Snap in electrical connector assembly with unidirectional wire conductor retainer ring

An electrical connector assembly for securing an electric conductor to a knockout hole of an electric box comprising:

• a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet end portion, and a bore extending therethrough, said outlet end portion terminating in an outlet opening adaptable for insertion through a knockout hole,
• a stop flange disposed intermediate of said connector body to limit the insertion of said outlet end portion into a knockout hole,
• said outlet end portion having an outer surface that slopes downward toward said outlet opening,
• a snap fit retainer ring being formed of a resilient material,
• said snap fit retainer ring having a face portion and an integrally connected frustro-conical configuration disposed about said face portion and extending laterally therefrom,
• a locking tang and a grounding tang formed out of the surface of said frustro-conical configuration,
• said locking tang being bent outwardly relative to the surface of said frustro-conical configuration at an angle greater than said grounding tang,
• said laterally extending frustro-conical configuration includes a trailing end having a diameter greater than that of said face portion whereby said locking tang and grounding tang are deflected inwardly to permit insertion of said connector assembly through a knockout hole, whereby said tangs are inherently biased outwardly when fully inserted, permitting the holding tang to secure the connector assembly to an electrical box and the grounding tang being positively biased in engagement with the internal periphery of the knockout hole to form a positive electrical ground,
• a wire conductor retainer sleeve formed from a blank of spring steel,
• said wire conductor retainer sleeve having an outer diameter sized so as to be frictionally secured within said inlet end portion,
• said wire retainer sleeve having a plurality of wire retaining tangs circumferentially spaced about the inner circumference of said retainer sleeve,
• said wire retaining tangs being inwardly bent relative to the circumference of said sleeve,
• said wire retaining tangs having their free ends longitudinally spaced apart.

An electrical connector assembly for securing an electrical conductor to an electrical box comprising:

• a connector body having an inlet end portion and an outlet portion with a bore extending therethrough,
• an outwardly extending flange circumscribing said connector body,
• said outlet end portion having an outer surface sloping downwardly toward said outlet end opening,
• a projecting lug formed on said sloping surface of said outlet end portion,
• an outer retaining ring disposed on said outlet end portion,
• said outer retaining ring having a face portion provided with an opening therein, and a plurality of laterally extending arms integrally connected about the periphery of said face portion,
• said laterally extending arms defining a frustro-conical configuration for receiving and circumscribing said outlet end portion,
• locking tangs and grounding tangs blanked out of the surface of said arms,
• said locking tangs being cantileverly bent out of the surface of said arms at an angle greater than said grounding tangs,
• a retaining slot formed in at least one of said arms,
• said retaining slot adapted to receive said lug for securing said retaining ring on said outlet end portion,
• and an internal wire conductor retaining means disposed within said inlet end portion,
• said internal wire conductor retaining means being formed from a blank of spring steel rolled into a sleeve,
• said sleeve having an outer diameter sized for frictionally securing said sleeve within said inlet end portion,
• said sleeve having a plurality of tangs circumferentially spaced about the inner circumference of said sleeve,
• said tangs being blanked out of the surface of said sleeve, and
• said tangs having a free end projecting inwardly of said sleeve permitting a wire conductor to be readily gripped by said free ends upon insertion into said sleeve and whereby said free ends prohibit unintentional separation of the wire conductor from said sleeve.

A snap fit retainer ring adapted for use on an electrical connector to effect a snap fit connection to an electric box comprising:

• a blank of a metallic spring material formed to define a ring,
• said blank having a leading end, a trailing end, and a face portion;
• a plurality of opposed pairs of radial arms disposed about said face portion,
• said face portion having an opening therein,
• said radial pairs of arms being laterally bent about said face portion to define a frustro-conical configuration relative to said face portion wherein said trailing end has a diameter greater than the diameter of said leading end,
• holding tangs formed out of the surface of said opposed pairs of said arms,
• a retaining slot formed in at least one of said pair of said arms,
• said holding tangs being cantileverly bent out of the surface of said opposed pairs of said arms,
• and said pairs of arms having the free ends thereof functioning as grounding tangs.

For use in combination with an electrical box provided with at least one or more knock out holes, an electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a connector body defining an inlet end portion having an inlet opening, and a connected outlet end portion terminating in an outlet opening,
• an outwardly radially extending flange circumscribing said connector body between said inlet end portion and said outlet end portion, said flange forming a stop to limit the insertion of said connector body portion through a knock out opening of the electrical box,
• said outlet end portion having an outer surface sloping downwardly from said flange toward said outlet opening,
• a projecting lug formed on said sloping surface,
• a snap fit outer retainer ring supported on said outlet end portion,
• said snap fit retainer ring including a face portion and a plurality of arms formed integral with said face portion, said plurality of arms being laterally bent relative to and about said face portion to define a frustro-conical configuration circumscribing said face portion,
• a locking tang formed out of the surface of at least one of said arms,
• said locking tang being cantileverly bent outwardly relative to the surface of said one arm,
• and said arms having a free end defining a grounding tang,
• a retaining slot formed in at least one of said arms arranged to receive said lug for securing said retainer ring onto said outlet end portion,
• so that when said connector assembly is inserted through a knockout hole of an electric box, said locking tangs spring outwardly to secure the connector assembly to the electric box and the free ends of said arms being biased to engage the inner periphery of the knockout hole to create an electrical ground,
• an inner wire retaining sleeve disposed within said inlet end portion,
• said retaining sleeve being formed from a blank of steel spring material,
• said blank having a leading edge and a trailing edge and an intermediate surface therebetween, and
• said blank having a projecting tongue on one end,
• and a complementary notch formed in the other end thereof,
• whereby said tongue is received within said notch in the rolled position of said blank to form said sleeve,
• opposed wire retaining tangs formed out of the surface of said sleeve,
• each of said wire retaining tangs having their free ends bent inwardly of said sleeve toward the longitudinal axis of said sleeve and directed toward the leading edge of said sleeve so that said free ends permit a wire conductor to be readily inserted into said sleeve and gripped thereby so as to prohibit any unintentional separation of the wire conductor from said sleeve.