IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0400606
(2006-04-07)
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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 :
22 인용 특허 :
44 |
초록
▼
An electric connector assembly disclosing various embodiments, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening and having a complementary frustro conically shaped retainer ring circumscribing the outlet end portion
An electric connector assembly disclosing various embodiments, each of which includes a connector body having a frustro-conically shaped outlet end portion that converges toward the outlet opening and having a complementary frustro conically shaped retainer ring circumscribing the outlet end portion wherein the retainer ring is integrally formed with a locking tang and ground tangs arranged to be snap fitted to a knock-out hole of an electric box. The latest embodiment includes a frustro-conical retainer ring having an auxiliary tang arranged to permit the connector assembly to be obliquely inserted and locked to a knock-out hole of an electric box using a minimum of applied force for effecting a snap fit connection to both lock and electrically ground the connector assembly to the electric box and a method of installing the associated connector body to an electric box.
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, a radially outward extending stop flange formed about an intermediate portion of said connector body, and a
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, a radially outward extending stop flange formed about an intermediate portion of said connector body, and a snap fit retaining ring having a leading end and a trailing end, and having a frustro-conical configuration 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. 2. An electric connector assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said securing means includes an external outwardly projecting lug connected to said outlet end portion, and said frustro-conical retaining ring including a slot for receiving said projecting lug in the assembled position of said connector body and retaining ring. 3. An electric assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein said outlet end portion includes an outer sloping surface converging toward the outlet opening. 4. 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, a radially outward extending stop flange formed about an intermediate portion of said connector body, and a snap fit retaining ring having a leading end and a trailing end, and having a frustro-conical configuration 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, wherein said locking tang having a free end outwardly bent relative to the surface of said retainer ring at an angle greater than the slope of said grounding tang, and an auxiliary tang oppositely disposed from said locking tang, said auxiliary tang having a free end outwardly bent out of the surface of said retainer ring, whereby the distance between the leading end of said retaining ring to said free end of said auxiliary tang is slightly less than the diameter of a knock-out hole adapted to receive the connector body with said retainer ring attached thereto. 5. An electric connector assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said free end of said auxiliary tang terminates in a transverse arcuate lip. 6. An electric connector assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said auxiliary tang includes a tail extension connected to said arcuate lip to define the free end of said auxiliary tang, whereby said tail extension is adapted to engage the inner periphery of a knock-out hole when the connector body and said retainer ring are fixed to an electric box. 7. An electrical installation comprising: an electric box having at least one knock-out hole, and an electric connector having a connector body and an associated retainer ring mounted on said connector body for securing said connector to said knock-out hole, said connector body having an inlet end portion defining an inlet opening and an outlet end portion defining an outlet opening, and a bore extending therethrough, a radially outwardly extending flange circumscribing said connector body between said inlet end portion and said outlet portion, said outlet end portion having a sloping outer surface converging toward said outlet opening, means for securing said retainer ring on said outlet end portion, said retainer ring having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and an intermediate portion between said leading edge and said trailing edge, said intermediate portion being sloped to complement the outer sloping surface of said outlet end portion, a locking tang having trailing free end bent angularly outwardly of said intermediate portion at an angle greater than the slope of said intermediate portion, and an auxiliary tang having a free end bent angularly outwardly of said intermediate portion disposed opposite said locking tang whereby the distance between the leading edge of said locking tang and said free trailing end of said auxiliary tang is slightly less than the diameter of said knock-out hole. 8. An electric installation as defined in claim 7 and including: a series of grounding tangs disposed in the plane of said intermediate portion, said grounding tangs having a free end that is coincidental with said trailing edge of said retainer ring. 9. An electric installation as defined in claim 7 wherein said free end of said auxiliary tang terminates in a transverse lip arranged to engage a wall portion of said electric box when said connector is fitted to said knock-out hole and locked in place thereto. 10. An electric installation as defined in claim 9 wherein said free end of said auxiliary tang includes a lip extension projecting beyond said lip whereby said lip extension engages the inner periphery of said knock-out hole. 11. In combination, an electric box having connected walls defining an electric box having an open end, and at least one knock-out hole formed in at least one of said walls and a connector having a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, said inlet end portion defining an inlet opening and said outlet end portion defining an outlet opening, a bore extending through said connector body, and a stop flange circumscribing said connector body between said inlet end portion and said outlet portion, the improvement comprising: said outlet end portion having an outer surface converging toward said outlet opening, a retainer ring having a leading edge, a trailing edge and an intermediate sloping surface complementing said converging outer surface of said outlet end portion, means for retaining said retainer ring on said outlet end portion, a locking tang blanked out of the surface of said intermediate sloping surface and cantileverly bent outwardly of said sloping surface at an angle greater than that of said sloping surface, said locking tang having a trailing free end, and an oppositely disposed auxiliary tang having a trailing free end angularly bent outwardly relative to said intermediate sloping surface, whereby the distance between the leading edge of said retainer ring and the trailing tree end of said auxiliary tang is slightly less than the diameter of said knock-out hole. 12. The invention as defined in claim 11 wherein said trailing free end of said auxiliary tang includes a lip defining said free end of said auxiliary tang that is outwardly bent relative to the angle of said auxiliary tang so as to engage a wall surface of said electric box when said connector is installed in said knock-out hole. 13. The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein said auxiliary tang includes a tail extension connected to said lip to define said trailing free end of said auxiliary tang for engaging the inner periphery of said knock-out hole when said connector is installed in said knock-out hole. 14. A method of attaching a connector to and in a knock-out hole of an electric box comprising the steps of: providing a connector having a connector body formed with an outlet end portion having a downwardly sloping outer surface that converges toward the outlet opening of said outlet end portion, securing a frustro-conically shaped retainer ring onto said outlet end portion of said connector body, said retainer ring being formed with a locking tang and an auxiliary tang circumferentially spaced about the circumference of said retainer ring, and each having a trailing free end cantileverly bent outwardly of the surface of said retainer ring, so that the distance between the leading edge of said locking tang and the trailing free end of said auxiliary tang being less than the diameter of a knock-out hole to which the connector is to be attached, and angling said connector with retainer ring attached thereto relative to said knock-out hole such that the free trailing end of said auxiliary tang is permitted to freely pass through the knock-out hole, and imparting a rotation movement onto the inlet end portion of said connector causing the locking tang to deflect inwardly as said locking tang is rotated through the knock-out hole to seat and lock said connector and associated retainer ring to said knock-out hole. 15. The method as defined in claim 14 and including the step of: providing the trailing free end of said auxiliary tang with an outwardly protruding transverse lip. 16. The method as defined in claim 15 and including the step of: providing an extension onto said lip whereby said extension engages the inner periphery of said knock-out hole as connector is seated in said knock-out hole.
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