone and other communication circuits.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Many prior art solderless wire connectors include a first connector
member having wire receiving channels, and a second connector
member carrying a conductive metal contact element. The connector
members are relatively movable from an open position at which the
contact element is spaced from the wire receiving channels, to a
closed position at which spaced extending legs of the contact
element are transverse of the channel and in engagement with
electrical wires in the channels so that an electrical contact is
made therebetween. Latching projections interacting between the
connector members are also provided to define the open and closed
positions of the connector members, and to lock the connector
members in their closed position.
Connectors of this type typically require the use of a plier like
tool to move the connector members to their closed position. Thus,
a workman must insert wires into the channel, and maintain the
wires in position with one hand while with the other he grasps the
tool, engages it with the connector, and squeezes the connector
members to their closed position. Such manipulation is difficult,
and occasionally a wire becomes displaced during this operation
which may result in a defective connection.
A second problem presented by some prior art connectors is the
possibility that wires inserted in the channels will be misaligned
with respect to the contact element during closing of the connector
so that an end of a leg on the contact element may strike and sever
the wire.
Additionally, many prior art connectors of the type which connect a
continuing or run wire to a terminating or tap wire have not
afforded a sufficiently tight enclosure when in the closed position
to restrict erosion of dielectric grease is typically placed around
the contact element to protect the electrical connection when the
connector is exposed to moisture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a connector of the type previously
described having two members relatively movable to engage a contact
element with wires in channels in the connector, and having
latching projections to define the positions of the connector.
Unlike the prior art, however the connector of the present
invention has a partially closed position between the open and
closed positions at which the connector members will be releasably
maintained by the latching projections and at which retaining
members within the connector engage and hold the insulation on
wires within the channels. The connector members may be moved to
the partially closed position by the use of finger pressure. Thus,
after a craftsman has manually positioned the wires within the
connector he may move the connector members to their partially
closed position with only finger pressure from the hand holding the
connector, and thus ensure proper retention of the wires within the
connector while a plier-like tool is applied to fully close the
connector.
Additionally, in the connector according to the present invention,
the retaining members guide the wires within the channels between
the legs of the contact element during closing of the connector,
thus preventing the severing of the wires by the ends of the
connector legs. Also, the retaining members grasp the insulation on
each wire and restrain movement of wires at the contact element and
thus minimize the possibility of the wires breaking at the
connection with the contact element.
The novel construction of the connector members also affords a full
length opening along one side of at least one of the channels so
that a length of a continuing wire may be inserted while the
connector is open. The opening is entirely closed when the
connector is closed, and the connector members provide a tight
enclosure to restrict the erosion of dielectric grease from around
the contact element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
This invention will be more fully understood after reading the
following description which refers to the accompanying drawing in
which like numerals designate like parts throughout the figures and
wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
a connector according to the present invention, with a first member
inverted to illustrate the internal interacting portions of the
connector;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view partially in section taken approximately along the
lines 3--3 in FIG. 2 and illustrating the members of the connector
in an open position;
FIG. 4 is a view partially in section taken approximately along the
lines 3--3 in FIG. 2 and illustrating the members of the connector
in a partially closed position;
FIG. 5 is a view partially in section taken approximately along the
lines 3--3 in FIG. 2 and illustrating the members of the connector
in a fully closed position;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view, with some parts shown in elevation,
taken approximately along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken approximately along lines 7--7 of
FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken approximately along lines 8--8 of
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawing there is shown a solderless wire
connector according to the present invention for electrically
connecting a continuing or run wire 22 to a terminating or tap wire
23 (see FIG. 2). The connector includes an insulating resilient
first or body member 10 having a wire receiving channel 48 for
receiving the run wire 22 and a wire receiving channel 49 for
receiving the tap wire 23, and having a first set of outwardly
extending latching projections 11, 62, and 63. An insulating
resilient second or cap member 12 is mounted on the body member 10
for relative movement from an open position (FIG. 3) to a closed
position (FIG. 5) and has a second set of inwardly extending
latching projections 40 and 41 which interact with the latching
projections 11, 62, and 63 on the body member 10 to define the open
and the closed positions of the body and cap members 10 and 12, and
to lock the body and cap members 10 and 12 in their closed
position. A plate-like metal contact element 26 (FIG. 8) is mounted
on the cap member 12 and has spaced extending legs 29 defining wire
receiving recesses 31 therebetween. The contact element 26 is
spaced from the wire receiving channels 48 and 49 when the body and
cap members 10 and 12 are in the open position, and the legs 29 of
the contact element are transverse of the channels 48 and 49 in a
groove or furrow in the body member 10 when the body and cap
members 10 and 12 are in the closed position to engage and make an
electrical contact between electrical wires 22 and 23 within the
channels 48 and 49.
The body and cap members 10 and 12 of the novel connector according
to the present invention may be moved by finger pressure from their
open position (FIG. 3) to a partially closed position (FIG. 4)
during which movement a plurality of retaining member or fingers 37
mounted on the cap member 12 position the wires 22 and 23 in the
proper position for subsequent engagement by the legs 29 of the
contact element 26 and engage the wires 22 and 23 to retain the
wires 22 and 23 in a fixed longitudinal direction within the wire
receiving channels 48 and 49. The first and second sets of latching
projections 11, 62, 63, 40 and 41 interact to releasably maintain
the body and cap members 10 and 12 at their partially closed
position (FIG. 4), so that the electrical wires 22 and 23 are
retained within the channels 48 and 49 prior to further movement of
the body and cap members 10 and 12 to their closed position by the
use of an auxiliary tool (not shown).
To assist in the understanding of the preferred embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, it will be assumed that the solderless
electrical wire connector will be assembled by the body member 10
being vertically pressed down into the cap member 12, as shown by
the dotted lines and arrows of FIG. 1, and reference will be made
to this vertical orientation, e.g., top and bottom, throughout the
description and claims; the end and side references will correspond
to the normal description of an elongated box-like object. It is
understood, of course, that the directional orientation of the
connector, i.e., vertical, top, bottom, side, and etc., does not
limit the assemblage nor the utility of the connector to the stated
orientation but has been utilized only to facilitate the
understanding of the invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1, the cap member 12 is made from a resilient
insulating material formed into two side walls 14, two end walls
16, 17 and a bottom plate 18. The end walls 16, 17 have apertures
19, 20, respectively, to provide clearance for the run wire 22 and
tap wire 23 (not shown in FIG. 1). Integrally formed with the side
walls 14 and the bottom plate 18 are abutments 24 (see FIGS. 3, 4,
5 and 8). Each abutment 24 has a vertical groove with a width
approximating the thickness of the metal contact element 26 to
receive and maintain the contact element 26 in a vertical
relationship relative to the cap member 12. The distance between
the corresponding grooves approximates the width of the element 26
between the outer edges of the legs 29. When the contact element 26
is vertically pressed into the grooves, laterally extending barbs
27 cause the material of the abutments to deform about the barbs 27
and thus secure the element 26 to the cap member 12 (see FIG. 8).
The contact element 26 consists of a thin flat metal segment,
desirably of copper alloy, spring brass or the like, having a lower
margin supporting a plurality of the upwardly extending legs 29
parallel to each other over a major part of their length and spaced
to provide the wire receiving elongated recesses 31. The distal
ends of the legs 29 diverge to define divergent openings 32, which
opening 32 the recesses 31 to assist in guiding the wires 22 and 23
in the wire receiving channels 48 and 49 into the recesses 31. The
opening parallel edges of the legs 29 are separated by a distance
somewhat less than the diameter of the smallest wire conductor to
which connection is to be made. When the body and cap members 10
and 12 of the connector are in their partially closed position as
shown in FIG. 4, the divergent ends of the legs 29 come into
contact with the wires 22 and 23 and guide the wires 22 and 23 into
the recesses 31. Upon further partial closing the wires 22 and 23
are pressed into the recesses 31, and the opposing edges of the
legs 29 which define each recess 31 cut into and through the
insulation around the wires 22 and 23 and bear against the
conductors 33 of the wires 22 and 23. The conductors 33 spread the
resilient legs 29 from their original position so that the legs 29
in attempting to spring back toward their original position exert a
continued pressure against the conductors 33 and maintain a spring
reserve electrical contact therebetween. The overall width of the
contact element 26 adjacent the legs 29 is less than the internal
distance between the side walls 14 (see FIG. 8) to allow the legs
29 to be resiliently spread apart without interference from the
side walls 14 and to prevent the spread legs 29 from cutting into
or through the walls 14 to lessen the electrical insulating
property of the connector. Connections made in this manner, have
been tested and found to provide unusually low resistance that
lasts despite mechanical stresses, or temperature and pressure
changes.
Spaced from and on opposite sides of the contact element 26 are a
pair of slotted wire supports 34 (see FIG. 1) integrally formed
with the side walls 14 and the bottom plate 18, and having slots
35, which are in line with the recesses 31 (see FIG. 3). The slots
35 are defined by upwardly extending fingers 37 the opposed edges
of which diverge at the ends of the fingers 37 to provide diverging
openings 38. The sloping edges defining the openings 38 act to
guide the wires 22 and 23 in the wire receiving channels 48 and 49
into the recesses 31 and slots 35 when the connector is being
closed (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 5). The opposed edges of the fingers 37
defining the slots 35 are spaced apart slightly less than the
outside diametrical dimension of the smallest wire to which
connection is to be made. As the wires are forced into the slots
35, the interference between the wires 22 and 23 and the edges of
the fingers 37 cause the resilient fingers 37 to deflect. This
resilient deflection maintains a spring reserve tight grasp on the
insulation (see FIG. 6) to maintain the wires 22 and 23 within the
wire receiving channels 48 and 49 when the members 10 and 12 of the
connector are in the partially closed position, and to minimize the
stress in the conductors 33 at the contact element 26 after the
connector is closed. Clearance is provided between the projecting
portion of the fingers 37 and the side walls 14 to permit the
deflection of the fingers 37.
The body member 10 is preferably made from a relatively transparent
insulating material formed into a four cornered generally
block-like configuration having a base portion 44 and two end walls
46 and 47. Extending through end walls 46 and 47 is the channel 48
to receive the run wire 22. Extending through wall 47 and partially
through wall 46 is the channel 49 to receive the tap wire 23. The
end wall 46 includes an interior stop surface 50 and a deflection
plate 51 (see FIG. 2) within the channel 49 to prevent the tap wire
23 from extending beyond the end of the body member 10. The
deflection plate 51 acts to vertically deflect the end of the wire
23 toward the surface 50 and thus bind the end of the wire 23
within the wall 46. Between the end walls and extending from the
base portion are two plate-like beams 52. Each beam 52 is spaced
from the adjacent end wall 46 or 47 to define an elongated hollow
therebetween to receive a different one of the slotted supports 34.
Each beam 52 has a width slightly less than the distance between
the element 26 and the supports 34 on the cap member 12 to fit
therebetween (see FIG. 6). The two beams 52 are spaced apart to
form a groove or furrow therebetween transverse of the wire
receiving channels 48 and 49 to receive the contact element 26.
Semi-circular seats 53 defining a portion of the channels 48 and 49
support the wires 22 and 23 as the same are forced into the
recesses 31 and slots 35. Within the furrow are two stuffer bars 55
in line with the recesses 31 (see FIG. 8) and each having a width
less than the distance between legs 29 to readily enter the
recesses 31 and force the wires 22 and 23 into the recesses 31 in
the contact element 26. Within each hollow between one of the beam
52 and the end wall 46 or 47 adjacent thereto are two posts 57 in
line with the slots 35 (see FIGS. 3-5) to force the wires 22 and 23
into the slots 35 of the wire supports 34. The stuffer bars 55 and
posts 57 extend downwardly to provide a lower surface coinciding
with the upper surface of each channel 48 and 49.
The end walls 46 and 47 of the body member 10 carry the second set
of latching projections including an upper set of four projections
11, and a lower set of projections consisting of four pairs of ears
62 and 63. The projections 11, 62 and 63 interact with the
projections 40 and 41 of the first set of latching projections to
provide detent means for defining the open (FIG. 3) and partially
closed (FIG. 4) positions of the connector, and provide locking
means to lock the connector in its closed position (FIG. 5). In the
open position (FIG. 3) the ears 62 and 63 on the body member 10 are
positioned in the space between the projections 40 and 41 on the
cap member 12. Upon sufficient pressure on the body and cap members
10 and 12 to move the ears 62 and 63 past the projection 41, the
cap and body members will move to their partially closed position
(FIG. 4) with the projections 40 and 41 on the cap member 12 in the
space between the ears 63 and the projections 11. In the partially
closed position the upper ears 63 abut the lower projections 41 and
the upper projections 40 abut the ramp surfaces 58 so that the
reacting forces against the upper ears 63 and the ramp surfaces 58
tend to retain the body and cap members 10 and 12 in this partially
closed position. As shown in FIG. 4, the wires 22 and 23 are
partially wedged into the recesses 31 and slots 35 and are thus
retained within the connector. Finger pressure of the craftsman is
sufficient to press together the body and cap members 10 and 12
from the open to this partially closed position. With the wires
thus retained within the connector, the craftsman may release his
finger grip on the connector without the wires readily separating
from the connector, and can substitute a plier-like crimping tool
for his fingers to move the body and cap members 10 and 12 of the
connector to the fully closed position shown in FIG. 5 so that the
legs 29 of the contact element 26 will sever the insulation and
make electrical contact with the conductors 33 of the wires 22 and
23. Upon such movement of the body and cap members 10 and 12, the
resilient walls 14 of the cap member 12 will deflect outwardly via
a camming action of the projection 40 against ramp surfaces 58 on
the projections 11, and in the fully closed position of the members
the projections 40 under the influence of the resilient walls 14
will seat over the projections 11 in recesses 59 in the body member
10 to lock the connector in the fully closed position.
Extending from the end wall 47 about the channel 49 is a
semi-circular plate 64 which provides additional support to the tap
wire 23 and identifies, for the craftsman, the channel which is to
receive the tap wire 23.
The body member 10 has a transverse side opening 60 communicating
with the channel 48 to permit a length of the continuing run wire
22 to be laterally inserted into the channel 48 when the body and
cap members 10 and 12 are in their open position (FIG. 3). The ramp
surfaces 58 on the projections 11 assist in guiding the run wire 23
into the channel 48. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the side opening 60
for the run wire 22 is covered along its entire length by the
adjacent wall 14 when the body and cap members 10 and 12 are in
their closed position.
Before assembling the connector, a quantity of relatively
transparent dielectric grease (not shown) is preferably inserted
into the cap member 10 around the contact element 26. When the body
and cap members 10 and 12 are locked in their fully closed position
an enclosure is provided about the dielectric grease by the wire
supports 34, bottom plate 18 and side walls 14 of the cap member
12, and the base portion 44 of the body member 10, thus protecting
the dielectric grease from erosion when the connector is exposed to
moisture.
As a specific illustrative but non-limiting example of a preferred
embodiment adapted for use in connecting 22 through 28 gauge
insulated copper wire, a connector is constructed as follows: the
body member 10 is molded from a transparent polycarbonate to have
an over-all length of 1.11 centimeter (.44 inch), an over-all width
of .64 centimeter (.25 inch), and an over-all height of .56
centimeter (.22 inch). The longitudinal channels 48 and 49 have a
diameter of .13 centimeter (.05 inch). The cap member 12, also
formed of polycarbonate, has an over-all length of .95 centimeter
(.38 inch), an over-all width of .80 centimeter (.32 inch), and an
over-all height of .60 centimeter (.24 inch). The plate-like
slotted supports 34 each have a thickness of .066 centimeter (.026
inch) and are formed with the fingers 37 defining .036 centimeter
(.014 inch) slots 35 therebetween with a 40.degree. taper on the
side fingers and .06 centimeter (.03 inch) radii on the central
finger. The metal contact element 26 is formed from a copper alloy
No. 260, having an over-all height of .38 centimeter (.15 inch), an
over-all width of .52 centimeter (.20 inch), a thickness of .04
centimeter (.016 inch), with legs 29 defining .024 centimeter (.009
inch) recesses 31 therebetween with 50.degree. tapers at the
leading edge of the opening 32.
It will be appreciated in view of the foregoing description that
the illustrated vertical orientation of the body and cap members 10
and 12 allows a craftsman to view down into the connector through
the transparent body member 10, to check the alignment of the wires
and the recesses before the connector is crimped together, as the
connector would be normally held by a craftsman; however, the cap
member 12 could also or alternatively be transparent wherein it may
be desired to view through the cap member 12 as the same is pressed
down over the body member 10.
* * * * *