ADJUSTABLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOOD

• US 3,803,530 A
• Filed: 02/28/1973
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CIT Group/Commercial Services Incorporated (CIT Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scott J. Lapraik
• Inventors: Lapraik, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Bobby R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Terrell P.
• Application Number:
  US05/336,810
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 174/138F,5R 339/36,44,34,42,31,47-49,63,65,66,75,92,91,136,137,138,139,140,198,206,211,213 191/30,35 220/24.2,24.3,3.7,8
• US Class Current: 439/892
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/595 Bolts operating in a direction transverse to the cable or wire
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/902 Angularly disposed contact and conductor

Abstract

A hood for electrical connectors, which adjusts to fit connector frames of a variety of lengths, including forward and rearward shells that telescope into one another and that each can be attached to one end of a connector frame. The outermost of the telescoping shells has a pair of inwardly-extending flanges that rest against the connector frame and are received in cut-away lower edges of the other shell.

Claims

1. An adjustable electrical connector hood for covering electrical connector frames of different lengths, comprising:

a first shell having a forward end wall, a top wall, and a pair of side walls, and having an open bottom and rear end, the forward end wall having means fastenable to an electrical connector frame; and

a second shell having a rearward end with a wire-passing aperture therein, a top wall, and a pair of side walls, and having an open bottom and forward end, and having means at the rear end fastenable to an electrical connector frame;

an outermost one of said shells having a top wall lying over the top of the other shell, and having side walls lying against the outer faces of the side walls of the other shell.

2. The hood described in claim 1 wherein:

said second shell has a rear extension along the top wall, and has a rear wall with a threaded hole and a pair of guide slots on either side of the hole; and

including a clamp member having a pair of runner feet received in said guide slots; and

a screw in said threaded hole and having an end bearing against a portion of the clamp member which lies between said runner feet.

3. An adjustable electrical connector hood for covering electrical connector frames of different lengths, comprising:

a first shell having a forward end wall, a top wall, and a pair of side walls, and having an open bottom and rear end, the forward end wall having a fastener-receiving hole therein for receiving a fastener to hold the forward end to an electrical connector frame; and

a second shell having a rearward end wall with a wire-passing aperture therein, a top wall, and a pair of side walls, and having an open bottom and forward end, the rearward end wall having a fastener-receiving hole therein for receiving a fastener to hold the forward end to an electrical connector frame;

an outermost one of said shells having a top wall lying over the top of the other shell, and the side walls of the outer shell having inwardly extending flanges received under the bottom of the side walls of the other shell, said shells being longitudinally slideable with respect to each other to thereby adjust to electrical connector frames of different length.

4. The hood described in claim 3 wherein:

the flanges on said outermost shell are angled upwardly, and the lower edges of the side walls of the other shell are cut-away to closely fit the flanges.

5. The hood described in claim 3 wherein:

the top wall of said second shell has a rear extension extending rearwardly of said rear wall thereof; and

including a clamp which includes a clamp housing that encircles said rear extension and that has a forwardly extending flange held to said rear wall of said second shell, and a cable-engaging member slideable along said clamp housing toward and away from said rear extension to clamp a cable thereagainst.

6. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a cable having a plurality of electrical wires;

a frame assembly including an elongated frame with opposite faces having an end flange at each end thereof, and a plurality of electrical contacts mounted on the frame and extending between said opposite faces and connected to said electrical wires;

a forward shell having a pair of side walls lying at either side of said frame, a forward wall fixed to one of said end flanges of the frame, and a top wall joining said side and end walls; and

a rearward shell having an upper wall lying over the forward shell, having a rear wall with an aperture therein through which said cable extends, said rear wall fastened to an end flange of said frame, and having a pair of side walls lying outside the side walls of the forward shell, the lower edges of the side walls of said rearward shell having inwardly extending flanges lying against the frame and under the lower edges of the forward side wall, the lower edges of thE forward shell side walls being cut-away at the inside and the flanges of the rearward shell closely received therein to prevent outward movement of rearward shell side walls.

7. The electrical connector described in claim 6 wherein:

the top wall of said rearward shell has a rearward extension with a pair of spaced laterally extending ridges formed therein; and

including cable tying means lying between said ridges and wrapped around said cable and rearward extension to hold them tightly together.

8. The electrical connector described in claim 7 wherein:

said cable tying means includes a clamp housing surrounding said cable and rearward extension and having a forwardly extending flange lying in the aperture in the rear wall of the rearward shell and fastened thereto, and a member slideable on the clamp housing to press against the cable.