Electrical connector and method of connecting an electrical cable to same

Claim 1

A compact electrical connector for quickly and easily connecting to one another in linear alignment the ends of a pair of electrical cables each having at least one wire extending therethrough, said connector comprising: (a) a housing of electrical insulating material defining a pair of elongated receptacles, each of said receptacles having an entrance and peripheral walls and being configured and proportioned for receipt therein of the end of an electrical cable having exterior insulation and at least one electrical wire extending therethrough, said receptacles being generally aligned in end-to-end relation to one another with their respective entrances opening in opposite directions, said housing having an exterior surface which is not substantially larger in transverse cross-section than the transverse cross-section of the exterior surface of the cables; (b) at least one prong of electrically conductive material disposed within each of said receptacles, said prongs being electrically connected to one another, each of said prongs being elongated and having a pointed end, each of said prongs extending generally longitudinally of its associated receptacle with said pointed end facing the entrance into the associated receptacle; each of said prongs being disposed generally intermediate the peripheral walls of its associated receptacle so as to be aligned with the wire in the associated electrical cable when that electrical cable is inserted into the associated receptacle, whereby each of said prongs is imbedded into the associated cable when that cable is inserted into the associated receptacle to thereby establish physical and electrical connection between the wires of the cables and the respective prongs, (c) adhesive means disposed within each said receptacle for bonding the associated cable end to the housing, each said adhesive means comprising a quantity of flowable adhesive material enclosed within a fracturable container for ready release when the associated cable end is disposed in the associated receptacle, whereby said adhesive will form a bond, when it solidifies, between the insulating material of the associated cable and the housing of the connector.

Claim 12

A method for connecting together in linear alignment a pair of electrical cables which each have at least one wire extending therethrough by the use of a compact electrical connector, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an electrical connector having a housing of electrical insulating material defining a pair of elongated receptacles, each of said receptacles having an entrance and peripheral walls and being configured and proportioned for receipt therein of the end of an electrical cable which has exterior insulation and at least one electrical wire extending therethrough; said receptacles being generally aligned in end-to-end relation to one another with their respective entrances opening in opposite directions, said housing having an exterior surface which is not substantially larger in transverse cross-section than the transverse cross-section of the exterior surface of the cables; there being at least one prong of electrically conductive material disposed within each of said receptacles, said prongs being electrically connected to one another, each of said prongs being elongated and having a pointed end, each of said prongs extending generally longitudinally of its associated receptacle with said pointed end facing the entrance ino the associated receptacle, each of said prongs being disposed generally intermediate the peripheral walls of its associated receptacle; so as to be aligned with the wire in the associated cable when that cable is inserted into the associated receptacle, (b) disposing adhesive means within each of said receptacles, each of said adhesives means comprising a quantity of flowable air-drying adhesive material enclosed within a fracturable container, (c) for each receptacle, inserting one end of an electrical cable into said receptacle so as to imbed the associated prong end into the end of the cable to thereby establish physical and electrical contact and connection between the wire of the cable and the prong, (d) for each receptacle, effecting the fracture of the adhesive container between the cable and the connector so as to release the flowable adhesive material into the receptacle, and (e) allowing said adhesive in each receptacle to solidify so as to form a bond between the insulation of the two cables and the housing of the connector.

Claim 13

A method for connecting together in linear alignment a pair of electrical cables which each have at least one wire extending therethrough by the use of a compact electrical connector, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an electrical connector having a housing of electrical insulating material defining a pair of elongated receptacles, each of said receptacles having an entrance and peripheral walls and being configured and proportioned for receipt therein of the end of an electrical cable which has exterior insulation and at least one electrical wire extending therethrough; said receptacles being generally aligned in end-to-end relation to one another with their respective entrances opening in opposite directions, said housing having an exterior surface which is not substantially larger in transverse cross-section than the transverse cross-section of the exterior surface of the cables; there being at least one prong of electrically conductive material disposed within each of said receptacles, said prongs being electrically connected to one another, each of said prongs being elongated and having a pointed end, each of said prongs extending generally longitudinally of its associated receptacle with said pointed end facing the entrance ino the associated receptacle, each of said prongs being disposed generally intermediate the peripheral walls of its associated receptacle; so as to be aligned with the wire in the associated cable when that cable is inserted into the associated receptacle, (b) disposing adhesive means within each of said receptacles, each of said adhesives means comprising a quantity of flowable air-drying adhesive material enclosed within a fracturable container, (c) for each receptacle, inserting one end of an electrical cable into said receptacle so as to imbed the associated prong end into the end of the cable to thereby establish physical and electrical contact and connection between the wire of the cable and the prong, (d) for each receptacle, effecting the fracture of the adhesive container between the cable and the connector so as to release the flowable adhesive material into the receptacle, and (e) allowing said adhesive in each receptacle to solidify so as to form a bond between the insulation of the two cables and the housing of the connector.

Claim 14

A method for connecting together in linear alignment a pair of electrical cables which each have at least one wire extending therethrough by the use of a compact electrical connector, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an electrical connector having a housing of electrical insulating material defining a pair of elongated receptacles, each of said receptacles having an entrance and peripheral walls and being configured and proportioned for receipt therein of the end of an electrical cable which has exterior insulation and at least one electrical wire extending therethrough; said receptacles being generally aligned in end-to-end relation to one another with their respective entrances opening in opposite directions, said housing having an exterior surface which is not substantially larger in transverse cross-section than the transverse cross-section of the exterior surface of the cables; there being at least one prong of electrically conductive material disposed within each of said receptacles, said prongs being electrically connected to one another, each of said prongs being elongated and having a pointed end, each of said prongs extending generally longitudinally of its associated receptacle with said pointed end facing the entrance into the associated receptacle, each of said prongs being disposed generally intermediate the peripheral walls of its associated receptacle, so as to be aligned with the wire in the associated cable when that cable is inserted into the associated receptacle, (b) disposing adhesive means within each of said receptacles, each of said adhesive means comprising a quantity of flowable air-drying adhesive material enclosed within a fracturable container, (c) for each receptacle, inserting one end of an electrical cable into said receptacle with the wire of the cable aligned with the associated prong, (d) for each receptacle, advancing the end of the associated cable into the receptacle so as to fracture the associated adhesive container between that cable and the associated prong and release the flowable adhesive material in that container into the receptacle, and so as to imbed the associated prong end into the end of that cable to thereby establish physical and electrical contact and connection between the wire of the cable and the prong, and (e) allowing said adhesive in each receptacle to solidify so as to form a bond between the insulating material of the cables and the housing of the connector.

Claim 15

A method for connecting together in linear alignment a pair of electrical cables which each have at least one wire extending therethrough by the use of a compact electrical connector, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an electrical connector having a housing of electrical insulating material defining a pair of elongated receptacles, each of said receptacles having an entrance and peripheral walls and being configured and proportioned for receipt therein of the end of an electrical cable which has exterior insulation and at least one electrical wire extending therethrough; said receptacles being generally aligned in end-to-end relation to one another with their respective entrances opening in opposite directions, said housing having an exterior surface which is not substantially larger in transverse cross-section than the transverse cross-section of the exterior surface of the cables; there being at least one prong of electrically conductive material disposed within each of said receptacles, said prongs being electrically connected to one another, each of said prongs being elongated and having a pointed end, each of said prongs extending generally longitudinally of its associated receptacle with said pointed end facing the entrance into the associated receptacle, each of said prongs being disposed generally intermediate the peripheral walls of its associated receptacle, so as to be aligned with the wire in the associated cable when that cable is inserted into the associated receptacle, (b) disposing adhesive means within each of said receptacles, each of said adhesive means comprising a quantity of flowable air-drying adhesive material enclosed within a fracturable container, (c) for each receptacle, inserting one end of an electrical cable into said receptacle with the wire of the cable aligned with the associated prong, (d) for each receptacle, advancing the end of the associated cable into the receptacle so as to fracture the associated adhesive container between that cable and the associated prong and release the flowable adhesive material in that container into the receptacle, and so as to imbed the associated prong end into the end of that cable to thereby establish physical and electrical contact and connection between the wire of the cable and the prong, and (e) allowing said adhesive in each receptacle to solidify so as to form a bond between the insulating material of the cables and the housing of the connector.