Abstract:
A conduit connector assembly which receives an end of a conduit carrying electrical wires includes a sleeve, a spring clip and a retaining spring. The retaining spring and the spring clip are each coupled to the sleeve. The spring clip is disposed within an interior passage of the sleeve and has a resiliently flexible body and a leg having a gripping end portion. The gripping end has a configuration for gripping and fitting partially about the conduit so as to center the grip end of the spring clip body on the conduit. The retaining spring includes a leg extending into the sleeve and a body contacting the outer surface of the spring clip to hold the spring clip in position and apply a biasing tension of the gripping end of the leg against the conduit.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a conduit connector assembly and retaining spring for connecting an electrical conduit and cable to an electrical box. More particularly, the invention is directed to a retaining spring for use with a conduit connector assembly for coupling the connection to an armored electrical cable prior to connecting the cable and connector assembly to an electrical box. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Electrical wiring is connected to an electrical box which supports various electrical devices such as switches and electrical receptacles. The wiring in some environments includes an armor cable wound around the wiring to protect the wiring. The armor cable must then be coupled to the electrical box. A variety of coupling devices have been produced for connecting the armor cable or conduit to the electrical box without interfering with the electrical wires. 
   Electrical wiring is used for connecting electrical power lines and electrical outlets in order to provide access to electrical power in residential and commercial buildings. Electrical boxes are provided in the buildings to support electrical devices and to receive portions of the electrical wiring and contain and isolate therein splices in the wiring which extends from the junction boxes to the main electrical power lines and to outlets and switches in the building. For protection of the electrical wiring, the wiring is generally housed and carried within metal conduits or metal cables. It is also desirable to connect ends of the metal conduits to the electrical junction boxes. 
   Examples of various coupling devices and connectors include a body and a spring clip as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,543, U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,557 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,326, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The spring clips couple the armor cable to the connector body with a spring tension when the devices are inserted into the opening in the electrical box. These devices do not enable the conduit connector to be independently and securely attached to the armored cable before installation into the electrical box. 
   A variety of devices have been used over the years for connecting conduits which carry electrical wires to electrical junction boxes. Representative examples of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,071 to Tuisku, U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,578 to Moran et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,604 to Dola et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,387 to Stikeleatheret al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,721 to Sheehan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,164 to O&#39;Neil et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,499 to Favalora, U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,280 to Ball, U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,013 to Schnell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,106 to O&#39;Neil et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,437 to Schnell. 
   The prior connector device has performed with satisfaction over the years and met the objectives it was originally designed to achieve. However, many of these devices do not enable coupling of the cable independent of assembly with the electrical box. While the above noted connectors generally satisfy the intended need, there is a continuing need in the industry for improved conduit connector devices. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a connector assembly for connecting an electrical cable to an electrical box. The invention is particularly directed to a connector that can be coupled securely to a cable such as an armored cable independent of coupling the connector to an electrical box. 
   One aspect of the invention is to provide a cable connector that can also be preassembled and secured to a predetermined length of cable prior to shipping to the user for ease of assembly with the electrical box. The preassembled connector and cable (called a whip in the industry) are coupled together in a manner to resist the separation of the various components during shipping while maintaining the ease of use at the work site. 
   The present invention provides a conduit cable connector assembly for connecting a conduit carrying electrical wires to an electrical box. The electrical box is typically used to support electrical devices such as switches and electrical outlets. The connector in one embodiment of the invention includes four components coupled together for coupling to the conduit and to the electrical box. 
   The electrical connector assembly of the invention is simple to manufacture and assemble. The connector assembly can be connected to a flexible metal cable or conduit such as an armored cable before transporting to the work site. The connector assembly can also be connected to the cable at the work site for connecting the cable to an electrical box. The pre-assembly of the connector to the conduit provides easier assembly at the work site and reduces loss of parts and eliminates the need to assemble the connector and metal cable at the work site or to feed the cable through the cable connector. 
   The invention is also directed to a connector assembly having a body in the shape of a sleeve, a spring clip that is connected to the sleeve, and a retaining spring to couple the spring clip to the sleeve. The spring clip engages the cable and attaches the cable to the sleeve and connects the assembly to the electrical box. The retaining spring cooperates with the spring clip to prevent separation of the spring clip from the sleeve and to urge the spring clip into independent engagement with the cable. 
   The connector assembly of the invention provides a spring clip coupled to a sleeve member and has a first end that is able to engage the outer surface of the cable to retain the cable in the axial passage of the sleeve. The spring clip is biased by the retaining spring to connect with the metal clad cable under the tension of the retaining spring. The tension on the spring clip by the retaining spring also applies a force to the first end of the spring clip to apply a gripping force to the cable. 
   The invention further provides a retaining spring for a conduit cable connector assembly having a pair of legs that contact the inner surface of the sleeve on opposite sides of the sleeve and a body portion that engages the body of the spring clip to prevent separation of the spring clip from the sleeve. 
   A further aspect of the invention is to provide a conduit cable connector having a retaining spring and spring clip that can be incorporated into existing connector assemblies to couple the cable to the connector for the ease of assembly of the pre-cut electrical whip to an electrical box. 
   The various aspects of the invention are basically attained by providing a retaining spring for a conduit connector assembly for attaching a conduit carrying electrical wires to an electrical junction box. The retaining spring comprises a body having a first end for contacting an outer surface of a spring clip of the conduit connector assembly, and a second end opposite the first end. A first leg extends from the second end of the body for engaging an inner surface of the conduit connector assembly and being spring biased toward the body. 
   The aspects of the invention are also attained by providing a conduit connector assembly for coupling a conduit carrying electrical wires to an electrical junction box, which comprises a sleeve having a side wall, an open end, and an axial passage extending from a first end to a second end for receiving an electrical conduit and electrical wires. A spring clip is coupled to the sleeve. The spring clip has a main body portion with a first leg having a gripping end extending inwardly into the axial passage of the sleeve toward the first end of the sleeve for engaging the conduit and retaining the conduit in the sleeve. A retaining spring has a body engaging the spring clip and has at least one leg extending inwardly into the axial passage and engaging an inner surface of the sleeve for biasing the main body portion of the spring clip toward the sleeve. 
   The aspects of the invention are further attained by providing a conduit connector assembly for coupling to an electrical box, where the assembly comprises a sleeve having a side wall and an axial passage extending from a first end to a second end. An electrical cable extends within the axial passage of the sleeve. A spring clip is coupled to the sleeve. The spring clip has a main body portion with a first leg having a gripping end and extending axially into the axial passage. The main body portion is positioned adjacent an outer surface of the sleeve. A retaining spring engages an inner surface of the sleeve and the main body portion of the spring clip to bias the retaining spring and first leg into engagement with the electrical cable and to couple the electrical cable to the sleeve. 
   These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent form the following detailed description of the invention which taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings discloses various embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following is a brief description of the drawing in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded side view of the connector assembly in one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the retaining spring coupled to the connector assembly for retaining the spring clip to the sleeve; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the retaining spring in one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is top view of the connector assembly; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the connector assembly taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of the connector assembly and the cable showing the connector assembly in cross section; 
       FIG. 7  is a side view in partial cross-section showing the connector assembly coupled to a cable; and 
       FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional view showing the connector assembly and the cable coupled to an electrical box with the retaining spring removed 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is directed to a conduit connector assembly for coupling a conduit or metal clad cable to an electrical box. The invention is particularly directed to a conduit and connector assembly (a whip) that is able to couple an electrical conduit to a body of the assembly prior to coupling to an electrical box. 
   The assembly of the invention provides a structure that enables the conduit to be connected to the connector assembly so the connector is retained on the end of the conduit independent of assembly with the electrical box. The assembly allows pre-assembly of the conduit to the connector assembly to simplify the assembly at the work site. The conduit connector assembly of the invention basically includes a sleeve, a grommet, a spring clip and a retaining spring. The spring clip is attached to the body to grip the conduit to the body and to attach the body to an electrical box. The conduit is typically a spirally wound, corrugated armor cable as known in the art. 
   Referring to the drawings, the conduit assembly  10  of the invention includes a sleeve  12 , a grommet  14 , a spring clip  16  and a retainer spring  18 . The conduit connector assembly  10  as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  is used for coupling an electrical cable  20  to an electrical box  22 . The cable  10  in the embodiment shown is a flexible armored cable that carries a plurality of electrical wires  24  as shown in  FIG. 6 . The cable is typically formed from a metal sheath that is wound in a spiral fashion to form a corrugated protective conduit. The conduit of cable  20  is formed with a spiral recess defined between peaks and valleys. The armored sheath is cut to length to expose the wires  24  for connecting with a suitable electrical device as known in the art. The armored sheath of the cable is typically formed from aluminum or steel, although other materials can be used. 
   The sleeve  12  and spring clip  16  have a shape and construction substantially similar to the body shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,326 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The body is formed from a rigid material such as steel or other metals and is shaped by bending a blank into a generally cylindrical shape. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the sleeve  12  has a side wall  13  shaped to form an axial passage  26  extending between a first end  28  and a second end  30 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , sleeve  12  has a substantially cylindrical side wall portion  32  and the flat side wall portion  34 . The flat side wall portion  34  has a longitudinal slot  36  formed by the side edges of a blank used to form sleeve  12 . Slot  36  extends the length of sleeve  12  and enables the sleeve to expand or contract to fit within an opening of an electrical box as needed. Cylindrical side wall portion  32  has a shape and dimension to fit within the opening of the electrical box. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , first end  28  of sleeve  12  has a substantially flat edge and has a cutout portion  38  formed on an opposite side of flat side wall portion  34 . A connecting tab  40  is cut from cylindrical side wall portion  32  which is bent outwardly in a radial direction with respect to cylindrical side wall portion  32  of sleeve  12 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , connecting tab  40  is bent to define cutout portion  38 . Connecting tab  40  has a shape and dimension to contact an inner surface of the electrical box as shown in  FIG. 8  when cable connector assembly  10  is coupled to the electrical box  22 . Connecting tab  40  has a substantially flat face  42  extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of sleeve  12  and substantially parallel to first end  28  of sleeve  12 . 
   Cylindrical side wall portion  32  has a pair of tabs  44  on opposite sides cut from sleeve  12  and bent outwardly at an inclined angle as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . Tabs  44  cut from sleeve  12  form openings  46  through sleeve  12 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , tabs  44  are positioned on opposite sides of sleeve  12  and on each side of flat side portion  34 . Tabs  44  are angled to extend in a generally forward direction toward first end  28  and have an end face  48  substantially parallel to first end  28  and connecting tab  40  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The flat face  42  of connecting tab  40  lies in a plane spaced from the plane of the end face of tabs  44  a distance corresponding substantially to the thickness of the wall of an electrical box  22 . In this manner, tabs  44  contact an outer surface of the wall of the electrical box  22  when assembled while connecting tab  40  contacts an inner surface of the wall of the electrical box. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , cylindrical side wall portion  32  of sleeve  12  includes an inwardly extending connecting tab  50 . Connecting tab  50  is cut from cylindrical side wall portion  32  and is bent inwardly at an inclined angle to form opening  52  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Connecting tab  50  is spaced axially from connecting tab  40  with respect to the longitudinal direction of sleeve  12 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , tab  50  is bent at an inclined angle and extends toward the first end  28  of sleeve  12  a distance sufficient to engage the outer surface of the electrical cable. Tab  50  has a forward end  54  facing first end  28  and spaced from connecting tab  40 . In one embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , forward end  54  of tab  50  is formed at a slight angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of sleeve  12  to enable gripping of the spiral wound armor sheath of the electrical cable  20 . 
   An opening  56  is provided in flat side wall portion  34  of sleeve  12  and is spaced between first end  28  and second end  30 . Opening  56  is formed by cutouts along each edge of the blank forming sleeve  12 . Opening  56  is formed with substantially straight forward edges  58  and rear straight edges  60 . Forward edge  58  is formed substantially parallel to first end  28  of sleeve  12  and is spaced from connecting tab  40 . 
   Grommet  14  is inserted into first end  28  of sleeve  12  as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 . Grommet  14  has a substantially cylindrical shape with a body  62  forming a sleeve with an axial passage  64  for receiving wires from the electrical cable. Grommet  14  has a first end  66  with a collar  68  extending outward in a generally radial direction. Collar  68  has an outer face  70  and an inner face  72 . Collar  68  has a radial dimension sufficient to engage the end of electrical cable  20  to protect the wires  24  from contacting the end of the armor sheath of the cable to prevent damage to the wires during use. Grommet  14  is generally formed from a molded rigid plastic material as a one piece member. 
   Body  62  of grommet  14  includes locking tabs  74  integrally formed therewith and extending in an outward direction with respect to grommet  14 . Locking tabs  74  have an inclined face converging toward a second end  78  of body  62 . Locking tabs  74  have a straight forward face  80  facing first end  66  and being substantially parallel to collar  68 . Grommet  14  is generally made from a one piece member of molded plastic. 
   Spring clip  16  of connector assembly  10  is typically made of spring steel, although other materials can be used. As shown in  FIG. 1 , spring clip  16  has a substantially U-shape with a planar main body  82 . Body  82  of spring clip  16  has a first end  84  and a second end  86 . First end  84  has a leg  88  extending outwardly and lying in substantially the same plane as main body  82 . An outer end  90  of leg  88  includes side edges  92  and coupling tabs  94  extending outwardly therefrom. Coupling tabs  94  as shown in  FIG. 1  are oriented at an incline with respect to the plane of main body  82  and extend in a direction outwardly from main body  82 . Coupling tabs  94  have a forward edge  96  that are formed at an angle that converge toward outer end  90  of leg  88  for guiding coupling tabs  94  through an opening in an electrical box. Coupling tabs  94  also include a rear edge  98  that extend substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal dimension of main body  82 . Coupling tabs  94  and rear edge  98  have a dimension to pass through an opening in an electrical box and to engage an inner surface of the electrical box while coupling the conduit connector assembly  10  to the electrical box. 
   Second end  86  of main body portion  82  of spring clip  16  has a second leg  100  extending in a forward direction toward first end  84  and positioned at an incline with respect to the plane of main body portion  82 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , second leg  100  has a width substantially equal to the width of main body  82  and is connected to main body  82  by a U-shaped portion  102  which forms a spring hinge. Second leg  100  has an outer end  104  that extends outwardly from main body portion  82  at an inclined angle toward the axial center of sleeve  12 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , outer end  104  has a terminal end  106  with a substantially U-shaped recessed portion  108  for engaging the outer surface of electrical cable  20 . 
   Main body  82  of spring clip  16  has side edges  110  with integrally formed retaining tabs  112 . Retaining tabs  112  are integrally formed with main body  82  and extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of main body  82 . Retaining tabs  112  have a first inclined forward edge  114  that extend toward first edge  84  of main body  82 . Retaining tabs  112  also have a second trailing edge  116  forming a curved recessed surface. 
   Retaining spring  18  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3  forms a substantially U-shaped spring with a body portion  118  and legs  120 . In the embodiment illustrated, body portion of retainer spring  18  is formed by two parallel side members  122  forming top legs having a first end  124  connected together by a cross member  126 . Side members  122  have a second end  128  connected to a respective leg  120 . Retaining spring  18  is removably coupled to sleeve  12  and cooperates with sleeve  12  and spring clip  16  to bias the leg  100  of spring clip  16  into engagement with electrical cable  20 . In the embodiment shown and discussed herein, retaining spring  18  engages an outer surface of the spring clip  16  and an inner surface  15  of the sleeve  12  to bias leg  100  toward the axial center and into engagement with the electrical cable. 
   Legs  120  as shown in  FIG. 3  extend in a generally longitudinal direction with respect to a longitudinal dimension of body portion  118 . Legs  120  are coupled to body portion  118  by a U-shaped portion  130  defining a spring hinge. Legs  120  have a longitudinal end  132  with a first portion  134  bent toward body portion  118  and a second portion  136  bent away from body portion  118 . First portion  134  and second portion  136  define a hook-like member  138  for coupling retainer spring  18  to sleeve  12 . 
   Cable connector assembly  10  is coupled to electrical cable  20  which can then be attached to electrical box  22  as shown in  FIG. 8 . In one embodiment, electrical cable  20  is cut to a desired length and then inserted into axial passage  26  of sleeve  12  and grommet  14  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
   Wires  24  extend through grommet  14  for connecting to an electrical device. The cable connector assembly  10  is assembled by inserting the second leg  100  of spring clip  16  into the axial passage  26  of sleeve  12 . Retaining tabs  112  are inserted through opening  46  in flat face  42  of sleeve  12  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Retaining tabs  112  when positioned in opening  56  resist axial movement of spring clip  16  with respect to sleeve  12 . Retainer spring  18  is then assembled onto spring clip  16  by sliding legs  120  through the axial passage  26  of sleeve  12  until the hook portions  138  of legs  120  are received in opening  56  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 . Legs  120  in the illustrated embodiment are spaced apart to contact the inner surface of sleeve  12  on each side of spring clip  16  so as not to interfere with the leg  100  which engages the cable  20 . Retainer spring  18  is constructed so that legs  120  are spring biased toward body portion  118 . In this manner, cross member  126  in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2  contacts the outer surface of main body  82  of spring clip  16  to hold main body  82  against the flat face  34  of sleeve  12  and retaining tabs  112  within opening  56  with the leg  100  of spring clip  16  biased toward the center of sleeve  12 . Thus, retainer spring  18  can prevent separation of spring clip  16  from sleeve  12 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , retainer spring  18  couples spring clip  16  to sleeve  12  so that second leg  100  is directed toward the center of sleeve  12 . Main body  82  of spring clip  16  can be manually lifted in the direction of arrow  140  shown in  FIG. 6  or can slide cable  20  into place to retract second leg  100  from the center of the sleeve  12 . Electrical cable  20  is then inserted through axial passage  26  to extend the electrical wires through the opening in grommet  14 . Main body  82  of spring clip  16  is then released so that second leg  100  engages the outer surface of electrical cable  20  to securely couple electrical cable  20  to assembly  10  as shown in  FIG. 7 . Retainer spring  18  applies a biasing force to main body  82  of spring clip  16  to apply a force against electrical cable  20  to prevent separation of electrical cable  20  from assembly  10  during shipping or handling. In this embodiment, the connector assembly  10  and electrical cable  20  can be preassembled as a whip and shipped to the work site until ready for use. 
   Cable connector assembly  10  and electrical cable  20  are then attached to electrical box  22  by inserting the tab  40  and forward end of sleeve  12  through an opening  140  in electrical box  22  as shown in  FIG. 8 . Typically, retainer spring  18  is removed or separated from sleeve  12  and spring clip  18  to enable main body  82  and arm  88  to be spring biased outwardly into engagement with the opening in the electrical box. First leg  88  of spring clip  16  is also inserted through the opening in electrical box  22  so that coupling tabs  94  engage an inner surface of the electrical box to securely couple the assembly  10  to the electrical box. Typically, retainer spring  18  is removed from sleeve  12  by disengaging the hook portions  138  of legs  120  and sliding retainer spring  18  axially away from spring clip  16  and sleeve  12 . The biasing spring force of spring clip  16  urges main body  82  away from second leg  100  and sleeve  12  so that coupling tabs  94  engage the opening in electrical box  22 . 
   While various embodiments have been shown to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.