CA2225816A1 - Improved electrical connector - Google Patents
Improved electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2225816A1 CA2225816A1 CA 2225816 CA2225816A CA2225816A1 CA 2225816 A1 CA2225816 A1 CA 2225816A1 CA 2225816 CA2225816 CA 2225816 CA 2225816 A CA2225816 A CA 2225816A CA 2225816 A1 CA2225816 A1 CA 2225816A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- wedge
- conductor
- conductor receiving
- connector
- receiving channel
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
- H01R4/28—Clamped connections, spring connections
- H01R4/50—Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a cam, wedge, cone or ball also combined with a screw
- H01R4/5083—Clamped connections, spring connections utilising a cam, wedge, cone or ball also combined with a screw using a wedge
Landscapes
- Suspension Of Electric Lines Or Cables (AREA)
Abstract
The invention comprises an electrical connector for connecting conductor wires (26, 27). The connector includes a C-member (10) having a central web (12) and curved over sidewalls (14). The sidewalls (14) form conductor receiving channels (20) therein. The connector further includes a die cast wedge (30) to be received within the C-member (10). The wedge (30) has conductor receiving channels (36) along either side which are concave and have a texture surface therealong. The wedge (30) is received within the C-member (10) to secure conductor wires (26, 27) together. The conductor wire (26, 27) is received between the conductor receiving channel (20) on the C-member (10) and the conductor receiving channel (36) on the wedge (30).
Description
-CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 IMPRO~nED ELECTRIC ~ CO~nNECTOR
This invention relates to an electrical wedge connector having a wedge receivable in a C-member and adapted to secure conductor wires between the C-member and the wedge.
Electrical connectors o~ the type having a C-shaped body member having converging channels and a complementary wedge member have been known conventionally ~or many years~ Basically, two uninsulated conductors are electrically and mechanically connected by being pressed into and against interior curved sur~aces or channels provided in a C-shaped body member by a wedge being driven longitudinally into the body member between the conductors.
A typical C and wedge connector is shown in U.S.
Patent No. 5,244,422. The C-member has projections disposed along the conductor receiving channel. The projections bite into the conductor upon t~rm; n~ tion making a strong mechanical and electrical connection.
The projections are ~ormed when the C-member is stamped and ~ormed.
U.S. Patent No. 4,650,273 shows a connector in which the wedge is stamped and ~ormed. The wedge is ~ormed with serrations along the conductor receiving ~h~nn~l S, as well as having serrations on the conductor receiving ~h~nnels o~ the C-member. The serrations on the wedge ~orm a strong mechanical and electrical connection between the conductors when the connector is term;n~ted. The serrations are ~ormed in the stamping and ~orming process.
It would be an advantage to have a textured sur~ace ~ormed along the conductor receiving rh~nnel o~ a wedge which has been cast and there~ore has more strength.
The invention comprises an electrical connector ~or connecting conductor wires. The connector includes a C-member having a central web and curved over sidewalls.
The sidewalls ~orm conductor receiving channels therein.
CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 The connector ~urther includes a cast wedge to be received within the C-member. The wedge has conductor receiving channels along either side which are concave and have a texture surface therealong. The wedge is received within the C-member to secure conductor wires together. The conductor wire is received between the conductor receiving channel on the C-member and the conductor receiving ~h~nn~l on the wedge.
The invention ~urther comprises an electrical connector having a C-member and a wedge in which the wedge is ~ormed ~rom a casting process. A textured sur~ace is ~ormed along conductor receiving channels on the wedge concurrently with the ~ormation o~ the wedge.
An embodiment o~ the present invention will now be described with re~erence to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view o~ the C-member and the wedge o~ the current invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are isometric views o~ the wedge;
Figure 4 is an isometric view o~ the C-member; and Figures 5, 6, and 7 are alternative embodiments o~
the present invention.
Figure 1 shows a C-member 10 and a wedge 30 which are used to mechanically and electrically connect two 25 conductors 26, 27 together. The C-member 10 has a central web 12 with curved-over sidewalls 14 along each side. The C-member 10 has a ~orward end 16 and a rearward end 18. The C-member 10 is wider at the ~orward end 16 and is tapered down to a narrower portion at the rearward end 18. The curved-over sidewalls 14 ~orm two conductor receiving channels 20, see Fig. 4.
The conductor receiving channels 20 have inner sur~aces 22 which are curved and smooth. The C-member 10 also has a locking recess 24 which is near the ~orward end 16.
The wedge 30, see Fig. 1, has a wide end 32 and a narrow end 34. The wedge 30 is tapered ~rom the wide CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 end 32 to the narrow end 34. The wedge 30 has two conductor receiving channels 36 which are disposed along either side of the wedge and extend from the wide, forward end 32 to the narrower, rearward end 34. The conductor receiving channels 36 are concave shaped. The wedge 30 has a top surface 44 and a bottom surface 46.
A locking projection 38, see Fig. 2, extends from the bottom surface 46 and is received into the recess 24 when the conductors are term; n~ ted thereby locking the C-member 10 and the wedge 30 together.
The wedge 30 can be a solid, block shape. A
typical block type wedge is shown in U.S. Patent No.
5,145,420. In the preferred embodiment, the wedge is formed having recesses 40,42 on both the top 44 and the bottom 46, see Figs. 2 and 3. The recesses 40, 42 are formed when the wedge 30 is cast. The recess 40, see Fig. 3, has a bottom 48 and side walls 49. The sidewalls 49 extend along the forward end 32 and also along the sides 50, proximate to the conductor receiving channels 36. The recess 40 is open to the rearward end 34 of the wedge. Similarly, recess 42 has a bottom 52 and sidewalls 54. The sidewalls 54 are also along the sides 50 and the ~orward end 32 o~ the wedge. By having the recesses 40,42 formed on the wedge, less material is needed to make the wedge. The wedge 30 has sufficient strength and electrical properties to form a good mechanical and electrical connection between the conductors while using less material than a typical block type wedge.
The concave shaped conductor receiving channels 36 have a rough, textured surface 60 formed thereon. The textured surface can be any form of texture or knurling on the ch~nn~1s 36. It can be cross hatching, projections, holes, teeth or any other sur~ace roughness formed on the channels. Figure 1 shows cross hatching, however, any of the above mentioned textures can be used.
CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 Fiyures 5, 6 and 7 show alternative embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a wedge in which the textured surface 60a comprises parallel lines.
Figure 6 shows a wedge in which the textured surface 60b comprises a random, rough textured surface. Figure 7 shows a wedge in which the textured sur~ace 60c comprises projections.
The textured surface 60 can be ~ormed on the wedge in any number of ways. The textured surface can be machined onto the wedge or can be ~ormed by squeeze casting, injection casting, investment casting, or any other metal casting or metal forming process.
The preferred method of forming the wedge with rough, textured surface 60 thereon is to form it during the casting process. Using semi-solid forging techniques, the texture is placed on the die. The rough textured surface is transferred concurrently with the casting process. Furthermore, the textured surface that i8 formed can have a considerably f iner pattern than the surface that can be formed during stamping and forming.
The texture can also be formed having a sharper texture than can be formed using traditional stamping and forming techniques. The fine pattern and the sharpness of the textured surface provides a much better surface to engage the conductor.
The semi-solid forging technique involves heating the metal to a temperature where the metal is soft, but has not melted. The wedge can be formed from the metal by pressing the die against the soft metal. The wedge and the textured surface are thereby formed at the same time.
When the conductors are t~rm; n~ ted using the C-member 10 and the wedge 30, the rough textured surface 60 on the wedge bites into the conductors. The C-member then slides along the conductors in order to t~rm~n~te the conductors. In order to ensure that the C-member 10 slides smoothly along the conductors, a lubricant is CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 placed along the sur~ace 22 o~ the conductor receiving channels 20. This ensures a stronger clamp and bonding ~orce. There~ore, a stronger mechanical connection is ~ormed. The lubricant also prevents ~raying and un~olding of the strands o~ the conductor during the t~rm;n~tion process The use o~ a wedge with a rough textured sur~ace has several advantages over a C-member with the textured sur~ace along the conductor receiving channels. First, -a step is saved in the stamping and ~orming process o~
the C-member in that the textured surface need not be ~ormed thereonO Second, the wedge having the rough textured sur~ace on the inner sur~aces and being ~ormed from semi-solid ~orging techniques provides a stronger mechanical and electrical connection than a similar stamped and ~ormed wedge. Also, the process o~ ~orming the rough textured sur~ace on the wedge during the casting results in a less expensive process than alternative processes.
Other advantages o~ using the semi-solid ~orging techniques are that the casting process produces a very ~aith~ul replication on the wedge ~rom the die. The sur~ace texture can be optimized very easily in the density o~ the texture and the size o~ the texture to en~ure the best ~low o~ electricity through the connector. Further, the semi-solid ~orging process places less wear on the die sur~ace as the die does not come in contact with the molten liquid.
The electrical connector o~ the present invention and many o~ its attendant advantages will be understood ~rom the f oregoing description. It is apparent that various changes may be made in the ~orm, construction, and arrangement o~ parts thereo~ without departing ~rom the spirit or scope o~ the invention, or sacri~icing all o~ its material advantages.
This invention relates to an electrical wedge connector having a wedge receivable in a C-member and adapted to secure conductor wires between the C-member and the wedge.
Electrical connectors o~ the type having a C-shaped body member having converging channels and a complementary wedge member have been known conventionally ~or many years~ Basically, two uninsulated conductors are electrically and mechanically connected by being pressed into and against interior curved sur~aces or channels provided in a C-shaped body member by a wedge being driven longitudinally into the body member between the conductors.
A typical C and wedge connector is shown in U.S.
Patent No. 5,244,422. The C-member has projections disposed along the conductor receiving channel. The projections bite into the conductor upon t~rm; n~ tion making a strong mechanical and electrical connection.
The projections are ~ormed when the C-member is stamped and ~ormed.
U.S. Patent No. 4,650,273 shows a connector in which the wedge is stamped and ~ormed. The wedge is ~ormed with serrations along the conductor receiving ~h~nn~l S, as well as having serrations on the conductor receiving ~h~nnels o~ the C-member. The serrations on the wedge ~orm a strong mechanical and electrical connection between the conductors when the connector is term;n~ted. The serrations are ~ormed in the stamping and ~orming process.
It would be an advantage to have a textured sur~ace ~ormed along the conductor receiving rh~nnel o~ a wedge which has been cast and there~ore has more strength.
The invention comprises an electrical connector ~or connecting conductor wires. The connector includes a C-member having a central web and curved over sidewalls.
The sidewalls ~orm conductor receiving channels therein.
CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 The connector ~urther includes a cast wedge to be received within the C-member. The wedge has conductor receiving channels along either side which are concave and have a texture surface therealong. The wedge is received within the C-member to secure conductor wires together. The conductor wire is received between the conductor receiving channel on the C-member and the conductor receiving ~h~nn~l on the wedge.
The invention ~urther comprises an electrical connector having a C-member and a wedge in which the wedge is ~ormed ~rom a casting process. A textured sur~ace is ~ormed along conductor receiving channels on the wedge concurrently with the ~ormation o~ the wedge.
An embodiment o~ the present invention will now be described with re~erence to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view o~ the C-member and the wedge o~ the current invention;
Figures 2 and 3 are isometric views o~ the wedge;
Figure 4 is an isometric view o~ the C-member; and Figures 5, 6, and 7 are alternative embodiments o~
the present invention.
Figure 1 shows a C-member 10 and a wedge 30 which are used to mechanically and electrically connect two 25 conductors 26, 27 together. The C-member 10 has a central web 12 with curved-over sidewalls 14 along each side. The C-member 10 has a ~orward end 16 and a rearward end 18. The C-member 10 is wider at the ~orward end 16 and is tapered down to a narrower portion at the rearward end 18. The curved-over sidewalls 14 ~orm two conductor receiving channels 20, see Fig. 4.
The conductor receiving channels 20 have inner sur~aces 22 which are curved and smooth. The C-member 10 also has a locking recess 24 which is near the ~orward end 16.
The wedge 30, see Fig. 1, has a wide end 32 and a narrow end 34. The wedge 30 is tapered ~rom the wide CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 end 32 to the narrow end 34. The wedge 30 has two conductor receiving channels 36 which are disposed along either side of the wedge and extend from the wide, forward end 32 to the narrower, rearward end 34. The conductor receiving channels 36 are concave shaped. The wedge 30 has a top surface 44 and a bottom surface 46.
A locking projection 38, see Fig. 2, extends from the bottom surface 46 and is received into the recess 24 when the conductors are term; n~ ted thereby locking the C-member 10 and the wedge 30 together.
The wedge 30 can be a solid, block shape. A
typical block type wedge is shown in U.S. Patent No.
5,145,420. In the preferred embodiment, the wedge is formed having recesses 40,42 on both the top 44 and the bottom 46, see Figs. 2 and 3. The recesses 40, 42 are formed when the wedge 30 is cast. The recess 40, see Fig. 3, has a bottom 48 and side walls 49. The sidewalls 49 extend along the forward end 32 and also along the sides 50, proximate to the conductor receiving channels 36. The recess 40 is open to the rearward end 34 of the wedge. Similarly, recess 42 has a bottom 52 and sidewalls 54. The sidewalls 54 are also along the sides 50 and the ~orward end 32 o~ the wedge. By having the recesses 40,42 formed on the wedge, less material is needed to make the wedge. The wedge 30 has sufficient strength and electrical properties to form a good mechanical and electrical connection between the conductors while using less material than a typical block type wedge.
The concave shaped conductor receiving channels 36 have a rough, textured surface 60 formed thereon. The textured surface can be any form of texture or knurling on the ch~nn~1s 36. It can be cross hatching, projections, holes, teeth or any other sur~ace roughness formed on the channels. Figure 1 shows cross hatching, however, any of the above mentioned textures can be used.
CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 Fiyures 5, 6 and 7 show alternative embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a wedge in which the textured surface 60a comprises parallel lines.
Figure 6 shows a wedge in which the textured surface 60b comprises a random, rough textured surface. Figure 7 shows a wedge in which the textured sur~ace 60c comprises projections.
The textured surface 60 can be ~ormed on the wedge in any number of ways. The textured surface can be machined onto the wedge or can be ~ormed by squeeze casting, injection casting, investment casting, or any other metal casting or metal forming process.
The preferred method of forming the wedge with rough, textured surface 60 thereon is to form it during the casting process. Using semi-solid forging techniques, the texture is placed on the die. The rough textured surface is transferred concurrently with the casting process. Furthermore, the textured surface that i8 formed can have a considerably f iner pattern than the surface that can be formed during stamping and forming.
The texture can also be formed having a sharper texture than can be formed using traditional stamping and forming techniques. The fine pattern and the sharpness of the textured surface provides a much better surface to engage the conductor.
The semi-solid forging technique involves heating the metal to a temperature where the metal is soft, but has not melted. The wedge can be formed from the metal by pressing the die against the soft metal. The wedge and the textured surface are thereby formed at the same time.
When the conductors are t~rm; n~ ted using the C-member 10 and the wedge 30, the rough textured surface 60 on the wedge bites into the conductors. The C-member then slides along the conductors in order to t~rm~n~te the conductors. In order to ensure that the C-member 10 slides smoothly along the conductors, a lubricant is CA 0222~8l6 l997-l2-24 W O 97/01873 PCT~US96/11169 placed along the sur~ace 22 o~ the conductor receiving channels 20. This ensures a stronger clamp and bonding ~orce. There~ore, a stronger mechanical connection is ~ormed. The lubricant also prevents ~raying and un~olding of the strands o~ the conductor during the t~rm;n~tion process The use o~ a wedge with a rough textured sur~ace has several advantages over a C-member with the textured sur~ace along the conductor receiving channels. First, -a step is saved in the stamping and ~orming process o~
the C-member in that the textured surface need not be ~ormed thereonO Second, the wedge having the rough textured sur~ace on the inner sur~aces and being ~ormed from semi-solid ~orging techniques provides a stronger mechanical and electrical connection than a similar stamped and ~ormed wedge. Also, the process o~ ~orming the rough textured sur~ace on the wedge during the casting results in a less expensive process than alternative processes.
Other advantages o~ using the semi-solid ~orging techniques are that the casting process produces a very ~aith~ul replication on the wedge ~rom the die. The sur~ace texture can be optimized very easily in the density o~ the texture and the size o~ the texture to en~ure the best ~low o~ electricity through the connector. Further, the semi-solid ~orging process places less wear on the die sur~ace as the die does not come in contact with the molten liquid.
The electrical connector o~ the present invention and many o~ its attendant advantages will be understood ~rom the f oregoing description. It is apparent that various changes may be made in the ~orm, construction, and arrangement o~ parts thereo~ without departing ~rom the spirit or scope o~ the invention, or sacri~icing all o~ its material advantages.
Claims (5)
1. An electrical connector for connecting conductor wires (26,27) comprising a C-member (10) having a central web (12) and a curved-over sidewall (14) forming a conductor receiving channel (20) therealong, the C-member (10) being tapered from a front end (16) to a rearward end (18); a cast wedge (30) to be received within the C-member (10) and having a sidewall with a conductor receiving channel (36) therealong, the wedge being tapered from a front end (32) to a rearward end (34), the conductor receiving channel (36) on the wedge being concave in shape, characterized in that the conductor receiving channel (36) on the wedge has a textured surface therealong and the wedge (30) being formed using a semi-solid forging technique and the textured surface is formed during the casting process.
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein a top (44) and a bottom (46) of the wedge are formed having recesses (40,42).
3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the conductor receiving channel (20) has smooth surfaces for receiving the conductor.
4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the C-member (10) has two conductor receiving channels (20), and the wedge (30) has two conductor receiving channels (36) each with a textured surface therealong.
5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the C-member (10) has a locking recess (24) and the wedge (30) has a locking projection on (38), the locking projection (38) being received within the recess (24) when the connector is fully mated to secure the wedge within the C-member.
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US65695P | 1995-06-29 | 1995-06-29 | |
| US60/000,656 | 1995-06-29 | ||
| US65106496A | 1996-05-21 | 1996-05-21 | |
| US08/651,064 | 1996-05-21 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2225816A1 true CA2225816A1 (en) | 1997-01-16 |
Family
ID=26667936
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2225816 Abandoned CA2225816A1 (en) | 1995-06-29 | 1996-06-28 | Improved electrical connector |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CN (1) | CN1193417A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR9609312A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2225816A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1997001873A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES2141041B1 (en) * | 1998-02-16 | 2000-10-16 | Framatome Connectors Espana S | ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR THE CONNECTION OF ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS EQUIPPED WITH INSULATING COATING FROM SODIUM SULPHATE. |
| US7494385B2 (en) * | 2007-05-16 | 2009-02-24 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Electrical connector with a wedge and lubricant |
| US7736203B2 (en) * | 2007-08-29 | 2010-06-15 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Wedge connector assembly |
| CN103490189B (en) * | 2013-08-23 | 2016-06-08 | *** | Crimp type parallel groove clamp |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB102717A (en) * | 1915-12-15 | 1917-09-19 | Marie Joseph Pierre Ab Miocque | An Improved Connector or Coupling for Transmission Wires. |
| US3071750A (en) * | 1960-04-05 | 1963-01-01 | Amp Inc | Solderless electrical connectors |
| US4650273A (en) * | 1984-11-30 | 1987-03-17 | Amp Incorporated | Electrical wedge connector |
| US5145420A (en) * | 1991-05-31 | 1992-09-08 | Counsel Eugene F | Electrical wire connector |
| US5244422A (en) * | 1992-09-04 | 1993-09-14 | The Whitaker Corporation | Wedge connector |
-
1996
- 1996-06-28 CA CA 2225816 patent/CA2225816A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1996-06-28 WO PCT/US1996/011169 patent/WO1997001873A1/en active Application Filing
- 1996-06-28 CN CN96196358A patent/CN1193417A/en active Pending
- 1996-06-28 BR BR9609312A patent/BR9609312A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN1193417A (en) | 1998-09-16 |
| BR9609312A (en) | 1999-07-06 |
| WO1997001873A1 (en) | 1997-01-16 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| FZDE | Dead |