Electrical connectors and methods of connecting electrical conductors

Claim 1

A device for connecting first and second insulated electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising: an open-ended conductive member, having an exterior surface, for at least partially receiving the leads in a conducting relationship with said conductive member; and means, coupled to said conductive member exterior surface, for securing the insulated conductors to said conductive member, said means comprising a first heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past one end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the first electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said first tubular portion, said means further comprising a second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past the other end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the second electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said second tubular portion, each of said tubular portions having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the part of the insulating portion to be received therein and being capable of being coupled in a sealing relationship with the insulating portion of a respective one of the electrical conductors by heating said tubular portion to thereby shrink said tubular portion into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and to thereby activate said adhesive coated thereon to hermetically bond the tubular portion to the insulating portion, said means further comprises a central heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion integrally formed with and between said first and second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portions, and having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface thereof, said central portion surrounding said conductive member and being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive.

Claim 2

A device for connecting first and second insulated electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising: an open-ended conductive member, having an exterior surface, for at least partially receiving the leads in a conducting relationship with said conductive member; and means, coupled to said conductive member exterior surface, for securing the insulated conductors to said conductive member, said means comprising a first heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past one end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the first electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said first tubular portion, said means further comprising a second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past the other end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the second electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said second tubular portion, each of said tubular portions having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the part of the insulating portion to be received therein and being capable of being coupled in a sealing relationship with the insulating portion of a respective one of the electrical conductors by heating said tubular portion to thereby shrink said tubular portion into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and to thereby activate said adhesive coated thereon to hermetically bond the tubular portion to the insulating portion, said means further comprises a central heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion integrally formed with and between said first and second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portions, and having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface thereof, said central portion surrounding said conductive member and being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive.

Claim 7

A device for connecting first and second insulated electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising: an open-ended conductive member, having an exterior surface, for at least partially receiving the leads in a conducting relationship with said conductive member; and means, coupled to said conductive member exterior surface, for securing the insulated conductors to said conductive member, said means comprising a first heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past one end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the first electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said first tubular portion, said means further comprising a second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past the other end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the second electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said second tubular portion, each of said tubular portions having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the part of the insulating portion to be received therein and being capable of being coupled in a sealing relationship with the insulating portion of a respective one of the electrical conductors by heating said tubular portion to thereby shrink said tubular portion into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and to thereby activate said adhesive coated thereon to hermetically bond the tubular portion to the insulating portion, said conductive member comprising a metallic, malleable ferrule and an insulating layer coupled to the exterior of said ferrule forming said exterior surface thereof, said means further comprising a first base heat shrinkable tubular portion integrally formed with said first tubular portion and surrounding a portion of said conductive member, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface of said first base tubular portion, said first base tubular portion being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive, said means further comprising a second base heat shrinkable tubular portion integrally formed with said second tubular portion and surrounding a portion of said conductive member, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface of said second base tubular portion, said second base tubular portion being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive.

Claim 8

A device for connecting first and second insulated electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising: an open-ended conductive member, having an exterior surface, for at least partially receiving the leads in a conducting relationship with said conductive member; and means, coupled to said conductive member exterior surface, for securing the insulated conductors to said conductive member, said means comprising a first heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past one end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the first electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said first tubular portion, said means further comprising a second heat shrinkable plastic tubular portion extending past the other end of said conductive member for receiving therein a part of the insulating portion of the second electrical conductor, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the entire interior surface of said second tubular portion, each of said tubular portions having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the part of the insulating portion to be received therein and being capable of being coupled in a sealing relationship with the insulating portion of a respective one of the electrical conductors by heating said tubular portion to thereby shrink said tubular portion into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and to thereby activate said adhesive coated thereon to hermetically bond the tubular portion to the insulating portion, said conductive member comprising a metallic, malleable ferrule and an insulating layer coupled to the exterior of said ferrule forming said exterior surface thereof, said means further comprising a first base heat shrinkable tubular portion integrally formed with said first tubular portion and surrounding a portion of said conductive member, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface of said first base tubular portion, said first base tubular portion being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive, said means further comprising a second base heat shrinkable tubular portion integrally formed with said second tubular portion and surrounding a portion of said conductive member, and normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface of said second base tubular portion, said second base tubular portion being coupled to said conductive member exterior surface by being heat shrunk into an engaging relationship with said conductive member exterior surface and by being hermetically bonded to said conductive member exterior surface by said adhesive.

Claim 10

A method of connecting two electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of interposing an open-ended tubular conductive member inside a heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof so that first and second ends of the plastic tube extend past the ends of the conductive member, heating the portion of the plastic tube between the ends of the conductive member so that the plastic tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the exterior surface of the conductive member and so that the adhesive is activated to hermetically bond the plastic tube to the conductive member, extending the leads of the two electrical conductors into the opposite open ends of the conductive member in a conducting relationship, and heating the first and second ends of the plastic tube so that the ends shrink into an engaging relationship with the insulating portions of respective ones of the electrical conductors and so that the adhesive is activated to hermetically bond the plastic tube ends to the insulating portions.

Claim 11

A method of connecting two electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of interposing an open-ended tubular conductive member inside a heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof so that first and second ends of the plastic tube extend past the ends of the conductive member, heating the portion of the plastic tube between the ends of the conductive member so that the plastic tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the exterior surface of the conductive member and so that the adhesive is activated to hermetically bond the plastic tube to the conductive member, extending the leads of the two electrical conductors into the opposite open ends of the conductive member in a conducting relationship, and heating the first and second ends of the plastic tube so that the ends shrink into an engaging relationship with the insulating portions of respective ones of the electrical conductors and so that the adhesive is activated to hermetically bond the plastic tube ends to the insulating portions.

Claim 14

A method of connecting two electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of covering the exterior of an open-ended tubular conductive member with an insulating layer, interposing one end of the conductive member into a portion of a first heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the first tube receiving the end of the conductive member so that portion of the tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating layer thereon and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the first plastic tube to the insulating layer, interposing the other end of the conductive member into a portion of a second heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the second tube receiving the other end of the conductive member so that portion of the second tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating layer thereon and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the second plastic tube to the insulating layer, extending the leads of the two electrical conductors into the opposite open ends of the conductive member in a conducting relationship so that portions of the insulating portions of the electrical wires are received respectively in those portions of the first and second tubes vacant by the conductive member, and heating those portions of the first and second tubes receiving the insulating portions so that these portions shrink into engaging relationships with respective ones of the conductors' insulating portions and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the first tube to the insulating portion of one of the conductors and the second tube to the insulating portion of the other conductor.

Claim 15

A method of connecting two electrical conductors, each of the conductors including a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of covering the exterior of an open-ended tubular conductive member with an insulating layer, interposing one end of the conductive member into a portion of a first heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the first tube receiving the end of the conductive member so that portion of the tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating layer thereon and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the first plastic tube to the insulating layer, interposing the other end of the conductive member into a portion of a second heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the second tube receiving the other end of the conductive member so that portion of the second tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating layer thereon and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the second plastic tube to the insulating layer, extending the leads of the two electrical conductors into the opposite open ends of the conductive member in a conducting relationship so that portions of the insulating portions of the electrical wires are received respectively in those portions of the first and second tubes vacant by the conductive member, and heating those portions of the first and second tubes receiving the insulating portions so that these portions shrink into engaging relationships with respective ones of the conductors' insulating portions and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond the first tube to the insulating portion of one of the conductors and the second tube to the insulating portion of the other conductor.

Claim 16

A method of forming an electrical conductor for an electrical wire having a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of extending an open end of a conductive member into a portion of a heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the tube receiving the conductive member so that this portion shrinks into an engaging relationship with the exterior surface of the conductive member and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond this portion to the exterior surface of the conductive member, extending the lead on the electrical wire into the open end of the conductive member so that the portion of the plastic tube vacant by the conductive member surrounds a portion of the electrical wire insulating portion, crimping the conductive member in the area containing the lead, and heating that portion of the plastic tube surrounding the electrical wire insulating portion so that that portion of the plastic tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond that portion of the plastic tube to the insulating portion.

Claim 17

A method of forming an electrical conductor for an electrical wire having a conducting portion surrounded by an insulating portion with the conducting portion having a lead extending past the end of the insulating portion, comprising the steps of extending an open end of a conductive member into a portion of a heat shrinkable plastic tube having a normally dry, heat activatable adhesive coated on the interior surface thereof, heating the portion of the tube receiving the conductive member so that this portion shrinks into an engaging relationship with the exterior surface of the conductive member and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond this portion to the exterior surface of the conductive member, extending the lead on the electrical wire into the open end of the conductive member so that the portion of the plastic tube vacant by the conductive member surrounds a portion of the electrical wire insulating portion, crimping the conductive member in the area containing the lead, and heating that portion of the plastic tube surrounding the electrical wire insulating portion so that that portion of the plastic tube shrinks into an engaging relationship with the insulating portion and so that the adhesive therein is activated to hermetically bond that portion of the plastic tube to the insulating portion.