Wall plate assembly for in-line electrical coupling

• US 4,589,719 A
• Filed: 09/10/1984
• Issued: 05/20/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hubbell Premise Products, Inc. (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brand-Rex Ltd. (Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gentry, John M., Archer, Lee A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGLYNN, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/649,137
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 339/126 R, 339/128
• US Class Current: 439/552
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/745 separate from the housing

Abstract

There is provided an electrical coupling assembly which utilizes an in-line electrical coupling device mounted through a hole in a standard wall face plate. The coupling is adapted to receive a modular plug on each end. Grooves are provided on portions of the body of the coupling for receiving C-shaped spring clips on either side of the plate for securing the coupling to the plate.

Claims

1. An electrical coupling assembly comprising:

a wall-mountable plate having at least one hole therethrough;

a coupling including a housing having a bore therethrough;

said coupling received in and extending through said hole;

a plurality of electrical contacts received in said bore;

said coupling having a pair of open ends;

said ends adapted to receive and secure thereto a first and a second modular plug wherein electrical signals may be transmitted from the first plug to the second plug; and

means for securing said coupling to said plate including first and second sets of grooves in said housing, the grooves of each of said sets opening outwardly through opposite sides of said housing, the grooves of said second set being substantially wider than the grooves of said first set, and a pair of generally C-shaped clips, each of said clips having a pair of spaced apart legs connected together by a central portion, said clips staddling said housing at opposite sides of said plate, one of said clips having portions of the legs thereof received within the grooves of said first set, the other of said clips being a spring clip having bowed legs received within the grooves of said second set and acting between said plate and said housing to bias said housing rearwardly relative to said plate.

2. An electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein each leg includes a widened portion forming shoulders.

3. An electrical coupling assembly as set forth in 1, wherein said clips are sheet metal stampings.

4. An electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said legs has a widened portion forming shoulders.

5. An electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 4, further including a tapered portion from the free ends of each of said legs to the shoulder thereof.

6. In an electrical coupling assembly including a wall-mountable plate having a hole extending therethrough and opening through the front and rear faces of the plate, an electrical coupling for connecting a pair of electrical connectors located in front of and behind the plate and including an elongated housing received within and extending longitudinally through the hole and means for securing the electrical coupling in assembly with the plate the improvement wherein said securing means comprises a first set of grooves formed in said housing and opening transversely outwardly through opposite sides of said housing, a first mounting clip having a pair of legs straddling said housing, each of said legs of said first clip being received within an associated one of said grooves of said first set, said first mounting clip bearing against one of said faces including said front and rear faces, a second set of grooves formed in said housing and spaced from said first set, said grooves of said second set opening transversely outwardly through opposite sides of said housing, said grooves of said second set being of substantially greater width than said grooves of said first set, a second mounting clip having a pair of legs straddling said housing and received within said grooves of said second set, said second mounting clip acting between said housing and the other of said faces including said front and rear faces to bias said first mounting clip toward engagement with said one of said faces.

7. In an electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 6 the further improvement wherein said grooves comprise parallel grooves.

8. In an electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 6 the further improvement wherein said first mounting clip comprises a generally C-shaped flat metal stamping and said grooves of said first set have a width substantially equal to the thickness of said flat metal stamping.

9. In an electrical coupling assembly as set forth in claim 8 the further improvement wherein said second mounting clip comprise a generally C-shaped spring clip.

10. A wall-mountable in-line electrical connector assembly for joining a pair of modular plugs in in-line electrical connected relation to each other and comprising a wallmountable plate having a hole therethrough opening through the front and rear faces of said plate, an in-line electrical connector having a housing extending through said opening and projecting outwardly from and beyond each of said faces, said housing having a bore extending therethrough and defining plugreceiving openings at opposite ends of said housing, electrical contact means within said bore for establishing electrical connection between modular electrical plug connectors received in plugged relation within opposite ends of said bore, and means for retaining said in-line connector in assembled relationship with said wall-mountable plate and including a first set of grooves formed in said housing and opening outwardly through opposite sides of said housing, a first generally C-shaped mounting clip straddling said housing and having legs received within said grooves of said first set, said first clip bearing against one face of said plate and locating said housing in position relative to said plate, a second set of grooves in said housing spaced from said first set and opening outwardly through opposite sides of said housing, the grooves of said second set being substantially wider than the grooves of said first set, a generally C-shaped spring clip straddling said housing and having legs received within said grooves of said second set, said spring clip acting between said housing and said plate to bias said first mounting clip toward engagement with said one face.