Electrical component

• US 3,868,161 A
• Filed: 10/01/1973
• Issued: 02/25/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Houston Frantz
• Original Assignee: Robert Houston Frantz
• Inventors: Frantz, Robert Houston
• Primary Examiner(s): Frazier, Roy D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US05/402,549
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 339/95,96,97,98,99,14,164,206
• US Class Current: 439/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2433 one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot

Abstract

An improved electrical component is disclosed which may be rapidly connected to wires without the need of special tools. The back cover of the component housing includes a number of integral wire carrying members which are movably attached to the cover and arranged to drive wires carried thereby onto metallic lances of the contact members of the component without the aid of special tools. The metallic contact members include two identical interconnected ends which are arranged to be separated by removing a tear strip therebetween so that the ends of the contact can be individually wired. this tear strip is removed simply by pulling with a pair of pliers or the like.

Claims

1. An improved electrical component comprising:

a housing of insulating material having at least one cavity therein;

at least one contact member received in said cavity of said housing and having at least one pair of spaced tines defining a wire engaging slot therebetween;

a back cover including means detachably securing said back cover to said housing, at least one wire carrying member integrally connected to said back cover by flexible straps, said wire carrying member having therein at least one bore and a transverse groove intersecting said bore, whereby wire inserted in said bore is carried into engagement with said tines as said wire carrying member is moved towards said cavity with respect to said back cover.

2. An electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said bore is a blind bore limiting penetration of wire into said wire carrying member.

3. An electrical component according to claim 1 wherein each said at least one contact member includes a pair of like contact units joined together by a tear strip portion;

said housing including a pair of spaced sidewall portions defining therebetween a slot exposing said tear strip portion whereby said tear strip can be removed from said contact member by being pulled through said slot against said spaced sidewall portions which serve as anvils.

4. An electrical component according to claim 1 further comprising:

a ground yoke mounted within said housing, said ground yoke including a pair of spaced tines defining a ground wire receiving slot therebetween and at least one ground prong receiving portion; and

a ground wire carrying member including a bore, a transverse groove intersecting said bore and integral flexible straps connecting said ground wire carrying member to said cover whereby a ground wire inserted into said bore is driven into said ground wire receiving slot of said ground yoke by movement of said ground wire carrying member into said cavity with respect to said back cover.

5. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a duplex receptacle.

6. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a switch.

7. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a light fixture.

8. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a bus bar.

9. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a junction box.

10. An improved electrical component according to claim 1 wherein said component is a splice.

11. An improved electrical component comprising:

a housing of insulating material having therein at least one cavity and at least one pair of spaced sidewall portions, each pair defining therebetween an elongated access slot communicating with said at least one cavity;

at least one contact member mounted in said at least one cavity, each said contact member including a pair of like contact units interconnected by a tear strip portion aligned to be accessible through said slot in said housing and coplanar with said sidewalls, said tear strip portion having a tab extending into said slot and said slot extending substantially transversely across said contact and beyond both lateral edges thereof;

said tear strip adapted to be removed by application of a unidirectional pulling force normal to the plane of said contact member whereby said side wall portions serve as anvils for restraining the contact units of said contact member and cause the tearing separation of said strip from said contact member.

12. An electrical wiring receptacle comprising:

a housing of insulating material having at least a pair of cavities therein and a pair of spaced sidewall portions on at least one side of each cavity, each pair of sidewall portions defining a slot therebetween communicating with the adjacent cavity;

at least one contact member mounted in each said caviTy, each said contact member including a pair of like end contact units joined together by a tear strip portion, said tear strip portion being accessible through said housing sidewall slot, each said contact unit including at least one pair of tines defining a wire engaging slot therebetween; and

a back cover including means to secure said cover to said housing and at least one wire carrying member for each contact member, each said wire carrying member having flexible arm means integrally attaching said wire carrying member to said back cover and at least one bore intersected by a transverse slot, said wire carrying member being in substantial alignment with a respective one of said contact members so that said tines can enter said transverse slot, whereby a wire inserted into said bore will be carried into engagement with said tines by pushing said wire carrying member into said housing.

13. An electrical wiring receptacle according to claim 12 further comprising:

a ground yoke mounted substantially centrally within said housing, said yoke including a pair of tines defining a ground wire engaging slot therebetween and at least one ground prong receptacle; and

said back cover including a ground wire carrying member attached to said cover by flexible arm means, said ground wire carrying member including a bore and a transverse slot intersecting said bore and being in substantial alignment with said ground wire tines whereby a wire inserted into said bore can be driven into engagement with said tines.

14. An electrical wiring receptacle according to claim 13 wherein said ground yoke further comprises means adapted to fixedly mount said receptacle.

15. An electrical wiring receptacle according to claim 13 wherein said back cover includes a wire carrying member aligned with each pair of tines of each contact unit.