Claims
- 1. A female port formed in a connective device of a relocatable wiring system having lengths of cable carrying circuit conductors, the lengths of cable each having at least one of the connective devices mechanically and electrically connected to one end thereof, the female port of any one of the connective devices being mechanically and electrically connectable to a male port of any of the connective devices having one of the male ports formed therein, each of the female ports having at least a portion of a female electrical terminal disposed therein for mechanical and electrical connection to a portion of a male electrical terminal connected in each male port, comprising:
- female terminal housing means disposed in functional relation to each female port of each of the connective devices and carried by each of the connective devices for mounting at least a portion of the female electrical terminal, the female terminal housing means having at least one chamber into which at least the portion of one of the female electrical terminals is placed to maintain said portion of the female electrical terminal in a functional location relative to the female port, each of the female terminal housing means being formed of at least two body portions mateable together to form an enclosure within which the portion of one of the female electrical terminals is mounted, the body portions locking together on mating therebetween to hold the body portions together and to hold the female electrical terminal in place between the body portions; and,
- mounting means formed integrally with the female terminal housing means for receiving the portion of one of the female electrical terminals and for mounting said female electrical terminal to the female terminal housing means.
- 2. The female port of claim 1 and further comprising retention means for preventing the female electrical terminal from being displaced axially from the female terminal housing means.
- 3. The female port of claim 1 and further comprising retention means formed integrally with the female terminal housing means for preventing the female electrical terminal from being displaced axially from the female terminal housing means.
- 4. The female port of claim 1 and further comprising means carried by the body portions and mateable to define the at least one chamber within which the at least portion of the female electrical terminal is disposed.
- 5. The female port of claim 3 wherein the retention means at least partially define the chamber within which at least the portion of the female electrical terminal is disposed.
- 6. The female port of claim 1 and further comprising hinge means carried by the body portions for joining the body portions to allow movement therebetween to a position wherein the body portions engage and mate to enclose said female electrical terminal.
- 7. The female port of claim 1 and further comprising latch means carried by the body portions to connect the body portions together, thereby forming the enclosure within which the female electrical terminal is mounted.
- 8. The female port of claim 1 wherein a plurality of female electrical terminals are mounted in the female terminal housing means.
- 9. The female port of claim 1 wherein each of the connective devices comprises an exterior housing mounting at least one of the female terminal housing means.
- 10. The female port of claim 9 wherein each of the connective devices having one of the female terminal housing means adjacent one of the female ports has notches formed in said female terminal housing means adjacent the female port.
- 11. The female port of claim 10 wherein each one of the notches formed in said female terminal housing means adjacent the female port, receive at least portions of a spring-loaded latch arms disposed one each on each side of a male port of a male terminal housing means of another one of the connective devices thereby to latch the connective devices together through connection between respective female and male ports.
- 12. The female port of claim 1 wherein the body portions snap together.
- 13. The female port of claim 1 wherein the mounting means snap-fit the female electrical terminals to the female terminal housing means.
- 14. The female port of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the female electrical terminals are mounted by one of the female terminal housing means disposed adjacent to each of the female ports.
- 15. The female port of claim 1 wherein the connective device comprises a female connector head.
- 16. The female port of claim 1 wherein the connective device comprises a female connector head, one of the female connector heads being connected to one end of one of the lengths of cable, the other end of the length of cable having a male connector head connected thereto.
- 17. The female port of claim 1 wherein the connective device comprises a female connector head having a head housing with the a female port formed thereon, the female port having a female terminal housing associated therewith, the head female terminal housing having an opening formed in one side thereof and lead wires extending from the female electrical terminals disposed interiorly of the housing through the opening and being terminated by electrical connectors, the electrical connectors being connectable to a load to supply power thereto, the arrangement thereby forming a fixture cable device.
- 18. The female port of claim 17 wherein the female connector head further comprises a fixture spring mounted within the opening, detent means carried by the fixture spring for preventing the fixture spring from disengagement with the female connector head, retaining means carried by the fixture spring for holding an access plate mountable to one of the electrical loads and means carried by the fixture spring for grounding the female connector head.
- 19. The female port of claim 1 wherein the female port comprises a portion of a splitter device having at least two female ports and at least one male port, the splitter device separating a branch circuit of the wiring system into two directions.
- 20. The female port of claim 1 wherein the female port comprises a portion of a switch drop device, the switch drop device having at least two female ports and at least one male port, one of the lengths of cable connecting to the switch drop device and carrying the circuit conductor into the interior of the switch drop device.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 08/972,667, filed Nov. 18, 1997, by the present inventors and assigned to the same assignee.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
972667 |
Nov 1997 |
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