US 4,302,035 AGranted

One piece electrical connector

OwnerRichard S. Ochwatinventor

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Abstract

There is disclosed an improved one piece electrical connector the type intended to interconnect conduit to a junction box which includes at least one circular knockout plug which upon removal, presents a circular knockout portion, formed by a tubular connector body having an outer engagement surface and an inner contacting surface, the outer engagement surface having a threaded portion for engaging the knockout portion of the electrical box, engagement means formed integrally with the threaded portion to lockingly engage the connector in the knockout portion of the electrical box, the outer engagement surface further including a gripping head portion positioned adjacent to the threaded portion to facilitate the gripping of the connector, the threaded portion of the connector body being formed as a substantially frusto-conical section, and the inner contacting surface being provided with conduit gripping means for contacting and gripping conduit inserted within the tubular body. A further embodiment contemplates the entire tubular body having a longitudinal slot extending along the length thereof whereby the tubular body assumes a C shape spring configuration.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A one-piece electrical conduit connector of the type adapted to interconnect a length of electrical conduit to an electrical box having at least one circular knockout plug which, upon removal, presents a circular knockout portion and at least one residual tab comprising

a substantially tubular connector body having an outer engagement surface and an inner contacting surface,
said tubular connector body being sized to accomodate the insertion therein of a length of electrical conduit,
said outer engagement surface having a threaded portion for engagement with the circular knockout portion of the electrical box,
residual tab engagement means associated with said threaded portion and adapted to engage the lock with the residual tab formed in the circular knockout portion thereby to engage and lock said connector body into the electrical box,
said residual tab engagement means formed by a terminal thread included in said threaded portion,
said terminal thread having at least one receiving slot formed therein,
said receiving slot being adapted to receive the residual tab when said connector body is fully threaded within the knockout portion,
said outer engagement surface being further provided with a gripping head portion positioned adjacent to said threaded portion and adapted to facilitate the gripping and threadingly locking engagement of said connector body in the electrical box,
said connector body being split along the entire length thereof by a longitudinal slot which traverses said threaded portion and said gripping head portion,
and said inner contacting surface being provided with conduit gripping means for contacting and gripping a portion of conduit inserted within said tubular connector body,
whereby said tubular connector body may be threadingly engaged within the knockout portion of an electrical box and locked in position when said residual tab engagement means engage the residual tab, while simultaneously, said conduit gripping means contact and grip a portion fo the length of conduit inserted within the tubular connector body thereby to interconnect a length of electrical conduit to an electrical box.

8 more elements

A one-piece electrical conduit connector the type adapted to inter connect a length of electrical conduit to an electrical box having at least one circular knockout opening, comprising,

a substantially tubular connector body having an outer engagement surface and an inner contacting surface,
said tubular connector body being sized to accomodate the insertion therein of a length of electrical conduit,
said outer engagement surface having a threaded portion for engagement with a circular knockout opening in the electrical box,
said threaded portion including a terminal thread.
said terminal thread provided with locking means for locking and engaging the knockout opening of the electrical box,
said locking means comprising a slot formed along a portion of said terminal thread whereby upon screw threadingly mounting said connector into the knockout opening of the electrical box, a portion of the periphery of the knockout opening will ride into said slot and come into biting engagement with a length of electrical conduit carried within the tubular connector body,
said outer engagement surface being further provided with a gripping head portion position adjacent to said threaded portion and adapted to facilitate the gripping and
threadingly locking engagement of said connector body in the electrical box,
whereby said tubular connector body may be threadingly engaged within the knockout opening of an electrical box and locked in position and said locking means of said terminal thread engage the knockout opening in the electrical box.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.