GB2319402A

GB2319402A - Two-part connector to join conductors

Info

Publication number: GB2319402A
Application number: GB9721219A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Hollick
Original assignee: B & H Ltd
Current assignee: B & H Ltd
Priority date: 1996-11-08
Filing date: 1997-10-08
Publication date: 1998-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-08
Also published as: GB9721219D0; GB2319402B; GB9623293D0

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises first and second bodies (1,2), each of which has a socket (11,21) to receive the end of an electrical conductor (A,B). The first and second bodies (1,2) are capable of being connected together to form an electrical connector having a substantially smooth overall shape. The first and second bodies (1,2) are connected together by means of a projection (25) formed on the first body (2) which is closely received within a corresponding recess (14) in the second body (1). Means (16) are provided for clamping the projection (25) within the recess (14).

Description

Title- Electrical Connector This invention relates to electrical connectors, in particular (though not exclusively) to electrical connectors for use at relatively high voltages.

Conventionally, an electrical connector for the end-to-end connection of two electrical conductors comprises a cylindrical body having blind bores at each end into which the conductor ends are inserted. Threaded bores are provided in the wall of the cylindrical body for bolts to secure the conductors.

Known conductors of the type described above suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, where large diameter, relatively inflexible conductors are involved it is sometimes difficult to fit both conductors into opposite ends of the connector.

GB-A-287239 discloses an electrical connector comprising a pair of socket bodies with complementary surfaces which can be clamped together to create an electrical connection between them. Such a connector may facilitate the joining together of conductors but it suffers from the disadvantage of an irregular overall shape with protrusions and sharp edges which can give rise to electrical discharges.

EP-A-0669044 describes an electrical connector which also comprises a pair of complementary socket bodies which can be individually connected to the ends of two conductors and then clamped together to make an electrical connection. The assembled connector has a smooth overall shape which reduces the risk of undesirable electrical discharges. The socket bodies are clamped together via abutting, complementary surfaces which in the specific connectors described are V-shaped to provide keying engagement and to improve the electrical contact.

The connector disclosed in EP-A-0669044 is useful but does suffer from the disadvantage of requiring high precision machining of the complementary surfaces to ensure their correct engagement.

There has now been devised an improved form of electrical connector which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above-mentioned disadvantage.

According to the invention, there is provided an electrical connector comprising first and second bodies, each of which has a socket to receive the end of an electrical conductor, the first and second bodies being capable of being connected together to form an electrical connector having a substantially smooth overall shape, the first and second bodies being connected together by means of a projection formed on the first body which is closely received within a corresponding recess in the second body, there further being provided means for clamping the projection within the recess.

The electrical connector according to the invention is advantageous primarily in that the electrical contact made by the projection within the recess may be greater than that between two abutting surfaces, leading to improved performance of the connector, without the need for high precision machining.

Preferably, the assembled connector is generally circular in cross-section. The connector may thus be generally cylindrical in overall shape. Alternatively, one or both ends of the assembled connector may be of progressively reduced diameter, ie the ends may be tapered.

The projection may be of circular cross-section, or may have any other suitable cross-section.

Where the projection is non-circular it may also serve to provide keying engagement of the projection within the recess.

It is particularly preferred that the projection should be in the form of a tongue, most preferably having substantially planar upper and lower surfaces, and the recess is a corresponding groove within which the tongue is received. The groove may extend across the full width of the second body, or may have a lesser width. It is particularly preferred that the projection should be capable of being inserted into the recess laterally, rather than axially.

The first and second bodies are preferably provided with one or more threaded bores to receive bolts for clamping of conductors within the sockets.

Similarly, one or more threaded bolts may be used to clamp the projection within the recess.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of an electrical connector according to the invention, prior to connection of first and second connector bodies; Figure 2 shows a partial sectional view of the connector of Figure 1, after connection of the first and second connector bodies; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line ffl-III in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a second embodiment of a connector according to the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, an electrical connector comprises first and second bodies 1,2. The first body 1 is generally cylindrical and is formed at one end with a blind bore 11 which constitutes a socket for the exposed end of a first electrical conductor A. The conductor A is clamped within the bore 11 by shear-head bolts 12,13 located in countersunk threaded bores in the first body 1. The shear-head bolts 12,13 are shown in Figure 1 after the heads have been sheared off.

At the closed end of the bore 11, the first body 1 is formed with a diametral groove 14. The upper (as viewed in Figure 1) wall of the groove 14 is provided with a countersunk threaded bore 15 which also receives a shear-head clamping bolt 16.

The second body 2 contains a blind bore 21 forming a socket within which the end of a second conductor B is retained by bolts 22,23 in a similar fashion to the way in which the first conductor A is held in the first body. At the closed end of the bore 21 the second body is formed with a tongue 25 which corresponds in dimensions to the groove 14.

In use, after the ends of the conductors A,B have been secured within the respective blind bores 11,21, the tongue 25 is inserted into the groove 14 and clamped by tightening of the clamping bolt 16. The groove 14 and the tongue 25 extend across the full width of the respective bodies 1,2 (see Figure 3) so that the tongue 25 can be inserted into the groove 14 laterally. This makes connection of the bodies 1,2 easier when, as is generally the case, the conductors A,B are relatively inflexible and fixed in position.

The clamping bolt 16 is then tightened until its head shears off. The upper face ofthe tongue 25 is provided with a depression 26 in which the tip of the clamping bolt 16 locates. The clamping bolt 16 is shown in Figure 1 with its shearable head intact, and in Figure 2 with the shearable head removed.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the connector according to the invention. This differs from the embodiment described above in the manner in which the first and second bodies are connected. In this connector, the upper wall of the groove has a plain countersunk bore 31 and the lower wall a co-axial (but smaller diameter) threaded bore 32. The tongue has a plain bore 33 which, when the tongue is received within the groove, is also coaxially disposed. A clamping bolt 34 with a threaded tip portion is engaged with the threaded bore 32 and tightened to clamp the tongue between the lower wall of the groove and a shoulder 34a formed on the unthreaded shank part of the clamping bolt 34.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising first and second bodies, each of which has a socket to receive the end of an electrical conductor, the first and second bodies being capable of being connected together to form an electrical connector having a substantially smooth overall shape, the first and second bodies being connected together by means of a projection formed on the first body which is closely received within a corresponding recess in the second body, there further being provided means for clamping the projection within the recess.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembled connector is generally circular in cross-section.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connector is generally cylindrical in overall shape.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein one or both ends of the assembled connector is of progressively reduced diameter, such that the ends are tapered.

5. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the projection is of circular cross-section.

6. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the projection is non-circular, and serves to provide keying engagement of the projection within the recess.

7. A connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the projection is in the form of a tongue, having substantially planar upper and lower surfaces, and the recess is a corresponding groove within which the tongue is received.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the groove extends across the full width of the second body.

9. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second bodies are provided with one or more threaded bores to receive bolts for clamping of conductors within the sockets.

10. A connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more threaded bolts are used to clamp the projection within the recess.

11. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

12. A connector substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figure 3.