# US 11,114,261 B2 · Electrical connector for igniter for exothermic welding > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,261 B2 - Document ID: US11114261B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/775,458 - Filed: 2020-01-29 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-29 - Assignees: ERICO International Corporation - Applicants: Erico International Corporation - Inventors: Wayne William Ritchie; Erika Lynn Buehman; Greg Martinjak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114261B2 ## CPC - H01H 21/24: biased to return to normal position upon removal of operating force - B23K 20/165: {involving an exothermic reaction of the interposed material} - B23K 23/00: Alumino-thermic welding - B23K 37/0258: {Electric supply or control circuits therefor} - H01H 21/04: Cases; Covers - H01H 21/12: Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon - H01R 11/24: with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip - H01R 24/20: Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable - H01H 2231/048: Tools; Drilling machines - H01R 13/24: resilient; resiliently-mounted - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract An electrical connector can be provided for connecting a power source to an insertable conductor, including an igniter for exothermic weld material. One or more conductors can be disposed within a housing that is configured to receive the insertable conductor. An actuator can be engaged from outside the housing to move at least one of the conductors within the housing between resting and actuated orientations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical connector for an igniter for exothermic welding, the electrical connector comprising: a housing; a first conductor enclosed by the housing; and a second conductor enclosed by and movable within the housing; the housing providing: a first opening to receive the igniter for engagement with the first and second conductor; a housing wall that is movable, via manual contact from outside of the housing, to move the second conductor within the housing between a resting orientation and an actuated orientation; and a first window that provides visual access to an interior area of the housing to verify engagement of the igniter with the first and second conductors; a contact area of the second conductor being spaced farther from the first conductor when the second conductor is in the actuated orientation than when the second conductor is in the resting orientation; and the contact area being disposed, when the second conductor is in the resting orientation, to contact a first side of the igniter, with a second side of the igniter in contact with the first conductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the housing wall is configured to pivot on the housing to move the second conductor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first window extends through the housing wall and is aligned with a second window through one of the first or second conductors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the housing wall includes a first post that protrudes into an interior area of the housing to contact the second conductor and thereby move the second conductor when the housing wall is moved. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein the first post extends from the housing wall past the first conductor to contact the second conductor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein the housing wall further includes a second post that protrudes into the interior area of the housing to contact the second conductor and thereby move the second conductor when the housing wall is moved, the second post being opposite the contact area of the second conductor from the first post. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein the housing includes an inner housing member disposed between the housing wall and the first and second conductors; wherein the inner housing member at least partly defines a housing shell that encloses the first and second conductors separately from the housing wall; and wherein the first post extends through the inner housing member to contact the second conductor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the housing wall is configured to pivot on the inner housing member to move the second conductor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the second conductor is biased toward the first conductor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the first conductor is fixed within the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the first conductor is disposed between the housing wall and the second conductor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the second conductor pivots on an internal protrusion of the housing to move between the resting and actuated orientations. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electrical connector of claim 12, wherein the internal protrusion extends past the second conductor toward the first conductor. ### Claim 14 An electrical connector for an igniter for exothermic welding, the electrical connector comprising: a first conductor; a second conductor; a housing shell that encloses the first and second conductors within an interior area, with an opening into the interior area to receive the igniter for conductive engagement with the first and second conductors; and a housing wall that is movably secured to and at least partly outside of the housing shell, the housing wall being configured to be moved from outside of the housing shell to move the second conductor between a resting orientation and an actuated orientation; wherein the housing wall includes a first post that protrudes into the interior area of the housing shell to contact the second conductor and thereby move the second conductor when the housing wall is moved; with the second conductor in the resting orientation, the first and second conductor engaging both sides of the igniter to secure the igniter within the interior area and provide an electrical path from the first conductor to the second conductor via the igniter; and with the second conductor in the actuated orientation, the first and second conductor releasing the igniter to be removed from the interior area via the opening. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein the first post extends past the first conductor to actuate the second conductor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The electrical connector of claim 14, further comprising: a first window that provides visual access to the interior area to verify engagement of the igniter with the first and second conductors; and an internal stop that is disposed to stop insertion of the igniter into the housing shell, via the opening, with the igniter in visual alignment with the first window. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The electrical connector of claim 14, further comprising: a spring within the housing shell to bias the second conductor toward the first conductor and oppose movement of the second conductor by the housing wall. ### Claim 18 An electrical connector for an igniter strip for exothermic welding, the electrical connector comprising: a first conductor with a first contact area; a second conductor with a second contact area; and a housing that includes: an actuator configured as a housing wall that is manually movable via engagement from outside of the housing to move the second conductor between a resting orientation and an actuated orientation; an interior area that encloses the first and second conductors, the first conductor being disposed between the housing wall and the second conductor and fixed within the housing, and the second conductor being biased toward the first conductor; and an opening to receive the igniter strip into the interior area; the second contact area, with the second conductor in one of the resting or actuated orientations, being spaced a first distance from the first contact area to hold the igniter strip between the first and second contact areas; and the second contact area, with the second conductor in the other of the resting or actuated orientations, being spaced a second distance from the first contact area that is larger than the first distance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the actuator is configured to pivot toward the interior area to pivot the second conductor away from the first conductor within the interior area. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the actuator includes a first window to provide visual access to an interior area of the housing to verify engagement of the igniter strip with the first and second conductors.