IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0939619
(2004-09-13)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Auray, Delbert
- Kiely, Kenneth M.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Bridgeport Fittings, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
51 인용 특허 :
25 |
초록
▼
An electric connector assembly that includes a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion that is provided with a frustro-conical snap fit retaining ring having a face portion about which laterally extending arms are bent to define a frustro-conical ring circumscribing the
An electric connector assembly that includes a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion that is provided with a frustro-conical snap fit retaining ring having a face portion about which laterally extending arms are bent to define a frustro-conical ring circumscribing the face portion. The retainer ring is integrally formed of a spring steel type material an equivalent thereof. Certain of the arms have locking tangs formed or blanked out of the surface thereof, that are cantileverly bent or offset relative to the surface of its corresponding arm. The free end of the arms are arranged to function as an electrical grounding tang in the operative position of the connector assembly.The retainer ring is readily formed from a blank of sheet material that is initially cruciform in shape and which can then be readily shaped to define a retainer ring having a face portion and laterally bent or folded a circumscribing frustro-conical retaining ring from which the locking tangs and grounding tangs are integrally formed.
대표청구항
▼
1. An electric connector assembly for securing an electrical conductor to an electric box comprising:a connector body having an inlet end portion, and an outlet end portion, and a bore extending therethrough, said outlet and portion terminating in an outlet opening for insertion through a knock out
1. An electric connector assembly for securing an electrical conductor to an electric box comprising:a connector body having an inlet end portion, and an outlet end portion, and a bore extending therethrough, said outlet and portion terminating in an outlet opening for insertion through a knock out hole, said outlet end portion having an outer surface that slopes downward toward said outlet opening, a radially outward extending stop flange formed about an intermediate portion of said connector body, and a snap fit retaining ring having a face portion and an integrally connected circumscribing frustro-conical configuration wherein the diameter of the trailing end of said frustro-conical configuration is greater than the diameter of the leading end thereof, said circumscribing frustro-conical configuration includes a locking tang formed out of the surface of said ring and a grounding tang, whereby said locking tang is cantileverly bent radially outwardly relative to said grounding tang, and means for securing said retaining ring onto said downwardly sloped outlet end portion of said connector body. 2. An electrical connecting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said face portion includes a central opening therein.3. An electrical connecting assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said securing means includes an outwardly projecting lug formed on said downwardly sloping outlet end portion of said connector body, andsaid frustro-conical configuration having a retaining slot for receiving said projecting lug. 4. An electrical connector assembly for securing an electric conductor to a knockout hole of an electric box comprising:a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, and a bore extending therethrough, said outlet end portion terminating in an outlet opening adaptable for insertion through a knockout hole, a stop flange disposed intermediately of said connector body to limit the insertion of said outlet end portion into a knockout hole, said outlet end portion having an outer surface that slopes downward toward said outlet opening, a snap fit retainer ring being formed of a resilient material, said snap fit retainer ring having a face portion and an integrally connected frustro-conical configuration disposed about said face portion and extending laterally therefrom, a locking tang and a grounding tang formed out of the surface of said frustro-conical configuration, said locking tang being bent outwardly relative to the surface of said frustro-conical configuration at an angle greater than said grounding tang, said laterally extending frustro-conical configuration includes a trailing end having a diameter greater than that of said face portion whereby said locking tang and grounding tang are deflected inwardly to permit insertion of said connector assembly through a knockout hole, whereby said tangs are inherently biased outwardly when fully inserted, permitting the holding tang to secure the connector assembly to an electrical box and the grounding tang being positively biased in engagement with the internal periphery of the knockout hole to form a positive electrical ground. 5. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 4 and including means for securing said snap fit retainer ring onto the outlet end portion of said connector body.6. An electrical connector assembled as defined in claim 5 wherein said securing means comprises:a projecting lug formed on said outlet end portion, and said frustro-conical configuration including a complementary slot for receiving said lug. 7. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 6 and including means for securing an electrical conductor when inserted into said inlet end portion.8. An electrical connector assembly for securing an electrical conductor to an electrical box comprising:a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet portion with a bore extending therethrough, an outwardly extending flange circumscribing said connector body, said outlet end portion having a surface sloping downwardly toward the outlet end opening, a projecting lug formed on said eloping surface of said outlet end portion, a retaining ring disposed on said outlet end portion, said retaining ring having a face portion provided with an opening therein, and a plurality of laterally extending arms integrally connected about the periphery of said face portion, said laterally extending arms defining a frustro-conical configuration for receiving and circumscribing said outlet end portion, locking tangs and grounding tangs blanked out of the surface of said arms, said locking tangs being cantileverly bent out of the surface of said arms at an angle greater than said grounding tangs, a retaining slot formed in at least one of said arms, said rtaining slot adapted to receive said lug for securing said retaining ring on said outlet end portion. 9. A snap fit retainer ring adapted for use on an electrical connector to effect a snap fit connection to an electric box comprising:a blank of metallic spring material formed to define a ring, said blank having a central face portion and a plurality of opposed pairs of radial arms about said central face portion, said central face portion having an opening therein, said radially extending pairs of opposed arms being laterally bent about said face portion to define a frustro-conical configuration relative to said face portion, holding tangs formed out of the surface of opposed pairs of said arms, a retaining slot formed in another pair of said opposed arms, said holding tangs being cantileverly bent out of the surface of said opposed pairs of said arms, and said pairs of arms having the free ends thereof functioning as grounding tangs. 10. For use in combination with an electrical box provided with at least one or more knock out holes, an electrical connector assembly comprising:a connector body defining an inlet end portion and a connected outlet end portion having an outlet opening, an outwardly radially extending flange circumscribing said connector body between said inlet portion and said outlet portion, said flange forming a stop to limit the insertion of said connector body portion through a knock out opening of the electrical box, said outlet portion having an outer surface sloping downwardly from said flange toward said outlet opening, a projecting lug formed on said sloping surface, a snap fit retainer ring supported on said outlet end portion, said snap fit retainer ring including a face portion and a plurality of pairs of opposed arms formed integral with said face portion, said plurality of pairs of opposed arms being laterally bent relative to and about said face portion to define a frustro-conical configuration circumscribing said face portion, locking tangs formed out of the surfaces of said opposed arms of at least one of said pairs of opposed arms, said locking tangs being cantileverly bent outwardly relative to the surface of said opposed arms of said one pair of opposed arms, and a second pair of opposed arms having a free end defining a grounding tang, a retaining slot formed in said second pair of arms arranged to receive said lug for securing said retainer ring onto said outlet end portion, so that when said connector assembly is inserted through a knockout hole of an electric box, said locking tangs spring outwardly to secure the connector assembly to the electric box and the ends of said second pair of opposed arms are biased to engage the inner periphery of the knockout hole to create an electrical ground.
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