Electrical connector with screw-on or twist-on electrical contacts

The present invention relates in general to electrical wire connectors and more specifically to multi-pin screw-on or twist-on electrical contacts. An electrical set of male and female contacts is provided which can each connect one or more wires without tools. The contacts of the present invention can be installed into their respective plug and receptacle housing bodies for the purpose of creating an electrical connector which can be mated and unmated many times to hook up or remove from service any electrical device or circuit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates in general to electrical wire connectors and 
more specifically to screw-on or twist-on electrical contacts for use in 
an electrical connector which can be mated and unmated multiple times 
without the use of a specialized tool. 
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
Methods for attaching single or multiple wires to the rear end of a pin or 
socket contact which can be installed in an electrical connector are well 
known in the art. Most of these methods require some kind of tool to 
accomplish the termination. Examples of existing methods to connect wires 
to the contact include soldering, crimping, wire wrapping, insulation 
displacement and compression of the wires between a screw or an anvil and 
terminal base. 
U.S. Pat. No. 257,865 (Hamilton) discloses an electrical connection formed 
at the distal end of a wire bundle by means of a male, threaded screw 
having a securing external sleeve. This patent is of interest as it 
describes an electrical cable with integral male jack. U.S. Pat. No. 
1,175,343 (Conrad) teaches the use of a set of resilient arms which can be 
used as retainers to fix a connector in its socket. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,762 (Matthysse) is of interest as it teaches the use of 
an internally threaded conductive member within an insulative outer layer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,935 (Herman) is of interest as it illustrates the use 
of a male connector in mating to a second female section. 
There exists, in the electrical field, devices known as "wire twist-ons" 
which allow the user to join two or more wires together for the purpose of 
wiring lights and switches or making splices. While these connectors do 
not require elaborate tools to terminate the wires on the connector, the 
nature of the connector itself does not allow wires to be connected or 
disconnected with power applied because such connectors expose bare, 
possibly live wires, when removed. 
There is a need in the commercial arts for a multi-pin connector system 
which is capable of terminating single or multiple wires into detachable 
electrical contacts without tools. This is especially important in 
applications involving only small quantities of connectors, such as for 
personal use. It is also useful in applications where the user does not 
have the necessary tools to terminate the wires in the contact. There is 
also a need in the commercial arts for a multi-pin wire connector product 
which allows the electrical contacts to be connected and disconnected with 
power applied so that electrical devices can easily and safely be added or 
removed multiple times from the electrical circuit. There is also a need 
in the commercial arts for a multi-pin electrical connector which can be 
repaired to replace damaged contacts or whose configuration can be altered 
in the field to add or remove electrical connections. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention, an electrical set of male and female 
contacts is provided which can each connect multiple wires without 
requiring special tools. The contacts of the present invention can be 
installed into their respective plug and receptacle housing bodies for the 
purpose of creating an electrical connector which can be mated and unmated 
many times to hook up or remove from service any electrical device or 
circuit. The housing bodies can hold one or more pins or contacts, and the 
contacts can be added or removed from the connector body to replace 
damaged contacts or to increase or decrease the number of contacts in the 
body. The electrical contacts of the present invention have a small 
diameter wire bucket with a tapered tapped internal thread into which a 
stripped wire can be manually threaded. The tapered tapped sharp threads 
cut into the wire surfaces, so as to displace oxides while creating an 
excellent, gas-tight electrical and mechanical connection. In one aspect 
of the present invention, the threads of the contacts are sharp enough to 
cut through insulation so that no stripping of insulation is required. The 
contact can then be releasably inserted into the desired contact hole in 
the insulated housing body. The rear cable or wire bundle can then be 
optionally secured by manually screwing down a mechanical clamping device 
on the rear of the connector housing body. The present invention is 
particularly useful in applications involving only a small quantity of 
connectors, such as for personal use. In addition, the present invention 
is also useful where the user does not have the necessary tools to 
terminate the wires to new contacts in the connector. For many 
applications, such as theatrical lighting, event staging or industrial 
situations where circumstances might require additional wiring to be 
installed between electrical connectors, it is preferable to be able to 
modify or repair the connectors in the field to add additional wires and 
corresponding pins rather than having to do a full scale replacement of 
existing connectors. The present invention would allow additional contacts 
to be added to an existing connector without a re-wiring or replacement of 
the entire connector set. 
Therefore, one aspect of the invention provides for a set of male and 
female electrical wire connectors comprising a male section and female 
section, the male section and the female section each having a male and 
female termination means respectively for termination of one or more wires 
without tools, and the female section configured to releasably receive the 
male section so that electrical current may be conducted therethrough. 
Another aspect of the invention provides for a set of multi-pin male and 
female electrical wire connectors comprising a male section and female 
section, the male section and the female section each having a plurality 
of male and female termination means respectively for termination of one 
or more wires without tools, and the female section configured to 
releasably receive the male section so that electrical current may be 
conducted therethrough.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Turning to FIG. 1, the contacts of the present invention are shown in 
accordance with the preferred embodiment, comprising male portion 100 and 
female portion 150. In FIG. 2, the male portion 100 and female portion 150 
of FIG. 1 are shown in greater detail. Male portion 100 is comprised of 
male wiring socket 210, male retention clip 250 and male contact 230. 
Disposed in male wiring socket 210 is male contact wire bucket 220 which 
is formed to receive one or more of conductor portions 200 of wire 125. 
Conductor portions 200 may be stranded or solid. Male contact wire bucket 
220 contains threads 225 which have been tapped into the bucket 220 using 
standard machining methods. The threads 225 are sharp, preferably tapered 
and designed to cut into the wire surfaces so as to displace oxides and 
create an excellent, gas-tight electrical and physical connection. 
In order to connect wire 125 to male wiring socket 210, the wire 125 is 
stripped of wire insulation 205 to expose conductor portion 200, using 
well known techniques. The male contact can then be screwed or twisted on 
to conductor portion 200 of the wire. The sharp threads 225 cut into the 
wire surfaces, compressing the conductor portion 200 and form the 
electrical connection to the contact. In an alternate embodiment (not 
shown), the threads 225 are produced with very sharp crests such that the 
threads 225 are capable of cutting through insulation 205 to make contact 
with the conductor portion 200. In multi-wire applications, the conductor 
portion 200 of multiple wires 125 may be inserted and screwed into male 
contact bucket 220 to complete a multi-wire connection. The threaded 
aspect of male contact bucket 220 allows the conductor portion 2.00 of one 
or more wires 125 to be added or removed from the connector as changed or 
repairs are required, without the necessity of tools. Male contact 230 and 
male wiring socket 210 are composed of a suitable electrically conductive 
material, preferably a copper alloy with a protective plating, but 
alternatively copper or brass. The connection can be performed without 
tools. Female portion 150 is comprised of female wiring socket 260, female 
coupler 285 and female retention clip 290. Female receptacle 280 is 
disposed within female coupler 285. Female wiring socket 260 and female 
coupler 285 are composed of a suitable conductive material, preferably a 
copper alloy and a protective plating. Female wiring socket 260 is 
disposed with female contact wire bucket 270 which has been tapped with 
sharp threads 275, preferably tapered, structured in a similar manner and 
of similar composition as the male wiring socket 210. Also, wire 175 may 
contain a conductor portion which is stranded or solid (not shown), 
similar to wire 125. One or more of wires 175 are attached to female 
portion 150 in a similar manner as described above with reference to male 
portion 100 and wire 125. 
The connection of male portion 100 to female portion 150, for completion of 
the electrical circuit, is provided by inserting male contact 230 into 
female receptacle 280. 
Turning to FIG. 3, a two pin configuration is shown. Two male portions 100 
and two female portions 150 are shown inserted in male connector body 310 
and female connector body 320 respectively. Male portion 100 is held 
inside male connector body 310 by male retention clip 250. Male retention 
clip 250 and female retention clip 290 are each composed of a flexible 
material, preferably metal or plastic, which exhibits a resistance force 
when bent. When male portion 100 is inserted in male connector body 310, 
it passes through hollow channel 315. Hollow channel 315 narrows so that 
male retention clip 250 exhibits force against the wall of hollow channel 
315, thereby fixing male portion 100 within male connector body 310. Male 
portion 100 may optionally be removed from male connector body 310 to 
repair or replace a damaged connector, or to affix additional wires into 
either the male portion 100 or the female portion 150 of the connector. 
Similarly, female portion 150 is lodged within female connector body 320 
by inserting female portion 150 through hollow channel 325 so that female 
retention clip 290 exhibits a force fixing female portion 150 within 
female connector body 320. Both male and female connector bodies 310 and 
320 are composed of a suitable insulating material such as plastic. In an 
alternate embodiment, (not shown) male connector body 310 and female 
connector body 320 may be moulded or constructed and disposed with three 
or more hollow channels each so that a multiple number of male contacts 
230 and female receptacles 280 can be connected within the same electrical 
connector. The electrical connection is made by inserting male contact 230 
of male portion 100 into female receptacle 280 of female connector body 
320. In the example shown in FIG. 3, male contact 230 is held in place by 
spring member 295 of female coupler 285, but other retention means, such 
as friction fit may be used. It is also possible (not shown) to use a 
threaded clamp to mechanically hold the male and female portions of the 
connector together by methods well known in the art. Thus, multiple or 
single wires can be inserted in connectors without tools being required 
which allow the connection to be mated and unmated while the connection is 
live. 
Alternative embodiments of the invention are possible without departing 
from the sphere and scope as set forth in the claims appended hereto.