Patent Abstract:
A wire connector having a collar surrounding a set of wire ports in a wire connector with the collar providing a collective shield between an environment external to the collar the collar but not between the set of wires within the collar.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from provisional application 61/959,712 filed Aug. 30, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to push-in wire connectors and, more specifically, to a universal push-in wire connector having a collar for collectively shielding different sizes or types of wires. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     None 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Twist on wire connectors having a single port for twistingly engaging two or more wires are known in the art. In one type of twist on wire connector a skirt is placed around the open coil end of the twist on wire connector. The skirt extends outward from the sides of the coil end in the twist on wire connector. In the event the bare ends of the wires, which are twistingly joined in a bundle in the wire connector, are axially uneven or if the twisting of wires causes the bare ends of the bundled wires to be axially displaced with respect to one another, the skirt, which extends outward from the coil provides isolation protection to ensure that any exposed portion of the bundled electrical wires is isolated from objects external to the wire connector. This type of wire connector with a single wire port and bundled wires relies on a frusto conical or cylindrical skirt located around the open end of the wire port of the individual twist-on wire connectors and requires each of the electrical wires to be simultaneously formed into electrical engagement with each other. An example of such a skirt is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,606. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A push-in wire connector having a plurality of wire ports with the plurality of wire ports surrounded by a single collar that isolates all the electrical wires from the environment external to the wire connector but not from each other with each of the wire ports, which are spaced from one another containing at least one resilient conductor wherein the spring force of the resilient conductor is sufficient to electrically engage a wire that is axially inserted into a port in the push-in connector. The multiport push-in wire connector allows one to sequentially insert individual wires into the push-in wire connector to sequentially form electrical connections between each of the wires while at the same time the collar collectively provides on-the-go isolation of each of the wires from the environment external to the wire connector. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a push-in wire connector with a multiport collar; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front view of a push-in wire connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross sectional view of the push-in wire connector of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  3 - 3 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a collar for a push-in wire connector; 
         FIG. 5  shows a left side view of the collar of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows front view of the push-in wire connector of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a right side view of the collar of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a back view of the push-in wire connector of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows a top view of the push-in wire connector of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 10  shows a bottom view of the push-in wire connector of  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a push-in wire connector  11  in dashed lines with a collar  20  mounted proximate the end of the push-in wire connector. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a push-in wire connector  10  with a set of wires,  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46  therein and for purposes of clarity  FIG. 2  shows a front view of push-in wire connector  10  without the wires. Wire connector  10  includes a housing  11  having a first cylindrical wire socket or wire port  12 , a second cylindrical wire socket or wire port  13 , a third cylindrical wire socket or wire port  14  and a fourth cylindrical wire socket or wire port  15  each having an axial cylindrical wire inlet passage for axial insertion of a wire therein. As shown in  FIG. 1  push-in wire connector  10  contains a first wire  46  in wire port  12 , a second wire  44  in wire port  13 , a third wire  42  in port  14  and a fourth wire  40  in wire port  15  (see  FIG. 2 ) with each of the wires extending through an electrically insulating collar  20 . 
     In joining ends of wires into an electrical connection in the waterproof push-in wire connector  10  a first end of a wire  46 , which has been stripped of the electrical insulation cover, is axially inserted into first socket  12  and a further wire end  44 , which has also been stripped of the electrical insulation cover is axially inserted into second socket  13  with each of the bare wire ends entering into engagement with a common bus strip  23 , which is visible in ports  12 ,  13 ,  14 , and  15  ( FIG. 2 ) to form an electrical connection between the ends of the wires. In the example shown in  FIG. 3  wire  42 , which has a stripped end  41  has been axially inserted into port  15  for forming electrical contact with the common bus strip  23 . The common bus strip  23  allows each of the individual wires  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46  to be electrically joined within the push-in wire connector  10  through axial insertion of the wires into the respective ports of the push-in wire connector. 
     The push-in wire connector  10  allows one to quickly form an electrical connection of a number of wires of different size to each other through use of multiple ports and a common bus strip  23  since the resilient members in each port of the push-in wire connector flexes to adapt to the size of the electrical wire. That is, by axially inserting a wire into electrical contact the at least one resilient member  21  or  22  in the push-in wire connector in port  15  one forms electrical contact between the electrical wire and the bus strip. 
       FIG. 3  shows resilient strips  21  and  22  that frictionally engaging a wire end  41  with the edges  22   b  and  21   b  of the resilient strips biting into the wire  41  to both form an electrical contact and hold the wire  41  within the wire port so that the wire cannot be accidentally pulled out of the connector. Similarly, identical resilient strips within the other ports engage a wire end therein with the edges of the resilient strips biting into the wire to both form an electrical contact and hold the wire within the wire port so that the wires cannot be accidentally pulled out of the connector. 
     A feature of the push-in wire connectors with a collar is that a protected electrical connection between two or more wires can be obtained without requiring additional steps such as rotating a bundle of wires, squeezing the bundle of wires or forcing jaws or clamps around the bundle of electrical wires. In addition, in order to avoid accidentally electrical contact between the wires in the axial passages and the environment outside the wire connector the invention described herein utilizes a single electrically insulating collar to surround all of the wires but not an individual wire. This feature allows one to easily insert a single wire or at a later time insert additional wires in the push-in wire connector. That is, on-the-go one can insert single wires into the connector. For example, one wire at a time since there is no individual collar around the wire port to hinder the sequential insertion of wires into electrical engagement in the push-in wire connector. 
     To illustrate the formation of the electrical connection with a collar  20  reference can be made to  FIG. 3  which shows a cross sectional view of push-in wire connector  10  taken along plane  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . Push-in wire connector  10  comprises a one-piece housing  11 , which for example may be made from an electrical insulating material such as a polymer plastic and may include two or more wire passages therein which in the embodiment shown are identical to each other although the size and shape of the wire passages may be of different size or shape without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.  FIG. 3  shows a chamber  13   a  therein on one end of housing  11  and a cylindrical wire passage  15  formed by a cylindrical wall  15   a  extending into housing  11 . Located in the chamber  13   a  and held in position by housing  11  is an electrical conductor comprising an elongated bus strip  23 . Positioned proximate to the bus strip  23  is a first V shaped resilient member comprising a resilient electrical conductor  21  having a wire contact region comprising an edge  21   b  for scrapingly engaging an outer surface of an electrical wire and a second V shaped resilient member comprising a resilient electrical conductor  22  having a wire contact region comprising an edge  22   b  member into for scrapingly engaging an outer surface of an electrical wire to bring the resilient members into an electrical connection. In the example shown each of resilient conductors  21  and  22  are formed at an acute angle Θ so that the wire engaging edge  21   b  and wire engaging edge  22   b  of each of the resilient conductors exerts a downward pressure on a wire located on the bus strip  23  with sufficient force so as to maintain an electrical connection between a wire therein and the resilient conductor in the presence of the sealant. While resilient springs are shown other wire securement means may be incorporated into the push-in wire connectors. 
       FIG. 3  shows that the electrically insulating collar  20 , which is secured to port end of push-in wire connector  10  has an interior surface  20   a  with the collar having a length L and a width W with the width W greater than the diameter D of the wire passage  13 . In some cases collar  20  may be made from a rigid electrically insulating material and in other cases collar  20  may be made from a flexible electrically insulating material. In this example the multiport collar  20  is setback in all-lateral directions from the wire ports in the push-in wire connector. 
     A feature of the invention is that the universal push-in wire connector  10  can form an electrical connection with a protective collar for a plurality of electrical wires that are not bundled together.  FIG. 3  shows that housing  11  contains a chamber  13   a  with a bus strip  23  located therein. Housing  11  includes a first axial wire passage  12  in communication with the chamber  13   a , a second axial wire passage  13  in communication with the chamber  13   a , a third axial wire passage  14  in communication with chamber  13   a  and a fourth axial wire passage  15  with each of the axial wire passages having a port for insertion of an electrical wire therein. In this example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , each of the axial wire passage are located in a side by side condition in housing. As each of the wire engaging portions within the connector are the same only axial passage  13  is described herein, however, it is within the scope of the invention to have different wire engaging members in the axial passages. 
       FIG. 3  shows a first resilient conductor  22  having a wire engaging edge  22   b  for electrically engaging of a wire end  41 , which has been axially inserted into the first wire port  13   a . Connector  10  includes a second resilient conductor  21  having a wire engaging edge  21   b  for electrically engaging of the wire axially inserted into wire port  13   a  with the first resilient conductor and the second resilient conductor located in the chamber  13   a  in the housing  11 . In this example a bus strip  23  electrically connects the first resilient conductor  22  to the second resilient conductor  23  so that a wire  41  engages the first resilient conductor  22  and a second electrical wire connector  21 , which brings the first electrical wire  40 , the second electrical wire  42 , the third electrical wire  44  and the fourth electrical wire  46  into electrical communication with each other through the common bus strip  23  and the resilient members located therein. 
     Located external to the housing  11  is the electrically insulated collar  20  having a first end  20   b  secured to end  11   a  of housing  11  with electrically insulated collar  20  radially or laterally spaced from a sidewall  12   a  wire port  12 , a sidewall  13   a  wire port  13 , a sidewall  14   a  wire port  14  and a sidewall  15   a  wire port  15 , as well as laterally spaced from the wires  40 ,  42 ,  44 , and  46 . In the example shown the collar  20  simultaneously encompasses the first wire port  12 , the second wire port  13 , the third wire port  14  and the fourth wire port  14  with the collar  20  cantilevered outward from an end  11   a  of the housing. In this example the collar provides unfettered access to each of the wire ports  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  while inhibiting electrical contact between a wire in either of the wire ports and an object external to electrical insulated collar. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  the electrical wire  41  is located within the collar  20  to protect the electrical wire from the environment  35  external to the wire connector, however, the collar  20  is not needed to protect the wires  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46  from electrical contact with each other within the collar  20  since wires  40 ,  42 ,  44  and  46  are connected to the same bus strip  23 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 1  the collar  20  does not hinder formation of an electrical connection within housing  11  since there is sufficient space to axially insert the wire end yet at the same time the collar protects each of the electrical wires therein from contact with an object in the environment  35  external to the wire connector  10 . 
     In the example shown the first resilient conductor  22  may exert a larger downward force than the second resilient conductor  21  through the use of resilient conductors of the same material but of different thickness. Consequently, in some cases the rigidity of the wires may be the such that only one of the resilient conductors is in engagement with the wire. If the ends of the wires have been stripped to the same length a portion of the stripped end of the wire may extend outside the port of the push-in wire connector. In other cases the stripping of the wire ends may not be equal which may cause a portion of the stripped end of the wire to extend outside the wire port of the push-in wire connector. 
       FIG. 2  shows and end view of the push-in connector with each of the wire ports  12 ,  13 ,  14  and  15  spaced from each other. For example port  22  is spaced from port  15  and port  13 . Port  22  is also spaced from the bottom of the housing by a distance “b” and the top of the housing by a distance “a”.  FIG. 2  show the collar  20  is setback from the wire ports to provide an enlarged wire entry. That is, the single collar  20  extends around the end of housing  11  and encompasses all four wire ports  12 ,  13 ,  14 , and  15  with the collar laterally setback from the wire ports to provide access to the ports in the push-in wire connector. While the push-in wire connector is shown with insulating and waterproofing material  30  in the connector  10  the collar of the present invention may be used with a push-in wire connector without an insulating and waterproofing material therein. 
     To illustrate the ornamental design of the push-in collar  20  references should be made to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 11  where: 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a push-in collar  20  for securing to an end face of a push-in wire connector; 
       FIG. 5  shows a left side view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  shows front view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 7  shows a right side view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 8  shows a back view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 9  shows a top view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 10  shows a bottom view of the push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 11  shows a perspective of a push-in wire connector  11  in dashed lines with a push-in collar  20  of  FIG. 4  mounted proximate the end of the push-in wire connector.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7