Cable connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising first and second conductors each having an axially extending cylindrical exterior surface, a resilient connector sleeve electrically connected on one end of the first conductor, said connector sleeve comprising a plurality of axially extending conductive petals arranged in generally circular spatial relation and biased radially inward, each of said petals adjacent one end thereof being adapted to be telescoped over a frictionally engaged with said cylindrical surface of the second conductor, a pilot pin of nonconductive material extending axially from and beyond the leading end of one of said conductors and a co-axial socket at the leading end of the other conductor, said socket being adapted to slideably receive said pin for coaxially aligning said cylindrical surface of the second conductor with said petals of said connector sleeve prior to and during axial movement of said cylindrical surface of said second conductor into telescopic engagement with said petals of said connector sleeve.

Claim 3

The electrical connector of claim 1 in which each of said petals has two points of contact adjacent each end thereof with said cylindrical surface of said conductors.

Claim 4

The electrical connector of claim 1 which also comprises a key mounted in a radially extending predetermined angular orientation in said socket and a slot in a corresponding angular orientation in said pin to slidably receive said key.

Claim 5

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the petals of said connector sleeve resiliently engage the outer cylindrical surface of said end of said first conductor, said petals being biased radially inwardly by springs which encircle the petals and cause the axially extending edges thereof to abut.

Claim 6

The electrical connector of claim 4 in which said springs comprise garter springs circumscribing said petals and bearing on the outer side thereof adjacent opposite ends of said petals, and including a rigid retainer ring mounted within each of said garter springs adjacent opposite ends of said petals to limit the extent to which the ends of said petals can be moved radially to prevent disengagement of the side edges of a petal with the side edges of its adjacent petals.

Claim 7

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said pin extends axially beyond the leading end of the conductor on which it is mounted and said socket is located at the leading end of the other conductor, said pin telescopingly engaging said socket prior to telescopic interengagement of said sleeve and said second conductor.

Claim 8

The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein said conductors comprise two pairs, one conductor in each pair being of opposite polarity from the other conductor in said pair, said pin extending axially from each conductor of one pair, said pins having axially extending grooves on the surface thereof and each conductor of the other pair having radially inwardly extending lugs at the leading ends thereof, the grooves and lugs of one set being of different arrangement than the grooves and lugs of the other set such that in each pair of conductors a conductor of one polarity can be telescopically engaged only with the sleeve on the conductor of similar polarity of the other pair.

Claim 9

The electrical connector of claIm 6 wherein said pin has an axially extending groove thereon and said other conductor has a radially inwardly prjecting lug at the leading end thereof which must register axially with said groove to enable telescopic engagement of said second conductor and said sleeve.

Claim 10

The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein the axially inner end of said groove has a circumferential extension adapted to receive said lug when the lug registers axially with said extension and one of said conductors is rotated about its axis relative to the other conductor.

Claim 11

The electrical connector of claim 9 wherein said circumferential extension is located to register with said lug after said sleeve and the second conductor have telescopically interengaged.

Claim 12

The electrical connector of claim 1 which also comprises first and second housings of nonconductive material which define chambers for said conductors which are generally closed, except at the confronting end faces of said housings, said first housing having a socket opening to the exterior thereof and adapted to telescopically receive a portion of said second housing, said housing socket being dimensioned to have a close fit with said portion of the second housing, one of said housings surrounding said first conductor and the other housing surrounding the second conductor such that when the second housing is fully received in the socket of the first housing the second conductor telescopically engages said petals of said connector sleeve, said housing socket being dimensioned to have a close fit with said portion of said second housing such that when the housings are telescopically disengaged a partial vacuum is created within the housings at the portions thereof enclosing the connected portions of said conductors, the axial extent of said housing socket being dimensioned such that when the housings are telescopically disengaged the petals of said connector sleeve disengage said second other conductor prior to disengagement of said housing socket and said second housing.

Claim 13

The electrical connector of claim 11 which also comprises a wall of a nonconductive material on said housing enclosing said one conductor, said wall being adjacent said end of said petals of said connector sleeve and having a hole therein substantially coaxial with said end of said petals, said pilot pin being carried by said first conductor and extending axially beyond the end thereof and beyond said end of said petals of said connector sleeve, said pilot pin extending coaxially with said hole in said wall, and in which said second conductor has a tubular leading end portion having an outer diameter only slightly smaller than said hole and an inner diameter only slightly greater than said pilot pin, said leading end portion of said second conductor being adapted to extend through said hole, telescope over said pilot pin and engage said end of said petals when said housings are fully telescopically engaged.

Claim 14

The electrical connector of claim 12 wherein said pin extends concentrically into said hole to define an annular opening in said wall for guiding the tubular leading end portion of said second conductor into concentric engagement with the petals of the connector sleeve.

Claim 15

The electrical connector of claim 12 including means on the inner side of said wall surrounding said hole and supporting said ends of said petals concentrically with said hole.

Claim 16

The electrical connector of claim 1 which includes first and second housings of a nonconductive material surrounding said conductors, a single conductor in each of said housings, one of said housings snugly embracing said first conductor and being circumferentially enlarged to accommodate said sleeve and extending axially beyond said sleeve, said enlarged portion of said one housing having an opening at the free end thereof concentric with the axis of the sleeve therein, the other housing snugly embracing said second conductor, the opening in the end of the first housing being dimensioned to snuGly receive the portion of the second conductor surrounded by said second housing so that when said second conductor is engaged with said sleeve the opening in the first housing forms a generally air-tight fit with the outer surface portion of the second housing.

Claim 17

The electrical connector of claim 15 wherein the opening in the first housing has a peripheral, generally radially inwardly extending flexible lip thereon dimensioned to facilitate formation of said generally air-tight fitting with the surface of the first housing.

Claim 18

The electrical connector of claim 12 which also comprises a key mounted in a radially extending predetermined angular orientation in said tubular portion of said second conductor and in which said pin has a slot in a corresponding angular orientation to slidably receive said key.

Claim 19

The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein said nonconductive pin extends coaxially beyond the free end of the first housing to at least the open end thereof, said second conductor being tubular at the free end thereof so that said pin telescopes within said second conductor with a smooth guiding fit as the two housings are interengaged before the free end of the second conductor is engaged by the leading ends of the petals of said sleeve.

Claim 20

The electrical connector of claim 18 wherein said pin has an axially extending groove therein and said second conductor has a radially inwardly extending lug at the free end thereof which must axially align and register with said groove to enable telescopic engagement of said pin and second conductor, the groove and lug arrangement being different for conductors of different voltages and polarities so that only conductors of similar voltages and polarities can be telescopically engaged.

Claim 21

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said sleeve connector comprises a tulip connector, each of said petals having a radially outwardly bowed central portion with reversely bent end portions of smaller outer diameter, said end portions having radially outwardly curved ends, the centrally bowed portion of each petal having a greater radial thickness than the reversely bent end portions, the minimum inner diameter of the centrally bowed portion being smaller than the minimum inner diameter of the reversely bent end portions so that, when said second conductor is telescopically engaged with said tulip connector, the outer surface of said second conductor first encounters the inner periphery of the reversely bent end portions and, as the second conductor is further telescoped into said sleeve, the end portion of the second conductor then contacts the inner periphery of the centrally bowed portion.

Claim 22

The electrical connector of claim 20 wherein said inner diameters of said centrally bowed portions are dimensioned such that, when said second conductor is fully telecoped within said sleeve, the reversely bent end portions are radially spaced outwardly from the outer peripheral surface of said second conductor.

Claim 23

An electrical connector comprising a pair of housings each surrounding an end of a conductor, said conductor ends being of tubular shape, one of said conductors having a nonconductive pilot pin extending coaxially beyond the end thereof, a resilient connector sleeve on the end of said one conductor and having one end thereof extending circumferentially around said pilot pin, the housing enclosing said one conductor having an end wall provided with an opening aligned axially with said pin and slightly larger in diameter than said pin, said pin extending into said opening and terminating substantially flush with the outer face of said end wall to define a narrow annular opening in said end wall, said connector sleeve being disposed behind said wall so that said wall and said pin define a dead front on said housing, the end of the other conductor being tubular and adapted to be inserted through said annular opening between the outer end of said pin and opening in said end wall to engage with said end of the resIlient connector sleeve.

Claim 24

An electrical connector comprising a pair of housings each surrounding an end of a conductor, said conductor ends being of tubular shape, one of said conductors having a nonconductive pilot pin extending coaxially beyond the end thereof, a resilient connector sleeve on the end of said one conductor and having one end thereof extending circumferentially around said pilot pin, the housing enclosing said one conductor having an end wall provided with an opening aligned axially with said pin and slightly larger in diameter than said pin, said pin extending into said opening and terminating substantially flush with the outer face of said end wall to define a narrow annular opening in said end wall, said connector sleeve being disposed behind said wall so that said wall and said pin define a dead front on said housing, the end of the other conductor being tubular and adapted to be inserted through said annular opening between the outer end of said pin and opening in said end wall to engage with said end of the resIlient connector sleeve.

Claim 25

The electrical connector of claim 22 including means on the inner side of said wall surrounding said opening and supporting said end of the resilient connector sleeve concentric with the opening.

Claim 26

The electrical connector of claim 22 wherein said connector sleeve comprises a series of petals of arcuate shape in transverse section, said petals being arranged in circumferential fashion with their longitudinal edges in abutting relation, yielding means circumferentially circumscribing said end of said connector sleeve, the opening defined by said end of the connector sleeve being smaller than the outer diameter of the end of said other conductor.

Claim 27

The electrical connector of claim 22 wherein said connector sleeve comprises a series of petals of arcuate shape in transverse section, said petals being arranged in circumferential fashion with their longitudinal edges in abutting relation, yielding means circumferentially circumsribing said end of said connector sleeve, said end wall being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connector sleeve at the portion of its inner face surrounding said opening, means in said one housing adjacent the other end of said connector sleeve forming an abutment perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said connector sleeve, said petals all being the same length and slightly shorter than the distance between said abutment and said portion of said end wall.

Claim 28

The electrical connector of claim 22 wherein the width of said annular space is not more than about 3/32 inches.

Claim 29

The electrical connector of claim 26 wherein said other conductor has a diameter of at least about 3/4 inches.

Claim 30

A tulip connector for electrically coupling a pair of conductors comprising, a plurality of axially extending conductive petals arranged in generally circular spatial relation and biased radially inwardly to define a generally circular passageway in the connector, one end of said connector being adapted to be telescoped over and frictionally engage the outer cylindrical surface of a conductor having a diameter at least slightly greater than the minimum diameter of the passageway in the connector, each of said petals having a radially outwardly bowed central portion with a reversely bent, radially outwardly extending portion at said one end of the connector, spring means seated within and extending circumferentially around the annular seat formed by the junction of said outwardly bowed portion and said reversely bent end portions of said petals, said reversely bent end portions being thinner than the portion of the outwardly bowed portion of the petal spaced axially inwardly of said junction, the radially inner surfaces of the outwardly bowed portions being curved radially outwardly to intersect with the radially inner surfaces of said reversely bent end portions at said junction so that the minimum inner diameter of the outwardly bowed portions is smaller than the inner diameter of said junction, the diameter of the portion of the passageway defined by the radially inner surfaces of the reversely bent end portions being substantially greater at the free ends of said end portions than at said junction so that, when said conductor with said cylindrical outer surface is telescopically engaged with said one end of the connector, the outer surface of the conductor first encounters the inner periphery of the reversely bent end portions and, as the conductor is further telescoped into said connector, the leading end of the conductor thereafter contacts the inner periphery of the connector at said portion of the passageway of minimum diameter which is spaced axially inwardly of said junction and causes the connector to circumferentially enlarge to thereby displace the radially inner surfaces of said petals at said junction radially outwardly from the outer surface of the conductor.

Claim 31

A tulip connector for electrically coupling a pair of conductors comprising, a plurality of axially extending conductive petals arranged in generally circular spatial relation and biased radially inwardly to define a generally circular passageway in the connector, one end of said connector being adapted to be telescoped over and frictionally engage the outer cylindrical surface of a conductor having a diameter at least slightly greater than the minimum diameter of the passageway in the connector, each of said petals having a radially outwardly bowed central portion with a reversely bent, radially outwardly extending portion at said one end of the connector, spring means seated within and extending circumferentially around the annular seat formed by the junction of said outwardly bowed portion and said reversely bent end portions of said petals, said reversely bent end portions being thinner than the portion of the outwardly bowed portion of the petal spaced axially inwardly of said junction, the radially inner surfaces of the outwardly bowed portions being curved radially outwardly to intersect with the radially inner surfaces of said reversely bent end portions at said junction so that the minimum inner diameter of the outwardly bowed portions is smaller than the inner diameter of said junction, the diameter of the portion of the passageway defined by the radially inner surfaces of the reversely bent end portions being substantially greater at the free ends of said end portions than at said junction so that, when said conductor with said cylindrical outer surface is telescopically engaged with said one end of the connector, the outer surface of the conductor first encounters the inner periphery of the reversely bent end portions and, as the conductor is further telescoped into said connector, the leading end of the conductor thereafter contacts the inner periphery of the connector at said portion of the passageway of minimum diameter which is spaced axially inwardly of said junction and causes the connector to circumferentially enlarge to thereby displace the radially inner surfaces of said petals at said junction radially outwardly from the outer surface of the conductor.

Claim 32

A tulip connector as called for in claim 28 wherein the configuration of the other end of each petal is substantially The same as said one end.

Claim 33

A tulip connector as called for in claim 28 wherein the inner surfaces of the outwardly bowed portion and the reversely bent end portion of each petal are shaped to form a sharp line of intersection at said junction.

Claim 34

A tulip connector as called for in claim 28 wherein the inner surface of each petal at said junction is defined by the line of intersection between oppositely inclined surfaces.

Claim 35

A tulip connector as called for in claim 28 wherein the inner surface of each petal at said junction is defined by the intersection between surfaces which are inclined relative to one another in a direction axially of said passageway.