Electrical couplers and methods of using them
OwnerGeorge Stierinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Certain embodiments described herein are directed to couplers configured to provide an electrical connection between two or more separate electrical wires. In certain embodiments, the coupler is configured to provide the electrical connection without the two electrical wires physically contacting each other. In other instances, the coupler can be configured to provide an electrical connection between the wires without the use of an electrical box or wiring nuts.
Claims19
A kit comprising:
- a body configured to receive a first wire and a second wire, wherein the body comprises a block comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and an interior space within the body, wherein the interior space is designed to receive the first wire through a first opening in the body and the second wire through a second opening in the body, wherein the block is configured to electrically couple the first wire and the second wire through a loop formed by the wires in the interior space of the block;
- an external fastener configured to couple to the body at the first surface and retain the first and second wires within the body when the external fastener is coupled to the body through the top surface;
- and
- a retention device configured to couple to the external fastener at the bottom surface of the block to retain the coupled external fastener to the body and to compress the loop formed by the wires, wherein the block comprises a recessed space at the bottom surface so the retention device is flush with the bottom surface of the block, and wherein the recessed space is configured to prevent the retention device from turning when the retention device is inserted into the recessed space and when the external fastener is coupled to the retention device.
A device for coupling two or more insulated electrical wires, the device comprising a body sized and arranged to receive an uninsulated section of a first insulated electrical wire and an uninsulated section of a second insulated electrical wire, wherein the body comprises a block comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and an interior space within the body, wherein the interior space is designed to receive the first wire through a first opening in the body and the second wire through a second opening in the body, wherein the body is configured to electrically couple the first wire and the second wire through a loop formed by the wires in the interior space of the block, the body comprising an external fastener that removably couples to the block of the body, the external fastener sized and arranged to permit wrapping of the uninsulated section of the first insulated electrical wire and the uninsulated section of the second insulated electrical wire around a section of the external fastener within the body, the device further comprising a retention device configured to removably couple to the external fastener through the block to bias the uninsulated section of the first insulated electrical wire to the uninsulated section of the second insulated electrical wire into contact to electrically couple the first insulated electrical wire and the second insulated electrical wire and retain the uninsulated section of the first insulated electrical wire and the uninsulated section of the second insulated electrical wire within the body, wherein the block comprises a recessed space at the bottom surface so the retention device is flush with the bottom surface of the block, and wherein the recessed space is configured to prevent the retention device from turning when the retention device is inserted into the recessed space and when the external fastener is coupled to the retention device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.