Connector cover

Claim 2

A cover for a multiple conductor electrical connector block, comprising generally U-shaped wall means of sheet material including a pair of generally parallel legs and bridging means interconnecting said legs in spaced relationship, said legs having ends spaced from said bridging means, and tab means on each of said legs interengaging said legs to limit spreading of said ends in the direction perpendicular to said legs, said tab means including a first tab on one of said legs and a second tab on the other of said legs, said first tab having an outer surface parallel to said one leg, a third tab extending from said second tab toward said one leg, and a fourth tab extending from said third tab and overlying said outer surface of said first tab to restrain separation of said legs in said direction.

Claim 3

The cover according to claim 1, wherein said wall means includes opposed strap receiving openings, and strap means cooperable with said openings and wall means to clasp the conductors of a connector block in the space between said wall means and strap means.

Claim 4

The cover according to claim 2, wherein said wall means has opposite ends, said opposed openings being located in said wall means adjacent one of said opposite ends.

Claim 5

The cover according to claim 2, wherein said strap means has opposite ends extending through said openings, means restraining one of said opposite ends of said strap means against passage through the corresponding opening in the direction toward the other opening, and means between said one end and the other of said opposite ends of said strap means for releaseably interengaging said strap means and said other opening.

Claim 6

The cover according to claim 4, wherein said means for interengaging said strip means and said other opening includes serrations on said strap means interengageable with at least one of the edges defining said other opening.

Claim 7

The cover according to claim 4, wherein said other opening has opposed serrated edges and said strap means has opposed serrated edges interengageable therewith.

Claim 8

The cover according to claim 4, wherein said wall means has opposite ends, said tab means including tabs on each of said legs at each of said opposite ends of said wall means.

Claim 9

A cover for a multiple conductor electrical connector block, comprising generally U-shaped wall means of sheet material including a pair of generally parallel legs and bridging means interconnecting said legs in spaced relationship, said legs having ends spaced from said bridging means, tab means on each of said legs interengaging said legs to limit spreading of said ends in the direction perpendicular to said legs, said wall means having opposite ends, said tab means including tabs on each of said legs at each of said opposite ends of said wall means, said tabs including a first tab on one of said legs and a second tab on the other of said legs, said first tab having an outer surface parallel to said one leg, a third tab extending from said second tab toward said one leg, and a fourth tab extending from said third tab and overlying said outer surface of said first tab to restrain separation of said legs in said direction.

Claim 10

A cover for a multiple conductor electrical connector block, comprising generally U-shaped wall means of sheet material including a pair of generally parallel legs and bridging means interconnecting said legs in spaced relationship, said legs having ends spaced from said bridging means, tab means on each of said legs interengaging said legs to limit spreading of said ends in the direction perpendicular to said legs, said wall means having opposite ends, said tab means including tabs on each of said legs at each of said opposite ends of said wall means, said tabs including a first tab on one of said legs and a second tab on the other of said legs, said first tab having an outer surface parallel to said one leg, a third tab extending from said second tab toward said one leg, and a fourth tab extending from said third tab and overlying said outer surface of said first tab to restrain separation of said legs in said direction.

Claim 11

The cover according to claim 8, wherein said legs of said wall means have opposite end edges and said tabs are disposed longitudinally outwardly from the corresponding end edges of said legs.

Claim 12

The cover according to claim 9, wherein said legs, bridging means and tabs are integral with one another.

Claim 13

The cover according to claim 10, wherein said third tab is apertured for interconnecting the cover with a connector block.

Claim 14

A cover for a multiple conductor electrical connector block, comprising generally U-shaped wall means of sheet material including a pair of generally parallel legs and bridging means interconnecting said legs in spaced relationship, said legs having ends spaced from said bridging means, tab means on each of said legs interengaging said legs to limit spreading of said ends in the direction perpendicular to said legs, said wall means including opposed strap openings, strap means cooperable with said openings and wall means to clasp the conductors of a connector block in the space between said wall means and strap means, said strap means having opposite ends extending through said openings, means restraining one of said opposite ends of said strip means against passage through the corresponding opening in the direction toward the other opening, means between said one end and the other of said opposite ends of said strip means for releasably interengaging said strip means and said other opening, said wall means having opposite ends, said tab means including tabs on each of said legs at each of said opposite ends of said wall means, said tabs including a first tab on one of said legs and a second tab on the other of said legs, said first tab having an outer surface parallel to said one leg, a third tab extending from said second tab toward said one leg, and a fourth tab extending from said third tab and overlying said outer surface of said first tab to restrain separation of said legs in said direction.

Claim 15

A cover for a multiple conductor electrical connector block, comprising generally U-shaped wall means of sheet material including a pair of generally parallel legs and bridging means interconnecting said legs in spaced relationship, said legs having ends spaced from said bridging means, tab means on each of said legs interengaging said legs to limit spreading of said ends in the direction perpendicular to said legs, said wall means including opposed strap openings, strap means cooperable with said openings and wall means to clasp the conductors of a connector block in the space between said wall means and strap means, said strap means having opposite ends extending through said openings, means restraining one of said opposite ends of said strip means against passage through the corresponding opening in the direction toward the other opening, means between said one end and the other of said opposite ends of said strip means for releasably interengaging said strip means and said other opening, said wall means having opposite ends, said tab means including tabs on each of said legs at each of said opposite ends of said wall means, said tabs including a first tab on one of said legs and a second tab on the other of said legs, said first tab having an outer surface parallel to said one leg, a third tab extending from said second tab toward said one leg, and a fourth tab extending from said third tab and overlying said outer surface of said first tab to restrain separation of said legs in said direction.

Claim 16

The cover according to claim 12, wherein said legs of said wall means have opposite enD edges and said tabs are disposed longitudinally outwardly from the corresponding end edges of said legs.

Claim 17

The cover according to claim 13, wherein said wall means is plastic and said strap means is a plastic strip, and means fastening said one end of said strap means to said wall means to provide said restraining means.

Claim 18

A sheet material blank for forming a U-shaped cover for an electrical connector block, said blank having an axis, an exposed pair of side edges extending in the direction of said axis and opposed pair of end edges extending laterally with respect to said axis, first and second tabs extending from each of said end edges in the direction of said axis and on opposite sides thereof, and tab means extending toward said axis only from said second tabs at each of said end edges, said first tabs being located at one of the diagonally opposite corner areas of the blank, and said second tabs being located at the other of the diagonally opposite corner areas.

Claim 19

A sheet material blank for forming a U-shaped cover for an electrical connector block, said blank having an axis, an exposed pair of side edges extending in the direction of said axis and opposed pair of end edges extending laterally with respect to said axis, first and second tabs extending from each of said end edges in the direction of said axis and on opposite sides thereof, and tab means extending toward said axis only from said second tabs at each of said end edges, said first tabs being located at one of the diagonally opposite corner areas of the blank, and said second tabs being located at the other of the diagonally opposite corner areas.

Claim 20

The blank according to claim 15, and openings through said blank between said end edges and on opposite sides of said axis.

Claim 21

The blank according to claim 15, wherein said sheet material is metal.

Claim 22

A sheet material blank for forming a U-shaped cover for an electrical connector block, said blank having an axis, an exposed pair of side edges extending in the direction of said axis and an opposed pair of end edges extending laterally with respect to said axis, first and second tabs extending from each of said end edges in the direction of said axis and on opposite sides thereof, tab means extending toward axis from one of said first and second tabs at each of said end edges, and openings through said blank between said end edges and on opposite sides of said axis, at least a portion of the edges of one of said openings through said blank being serrated.

Claim 23

A sheet material blank for forming a U-shaped cover for an electrical connector block, said blank having an axis, an exposed pair of side edges extending in the direction of said axis and an opposed pair of end edges extending laterally with respect to said axis, first and second tabs extending from each of said end edges in the direction of said axis and on opposite sides thereof, tab means extending toward axis from one of said first and second tabs at each of said end edges, and openings through said blank between said end edges and on opposite sides of said axis, at least a portion of the edges of one of said openings through said blank being serrated.

Claim 24

The blank according to claim 18, wherein said first tabs are located at one of the diagonally opposite corner areas of the blank, said second tabs are located at the other of the diagonally opposite corner areas, and said tab means extend from said second tabs.

Claim 25

The blank according to claim 19, wherein said sheet material is plastic.