US5832593A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Splice head for insulated telecommunication wires
Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1997-04-22
•
Granted: 1998-11-10
•
Expires: 2017-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A splice head for use with a modular wire connector, to work with and hold the wires while installing them in the connector, particularly for wires of differing diameters. The splice head includes a coil spring loosely arranged on a bar and movable axially thereon. By selecting an appropriate location for the starting point on the spring and selection of the spring position on the bar, different sized wires can be fixed by the coils of the spring. The bar may be circular in cross-section to allow the spring to slide easily forward and backward. This construction allows simpler placement of the wires since the coil spring does not need to to replaced for wires of different sizes, and there is no requirement that the splicing operation begin at one particular end of the coil since neither end is fixed.
Inventors
- 👤 Wolfgang Wurst
- 👤 Udo Seidel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 01:45
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/28; H01R9/00; H01R9/22; H01R9/24; H01R9/2416; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/51; Y10T29/5193; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5313; Y10T29/532; Y10T29/53209; Y10T29/53213; Y10T29/53217; Y10T29/53222; Y10T29/53243; Y10T29/53257; Y10T29/53265
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar so that said coil spring may be positioned alone the bar from one of said ends to the other of said ends, as well as any position between said ends.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar so that said coil spring may be positioned alone the bar from one of said ends to the other of said ends, as well as any position between said ends.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The splice head of claim 1, wherein said bar (28) is attached to the legs of a U-shaped retaining member (26).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The splice head of claim 1, wherein said retaining means includes an engaging surface (34) below said bar (28) and spaced a small distance from said bar, with the external surface of the coil spring (22) supported by said engaging surface (34), the coil spring (22) being held internally by said bar.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The splice head of claim 3, wherein said engaging surface (34) is concave and extends partially about the outer periphery of said coil spring (22).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The splice head of claim 3, wherein said coils (30) of said coil spring (22) have a predetermined space from each other for the insertion of the wires.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The splice head of claim 3, wherein said engaging surface (34) is concave and extends partially about the outer periphery of said coil spring (22).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The splice head of claim 6, wherein said engaging surface (34) extends into an upper planar surface (36), there being a first distance between said planar surface (36) and said bar (28) and a second distance between said engaging surface (34) and said bar (28), said first distance being larger than said second distance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The splice head of claim 1, wherein said engaging surface (34) is integrally formed on the web (32) of said U-shaped retaining member (26).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
144 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein said bar (28) has a circular cross section.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
144 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein said bar (28) has a circular cross section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
154 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wire (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is smaller than said bar and is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein the diameter of a coil spring (22) is larger than 12 mm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
154 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wire (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector to be interconnected to said insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), a length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is smaller than said bar and is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein the diameter of a coil spring (22) is larger than 12 mm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
153 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector adapted to be interconnected said to insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), at length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein the thickness of the spring wire forming the coil spring (22) is larger than 1.2 mm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
153 words
A splice head for interconnecting a plurality of insulated wires (40, 40', 40") to a connector, said splice head comprising accommodation means (14) for supporting a connector adapted to be interconnected said to insulated wires, a row of spaced separating fingers (20) on one side of said accommodation means (14), at length of coil spring (22) on the opposite side of said accommodation means, with the coils (30) of said coil spring (22) affording insertion and fixation of wires therebetween, and retaining means (26) for said coil spring (22), said retaining means being connected to said accommodation means, said retaining means comprising a bar (28) extending through said coil spring (22) which bar (28) is fastened at both ends to said retaining means, said coil spring (22) is loosely and axially movably arranged on said bar, wherein the thickness of the spring wire forming the coil spring (22) is larger than 1.2 mm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3713214A
Cited
US3803695A
Cited
US4110896A
Cited
US4095336A
Cited
US4282644A
Cited
GB2108017A
Cited
US4446617A
Cited
US4551893A
Cited
US4825530A
Cited
DE3920367A1
Cited
US5231683A
Cited
EP0560043A2
Cited
WO1993021550A1
Cited
US5174781A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-09 | 2002-05-11 | 2002-11-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-09 | 2006-05-11 | 2006-11-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-09 | 2010-05-11 | 2010-11-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |