Abstract:
A swivel fitting comprising a tubular entry member and a tubular exit member, the internal diameter of the tubular exit member being larger than the internal diameter of the tubular entry member, thus facilitating the transition of an inserted cable or cable or wire bundle from the tubular entry member to the tubular exit member even when the connector is configured at an angle of less than 180 degrees. Planar, relatively rotatable and mating flanges located at the exit end of the entry member and the input end of the exit member provide a common centerline and are joined by means of a threaded collar, thereby permitting configuration of the swivel fitting at angles between about 90 and 180 degrees.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to connectors for the installation of electrical cable and more particularly to such a connector that is capable of swiveling between 90 and 180 degrees to provide secure and protected fastening to an electrical cable to, for example, a distribution or circuit box. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,631 to Gretz describes a swivel fitting for electrical conduit or pipes that, while providing the variability of angular configuration of similar prior art couplings, is easy to assemble and also provides a relatively smooth internal conduit for the easy insertion and installation of electrical cable or communications wiring without the need for the application of any undue stress thereon imposed by twisting, maneuvering or hard pushing. The swivel fitting described in this reference includes a pair of tubular members each having an internal diameter of approximately the same dimension. While this swivel fitting generally provides adequate access to its interior without the application of any undue stress upon an inserted cable or communications wire, it has been found that in certain applications where the cable or communications wire is inserted after the connector has been located in its angular configuration, i.e. not at an angle of 180 degrees, there often remains a certain amount of resistance to insertion as the inserted cable or wire “turns the corner” within the fitting. This is in large part due to the fact that the installer often tries to insert as much cable or wire as possible into a single fitting thus, “filing up” the input side of the fitting, thereby making it difficult for the cable or wire to “turn the corner” at the point inside of the fitting where angular change occurs. It would thus be desirable to have a swivel fitting that avoids such binding of inserted cable or wire at the point of angular change as just described. 
   OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a swivel fitting capable of angular orientation at angles from about 90 to about 180 degrees that allows for easy insertion of a cable, a bundle of cables or a bundle of wires even in an angular configuration of less than 180 degrees without the need to apply any undue stress to the inserted cable or wire. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, there is provided a swivel fitting comprising a tubular entry member and a tubular exit member, the internal diameter of the tubular exit member preferably being larger than the internal diameter of the tubular entry member, thus facilitating the transition of an inserted cable or cable or wire bundle from the tubular entry member to the tubular exit member even when the connector is configured at an angle of less than 180 degrees. Planar, relatively rotatable and mating flanges located at the exit end of the entry member and the input end of the exit member provide a common centerline and are joined by a variety of mechanisms, thereby permitting configuration of the swivel fitting at angles between about 90 and 180 degrees. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the swivel fitting of the present invention configured at an angle of less than 180 degrees. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the exit portion of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view showing insertion of the swivel fitting of the present invention into a junction box. 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the entry portion of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the entry portion of the swivel fitting of the present invention along the line  6 — 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the collar of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the entry portion of the swivel fitting of the present invention along the line  8  — 8  of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the entry portion of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a partially phantom end view of the collar of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of yet another alternative embodiment of the swivel fitting of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the swivel fitting  10  of the present invention comprises an entry member  12 , an exit member  14  and a collar  16 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 8 , entry member  12  comprises a first end  18  having a first cylindrical portion  20  and a second cylindrical portion  22  the diameter D 1  of portion  20  being greater than diameter D 2  of portion  22 . Entry member  12  has a second end  24  at the extremity of second cylindrical portion  22 . Second end  24  of entry member  12  is surrounded by an annular flange  26  at an approximately 45 degree angle ø from the centerline  27  of exit end  24 . As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , collar  16  having a circular aperture  28  therein slideably and peripherally engages outer periphery  30  of entry member  12 . The diameter of aperture  28 , D 6  is adequate to allow collar  16  to pass over outer periphery  30  while the diameter D 7  of annular flange  26  is larger than the diameter of aperture  28  thus permitting collar  16  to pass over outer periphery  30  but to engage annular flange  26 . Collar  16  has an overall diameter D 5  as defined by aperture  32  that lies inside of threads  34  shown in phantom in  FIG. 10 . Diameter D 5  is the same as the outer diameter of flange  44  described below. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , exit member  14  comprises a first end  36 , a second end  38 , a first cylindrical interior  40  proximate first end  36  and a second cylindrical interior  42  proximate second end  38 , diameter D 3  of first cylindrical interior  40  being of a larger diameter than diameter D 4  of second cylindrical interior  42  and diameter D 4  being of a larger diameter than D 2  previously described. Second end  38  of exit member  14  has an annular flange  44  about its periphery and annular flange  44  incorporates threads  46  about its outer periphery. Annular flange  44 , like its counterpart annular flange  26  is oriented at a 45 degree angle to centerline  47  of exit portion  14 . 
   Peripheral flanges  26  and  44  are of approximately the same diameter and as best seen in  FIG. 1 , when swivel fitting  10  is assembled, meet in facing relationship with each other with centerlines  27  and  47  in registration to provide a continuous cylindrical passage made up of portions  20 ,  22 ,  38  and  36 . According to the preferred embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1–10 , collar  16  about periphery  30  is then slid toward annular flange  26  and threads  34  engaged with threads  46  to draw entry member  12  toward exit member  14 . With annular flanges  26  and  46  in contacting relationship, swivel fitting  10  can be rotated by relative rotation of entry member  12  and exit member  14  to any angle ranging from 180 degrees as shown in  FIG. 1  to 90 degrees as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . Once arranged at the proper angle, entry portion  12  and exit portion  14  are fastened together by tightening collar  16  about threads  46 . While, as described above, when assembled as shown in  FIG. 1 , centerlines  27  and  47  are in registration, it will be readily apparent from a study of  FIG. 6  that when thus assembled, centerline  29  of diameter D 4  of second cylindrical interior  42  is offset from centerlines  27  and  47  because of the differences in dimensions between diameters D 3  and D 4 . 
   Because of the relative differences in the diameters of interior portions  22  and  42 , cable or cable or wire bundles inserted into interior portion  22  are of necessity small enough as to be readily inserted into interior portion  42  with little if any maneuvering. Thus, the problems of cable or wire stress encountered with similar prior art fittings referred to above are avoided. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , swivel fitting  10  preferably incorporates a pair of additional fittings  50  and  52 . These devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,432 in the case of quick connect/disconnect fitting  50  and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,106 in the case of cable or cable or wire bundle securing device  52 . The disclosures and descriptions contained in these patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties as if the entire specifications, drawings and claims thereof were specifically recited herein. The best examples of these members for incorporation into the swivel fitting of the instant invention are, in the case of element  50 , that shown in  FIG. 2  of U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,432 and for element  52 , those depicted in  FIGS. 18 through 23  of U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,106. As will be clear to the skilled artisan element  50  engages about the outer periphery of reduced diameter portion  62  of exit member  14  while element  52  is inserted into tubular interior portion  20  of entry member  12  as shown in the accompanying drawings. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 4  installation of swivel fitting  10  in a junction box  56  is accomplished by insertion of quick connect/disconnect fitting  50  (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,432) into aperture  54  in junction box  56 . Cable or cable or wire bundle securing device  52  on the other hand is inserted into cylindrical portion  20  of entry portion  12  to assist with the retention of inserted cable or wiring  58  as described in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,106. 
   According to a highly preferred embodiment, swivel connector  10  includes a polymeric or similar cylindrical insert  60  in first end  18  of entry portion  12  to protect inserted cable or wiring  58  from abrasion during and after installation. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 11 and 12  that depict alternative embodiments of the present invention, swivel fitting  10  remains essentially the same as regards the principal elements, members  12  and  14  including fittings  50  and  52 , but the structure of flange  44  is altered to provide an alternative means of rotatably attaching portions  12  and  14 . As depicted in  FIG. 11 , flange  26  of member  12  inserts into a mating channel  70  formed in annular flange  44  of member  14 . A bolt  72 , thumb screw or the like is inserted through an aperture  74  in an extension  76  of annular flange  44  that serves to define channel  70 . After insertion of annular flange  26  into channel  70  and rotation to the appropriate angle, bolt, thumb screw or the like  72  is tightened to hold members  12  and  14  in a fixed position relative to each other. 
   In the alternative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 12 , annular flange  26  is modified to provide extensions  78  and  80 . Extension  78  provides an aperture for the insertion of bolt, thumb screw or the like fastener  82  into an annular recess  84  at the interior of annular flange  44 , while extension  80  of annular flange  26  is provided with an annular tab  86  that engages annular recess  84 . In accordance with this embodiment, assembly is accomplished by loosening bolt  82 , so as not to interfere with the insertion of flange  44  into the area between extensions  78  and  80 , engaging annular tab  86  with annular recess  84 , rotating members  12  and  14  to the appropriate angle and then tightening bolt  82  to secure members  12  and  14  to each other. 
   As will be apparent to the skilled artisan, the arrangement of annular extensions  76  and  80  could be reversed between entry members  12  and exit member  14  such that annular extension  76  in  FIG. 11  and annular extension  80  in  FIG. 12  were incorporated into annular flange  26  instead of annular flange  44 . In these embodiments, annular flange  44  would engage a channel  70  in a modified annular flange  26  and tab  86  would be incorporated into annular flange  44  and engage a recess  84  in annular flange  26 . 
   As the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.