Patent Application
20130065425
The present invention is directed to an electrical connector assembly for providing electrical connection without the need for tooling. In particular, the invention is directed to providing electrical connection for applications such as, but not limited to, appliances, medical applications, auto applications, datacom applications, and Machinery & Equipment and Factory Automation (MEFA) applications.
As the number of electrical appliances increases, the use of electrical connectors also increases. The use of electrical connectors to establish electrical connections can be established using snap action switches having contacts that are soldered to exposed/stripped wire. Electrical connection between components is also established by crimping or fastening stripped wires together.
However, each of these methods used to establish an electrical connection requires additional labor, additional tooling and some specialized skills to establish the connection. Therefore, as more and more electrical connections are required it becomes necessary to provide electrical contacts and electrical connections that further enhance the assembly processes of components and allows for ease of installment and use.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide an electrical connector assembly which allows for toolless and reliable field terminable electrical connection. In so doing, the electrical connection can be made without any wire stripping, crimping, soldering and without the use of any wire striping and crimping tools in the field, thereby reducing cost and allowing for a reliable electrical connection that can be easy installed in the field.
An exemplary embodiment is directed to an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a switch assembly, and a removable cover. The switch assembly is arranged and disposed within the housing and has at least one contact or terminal. The at least one open channel is disposed within the housing and aligned with the at least one contact or terminal. The removable cover for the housing includes at least one protrusion. The at least one protrusion is arranged and disposed to cooperate with the at least one open channel and the at least one contact or terminal. Securing the removable cover with the housing penetrates an insulation layer of an at least one insulated wire having a conductive core, the insulated wire is arranged and disposed within the at least one open channel, and is proximate to the at least one contact or terminal. Securing and penetrating form electrical contact between the respective conductive core and the respective contact or terminal.
An exemplary embodiment is directed to an electrical connector assembly having a housing, a snap switch assembly, at least one insulated wire, and a removable cover. The snap switch assembly is arranged and disposed within the housing and has at least one insulation displacement contact. The at least one open channel is disposed within the housing and aligned with the at least one insulation displacement contact. The at least one insulated wire has an insulation layer and a conductive core and is arranged and disposed within the at least one open channel and proximate to the at least one insulation displacement contact. The removable cover of the housing has at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion is arranged and disposed to cooperate with the at least one open channel, the at least one insulation displacement contact, and the at least one insulated wire. Securing the removable cover with the housing causes the at least one insulation displacement contact to penetrate the insulation layer on the at least one insulated wire situated therein, thereby forming electrical contact between the respective conductive core and the respective insulation displacement contact.
An exemplary embodiment is directed a method of providing toolless electrical connection between conductors. The method includes providing a housing having a switch assembly arranged and disposed within the housing and at least one open channel disposed within the switch assembly having at least one contact or terminal. The method includes providing at least one insulated wire having an insulation layer and a conductive core. The method includes arranging and disposing the at least one insulated wire in the at least one open channel and proximate the at least one contact. The method includes positioning a removable cover over the housing, the removable cover having at least one protrusion, the protrusions arranged and disposed on the removable cover to cooperate with the at least one open channel, the at least one contact, and the at least one insulated wire. The method includes securing the removable cover with the housing, wherein the force exerted by securing causes the at least one contact to penetrate the insulation layer on the at least one insulated wire situated therein and wherein electrical contact is formed between the respective conductive core and the respective contact or terminal.
Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the disclosure.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details, that the embodiments are not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the embodiments may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail. The reference to “top” or “bottom” is only a reference to orientation, and should not be construed to be limiting to that particular reference or view.
Further, various operations may be described as multiple discrete steps performed in a manner that is helpful for understanding the embodiments. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations need be performed in the order they are presented, or that they are even order-dependent. Moreover, repeated usage of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Lastly, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used in the present application, are intended to be synonymous unless otherwise indicated.
Referring to
As shown in
Still referring to
As shown in
As shown in
In one embodiment, the switch assembly 20 is a miniature switch assembly 72 (see
The use of the electrical connector assembly 10 allows users to establish electrical connection for appliances, medical applications, auto applications, datacom applications, and MEFA applications without having to use additional tools, wire strippers, soldering, wire crimping or other additional materials, time and labor consuming methods. The electrical connector assembly 10 allows for electrical connection without the use of wire stripping or wire stripping tools, resulting in less labor. The electrical connector assembly allows for toolless reliable establishment of an electrical connection. The electrical connector assembly 10 does not require crimping, screwing or solder, resulting in less labor. The electrical connector assembly 10 does not require Faston terminal or solder paste, which reduces material costs. The electrical connector assembly 700 and method of providing electrical connection 700 does not require any tools to establish electrical contact between the conductive wire and the conductive terminals. The method of providing electrical connection 700 requires fewer steps which reduces cycle time. The connector assembly and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description.
While the written description has referred to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without sacrificing its material advantages or without departing from the patentable scope as defined by the claims. Therefore, it is intended that the patentable scope not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but rather other embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
