Patent ID: 6076236
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: F16G,Y10T

Abstract:
A connector assembly for an end of a cable, said connector assembly comprising:a body having front and back ends, opposed top and bottom walls and opposed side walls extending between said top and bottom walls, said top and bottom and side walls defining a cavity extending axially between said front and back ends of said body;said side walls defining opposed elongated jaw guides at opposite sides of said cavity, said jaw guides being disposed at an angle relative to one another and being spaced apart by a larger distance adjacent said back end of said body and a shorter distance adjacent said front end of said body;a pair of opposed jaws in said cavity, each jaw having a guide structure at an outer side of said jaw slideably supported in one of said jaw guides, said jaws having interfacing cable grip surfaces at inner sides of said jaws defining an axially extending cable nest;said top wall having an axially extending cable receiving opening permitting top entry of the cable into said cable nest;a latch plate in said cavity connected to said jaws;a latch means for normally holding said latch plate and jaws adjacent the back end of said body in an open cocked position in which said cable grip surfaces are separated by a distance larger than a cable diameter; andspring means biasing said jaws toward the front end of said body for moving said jaws forward and together to grip a cable in said cable nest in response to release of said latch;said connector assembly being characterized by:said spring means including a pair of springs, each connected between said body and one of said opposed jaws.