Connector Assemblies With Integrated Wiring Diagrams and Methods of Using the Same

• US 20110070768A1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ideal Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ideal Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Zantout, Alan E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,221,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/491
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2475 Means facilitating correct wiring, e.g. marking plates, identification tags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53222 Means comprising hand-manipulatable implement

Abstract

Disclosed are connector assemblies having an integrated wiring diagram or being in conjunction with a tool having an integrated wiring diagram, and methods of using such connector assemblies or tools. The connector assemblies include wire entry ports for insertion of respective wires depicted on the wiring diagram. The connector assemblies have at least one housing having a wiring diagram on the at least one housing, on a receptacle that holds the at least one housing or on a tool that temporarily holds the at least one housing.

Claims

1. A connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram comprising:

a connector assembly having at least one housing and at least one face having a plurality of wire entry ports;

a diagram located on the connector assembly and having wire indicia displayed in association with respective wire entry ports of the at least one face of the connector assembly; and

wherein the wire entry ports are configured to receive at least one inserted wire.

2. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the diagram is applied to the connector assembly in the form of a label.

3. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the diagram is applied to the connector assembly by printing on the connector assembly.

4. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the diagram is displayed on the connector assembly by forming the diagram on an outer surface of the connector assembly.

5. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of housings, with each housing having at least one face having a plurality of wire entry ports.

6. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 5 wherein the connector assembly further comprises a receptacle that receives the plurality of housings.

7. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the diagram is applied to the connector assembly in the form of a label having at least one aperture.

8. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the label includes a plurality of apertures and only one wire entry port of the connector assembly is associated with each respective aperture.

9. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 1 wherein the housing includes at least one conductive contact for each respective one of the plurality of wire entry ports.

10. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 9 wherein at least two of the conductive contacts are connected to each other.

11. The connector assembly having an integrated wiring diagram of claim 9 further comprising at least two independent sets of at least two of the conductive contacts being connected to each other.

12. A tool for use with a connector assembly and having an integrated wiring diagram, the tool comprising:

a receptacle configured to temporarily receive a connector assembly, wherein the connector assembly further comprises at least one wire connector housing, with the at least one wire connector housing having at least one face and a plurality of wire entry ports in the at least one face;

a wiring diagram located on the receptacle and having wire indicia located in correspondence to positions of the respective plurality of wire entry ports of the at least one wire connector housing.

13. The tool of claim 12 wherein the receptacle is configured to permit loading and unloading of the at least one wire connector housing.

14. The tool of claim 12 wherein the receptacle is configured to permit unloading of the at least one wire connector housing after respective wires have been inserted into the respective plurality of wire entry ports.

15. The tool of claim 12 wherein the connector assembly further comprises a plurality of wire connector housings, with each wire connector housing having at least one face and a plurality of wire entry ports in the at least one face.

16. A label for a connector assembly comprising:

a front panel including at least a portion of a wiring diagram having wire indicia displayed on the front surface of the front panel and the wire indicia being associated with respective wire entry ports of a connector assembly, the front surface being opposite a rear surface of the front panel which is to be disposed in a planar orientation with respect to a front of the connector assembly, and the label having at least one aperture associated with the wire indicia and through which conductive ends of wires may be inserted.

17. The label of claim 16 further comprising adhesive on the rear surface of the front panel for connection to the front of the connector assembly.

18. The label of claim 16 wherein the label is configured for connection to a connector assembly comprising at least one connector housing.

19. The label of claim 16 wherein the label is configured for connection to a connector assembly comprising a plurality of connector housings.

20. The label of claim 19 wherein the label is configured for connection to a connector assembly further comprising a receptacle configured to receive the plurality of connector housings.

21. The label of claim 16 further comprising a thermal formable sheet configured to be connected to the connector assembly by heat shrinking the sheet to at least partially cover the side portions of the connector assembly.

22. The label of claim 16 wherein the label includes a wiring diagram for a plurality of electrical devices on the front surface of the front panel.