Loadbreaking electrical connector probe with enhanced threading and related methods

A loadbreak electrical connector comprising:

• a housing having first and second intersecting passageways therein;
• a conductive member to be received in the first passageway, said conductive member having a first end to receive a cable end and having a transverse internally threaded opening adjacent a second end thereof being accessible via the second passageway;
• and
• a loadbreak probe to be received in the second passageway, said loadbreak probe having an externally threaded end to be threaded into the transverse internally threaded opening of said conductive member;
• said externally threaded end comprising a proximal portion and a self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip connected thereto;
• said proximal portion comprising a proximal shaft having a constant predetermined diameter and a proximal helical rib extending radially outwardly a first distance from said proximal shaft;
• said self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip comprising a distal shaft connected to said proximal shaft and a distal helical rib connected to said proximal helical rib and extending radially outwardly from said distal shaft a second distance less than the first distance, said distal helical rib also terminating prior to an end of said distal shaft to define an unthreaded lead-in.

A loadbreak probe for a loadbreak electrical connector comprising a housing having first and second intersecting passageways therein, a conductive member to be received in the first passageway, the conductive member having a first end to receive a cable end and having a transverse internally threaded opening adjacent a second end thereof being accessible via the second passageway, the loadbreak probe to be received in the second passageway and comprising:

• a loadbreak probe body;
• and
• an externally threaded end connected to said loadbreak probe body to be threaded into the transverse internally threaded opening of the conductive member;
• said externally threaded end comprising a proximal portion and a self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip connected thereto;
• said proximal portion comprising a proximal shaft having a constant predetermined diameter and a proximal helical rib extending radially outwardly a first distance from said proximal shaft;
• said self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip comprising a distal shaft connected to said proximal shaft and a distal helical rib connected to said proximal helical rib and extending radially outwardly from said distal shaft a second distance less than the first distance, said distal helical rib also terminating prior to an end of said distal shaft to define an unthreaded lead-in.

A method for making loadbreak electrical connector comprising:

• forming a housing having first and second intersecting passageways therein;
• forming a conductive member to be received in the first passageway, the conductive member having a first end to receive a cable end and having a transverse internally threaded opening adjacent a second end thereof being accessible via the second passageway;
• and
• forming a loadbreak probe to be received in the second passageway, the loadbreak probe having an externally threaded end to be threaded into the transverse internally threaded opening of the conductive member;
• the externally threaded end comprising a proximal portion and a self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip connected thereto;
• the proximal portion comprising a proximal shaft having a constant predetermined diameter and a proximal helical rib extending radially outwardly a first distance from the proximal shaft;
• the self-aligning, anti-cross threading tip comprising a distal shaft connected to the proximal shaft and a distal helical rib connected to the proximal helical rib and extending radially outwardly from the distal shaft a second distance less than the first distance, the distal helical rib also terminating prior to an end of the distal shaft to define an unthreaded lead-in.