Patent Application
20050191895
The present invention is a modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly for quick connection and disconnection of a plurality of wires/cables. In particular, the present invention relates to a modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly that can be used for quick connection and disconnection of a plurality of different size wires/cables in a limited space.
Many wiring applications require numerous connections to be made in a relatively limited amount of space. A wide variety of terminal blocks and connectors have been developed for such applications and they are very useful for small gauge wires. However, larger gauge wires and cables require more space and present a variety of problems in applications where the space is limited. One of the problems is that larger wires and cables have larger bend radii which makes it difficult when they have to bent in order to connect them to a terminal.
Most of the connectors now in use make a straight line connection between the electrical wire/cable and the electrical device to which they are terminated. However, for some applications, a straight line connection cannot be used and the wire/cable needs to be introduced at some angle (typically up to 90°) to the electrical device. Quite often, the wires/cables are bent in order to make such a connection. Bending large diameter wires/cable in this manner may cause the insulation around the wire/cable to crack or break which can lead to problems due to insufficient insulation covering the cable.
One solution to this problem is to cast a right angle (or any other desired angle) connector for making such transition in the connector itself. However, this requires an individually cast part to be formed for each specific application. Another solution uses right angle electrical contacts in electrical connector housings to make right angle transitions. Such contacts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,050,769 and 4,080,041. Right angle contacts of this type may also be used for individually coupling closely grouped cable terminations as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,430. Terminations of this type include a cable connection portion at one end and a termination portion at the other end and an elongate metal rod connecting the two ends. The rod can be constructed so that the cable connection end and the termination end are disposed at a right angle. The electrical terminal described in the '430 patent requires a complex connection device which attaches to one end of the metal rod for connecting the electrical cable. This arrangement is costly due in part to the additional number of components and the more complex design.
Users of electrical terminals for large size wires/cables have applications where it is necessary to connect several different size wires/cables in a limited space and it is not practical to use a conventional terminal block. Various attempts have been made to solve this problem, but for the most part they have been unsatisfactory. Accordingly, there is a need for a connector that can be used to quickly and easily connect a plurality of large wires/cables in a limited space.
The present invention relates to a multi-tap electrical connector assembly that includes a first connector having a body with an aperture extending therethrough and a first male pin or a first compression fitting and an elongated metal rod having a longitudinal axis. The metal rod passes through the aperture and electrically contacts the body to form an electrically conductive path from the metal rod to the first male pin or the first compression fitting. The first connector can rotate 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the metal rod while maintaining electrical conductivity between the rod and connector. The first compression fitting can have a variety sizes and connects to wires or cables from #8 AWG to 3000 kcmil in size.
The multi-tap electrical connector assembly can also include a second connector. The first and second connectors are electrically contacted to the metal rod and also, preferably, to each other. The first and second connectors independently rotate 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the metal rod. The first connector has a first male pin or a first compression fitting having a first size and the second connector has a second male pin or a second compression fitting having a second size. The first and second sizes can be the same or they can be different.
In one preferred embodiment, the multi-tap electrical connector assembly includes a plurality of connectors, wherein each connector includes a body having an aperture extending therethrough and a male pin or a compression fitting, and an elongated metal rod having a longitudinal axis. The metal rod passes through the aperture in each of the plurality of connectors and electrically contacts each of the plurality of connectors to form an electrically conductive path between the metal rod and the first male pin or the first compression fitting of each of the plurality of connectors. Each of the plurality of connectors can be independently rotated 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the metal rod while maintaining electrical conductivity between the rod and connectors. The plurality of connectors are in electrical contact with the rod and they can also be in contact mechanically, as well as electrically, with an adjacent connector. The male pin or the compression fitting for each of the plurality of connectors can be the same size or the sizes can be different.
In preferred embodiments, the apertures in the connectors and/or the compression fittings have a beryllium contact ring for increased electrical conductivity. In other preferred embodiments, the body is at least partially coated with electrically insulating material.
The present invention also includes a kit of parts for a multi-tap electrical connector assembly which includes: an elongated metal rod having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of connectors each having a metal body with an aperture and a male pin or a compression fitting. The apertures of each of the connectors are adapted to insertably accommodate the metal rod for mechanical and electrical engagement between the metal rod and the connectors. After the metal rod is inserted in the apertures, the connectors can be independently rotated 360 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the metal rod.
Other objects and many attendant features of this invention will be readily appreciated as the invention becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
The present invention is a modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly that provides easy and efficient connection for a plurality of wires/cables of the same or different sizes. The modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly is formed by connecting two or more connectors to each other using a metal rod that passes through the body of each of the connectors. The multi-tap electrical connector assemblies have at least two connectors that are in electrical contact with the metal rod and each other. Each of the connectors has an aperture in the central portion of the connector which is sized to rotatably and frictionally engage the metal rod that is inserted into the aperture while maintaining electrical conductivity between the rod and connectors. The metal rod electrically connects all of the connectors in the assembly.
Electrical connectors of the type described herein include either a male pin or a tubular end portion commonly referred to as a barrel connector or compression fitting, which extend outwardly from the connector. The barrel connector is placed over the stripped end of a solid or stranded electrical wire/cable and then crimped or otherwise mechanically and electrically secured to the stripped end of the wire/cable. The other end of the wire/cable can have a wide variety of connectors with shapes and sizes for effecting different terminations.
The size of the apertures in the connectors and the corresponding size of the diameter of the metal rod depend on the particular application. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that applications for larger wires/cables which carry higher loads require larger connectors and metal rods. The connectors can also have different size connections so that wires/cables of different sizes can be accommodated. The accompanying figures show that the connectors have compression fittings for connecting wires/cables. However, the connectors can also have male pin connections. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the compression fittings and male pin connections that are used on the connectors can be used to terminate incoming wires/cables from #8 AWG to 3000 kcmil in size. In a preferred embodiment, the compression fittings are provided with multi-louvered beryllium contact rings at the contact interface.
In preferred embodiments, the metal rod frictionally engages two or more of the multi-tap connectors to form a modular connector assembly. The rod is inserted into the apertures in the connectors and mechanically as well as electrically engages the connectors. The rod is constructed of a conductive metal (such as copper) which is, preferably, the same metal as the multi-tap connectors, so that all the connectors in the modular connector assembly are electrically connected. The metal rod can then be connected to an electrical grid by either an electrical bus, a grounding bus or a cable.
The length of the rod can vary depending on the application with such factors as the number of multi-tap connectors in the modular connector assembly and the installation requirements of particular importance. For the expansion of existing modular connector systems, a second rod can be inserted into a multi-tap connector on the end of a modular connector assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the connector used for joining two metal rods is wider than a typical connector in order to provide additional mechanical strength. In a most preferred embodiment, the connector includes two retention screws which pass through the body of the connector and engage the rod to secure the connector in place. The second metal rod allows additional multi-tap connectors to be added to the multi-tap connector assembly.
Once the modular connectors and metal rod are assembled, the outer surfaces of the connectors can be insulated with a suitable electrical insulation to prevent short circuits and grounding. In a preferred embodiment, thermal plastic clam shell insulating boots are placed on the connectors. The individual connectors can also be dipped in a thermal insulating material such as PVC.
The connectors that are used in the modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly of the present invention are constructed of an electrically conductive metal such as copper or aluminum and can be plated with a material known by those skilled in the art for plating electrical devices, such as tin. The connectors are preferably shaped like a block but the connectors are not limited to a particular shape. Typically, the block-shaped connectors have six surfaces with the central aperture passing through two opposing surfaces. A male pin or compression fitting connection extends outwardly from one of the remaining four surfaces of the connector. In some embodiments, a connector can have a male pin or compression fitting connection on each of the four surfaces.
As shown in
The rod 130 for the modular connector assembly 110 shown in
A user can also add connectors to the modular multi-tap electrical connector assembly 310, 410, 510 at a later date by selecting a longer metal rod 330, 430, 530 (see
Thus, while there have been described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that other embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to include all such further modifications and changes as come within the true scope of the disclosure set forth herein.
This application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/548,752, filed on Feb. 27, 2004.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60548752 | Feb 2004 | US |
