Strain relief means for electrical connectors

Claim 2

Strain relief means for conductors secured within a connector comprising: said connector constructed to define therein first, second and third aperture means, with said second aperture means being positioned in-between said first and third aperture means; said conductors extending out through said second aperture means from their secured points within said connector; first and second clamping elements each constructed to have a pair of legs with a foot-like member on each leg; the two legs of each pair of legs being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said first and third aperture means to enable said foot-like members to be inserted into said first and third aperture means and to enable said clamping elements to be rotated about the junctions between their legs and the said foot-like members attached thereto; said first and second clamping elements being so positioned that the said pair of legs attached thereto extend through said first and third aperture means, with the foot-like elements on one pair of legs extending in a direction opposite to the pair of foot-like elements on the other pair of legs to enable said first and second clamping elements to pivot away from each other about the junction between said legs and said foot-like elements; said first and second clamping elements each being configured to form a variable size aperture therebetween when pivoted together; said variable size aperture being variable to accommodate conductors of various cross-sectional areas passing therethrough; and securing means for securing said clamping elements together in various degrees of proximity to provide for various sizes of said variablE size aperture.

Claim 3

Strain relief means in accordance with claim 1 in which the configurations of said first and second clamping elements which form said variable size aperture are beveled to provide a narrowed surface around the perimeter of said variable size aperture means to enable better gripping of the conductors passing therethrough.

Claim 4

Strain relief means in accordance with claim 1 in which said securing means for securing said clamping elements together comprises: a fourth aperture means formed in at least one of said clamping element; a fifth aperture means formed in the other of said clamping element; and screw means which passes through said fourth aperture means in said one of said clamping element and screws into said fifth aperture means in said other clamping element.

Claim 5

The combination of a connector for terminating conductor means and a strain relief means attached to said connector and also to said conductor means to relieve physical strain on the strain on the connection between said connector and said conductor means, and comprising: first and second clamping means each comprising a pair of legs joined together at one end thereof by a cross member to form a generally U-shaped structure; said connector having a first and a second pair of facing shoulder means positioned on an exterior wall thereof; each of said legs comprising at its free end a foot-like coupling means with rounded heels; each rounded heel of said first clamping means constructed to fit against one of the rounded heels of said second clamping means to form a pair of facing rounded heels in each of said first and second facing shoulder means, with the foot-like portions extending behind said facing shoulder means to enable pivoting of said first and second clamping means about the facing, rounded surfaces of said adjacent heel portions; each of said cross members having that surface thereof which faces the other cross member configured to cooperate with the corresponding facing surface of said other cross member to form an aperture through which said conductor means passes.

Claim 6

The combination of a connector for terminating conductor means and a strain relief means attached to said connector and also to said conductor means to relieve physical strain on the strain on the connection between said connector and said conductor means, and comprising: first and second clamping means each comprising a pair of legs joined together at one end thereof by a cross member to form a generally U-shaped structure; said connector having a first and a second pair of facing shoulder means positioned on an exterior wall thereof; each of said legs comprising at its free end a foot-like coupling means with rounded heels; each rounded heel of said first clamping means constructed to fit against one of the rounded heels of said second clamping means to form a pair of facing rounded heels in each of said first and second facing shoulder means, with the foot-like portions extending behind said facing shoulder means to enable pivoting of said first and second clamping means about the facing, rounded surfaces of said adjacent heel portions; each of said cross members having that surface thereof which faces the other cross member configured to cooperate with the corresponding facing surface of said other cross member to form an aperture through which said conductor means passes.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 in which the said surfaces of said cross members which form said aperture are beveled to provide a narrowed surface around the perimeter of said aperture to enable better gripping of the conductor means passing therethrough.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 4 in which said securing means for securing said clamping means together comprises: a second aperture means in at least one of said clamping means; a third aperture means in the other of said clamping means; and screw means which passes through said second aperture means in said one of said clamping means and screws into the thrid aperture means in said other clamping means.

Claim 9

Strain relief means for conductor means secured within a connector comprising: a plate-like means on said connector defining first and second openings therein; said conductor means extending out from said connector at a point between said first and second openings; first and second clamping elements each having a pair of legs with a foot-like member attached to a first end of each leg; a cross member joining together the other ends of each pair of legs; the legs of each pair of legs being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said first and second openings to enable the foot-like members attached thereto to be inserted into said first and second openings whereby said clamping element can be rotated about the junctions between said legs and said foot-like members atached thereto; each of said clamping elements being positioned with the legs of the pair of legs attached thereto extending through said first and second openings and with the foot-like members on each of the two pairs of legs having rounded heels thereon and extending in opposite directions to enable said first and second clamping elements to pivot away from each other and about the junction betwEen the legs attached thereto and foot-like members attached thereon; said first and second clamping elements each being configured to form a variable size aperture between said cross members when pivoted together; said variable size aperture being variable in size to accommodate various cross-sectional areas of the secured conductor means which passes through said variable size aperture; and securing means for securing said first and second clamping elements together in various degrees of proximity to provide for various sizes of said variable size aperture.

Claim 10

Strain relief means for conductor means secured within a connector comprising: a plate-like means on said connector defining first and second openings therein; said conductor means extending out from said connector at a point between said first and second openings; first and second clamping elements each having a pair of legs with a foot-like member attached to a first end of each leg; a cross member joining together the other ends of each pair of legs; the legs of each pair of legs being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said first and second openings to enable the foot-like members attached thereto to be inserted into said first and second openings whereby said clamping element can be rotated about the junctions between said legs and said foot-like members atached thereto; each of said clamping elements being positioned with the legs of the pair of legs attached thereto extending through said first and second openings and with the foot-like members on each of the two pairs of legs having rounded heels thereon and extending in opposite directions to enable said first and second clamping elements to pivot away from each other and about the junction betwEen the legs attached thereto and foot-like members attached thereon; said first and second clamping elements each being configured to form a variable size aperture between said cross members when pivoted together; said variable size aperture being variable in size to accommodate various cross-sectional areas of the secured conductor means which passes through said variable size aperture; and securing means for securing said first and second clamping elements together in various degrees of proximity to provide for various sizes of said variable size aperture.

Claim 11

Strain relief means in accordance with claim 7 in which the configurations of said cross members of said first and second clamping elements defining said variable size aperture means are beveled to provide a narrowed surface around said variable sized aperture means to enable better gripping of the conductor means passing therethrough.

Claim 12

Strain relief means in accordance with claim 7 in which said securing means comprises: at least one of said clamping element having an aperture means therein; the other of said clamping element having a bore formed therein; screw means which passes through said aperture means in said one of said clamping element and screws into the bore in said other clamping element.

Claim 13

Strain relief means for conductors secured within a connector comprising; a plate-like means on said connector defining first second and third apertures therein, with said second aperture being positioned between said first and third aperture; said conductors extending out through said second aperture from secured points within said connector; first and second clamping elements each having a pair of legs with a foot-like member attached to each leg; each leg of each pair of legs being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said first and third apertures to enable the foot-like members attached thereto to be inserted into said first and third apertures, whereby said clamping element can be rotated about the junctions between said legs and the foot-like members attached thereto; each of said clamping elements being positioned with the legs of the pair of legs thereon extending through said first and third apertures and with the foot-like member on each of the two pairs of legs extending in opposite directions to enable said first and second clamping means to pivot away from each other and towards each other about the junctions between the legs and attached foot-like members thereon; said first and second clamping means each being configured, when pivoted together, to form a variable size aperture therebetween and to grip said conductors within said variable size aperture.

Claim 14

Strain relief means for conductors secured within a connector comprising; a plate-like means on said connector defining first second and third apertures therein, with said second aperture being positioned between said first and third aperture; said conductors extending out through said second aperture from secured points within said connector; first and second clamping elements each having a pair of legs with a foot-like member attached to each leg; each leg of each pair of legs being spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between said first and third apertures to enable the foot-like members attached thereto to be inserted into said first and third apertures, whereby said clamping element can be rotated about the junctions between said legs and the foot-like members attached thereto; each of said clamping elements being positioned with the legs of the pair of legs thereon extending through said first and third apertures and with the foot-like member on each of the two pairs of legs extending in opposite directions to enable said first and second clamping means to pivot away from each other and towards each other about the junctions between the legs and attached foot-like members thereon; said first and second clamping means each being configured, when pivoted together, to form a variable size aperture therebetween and to grip said conductors within said variable size aperture.

Claim 15

Strain relief means for conductors extending outwardly from a connector and comprising first and second aperture means formed in said connector; first and second clamping means each having a generally U-shaped configuration with the two vertical open-ended portions of the U comprising legs whose open extremities each of said legs having a foot-like element attached to its open extremity and positioned substantially normal thereto, with the foot-like elements on each pair of legs being similarly space-oriented and each lying in a plane normal to a line joining together similar points on said legs; each of said clamping means each having their pair of legs extending through said aperture means so that said foot-like elements are extended entirely through said aperture means and, when the two clamping elements are pivoted together, form a locking means to prevent withdrawal of said clamping means from said aperture means; are positioned spatially apart a distance equal to the distance between the said two aperture means in the said connector, and a cross member joining together the pair of legs at one end thereof; and the cross member of each clamping means configured to define an arcuately shaped concave edge which faces towards a similar arcuately shaped edge in the other clamping means to form a third aperture means in which said conductors are gripped when said clamping means are inserted in said first and second aperture means and pivoted towards each other.

Claim 16

Strain relief means for conductors extending outwardly from a connector and comprising first and second aperture means formed in said connector; first and second clamping means each having a generally U-shaped configuration with the two vertical open-ended portions of the U comprising legs whose open extremities each of said legs having a foot-like element attached to its open extremity and positioned substantially normal thereto, with the foot-like elements on each pair of legs being similarly space-oriented and each lying in a plane normal to a line joining together similar points on said legs; each of said clamping means each having their pair of legs extending through said aperture means so that said foot-like elements are extended entirely through said aperture means and, when the two clamping elements are pivoted together, form a locking means to prevent withdrawal of said clamping means from said aperture means; are positioned spatially apart a distance equal to the distance between the said two aperture means in the said connector, and a cross member joining together the pair of legs at one end thereof; and the cross member of each clamping means configured to define an arcuately shaped concave edge which faces towards a similar arcuately shaped edge in the other clamping means to form a third aperture means in which said conductors are gripped when said clamping means are inserted in said first and second aperture means and pivoted towards each other.