Electrical connector including insulating boots and associated methods

Claim 2

An electrical connector for a plurality of electrical cables comprising: an electrically conductive body having a plurality of spaced apart cable-receiving passageways for receiving respective electrical cable ends therein, each cable-receiving passageway having a cable inlet opening; said electrically conductive body also having at least one respective fastener-receiving passageway intersecting each of the cable-receiving passageways; a respective fastener in each of the fastener-receiving passageways; an insulating cover on said electrically conductive body and comprising an integrally molded respective tubular cable inlet aligned with each of the cable inlet openings and an integrally molded respective tubular fastener inlet aligned with each of the fastener-receiving passageways; a respective insulating boot to be received in each of said tubular cable inlets, each of said insulating boots comprising a tubular sidewall having a progressively increasing diameter to an open outer end thereof, a removable boot closure cap for removable positioning in the open outer end of said tubular sidewall, and an integrally molded tether connecting said removable boot closure cap to said tubular sidewall; a respective removable fastener inlet closure cap for each of said tubular fastener inlets; and a respective tether connecting each fastener inlet closure cap to said insulating cover.

Claim 3

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said tubular sidewall has a series of progressively increasing stepped diameters.

Claim 4

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein each of said insulating boots further comprises a closed inner end connected to said tubular sidewall opposite the open outer end thereof.

Claim 5

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said removable boot closure cap comprises a flange, and a cylindrical plug having a closed end extending from said flange.

Claim 6

An electrical connector according to claim 4 wherein said removable boot closure cap further comprises a gripping member extending within said cylindrical plug and beyond said flange.

Claim 7

An electrical connector according to claim 5 wherein said flange, cylindrical plug, and gripping member are integrally formed as a monolithic unit with said tether and said tubular sidewall.

Claim 8

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein each cable-receiving passageway further has a respective cable end viewing opening opposite each cable inlet opening; and further comprising: a respective electrically insulating transparent viewing window positioned adjacent each of the cable end viewing openings; said insulating cover having a respective window opening therein aligned with each of said transparent viewing windows.

Claim 9

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said insulating cover comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

Claim 10

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of insulating boots comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

Claim 11

An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive body has a generally rectangular shape.

Claim 12

An electrical connector for a plurality of electrical cables comprising: an electrically conductive body having a plurality of spaced apart cable-receiving passageways for receiving respective electrical cable ends therein, each cable-receiving passageway having a cable inlet opening; said electrically conductive body also having at least one respective fastener-receiving passageway intersecting each of the cable-receiving passageways; an insulating cover on said electrically conductive body and comprising an integrally molded respective tubular cable inlet aligned with each of the cable inlet openings and an integrally molded respective tubular fastener inlet aligned with each of the fastener-receiving passageways; a respective insulating boot to be received in each of said tubular cable inlets and comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), each of said insulating boots further comprising a tubular sidewall having progressively increasing stepped diameters to an open outer end thereof, a closed inner end connected to said tubular sidewall opposite the open outer end thereof, a removable boot closure cap for removable positioning in the open outer end of said tubular sidewall and comprising a flange and a gripping member extending outwardly therefrom, and an integrally molded tether connecting said removable boot closure cap to said tubular sidewall; a respective removable fastener inlet closure cap for each of said tubular fastener inlets; and a respective tether connecting each fastener inlet closure cap to said insulating cover.

Claim 13

An electrical connector for a plurality of electrical cables comprising: an electrically conductive body having a plurality of spaced apart cable-receiving passageways for receiving respective electrical cable ends therein, each cable-receiving passageway having a cable inlet opening; said electrically conductive body also having at least one respective fastener-receiving passageway intersecting each of the cable-receiving passageways; an insulating cover on said electrically conductive body and comprising an integrally molded respective tubular cable inlet aligned with each of the cable inlet openings and an integrally molded respective tubular fastener inlet aligned with each of the fastener-receiving passageways; a respective insulating boot to be received in each of said tubular cable inlets and comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), each of said insulating boots further comprising a tubular sidewall having progressively increasing stepped diameters to an open outer end thereof, a closed inner end connected to said tubular sidewall opposite the open outer end thereof, a removable boot closure cap for removable positioning in the open outer end of said tubular sidewall and comprising a flange and a gripping member extending outwardly therefrom, and an integrally molded tether connecting said removable boot closure cap to said tubular sidewall; a respective removable fastener inlet closure cap for each of said tubular fastener inlets; and a respective tether connecting each fastener inlet closure cap to said insulating cover.

Claim 14

An electrical connector according to claim 11 wherein said removable boot closure cap further comprises a cylindrical plug having a closed end extending from said flange; and wherein said gripping member further extends within said cylindrical plug.

Claim 15

An electrical connector according to claim 12 wherein said flange, cylindrical plug, and gripping member are integrally formed as a monolithic unit with said tether and tubular sidewall.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 14 further comprising positioning a respective fastener in each of the fastener-receiving passageways.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 14 wherein the tubular sidewall has a series of progressively increasing stepped diameters.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 14 wherein each of the insulating boots further comprises a closed inner end connected to the tubular sidewall opposite the open outer end thereof.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 14 wherein the removable boot closure cap comprises a flange, and a cylindrical plug having a closed end extending from the flange.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 18 wherein the removable boot closure cap further comprises a gripping member extending within the cylindrical plug and beyond the flange.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 19 wherein the flange, cylindrical plug, and gripping member are integrally formed as a monolithic unit with the tether and the tubular sidewall.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 14 wherein the insulating cover comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE); and wherein each of the plurality of insulating boots comprises a (TPE).