Electrical connection device

Abstract

An electrical connection device comprising a resilient or spring biased blade disposed at an acute angle with a contact piece. A wire slipped into the acute angle between the blade and contact piece is pressed against the contact piece and held in position by the blade. An articulation arrangement allows pivotal movement of the blade. An indentation formed in the articulation arrangement receives the tip of a tool which allows the blade to be pivoted away from the contact piece thus facilitating the insertion and removal of the wire.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a connection device and, more particularly, to a device for connecting electrical wires with one another.

Electrical connection devices are known which comprise a contacting surface and a spring blade. One end of the blade is stationary and the other end rests against the contacting surface in such a way that the blade and the contacting surface meet at an acute angle. An electrical wire inserted into the acute angle between the blade and the contacting surface is pressed against the contacting surface by the blade. The wire cannot become disengaged because it is lockingly retained between the blade and the contacting surface. Connection devices of this kind which are available on the market have the disadvantage of being unhandy, as the wire has to be inserted by force-pushing the blade by means of the wire itself when the latter is rigid. Moreover, a special tool is required when the wire is composed of multiple strands and thus is not rigid. Another disadvantage of such devices is that they do not provide any arrangement for removing the wire easily without the help of the aforementioned special tool. It is the object of the present invention to provide a connection device that eliminates the aforementioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the principal aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection device of the general type described hereinbefore in which the contact blade is carried by an articulation arrangement which allows pivotal movement of the blade toward and away from the contact piece of the connection device. An indentation is formed in the articulation arrangement which receives the tip of a tool which, when pivoted, allows the blade to be pivoted about its articulation point so that its free end will move away from the contact piece. This pivotal movement of the blade by use of the articulation arrangement facilitates the insertion and removal of the wire between the acute angle between the blade and the contact piece. The tool may be a simple screwdriver, thus eliminating the necessity of a special tool as is presently required by some presently available connection devices. Moreover, no damage will occur to the wire when it is either inserted or withdrawn from the connection device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional illustration of a connection device incorporating a hinged resilient blade according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the connection device shown in FIG. 1 with a wire inserted between the blade and the contact piece;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional illustration of a second embodiment of the invention in which the resilient blade is carried by a pivot pin which is driven by a helical spring;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional illustration of a third embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIG. 3 except that the pivot pin is driven by a resilient blade rather than a helical spring;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a six-wire connection device using the device shown in FIG. 1, half of the device being shown in cross-sectional representation and the other half being identical;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 5 of another six-wire connection device using the device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration similar to FIG. 5 of a further six-wire connection device using the device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a contact piece which may be utilized in any of the six-wire connection devices illustrated in FIGS. 5-7; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view of a two-wire connection device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the various views, one embodiment of the connection device of the present invention, generally designated 10, is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The device comprises a casing 12 made of a rigid insulating material. Intersecting openings 14 and 16 are formed in the casing. A contact piece 18 is mounted in the bottom of the opening 16. An articulation arrangement 20, embodying an integral resilient contact blade 22, is mounted in the opening 14.

The contact piece 18 is made of a rigid electrical conductive material. The contact piece is fixedly mounted in the casing by any suitable means, not shown. The contact piece includes a smooth portion 24 and a serrated portion 26. The serrated portion is provided for insuring the retention of an insulated wire 28 and the smooth portion is located at the inlet 30 of the opening 16 to facilitate insertion of the wire into the opening. Connection means, not shown, enables the contact piece 18 to be connected to an external circuit.

The articulation arrangement 20 is formed of a resilient metallic strip having a generally Z-shaped configuration. The lower arm of the strip forming the blade 22, is pivotal about an edge 32 of the casing 12 within the plane of the Z-shaped strip. The free end 34 of the blade 22 normally rests on the serrated portion 26 of the contact piece 18. The end 35 of the upper arm 36 of the Z-shaped strip is fixed to the casing 12. Such upper arm 36 and the slanting portion 38 of the Z-shaped strip form an upwardly facing indentation 40.

To shift the contact blade 22, the tip of a tool 42 such as a conventional screwdriver, is introduced into the indentation 40 and rotated in the direction indicated by arrow F1 in FIG. 1. The lower arm 22 of the articulation arrangement will pivot about the edge 32, the arms 36 and 38 will deform and the end 34 of the blade will move away from the contact piece 18. The stripped portion of electrical wire 28 is then inserted through the inlet 30 into opening 16 in the direction indicated by arrow F2 in FIG. 1. Since the end of the blade 22 is now pivoted so that its lower end 34 is spaced above the serrated portion 26 of the contact piece, the stripped portion of the wire 28 can be easily placed between the end 34 and contact piece. On releasing the tool 42, the end 34 of the blade under the stress of the resilient portions 36 and 38 of the resilient strip forming the articulation arrangement urges the wire against the contact piece 18. The wire is then firmly connected as illustrated in FIG. 2. If a force is applied to the wire in the opposite direction to arrow F2, the wire tends to be blocked between the end 34 of the blade and the contact piece. In addition, the serrated portion 26 of the contact piece tends to grip the wire. If it is desired to withdraw the wire from the connection device 10, the blade 22 is operated as previously described in order to remove the end 34 away from the wire which is thus released. Thus, it can be seen that by the present invention there is provided a system for efficiently connecting a wire while allowing it to be easily and quickly inserted or withdrawn.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 of the drawing which shows a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar to that disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the opposite walls of the opening 14 are formed with complementary arcuate grooves 50 and 52 which define a cylindrical cavity which rotatably supports a pivot pin 54. Vertically extending side walls 55 on the casing 12, only one being seen in FIG. 3, define the lateral limits of such cylindrical cavity. The rotatable pin 54 constitutes the articulation arrangement for the blade 22. The contact blade 22 is mounted in an L-shaped recess 56 formed in the pin 54. The blade extends downwardly through a boss 58 formed on the lower portion of the pin. A helical spring 60 mounted in a bore 62 in the casing 12 engages the boss 58 urging the contact blade 22 against the contact piece 18. The pin 54 extends entirely to the side walls 55 and the cylindrical surface of the pin sealingly engages the arcuate grooves 50 and 52 so that a seal provided between the openings 14 and 16 thereby preventing dust and other contaminates from entering the region where the contact blade engages the contact piece. Also, the pivot pin isolates the tool 42 and protects the user against any accidental contact of the tool with the contact blade 22 and contact piece 18.

A slot 64 is formed in the upper portion of the pin 54 for receiving the tip of the tool 42. The tool is pivoted in the direction indicated by arrow F1 in FIG. 3 to shift the end of the blade 32 away from the contact piece 18 and, as in the previously described embodiment, enables a wire to be inserted in the direction of arrow F2, or withdrawn from the connection device.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 3 except that the helical spring 60 is replaced by a leaf spring 70. This spring is retained in a curved recess 72 formed in the casing 12. The leaf spring exerts a downward pressure against the boss 58 on the pivot pin 54.

FIG. 5 illustrates a connection device, one half being in cross section and the other half being identical thereto. The part of the connection device shown in section includes three arrangements as shown in FIG. 1 thus allowing three wires to be connected thereto. FIG. 5 shows openings 14 and 16 and the articulation edge 32, then symmetrically arranged about an horizontal axis, openings 14', 16', and edge 32', and finally about a 45.degree. axis, openings 14", 16", and edge 32".

The contact piece 18' has an L-shaped configuration. The horizontal leg 74 of the contact piece is serrated on its upper and lower sides and the vertical leg 76 is serrated on its inner side. Spring elements 20, 20', and 20" are arranged as in FIG. 1 with their integral contact blades resting on the serrated surfaces of the contact piece. Each contact blade is actuated by means of a tool as described hereinbefore.

With half the connector body of FIG. 5 it is therefore possible to interconnect three wires having been placed in the respective openings 16, 16', and 16" between the contact blades and contact piece. With the other half of the connector, not shown, three other wires can be interconnected. In addition, the two contact pieces of the connector can be connected to each other or constructed from a single piece of material to form a T as shown in FIG. 8. In that case, the connector provides for the interconnection of six wires.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 of the drawing which illustrates a multi-wire connector incorporating the connector device shown in FIG. 3. The connection device is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 5 in that it embodies an L-shaped contact piece 18'. In this arrangement, two pivot pins 54 and 54' are shown as being biased by a single common helical spring 60. Thus, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 constitutes a six-wire connector like that shown in FIG. 5. In a likewise manner, the connector device illustrated in FIG. 7 using the connection device shown in FIG. 4 allows for a six-wire connection.

FIG. 9 illustrates a two-wire connection device embodying a pair of connection arrangements as illustrated in FIG. 3 utilizing pivot pins 54 and 54' and a single generally straight contact piece 18" having serrations 26 and 26' formed on its opposite ends. The contact blades 22 and 22' mounted in the pivot pins 54 and 54' engage the serrations 26 and 26', respectively. Other modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. In an electrical connection device comprising an insulator casing, at least one contact piece and a corresponding contact blade in said casing disposed at an acute angle with respect to said contact piece, said blade being resiliently urged toward said contact piece whereby an electrical wire slipped into the acute angle between said blade and said contact piece will be pressed against said contact piece and held in position by said blade, the improvement which comprises articulation means for said blade allowing pivotal movement of said blade toward and away from said contact piece, said articulation means including a resilient conductive strip having a generally Z-shaped configuration and a pivot point formed on said casing within the plane of said strip, the lower arm of said Z-shaped strip terminating in said contact blade and being pivotal about said pivot point, the free end of the upper arm of said Z-shaped strip being fixed to said casing, said upper arm and the slanting portion of said Z-shaped strip forming an indentation adapted to receive a tool which, when pivoted, pivots said blade about said pivot point so as to

2. In an electrical connection device comprising an insulator casing, at least one contact piece and a corresponding contact blade in said casing disposed at an acute angle with respect to said contact piece, said blade being resiliently urged toward said contact piece whereby an electrical wire slipped into the acute angle between said blade and said contact piece will be pressed against said contact piece and held in position by said blade, the improvement which comprises articulation means for said blade allowing pivotal movement of said blade toward and away from said contact piece, said casing being formed with two openings intersecting one another, said contact piece being mounted in one of said openings, a pair of complementary arcuate grooves extending transversely across said other opening defining a cylindrical cavity, said articulation means comprising a pivot pin rotatable in said cavity with the surface thereof being in sealing engagement with the surfaces of said grooves to isolate the exterior of said other opening from said contact piece, said blade being fixed to said pin, spring means urging the free end of said blade toward said contact piece, and an indentation formed in said pin adapted to receive a tool which, when pivoted, pivots said blade so as to have its

3. An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 2 wherein there if provided a single contact piece having a pair of contact areas and a

4. An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein a single spring common to said contact blades biases said blades toward their

5. An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact piece is L-shaped with the inner sides of the legs of the L-shaped

6. An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said

7. An electrical connection device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact piece is T-shaped with the various sides of the T-shaped contact piece forming the contact areas of the contact piece.