← Back to Patent Explorer
US5548088A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrical conductor terminating arrangements

Assignee: ITT Industries Ltd
•
Filing: 1993-01-22
•
Granted: 1996-08-20
•
Expires: 2013-01-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An electrical conductor terminating arrangement such as an electrical connector includes a contact-making element which makes good contact with an electrical conductor in response to axial pressure displacement over the contact-making element of a displaceable element to exert a radial force on the contact-making element and to co-operate therewith for providing ongoing pressure engagement between the contact-making element and the electrical conductor without the need for the continuance of axial pressure on the displaceable element after a predetermined axial displacement of the displaceable element.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ian J. Gray
  • 👤 Melvin D. White

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 22:49
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R4/00; H01R4/28; H01R4/50; H01R4/5016; H01R4/5025; H01R4/48; H01R4/489; H01R9/00; H01R9/03; H01R9/05; H01R9/0518

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 140 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement, comprising an electrically conductive contact-making means (31) for receiving and making electrical contact with an electrical conductor, an axially displaceable clamping means (35) which when displaced over the contact making means in a direction axially of the contact making means (31) exerts a radial force on the contact making means to secure a conductor when installed by pressure engagement, characterized in that the contact making means (31) and axially displaceable means (35) are adapted to ensure retentive mutual engagement therebetween when the axially displaceable means is displaced axially over the contact making means to provide ongoing radial pressure engagement between the contact making means (31) and the electrical conductor (44) when installed in order to maintain electrical and mechanical integrity therebetween without the need for continuance of axial pressure on the axially displaceable means (35).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 140 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement, comprising an electrically conductive contact-making means (31) for receiving and making electrical contact with an electrical conductor, an axially displaceable clamping means (35) which when displaced over the contact making means in a direction axially of the contact making means (31) exerts a radial force on the contact making means to secure a conductor when installed by pressure engagement, characterized in that the contact making means (31) and axially displaceable means (35) are adapted to ensure retentive mutual engagement therebetween when the axially displaceable means is displaced axially over the contact making means to provide ongoing radial pressure engagement between the contact making means (31) and the electrical conductor (44) when installed in order to maintain electrical and mechanical integrity therebetween without the need for continuance of axial pressure on the axially displaceable means (35).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 58 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the axially displaceable clamping means (35) comprises a sleeve member which exerts an inward radial force on said contact-making means (31) located within it and which co-operates with said contact-making means to provide ongoing pressure engagement of the contact-making means with the conductor when installed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the sleeve member (35) is resiliently compressible and is provided by a split ring.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the sleeve member (35) comprises a continuous metal ring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 57 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact-making means (31) comprises a collet adapted to fit over the conductor (44) and to be subjected to a radial compressive force by the clamping means (35) in order to cause the collet to clamp down on the conductor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 45 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the collet comprises a split tubular metal part which has a conductor-receiving end, with said tubular metal part adapted to be radially inwardly compressed to make good electrical contact with the conductor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 52 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said terminating arrangement includes a pin contact and in which the split tubular metal part (31) is formed integrally with said pin contact at an end of the split tubular metal part remote from the conductive compressible clamping means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 30 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said collet is configured to bite into the outer surface of the conductor as clamping takes place.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 60 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the collet is provided with radial slots (34) which have a width less than the diameter of the conductor and which form tines with sharp edges (34a) to bite into the outer surface of the conductor to make good contact therewith when the clamping element is compressed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that four slots (34) are provided in the collet.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 35 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the clamping means comprises a sleeve member and the collet has a split frusto-conical section (33) that is engaged by said sleeve.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 24 words
An electrical conductor terminating arrangement as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the clamping means is stepped to accommodate conductors of different diameters.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 75 words
A coaxial connector comprising a tubular body structure (23) having an axially extending bore therein for receiving an incoming coaxial cable that has a central cable conductor, including a conductor terminating arrangement comprising: a collet with tines that can engage said central conductor and a sleeve member which is axially displaceable to compress said tines around said conductor to provide ongoing pressure engagement between said collet and the central conductor (44) of the coaxial cable.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 75 words
A coaxial connector comprising a tubular body structure (23) having an axially extending bore therein for receiving an incoming coaxial cable that has a central cable conductor, including a conductor terminating arrangement comprising: a collet with tines that can engage said central conductor and a sleeve member which is axially displaceable to compress said tines around said conductor to provide ongoing pressure engagement between said collet and the central conductor (44) of the coaxial cable.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 45 words
A coaxial connector as claimed in claim 13, including: an axially displaceable tubular insulating member (36) at least partly accommodated within said axially extending bore of the tubular body structure (23), and in which the sleeve member is axially movable by the tubular insulating member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 61 words
A coaxial connector as claimed in claim 14, including a cup-shaped stop member, and in which axial movement of the tubular insulating member (36) during clamping is arrested by the engagement thereof with said stop member (27), with said stop member accommodated in the bore (37) of the tubular body structure and into which the sleeve member fits during conductor clamping.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 62 words
A coaxial connector as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the tubular insulating member (36) and the bore of the tubular body structure are provided, one with at least one projection and the other with at least one groove, which co-operate to lock the tubular insulating member in position within the bore of the body structure as conductor clamping takes place.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 25 words
A co-axial connector as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the tubular body structure comprises two parts (22, 23) which are threadingly connected together.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 43 words
A coaxial connector as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that at least one part of the connector is composed of transparent insulating material to allow the condition of the connector to be inspected following separation of the body structure parts (22, 23).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3761870A Cited
US3854789A Cited
US3846738A Cited
US3847463A Cited
US3977752A Cited
US4491685A Cited
US4897045A Cited
US4902246A Cited
US4897041A Cited
US5340332A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-08-20 2000-02-19 2000-08-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-08-20 2004-02-19 2004-08-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-08-20 2008-02-19 2008-08-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag