Laterally flexible electrical connector assembly

An electrical connector assembly for selectively connecting consecutive sections of a power cable to produce an assembled cable of a desired longitudinal length and enabling selective disconnection of the cable sections, the cable sections each including at least one conductor, said electrical connector assembly comprising:

• at least one connector element, said connector element having electrically connectable first and second components thereof, each one of said first and second components having a first end and a second end;
• securing means at the first end of the first component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing the first component to a conductor of one of said cable sections, and further securing means at the first end of the second component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing the second component to a corresponding conductor of another of said cable sections;
• and
• complementary means at the second end of the first component and at the second end of the second component for enabling selective mechanical and electrical connection and disconnection of the second ends to and from one another, said complementary means including relative motion means for enabling the first and second components to move relative to one another in response to lateral mechanical loads acting upon the connector element through the assembled cable when the first and second components are connected so as to enable lateral flexing of the assembled cable and the electrical connector assembly while maintaining the integrity of the electrical connection between said second ends and the integrity of the mechanical connection between connected consecutive cable sections, said relative motion means including
• a lateral projection adjacent the second end of the first component, said lateral projection including a semi-spherical surface;
• and
• an elongate longitudinal recess adjacent the second end of the second component, said recess having a lateral cross-sectional configuration complementary to the semi-spherical surface of the lateral projection for capturing the projection therein while enabling longitudinal movement of the projection within the recess.

An electrical connector assembly for selectively connecting consecutive sections of a power cable to produce an assembled cable of a desired longitudinal length and enabling selective disconnection of the cable sections, the cable sections each including at least one conductor, said electrical connector assembly comprising:

• at least one connector element, said connector element having electrically connectable first and second components thereof, each one of said first and second components having a first end and a second end;
• securing means at the first end of the first component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing the first component to a conductor of one of said cable sections, and further securing means at the first end of the second component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing the second component to a corresponding conductor of another of said cable sections;
• and
• complementary means at the second end of the first component and at the second end of the second component for enabling selective mechanical and electrical connection and disconnection of the second ends to and from one another, said complementary means including relative motion means for enabling the first and second components to move relative to one another in response to lateral mechanical loads acting upon the connector element through the assembled cable when the first and second components are connected so as to enable lateral flexing of the assembled cable and the electrical connector assembly while maintaining the integrity of the electrical connection between said second ends and the integrity of the mechanical connection between connected consecutive cable sections;
• the securing means and the further securing means each including a multiple-barbed surface adjacent the first end of each of the first and second components for resisting retraction of each said component from the corresponding conductor to which the component is secured, and a sleeve placed over each conductor and juxtaposed with the multiple-barbed surface of the first end of the corresponding component so as to further secure the component to the conductor, each sleeve including a radially outwardly flared configuration adjacent the terminal end of the conductor upon which the sleeve is located, said flared configuration extending in the direction of said lateral flexing for the favorable distribution of stresses arising in response to said lateral flexing.

An electrical connector assembly for selectively connecting consecutive sections of a power cable to produce an assembled cable of a desired longitudinal length and enabling selective disconnection of the cable sections, the cable sections each having a plurality of conductors including at least one supply conductor and at least one ground conductor, said electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a plurality of connector elements corresponding to the plurality of conductors, said connector elements each having electrically connectable first and second components thereof, each one of said first and second components having a first end and a second end;
• securing means at the first end of each first component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing each first component to a conductor of one of said cable sections, and further securing means at the first end of each second component for electrically connecting and mechanically securing each second component to a corresponding conductor of another of said cable sections;
• and
• complementary means at the second end of each first component and at the second end of each second component for enabling selective mechanical and electrical connection and disconnection of the second ends to and from one another, said complementary means including relative motion means for enabling the first and second components to move relative to one another in response to lateral mechanical loads acting upon the connector element through the assembled cable when the first and second components are connected so as to enable lateral flexing of the assembled cable and the electrical connector assembly while maintaining the integrity of the electrical connection between said second ends and the integrity of the mechanical connection between connected consecutive cable sections, the relative motion means of at least one of said plurality of connector elements including complementary semi-spherical surfaces;
• and
• said complementary means includes coupling means for coupling the complementary semi-spherical surfaces in electrical contact with one another while permitting movement of the semi-spherical surfaces relative to one another about a lateral axis located intermediate the first ends of the connected first and second components;
• and
• the relative motion means of at least another of the plurality of connector elements includes:
• a lateral projection adjacent the second end of the first component of said another of the plurality of connector elements, said lateral projection including a semi-spherical surface;
• and
• an elongate longitudinal recess adjacent the second end of the second component of said another of the plurality of connector elements, said recess having a lateral cross-sectional configuration complementary to the semi-spherical surface of the lateral projection for capturing the projection therein while enabling longitudinal movement of the projection within the recess.