# US 11,309,672 B2 · Solder-less and tool-less electrical system

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- Number: US 11,309,672 B2
- Document ID: US11309672B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/092,238
- Filed: 2020-11-07
- Published: 2021-05-13
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-07
- Assignees: D'Addario & Company, Inc.
- Applicants: D'Addario & Company, Inc.
- Inventors: James D'Addario; Andrzej J. Krol; Zachary Stringham
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309672B2

## CPC

- H01R 4/2404: the contact members having teeth, prongs, pins or needles penetrating the insulation
- H01R 31/065: {with built-in electric apparatus}
- H01R 4/2433: one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot
- H01R 13/717: with built-in light source
- H01R 24/38: having concentrically or coaxially arranged contacts
- H01R 43/01: for connecting unstripped conductors to contact members having insulation cutting edges
- H01R 13/465: {Identification means, e.g. labels, tags, markings (H01R9/2475, H01R9/2683 take precedence)}
- H01R 13/502: composed of different pieces (H01R13/514 takes precedence)
- H01R 13/6658: {on printed circuit board (H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence)}
- H01R 13/7175: {Light emitting diodes (LEDs)}
- H01R 33/06: with two current-carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts, having their axes parallel to each other
- H01R 2103/00: Two poles
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS

## Abstract

An adjustable and reusable electrical assembly has an electrical unit, such as a plug unit or light unit, configured to engage with a cable. The electrical unit has a body that defines a channel connecting opposite pass-through openings. A first contact member and a second contact member are positioned with at least a portion in the body, each contact member having a piercing member. The cable is engageable with the plug unit extending through the channel with one piercing member in conductive contact with one wire and the other piercing member in conductive contact with the other wire. The cable can be disengaged from the plug unit and re-engaged at a different transverse position to change the length of the assembly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A customizable electrical assembly, comprising:
an elongate cable having a first wire and second wire; and
an electrical plug unit comprising a body that defines a longitudinal axis extending from a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end and having a transverse channel that extends transversely through opposite sides, the electrical plug unit further including a plug element at the second longitudinal end of the body;
a cap engageable to the body at the first end;
a first contact member positioned within at least a portion of the body and carrying a first piercing member that extends longitudinally at least partially into the channel;
a second contact member positioned within at least a portion of the body and carrying a second piercing member that extends longitudinally at least partially into the channel, wherein
the cable is engageable by the electrical unit with the cable extending transversely through the channel of the body and a first transverse section of the cable maintained within the body, wherein the first piercing member pierces the first wire and the second piercing member pierces the second wire with the cable in a longitudinal position between the cap and plug element, thereby creating communicative contact between the first wire and first contact member and between the second wire and second contact member, and
the plug element is in electrical communication with the first and second contact members and is configured to engage a secondary plug or jack, thereby providing an electrical pathway from the cable to the secondary plug or jack.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable is configured to be disengaged from the plug unit and re-engaged with the plug unit with the cable extending through the channel of the body with the first wire pierced by the second piercing member and the second wire pierced by the first piercing member, thereby creating communicative contact between the first wire and the second contact member and between the second wire and the first contact member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the first contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a first contact tube and the second contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a central pin positioned coaxial to and radially inward from the first contact tube, wherein the first contact tube is conductively insulated from the central pin.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein in the first position, the cable is folded on one of the opposite sides of the plug unit and passed back through the channel with a terminal end of first and second wires housed within the body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, comprising electrical circuitry defining a test circuit that provides a first notification when the first wire is a first polarity and the second wire is a second polarity and the cable is engaged, and provides a different second notification when the first wire is the second polarity and the second wire is the first polarity and the cable is engaged.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable is configured to be disengaged from the electrical unit plug unit and re-engaged by the electrical unit with the cable extending through the channel of the body and a second transverse section of the cable maintained within the body, wherein the first piercing member pierces the first wire and the second piercing member pierces the second wire, thereby creating communicative contact between the first wire and first contact member and between the second wire and second contact member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap has a closed top.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, comprising a removable insert configured to be positioned within the body on a longitudinal side of the cable toward the first longitudinal end of the body and longitudinally opposite from the first and second piercing members, wherein the insert is configured to assist trapping the cable within the housing.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 8, wherein the insert is configured to be mounted within the body longitudinally between the cable and the cap.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the first contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a first conductive tube, and the second contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a second conductive tube, wherein the first contact member and first conductive tube are electrically insulated from the second contact member and second conductive tube.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 10, wherein the plug element comprises a tubular projection that extends longitudinally and defines an inner wall and an outer wall, the first conductive tube is positioned on the outer wall and the second conductive tube is positioned within the inner wall.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 1, wherein the body includes an upper threaded section and the cap includes threading that mates with the upper threaded section.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The customizable electrical assembly of claim 12, wherein threading of the cap onto the threaded upper section causes application of a force on the cable in the longitudinal direction toward the first and second contact members.

### Claim 14

A method of assembling an electrical device, comprising:
providing an electrical plug unit having a body with a channel extending transversely through the body from a first pass-through opening to a second pass-through opening at a first longitudinal end of the body, a plug element projecting longitudinally from a central section of the body in a direction opposite from the first longitudinal end of the body, a first conductive contact member positioned within the body and a second conductive contact member positioned within the body insulated from the first conductive contact member, the first contact member having a first piercing member extending longitudinally into the channel and the second contact member having a second piercing member extending longitudinally into the channel, the first and second contact members being in electrical communication with the plug element;
providing an elongate cable with a first wire and a second wire;
inserting the cable into the channel with the first wire aligned with the first piercing member and the second wire aligned with the second piercing member, the cable being positioned longitudinally between the first end and the plug element in the central section of the body;
applying a longitudinal force on (a) the first wire and second wire toward the first piercing member and second piercing member, respectively, or (b) on the first piercing member and second piercing member toward the first wire and second wire, respectively, or (c) both (a) and (b) to affect an electrical connection between the first wire and first contact member and between the second wire and second contact member to the plug element, thereby defining an engaged position of the cable;
trapping the cable within the housing in the engaged position, wherein
the cable is disengage-able from the engaged position, and
the plug element is engageable with a secondary plug or jack to provide an electrical pathway from the cable to the secondary plug or jack.

### Claim 15

An electrical unit comprising:
a body extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and having a slot that extends transversely relative to the longitudinal direction from a first pass-through opening to a second pass-through opening with a channel extending therebetween;
a first electrically conductive contact member positioned within at least a portion of the body having a first piercing member extending longitudinally into the channel;
a second electrically conductive contact member positioned within at least a portion of the body having a second piercing member extending longitudinally into the channel;
a cap configured to engage with the body at the first longitudinal end;
a tubular projection extending longitudinally in a direction opposite from the cap, wherein
the slot is configured to receive an elongate cable having two conductive wires within the channel extending transversely through the first pass-through opening and second pass-through opening with a first section of the cable within the housing defining the first position, whereupon a longitudinal force on the cable causes the first piercing member into conductive contact with the first conductive wire to transmit a first charge through the first contact member to a portion of the tubular projection and causes the second piercing member into conductive contact with the second conductive wire to transmit a second charge through the second contact member to a portion of the tubular projection, and engagement of the cap to the body traps the cable in the first position, wherein the cable is positioned longitudinally between the cap and tubular projection.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The electrical unit of claim 15, wherein the body tubular projection defines an interior, comprising a first conductive tube circumscribing the tubular projection of the body and a second conductive tube interior to the tubular projection, wherein the first contact member is in conductive contact with the first tube and the second contact member is in conductive contact with the second tube, and the first contact tube is conductively insulated from the second contact tube.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The plug unit of claim 15, comprising a removable insert configured to be positioned within the body between the cap and the cable, wherein attachment of the cap to the body with the insert present causes the insert to press on the cable in the longitudinal direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The electrical unit of claim 15, wherein the first contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a first contact tube and the second contact member extends through a portion of the body and contacts a central pin positioned coaxial to and radially inward from the first contact tube, wherein the first contact tube is conductively insulated from the central pin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The electrical unit of claim 15, wherein the tubular projection is defined by a wall and defines an interior, the wall having a longitudinal slot in a first location, wherein the first conductive contact member is positioned with a portion exposed from the longitudinal slot and insulated from the interior of the tubular projection.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electrical unit of claim 19, wherein wall has a notch in a second location spaced from the first location, the notch being open to the interior of the tubular projection with a portion of the second conductive contact member positioned within the notch.