IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0403099
(2006-04-12)
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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 :
26 인용 특허 :
45 |
초록
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Various embodiments of electric connector assemblies, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening with a complementary frustro-conically shaped external ring circumscribing the outlet end portion wherein the fr
Various embodiments of electric connector assemblies, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening with a complementary frustro-conically shaped external ring circumscribing the outlet end portion wherein the frustro-conical retainer ring is integrally formed with a locking tang and electrical grounding tangs arranged to be snap fitted to a knock-out hole of an electric box, in combination with an internal unidirectional snap-fit wire conductor retainer disposed in the inlet end portion of the connector body to facilitate the connection of a wire conductor to the connector body and whereby unintentional separation of the wire conductor therefrom is prohibited.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. An electric connector assembly comprising: a connector body having an inlet end portion, and an outlet end portion, said outlet end portion defining an outlet opening, said outlet end portion including an outer sloping surface converging toward said outlet opening, a radially
What is claimed is: 1. An electric connector assembly comprising: a connector body having an inlet end portion, and an outlet end portion, said outlet end portion defining an outlet opening, said outlet end portion including an outer sloping surface converging toward said outlet opening, a radially outward extending stop flange formed about an intermediate portion of said connector body, and an external snap fit retaining ring having a leading end, a trailing end, and an intermediate portion forming a frustro-conical configuration complementing said outer sloping surface wherein the diameter of the trailing end of said frustro-conical configuration is greater than the diameter of said leading end thereof, said frustro-conical retaining ring having at least one locking tang and grounding tang formed out of the surface of said retaining ring, and means for securing said retaining ring onto said outlet end portion of said connector body, said securing means includes an external outwardly projecting lug connected to said outlet end portion, and said frustro-cornical retaining ring including a slot for receiving said projecting lug in the assembled position of said connector body and retaining ring whereby the width of said slot is greater than the width of said lug adapted to be received therein, and including a conductor retainer means disposed in said inlet end portion for permitting unidirectional insertion of an electrical conductor into said inlet end portion and prohibiting any unintentional separation of an electrical conductor from said inlet end portion. 2. An electric connector assembly as defined in claim 1 and including means for securing said electrical conductor retainer means to said inlet end portion externally thereof. 3. Art electric connector assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said conductor retainer means being formed of an elongated blank of spring steel having opposed ends, said blank having a reverse bend formed at one end thereof to define a clip, and having the other end thereot angularly bent relative to said reverse end. 4. An electric connector assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said reverse bend forming said clip includes spaced apart leafs whereby said clip is fitted to said inlet end portion, and said means for securing said wire conductor retainer includes a retaining pin projecting outwardly from the outer surface of said inlet end portion, and a complementary slot formed in one of said leaf for receiving said retaining pin. 5. An electric connector assembly for securing a plurality of conductors to an electric box comprising: a connector body having an outlet end portion and an inlet end portion, said inlet end portion defining at least two chambers, a spring steel conductor retainer disposed in each of said chambers, means for securing said spring steel conductor retainer to said inlet end portion externally thereof, each of said conductor retainers having an inwardly bent retaining finger projecting inwardly into its corresponding chamber, said retaining finger having a free end extending toward the axis of said corresponding chamber in the direction of said outlet end portion, and an external retainer means circumscribing said outlet end portion for securing said connector body to a knockout hole of an electric box with a snap fit. 6. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said external retainer means comprises: a frustro conical retainer ring circumscribing said leading end, said frustro conical ring having a leading edge and a trailing edge, said trailing edge having a diameter greater than said leading edge, and means for securing said external frustro conical ring on said leading end. 7. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 6 wherein said outlet end portion includes an outer sloping surface that complements the internal sloping surface of said frustro conical retaining ring. 8. An electrical connector as defined in claim 7 wherein said outer surface of said outlet end portion is sloped downwardly toward the central axis of said outlet end portion. 9. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 8 and including complementary means for securing said conductor retainers to said inlet end portion, said complementary means including a pin projecting outwardly of the outer surface of said inlet end portion and a complementary slot formed adjacent one end of said conductor retainer. 10. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 8 and including a transition section connecting said inlet end portion to said outlet end portion. 11. An electrical connector as defined in claim 10 wherein said transition section of said body includes an opening for viewing thereinto. 12. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein each of said spring steel conductor retainers having one end thereof reversely bent to define a clip, said clip being arranged to be fitted onto the end of said inlet end portion. 13. An electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector body having an outlet end portion and an inlet end portion, said inlet end portion defining a plurality of inlet chambers, each of which is adapted to receive an electrical conductor, said outlet end portion having an outer surface sloping downward toward an outlet opening, an outwardly radially extending flange circumscribing said outlet end portion, said flange forming a stop to limit the insertion of said outlet end portion through a knock out opening of the electrical box, a projecting lug formed on said tapering outer surface, a snap fit outer retainer ring circumscribing said sloping outer surface, said snap fit retainer ring including a plurality of arms, said plurality of arms being laterally bent to define a frustro-conical configuration complementing said sloping outer surface of said outlet end portion, a locking tang formed out of the surface of at least one of said arms, said locking tang being cantileverly bent outwardly relative to the surface of said one arm, and said arms having free ends defining a grounding tang, a retaining slot formed in at least one of said arms arranged to receive said lug for securing said retainer ring onto said leading end, 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 free ends of said arms being biased to engage the inner periphery of the knockout hole to create an electrical ground, said inlet end portion defining at least a pair of side by side chambers separated by a dividing wall, a conductor retainer arranged to extend into each of said chambers, each of said conductor retainers being formed from art elongated blank of spring steel, said blank having opposed ends, and one of said ends being reversely bent to define a clip, and the other of said opposed ends being angularly bent relative to said reversely bent end, said formed clip being fitted onto the end of its corresponding chamber, and said other end of said conductor retainer having its free end bent inwardly of said sleeve toward the longitudinal axis of said sleeve and directed toward said outlet end portion to permit a wire conductor to be readily inserted into said chamber and gripped by said free end so as to prohibit any unintentional separation of the wire conductor from said inlet end portion, and means for securing each of said conductor retainers to an exterior surface of said inlet end portion. 14. An electrical connector assembly as defined in claim 13 wherein said latter means includes a retaining pin projecting outwardly from the outer surface of said inlet portion, and said one end of said conductor retainer having a complementary slot for securing said conductor retainer to said retaining pin. 15. An electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector body having an outlet end portion and an inlet end portion, said outlet end portion defining an outlet opening arranged to be inserted through a knockout hole of an electric box, and a stop flange disposed externally about said connector body, said outlet end portion having an outer surface that slopes downwardly toward said outlet opening that extends between said stop flange and said outlet opening, a snap fit outer retainer ring disposed about said outlet end portion, said outer retainer ring having a frustro-conical configuration complementing said sloping outer surface of said outlet end portion, means for retaining said frustro-conical outer retaining ring on said outlet end portion, said outer retainer ring having a locking tang cantileverly bent outwardly relative to the surface of said outer retainer ring, and a grounding tang for engaging the periphery of a knockout hole of an electric box, said inlet end portion defining a pair of side by side chambers adapted for receiving an electrical conductor, an electrical conductor retainer means disposed within each of said chambers to prohibit any unintentional separation of a wire conductor from its associated chamber, and fastening means for securing said electrical connectors to an external surface of said inlet end portion. 16. An electric connector assembly for securing an electrical conductor to an electric box comprising: a connector body having an outlet end portion and an inlet end portion for receiving an electrical conductor, a spring steel electrical conductor retainer disposed in said inlet end portion, means for securing said spring steel electrical conductor to said inlet end portion externally thereof, said spring steel electrical conductor having an inwardly bent retaining finger projecting inwardly into said inlet end portion, and said retaining finger having a free end extending toward the axis of said inlet end portion and in a direction toward said outlet end portion for permitting unidirectional insertion of the electrical conductor into said inlet end portion and prohibiting any unintentional separation of an electrical conductor from said inlet end portion.
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