Patent Publication Number: US-7713099-B2

Title: Electrical connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to tap or splice electrical connector. 
     2. Brief Description of Prior Developments 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,278,785 discloses a cable clamp with two clamp sections which are longitudinally slid together to wedge cables in a clamping grip. U.S. Pat. No. 7,247,061 discloses a wedge inserted between two C shaped members to clamp two conductors together. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following summary is merely intended to be exemplary. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an electrical connector element is provided including a first second and a second section. The first section has a general hook shape with a first conductor contact surface on an inward facing surface of the general hook shape. The second section is integrally formed with the first section. The second section has a first side forming a second conductor contact surface and an opposite second side. The second side faces the first conductor contact surface. The second side is sized and shaped to slidably interlock directly with another electrical connector element. The second side has at least one wedging surface. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, An electrical connector assembly comprising a first one-piece member and a second one piece member. The first one-piece member comprising a first hook shaped section and a first wedging interlock section. The first hook shaped section has a first conductor contact surface on an inward facing side. The first wedging interlock section is located opposite the first conductor contact surface. The first wedging interlock section comprises a second conductor contact surface on an outward facing side of the first wedging interlock section. The second one-piece member comprises a second hook shaped section having a first conductor contact surface on an inward facing side; and a second wedging interlock section located opposite the first conductor contact surface of the second hook shaped section. The second wedging interlock section comprises a second conductor contact surface on an outward facing side of the second wedging interlock section. The second wedging interlock section is directly slidably connected to the first wedging interlock section. The first and second wedging interlock sections are shaped to move the first conductor contact surfaces of the first and second one-piece members towards each other when the first and second one-piece members are slid relative to each other. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided comprising forming a first member with a first section having a general hook shape forming a first conductor contact surface on an interior surface of the general hook shape; and integrally forming a second section having a first side forming a second conductor contact surface and an opposite second side. The second side faces the first conductor contact surface. The second side is sized and shaped to slidably interlock directly with a second member. The second side has two wedging surfaces which are stepped relative to each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an end view of an electrical connector comprising features of the invention shown connecting two conductors to each other; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the electrical connector and cables shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the electrical connector and cables shown in  FIG. 1  taken along line  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the first one-piece member of the electrical connector shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the first member shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown an end view and a side view, respectively, of an electrical connector  10  incorporating features of the invention. Although the invention will be described with reference to the example embodiment shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be embodied in many alternate forms of embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used. 
     The connector  10  is a tap or splice electrical connector configured to electrically and mechanically connect two electrical conductors A, B to each other.  FIG. 3  shows a cross sectional view of the connector taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . The connector  10  comprises a first member  12  and a second member  14 . Referring also to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first member  12  is preferably a one-piece member made of metal. The first member  12  has a general cross sectional C shape with a first section  16  and an opposite second section  18 . The first section  16  has a general hook shape with a first conductor contact surface  20 . The first conductor contact surface  20  is generally concave shaped and faces an inward direction. 
     The second section  18  comprises a first side  22  and an opposite second side  24 . The first side  22  is located at an outwardly facing exterior side of the first member  12 . The first side  22  forms a second conductor contact surface  26  (see  FIG. 5  and  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The second side  24  faces the first conductor contact surface  20 . The second side  24  comprises two wedging surfaces  28 ,  30  (see  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and  FIG. 1 ). However, in alternate embodiments more or less than two wedging surfaces could be provided. In this embodiment the two wedging surfaces  28 ,  30  are stepped relative to each other. The second side  24  is sized and shaped to slidably interlock directly with a portion of the second member  14  as seen best in  FIG. 1 . The wedging surfaces  28 ,  30  are inclined or angled, but are parallel to each other. 
     The second member  14  has a general same shape as the first member  12 . In one type of embodiment the second member  14  could be identical to the first member  12 . However, in an alternate embodiment the general shapes could be different. The second member  14  is preferably a one-piece member made of metal. The second member  14  has a general cross sectional C shape with a first section  32  and an opposite second section  34 . The first section  32  has a general hook shape with a second conductor contact surface  36  for contacting the second conductor B. The second conductor contact surface  36  is generally concave shaped and faces an inward direction. 
     The second section  34  comprises a first side  38  and an opposite second side  40 . The first side  38  is located at an outwardly facing exterior side of the second member  14 . The first side  38  forms a first conductor contact surface  42  for contacting the first conductor A. The second side  40  faces the second conductor contact surface  36 . The second side  40  comprises two wedging surfaces  44 ,  46 . However, in alternate embodiments more or less than two wedging surfaces could be provided. In this embodiment the two wedging surfaces  44 ,  46  are stepped relative to each other. The second side  40  is sized and shaped to slidably interlock directly with the second section  18  of the first member  12  as seen best in  FIG. 1 . The wedging surfaces  44 ,  46  are inclined or angled, but are parallel to each other. 
     Each member  12 ,  14  is sized and shaped to connect to a specific size conductor A, B or range of conductor sizes. More specifically, the size of member  12 ,  14  is selected based upon the size and shape of the conductor contact surface  20 ,  36  which is needed for the specific size of the conductors being connected to each other. The size and shape of the second sections  18 ,  34  are the same for any size of the members  12 ,  14 . Thus, a modular type of connector can be provided with the sizes of the first and second members  12 ,  14  being interchangeably selected dependent upon the size of the conductors A, B. The connector  10  merely comprises only the two members  12 ,  14 , but additional members could be provided. 
     To assemble the connector  10 , the conductors A, B are inserted at the surfaces  20 ,  36  and the two second sections  18 ,  34  are slidably interconnected with each other. The two members  12 ,  14  are slid relative to each other as indicated by arrows  48  in  FIG. 3 . A tool, such as pliers or a cartridge initiated tool similar to tools currently used with wedge connectors, could be used. The movement of the members  12 ,  14  in reverse directions  48  causes the wedge surfaces  28 ,  30  of the first member  12  and the wedge surfaces  44 ,  46  of the second member  14  to ride along each other. This causes the surfaces  20 ,  36  to move inward towards their opposite respective conductor surfaces  42 ,  26 . Simultaneously, first side  22  and first side  38  move towards A and B, respectively. Hence, the first conductor A is clamped between the two first conductor contact surfaces  20 ,  42 , and the second conductor B is clamped between the two second conductor contact surfaces  26 ,  36 . 
     The first sections  16 ,  32  can preferably resiliently deform to form a spring load against the conductors A, B; similar to an electrical wedge connector. This causes the two second sections  18 ,  34  to frictionally engage with each other to prevent reverse movement of the members  12 ,  14  in a direction reverse to direction  48 . Additional or alternative locking or latching of the members  12 ,  14  to each other at the final assembled position shown in  FIGS. 1-3  could be provided. In the final assembly, the two conductors A, B are electrically and mechanically connected to each other by the two members  12 ,  14 . 
     It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. For example, features recited in the various dependent claims could be combined with each other in any suitable combination(s). In addition, features from different embodiments described above could be selectively combined into a new embodiment. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.