Abstract:
A method for converting an electrical connector to provide an insulated opening, including the steps of providing an electrical connector including a conductive block having at least one cavity having an upwardly oriented opening and a closed bottom, and an insulating outer coating at least partially surrounding the block, forming a hole through the bottom, and positioning an insulative sleeve through the cavity and the hole so as to provide an insulated passage extending through the electrical connector.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/480,848, filed Jun. 23, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Electrical or power connectors are known for connecting various different conductive elements, and  FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional connector of the type in question. Connector  10  includes a conductive block  12  having a series of contact channels  14  each of which opens upwardly through a threaded opening as shown, and also opens towards the front of the device and the rear of the device as schematically illustrated by dashed lines  16 . An insulative coating or jacket  20  is positioned around block  12 .  
         [0003]     In use, elements are passed into the front or back openings illustrated by dashed circles  16 , and a threaded member is screwed down through the upward opening into threads  18  so as to frictionally engage a member passed through front or back openings  16  as desired. In this manner, conductive elements can be electrically connected through fastening in connector  10 .  
         [0004]     It is sometimes desirable to mount a device such as device  10  to a secure or otherwise rigid location and the like. In such instances, the most convenient form of mounting would be to use mechanical fasteners. However, device  10  does not lend itself well to such mounting, and therefore completely separate and different devices are provided having structure included for mounting of the device. Unfortunately, this leads to excessive amounts of required inventory, as well as multiple parts and other disadvantages.  
         [0005]     It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector which can readily and advantageously be converted to have one or more mountable openings.  
         [0006]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device whereby conversion is a simple and easily accomplished task.  
         [0007]     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an adaptor member for use in converting an electrical connector, as well as a process for converting an electrical connector, each of which presents the advantageous features of the present invention.  
         [0008]     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In accordance with the present invention, a method for converting an electrical connector to provide an insulated opening, comprises the steps of providing an electrical connector comprising a conductive block having at least one cavity having an upwardly oriented opening and a closed bottom, and an insulating outer coating at least partially surrounding the block, forming a hole through the bottom, and positioning an insulative sleeve through the cavity and the hole so as to provide an insulated passage extending through the electrical connector.  
         [0010]     In further accordance with the present invention, an adaptor for an electrical connector comprises a sleeve of insulative material having a central passage for receiving a mechanical connector, the sleeve having a first portion with a first diameter and a second portion with a second diameter which is smaller than the first diameter.  
         [0011]     In further accordance with the present invention, an electrical connector having an insulated opening, comprises an electrical connector comprising a conductive block having at least one cavity having an upwardly oriented opening and a bottom, a hole passing through the bottom, an insulating outer coating at least partially surrounding the block, and an insulative sleeve extending through the cavity and the hole so as to provide an insulated passage extending through the electrical connector. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention follows, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a sectional side view of a conventional electrical connector of the type which can be converted in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a step in connection with conversion of the connector of  FIG. 1 , as well as an adaptor in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a connector which has been converted in accordance with the present invention along with steps for securing the device to an underlying mounting structure; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an adaptor in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     The invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector and adaptor which can readily be used to convert one or more connector ports or openings of the connector for use in mounting the connector to an underlying mounting structure.  
         [0018]     As described above,  FIG. 1  illustrates a typical electrical connector  10  having a conductive block  12  with a series of connection openings  14 , each of which opens upwardly as well as to the front and rear of the device. The openings to the front and rear of the device are illustrated by dashed circles  16 , and the upwardly opening portion is the opening which has threaded walls  18 . Positioned around conductive block  12  is an insulating material  20  which is typically coated or otherwise provided onto block  12  so as to cover the entire exterior surface thereof, and further so as to define upwardly opening sleeves  22  which are aligned with each of the openings  14  in block  12 . For openings  14 ,  16  which are not to be used, a typical insulative plug member can be frictionally fit within the openings defined by sleeves  22 . It should be appreciated that insulative coating  20  is further provided so as to define sleeves such as sleeves  22  extending forward and backward from openings  16  as well.  
         [0019]     In accordance with the invention, it is frequently desirable to utilize a device  10  which must be secured to an underlying mounting structure or the like. In such instances, conventionally, a new device would need to be designed which would lead to undesirable increase in cost and the amount of inventory. Turning to  FIG. 2 , the present invention is illustrated wherein an opening  14  of device  10  is converted to an insulated opening which can then be used to mount device  10  to an underlying structure utilizing conductive or conventional mechanical fasteners.  
         [0020]     According to the invention, the bottom portion  24  of an opening  14  is drilled out. This hole is drilled through the bottom of conductive block  12  and through the corresponding portion of insulative layer  20 , and an insert member  26  is then advantageously disposed within opening  14  and extending through the drilled bottom portion  24 . Adaptor or insert member  26  is advantageously provided of an insulative material, and when positioned within opening  14  advantageously serves to provide an opening through which mechanical fasteners can be positioned without risk of contact or conductivity between the mechanical fastener and block  12 . Bottom portion  24  is preferably drilled to approximately the same size as adaptor  26 .  
         [0021]     Adaptor  26  will be further described below, but is advantageously sized and dimensioned for secure force fitting within opening  14 .  
         [0022]     It should also be appreciated that although  FIG. 2  shows adaptor  26  being positioned in one end opening  14  of device  10 , it is preferred to position as many adaptors  26  in a device  10  as are necessary to provide secure mounting of device  10  as desired, while nevertheless allowing for the necessary connections to be made through device  10  as well. In this regard, the embodiment shown illustrates a four opening device  10 . These electrical connector devices  10  can be provided having a large variety of numbers of openings, and the present invention is equally applicable to other configurations.  
         [0023]     It should also be appreciated that while positioning of adaptors  26  in end openings, preferably in the pair of end openings on each end of device  10 , can in many instances provide for the most secure mounting of device  10 , it may be desirable and is certainly within the scope of the present invention to position adaptors  26  in interior openings either instead or as well.  
         [0024]     Turning to  FIG. 3 , a device  10  is shown in accordance with the present invention with two adaptors  26  mounted therein, on each end opening  14 . Device  10  is mounted to underlying structures schematically illustrated at  28  using conventional fasteners  30  which can now be disposed through opening  32  of adaptors  26  and into structures  28  for use in mounting device  10  to structures  28  without risk of electrical communication or connection between fasteners  30  and block  12 .  
         [0025]     In this regard, adaptors  26  are force fit into device  10 , and are preferably sized and adapted to fit snuggly into opening  14 . This in itself holds adaptor  26  securely within opening  14 . In addition, however, since mechanical fastener  30  will typically have an enlarged head which will pass over the top of adaptor  26 , the positioning of mechanical fastener  30  itself will also serve to hold adaptor  26  within opening  14  as desired.  
         [0026]     Turning to  FIG. 4 , adaptor  26  is further illustrated and preferably is a substantially elongate and tubular member having a head portion  34  preferably defining a flange  36  which is sized to extend and overlap over the top edge  38  ( FIG. 3 ) of openings  14 . Adaptor  26  also has an intermediate portion  40  which is preferably provided having an outside diameter sized to frictionally engage with threads  18  of opening  14 . Adaptor  26  further has a lower portion  42  extending to an edge  44  of adaptor  16  which is sized, preferably, to match the size of the hole to be drilled through drilled bottom portion  24 . This preferred embodiment of adaptor  26  advantageously serves to allow for converting an unmountable opening  14  such as is illustrated in  FIG. 1  to a mountable opening such as is illustrated in  FIG. 3  for use with mechanical fasteners  30  and underlying mounting structures  28  as desired.  
         [0027]     As set forth above, adaptors  26  can advantageously be provided from any suitable non-conductive material, many examples of which are well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0028]     Further, adaptor  26  is preferably provided having a length from flange portion  36  to edge  44  which substantially corresponds to the length of opening  14  after drilling of drilled portion  24  such that adaptor  26  can be positioned with flange  36  resting on the top surface of block  12 , and with bottom edge  44  substantially flush with a bottom surface of insulative coating  20 .  
         [0029]     It should be appreciated that adaptor  26  as illustrated in  FIGS. 2, 3  and  4  is a preferred embodiment, and it is well within the broad scope of the present invention to provide adaptor  26  having a different shape or structure, particularly, a different outer shape or structure, for use in engaging interior portions of opening  14 . For example, the stepped down size of adaptor  26  allows for a smaller hole to be drilled through bottom portion  24 , which is desirable so as to reduce impact upon the structural strength of the connector. Of course, it is well within the broad scope of the present invention to have an adaptor having a substantially straight outer wall.  
         [0030]     It should also be noted that interior opening  32  of adaptor  26  is advantageously sized and dimensioned to receive a typical mechanical fastener, and this dimension can be adjusted as necessary or desired. It is preferable that opening  32  be of a size sufficient to receive the largest of any suitable size mechanical fastener which may be desired for use in connection with mounting device  10  as desired.  
         [0031]     It should also be noted that conversion of an opening  14  to a mountable opening in accordance with the present invention and as described above serves to block the front and back opening  16  of device  10  for use in securement of conductive members. Front and back opening  16  for a converted opening  14  are advantageously filled with insulative plug members as described above.  
         [0032]     It should further be noted that the drilling of bottom portion  24  is preferably done in a factory setting, where machining tolerances and requirements of uniformity can readily be met, as can regulatory codes for the manufacture of such articles. Of course, it is within the broad scope of the invention to modify a connector by drilling and positioning of an insert in other settings, or even on an as used basis, although in such settings other steps may be needed to ensure conformance of the converted part.  
         [0033]     It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the illustrations described and shown herein, which are deemed to be merely illustrative of the best modes of carrying out the invention, and which are susceptible of modification of form, size, arrangement of parts and details of operation. The invention rather is intended to encompass all such modifications which are within its spirit and scope.