US3891297A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical connector for attachment to multi-conductor cable
Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co Inc
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Filing: 1974-04-10
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Granted: 1975-06-24
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Expires: 1994-04-10
Abstract
Abstract The subject connector includes a hollow body having a plurality of angularly spaced contacts mounted therein. Each of the contacts has a terminal end for electrical connection to a bare end of one of the conductors of a multi-conductor cable. The hollow body is formed of insulating material and contains compartments which enclose the terminal ends of the spaced contacts. The contacts may carry either male blades or female contacts for engagement with mating contacts carried by an opposing connector. A cap or cover closes a rear end of the hollow body and contains spaced funnel-shaped openings which receive and guide the bare ends of the respective contacts. The bare ends of the conductors are clamped in firm electrical contact with the terminal ends by means of a movable wiring insert. The insert carries cams which engage with and urge movable ends of leaf springs against the bare ends of the conductors and force the conductors against the terminal ends of the contacts in movement of the insert in one direction in the body. The wiring insert is moved in said one direction against a return spring by a screw which threadably engages with the insert and has a headed end accessible from a front face of the body. The clamping action for a number of conductors takes place simultaneously in response to turning the single screw in one direction. Release of the conductors is obtained by turning the screw in the opposite direction. The screw and the spring raise the insert to permit the ends of the conductors to be withdrawn from engagement with the terminal ends of the contacts.
Inventors
- 👤 John M Poliak
- 👤 Juan M Lopez
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:45
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/28; H01R4/48; H01R4/489
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
In an electrical connector for attachment to conductors of a multi-conductor cable, the improvement comprising: a. a hollow connector body of insulating material; b. said body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity; c. a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in said cavity in spaced relation to each other; d. each of said contacts having a terminal portion located within said cavity and extending lengthwise along one of said side walls of the body; e. means for clamping bare ends of several conductors of a cable in electrical engagement with said terminal portions of said contacts; f. said means including spaced clamping members rockably mounted within said connector body and having resilient and compressible free ends opposing wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions of the respect contacts; g. a wiring insert mounted in said cavity for axial movement therein; h. a plurality of spaced cams carried by said insert and engaging with each of said free ends of the clamping members; i. said cam members being adapted to urge the free ends of the clamping members toward the wire-engaging faces and into compressive clamping engagement with the bare ends of the wires in movement of the insert in one direction relative to said body; j. threaded means extending into said body and threadably engaging with said insert for moving said insert axially relative to said body; and k. stop means located within said cavity for engaging with and limiting movement of the insert in said one direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
247 words
In an electrical connector for attachment to conductors of a multi-conductor cable, the improvement comprising: a. a hollow connector body of insulating material; b. said body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity; c. a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in said cavity in spaced relation to each other; d. each of said contacts having a terminal portion located within said cavity and extending lengthwise along one of said side walls of the body; e. means for clamping bare ends of several conductors of a cable in electrical engagement with said terminal portions of said contacts; f. said means including spaced clamping members rockably mounted within said connector body and having resilient and compressible free ends opposing wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions of the respect contacts; g. a wiring insert mounted in said cavity for axial movement therein; h. a plurality of spaced cams carried by said insert and engaging with each of said free ends of the clamping members; i. said cam members being adapted to urge the free ends of the clamping members toward the wire-engaging faces and into compressive clamping engagement with the bare ends of the wires in movement of the insert in one direction relative to said body; j. threaded means extending into said body and threadably engaging with said insert for moving said insert axially relative to said body; and k. stop means located within said cavity for engaging with and limiting movement of the insert in said one direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
An electrical connector as defined in claim 1, which includes: a. fixed guide members located within said cavity and engaging with said insert; b. said guide members maintaining the cams on the insert in alignment with said clamping member in axial movement of said insert relative to said body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
267 words
An electrical connector for simultaneous electrical attachment of bare ends of several conductors of a multi-conductor cable to a plurality of spaced contacts, the combination which comprises: a. a hollow body of insulating material; b. said body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity having a closed front end and an open rear end; c. a plurality of electrical contacts supported in spaced relation to each other within said cavity; d. each of said contacts including a terminal portion extending lengthwise along an inner face of said upstanding side walls of the cavity; e. spring members rockably supported within said cavity and having compressible movable ends opposing wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions of the respective contacts; f. each of said movable ends being positioned in opposing relation to one of the wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions and being adapted to resiliently and compressibly clamp a bare end of a conductor wire in electrical engagement therewith; g. a wiring insert of insulating material supported for axially movement within said cavity; h. a plurality of spaced cams carried by said insert; i. said cams engaging with and forcing said movable ends of the spring members toward said opposing wire-engaging faces in movement of the insert in one direction relative to said body; j. a threaded member extending into the body and engaging with said insert; k. said member having an end accessible from outside the body for moving said wiring insert relative to said body; and l. stop means in the body for engaging with and positively limiting the movement of said insert in said one direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
267 words
An electrical connector for simultaneous electrical attachment of bare ends of several conductors of a multi-conductor cable to a plurality of spaced contacts, the combination which comprises: a. a hollow body of insulating material; b. said body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity having a closed front end and an open rear end; c. a plurality of electrical contacts supported in spaced relation to each other within said cavity; d. each of said contacts including a terminal portion extending lengthwise along an inner face of said upstanding side walls of the cavity; e. spring members rockably supported within said cavity and having compressible movable ends opposing wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions of the respective contacts; f. each of said movable ends being positioned in opposing relation to one of the wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions and being adapted to resiliently and compressibly clamp a bare end of a conductor wire in electrical engagement therewith; g. a wiring insert of insulating material supported for axially movement within said cavity; h. a plurality of spaced cams carried by said insert; i. said cams engaging with and forcing said movable ends of the spring members toward said opposing wire-engaging faces in movement of the insert in one direction relative to said body; j. a threaded member extending into the body and engaging with said insert; k. said member having an end accessible from outside the body for moving said wiring insert relative to said body; and l. stop means in the body for engaging with and positively limiting the movement of said insert in said one direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
An electrical coNnector as defined in claim 3, which includes: a. a cover plate seated on upper edges of said side walls of the body and extending over the rear end of the cavity in the body; b. said cover plate containing spaced entrances aligned with the terminal portions of each of the contacts and the spring members associated therewith; c. said entrances permitting introduction of the bare ends of the individual conductor wires between the wire-engaging faces of said terminal portions and the movable ends of the spring members associated therewith.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
An electrical connector as defined in claim 4, which includes: a. guard lugs carried by and extending downwardly from said cover on opposite sides of each of said entrances; b. said guard lugs restricting entrance of a wire from another entrance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electrical connector as defined in claim 3, which includes: a. fixed guide members carried by the body and extending lengthwise thereof in said cavity; b. said guide members engaging with and holding said insert against rotation relative to the body in movement of the insert relative to the body.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
256 words
In an electrical connector for simultaneous attachment to a number of individual conductor wires of a multi-conductor cable, the improvement comprising: a. a hollow insulating body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity therein and having front and rear ends; b. a plurality of angularly spaced electrical contacts mounted within said cavity; c. each of said contacts having a terminal portion extending rearwardly along an interior face of said side walls; d. means for resiliently and compressibly clamping bare ends of individual conductor wires against opposing wire-engaging faces of each of said terminal portions; e. said clamping means comprising curved leaf springs rockably mounted in the cavity within the body and having compressible free ends opposing said wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions; f. said ends and opposing faces defining spaces for receiving the bare ends of the conductor wires therebetween; g. a cover extending over said cavity and enclosing the rear end of said body; h. said cover containing spaced entrances aligned with said spaces between the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions and the clamping springs; i. movable means located within the body for engaging with and simultaneously forcing all of said compressible ends into resilient clamping engagement with said bare ends of the conductor wires; j. said means including an insert supported within the cavity for axial movement relative to said body; k. said insert carrying a plurality of spaced cams, each of which engages with the compressible end of one of the springs in movement of the insert relative to said body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
256 words
In an electrical connector for simultaneous attachment to a number of individual conductor wires of a multi-conductor cable, the improvement comprising: a. a hollow insulating body having upstanding side walls defining a cavity therein and having front and rear ends; b. a plurality of angularly spaced electrical contacts mounted within said cavity; c. each of said contacts having a terminal portion extending rearwardly along an interior face of said side walls; d. means for resiliently and compressibly clamping bare ends of individual conductor wires against opposing wire-engaging faces of each of said terminal portions; e. said clamping means comprising curved leaf springs rockably mounted in the cavity within the body and having compressible free ends opposing said wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions; f. said ends and opposing faces defining spaces for receiving the bare ends of the conductor wires therebetween; g. a cover extending over said cavity and enclosing the rear end of said body; h. said cover containing spaced entrances aligned with said spaces between the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions and the clamping springs; i. movable means located within the body for engaging with and simultaneously forcing all of said compressible ends into resilient clamping engagement with said bare ends of the conductor wires; j. said means including an insert supported within the cavity for axial movement relative to said body; k. said insert carrying a plurality of spaced cams, each of which engages with the compressible end of one of the springs in movement of the insert relative to said body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
283 words
An electrical connector for attaching individual conductors of a multiconductor cable to electrical contacts of the connector, which comprises: a. a hollow body of insulating material having upstanding side walls defining a cavity; b. a plurality of electrical contacts mounted within said cavity in spaced relation to each other; c. each of said contacts including a terminal portion supported in and extending rearwardly along an interior face of said cavity; d. spring clamping members rockably mounted within said cavity and having compressible free ends opposing wire-engaging faces of each of said terminal portions; e. said compressible free ends and the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions defining spaces adapted to receive bare ends of conductor wires therebetween; f. a cover extending over a rear end of the body; g. said cover containing spaced entrance passageways aligned with each of the wire-engaging faces and the associated spring member; h. said entrance passageways permitting introduction of the bare ends of conductor wires into clamping position between the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions of the respective contacts and The compressible ends of the clamping members; i. an axially movable wiring insert centrally located within said body; j. spaced cams carried by said insert and engaging with said compressible ends of the clamping members; k. said cams being shaped to engage with and urge said compressible ends of the clamping members toward the opposing wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions of the contacts in movement of said insert in one direction relative to said body; and l. an adjustment screw extending into said body thereof and threadably engaging with said wiring insert; m. said screw having a headed end accessible from an exterior of said body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
283 words
An electrical connector for attaching individual conductors of a multiconductor cable to electrical contacts of the connector, which comprises: a. a hollow body of insulating material having upstanding side walls defining a cavity; b. a plurality of electrical contacts mounted within said cavity in spaced relation to each other; c. each of said contacts including a terminal portion supported in and extending rearwardly along an interior face of said cavity; d. spring clamping members rockably mounted within said cavity and having compressible free ends opposing wire-engaging faces of each of said terminal portions; e. said compressible free ends and the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions defining spaces adapted to receive bare ends of conductor wires therebetween; f. a cover extending over a rear end of the body; g. said cover containing spaced entrance passageways aligned with each of the wire-engaging faces and the associated spring member; h. said entrance passageways permitting introduction of the bare ends of conductor wires into clamping position between the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions of the respective contacts and The compressible ends of the clamping members; i. an axially movable wiring insert centrally located within said body; j. spaced cams carried by said insert and engaging with said compressible ends of the clamping members; k. said cams being shaped to engage with and urge said compressible ends of the clamping members toward the opposing wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions of the contacts in movement of said insert in one direction relative to said body; and l. an adjustment screw extending into said body thereof and threadably engaging with said wiring insert; m. said screw having a headed end accessible from an exterior of said body.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
55 words
An electrical connector as defined in claim 8, which includes: a. return spring tongues formed on each of the rockable clamping members at pivoted ends thereof; b. said tongues urging said free ends of the clamping members away from the wire-engaging faces of the terminal portions upon movement of the insert in an opposite direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
An electrical connector as defined in claim 9, which includes: a. guide means carried by the body within the cavity for engaging with and guiding said insert in axial movement thereof relative to the body.
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) | 1978-06-23 | 1978-12-23 | 1979-06-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-23 | 1982-12-23 | 1983-06-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-23 | 1986-12-23 | 1987-06-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |