US3789344A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical connector for telephone cords
Assignee: General Cable Corp
•
Filing: 1971-11-12
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Granted: 1974-01-29
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Expires: 1991-11-12
Abstract
Abstract This electrical connector has a housing and a cover hinged together. Conductors and terminals on the conductors are assembled in the housing, and the cover is then swung into closed position where it has a snap lock for holding it closed. The housing has different cavities for receiving each terminal and the upper ends of the cavities are constructed so as to distort as the terminals are inserted and then spring back to hold the terminals and their connected conductors in place. This connector cannot only be assembled in much less time than prior connectors, but in the event of an error in the relation of the terminals, the error can be easily corrected; and repairs are also facilitated since the connector can be reopened without removal of any rivets or other fastenings.
Inventors
- 👤 W Brorein
- 👤 N Humen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 09:02
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/46; H01R13/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electrical cord extends, cavities at a front end of the connector and in one side of the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover on the other side of the housing movable between open and closed positions, the conductors extending from said cavities around an end face of the housing to the side of the housing opposite the terminal cavities, the cover holding the conductors snubbed around the end face of the housing and in assembled relation with the housing when the cover is in closed position, means holding the cover against the lateral displacement on the housing, and a snap lock that is an integral part of the connector and that holds the cover in closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
155 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electrical cord extends, cavities at a front end of the connector and in one side of the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover on the other side of the housing movable between open and closed positions, the conductors extending from said cavities around an end face of the housing to the side of the housing opposite the terminal cavities, the cover holding the conductors snubbed around the end face of the housing and in assembled relation with the housing when the cover is in closed position, means holding the cover against the lateral displacement on the housing, and a snap lock that is an integral part of the connector and that holds the cover in closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The electrical connector described in claim 1 characterized by the means for holding the cover against lateral displacement on the housing, being a hinge connecting the cover to the housing, said hinge being made of plastic material that flexes to provide the hinge action.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
102 words
The electrical connector described in claim 1 characterized by the snap lock comprising a latch connected to part of the connector and made of resilient flexible elastic material that deforms to permit the latch to move into a locking location, said snap lock also comprising a part of the connector behind which the latch hooks in said locking location to hold the cover in closed position, the latch being held in said locking location by the force required to deform said flexible, elastic material, one part of the snap lock being carried by the housing and the other part by the cover.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
The electrical connector described in claim 2 characterized by the snap lock being partly on the housing and partly on the cover at locations spaced from the hinge, and at least part of the lock including a latch made of resilient, flexible elastic material that is deformed as the cover moves into closed position to provide force for holding the latch in locking position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
95 words
The electrical connector described in claim 4 characterized by the cover being substantially thinner than the housing and having a slot through it extending from an edge of the cover remote from the hinge and toward the hinge along that part of the cover that carries part of the snap lock for providing semi-flexibility in the plane of extent of the cover for distortion of the part of the snap lock that is carried by the cover, there being a snap lock on both sides of the cover and a similar slot for each lock.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The electrical connector described in claim 2 characterized by the cover and housing including the snap lock being of one piece plastic construction with the material at the hinge substantially thinner than other parts of the housing and cover for obtaining a high degRee of flexibility for effective hinge action.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
102 words
The electrical connector described in claim 6 characterized by the connector being a connector of a telephone cord, a retainer comprising a leaf spring projecting from one side of the connector at an incline to the said side and with the lower end of the incline toward the front end of the connector the retainer being distorted by a side of a receptacle as the connector is inserted into the receptacle for subsequent snap back into a depression in the receptacle to lock the connector therein, said retainer being of one piece construction with the cover, housing and hinge of the connector.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The electrical connector described in claim 7 characterized by the retainer being carried by the cover.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electrical connector described in claim 2 characterized by the cover being hinged to the housing at an end of the housing remote from the front end of the connector.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
The electrical connector described in claim 2 characterized by the cover being hinged to the housing along a side edge of the housing, which edge extends from the front end of the connector and toward the opposite end of the connector, and the locking means being carried partly by the cover and partly by the housing at the side of the housing opposite to that at which the hinge is located.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
126 words
The electrical connector described in claim 2 characterized by channels in the side of the housing opposite the side on which the cavities are located, the connector having a recessed end face and the cavities being open at one end into the recess in the end face, each conductor from the cavities having a terminal and being led around a wall in the recessed end face and back through a different one of the channels along a course under the cavities, and a chamber in the housing beyond the ends of the channels and in which all of the conductors from said channels are brought together in the electrical cord, and in which the end of the electrical cord is held and secured to said connector.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The electrical connector described in claim 11 characterized by projecting portions of the housing that hold each of the terminals in their cavities, the cover of the connector, when in closed position, covering the conductors in the channels and also covering said chamber for holding the conductors and cord in the housing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
91 words
The electrical connector described in claim 12 characterized by a collar on the cord near the end thereof within the housing, said collar surrounding the cord and gripping the cord for holding it in the connector, a recess in the housing and into which the collar fits and by which the collar is held against displacement in all directions except toward an open end of the recess, said open end of the recess being closed by the cover to retain the collar in the housing recess when the cover is closed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
154 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electric cord extends, cavities opening through one side of the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover for the connector on the other side of the housing from said cavities and that can be moved into a closed position in which it holds the conductor cord in assembled relation with the housing, each of the cavities being made of soft elastic material and having a width into which a terminal can be inserted but having an upper portion of said width, adjacent to the side of the housing through which the cavity opens, that is distorted by insertion of the terminal so that the terminal is held in the cavity by the pressure of the distorted material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
154 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electric cord extends, cavities opening through one side of the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover for the connector on the other side of the housing from said cavities and that can be moved into a closed position in which it holds the conductor cord in assembled relation with the housing, each of the cavities being made of soft elastic material and having a width into which a terminal can be inserted but having an upper portion of said width, adjacent to the side of the housing through which the cavity opens, that is distorted by insertion of the terminal so that the terminal is held in the cavity by the pressure of the distorted material.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
82 words
The electrical connector described in claim 14 characterized by the terminal being of greater width at a location substantially below the top of the cavity into which the terminal is inserted, and the cavity having elastic protuberances from its side wall above the part of the terminal that is of greatest width, the protuberances being yieldable to permit insertion of the terminal into the cavity but expanding above the said greater width of the terminal to retain the terminal in the cavity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
94 words
The electrical connector described in claim 14 characterized by each of the terminals being of generally cylindrical cross-section over a portion of its extent, and the cavity having a width as great as the diameter of said cylindrical cross-section, the housing being made of semi-flexible plastic material with protuberances at the upper part of the opposite side walls of each cavity above the maximum width of the terminal in that cavity and temporarily deformable for insertion of the terminal downward into the cavity and for holding the terminal down in the cavity after insertion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
149 words
The electrical connector described in claim 14 characterized by a contact top surface of each terminal for touching complementary contacts of the receptacle, each contact surface having an end that extends into a recess in the housing at the end of the contact surface for holding the tab against displacement, channels on the other side of the housing opposite each of the cavities, other channels near the end of the housing joining the cavities and the channels, the conductors from the terminals extending through said other channels and then along said channels on the side of the housing opposite the cavities and generally parallel to the terminals, and a chamber in the housing beyond said channels that are parallel to the terminals and into which the conductors extend and come together in the electric cord, and a hinged cover over the chamber and the channels leading to the chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
The electrical connector described in claim 17 characterized by a cord from which the conductors extend, said cord being enclosed in the chamber, a collar surrounding and gripping the cord, a section of the chamber having surfaces for holding the collar against displacement, the chamber opening through the side of the housing on which the cover is located when in closed position, and the chamber being closed by said cover to retain the collar in the chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
149 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electrical cord extends, cavities in the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover for the housing that can be moved into a closed position in which it holds the conductors in assembled relation with the housing, means holding the cover against lateral displacement on the housing, and a snap lock that is an integral part of the connector and that holds the cover in closed position and characterized by the chamber that contains the collar being near the end of the housing at which the cover is hinged to the housing so that any loading on the cover by the collar is carried more by the hinge than by the snap lock.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
149 words
An electrical connector for a multi-conductor cord including a housing into which an end portion of an electrical cord extends, cavities in the housing for receiving different conductors of the cord, a terminal at the end of each conductor and in the same cavity that receives that conductor, a cover for the housing that can be moved into a closed position in which it holds the conductors in assembled relation with the housing, means holding the cover against lateral displacement on the housing, and a snap lock that is an integral part of the connector and that holds the cover in closed position and characterized by the chamber that contains the collar being near the end of the housing at which the cover is hinged to the housing so that any loading on the cover by the collar is carried more by the hinge than by the snap lock.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
113 words
The connector described in claim 1 characterized by a supporting fitting that surrounds tbe conductor cord adjacent to the housing, a wall of the housing having an opening therein through which the conductor cord enters the housing, said opening extending to the end of the wall on the side of the wall that is adjacent to the cover when the cover is in closed position, the supporting fitting having a portion that extends through the opening, and also having shoulders in position to engage both the inside and the outside of the wall through which the opening extends to lock said supporting frame to the housing when the cover is in closed position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-28 | 1977-07-30 | 1978-01-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-28 | 1981-07-30 | 1982-01-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-28 | 1985-07-30 | 1986-01-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |