US 6,186,821 B1Granted

Hermaphroditic cable connector

AssigneeHeyco Products, Inc.

InventorThomas M. Mullen, Jr.

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention relates to a connecting device adapted for connecting an electrical cable, which includes wires, to a similar or identical electrical cable. The device includes a housing having a connecting end, which is adapted to be removably connected to a connecting end of an identical connecting device, and an opposite end, which includes a slot for receiving an electrical cable inserted into the housing. The housing also includes a receiving portion at the connecting end for receiving a plurality of connecting blades adapted to engage blades of an identical device and to receive wires of an electrical cable inserted into the housing through an open side thereof. A cover is provided for covering the open side of the housing. The cover is pivotally connected to the housing remote from the opposite end thereof such that the cover is pivotally movable relative to the housing between an open position, in which the open side of the housing is substantially unobstructed by the cover for insertion of electrical wires into the blades, and a closed position, in which the open side of the housing is substantially closed off by the cover. The slot is unobstructed by the cover when the cover is in the open position, whereby an electrical cable inserted into the housing can be laid in the slot while the cover is attached to the housing and then secured to the housing in response to the pivotal movement of the cover from the open position to the closed position.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A connecting device for connecting an electrical cable, which includes a plurality of wires, to another electrical cable, said device comprising a housing having an open side for insertion of the electrical cable into said housing, said housing having a connecting end, which is sized and shaped so as to be removably connected to a connecting end of a second connecting device, and an opposite end, which includes first receiving means for receiving at least a portion of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said opposite end of said housing including an end wall, said first receiving means including a slot formed in said end wall, said slot having an open end adjacent said open side of said housing for receiving the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said housing including second receiving means, located adjacent said connecting end, for receiving a plurality of connecting blades sized and shaped so as to engage connecting blades of said second connecting device and to receive the plurality of wires of the electrical cable inserted into said housing;

and a cover for covering said open side of said housing, said cover including a first end, which is pivotally connected to said connecting end of said housing, and a second end, which is located opposite said first end, said cover being pivotally movable relative to said housing between an open position, in which said open side of said housing is unobstructed by said cover for insertion of the plurality of wires of the electrical cable into said blades, and a closed position, in which said open side of said housing is closed off by said cover, said first receiving means being unobstructed by said cover when said cover is in its said open position, whereby the electrical cable inserted into said housing can be laid in said first receiving means while said cover is attached to said housing and then secured to said housing in response to the pivotal movement of said cover from its said open position to its said closed position, said open end of said slot being unobstructed by said second end of said cover when said cover is in said open position and being abutted by said second end when said cover is in said closed position;
and gripping means for gripping the electrical cable inserted into said housing in a strain-relieving manner in response to pivotal movement of said cover from said open position to said closed position.

A connecting device for connecting an electrical cable, which includes a plurality of wires, to another electrical cable, said device comprising a housing having an open side for insertion of the electrical cable into said housing, said housing having a connecting end, which is sized and shaped so as to be removably connected to a connecting end of a second connecting device, and an opposite end, which includes first receiving means for receiving at least a portion of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said housing including second receiving means, located adjacent said connecting end, for receiving a plurality of connecting blades sized and shaped so as to engage connecting blades of said second connecting device and to receive the plurality of wires of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, each of said blades including third receiving means for receiving an end of a wire of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said third receiving means being sized and shaped so as to retain the wire of the electrical cable received therein in proper position relative to said housing and including a pair of wire locators formed on a corresponding one of said blades;

and a cover for covering said open side of said housing, said cover being pivotally connected to said housing remote from said opposite end thereof such that said cover is pivotally movable relative to said housing between an open position, in which said open side of said housing is unobstructed by said cover for insertion of the plurality of wires of the electrical cable into said blades, and a closed position, in which said open side of said housing is closed off by said cover, said first receiving means being unobstructed by said cover when said cover is in its said open position, whereby the electrical cable inserted into said housing can be laid in said first receiving means while said cover is attached to said housing and then secured to said housing in response to the pivotal movement of said cover from its said open position to its said closed position.

A connecting device for connecting an electrical cable, which includes a plurality of wires, to another electrical cable, said device comprising a housing having an open side for insertion of the electrical cable into said housing, said housing having a connecting end, which is sized and shaped so as to be removably connected to a connecting end of a second connecting device, and an opposite end, which includes first receiving means for receiving at least a portion of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said housing including second receiving means, located adjacent said connecting end, for receiving a plurality of connecting blades sized and shaped so as to engage connecting blades of said second connecting device and to receive the plurality of wires of the electrical cable inserted into said housing, said second receiving means including a plurality of receiving channels formed in said housing adjacent said connecting end, each of said receiving channels being sized and shaped so as to receive a corresponding one of said blades, said housing including a base and a pair of side walls projecting upwardly from said base, said second receiving means including a pair of partitions positioned between said side walls, said partitions projecting upwardly from said base and extending from said connecting end of said housing towards said opposite end of said housing, one of said partitions being positioned adjacent one of said side walls;

and the other of said partitions being positioned adjacent the other of said side walls, said one side wall and said one partition cooperating to define a first one of said receiving channels, said one partition and said other partition cooperating to define a second one of said receiving channels, and said other partition and said other side wall cooperating to define a third one of said receiving channels;
and a cover for covering said open side of said housing, said cover being pivotally connected to said housing remote from said opposite end thereof such that said cover is pivotally movable relative to said housing between an open position, in which said open side of said housing is unobstructed by said cover for insertion of the plurality of wires of the electrical cable into said blades, and a closed position, in which said open side of said housing is closed off by said cover, said first receiving means being unobstructed by said cover when said cover is in its said open position, whereby the electrical cable inserted into said housing can be laid in said first receiving means while said cover is attached to said housing and then secured to said housing in response to the pivotal movement of said cover from its said open position to its said closed position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/314,415Filed 18 May 1999 · us provisional application
Priority: 20 May 1998
Granted: 13 Feb 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H01R 13/501
Formed as an integral body: comprising an integral hinge or a frangible part
H01R 13/5829
The cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing: the clamping part being flexibly or hingedly connected to the housing
H01R 24/84
Two-part coupling devices, or either of their cooperating parts, characterised by their overall structure: hermaphroditic coupling devices
H01R
Electrically-conductive connections